Grilled Green Chile Cheese Tamales with Avocado Cream

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Oh no, not a grilled tamale! But it works–if you can keep the corn husks from burning. And for that, be armed with a spray bottle filled with water. These tamales can be served as an entree or as a side dish. You can tie the tamales together with string or with a thin strip of corn husk. Serve with Mexican rice, squash with tomatoes and green chile, and flan for dessert.

Ingredients

For the Tamales:

  • 15 dried corn husks

  • ½ cup cornmeal

  • 1/3 cup milk

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 tablespoon instant masa mix

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup whole kernel corn

For the Green Chile Cheese Filling:

  • 6 to 8 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, cut in strips

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped onions

  • 6 ounces asadero cheese, coarsely grated or substitute Monterey Jack cheese

  • 1/3 cup chopped black olives

  • Avocado Cream

  • 2 medium avocados, peeled and chopped

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onions

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

To Finish

  • Sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For the Tamales:

Place the corn husks in water in a large bowl, weigh down with a plate and soak for 30 minutes or until soft.

Combine the cornmeal, milk, butter, masa, sugar and salt in a saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes. Cool and add the corn.

Drain the husks, pat dry with paper towels, and lay on a flat surface. Place two together, overlapping a little. Spread some of the cornmeal mixture on a husk, cover with chile strips, then onions, olives, and cheese. Place another layer of the cornmeal on top, pull the husks over the top and tie at both ends. Repeat until you have 6 packets.

Arrange the tamales around the edge of a high heat grill. Cook until the filling sets, turning occasionally, spraying with water to keep the husks from burning. 45 to 60 minutes.

For the Green Chile Cheese Filling:

Place all the ingredients for the avocado cream in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth

To serve, slice open the tamale, spoon in the avocado cream, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the cilantro.

 

Mixed Mediterranean Herbed Vegetables with Penne Pasta

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Here is a dish that Nancy likes to prepare towards the end of the summer when fresh vegetables are in abundance and she doesn’t want to heat up the kitchen with a hot stove. Use the tomatoes as a base sauce and vary the types of vegetables for a different pasta flavor. Begin the meal with a crisp Caesar salad and finish it with a warm apple nut tart.

Ingredients

The Herbed Vegetables

  • 2 medium tomatoes, cut in half

  • 1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut in quarters

  • 1 thickly sliced red onion

  • The Herbed Marinade

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or substitute 1 teaspoon dried

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile

The Pasta

  • 4 cups cooked penne pasta, kept warm

  • 1 tablespoon crushed chile pequin, or other small, hot chile

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, Greek preferred, or substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

  • 12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, oregano, garlic, and cayenne together and pour over the vegetables. Marinate the vegetables for 1 hour at room temperature. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

Place the marinated vegetables in a grill basket and grill over a medium fire until the vegetables a slightly cooked but still a little firm, about 7 minutes. Be sure to shake the basket so that the vegetables are evenly grilled. Remove the vegetables from the basket and chop them. Place them in a bowl with the vegetable juices.

Toss the warm or hot pasta with 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade, chile, oregano, parsley, and vinegar. Add the vegetables and juices, artichoke hearts, and olives and toss again.

Season with salt and pepper, top with the cheese and serve.

 

Orange Chipotle-Glazed Portabello Mushroom Steaks

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Here’s a hunka hunka burning mushroom. It is amazing how these mushrooms resemble meat in their texture and response to grilling. Now some people think that the flavor of the portabello is too intense by itself, so feel free to make mushroom “cheeseburgers” by melting cheese over the mushrooms and serving them on buns accompanied by potato salad. and a tossed green salad. Incidentally, portabellos (also portobello and portobella) are the same as cremini mushrooms, just more mature.

Ingredients

Orange Chipotle Glaze

  • ½ cup orange juice, fresh preferred

  • 2 tablespoon honey

  • 2 chipotle chiles in adobo

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon oregano, Mexican preferred

  • 1/8 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoon boiling water

  • mushrooms

  • 4 large portabello mushrooms

Instructions

Place all the ingredients for the glaze in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Thoroughly wash the mushrooms, pat dry and cut the stem off flush with the cap.

Brush each of the portabellos with the glaze and let sit for 30 minutes. Place the mushrooms on the grill, stem side up. Grill over a medium fire for 2 minutes, then turn. Brush on more glaze, grill for 2 minutes, and turn again. Reglaze the mushrooms and grill for 2 more minutes.

 

Tempeh Satays in Chile-Spice Marinade

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Tempeh, made from fermented soybeans, is an Indonesian specialty. Its firm, nutty texture makes for good grilling in these satays. Serve on white rice with the sauce on the side, a cucumber and vinegar salad, and hot sauteed green beans.

Ingredients

Chile-Spice Marinade

  • 3 tablespoons Indonesian kechap (sweet soy sauce)

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 2 shallots, minced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon crushed red chile

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

  • Pinch of ground cloves

The Tempeh

  • 1 8-ounce packages tempeh, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

  • Thai Chile Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sweet Indonesian soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

  • 2 Thai chiles (prik kee nu), stems removed, minced, or substitute 1 serrano chile

  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced

Instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and process into a smooth sauce. Place in a nonreactive bowl, add the tempeh cubes, toss to coat well, and marinate for four hours, covered, in the refrigerator. While marinating, soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and all to sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Thread the tempeh cubes on the skewers and grill over a medium fire for 7 to 8 minutes, turning often.

Remove from the skewers and place on the rice with a small bowl of the sauce for dipping.

 

Fiery Falafel in Flat Bread with Sabra Salsa

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Falafel, an ancient vegetarian dish dating from the time of the Pharaohs, is usually fried, but we have figured out a way to grill it. Both Egypt and Israel claim falafel as their national dish, so we have an Israel-style salsa to serve with it. Sabra is a colloquialism for people born in Israel (as opposed to immigrants), yet the salsa has two non-native ingredients that are now grown in abundance in Israel: avocados and jalapeños. Serve with a tomato and cucumber salad.

Ingredients

 For the Falafel:

  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and mashed

  • 1 small onion, grated

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

  • 1/4 cup soft bread crumbs

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 green onions, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Pinch of salt

  • Spray oil

For the Sabra Salsa:

  • 1 avocado, diced

  • ½ cup plain yogurt

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced

  • 2 tablespoon chopped onion

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • Chopped fresh parsley

  • Salt to taste

  • To Serve

  • 6 flat breads or pita bread

  • Lettuce leaves

  • 1/4 lemon

Instructions

For the Falafel:

Combine all the ingredients for the falafel and mix well, using your hands if necessary. Knead like a dough for a couple of minutes and let rest for 30 minutes. Form into small balls and thread on skewers, of small patties and spray with the oil. If using patties, place them in a wire-mesh screen or fish basket and grill over a medium fire for 15 minutes, turning once. Don’t overcook.  

Serve the falafel in the bread topped with the salsa, lettuce, and a squeeze of lemon.

For the Sabra Salsa:

Combine all the ingredients for the sabra sauce and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.