Stella’s Stuffed Poblanos

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Texarchivist

This isn’t a proper chile relleno recipe, as my poblanos aren’t battered, nor are they served with a typical tomato-based sauce. But they are super flavorful and deceptively easy, and I’m positive you’ll be as hooked as we are if you try this recipe! We’ve been making these often lately because they’re is so quick and painless; I was prodded by followers on Instagram to share the recipe.

Of course, you can play around with the fillings, but these are my favorites. The rich, mature flavor of the asiago cheese pairs perfectly with bacon and cream cheese, and this hearty, slightly spicy beef transforms humble chiles into a meal. Feel free to top with salsa or crema mexicana for extra decadence.

6 large poblano chiles
4 bacon rashers
1/2 white onion, finely diced; halved
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp Cholula or other hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
splash Worcestershire sauce
2 cups asiago cheese, grated
4 oz. cream cheese

Also needed:
latex gloves
toothpicks
broiling pan or cookie sheet
aluminum foil

1. In a large skillet (I used a cast iron), cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, turning a few times. Set bacon aside on paper towels to drain. Pour bacon grease into a mason jar and save for future cooking, reserving about 1 teaspoon in the skillet.

2. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about two minutes. Remove half the oven from the pan and set aside. To the rest of the onion, add beef, breaking it up with your spatula, and continue to sauté until cooked through, about ten minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add spices, Cholula, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, wearing latex gloves, cut the tops off the poblanos and seed them. Cut out the ribs, as well. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

4. Once the beef is done, drain the juices and set the meat and onion mixture aside in a bowl. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the previously cooked onion, 1 cup of the grated asiago, and the cream cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon, then crumble bacon into the bowl. Continue to stir until thoroughly combined.

5. Stuff the poblanos: take one pepper, and stuff it full with the cheese and bacon mixture, compressing the cheese down with a spoon as you stuff. Place the top back on the pepper and secure it with two toothpicks, pushed through the flesh of the pepper’s side and cap (see below). For the other four poblanos, alternately stuff with the plain grated asiago and beef mix until they are also full. Secure tops with toothpicks.

6. Carefully move all the peppers to a broiling pan or foil-lined cookie sheet. Set oven to broil and cook on each side for two to three minutes, turning over once (again, carefully) with a large spatula. The peppers will darken and bubble a bit.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and allow peppers to cool for a couple of minutes before gently removing them from the pan. Plate as-is and serve immediately with any garnish desired.

To eat, simply remove the toothpicks and dig in!

Serves 3 as a main, 6 as an appetizer or side.

Southwestern Chicken Salad with Homemade Mayo

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Texarchivist

I’ve been thinking about making homemade mayonnaise for a long time. But I hadn’t gotten past thinking about it until I used my Barnes and Noble Christmas giftcard to buy Jamie Oliver’s Great Britain. Not only do I highly recommend the latest cookery book (as they say in the UK) from the good-natured Essex maverick, but I also insist that you make this mayo immediately!

Other food-obsessed friends had been telling me for years. But I don’t eat that much mayo, and figured it wasn’t worth the trouble.

I was wrong.

Not only was it quick and easy, the result was so rich that Eric and I were desperately trying to think of things to use mayo on or in! We ended up making a huge bowl of chicken salad, and it was so good, I had to share the recipe (see below).

I also used Eric as a food taster, making him do a blind test. It was quite simple to tell the difference between the mass produced, processed mayo in our fridge and this stuff. I was afraid the olive oil would be too overpowering (you can cut it with half rapeseed oil for a less robust flavor), but we really liked it. I’m going to make some of Jamie’s variations soon: basil, garlic, and curry! Mmm, curry.

Somehow, I didn’t take any pictures of the process; but it’s so straightforward (really, stop worrying and just whisk!). Here it is.

Stella’s Homemade Mayonnaise
adapted from Jamie Oliver
3 egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of one lemon
salt, to taste

1. In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks and Dijon mustard. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, only a little bit at a time, while continuing to stir. It’s best if you take up to ten minutes to do this, so the ingredients won’t separate.

2. As the mayo begins to thicken, add the vinegar and lemon juice while continuing to whisk. Continue until it is well mixed and smoothly textured.

3. Add salt to taste; scoop mayo out into a Mason jar or other sealable, refrigerator-safe container.

Yields approximately two cups of mayonnaise. Will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Southwestern Chicken Salad
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup homemade mayo (see above)
1/4 white onion, finely diced
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp Cholula hot sauce
dash of balsamic vinegar
2 tsp chili powder, plus more to garnish
4 Tbsp crushed pecans
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Meanwhile, prep other ingredients.

2. Bake chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about five minutes.

3. Chop or shred chicken to desired consistency. Sometimes, I pull it by hand; for this dish, I cubed it on a cutting board with a knife. Place cubed chicken in large mixing bowl.

4. Add mayo, onion, cilantro, and lemon juice, and mix thoroughly. Then add hot sauce, vinegar, and paprika, and stir again. Taste, then add salt and pepper as desired.

5. Spoon out chicken salad onto serving plates and garnish with a dusting of chili powder, crushed pecans, and additional cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6. Refrigerates well; eat within a couple of days.

Sweet Potato Soup with Candied Bacon

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Texarchivist

Here’s a recipe for those of you who find yourself with a half a bag of leftover sweet potatoes after the holiday! It was a real hit at our house, and I hope you enjoy it.

Beware: the candied bacon is addictive.

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 white onion, finely diced
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
two pinches of Old Bay
splash of bourbon
~2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (or to taste)

12 bacon rashers
brown or natural raw sugar

1. In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook about five minutes until just translucent, stirring occasionally. Add sweet potatoes and sauté for a further 10-15 minutes, while you prepare the bacon, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325°. Add bacon to a large plastic bag, leaving the top of the bag open wide. Sprinkle in sugar, seal the bag, and shake vigorously to cover each piece of bacon. You want each piece to be nicely covered in a thin layer of sugar, not clumping. I use just about 1/4 cup of sugar for a whole package of bacon.

3. Remove each bacon rasher from the bag and spread out flat on a cooking rack. Place a foil-lined cookie sheet under this to catch the bacon fat, and place the entire thing into the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is nice and crispy. Check it at 15 to see if it’s done. Do not raise the temperature to speed cooking.

4. While the bacon is baking, spices and salt to the sweet potatoes and stir thoroughly. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add a splash of bourbon to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Stir again, then pour in vegetable broth. Raise heat to high and bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and easily crumbled with the back of your stirring spoon.

5. Pour sweet potatoes and broth into a large food processor or blender and blend to desired consistency, doing two batches if necessary (simply pour half in, process, and then remove to a bowl; pour other half from stock pot, process, and then return to pot along with the half in the bowl). I like my sweet potato soup a little chunky, so I processed about 3/4 of the pot, and smashed the remaining large pieces of potato up with the back of my spoon before returning the blended soup to the pot.

6. Stir thoroughly, taste to adjust spices and salt, and continue to simmer over very low heat until the bacon is cooked. Remove bacon from oven, allow to cool, and break into edible pieces (not bacon bits, but small enough to scoop up with a soup spoon!). Drizzle cream into soup and stir thoroughly.

7. Ladle soup out into bowls and top with candied bacon pieces. Serve immediately, while piping hot.

Serves 4.

Stella’s Special Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Texarchivist

After being included in the photos for yesterday’s recipe, Garlic Cauliflower Mash, I got a lot of requests for the gravy recipe. I intended to post it today, anyway, but your pleas motivated me to get this up first thing today!

This is a pretty standard gravy, one you might want to whip up for any meat and potatoes type of dish. You can of course substitute beef broth for some or all of the water for an even richer version. You could also leave out either the red wine or bourbon, or substitute brandy. Play around with it! I like it best on beef or pork, but go crazy, and let me know what other flavor pairings you find enjoyable!

The result is a pretty rich, semi-complex sauce: a savory gravy with a hint of sweetness. I think you’ll like it.

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large white onion, widely sliced
two pinches raw brown sugar
splash red wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
1 heaping Tbsp white flour
1 beef boullion cube
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp salt
~1/3 oz. dark chocolate (about half a regular square)
splash bourbon
water

1. In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium high heat and add onions. Add two pinches of brown sugar and stir. Sauté until browned and fragrant, about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Deglaze pan with splash of red wine; add additional tablespoon of butter and mushrooms; stir. Cook until mushrooms are just done—about three minutes.

3. Add dry ingredients and stir furiously until a roux is formed; if your pan is too dry, slowly add water as you stir.

4. Add slash of bourbon, continue to stir for a couple of minutes.

5. Slowly add about a half cup of water while continuing to stir; lower heat to simmer.

6. Cook for an additional five to ten minutes, adding water slowly while stirring, to achieve desired thickness.

You can leave the gravy simmering while finishing up the rest of your meal. Just add more water and stir to thin. Serve directly from pan by pouring over your plate, and enjoy!

Serves 2- 4.

Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Shown here with bangers and Garlic Cauliflower Mash. Or try it with my Cheesy Herbed Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Texarchivist

1 large head of cauliflower / 1 lb bag of frozen cauliflower
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 large onion, widely sliced
~1/2 tsp raw, brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sour cream
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium baking pan; grease the pan with your fingers. If using frozen cauliflower, defrost first; otherwise, place de-leafed, chopped cauliflower and garlic in pan. Add salt and pepper and turn over a few times so that the veggies are nicely mixed and coated with oil. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over with a spoon halfway through for even roasting.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Add onions and sugar and stir. Sauté for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are nicely browned, fragrant, and caramelized.

3. Add caramelized onions, the remaining tablespoon of butter, sour cream, and a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) to a food processor. Once the cauliflower is done (you want it cooked through and just roasted—crispy but not deeply browned), add it to the food processor, too. Make sure you get all of the garlic out of the roasting pan and into the mixer. Mix with other ingredients until smooth (about three minutes). Use a spoon to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl if necessary.