Spicy Pasilla-Mushroom Tacos {she made, ella hace}

In preparation for National Taco Day (coming up on October 4th), Leslie and I are sharing tacos today for she made, ella hace.  In our house, tacos are as everyday as sandwiches.  If we can't decide what to eat, there's always tacos.  Have leftover meat?  Make a taco.  Have leftover mashed potatoes?  Mix 'em with a little greasy chorizo and turn them into a flauta (crunchy, rolled taco).  Don't know what to eat for breakfast?  Scramble up some eggs and veggies and enfold them in a warm tortilla.

Knowing this, you'd think I'd have shared more tacos on the blog.  But really, I haven't shared that many.  Like I said - everyday food.  Looking back over the last four and a half years, I notice that the things we eat the most often, are the things that I blog about the least.  Strange, huh?

So, when trying to decide something a little out-of-the-norm in the realm of tacos, I turned to my guru.  I knew that he'd be able to face me in a new direction...inspire me to look at tacos anew.

Slow Cooker Mole Rojo

I have certain dishes that I am very picky about.  Some may call it biased.  Some may call it snobbery.  I just call it taste.  Mole is one of those dishes.

Now, I almost hate to admit that the mole I like more than any other is my own.  Ha!  But in all fairness, the recipe originally came from Rick Bayless.  I've only adapted it slightly here and there over the years.  Maybe it's because it was "my first".  I mean, first love sets the bar, right?

Okay, that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed many other varieties of mole.  Made by an equal variety of people.  There's just something about that version that keeps me dreaming...remembering...craving.  I'm not alone, either.  My family feels the same way.  Immediate and extended.  I get requests every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas for a jar.  That's just usually the time that I make it.

You see, a really good mole takes time to develop those complex layers of flavor.  Chiles, nuts and seeds, tomatoes or tomatillos, dried fruit, spices, flavorful broth, (pleasantly) gritty Mexican chocolate, bread or tortillas - they all play their part in that medley.  But time plays an equally important role.  And, if you judge by the look of my kitchen on mole-making-day, so does a big, fat mess!  Let's not forget the (ahem) warmth that fills the kitchen...and eventually the whole house...when a pot is simmering for the better part of a day over an open fire.

So worth it, but precisely the reason that it normally gets made in the wintertime around here.

So, this mole is not the one I've been yammering on about.  HOWEVER, it is extremely close.  And I made it on a day where the thermometer outside my kitchen window registered 80+ degrees.  Without breaking a sweat.   Believe that.

You know why?  (Of course you do, it's in the title of this post.  Humor me.)  Because it's made IN A SLOW-COOKER!   So now I can comfortably make mole in the heat of the summer.  I'll admit it's not quite as good as my first love, but it's really close.  And the fact that the mess is basically non-existent compared to my dream-mole, I'm almost willing to overlook that.  Plus, with a few tweaks, I believe I can come even closer.

Slow-Cooker Mole Rojo

Deep, rich Mole Rojo made in a slow cooker.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours+

Keywords: slow-cooker sauce entree soy-free almonds chiles Christmas Cinco de Mayo Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead Mexican

Ingredients (2 quarts (12 servings))

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or good pork lard)
• 3 ounces mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 1.5 ounces ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 1.5 ounces pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 ounces whole almonds
• 2 ounces raisins
• 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes w/ their juices
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Mexican canela (or regular cinnamon)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground anise seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1 ounce Mexican chocolate, roughl chopped
• 1 thick slice firm white bread, toasted darkly & broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar + more as needed
• sea salt
• 2 quarts chicken stock/broth (or rich vegetable stock), approximately

Instructions

You have two options to start this mole on its journey - if you have a slow-cooker with a removable, fire-safe crock, great. If you don't, do this first part in a large pot and transfer to the slow-cooker.

Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot over high heat. Once hot, add the chiles, garlic, almonds, and raisins, stirring slowly and constantly for about 5 minutes or so. Th inside of the chile pieces should turn lighter, the garlic will be a light golden, the raisins will be puffed, and the almonds will be well toasted. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the ground spices, the bread, and the chocolate, and continue to stir for another 2 minutes or so. Add 2 cups of water, the brown sugar, and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Transfer the pot to the slow-cooker base (or pour into the slow-cooker), cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Scrape all of the mole base out of the slow-cooker and into a bowl. Add half of the mixture, along with 2 cups of the chicken stock the jar of a blender and blend until completely smooth. This could take a few minutes depending on your blender. Set a fine-mesh strainer over your slow-cooker crock and pour the mixture in the blender through, pressing to release all of the base, leaving the chile skins behind. Repeat with second half and 2 more cups of chicken stock. Stir 3 more cups of the chicken stock into the pot, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours longer. At this point, the mole should be the consistency of a cream soup. If it seems too thick, add in some of the remaining cup of chicken stock to thin it out. Taste, and adjust seasoning with about another 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon or so of salt.

Serve hot over chicken, turkey, pork, or eggs. We love it with carnitas and grilled chicken leg portions, as well. I also love it with just queso fresco and hot corn tortillas. If serving with chicken or turkey, sprinkle with a smattering of toasted sesame seeds. One serving is approximately 1/2 cup.

Store in a jar or container with a lid in the fridge for 5 days or so.

notes:

I think I'm going to add 2-4 ounces of toasted sesame seeds and some roasted tomatillos with their juices to my next batch, so that it comes closer to the flavor profile of the "regular" (non-slow-cooker) version of mole that I love so dearly.

Though this may not have quite the depth of flavor that a mole whose ingredients have been toasted and ground individually, and simmered over a slow fire has - the lack of mess it makes in the kitchen may be enough for me to make this version quite often. Plus, it doesn't heat up the kitchen.

adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

Want more MOLE?  Here's a few more varieties you can find here:
Mole Rojo
Mole Verde Queretano
"On Mole" + Mole Amarillo
Mole de Olla

Sopa de Jitomate y Rajas / Roasted Tomato Soup with Poblanos {she made, ella hace}

When Leslie and I were trying to decide what we wanted to make for she made, ella hace this month, my brain could only muster "soup".  All I could picture were hands cupping a bowl with steam rising from the top.

You'd get a good idea why if you took a gander out my window today.  White as far as the eye can see.  Small plants drooping heavy with the weight of the snow.  Not much movement, aside from the eerily large crows flying past the barren branches set against a grey sky.

And if by chance you were brave stepping outside, you would probably turn tail before you could get your second foot out the door.  With the temperature sitting at a balmy 3 (wind chill making it feel like -15), well... Even the schools didn't open their doors today.

What better way to spend the day than sitting indoors, looking out at the beautiful snow, slurping a bowl of soup.  And if by chance you were to be slurping on THIS soup, you would probably even start stripping off some layers.  Perhaps don your tank tops and bermuda shorts.

Not only is it warm... it's spicy!  A thin film of sweat on your forehead.  Small beads across your upper lip.  You'll forget all about that ill-guided attempt to venture outdoors.

In case you hadn't guessed, Leslie and are bringing steaming bowls of Tomato Soup to the table for she made, ella hace today.  My version is not the one that normally comes to mind when you think tomato soup.  Instead of being thick and rich and creamy, it is brothy and earthy and very spicy - with noodles of roasted poblanos lacing every spoonful.  It is unexpected, but entirely welcome.  Don't forget the cubes of fresh, slightly salty cheese and a few tortilla chips for little variety in texture.  This will change the way you look at tomato soup.

But what I'd really love is to have a double-feature in front of me.  One small bowl of this, and one small bowl of Leslie's beautiful Homemade Tomato Soup.  Slip me a grilled cheese and I might think I was in heaven.

Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Poblanos (Sopa de Jitomate y Rajas)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 25-30 minutes

Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

Keywords: simmer roast soup/stew chiles tomatoes Mexican

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 2½ lbs. Roma tomatoes
• 1 lb. Poblanos
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 small onions, sliced ¼" thick
• 4 fat cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 6 c. beef stock or good beef broth
• salt
• queso fresco, storebought or homemade, cubed
• tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips

Instructions

Set the tomatoes on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and place 4-inches below a very hot broiler. Roast until the skins are blackened on one side, and then flip and repeat; it should take ~6 minutes per side. Set aside and allow to cool. Peel the skins off the tomatoes and place the tomatoes and their juices in the jar of a blender or food processor, and process to a coarse puree.

Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame, or below a broiler until blackened on all sides, 5-10 minutes total. Cover the roasted chiles with a clean kitchen towel and allow to stand and steam for at least 5 minutes. Peel, pull out the stem and seeds. Rinse briefly to remove little bits of skin and seeds. Slice the roasted chiles into strips that are ~¼-inch wide.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add onion and cook, stirring often, until slightly browned, ~5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook for another minute. Add roasted poblano strips, stir, and heat through.

Add the tomato puree to the pot and cook, stirring often, until thick and reduced, ~7 minutes. Stir in the broth, partially cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed.

Serve the soup with cubes of queso fresco and some tortilla chips/strips. Enjoy!

adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

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What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food?  Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes.  Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way. 

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food.  We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out.  Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it.  Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you.  It's not a competition, it's a showcase.  We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it. 

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.

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FOTMC: Soups

ChocoFlan (Impossible Cake)

Today marks the end of a six month period of cooking with my (unwitting) mentor over at IHCC.  The man who has taught me so much for so many years.  He taught me the basics of Mexican cuisine: the beautiful differences of earthy, dried chiles...the subtleties of using native herbs and spices...vast uses for masa harina...and the importance of building flavor.  Time is your friend when you want a good, authentic Mexican dish.

He's been a source of inspiration and knowledge to me for so long now, so while I'll not be cooking with him in an "official" capacity any longer, there's no way I'll be saying Adios.  Nope.  Instead I will be saying Gracias, Rick.  Thank you for sharing your passion for Mexican cuisine and culture.  And I'll be seeing you soon.

An really, there's no better thank you gesture than something made from the heart.  Rick taught me to make ChocoFlan a long time ago and I've been making people happy with it ever since.  So this one's for you, Rick!

ChocoFlan (Impossible Cake)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate cake Mexican

Ingredients (serves 12-16)

For the mold:

• a pat of softened butter
• all-purpose flour
• 1 c. cajeta (goats milk caramel), store-bought or homemade

For the cake:

• 5 oz. (10 Tbs.) butter, slightly softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs. espresso powder dissolved in 1½ Tbs. hot water (or 3 Tbs. espresso)
• ¾ c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. cake flour
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp.baking soda
• 1/3 c. + 1 Tbs. cocoa powder
• 9 floz. buttermilk

For the flan:

• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Getting started:

Turn on the oven to 350° F. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round cake pan (you need one that's 3 inches deep), sprinkle with flour, tip the pan, tapping on the side of the counter several times, to evenly distribute the flour over the bottom and sides, then shake out the excess.

Microwave the cajeta for 30 seconds to soften it, then pour over the bottom of the pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil and hold at a simmer. Set out a deep pan that's larger than your cake pan (like a roasting pan) that can serve as a water bath during baking.

Dissolve your espresso powder in the water.

Make the cake layer:

Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light in color and texture. Scrape the bowl. Beat in the egg and espresso.

Sift together the all-purpose and cake flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Beat in about half of the flour mixture, at medium-low speed, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, scraping bowl as needed. Once everything is well combined, raise the speed to medium-high and beat for another minute or so.

Scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread level.

Make the flan layer:

In a blender, combine the two milks, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend until smooth.

Hold a large ladle a few inches above the pan with the cake batter in it. Slowly, pour the flan mixture into the ladle and let it fall gently over the edges of the ladle and onto the cake batter. Using the ladle keeps the batter from getting "dented".

Set the cake pan into the larger pan and then set on oven rack. Pour the simmering water into the larger pan, around the cake pan to a depth of at least 1-inch.

Close the oven door and bake for ~60 minutes, or until the surface of the cake is almost firm to the touch, except for the very center (which will seem wobbly) .

Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature, ~1 hour. Slide into the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 12 hours. This allows the two layers to meld together and not slide apart when unmolding.

When ready, carefully run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to free the edges. If the cake does not slide around freely when you turn the pan (like turning a steering wheel), fill the bottom of your sink with hot water and set the pan in for 30 seconds. It should now move freely.

Choose a serving platter that is large enough and has a rim (to stop the extra cajeta from flowing off the plate) and invert it over the top of your pan. Grasp the two tightly and in one quick motion, flip over so that the serving plate is on the bottom. Gently jiggle the pan back and forth several times to insure that the chocoflan has dropped, then lift the pan off. Scrape any remaining cajeta from the mold onto the cake.

Enjoy!

slightly adapted from Rick Bayless

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This was another recipe revisit ...see, the good ones really are worth coming back to.

Oh, and I wanted to tell you that if you do not have cake flour, you can make your own.  For every 1 cup of cake flour that you need, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and then remove 2 tablespoons of it and replace it with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.  Sift the whole lot 3 times and then it's ready to go - "homemade" cake flour!

p.s...in case you're wondering who our next featured chef at IHCC will be- it's Madhur Jaffrey.  So please join us as we switch gears from Mexico to India (and beyond) starting tomorrow (and continuing for the next six months).

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IHCC theme: Adios y Gracias, Rick

Essential Sweet-n-Smoky Chipotle Paste

Have I ever told you of my dried chile addiction?  They literally make me weak in the knees.  And I'm not talking about the overly-dried chiles that are so brittle they break apart at the slightest touch.  No, I'm talking about the dried chiles that are soft and pliable and ridiculously sexy.  Just a sniff has been known to lighten my mood or calm my nerves.

Take for instance this ancho chile that I have in my hand.  I know you can't see it, but I want you to close your eyes and visualize it.  But don't keep them closed or you can't continue reading my riveting words.  So picture a chile.  It's a deep, deep red.  It is smooth on the outside and sticky with spicy resin on the inside.  When I lift it to my nose and take in its scent, I smell sweet and rich and raisiny all at the same time.

No picture a gallon-sized baggie full of smaller packets of different types of dried chiles.  Aside from the anchos, there are pasillas, and mulatos...there are guajillos and moritas.  There are piquins and chiles de arbol.

That bag is sitting on a shelf in my pantry.  And every once in a while I just NEED to stop, zip open the top, and take a deep whiff.  It just makes me all kinds of happy.  I'm gonna have to include it in my "top 5 favorite smells" list.  What?  You don't have a favorite smells list?  Well, I do.

Approaching the subject of making something with those chiles (while quietly leaving behind my weird habits), I want to talk about the glorious smokiness of the morita, or dried chipotle chile.  There are a few different types of chipotles, but the red morita is my preference.  A chipotle is a red jalapeño that has been smoked and dried over the course of several days.  That is where those seductive smoky undertones come from.  If you open up a package that is filled with dried chipotles, you'll get a big nose full of it.  I highly recommend it.  Getting a nose full.  As if you couldn't have guessed.

This paste is extremely potent.  It makes an awesome seasoning-agent for those heat and spice lovers out there. And while it is tempered with a little sweetness from a syrup made with little cones of piloncillo, it is still FIRE.  So tell me, what do you think you would season with this paste that is deep, earthy, and smoky with a hint of sweetness?

Essential Sweet-n-Smoky Chipotle Paste

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: simmer condiment preserving nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian chiles Mexican

Ingredients (1¼ cups)

• 2½ oz. piloncillo (or ⅓ c. dark brown sugar + 2 tsp. molasses)
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 oz. (~50) dried chipotle chiles (moritas/colorados), stemmed
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• ~½ tsp. salt

Instructions

Place 1¼ cups of water into a medium-sized saucepan and add piloncillo. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Set a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add ~¼-inch of oil. When oil is hot, add half of the chiles and stir and toss them constantly until they start to smell amazing (but be careful not to inhale too deeply or you'll probably have a coughing fit) and change color a bit, ~1 minute. Transfer them to the pan with the piloncillo syrup, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Repeat with second half of chiles. Add garlic cloves to pan with oil and cook, stirring, until golden; this should take a couple more minutes. Add those to the chiles.

Pour everything into the jar of a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth.

Wipe out the skillet and then coat it with a thin layer of oil and set it over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add all of the chile puree at once. Stir for a minute, scraping up anything that sticks to the bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the salsa has become as thick as tomato paste. It will smell (and taste) extremely spicy and be darkened considerably...almost black).

Taste CAREFULLY and season with salt. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Will keep for weeks if stored properly.

suggested uses:

Stir a tablespoon or so into beans, soups, or bland barbecue sauces.

Mix a couple tablespoons with fish broth, wine, or water and use as boiling/steaming liquid to cook mussels or clams. Season and add chopped cilantro before pouring over the shellfish.

Make a cheese spread with cream cheese, goat cheese, green onions, cilantro or thyme, and some of the paste; season. Spread on crusty bread and add some ripe tomato slices.

Add a bit of water to thin the paste out and make it "saucy" then pass at the table as a condiment.

Make garlic-chipotle shrimp.

ever-so-slightly adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

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IHCC theme: ¡Esta Rojo!

Chicken 'n Biscuits (Chicken Pie)

Let me just get this out there right now - I forgot to add the peas to this dish.  What!?  I don't know, I got all caught up in making dinner and I completely spaced them.  When I was taking the (not-so-fabulous) photos, I kept thinking something was missing...that the dish didn't look quite right.  It was the peas.  Blast it!

Phew.  Glad to have that off my chest.

Believe me, I did NOT let the lack of peas deter me from thoroughly enjoying this big ol' pan of comfort food.  And neither did anyone else.

A second note - these may be some of the finest biscuits that I have ever eaten.  I don't know if they would be as amazing baked separately from the chicken mixture as they were baked right on it, but I'm surely gonna be finding out soon.  They are so tender and melt-in-your-mouth that it's a little insane.

I doubled the original recipe so that my whole family could eat dinner that night.  But next time I make this...and there will be a next time...I will most likely triple the chicken mixture.  I wanted a higher ratio of the creamy, rich chicken mixture against those tender biscuits.

Now. Scoot on back out of here you nasty-hot weather...I want that crispy air that signals Autumn to come woooooshing back in.  So I can enjoy comfort dishes like these on a regular basis.

Chicken 'n Biscuits (Chicken Pie)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken carrots American

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

for the biscuits:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour + more for kneading
• 2 Tbs. + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs./1½ sticks) cold butter, cubed
• 1 c. milk
• 2 large eggs

for the chicken mixture:

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ c. all-purpose flour
• 4½ c. milk
• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• salt
• ~1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 c. frozen peas

Instructions

make the biscuits:

Beat together eggs and milk in a large measuring cup or bowl; set aside. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Scatter butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse 8 times. Turn on processor and slowly pour in milk-egg mixture until just combined, ~4 seconds. The dough will be extremely sticky.

Dump dough out of food processor onto a heavily floured work surface. Quickly and gently knead about 5 times, using floured hands. Pat dough out to about a ¾" thickness. Use a 2-3" biscuit cutter to cut out ~15 biscuits. Let sit on work surface while you continue on.

make chicken mixture:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Place butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it begins to turn golden, 6-8 minutes. Add flour and stir thoroughly. Whisk in about half the milk. Mixture will begin to thicken. Add other half of milk, whisking almost constantly until mixture comes to a boil.

Add chicken, carrots, 1-2 teaspoons of salt, the black pepper, and the thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for ~10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add the peas.

Pour the hot mixture into a baking dish (~9"x13") and smooth out the surface. Lay the cut biscuit dough over the top in a single layer. Set on a baking pan in the oven (to catch any eruptions).

Bake for ~25 minutes or until biscuits are browned. Let sit for ~10 minutes to allow mixture to set up a bit. Serve!

slightly adapted from Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures

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Roasted Poblano Salpicón w/ Smoked Salmon

The other day, I asked (my Mexican) husband (okay, he's my only husband) what 'salpicón' meant.

And he's like - I don't know.  

And I'm all - What!?

And then he says - Just because I'm Mexican doesn't mean I know what every word in Spanish means.  I haven't heard that word before.  Do you know what every word in the English language means?

So I say - Pssshhh.  Yes!  [...as I page through the dictionary in my head trying to think of a word I don't know.  Which is a contradiction in and of itself.]

Okay fine.  So just because he's Mexican...and just because he's spoken Spanish his whole life doesn't necessarily mean that he knows every thing there is to know about Mexico and the Spanish language.  But it also doesn't mean I will stop asking.  And ruffling his feathers a little when he doesn't know the answer.

So I looked it up.  In Mexico, Salpicón is basically a "salad" mixture of chopped or sliced meats, seafoods, and/or vegetables.  It is usually served as a filling for tacos or roasted poblanos or as a topping for tostadas.  Cool.  Easy enough.  Broad enough.  Vague enough.  It's a general term.  And it may stem from (or be related to) the French meaning of the word Salpicon - a mixture of one or more ingredients that have been minced or diced and held together with a sauce.

So, after I told the hubs what it meant, I preceded to make a Salpicón.  It's a (seemingly) crazy combination - hot-smoked salmon (LOVE!), roasted poblanos, and red onions.  A little oregano.  I brought it all together with a drizzle of olive oil.  And then I topped crispy tortilla chips with it.  It was amazing.  Smoky and salty and spicy and strong...hooo-wee!

Roasted Poblano Salpicón w/ Smoked Salmon

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: condiment snack side fish chiles salmon Mexican

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

• 8 oz. (~3 medium) Poblano chiles
• 1 small red onion, cut into ¼" dice
• 4 oz. (hot-)smoked salmon*, skin removed & flaked
• ½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• good olive oil
• freshly squeezed lime juice
• freshly ground black pepper

to serve:

• tortilla chips or crackers

Instructions

Roast your poblanos over an open flame or under a broiler until blistered and blackened all over, 5-10 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic (or carefully slide into a large baggie and close. Allow to steam and cool for a bit and then rub off the skin and pull out the stem and seeds; rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin, if needed. Chop into ¼" dice.

Rinse diced onion under cold water in a strainer. Shake dry.

Place everything in a bowl and toss gently to combine. You'll just need a few squeezes of a lime, a drizzle of olive oil, and pepper to taste.

If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. If you are...enjoy as a garnish or scooped up and eaten with chips or crackers like you would salsa (that's how I like to eat it).

*note: by (hot-) smoked salmon, I mean the type of salmon...smoked in a smoker or using wood chips.  It doesn't need to be hot (temperature-wise) or hot (spice level).  Although, if you want to use a smoked salmon with flavor (maple, peppercorn, spicy, whatever), I'm sure that would be tasty.  Also feel free to try this with (cold-) smoked salmon (lox/gravlax), if you wish...I just love me some (hot-) smoked salmon, and it goes so perfectly here.

adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

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IHCC theme: August Potluck w/ Rick

Jicama, Cucumber, & Fruit Cups w/ Chile & Lime

I'm almost afraid to voice my content with the weather over the last few days.  I definitely don't want to jinx myself.  But upper 60's and lower 70's just make me happy.  And I don't care who knows it!  Yes, that was a Buddy the Elf reference.  Today the hubs and I even sat outside and had a little picnic.  It included a few bottles of wine.  More on that soon.

But I know it's still disgustingly hot in other parts of the country...and the world.  And even though I'm hoping against hope that we're not going to hit the 80's (or dog forbid, even higher) any more this year, Mother Nature doesn't often heed my requests.  So.  Hot weather food is still bound to make regular appearances around here for a while longer.

And what's better to eat in hot weather than juicy tropical fruit?  Perhaps crisp, cool vegetables.  Heck, let's just put 'em both together.  'kay?  And then let's squirt some tangy lime over both of them right before we sprinkle them with some fiery red chile powder...chipotle this time...and salt.  Now let's put it all in a cup together, throw on our shades, kick back in the lounge chair, and wish we were on the beach.

See?  I can do hot weather just as well as the next Autumn-lovin' girl bearing the hot summer sun...

Jicama, Cucumber, & Fruit Cups w/ Chile & Lime

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: appetizer snack vegan cucumber mango pineapple jicama Mexican summer

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1 jicama, peeled
• 1 large cucumber, peeled & seeded
• 1 small pineapple, peeled & cored
• 1-2 mangoes, peeled
• 1-2 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 Tbs. chile powder (any kind you like)
• 2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

Cut the jicama, cucumber, pineapple, and mango into long strips with roughly the same thickness. Divide evenly and arrange them in cups standing up.

Stir chile powder and salt together. Squeeze lime wedges over fruit and veggies in cups and then sprinkle with as much of the chile-salt mixture as you like. Enjoy!

adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

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IHCC theme: Beach Bum