So yeah, i've not had time for random bloggy-ness lately but one thing I've always had time for is cooking. We recently hosted a friend of the family for my "world famous" steak fajitas...this episode of cooking opened my eyes to a few things. First and foremost was my fathers experimentation with chunks of lime rind in his salsa. I quite liked it, but didn't care for the actual chunks of lime but liked the chunks...it's wierd, the flavor and texture were great, but something was off. So we doctor it up a little. Diced tomatoes, onions, roasted jalapeno pepper, lime juice, zest of a lime, 3 cloves garlic, a little chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and the kicker? tiny diced pieces of jicama. Yup...that ugly huge tuber you find in the grocery and have no clue what to do with. It's great for taking on the flavors of the dish it's in, is best served raw (perfect for salsa) and it has the texture of a firm apple like a granny smith or almost as firm as a russet potato, and very light, faint flavor of it's own. It pairs well with lime juice and mexican chili powder as snack, and the little chunks go GREAT in salsa for some added crunch.
I also busted out a batch of my salsa verde, and will eventually post this recipe too, but for now, just know that it's the BOMB.
Another adventure that evening was making my own tortillas. they are impossibly easy to make, and knowing you whipped them up on your own is as gratifying as making your own ice cream in a zip lock bag...well...almost. Recipe to follow. I know, you are thinking you aren't gonna get any recipes here today huh? Back the truck up and remember that I cook by feel and do not use a whole lot of measurements.
Tonights dinner is another southwest item - Fish Taco's. We are using whiting filets - unfortunately they are "previously frozen" but the kids will be glad to have less fishy tasting tacos. The breading is simple. Season the thawed, dried filets with flour, dip in an egg milk mix, into flour again, to lightly coat, and if you like dip once more quickly and roll in panko. Deep fry quickly in 350 degree oil, and serve on warmed corn tortillas, with my Chipotle Cole Slaw. The slaw is SUPER simple to make:
1 head of cabbage, shredded finely
3 tbls Hellmans chipotle mayo (or one chipotle chopped super fine, a little of the adobo seasoning from the canned chipotles, and 3 tbls good mayo...hellmans or Duke's)
Juice and rind of one lime
1 tbls honey or agave nectar
a touch of sugar (preferably Raw sugar) to taste
S&P to taste
This slaw should be savory, not super sweet, and if you like you can cut out a bit of the mayo if making your own and substitute a little plain Fage for some of the mayo. it should end up slightly spicy, a little smokey, cool to tongue, and it's HEAVEN in the fish tacos. We are serving tonight with some more of the homemade salsa, and corn chips made by cutting small corn tortillas into sixths, lay them on a cooking sheet, spray with plain canola cooking spray, dust with coarse salt and toss in the oven. Bake at 450 for a couple minutes just until browned. they take about 5 mins or less. once they come out, i like to drip a little lime juice on them while they are smoking hot, and serve with guacamole, salsa, queso...so much better for entertaining than a bag of storebought chips. Pics to follow, thanks for reading!
