Other Salsa Recipes

Green Tomato Salsa

https://www.grandpacooks.com/recipes/green-tomato-salsa/

Salsa Fresca no Caliente (not hot)

Salsa Fresca no Caliente (not hot)

Salsa del Sol – Mexican Cantina Salsa

Salsa del Sol

McDonald’s Salsa – Copy Cat Recipe

SALSA – McDonald’s Copy Cat

Fried Won Ton

Types of Pasta Wrappers

Won Ton Wrapper – Thin and small – about 30-40 per inch
Gyoza – similar to won ton, but round
Spring Roll Wrapper – medium sized
Egg Roll Wrapper – larger size
Mu Shu wrapper – larger and thinner
Rice Paper – larger and paper thin

Buy a pack of won ton wrappers from the grocery store.
Your filling should be some kind of protein mixed with sugar, soy, salt, pepper, mirin, sesame oil, chopped water chestnuts, ginger and chives. Use the below recipe if you desire. Proteins include hamburger, ground pork, sausage, tofu, etc.
Brown 1/2 LB protein filling, then put in all the additional ingredients
Combine 1/4 C scallions, 1 egg, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 TBL chopped bell pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/4 tsp Thunder Powder, 2 tsp Worcestershire, 2 tsp ketchup or soy, and 1 tsp mustard.
Mix with cooked protein
Put 1 tsp mixture into center of won ton wrapper
Use flour and water to moisten the edges
Fold into triangle and use a fork to press and seal tightly, getting as much air out as possible. Pleat final product.
Keep covered with a damp towel as you work.
Fry 8-10 at a time at 365 – 380º

A Nice Dipping Sauce

In 1 TBL safflower oil, brown 4 cloves garlic and some grated ginger.
Remove the garlic and discard.
Stir in 1 C orange juice.
Simmer to reduce.
Add 1/4 C rice vinegar, and 1/2 C brown sugar.
Add in 1 TBL soy sauce and 2 TBL water mixed with 2 tsp corn starch.

Caponata

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
2 C cubed winter squash
1 Vidalia onion
4 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery
1/2 CU green olive
1/2 CU black olive
1/2 C golden raisins
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
2 TBL capers
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1/4 C white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

STEP BY STEP

Toss your cubed squash in 1 TBL EVOO and 1 tsp salt
Bake at 350º for 30 minutes
While this cooks
Cut up onion and mince the garlic – Set aside
Peel the eggplant, leaving just a little bit of purple to make it pretty.
Cut up the eggplant in 1/2 inch cubes – Set aside
Put drained tomato into a third bowl
Cut celery into thin crescents – Add to tomato
Quarter olives – Add to tomato
Add capers, raisins and salt to tomato
Heat up a skillet, add EVOO and saute onions
When the start to soften, add the garlic and celery
As soon as this is all combined, add the eggplant and combine gently
Add tomato mixture to the eggplant
Mix very gently, and continue heating 5 minutes.
Mix gently, and continue to heat another 5 minutes
Add vinegars, stir to combine and heat for another few minutes.
Stir in cooked squash
Can be served hot, but it is great chilled for at least several hours, and served cold.

VARIATIONS

Add any of the following ingredients for twists:

Julienne strips from 1/2 carrot
Chopped fresh parsley, cilantro or basil
Fresh quartered cherry tomatoes
Pitted calamata olives
Pimiento stuffed olives
Add 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes to kick it up a notch
Substitute Red Wine vinegar for Apple Cider
Add tomato sauce to create more of a cold summer soup

NOTES

You can serve this hot when you make it, and refrigerate the left-overs. They will keep well in the refrigerator for days, and you can haul it out at any time and just eat it without any to-do.
Vinegar is the secret ingredient. It gives it a unique taste and acts as a preservative.

Roberto’s Taco Salad

Use your favorite toppings

½ romaine
½ cabbage
red onions
chopped roma tomato
diced red bell
diced jalapeno
black olive
artichoke
hot black beans or ground cooked
hamburger or chicken
cheese
guacamole
sour cream
chives

To make the bowl, place a flour tortilla into a taco bowl form. If you don’t have one, drape it over top of a tuna can or other similar shape with a flat bottom
Bake at 325º for 12-14 minutes
Brown your hamburger
Mix romaine and cabbage – put in bottom of bowl.
Add red onion, chopped tomato, red bell, jalapeno, black olives, artichoke.
Add black beans or cooked hamburger
Top with grated cheese
Garnish with guacamole, sour cream & chives

Taquitos and Flautas

The difference between taquitos and flautas are; the first is flour tortilla, and the second is made from corn tortillas.

Ingredients:
Beef, chicken, chorizo or pork – Cooked
OR
1/4 C Onion, 1 potato and 6 oz chorizo

Olive oil
Carrots
Cabbage
Garlic
Basil
Cumin
Coriander or cilantro
Parsley
Lime

Sear meat pieces and set aside
To hot skillet, add carrots, cabbage, garlic, basil, cumin, coriander, parsley.
Don’t need to cook completely.
Add 1 tbl lime juice and cilantro.
Heat tortilla in a hot cast iron skillet for about 15 seconds per side
Roll in tortillas (or empanada wrappers) and hold in place w/ 2 toothpicks.
Spray w/ oil & broil till golden brown or fry in shallow pan of hot oil until browned.
You can also deep fry, and then let drain on rack over a paper towel
Remove toothpicks
Plate and serve with cooked veggies, guacamole, mango, cantaloupe and side salad.
Top with chipotle & sour cream or Mexican crema

Oil or oven should be preheated to 350º

From Cindy’s Recipe Cards:

Title of Recipe: Taquitos

Ingredients:
Beef, chicken or pork
Meat
Olive oil
Carrots
Cabbage
Garlic
Basil
cumin
coriander/cilantro
parsley
lime

Instruction:
Sear meat pieces in hot olive oil tossed in corn starch. Add carrots, cabbage, garlic, basil, cumin, coriander, parsley. Don’t need to cook completely. Add 1 tbl lime juice and cilantro. Roll into flour tortillas (sushi roll) hold in place w/toothpick. Spray w/oil & broil till golden brown. Cut @ angle and plate.

Special Steps:
Top with chipotle & sour cream. Serve with mango, cantaloupe and side salad.

Enchilada Sauce – COLLECTION

Grandpa’s Easiest Ever Enchilada Sauce

Grandpa’s Red Enchilada Sauce

Grandpa’s Green Enchilada Sauce Recipes

The information below this section is from a third party. It is part of Grandpa's Personal Recipe box. Feel free to browse, but know that this information is from someone else.

Pretty Darned Easy Enchilada Sauce

Mild Green Enchilada Sauce

You can easily double any of these recipes and can the extra. Put canning jars (not lids) through the dishwasher and time the cycle so that it finishes just when you finish your enchilada sauce. When sauce is finished, put the lids into a bowl of nearly boiling hot water for 30 seconds. Pour hot sauce into “sterile” jars, and put the lid on. For those jars that “PING” the sauce will stay on the shelf for up to a month. PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST ELIMINATE THE MEAT if you are planning to can your sauce in this manner, otherwise leave one inch head space and freeze the sauce.

Gravlox (“Grav Lox” = buried salmon)

From Cindy’s Recipe Card

Title of Recipe: Gravlox (“Grav Lox” = buried salmon)

Ingredients:
Salmon
2 tbl salt
3 tbl sugar
1 tbl white pepper
2 tbl honey
1 tbl whole-grain mustard
1 tbl reg. Mustard
1 tbp red wine vinegar

Instructions:
Sprinkle salt, sugar & white pepper mixture in bottom of pan, put salmon in pan, top w/ lots of mixture (be very liberal). Cover with dill sprigs. Baste/drizzle w/ cognac. Put weight on top. Let set 2 hours, then put in refrigerator. Flip & repeat daily for 5 days. Scrape off almost all topping, slice and discard, cut at extreme angle as thin as possible (cut off brown edges).

Sauce; 3 tbl of juice/liquid from Gravlox pan, 2 tbl honey, 1 tbl whole grain mustard, 1 tbl reg. Mustard, 1 tbl red wine vinegar. Slowly pour in 4 tbl veg. Oil, while whisking, will emulsify. Refrigerate, add 1 tbl chopped dill.

Special Steps:
Top w/lemon dill, radish sauce and serve with pumpernickel and chardonnay /or schnapps.

Basic Gravlox

Ingredients

Salmon – fresh – skin on
2 TBL salt
3 TBL sugar
1 TBL white pepper
1 TBL black peppercorns
1 TBL corriander seed
2 TBL honey
1 TBL chopped fresh dill
2 TBL ground mustard

Note: You can tell if it is fresh because the pin bones WILL NOT pull out easily. There will be just a bit of tug. If they slide right out, the salmon is not quite fresh.

Step by Step

Mix all dry ingredients
Put salmon in pan, skin side down
Top w/ lots of mixture (be very liberal)
Flip skin side up, and top with more mixture
Flip again, skin side down and top with more mixture – reserve about 2 TBL of the mixture
Layer thickly with slices of lemon and orange
Add last 2 TBL of dry ingredients over top of lemon and orange
Cover and refrigerate for 24-36 hours
Unbury salmon and place on sheet of plastic wrap
Wrap tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerate about 3 more days
Unwrap and rinse under running water
Pat dry and wipe liberally with olive oil
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for another 2-3 days
Unwrap and cut at extreme angle as thin as possible (cut off brown edges)
Serve with sauce and crackers, or see other preparations below

Sauce

2 TBL each – honey, sour cream, minced onion
1 TBL each – whole grain mustard, regular mustard, red wine vinegar, capers
Slowly pour in 1/4 C olive oil, while whisking, will emulsify.
Add 1 TBL each – chopped dill, cives
Refrigerate
Serve with sauce and pumpernickel

Norwegian Gravlox

Ingredients

Raw salmon
Olive oil
Rock salt – fleurdesel
Lemon
pepper

Step by Step / Serving

Slice paper thin, lay out.
Eat with salt, pepper, oil, lemon , chervil

American Gravlox

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons whole white peppercorns
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups chopped dill
2 cups chopped parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons gin, Hendrick’s preferred
One 2-pound, center-cut, skin-on wild salmon fillet, pin bones removed
Bagels and cream cheese, blini or scrambled eggs, for serving

Step by Step

In a spice grinder, combine the cumin seeds and white peppercorns and pulse until finely ground.
Transfer to a medium bowl and add the salt, both sugars, dill, parsley, crushed red pepper, lemon zest and aquavit.
Mix well.
Place the salmon in a glass or ceramic dish, skin-side down.
Spread the herb paste evenly over the fillet.
Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the fish feels firm and looks cured in the center, 2 to 3 days.
The sides of the fillet will have the strongest flavor and driest texture.

Serving

Sliced gravlox
Sliced avocado
Toasted Noble Bread
Scallion cream cheese spread
Grainy mustard honey sauce
Boiled egg slices
Dill sprigs

Mexican Gravlox

Ingredients

Fresh Salmon
1 TBL tequila over top
Mix handful of chopped cilantro
2 TBL dark brown sugar
2 TBL salt
1 TBL black pepper
1tsp chipotle or cayenne powder
1tsp cumin
Grated lime zest

Step by Step

Cover, flip and cover
Cover in plastic and cover with heavy weight
Ready in 3-6 days
Serve on crackers or toast
Top with Crema

Puff Pastry Gravlox

Egg wash (yolk, water, salt) a sheet of room temperature puff pastry
Cut into circles and place on baking tray
Put a 1/4 lattice tray over top of circles, using a spacer so that all of puffs will be the same height
Bake 325º for about 15 minutes
Poke a hole in the center for filling
Pipe mixture of sour cream, dill, salt and pepper onto baked circles
Top with thinly sliced gravlox or roll into a rose
Bake 400º for no more than 2 minutes
Add a dab of sour cream onto the rose and garnish with salmon caviar or sturgeon caviar
Top with the merest bit of dill
Serve on a piece of slate (just to be pretty)

Juevos Rancheros – COLLECTION

HIS AND HERS

Grandpa’s Huevos Rancheros

Top with avocado (blue plate) or mushrooms (green plate)

Slice mushrooms and cook in butter, then set aside
Sautee slivered onions, the set aside
Add 1 C enchilada sauce to the pan and bring to simmer
Dip corn tortillas in sauce and put on a small square of aluminum foil placed on a baking tray
Mix refried beans in with remaining sauce and heat
Place on tortillas
Add sliced onion
Create a recess in the center and add a whole egg
Top with avocado (blue plate) or mushrooms (green plate)
Sprinkle with grated cheese
Bake at 350º for 13 minutes
Use foil to move to plates (remove foil or just keep it there) The tortillas will be soft and may fall apart

See also: CAZUELA DE HUEVOS RANCHEROS for a casserole recipe, if you are cooking for more than two people.

When I make Huevos Ranchers it is never the same. Of course, it is served on a corn tortilla, and then spread with refried beans, but sometimes has a fried egg on top, sometimes ham, sometimes green chilis… and then topped with cheese. The concept is a corn tortilla with tasty goodness. Here are several recipes if you want some guidance your first time through.

QUICK AND SIMPLE
PHOTO SHOWN AT RIGHT

Corn tortilla heated and browned on both sides
Smear with refried beans
Sprinkle with diced peppers
Top with scrambled egg disc
Top with shredded beef and salsa mixed together
Top with poached egg
Sprinkle with cheese
Broil about five minutes

Grandma’s Huevos Rancheros

2 fried or poached eggs
½ tsp vegetable oil
1/8 small onion
1/8 sliced bell pepper
¼ clove garlic, chopped
¼ CU Salsa
1 TBL diced green chiles
2 corn tortillas
2 TBS shredded cheese

1. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet
2. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic
3. Add salsa and chiles – bring to boil, remove from heat
4. Top corn tortilla with 1/3 CU sauce and one egg
5. Sprinkle with cheese

Huevos Rancheros Casserole with Ranchero Sauce

Place the canned and fresh tomatoes, the onion, jalapeño, garlic, water, chilies powder, salt, cumin, oregano, sugar and vinegar in a 2-quart saucepan. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While the sauce is simmering, prepare the tortillas and the eggs.
Heat the oil in a skillet.
Place a tortilla in the hot oil and fry just until softened.
As each tortilla is done, place it on a plate.
Repeat this procedure until all the tortillas are cooked.
Oil a long baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches).
Spoon half of the sauce over the bottom, then arrange the tortillas over the sauce.
Top the tortillas with more sauce.
Sprinkle with half of the grated cheddar cheese.
Crack the eggs onto the cheese layer at intervals so that there will be a few inches between each egg.
Spoon the remaining sauce over the length of the eggs and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake for about 13 minutes at 350º
Pierce one of the eggs with a sharp paring knife to check that the eggs are done as you like.
After 20 minutes of baking, the eggs are hard- cooked.
When the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
To serve, cut the casserole into squares. Sprinkle with freshly grated cotija or feta cheese.

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: Cotija cheese is sold in small rounds, and is available in the dairy case of many supermarkets. It is easily crumbled. You can substitute feta cheese.

Black Olive Huevos

Options
Add Black olives
Use a tomatillo rather than tomatoes
Add Artichokes
Top with cilantro
Include diced green chilies
Use tortilla chips or corn chips rather than corn tortilla
Use poached egg rather than Fried Egg

Special Steps Break your egg into separate bowls. This will assure that you have an unbroken yolk. If you break the yolk, save this for scrambled eggs the following morning.

Huevos Rancheros – SAUCE

The Ranchero Sauce
— 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
— 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
— 1 cup diced onion
— 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
— 2 minced cloves garlic
— 1 cup water
— 2 tablespoons red chile powder
— 1/2 teaspoon salt
— 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
— 1 teaspoon oregano
— 1 teaspoon sugar
— 1 tablespoon vinegar
Adapted from Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, who grew up on a Bay Area rancho, and is the author of “California Rancho Cooking,” “The Salsa Book” and “The Chipotle Chile Cook Book.”

America’s Test Kitchen

1 Can diced tomatoes – strained – reserve liquid
1 C strained reserved tomato juice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp lime
1/2 Onion – diced
4 tsp Chili powder
1/2 C canned green chilies
2 garlic cloves – sliced thin
2 TBL EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C pepper jack cheese
4 eggs

STEP BY STEP

Strain diced tomatoes, reserving liquid
Add brown sugar and lime to strained tomato juice
To tomatoes, add onion. green chilies, garlic, EVOO, chili powder and salt/pepper to taste
Stir to combine
Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper
Spread into an even layer
Alternately you can use a comal or a large cast iron skillet
Bake at 500º for about 40 minutes
Turn oven down to 400º
Put cooked mixture into a glass baking dish, and add the strained/reserved juice back into it, and stir to combine
Sprinkle with pepper jack
Nestle 1 egg at a time into an impression you will make in the sauce
Season with salt and pepper
Bake at 400º for 15 minutes
Tent with aluminum for about 5 minutes
Top with avocado, scallions and cilantro

GZ’s Huevos Rancheros

Geofry Zakarian cooked with his two daughters Anna and Madeline

1 can of Refried beans or chili beans
Pico de gallo – Chop, dice and mix: red chili pepper, roma tomato, lime juice, red onion – add a little bit of chopped cilantro
Optionally, use a jar of store-bought salsa
Crisp corn tortilla taco or tostada
Optionally, you can use a bag of corn chips
Two sunny side up eggs

Heat beans in a skillet
Cook two eggs sunny side up
Put heated beans in the bottom of a bowl
Put corn chips on top of beans
Top with an egg
Garnish with cilantro, avocado, tomato, lime, chili, onion, salt, pepper
Top with fresh salt and pepper

Jalapeño Chili Sauce

Also referred to as Grandpa’s Jalapeño Puree

Before we begin…

You can grow your own jalapeños if you life in a warm climate
If you don’t, you can buy some at any Mexican grocery or even on Amazon.
Any time you are blending the peppers, it will create a toxic gas cloud, so make sure you are in a well-ventilated environment

Ingredients to feed 4 people

A whole bunch of jalapeños – red, green, it doesn’t matter Have some Thai chilies, throw them in there too; as well as your serranos and habañeros if you wish hotter sauce. If you want a milder Chili Sauce, use Poblano, Anaheim, Bell or Banana peppers.

You will also need water, white vinegar, sugar, cumin, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

Step by Step

Fill quart mason jars with minced jalapeños
Remove seeds before mincing for milder sauce, leave them in for hotter sauce
Put into mason jar filling about one inch from the top
Place in mixing cup 1/2 C water, 1 C vinegar
Microwave about 2 minutes
Add 1 TBL salt
Add 1 tsp cumin
Mix all mixing cup ingredients to incorporate and dissolve
Pour liquid into mason jars covering peppers
Put the lid on and place jar on counter for a month or two or three – mine just finished eight months

AFTER IT HAS CURED
jal-chi-sauce

Puree in blender – watch out for vapors they are TOXIC
Push pulp through a strainer using a spatula into jars – discard solids
Add tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder and sugar
Using standard canning procedures, cold pack and hot water batch for 20 minutes

Oh, one more thing…

My niece uses this full strength. That is a bit too hot for me. This is hotter than Tabasco, and has a lot more flavor. You don’t need to use too much.
My preferred use for this sauce is to make my Jalapeño Ketchup.
If you are not good with doing things to taste, for each quart jar that you are aging and processing, Once you have pushed the pulp through a strainer, add 1 tsp salt, garlic powder and onion powder and 1/4 C tomato paste.
If you don’t know how to can things, here is a ketchup canning site. Just follow the same procedure for your chili sauce

Shortcut Chili Sauce

1/2 CU Heintz Ketchup
1/2 CU diced jalapenos (from can)
2 TBL cayenne sauce (Frank’s Red Hot or Durkee)
1 TBL rice vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 TBL sesame oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

1. Blend all ingredients until somewhat smooth.
2. Press through a sieve
3. Store in something like an old Tabasco bottle
4. Refrigerate

This is a recipe that has been created or modified by Robert (Grandpa) Andrews.
CLICK HERE for a free sample copies of Grandpa's Cookbooks. © 2016, 2017, 2018.

Noodles with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

8 OZ Noodles (I prefer Udon noodles)

DRESSING AS PREPARED HERE

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except noodles
2. Cook noodles until al-dente
3. Rinse noodles in cold water
4. Toss with dressing (step 1)
5. Serve with Tofu (recipe at this site)

Rigatoni Bolognaise ala Grandpa

INGREDIENTS

Rigatoni pasta
1/3 LB Ground pork
1/3 LB Ground sausage
1/3 LB Ground beef
2 strips of bacon
2 TBL Olive oil
6 cloves garlic – crushed
1 small carrot – minced
1 yellow bell pepper – chopped
1 small celery – chopped
1 medium onion – minced
1 tsp paprika
1 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 C Red wine
1 tsp Parsley
3 Bay leaves
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Salt/pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
Grated Gruyere and 1 poached egg per person

STEP BY STEP

Brown meat, save drippings.
Sweat in pan: EVOO, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper
Add red wine, bay leaf, crush tom, parsley (reduce parsley)
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook 2 hours
Boil pasta
Toss w/ sauce and grated Parmesan
Top with grated Gruyere and a lightly poached egg

Cacik (Turkish Yogurt soup)

Most people know this as Tzatziki. Greek yogurt sauce, but the Turks say the Greeks stole it from them.

Ingredients for multiple servings

1 cucumber – deseeded
½ tsp dill
1 tsp mint (minced)
1-2 CU plain yogurt
± 1 tsp garlic to taste
scant black pepper
1 TBL lemon juice
1 tsp EVOO
pinch of salt

Step by Step

Peel cucumber and scoop out seeds
Slice cucumber into small pieces or slices
(ALT: Grate cucumber)
Add yogurt and spices
Blend until smooth.
Fold in cucumbers
OPT: Mix in some crumbled feta cheese
Refrigerate at least 3 hours to blend flavors
Serve cold with a dusting of mint on top.

Notes We’ve always said “Kay Sick,” but when visiting in Istanbul, we were told that the proper way to say this is “Jay Jick”

Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey occupied the northern portion of Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island; relations between the two countries remain strained. Periodic military offensives against Kurdish separatists have dislocated part of the population in southeast Turkey and have drawn international condemnation.

Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS and STEP BY STEP

2 tomatoes – quartered
1 onion – quartered
4 tomatillos – quartered
6 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño – deseeded
– Toss the above in 3 TBL EVOO
– Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt
– Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes – meanwhile in a large bowl
1 zucchini – chopped
2 ears of corn – cut off cob
– Toss with
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
– Set aside for a few minutes
Bring 2 C chicken stock up to a boil and pour into a blender
– Add tomatoes, etc to the blender
– Put zucchini and corn on the now empty tray and put them back in the oven for 10 minutes
Add 1 handful of cilantro, 3 leaves Swiss chard, 2 TBL agave syrup, 2 TBL lime juice to the blender
– Blend well
– Return chicken mixture to a deep pot and bring back up to a simmer
– Add the zucch and corn to the pot
Cut corn tortillas into strips, spray with oil and bake in oven until browned, using the now empty tray
Add 1 C garbanzo beans to the pot
Optional: Add shredded pork

To serve, put crispy strips onto a plate, top with some chunky parts of the soup, dress with a little bit of broth.
Garnish with some radish cut really thinly, strips of avocado and cilantro leaves.

Tortilla Española

AKA Spanish Tortilla

In Spain, the tortillas are not the thin things that we are used to in Phoenix, but rather thick potato quiches. — In Spain, tortillas are not the thin things that we use here in Phoenix, but rather thick potato quiches.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/4 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 extra-large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: Cheese mix: See notes at bottom of this page.

STEP BY STEP

Heat half of your oil in a large skillet till hot, but not smoking.
Add the onion and stir occasionally. Onion should sweat and soften, but not caramelize.
Gently toss the potatoes in with the onion, seasoning with salt and pepper along the way.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cover.
Simmer – stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat if necessary so that the vegetables do not brown, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a parking knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs with salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high until very hot but not smoking.
Gently temper the potatoes and onion into the eggs
Pour the entire thing into the skillet, spreading the potatoes evenly in the pan.
Cook for about 1 minute, just to set the bottom of the egg mixture.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, or until almost set through.
Carefully flip the tortilla over (invert it onto a plate if you must, then slide it back into the pan, bottom side up) and cook for 5 minutes longer, until set.
Flip out onto a clean plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE

After reducing the heat to medium-low in Step 11, start checking for doneness after about 15 minutes. It may not take the 20 minutes mentioned depending on the pan you use. You don’t want to overcook the eggs or they’ll toughen and become dry.
You could, of course, Americanize this just a bit with cheese. Option 1 is to use a Monterey Jack and cheddar mix. Option 2 is to grate a nutty Gruyere, Manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss into the egg and potato mixture. It isn’t traditional but it adds another layer of flavor.
Use organic eggs if possible. There is a difference, especially in dishes like this one where eggs are the focal point.
Tortilla Española is essentially the national dish of Spain. You can eat it as a tapa, for breakfast, in a bocadillo (sandwich), or for dinner with salad and a bit of jamon. Basically anytime, anywhere. We had a great one at Valdubon and I think it’s because they weren’t afraid to use a lot of olive oil. No fear!

Reprinted from Spain: A Culinary Road Trip by Mario Batali with Gwyneth Paltrow, published by Ecco, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2008 with adaptations by Robert (Grandpa) Andrews

Basic Carnitas

Use for Tacos and Burritos

This is really easy, but it does take some planning to allow for slow cooking times.

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds Pork shoulder or butt . Big chunks (2-3 inches)
1 TBL vegetable shortening in very hot pan
Brown all sides VERY well in VERY hot cast iron skillet

BRAISING LIQUID

1 White onion
6 garlic cloves
1 bottle Dark beer (Modelo)
1/2 cup lime juice
3 (5-inch) fresh marjoram sprigs
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tsp each thyme, ground black pepper
1/2 tsp each ground chive and cumin
pinch of clove or 6 whole intact cloves
1 TBL salt
1/4 C sugar
1 orange . Zest and juice
1 bay leaves

STEP BY STEP

FIRST: Brown your meat
- Sear in a very hot skillet until meat starts to blacken and the edges crisp up
- Remove meat and set aside
Then combine braising liquid into the skillet
Add braising liquid to hot skillet that meat was browned in
Bring to a high simmer and cook about 15 minutes
Remove things like bay leaf, marjoram sprigs, etc
Put into blender – and pulse ( VENTED ) then pour back into the skillet
Add the meat back into the skillet
The meat should be just barely covered. If it is not, add some chicken stock or water.
Bring back to a light boil, then reduce heat, COVER and simmer in barely boiling liquid, skimming the surface and turning the pork pieces occasionally, until the meat is tender and just beginning to shred apart, about 3 hours. (You may need to adjust the heat to medium low to keep it at a simmer.) Alternately, use a slow cooker for 4 hours.
Remove the meat ans set aside
STRAIN the remaining liquid and discard the solids, returning the liquid to the pot
Increase the heat to medium high and cook until much of the remaining water evaporates and the liquid concentrates, and then add 1/2 stick of butter and 1 TBL flour
Stir until it thickens for gravy/juice for serving with your carnitas
Remove and let cool a bit, then shred
Serve the carnitas in tacos, burritos, or tostadas with your desired toppings.
You can also just serve the meat with potatoes using the gravy created in step 13
Corn tortillas . Warmed in hot skillet
Topped with sautéed onions, peppers, nopales
Also onion, tomato, cilantro, avocado, chives
For sliders put shredded pork in a skillet on high to sear again, and put on slider buns with desired toppings

Tomatillo Salsa

1 lb tomatillos . Husked, washed, raw
1/4 white onion
2 jalapeños
Lots of Cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 avocado
2 limes . Zest and juice
Blend

Chipotle Sauce

Tomatillos – peeled and seared whole
Garlic – peeled and seared whole
1/2 can chipotles
1 tsp salt
water just to allow blending

Tortilla

4 C Flour
Merest sprinkle of baking powder
2 tsp Salt
1 C Water
1/2 C Crisco Vegetable shortening
Mix . Ball . Set aside 5 minutes
Flatten on floured surface

Heat on dry cast iron skillet
Top w queso Oaxaca cheese and shredded meat
Fold over and brown on both sides
Serve with lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, cilantro, queso fresco, jalapeños,

CONDIMENTS
For serving (optional):

Corn or flour tortillas
Guacamole
Salsa
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Enchilada Casserole

INGREDIENTS: FILLING

Corn tortillas
8 oz Monterrey jack
6 oz sharp cheddar or Cotijo

STEP BY STEP

Remove stem and seeds – tear apart chili
Toast in dry skillet
Add 1 TBL veg oil – bring to 350º
Add ground spices, salt and pepper
Add flour
Cook until darker
Add chicken broth
Whisk together
Cook until thickened
Add white vinegar
Transfer to measuring cup and let it rest
Spray or brush corn tortillas with oil – Stack together – wrap in damp towel – microwave 60 seconds
Place 1 TBL sauce in bottom of 6 inch ramekins
Lay down tortillas
Cover with some cheese
Add chopped onion
Add more sauce
Add more cheese
Add another tortilla, more cheese and then more sace
Bake at 450º for 10 minutes
Add just a bit more onion
Cook 5 more minutes
Cool 5 minutes, then serve

Injera – Ethiopian Flatbread

Actual Injera is made with teff, which is a flour common to Ethiopia. Read more about why teff is so amazing at the bottom of this page. This is Grandpa’s American adaptation of injera, the bread used as a utensil in Ethiopian dining.

INGREDIENTS

1 C spelt – Ideally use teff, next try half whole wheat and half AP flour
DO THIS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
1-1/2 cup water
a pinch of yeast
two pinches of sugar
a GLASS mixing bowl
DO THIS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING
1 tsp peanut oil – optional canola oil
a pinch of salt
a VERY nonstick pan

STEP BY STEP

Put the flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl with sugar and dry yeast
Mix or sift together
Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps.
Put the batter aside for 4-10 hours to ferment.
You will see your injera batter will start to bubble and acquire the slight tanginess for which it’s known.
Fold in the salt and the oil.
Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast-iron skillet until a water drop dances on the surface – about 350º
Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth, otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it.
Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a crêpe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats.
Cooking Injera
Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread. DO NOT FLIP.
Once the surface is dry, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool.
Traditionally, fold twice with the cooked surface on the outside
Serve as the “utensil” for duro wat or any other kind of Ethiopian Main Dish.

MORE ABOUT TEFF

Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia.
While teff is very nutritious, it contains practically no gluten. This makes teff ill-suited for making raised bread, however injera still takes advantage of the special properties of yeast. A short period of fermentation gives it an airy, bubbly texture, and also a slightly sour taste.
Teff is extremely high in fiber, iron, and calcium.
Teff is the smallest grain in the world. It takes about 150 teff seeds to equal the weight of a kernel of wheat!
Many Ethiopians in America use square-shaped, electric, nonstick pans. These heat evenly and make it easy to remove the injera once it is cooked.
Injera is not only a kind of bread—it’s also an eating utensil.
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, this spongy, sour flatbread is used to scoop up meat and vegetable stews.
Injera frequently lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over.
Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrants have modified their recipes after moving to the United States or Europe, depending on what grains are available to them.
The injera you find in many East African restaurants in the United States includes both teff and wheat flours. Most injera made in Ethiopia and Eritrea, on the other hand, is made solely with teff.
Tip: Depending on where you live, teff flour can be difficult to come by. Try a well-stocked health food store.
If you have teff grain instead of flour, first grind it in a clean coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle.
If you’ve ever cooked pancakes, making injera might seem familiar. In both cases, tiny bubbles form on top as the batter cooks. Keeping an eye on these bubbles is a great way to see how close the pancake or injera is to being ready without peeking underneath.
These bubbles come from the carbon-dioxide produced by the leavener—usually baking powder or soda in the case of pancakes, “wild” yeast in the case of injera. Neither batter contains much gluten.
Because of the gluten, most pancake recipes tell you not to mix the batter too much: If you do, gluten will develop, making them too chewy. Teff, the grain used to make injera, contains very little gluten to begin with. In both cases, the result is the same: With no gummy substance to “blow up,” most of the carbon-dioxide from the leaveners rapidly escapes into the air, leaving the little popped bubbles that contribute to the distinctive textures of these breads.

Enchilada Casserole

This is scaled back for two people. For the full recipe as published, scroll down.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can black beans – drained
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. flour
4 oz. tomato sauce
3 oz. enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp. diced green chiles
1 clove garlic, minced
(1 cube beef bouillon – optional)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 C. water
4 corn tortillas
4 oz. grated Colby jack cheese
1 Green onion, chopped

STEP BY STEP

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.
Remove the beef from pan and set aside.
In the pan drippings stir in the oil and flour.
Add the tomato sauce, enchilada sauce and water – a little bit at a time – smoothing out lumps as you go.
The sauce should be fairly thin. Add more water if needed.
Stir in the chilies, garlic, cumin, chili powder and the bouillon cube.
Bring just to a boil and turn on warm to keep heated.
Dip tortillas in and out sauce to soften, then cut them in half, placing the flat edge against the side of a baking dish
Add a layer of ground beef, cheese and onion.
Add a thin layer of beans and top with some more enchilada sauce
Repeat procedure until baking pan is full.
Pour sauce over the to of it all
Sprinkle more cheese and onion on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove foil, then cook for 10-15 minutes more

INGREDIENTS FOR 8-10 PEOPLE

1 lb. ground beef
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. flour
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cube beef bouillon
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 C. water
15 corn tortillas
16 oz. grated Colby jack cheese
Green onion, chopped

Assembly directions as shown above.

Amounts need to be tested. They were adjusted on the fly and have not been debugged. If you try this, please comment below. Thanks.

1/4 C Paprika
1 TBL Flour
2 C Broth

8 Corn tortillas

1 lb Ground beef
1/2 lb Ground pork or chicken
lots of Shredded Cheese
Salsa to taste
1 Onion – diced
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 C Black beans
1 can Refried beans

Udon Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 bundle udon noodles
1/8 CU diced onion
1 chicken breast (slice into thin strips)
3 stalks green onion (thinly chopped)
8 stalks celery (leaf tops only – chopped)
12 leaves fresh basil
3 large cloves garlic (chopped)
2 TBL lime juice
2 TBL Rice vinegar
1 TBL brown sugar
1 small carrot (use peeler to create slivers)
1 handful spinach leaves (roll leaves and cut thinly)
1/2 CU jicama or water chestnuts (cut thin)
2 mandarin oranges (peeled and sectioned)
10 almonds (coursely chopped)
2 tsp Corn Starch (optional)
1 TBL Soy Sauce (optional)

STEP BY STEP

Place large pot of water on burner on high, and cover
Combine green onion, celery, basil, barlic, lime, vinegar, sugar, carrot, spinach, jicama, and almonds.
Set mixture aside to rest
Heat oil in skillet and when hot, cook chicken strips
When strips are ABOUT done, add diced onion and garlic to the pan
Remove pan from heat and cover
Put noodles into boiling water and cover. Watch closely. When water starts to boil, reduce heat or it will boil over.
Cook about 8 minutes.
While noodles are cooking, drain liquid from step 2 into small cup.
Add Soy and Corn Starch ONLY IF you like a salty Asian taste. Mix well.
Taste a noodle. When done, drain noodles and return to the pan.
Add soy mixture (if you chose this option) and cook until thickened.
Split between two dinner plates.
Top with greens mixture
Place orange slices on top for garnish and taste.

HINTS:

A great way to section oranges is to hand-peel the orange, then slice them just shy of the white binding, discarding the binding eventually. What you end up with is a wonderfully edible orange slice with no toughness.

For garlic, once you’ve separated the cloves, crush it with the bottom of a coffee cup. The skin comes right off.

Sesame oil smokes more, but in my opinion tastes better. Canola and olive oil are also good choices.

Tzatziki

INGREDIENTS

1 C Yogurt
1 Cucumber ( deseeded and cut into small cubes or thin julienne strips ) or grated
1 clove Garlic ( minced )
2 tsp Mint ( chopped )
zest and juice from one lemon
salt & pepper
1 tsp dill

STEP BY STEP

Remove center of cucumber grate fairly small – or to taste
Add whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
Add minced garlic
Add lemon and mint
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix and refrigerate.