Author: bhills61

Highlupa

2 pounds ground beef, 90/10 mix

¼ C vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, diced small

4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T tomato paste

½ C water

1 T chili powder

2 t cumin

2 t dried oregano

1 T brown sugar

2 t salt

1 T chipotle puree

Juice of one lime

1 potato, peeled cooked and diced

(Wash potato and prick it all over with a fork. Cook on high heat in a microwave for 5 minutes. Let cool, peel and dice.)

For tostadas: Brush olive oil on both sides of the corn tortillas. Sprinkle with salt and chili powder. Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until crisp.

In a skillet, brown beef with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove meat to a paper towel lined plate and pour off fat. Wipe out pan and place back on the stove. Over medium high heat, add oil. Once it is shimmering, add onion and garlic. Once onion becomes translucent, add tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and mix paste in well. Cook until a deeper color develops and bits begin to stick to the bottom of the skillet. See picture. Add water and scrape up brown bits. Add meat back to the skillet with the remaining ingredients. Cook over a medium heat until liquid is mostly absorbed and flavors have fully integrated. Cover and keep warm for service. Keep meat warm to at least 170 degrees. Meat can store overnight and be reheated with a little water added.

Chalupa bar?

To assemble: place corn tortilla on a plate, add meat, green leaf lettuce, avocado tomatillo salsa, pickled red onions, cherub tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream, lime and cilantro.

Queso fresco is a mild, crumbly cheese.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

(makes 8-10 servings)

3 T water

1 package gelatin

In a sauce pot:

1 ½ C heavy cream

¾ C sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

In a mixing bowl:

1 ½ C heavy cream

2 C crème fraiche

1 ½ t vanilla extract

Place water in a shallow bowl and evenly sprinkle gelatin over the water. Let it sit while you prepare other ingredients.

Place pot mix on the stove and bring to a slow boil. Remove from heat and allow cream mixture to steep for 15 minutes.

Whisk mixing bowl ingredients together until smooth and well incorporated. Avoid whipping air bubbles into the mix.

Once gelatin is set up (see picture), add it to the steeping cream mixture and stir in until it completely dissolves. Pour the pan mix through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl ingredients. Slowly whisk to blend both mixtures. Pour the combined mix through the sieve again into a pitcher. Pour into molds. Chill in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours. Overnight is perfect. This is another make ahead dessert that holds for several days. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the mold and gently nudge the panna cotta onto a plate. Serve with macerated fruit and a drizzle of the reduced Frangelico. A bit of orange zest on top is a nice touch.

This plastic implement works well for removing the panna cotta. Cut around the very top and then slide the spatula down the side of the mold until you are at the bottom. Then just nudge it a little to loosen the suction. Slowly wedge it out.

You will not be able to resist this!

For macerated fruit: combine a ½ C of golden raisins and a ½ C of dried cherries in a small sauce pan. Cover with Frangelico and place over medium heat. Reduce liquid by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stores well in the refrigerator.

Panna Cotta means “cooked cream”. This is a refreshing, light dessert perfect for summer time eating. The absolute best version of this is served at DOUGH PIZZERIA in San Antonio. Carla’s Panna Cotta always ends meals there. They drizzle some caramel along with the dried fruits for their presentation.

I found these acrylic highball glasses at Ace Mart to use as my molds. Small flared pyrex bowls could work too.

Pickled Red Onions

1 red onion thinly sliced

1 T dried oregano

½ t coriander seeds

3-4 bay leaves

1 t salt

1 T honey

5-6 whole peppercorns

1 C apple cider vinegar

½ C water

1 t orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator. The onions will keep for many days and are a great topping for the highlupa, fish tacos, shrimp tacos, burgers, hot dogs, grilled pork sandwiches etc…

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

3 garlic cloves

3-4 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and quartered

1 large avocado

¼ bunch cilantro

½ a large jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped

½ t salt

2 T fresh lime juice

½ C olive oil

½ red sweet pepper, finely diced

¼ of a large yellow onion, finely diced and rinsed

1 small avocado, diced

1 t orange zest

In the bowl of a food processor, drop garlic cloves through the feed tube while machine is running. Stop machine and add tomatillos, large avocado, cilantro, jalapeno and salt. Pulse machine until ingredients are finely diced. Add lime juice and olive oil and pulse until mix is smooth and well combined.

In a separate bowl, add red pepper, rinsed onion and the small avocado, diced. Add tomatillo mix to the bowl mix and combine. Finish off with the orange zest. Press plastic directly on top of salsa and store in the refrigerator for a couple of days only.

With a few adjustments, thanks goes to Rick Bayless for this recipe. Ok, he along with Lidia Bastianich are for me the absolute epitome of everything a chef should desire to become. Skillful, passionate, warm, caring, engaging. Wonderful human beings. I once got misty eyed as Chef Bayless spoke passionately about habanero peppers. I also attended a KLRN fundraiser at which he was the guest chef. A Mexican national stood up that evening and personally thanked Chef Bayless (an Anglo from Oklahoma) for elevating Mexican cuisine and bringing attention to its regional aspects. It’s not all about enchiladas. As for Chef Lidia….every time I used to watch her PBS shows, I immediately wanted to prepare whatever she was cooking. She understands the idea of sharing a meal… the idea of food connecting family. Both of these chefs are for me, in a world of celebrity cooking, the real deal. Thanks for inspiring all of us to cook with love.

Creme Fraiche

3 C heavy cream

1/3 C sour cream

Combine ingredients in a stainless steel bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Cut vents into the wrap. Leave out on the counter for 24 hours until thickened. It can thicken quicker. Overnight can work. It just depends on the temperature and biology in your kitchen. Once it has thickened, cover and place in the refrigerator. Wonderful for enriching soups, dressings, dessert toppings etc…Flavor with fresh dill, citrus, honey. Be creative.

Chocolate Chipotle Tart with Pecan Crust

For several years I worked as a waiter and baker at Navajo Grill in Fredericksburg. One of the “sacred cows” on the menu was a chocolate chipotle pie. When I took over baking responsibilities, I asked the owners if I could take the pecans out of the filling and create a pecan crust instead. The current version has a few more tweaks and a “tart” set up. Proportion of crust to rich filling is better, I think, in this set up. This will be worth the effort, I promise. It received raves at the recent cooking class. It is a great make ahead recipe and works well with ice cream, crème anglaise, or whipped cream. Just remember to minimize your stirring. Good luck!

Oh, if you don’t want to make it, but want to eat it…come to High’s. It will be appearing on our menu soon!!!

(makes one 10” tart)

3 C raw pecan pieces

6 T light brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

½ t salt

¼ C flour

6 T butter melted

2 eggs

½ C flour

½ C granulated sugar

½ C light brown sugar

Zest of half an orange

2 ounces semi sweet chocolate

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 sticks butter

1 t vanilla

2 T chipotle mixture (see recipe below)

For crust: place pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse ingredients until large pieces of pecans are broken down. Add warm melted butter through the feed tube and continue to pulse until mixed well.

Press crust into a 10” tart pan that has been sprayed with non-stick canola. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. Once firm, prick the shell all over with a fork. Place the shell in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 12 minutes only. Remove and let cool.

For filling: Combine flour, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl and whisk until well blended. Add eggs and zest and whisk to mix. DO NOT OVER WHISK. A gentle, patient hand. In a microwave bowl, melt the butter and chocolates on 50% power until melted – about four minutes. Stir well and add to the egg/flour/sugar mix. Add vanilla, chipotle mix and combine. Again, easy does it. Mix until just combined. Do not incorporate air in your whisking. Pour chocolate mix into the prepared shell and bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Rotate and bake an additional 15 minutes or until middle is just set. Turn off oven and open the door slightly and allow pie to sit an additional 15 minutes before removing to cool. Once cooled, chill pie in the refrigerator. It slices much neater if it has been chilled. (I like a very clean profile!) Once sliced, allow pie to return to room temperature before serving. Serve with cinnamon crème anglaise and a dollop of whipped cream. This will serve 10. Super rich and intense.

For chipotle mix: combine 7 T of hoisin sauce with ½ a can of chipotle chile in adobo sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. This will make enough mix for several pies and stores well in the refrigerator.

Si Sir Salad

(serves 4)

3 heads romaine lettuce, torn into pieces, “spine” removed

2 ears roasted corn, cut off the cob

1 1/2 C cherub tomatoes, halved

1/2 C toasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 C grated queso fresco

1 pound 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined

Si Sir dressing

Red tortilla crisps for garnish

For roasted corn: Rub ears with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until kernels begin to brown. Turn half-way through cooking for even browning. Remove, cool and cut kernels from the cob.

For shrimp: Rinse shrimp with cold water and pat dry. Preheat a sauté skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 T olive and swirl around the pan. It will be smoking a bit. If too hot, lift skillet off heat source for a minute. Place dried shrimp in hot skillet. It should make a searing sound. Don’t crowd skillet. Add a sprinkle of salt and allow shrimp to cook 2/3 of the way before turning over. Add 2 T of chipotle mix and a splash of water to loosen up skillet bits. Toss shrimp with the “chipotle sauce” and remove from heat. Residual heat will finish cooking the shrimp. They should just be firm to the touch. See picture.

For tortilla crisps: Cut red corn tortillas in half. Brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and chili powder. Place on a cookie sheet and put into a 350 degree preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes, rotate and cook an additional 10 minutes more until crisp.

Cinnamon Creme Anglaise

(makes 3 cups)

2 C half and half

1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds removed

2 cinnamon sticks

5 egg yolks

1/3 C sugar

Use a damp rag to set your mixing bowl on to keep it from sliding on your counter.

Combine the first three ingredients in a thick bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a slow boil and remove from the heat and let mix steep for about 15 minutes.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth ribbons are formed.

Slowly whisk the liquid mix into the yolks and sugar mix. Pull out the vanilla bean pod and cinnamon sticks.

Return this mixture to the sauce pan. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. 165/170 degrees. Be careful not to curdle the mixture. Pour the mix through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the warm mixture and place it in the refrigerator until it cools and thickens more. The crème anglaise will hold for a couple of days.

If you have some left over and you have an ice cream maker…..freeze it.

Also, I encourage creativity with crème anglaise….steep fresh ginger, use instant espresso powder, good quality cocoa powder, toasted almonds, orange peel, fresh lavender, etc…just use the custard base and flavor away!

Si Sir Dressing

Phyllis requested….here you go.

(makes 2 cups)

3 garlic cloves

½ C grated parmesan (Di Giorno is fine)

1 ½ t Dijon

1 t anchovy paste

2 t white balsamic vinegar

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ C mayonnaise

1 T chipotle puree

½ t salt

1 t pepper

2 T olive oil

Using a food processor, drop garlic through feed tube while machine is running. Stop machine, scrape down sides and add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Dressing will hold in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

This is so good that you will want to slather it on everything! And, no raw egg. Mayo works well.