Guacamole

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!  We spent the evening on a friend's rooftop, where we could see fireworks in every direction.  It was spectacular!  And all of the fireworks were just far enough away that I wasn't irrationally afraid of them, like I often am.  Win!



The 4th is a particularly big celebration in the Monkey Scientist's family because so many family birthdays fall right around the holiday.  We've had a blast celebrating all week long, and it will continue this weekend!  For our birthday gift to the Monkey Scientist's brother and his girlfriend, we gave them this mortar and pestle from Sur la Table that I just love!  Not only is it made of volcanic rock, it's a little pig! Too cute. Of course we gave it to them on the 4th so that we could make guac for the party.



Much overdue to all of you, here is my go-to guacamole recipe.  I guess over the years I've adapted it from a plethora of recipes out on the web and made it my own.  We make it all the time - especially for big parties or family dinners.  It goes great on burgers, tacos, or just with chips.  It's the perfect treat for the summertime!  If you're not familiar with tomatillos, they're often sold with the tomatoes and avocados.  They look like miniature green tomatoes but they naturally have a paper-like outside that easily peels off.  They can be a bit sticky but that comes off with a good rinse under cold water.  They're the secret to my famous guacamole!



Guacamole

Ingredients
3 ripe avocados, removed from skins, pitted, and cut into chunks
1 medium to large tomatillo, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 jalapeño, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like spicy)

Instructions
1. Add the avocado, tomatillo, garlic, and jalapeño to a large bowl or mortar.  Smash with the back of a spoon, a potato masher, or a pestle until only small chunks remain.
2. Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to incorporate.

Smokey Roasted Chicken Tacos with Spicy Goat Cheese Crema

As you probably guessed, I've been having a lot of internal debate lately.  There are a lot of days where I just say, that's it. I want to quit the blog.  But then, like the hot girl at the gym, a recipe comes along that I have to share with you that changes my mind.  So I'm back here again.  So don't despair.



So what have you missed?  We had a delicious Valentine's Day dinner at what just might be our favorite restaurant in Chicago.  I am so excited for my a la Chicago cards to come in the mail so we can go back again ASAP.  The Monkey Scientist had a milestone birthday, which called for two cakes - a graham cracker torte from me and a carrot cake (his favorite) from his mom.  We had a romantic French dinner for our anniversary at a Chicago institution.  And now, of course, Cadbury Mini Eggs have returned to my daily food pyramid.  They almost make up for the fact that Spring has definitely not sprung yet in Chicago.



For my loyal DC following, I did make a quick trip back to my former home last month.  It was great to be back, even just for a couple of days.  I got in an amazing workout with my old trainer who I miss every time I work out in Chicago.  No one can kick my butt into shape quite like he can.  I also had a really great dinner at Maple with some friends I love and miss every day.  That little corner of Columbia Heights has really transformed since I moved with new restaurants and bars! I'm loving what's going on there food-wise.



Oh, you just wanted to hear about the tacos?  The tacos are incredible.  This is not your every-Tuesday taco.  It's definitely up a level.  The goat cheese crema has a kick from the jalapenos that I really enjoyed.  And the chicken is smokey, spicy and exactly what I needed.  Way better than my standard ground chicken/turkey (even though I do love my homemade taco seasoning blend).  It takes a little more work, but it's still a pretty easy weeknight dinner if you give yourself the time to roast the chicken.  We will definitely be having this one again soon.  Or at least making some more crema, because I could eat that stuff with a spoon. (OK, I did eat some of it with a spoon.)



Smokey Roasted Chicken Tacos with Spicy Goat Cheese Crema
slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients
1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, sliced into wedges
spicy goat cheese crema
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper
for serving
whole wheat tortillas, warmed
chopped tomatoes
sliced avocado
diced red onion
tequila lime salsa
lime wedges

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne, mixing to combine.
3. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then rub to coat with the spice mixture/
4. Spread the sliced onions evenly across the bottom of the baking dish, then set the chicken on top. Place lime wedges in between the chicken pieces. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes.
5. Remove chicken and let cool slightly, then shred with two forks.
6. While the chicken is cooling, make the goat cheese crema:  In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.  When completely melted, add the garlic and jalapeno, cooking while stirring for 1-2 min.  Add the flour and whisk to form a roux.  Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to brown very slightly.  Then, whisk in the milk.  Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes until thick.  Stir in the goat cheese until entirely melted, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Assemble the tacos on warm tortilla shells, with the shredded chicken, goat cheese crema, tomatoes, onions, avocados, and salsa.  If desired, top with fresh squeezed lime juice.


This recipe was featured on Full Plate Thursday!

Mango Guacamole (Taco night!)

We hadn't had a taco night in a loooong time. When the roommate suggested taco night, even though it wasn't Tuesday, the Monkey Scientist and I were totally on board! Tacos might just be the easiest, tastiest dinner I can think of it.  We actually ate before 9 (which around our place lately has been a struggle)!

These were turkey tacos, of course seasoned with a full batch of my favorite taco seasoning.  I swear, this taco seasoning is so good, you won't even remember that you used turkey instead of beef.  On a side note, where on earth are those adorable measuring spoons my mom gave me, featured so prominently in that taco seasoning post? I swear, moving has caused me to misplace SO many things.  I'll have to investigate and figure out where they ended up. Hopefully they aren't still back in DC with my oven thermometer!



Oh yeah, tacos. So the special element of these tacos was a mango guacamole we made up on the fly.  It added the perfect sweetness to counter the spicy meat. And by spicy, I mean the Monkey Scientist only had to add 2 kinds of hot sauce to his tacos to make them hit his flavor pallet. Plus salsa.  I swear, he's burned off all of his taste buds. I might just start snaking ghost chilis into his food - do you think he'd notice?

P.S. What do you think of our new dining room area?  I'm so excited to have a slightly bigger table. And it looks extra great with the flowers my bff sent us!



Mango Guacamole

Ingredients
3 ripe avocados, pitted, removed from skins, and cubed
2 shallots, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1 tomatillo, diced
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cubed

Instructions
1. Add avocado, shallots, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, tomatillo and cayenne to a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add mango cubes and stir to incorporate. Serve on tacos.

Carnitas Pizza with Guacamole

The Monkey Scientist and I have been experimenting with carnitas lately. There is nothing like delicious shredded pork. We've tried making it in both the Dutch oven and the CrockPot but I haven't decided which tasted better. Since we had so many leftovers, we decided to make a carnitas pizza!



I have to admit (and maybe you've noticed) that I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food. It's surprising since I love spicy food, but between the cilantro and corn tortillas there are so many things I don't like at all. I was excited that this recipe let me bring in all of the Mexican flavors I like in a familiar favorite - pizza.

I loved how this came together. The Monkey Scientist picked up the dough at the Italian market in Cleveland Park. It has wonderful flavor and came out nice and crispy on the edges. The pizza was the perfect combination of spicy, cheesy and tangy. I liked the hot pizza topped by the cool guacamole as well, it was a nice contrast. This is the guacamole recipe I always use (usually with chips of course) and I adore it! Next time we may try to make this pizza on the grill like Mom does - I bet it would be fantastic!



Carnitas Pizza with Guacamole
carnitas adapted from My Baking Addiction
pizza adapted from What's Gabby Cooking?
guacamole is a yelleBELLYboo original

Ingredients
Carnitas
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 pork butt (ours was 2 1/2 lb)
3/4 c cider vinegar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 can chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped
2 oranges, juiced
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 bottle beer
Pizza
1 batch pizza dough
1/2 jar salsa
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 can fire-roasted chiles
2 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo
Guacamole
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 tomatillos, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
Dash cayenne
Dash cumin

Instructions
Carnitas
1. Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place onions in Crock pot. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub to cover the roast. Place roast on top of onions.
3. Mix remaining ingredients and add to Crock pot. Add water to just cover pork.
4. Cook on low 10-12 hours.
5. Remove meat and onions from Crock pot. Chop or shred meat and onions. Add a bit of the cooking liquid for flavor.
Pizza
1. Preheat the oven to 500.
2. Carefully stretch dough to the size of your pizza pan or cookie sheet.
3. Top with salsa, then cheese, chiles, and adobo.
4. Bake 8 minutes, remove from onion. Top with shredded carnitas (maybe 2/3 c worth).
5. Return to oven and bake an additional 4 minutes.  Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Guacamole
1. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
2. Mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork until well combined.
3. Smear on top of each slice of pizza.

Dinner this week

This week, I made one big meal of my favorite spaghetti and meatballs and we ate them all week for dinner. We actually made them with all pork instead of a mix of pork and beef, but I don't think I'll do that again. They were pretty fatty and fell apart.

I also thought ahead and prepped my lunch for the week on Sunday night. I made a salad with spinach, bulgar, artichoke bottoms (though I will do hearts next time), cucumbers (peeled and de-seeded), red bell pepper, avocado (which I sliced fresh each day), black beans, and dried blueberries. Totally scrumptious! I made my own salad dressing with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, a little wine and lots of salt and pepper and other spices. I've been looking forward to it every day!

Tonight for Thursday night BBQ, I made Spicy Orzo and Black Bean Salad. Looks fresh and delicious! I mixed the spinach in instead of lining it on the bottom of bowls so that I can serve it to everyone. I left out the cilantro of course and the blue cheese because the Monkey Scientist despises it. Looking forward to a fun night with friends tonight!

Have a great weekend!

What we had for dinner this week

OK I'm still behind on blogging.  I have no pretty pictures for you.  But I wanted to share the recipes we made this week to give you cooking inspiration!

Sunday night: Bibimbop from Cooking Light  We used steak instead of tofu (the Monkey Scientist is from the Midwest, I can't just be feeding him tofu!).  Bibimbop is my favorite Korean dish.  My favorite is from Kang's in Ann Arbor - I love how the hot stone makes the rice at the bottom crispy.  This recipe simulated it well by crisping up the rice in the cast iron skillet.  Lots of wonderful Asian flavors.

Monday night: Roasted Chicken with Red-Skinned Potatoes and Carrots
Washed a 5 1/2 lb chicken, covered in olive oil, chicken seasoning from the Christmas Tree Shop, and freshly ground black pepper, inside and out. Stuffed it with a lemon, cut in half.  Filled a dish with quartered potatoes and carrots (did nothing else to them beside clean and cut) and then put the chicken on top.  Baked at 475 for 25 minutes and then at 400 for 45 minutes.  I cooked it breast-side up for the first 45 minutes and then flipped it for the last 25.  Perfection, and still eating leftovers for lunch.

Tuesday night: We ate at Tesoro in Van Ness.  Not overly impressed.

Wednesday night: Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cucumber Avocado Salsa from Cookin' Canuck  - I'm now completely obsessed with this recipe.  Took 15 minutes to throw together, including cooking time, and tastes AMAZING.  The ancho chili powder (which I got at World Market) and cumin have almost a cinnamon-like spice to them.  The honey in the salsa is the perfect amount of sweetness and the lime gives just the right tang.  I loved the load of vegetables on top of the chicken - I didn't even need to make a grain to fill us up.  We made it on a cookie sheet with sprayed with olive oil rather than a rack and it was fine.  Definitely give this one a try!

Thursday night:  BBQ night!  Our friends have been organizing barbecues every Thursday at my apartment building.  This week I'm bringing Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bars from Mel's Sweet Life.  The assembly wasn't so easy (forming that last bit into an 8x8 square? All I had was crumbs.)  But they've been sitting on my counter overnight and I'm quite confident they'll be delicious.

Hopefully I can get you some full recipes and pics over the weekend... I will do my best!

Sushi Making Class

Last week, my camp friend, her younger sister and I went to an i wish... lessons' sushi making class at the Hill Center in Eastern Market.  We had bought the class on Living Social months ago, so I had been looking forward to this for a long time!  The class taught basic sushi making technique including how to make 3 rolls - cucumber, California, and spicy tuna.  We made a regular Maki roll as well as an "inside out" Maki roll.



Here is what I learned:

When you spread the sushi on the rice, make it a THIN layer, without crushing the grains.  Then you won't overfill your sushi.
Stack your filling only at the bottom of the roll, then roll up around it.
Hold the back of the mat with your thumbs while holding the filling with your fingers until you've gotten over the first roll.  Then pull back the mat while you roll, so it doesn't get wrapped in your maki.

Sushi making takes practice! It's hard to figure out what the right amount of rice and filling is so that you don't over or underfill your roll.

Sushi grade tuna isn't regulated by the FDA like meat.  It means that it was frozen at -31°F to prevent parasites from growing.  It can be purchased at Whole Foods or other high-end markets, and buying it frozen is probably better than "fresh".



We were all quite proud of the skills we developed.  Some of our rolls came out better than others (my California and little sister's Spicy Tuna rolls were a bit of a flop) but I think with practice we could get pretty good at this!  No matter how floppy they looked, they were all super delicious.  Now that I have the basic idea, I want to go to H Mart for the mat and rice and then make some more "American" sushi.  I'm thinking about BBQ pork, mango and kiwi, maybe even chorizo sushi!  So many possibilities!!

If you want to learn how to make sushi, you should check out an i wish... lessons class.  They have classes in DC, Chicago, Boston, and Detroit (which covers about 90% of my friends and likely readers).  It's a bit expensive, but watch for a Living Social or Groupon and it could be as affordable as going out to eat!

Sushi Rice
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 c sushi rice, uncooked (you can buy this at an Asian market or most grocery stores)
1/2 c rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
note: instead of the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, you can alternatively buy sushi vinegar at an Asian market

Instructions
1. Wash rice - rinse in cold water repeatedly until the water is nearly clear (it will be very cloudy the first few times).
2. Cook rice according to package instructions (preferably in a rice cooker)
3. Make rice vinegar mixture by mixing salt and sugar into the rice vinegar until fully dissolved.  Add more sugar until you've reached your preferred balance of sweet and tart.
4. Place rice in a large bowl or bin for mixing and slowly pour rice vinegar as evenly as possible over rice surface.
5. Mix rice by tossing and slicing with rice paddle (or spatula).
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes under moist rags before use.



Cucumber Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
3. Line a couple of slices of cucumber alone the bottom edge of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch).
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).



California Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
3 crabsticks
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Spread the sushi rice in a thin layer directly on the mat in a square slightly larger than the nori, then place the nori on top.
3. Place cucumber and avocado stacked along the bottom end of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch). Split the crabstick in half and add on top of the cucumber and avocado. (It will peel apart like string cheese)
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Release it from the mat, sprinkle some sesame seeds on your cutting board, and roll the whole roll through the seeds to coat evenly.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).




Spicy Tuna Roll
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1/2 lb raw sushi-grade tuna
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional

Instructions
1. Mix mayo and sriracha in a bowl.  Add more sriracha until reaching your preferred spiciness level.  Chop tuna and mix with spicy mayo.
2. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
3. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
4. Place spicy tuna mixture, cucumber, and avocado (if using) along the bottom edge of the nori, stacked (only go up about 1/2 inch).
5. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).

Note: this is not a paid post.  i wish... lessons doesn't know who I am or that I'm posting.  I just had a great time!

Fish Tacos with Latin Slaw for two

Tonight I needed a nice simple dinner, just for me.  I still have lots of cabbage left from before the farmer's market closed for its spring hiatus, so I decided this would be a good week to continue to try new types of slaw.

This recipe looked super simple, and the ingredients were pretty minimal. Fish tacos are my mom's absolute favorite at the Cheesecake Factory, but this is definitely a trimmed down and healthier version!

By way, because I know a lot of friends have asked me before, this is a tomatillo.  It's like the green apple of tomatoes - it's more tart than a big red tomato and it's itty bitty. It comes with a skin on it that you have to peel off.  I love to use tomatillos in guacamole instead of tomato.

Although the original recipe called for a lot of patient, 3-hour marinating, I decided to cut all that out.  The only "marinating time" I allowed for was the time while I ran on the treadmill - and I am definitely not running 3 hours at a time.

I also tried to kick up the spice because...well because I always kick up the spice.  I definitely still could have used some Chulula on my taco.

Also, I got some great grocery deals!  Tilapia was only ~$2 for a filet, and I got the greek yogurt (I used Yoplait) for free by combining a store sale with a coupon!  I also got $15 worth of matzoh for free by spending $25 at the grocery store - all ready for my Passover seder (and some matzoh brie)!!

These tacos were really good.  I loved the slaw and the chipotle-greek yogurt sauce had a great flavor while keeping the tacos light and healthy.  I didn't even miss the rice in the Cheesecake Factory version!

And what did I do with the extra 1/2 avocado?  Ate it with a spoon, of course :)  Man, I love avocado!  It was a great "appetizer" for these tasty tacos.

Fish Tacos with Latin Slaw

Adapted from Eighty Twenty

Serves 2 (4 tacos)

2 tilapia (or other white fish) filet

1/4 cup white wine

1-2 tbsp lime juice (~1 limes)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 tsp chili powder

4 -8" whole wheat tortillas

Latin Slaw

1 cup shredded purple and green cabbage

1/4 cup onion, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tomatillo, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise

3 tbsp lime juice (~1 1/2 limes)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp cumin

Sauce

6 oz fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp chipotle seasoning

Instructions:

Marinate fish filets in white wine, lime juice, and cumin in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours or overnight.

For slaw: Mix together cabbage, onion, avocado, tomatillo and jalapeño in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add to dry ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

For sauce: mix chipotle seasoning into yogurt and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill fish filets until done (~2 1/2 min on the Foreman), then cut into 2" thick strips. Microwave flour tortillas covered by a damp paper towel for ~30 seconds, or until soft.

Add 2 tbsp sauce to tortilla, then add fish. On top add 1/4 cup Latin Slaw.  Enjoy!