Hello there! It’s been a while, but here I am. I’ve spent the past 9 months working on a pretty big project, which hasn’t allowed much time for blogging. However, I should be finishing up in a few months. In the meantime, I didn’t want an entire year to go by without at least posting something.
So, Black Bean Tostadas. People often ask me if I ever make mistakes in the kitchen. Hmmm, let’s not even address the millet porridge I attempted last week that looked like paper mache. Honestly, it looked so bad, I couldn’t even taste it.
This post is not so much a recipe as an idea that was born out of a couple of mistakes I made in the kitchen. Who knew that you have to use nixtamalized cornmeal to make corn tortillas? I didn’t have any, but I did have some ancient blue corn meal that I’d probably moved to three different countries. Why not? Well, because to make corn tortillas you must use the proper cornmeal, sold as Masa Harina. It’s corn that has been cooked and soaked in limewater before grinding. Not only does this make the corn more nutritious, but also adds additional binding properties, so your tortillas will stick together rather than fall apart as mine did.
Second mistake – do not believe (like I did) that flour lasts forever. If you open a bag of flour and ask yourself, “what’s that funny smell?” toss it. Flour should not have much of a smell at all. I spent yesterday afternoon going through my huge collection of various flours (hello gluten free baking) and ditching most of them.
So, instead of making the beautiful blue corn tostadas of my dreams, I ended up purchasing tostadas at the grocery store and going from there. I almost always have beans in the freezer, and it took no time to pull out a container and fry and mash them. Then, I just started layering on ingredients. In this case, I used grilled corn, queso fresco, cilantro, and hot sauce. That’s it. Dinner, done.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of Jeannine’s kitchen adventures. I’ll be back in the near future with some exciting news and big changes to Jeannine’s Cuisine.
I know, I know. In food-blog land right now it’s all about picking apples and pumpkin everything. And yet, why am I doing a post on a lemon cocktail? Well, it may be autumn, but here in Helena, Montana, it’s going to be 87 degrees today, and a nice cool lemonade will be just the ticket after an afternoon lugging huge plants inside in preparation for a winter that I know is coming.
You know those lists of desert island ingredients that someone is always coming up with? No? Go ahead, take a break, and Google “chefs’ desert island ingredients.” You’ll have 3,270,000 lists to choose from. Lemons definitely would be on my list. You can use lemon for sweet or savory dishes, and it prevents scurvy. Now how can you beat that? Plus, unlike other hyper-seasonal produce, lemons are available year ‘round.
I came across a little book called “Clean Cocktails” that had some pretty interesting drink recipes that use no refined sugar, and all natural ingredients. That’s pretty much my message here at Jeannine’s Cuisine, though not all the recipes I feature include alcohol! Although I’m generally not a big cocktail person, once in a while it’s nice to have something in the evening instead of the ubiquitous glass of white wine. After a quick flip through the book, I went looking for lemon recipes and decided to try the Meyer Lemonade.
The recipe starts with making a honey syrup that you can make as strong or light as you like, depending on the type of honey you use. Generally, the lighter the honey, the less pronounced the honey taste will be. Then, it’s on to the cocktail itself. It goes together quickly. Honey and lemons are all you need for a great spur-of-the-moment cocktail.
Meyer Lemonade
4 Servings
I’ve provided the ingredients for a pitcher of lemonade and for a single drink which is in parentheses. I used 8-ounce mason jars filled with ice for serving. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, regular lemons are okay. The mint sprigs are totally optional but add a nice touch to the drink.
For the syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
Combine honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until the honey has completely dissolved. Pour into an 8-ounce jar and allow to cool for 1 hour. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for 3 months.
For the lemonade:
1 1/2 cups (2 ounces) vodka
1 cup (1 ounce, 1 lemon) Meyer lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
1 cup (1 ounce) honey syrup (see above)
1 cup (1 ounce) soda water, divided
Lemon slices and mint sprigs for garnish
Combine the vodka, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a 1-quart pitcher and stir until combined. Pour the lemonade into ice filled glasses, leaving space at the top of each for about an ounce of soda water. Top off with soda and garnish with lemon slice and optional mint sprig.
My mom was a great cook who loved food; however, there are certain foods that are always in my meal rotation today that were rarely in our weekly meal plan when I was growing up. For example, the Catholic nuns who ran my mom’s nursing school fed the students rice at every meal. As a result, mom hated it, and I think I only had rice twice when I was growing up.
Of course, many of today’s common ingredients also were just not available during the 60’s when I was growing up. It’s amazing to me how much our food supply has changed. I grew up eating blocks of frozen vegetables and later the frozen veggies in a bag that came with a “special sauce.” The cheese one was my favorite.
So, the first time I made this Mediterranean Couscous Salad, I was only vaguely aware of feta cheese and I had never tasted couscous. But, I do remember being totally blown away by the taste. So much so that I could not stop eating it, spoon after spoon, after I made it. Now it’s one of my iconic recipes.
This recipe makes a great side dish for a potluck. With the lemony vinaigrette and the vegetables, I’ve found it’s a nice contrast to some of the other heavier dishes on the table. It also serves as a great lunch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
8-10 Servings
This salad is a healthy choice for a side dish or for a light meal. If you don’t like the mint, just leave it out. It makes a huge amount, but it’s easy to cut the recipe in half.
3 cups water
2 cups instant couscous
2/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch green onions, green and white parts sliced
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, if necessary, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the couscous, remove the pot from the heat and cover. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the oil.
Add the green onions, garbanzo beans, cucumber, olives, parsley and mint to the couscous and stir. Add the dressing to the mixture and stir again. Gently fold in the feta cheese. Cover and chill.
It all started innocently enough — I was doing some volunteer work at a store run by my church, Saint Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral in Helena, Montana. The church administrator walked by the desk where I was working, stopped dead in his tracks, and said, “You cook.” “Yeeeess.” was my reply. He then told me that he wanted to have a reception after each of two concerts the church was hosting to benefit Ukraine. Thinking he was referring to maybe about 50 guests, I agreed. Then the bomb dropped as he started talking about the 160 or so that the church would hold, plus the musicians, plus the video crew, plus… Realizing I might regret this, I ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, mumbled something about checking with my sous chef, and left it at that. It’s always fun to go home and tell my husband about the latest adventure I’ve roped him into.
We really wanted to help with the reception and my husband can take credit for coming up with the idea of an elegant macaroni and cheese. Years ago, when I had a personal chef business, this dish was one of my clients’ absolute favorites. One client in particular requested this dish almost every time I cooked for her.
We hitched up the buckboard and went into town to buy supplies. Just kidding — but living in the middle of a large valley outside of Helena, Montana, sometimes it seems that way. We decided to prepare 300 servings of the pasta dish in four enormous disposable aluminum roasting pans. My husband got busy grating 16 pounds of cheese while I began roasting 16 heads of garlic and mincing 32 shallots. We decided to prepare half the pasta on two separate days. It took us all day both days but dare I say it was kind of fun. Each batch of pasta tasted delicious, and we knew it was going to be a bit hit at the reception.
So how did it go? Well, we don’t know yet. We had just begun preparing the fourth and final 75 servings when the phone rang. It turned out that the concert was postponed for a month because some of the performers had come down with COVID. We didn’t have any choice but to freeze the pasta. We’ll know in a few days when the receptions actually take place. The adventure continues…
Pasta Mornay with (or not) Ham
6 Servings
Mornay sauce is a white sauce (béchamel) with grated cheese added. In this case it’s the “backbone” of the recipe. Use any smallish pasta you prefer. I like the medium shells because the sauce gets trapped inside, which makes for a nice bite. Ham is optional. We made the dish without it for the reception to appeal to the vegetarians in the group.
1 head of garlic
1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, minced
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt
white pepper
1 pound medium shells (conchiglie), ditalini, or other small pasta
8 ounces ham, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the head of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic cut side up on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil around the garlic to make a tight little package. Place the garlic on a small sheet pan, in case it leaks, and bake until garlic cloves are soft and tender, about 55 minutes. Allow the package to cool, then remove the garlic and squeeze the cloves out of their skins, chop into small bits, and place in a small bowl.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté 4 minutes, or until soft. Whisk in the milk, cream, thyme, lemon zest, roasted garlic and nutmeg. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 2 and 3/4 cups, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the cheeses, stirring until smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, following package directions. You want it to be tender but still firm. I have found that cooking pasta 1 minute less than the lowest time on the package is perfect, but you may prefer it cooked a little more.
Mix the cheese sauce, pasta, ham, and parsley in a large bowl, and serve.
The year 2021 was a trying one for my family, culminating in the loss of my mother in early December due to a variety of health reasons. I’ve been thinking about writing a post in honor of my mother since then, but how to decide which recipe? The lima bean stew with ham hocks that we ate almost every week when we were kids? Nope. The only way I could stand it was to douse it with ketchup. Her beef stew with dumplings? A family favorite, but there are a lot of stew recipes out there.
My mother absolutely loved Mexican food, something I seem to have inherited from her; however, Mom was not a big fan of spending hours in the kitchen. So, if there was an easy way to create a dish that would normally involve a whole lot of work, she was on it, and Chile Rellenos casserole was one of her favorites.
If you asked me what my favorite Mexican dish is I would answer Chile Rellenos in about a half a second. Fresh Anaheim chiles, stuffed with all the cheese, battered and deep fried until crispy. Yum! At this stage in my life, however, consuming boats of deep fried anything is probably not the healthiest choice. This casserole contains the chiles and the cheesy goodness without the deep frying. Now that’s what I call a win.
My mother had an unquenchable zest for life that I try very hard to emulate. Her life can best be summarized by her favorite saying she kept posted in the kitchen: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, Wow, what a ride!!!” She certainly accomplished that goal. This one is for you, Mom…
Chile Rellenos Casserole
6 Servings
A delicious, filling casserole that captures all the flavors of chile rellenos without the frying. You have a choice of pans to prepare this in. I used a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet, but an 8-inch square or 6×10-inch baking pan will also work.
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, divided
black pepper, to taste
Two 4-ounce cans whole green chiles or 8 oz frozen Hatch green chiles, thawed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beef and onion in a skillet, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook on medium heat until the beef is cooked and begins to brown. Set aside, or, if using the same skillet for the casserole, place the beef mixture in a bowl.
Halve the chiles crosswise, spread out flat, and remove the seeds. Place half of the chile pieces in the baking dish or the skillet you will be using. Sprinkle with the cheese, then top with the meat mixture. Arrange the remaining chile pieces over the meat.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in the milk, flour, remaining salt, hot sauce and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chiles. Bake the casserole 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
When I think of Yotam Ottolenghi, it’s all about the vegetables. Many years ago I was blown away at his London restaurant, Nopi. Literally, that meal was a game changer for me. I discovered that vegetables, both raw and cooked, could be just as craveable as a plate of nachos!
Now Ottolenghi is one of if not my absolute favorite cookbook authors. One of my favorite ways to relax is to pour a glass of wine and curl up with one of his fantastic cookbooks. Jerusalem is probably my favorite – the colors, the food. However, the other books are a nice browse as well.
I was recently looking for a quick recipe for cookies that I could take to the coffee fellowship that follows services at our church and came across this delicious cardamom shortbread in Ottolenghi’s namesake cookbook. The recipe was relatively easy, but the included cardamom was just different enough to make them interesting. Well, these cookies were a big hit at coffee that day. One individual even told me it was the best shortbread she had ever tasted, and she’s British. As promised to those that enjoyed the shortbread last week, I am now posting the recipe on Jeannine’s Cuisine.
Cardamom Shortbreads with Pistachios
Yield 2 Dozen Cookies
A couple of notes about ingredients – You could use about a quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom, but do try to find cardamom seed, and grind it yourself for the most flavor. Vanilla sugar is available online. Try to find one that is made with vanilla bean pods, that include the seeds rather than vanilla extract. Another option is to just place a couple of slit open vanilla beans in a plastic container with a cup of sugar and infuse the sugar as long as you like. You could also use turbinado sugar for sprinkling.
8 cardamom pods or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 tablespoons ground rice
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup shelled toasted and salted pistachio nuts
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla or turbinado sugar
Crush the cardamom seeds either in a mortar and pestle or perhaps with a small hammer or the back of a knife. Remove the bits of cardamom peel and crush the tiny seeds into powder. A small electric coffee grinder is a good tool for this. You can then use the same coffee grinder to crush the rice and clean out the grinder at the same time.
Place the cardamom, ground rice, butter, flour, salt, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to blend the mixture only until it forms into a paste.
Flour your hands and your work surface and roll the paste into a log about 1.25 inches in diameter. Roll the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for one hour.
Using a nut grinder or a food processor, chop the pistachios. You don’t want them too finely chopped. A medium chop with some tiny bits and some that are a little bigger is the goal. Place the nuts into a shallow pan or tray large enough to hold the dough log. If you have to cut the log in half crosswise, that’s okay.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush the log with the blended egg. Roll the log in the pistachios, pressing them into place when necessary. Wrap the nut-covered log in plastic and refrigerate for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 300.
Prepare two cookie sheets or half-sheet pans with parchment. Remove the plastic wrap from the log and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Place the slices on the prepared sheet pans, about an inch apart. Sprinkle the slices with vanilla sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake until golden, but not brown, about 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them.
It’s no secret that I love Greece and everything about it; especially the food. I was fortunate that I had the opportunity to live in Athens, Greece, for 3 years during my Army career. It was a life-changing experience that still affects me every day. I met my best friend there, who continues to be like a sister to me. I also fell in love with Mediterranean food, especially Greek food. It’s what I cook most often when I entertain. But, more important, of all the many diets and nutrition plans out there, it’s Mediterranean food (I refuse to say “diet”) that I turn to when I want to drop a few pounds or just feel my healthiest. Here’s looking at you, 2 January, after every holiday season.
Meals in Greece usually start with a series of appetizers, or meze. Sometimes the meze are the entire meal. Other times, they’re just a precursor to a huge festive feast, such as Greek Easter. Meze can consist of just a few dishes or as many as 25. They can be as simple as a chunk of feta drizzled with some olive oil and oregano, or more elaborate dishes such as grape leaves stuffed with lamb and bulgur wheat.
Tyrokafteri is a spicy spread made with feta cheese and peppers that is typically spread on bread. It is one of my absolute favorites of the Greek meze. I actually discovered it long after I lived in Greece, when I returned on my honeymoon many years later, but I’ve certainly made up for lost time since then.
Tyrokafteri (Spicy Feta Spread)
6-8 Servings
This dip is very quick, and it makes a lot. I used two whole cayenne chiles to make this spread. They are skinny red chiles about 3 inches long. You can also use one habanero chile, but make sure you remove the seeds and the membranes (where the heat is) or you’ll end up with more zip in your dip than you would like. Whichever chiles you choose, just make sure they are red or orange so you don’t change the color to an unappetizing gray.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1-2 red or orange chiles
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
5 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Bread for serving
Clean the red pepper and the chiles by removing the membranes and seeds and cutting them into strips. You can just slice the chiles without cleaning them if you like a little more heat.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet and sauté the pepper and the chiles until soft, about 15 minutes.
Place the contents of the skillet in a food processor with the feta and the yogurt and blend until smooth. Refrigerate the spread until serving.
I’ve been on a Mexican food kick since before Cinco de Mayo. I have always loved Mexican food, and at times it’s been a little difficult to come by. Several years ago we lived in Herrenburg, Germany, located on the border of the Black Forest. There actually was a Mexican restaurant in our small town. It was called Los Zapatos, translated to “the shoes.” However, when I discovered their idea of salsa was ketchup, and the entrees really did taste like shoes, it was back to my own kitchen for my Mexican food fix. Now that I live in Montana, I still have not managed to find a Mexican restaurant that I really like. Once again I’m relying on my cookbooks and cooking skills for the Mexican food I love.
Black bean soup is not strictly Mexican, as it’s popular all over Latin America. I’ve been making it for years, and not just when I lived in Latin America. It was a frequent request from friends when I lived in Greece. So much so that when my best Greek friend traveled from London to Maryland to attend my wedding I served it at our rehearsal luncheon.
This black bean soup recipe takes some time, but most of it is hands off simmering. You don’t need to soak the beans first. Just bring them to a boil then set aside for an hour and get on with your day. I like a really smooth soup, so I use a high-speed blender to puree it. The result is a delicious creamy soup that makes a great lunch or dinner with a green salad on the side.
Black Bean Soup
6 Servings
A delicious creamy soup for any time of the year. Don’t forget the garnishes – cilantro, tortilla chips, hot sauce, avocado and lime wedges, especially lime wedges. Pick one or do as I do and pile it on. Vegetarian? No problem. Just eliminate the ham hocks.
1 pound black beans
10 cups water
2 ham hocks
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 white onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon beef or pork stock base (I used Better than Boullion)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
Garnishes – sour cream, tortilla chips, hot sauce, chopped avocado, and cilantro leaves
Place beans in a large soup pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour.
Add the ham hocks, celery, garlic, onions, allspice and stock base. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the beans are completely cooked. This will take 2-3 hours, depending on how fresh your beans are.
Remove the ham hocks from the soup. Add the tomato sauce and the wine and stir to combine. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Alternatively, you could use a stick blender, but it won’t be as smooth. Remove as much of the meat from the ham hocks as possible, chop it and add it to the pureed soup. Reheat the soup and serve with as many garnishes as you like.
One advantage to living in Montana is that we actually have a Spring here, unlike the Spring season in Virginia that lasted about a week before the heat and humidity set in. Granted, it’s a little chilly. The Farmers’ Almanac reported that the last freeze in Helena, Montana would take place on or around 20 May, and they were right. It snowed on 21 May. But the good thing is, with a longer spring season comes a longer season for spring fruits and vegetables. I’m looking at you, rhubarb.
I think it was about March when my sister told me that the rhubarb at my parents’ house was starting to come up. One month later my dad pointed out a huge bush with enormous leaves and told me to take all I wanted. I took him up on his offer, but also took note when he mentioned there was a specific rhubarb pie his mother made when he was young. He received a couple of those pies for Fathers’ Day this year.
In most parts of the country, rhubarb’s spring fling is long past, and everyone is harvesting the summer vegetables in their gardens. However, here in Montana, rhubarb is still very much in evidence at all the stands at the farmers’ market as well as in my dad’s garden.
This is a pretty straight forward rhubarb pie. Although strawberry rhubarb pie is also a favorite, I like the taste of the rhubarb with no additions. I’ve left the choice of pie crust up to you on this one. My absolute go to pie crust is Martha Stewart’s Pâte Brisée from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. If you don’t have the book, you can find the recipe here. It comes together in the food processor in seconds, and you can make and cool your filling while the dough rests in the refrigerator. Although you do not need to bake the crust ahead of time, I like to brush the bottom crust with a coat of beaten egg and bake it for 5 minutes before filling it to avoid the fruit making the crust soggy.
Rhubarb Pie
One 8-inch Pie
This pie is delicious as just a stand-alone fruit pie, but it is even better with ice cream. Or, if you aren’t in the mood to make the crust, the filling is very good on its own as a sauce over ice cream, or even yogurt for breakfast.
dough for a double crust for an 8-inch pie
1 egg
2 pounds fresh rhubarb
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
Prepare your choice of pie crust and place in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pie filling. Wash the rhubarb stalks, and cut off the discard the woody ends. Slice the rhubarb stalks lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch chunks. Set aside 2 cups of the sliced rhubarb and place the remainder in a medium size saucepan.
Add the brown sugar to the pan, cover, and turn on the stove to medium-low. This step will get the rhubarb to begin releasing its juices. Cook covered for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium and cook another 15 minutes, stirring often. The rhubarb is done when it is completely broken down, and a spoon leaves a clean trail across the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining rhubarb chunks to the pan and give it a good stir. Place the rhubarb filling on a plate or sheet pan and set aside to cool.
While the rhubarb is cooling prepare your pie crust. Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Divide the dough in two, roll out the bottom crust and place in an 8-inch pie pan, trimming to fit if necessary. Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush the bottom crust with just enough egg to cover. Bake the pie crust for 5 minutes. Prepare the top crust by rolling it out or preparing a lattice. Add the rhubarb filling to the bottom crust and top with the crust of your choice, crimping the edges together.
Place the pie pan on a sheet pan. Bake the pie for 1 hour until the filling is bubbly. Take care that the crust does not get too brown. You might need to cover the pie loosely with foil if it is browning too rapidly. Remove the pie pan to a rack and cool completely before serving.
I can’t believe it’s been over a year since my last blog post, and what a year it’s been. A global pandemic, a retirement, a cross-country move, going back to the Department of State Office of Inspector General as a retired annuitant leading inspections of Department programs and hopefully, next year, embassies overseas.
A lot has changed in the past year. You’ll see that Jeannine’s Cuisine has a new look that reflects some of those changes. We now live in Helena, Montana! We had previously purchased some land here and planned to build a home. However, when our builder wanted to charge us more than $800,000 for a pretty basic 2,600-square foot home, we decided to go a different route instead. We found a one-story rancher with the spectacular mountain views you see in the photo at the top of this post. We’re still working on making it home, but we’re getting there. I’m down to three boxes. Yeah!
Before I went back to work I enrolled in a food photography course taught my Kimberly Espinel, a former Saveur magazine food photographer of the year and a wonderful instructor. It was a little difficult juggling work and photography homework, but it was so worth it. You can check out Kimberly’s blog here. The photos in this blog post were my final project for the class. I think you’ll agree I learned a lot in the class.
On to the recipe – I’ve always wanted to do a post for Cinco de Mayo. When I was looking for ideas for my final project for my photography class, I decided on guacamole. It’s delicious and healthy, and it’s not just for tortilla chips anymore, although some chips and guacamole with a frosty margarita sounds like a perfect combo to me. Serve it with tacos or anything else you are preparing for Cinco de Mayo. Pile it on toast, an omelet, or over fresh greens for a salad. I just love avocados and anything made with them. After doing the photographs for this post, however, and going through two of the big bags of avocados from Costco, I’m going to take a little break from eating them for a while.
Guacamole
Yield 1 1/2 Cups
You can make this guacamole as simple or elaborate as you choose. Some purists just mix avocado with salt and pepper and call it a day. Don’t like tomatoes? Skip them. If you only have lemons instead of lime, use lemon juice instead. I love the taste of cilantro, but some people really detest it. You do you!
2 avocados
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 lime
Chopped hot chile to taste (I like to use one serrano, but you can also use jalapeno, habanero or skip it altogether)
1/4 white onion, finely chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
Remove the seed from the avocados and place the flesh in a bowl. Smash the avocado with a fork or a potato masher. Add salt to taste and any remaining ingredients you choose. Mix to combine and serve immediately.
You can extend the life of the guacamole by squeezing lime juice over the top and pressing plastic wrap on the surface to keep out the air. Just stir the lime juice in before serving.
Jeannine's Cuisine 