Zucchini Brownies

I found this recipe originally here; I added some milk, but otherwise the recipe is as is.

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

ICING:

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer combine oil, sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and milk until well blended. Add flour and cocoa, then fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Pour into pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then set aside to cool.

To make icing, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Empanada de pescado (again)

Erika suggested I try making a You Tube video, so I decided, what the heck. I had some leftover striped bass from the other day, so decided to make an empanada. I posted a recipe awhile back here.

This version is a little different:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

salt

sugar

1 cup or so of cooked striped bass

red pepper flakes (optional)

1 hardboiled egg, diced

2 tbsp. pine nuts

1 1/2 pounds pizza dough

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Saute the onion and bell pepper in the olive oil until the onion is transclucent. Add the tomato sauce and simmer uncovered for a few minutes, then add salt to taste and a dash of sugar to bring out the tartness of the sauce.

Stir in the fish, crushing slightly with the spoon so it is well integrated into the sauce. Add a dash of red pepper flakes, if desired.

Remove from heat and add the hardboiled egg and pine nuts.

Divide pizza dough in half and roll out half into a 12-inch circle. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a pizza stone and lay dough circle on it. Spread the fish mixture evenly over it. Roll out and lay the other sheet of puff dough over the top and crimp the edges. Paint dough with olive oil and place in oven.

Bake for 15-20 until golden brown. Cool on wire rack, and serve.

Grilled Fish

2 large striped bass fillets, skin on

5 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

SAUCE

10 guajillo chilies, seeds removed

5 ancho chilies, seeds removed

1 cup water

4 tomatoes

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. white vinegar

3 whole cloves

1/3 onion

1/2 tsp. each dried oregano, thyme, marjoram

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, salt and pepper. Rub onto the fish and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce, soak the chilies in hot water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a blender and puree with the water, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, cloves, onoin, oregano, thyme, marjoram and cumin until smooth.

Heat the butter and oil in a small saucepan and add the pureed chilies. When the puree comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature.

Grill with the rack set about 8 inches over a charcoal fire. Place fish skin side down and grill for 15-20 minutes, basting regularly with the sauce. Turn the fish over and grill for about 5 minutes longer, or until fish is done.

Budín con picadillo (Ground Meat Casserole)

I like finding things to do with ground beef that don't involve hamburgers, lasagna, spaghetti or tacos. This recipe actually calls for squash blossoms, which I did not have. I suspect it would taste great with zucchini or even with spinach or Swiss chard. Adapted from Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook, by Susanna Palazuela.

3 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 whole clove

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons salt

1 lb ground beef

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño chili

1 lb tomatillos, husked

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 poblano chilies

oil for frying

12 corn tortillas

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Grind 2 garlic cloves together with the pepper, clove, thyme and one teaspoon of the salt in a mortar. Transfer to a large bowl, add the beef and mix well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until transparent. Add the beef and saute, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook the jalapeños together with the tomatillos in boiling water until the tomatillos change color, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a blender with 1 garlic clove, the cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree and set aside.

Roast the poblano chilies: brush the chilies with oil and roast in 450-degree oven for 20 minutes or so, turning once or twice, until skin is blistered. Let chilies cool and sweat a little. Rinse under cool water, removing seeds and skin. Skin will slip right off. Slice into strips.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1/2 inch oil in a skillet and briefly fry each tortilla on both sides. Arrange 6 tortillas, overlapping, in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Cover with a layer of meat, a layer of poblanos, half of the sour cream and a third of the grated cheese. Make another layer of tortillas, meat, chilies, cream and cheese. Cover with tomatillo puree, transfer to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining one-third of the cheese and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts and browns.

Potatoes in Green Sauce

Served this at a barbecue tonight, where at least one person claimed they were the best potatoes she ever ate. I wouldn't go that far, but they were pretty flavorful. The recipe comes from Cookshelf Mexican, by Marlena Spieler. All you're doing, basically, is adding green salsa to already-cooked potatoes, so I suppose that in a pinch you could just open a jar of tomatillo salsa and save a few steps. But roasting the ingredients for the salsa is not hard, and adds a flavor dimension you most likely will not get from a jar.

3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks

1 onion, halved and unpeeled

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

8 tomatillos, husks removed

1 large jalapeño chili

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

salt

Place potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil, then cook gently for 8-10 minutes until potatoes are almost done. Do not over cook. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, roast onion, garlic, tomatillos and chili in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until charred. Remove from pan. Let cool slightly, then peel onion and garlic. Place onion, garlic, tomatillos and chili in a blender, together with 1/2 cup chicken stock to make a puree. Set aside.

Heat oil in heavy skillet and fry puree until it reduces slightly. Add potatoes and zucchini, along with half of the cilantro and the rest of the chicken stock. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Check for salt.

Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve.

Baked Beans with Ancho Chili

This was my offering at our friend’s Fourth of July barbecue yesterday. The chili and orange zest add an interesting dimension; these are not your standard barbecue baked beans. I pulled the recipe from Aliza Green, Beans: More than 200 Delicious, Wholesome Recipes from Around the World, but made a few changes based on ingredient availability and time frame.

1 pound dried pinto beans

1/2 pound bacon, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 ancho chilies, seeded, soaked in cold water 30 minutes, and minced*

2 tablespoons ground toasted cumin seeds

6 tablespoons brown sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons of liquid from tomatoes**

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange

2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

Rinse beans and place in pot with 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until nearly done. Drain.

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer bacon to paper towels. In the same pan, cook the onion, carrots, and garlic in the bacon fat until softened. Add the chili, cumin, brown sugar, orange zest, and juice. Cook for three minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the beans, tomatoes, chili mixture and bacon in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil on the stove, cover and bake in oven for 1 hour or until beans are almost soft. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and return to oven for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are soft and the liquid has been absorbed. If necessary, add more liquid during baking.

*or 2 tablespoons ground ancho chile

**or 1/2 cup molasses