HELP US CELEBRATE 10 YEARS IN COMFORT!
Month: August 2015
Coctel de Camaron
(serves 4-6)
1 pound 31/40 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon cut in half
1/2 t red pepper flakes
3-4 bay leaves
1 T salt
1 C ketchup
1/2 C fresh lime juice
1/2 C spicy Clamato
2 T Tobasco sauce
2 T EVOO
Zest of one small lime
1/2 t salt
1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
(Jicama, an edible root, is crisp and crunchy. In Mexico, jicama sticks are sold on the street with a spritz of fresh lime and a sprinkle of chile powder. They add a great texture to the coctel.)
(Prep vegetables ahead and add to sauce about 30 minutes prior to service.)
3/4 C white onion, diced small and rinsed
3/4 C baby cucumber, quartered lengthwise and diced small
3/4 C jicama, diced small
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1 head of iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
Tortilla chips, cilantro, lime wedges for garnish
For shrimp:
Fill a pot with water and add lemon, pepper flakes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Add shrimp and lower heat. They will cook quickly. Shrimp should be just firm to the touch. Remove cooked shrimp to a baking sheet. Spread them out for cooling in the refrigerator.
For cocktail sauce:
Combine ketchup, lime juice, Clamato, Tobasco, EVOO, zest, salt and cilantro in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Place in the refrigerator for chilling.
Just prior to service, gently fold shrimp, onion, cucumber, jicama and avocado into the sauce. Place a small mound of iceberg lettuce into a serving piece. (Martini or shallow footed glasses work well.) Spoon shrimp cocktail mixture over lettuce. Garnish with a lime wedge, cilantro sprigs and tortilla chips. Summer never tasted SO GOOD!
Tostadas or saltines, your call.
Okra Gumbo Schmufle
So I had about a quart of locally grown/organic okra, a ripe tomato, an onion, garlic and half of a red bell pepper. What do you make with that? Okra gumbo of course. I also had some smoked basmati rice. Check it out. It really is tasty with certain foods.
Saute thin slices of onion, red bell pepper and slivers of garlic in olive oil. Add a spritz of salt and pepper.
Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. Saute until some sticking occurs.
Add okra, 1 t of smoked paprika, 1 t of curry powder and 1/2 t of red pepper flakes. Add enough water to simmer.
Cover and cook over low heat until flavors meld. Add additional salt if needed.
Prepare rice according to package instructions. Add cooked rice to okra mixture. Top with fresh cilantro. This is yummy.
This is so filling that it makes an excellent one pot meal. Serve with a salad. Good use of summer okra.
Potato Salad with Smoked Trout and Frisee
(serves 6-8)
Salad:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (see photos)
1 T white vinegar
2 t salt
2 heads frisee
1 bulb fennel, shaved using a mandolin
2 filets of smoked trout, broken into pieces
2 Granny Smith apples , peeled and cubed – similar size to the potatoes
1/3 C of capers, drained and patted dry
1/2 red onion, finely chopped, rinsed and dried
Dressing:
1 C mayo
1/3 C sour cream
2 T whole grain mustard
1/2 t salt
1 T apple cider vinegar
2 t honey
3 T fresh dill, finely chopped
Rinse cubed potatoes several times. Place potatoes into a pot and cover with water by about an inch. Add vinegar and 2 t salt to cooking pot. Bring potatoes to a boil and lower heat. Cook until just tender. Drain and spread potatoes onto a cookie sheet for cooling.
For presentation, place potatoes, apples, capers and red onion in bowl. Add just enough dressing to moisten potato mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Place dressed potatoes in a mound on a serving platter. Separate frisee from the core. Place leaves into a bowl with shaved fennel and lightly dress. Mound dressed frisee/fennel on top of potatoes. Arrange pieces of smoked trout on top of the frisee and potatoes. Garnish the platter with fresh dill and small dollops of dressing. Cracked pepper, if you like.
A delicious meal at Johannes in Palm Springs inspired this recipe. A perfect summer meal with a slice of pumpernickel and a glass of fume blanc. Found the smoked trout and frisee at Whole Foods. Worth the trip, I promise.
Salsa Verde with Hatch Chiles
8-10 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
4-5 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 t salt
2 roasted Hatch chiles, mild
2 roasted Hatch chiles, hot
water to cover
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
Juice of one lime
Place tomatillos, garlic, yellow onion and salt into a sauce pan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook until tomatillos, onion and garlic soften. Add roasted chiles and remove from heat. Cool mix overnight. Strain off liquid and place solids into a blender. Add cilantro and lime juice. Process adding just enough of the reserved liquid to create a thick salsa. Adjust seasoning with salt, if needed.
Summer Vegetable With Hatch Chiles
(recipe serves 8)
1/4 C olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped small
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced small
Juice from 3 limes
1 – 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
3 mild roasted Hatch chiles, chopped
3 hot roasted Hatch chiles, chopped
4 ears of roasted corn, kernels removed
2 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and diced
1 T cumin
6-7 C chicken or vegetable stock
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 C uncooked quinoa
This time of year, HEB buys tons of Hatch Chiles from New Mexico. They roast them in large barrel roasters outside their stores. When you get out of your car, the wonderful smokey charred aroma of roasting chiles overcomes you. Wheels spin and recipes come forth. I love this soup. The earthy quinoa, smokey chiles, spice, fresh corn and zucchini, and the brightness of the lime!!!
For roasted corn:
Rub ears of corn with olive oil. Salt and pepper each ear. Place corn on a foil lined baking sheet and place into a preheated 450 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Using tongs, rotate ears of corn and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cooling. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cob.
For soup:
Place olive oil in a preheated soup pot. Add onions, garlic and red peppers. Sprinkle mix with salt and cracked pepper. Sauté vegetables over medium high heat until they soften and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add lime juice to the pot and scrape up any bits which have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add tomatoes and chiles. Mix well. Add corn, zucchini, cumin, stock and cilantro. Bring mix to a boil and lower heat until vegetables become tender. Salt to taste.
Ladle soup over cooked quinoa and garnish with scallions and tostadas.
As I have mentioned before, plan ahead so that your soup can rest for a day before service. Magic happens when flavors can chill and develop! Slow down folks. Fast food lacks soul…
For quinoa:
Place 1 C uncooked quinoa into a large sauce pan. Add 2 C of filtered water, 3 bay leaves and 1 t salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and lower heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until water evaporates. Spread cooked quinoa on a cookie sheet for cooling. This can be prepared ahead, cooled and reheated in a microwave.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIGH’S
humble beginnings…
10 years later…
HELP US CELEBRATE 10 YEARS IN COMFORT!
Sunday, August 30
4-8 PM
BAND, GAMES, GOURMET DAWGS with all the fixins’, BEER, WINE, BIRTHDAY CAKE, SANDCASTLES, BALLOONS, AND MORE
Ma and Pa High can’t believe 10 years have rolled by. Help us celebrate this milestone. We could not have made it without you. Let us thank you with an ultimate customer appreciation BASH! Join Denise and me along with our wonderful High’s team August 30, 4-8 PM. Don’t forget the lawn chairs. Let’s turn High Street into a party scene!!!!
highmadefood.com 