Life Tastes Good

Sides

Green Chili Cheese Dip

September 14, 2015

It’s #SemiHomemadeWeek and we’re going to take popular store bought dishes/sides and amplify these family favorites with some simple, but tasty ingredients that will take the dish from store-bought to gourmet! Hoping you’ll enjoy my first experiment, a killer Green Chili Cheese Dip!

Let’s dive in.

First up, slice and grill a white onion on medium-high heat…

…along with 3-4 Hatch or Anaheim green chilis, 2-3 yellow hot peppers, 2 red serrano chilis, and 2 green jalapeños.

Grill on both sides, until nicely darkened and charred.

Once grilled, remove from heat and place them in a bowl.

Cover with plastic and let them steam for 10-15 minutes.

In a small sauce pot on low heat, add 1 1/2 cups store-bought mild cheese dip.

Finely chop 3-4 tbsp of cilantro and add that to the pot.

Add the grilled onion, chopped into small pieces.

Once the peppers are steamed, remove the plastic, peal off the charred outer later, de-stem, and deseed to your desired preference. The more seeds, the more heat.

Finely chopped the steamed peppers and add them to the pot.

Bring cheese dip to a very low simmer….

…and gently combine ingredients.

Once the cheese dip and ingredients have come together, serve…

…and ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:56]

| Top Left: Boos Walnut Cutting Board | Top Middle: Glass Bowls | Top Right: Shun Kaji Knife Set |

| Bottom Left: All-Clad Grill | Bottom Middle: All-Clad Sauce Pan | Bottom Right: Kitchen Tweezers |

Main Course

Tuna Taco

September 5, 2015

Wrapping up #TacoWeek with the ultimate Fresh Tuna and Wonton Tacos! These are beyond delicious—zesty, fresh, creamy and crunchy! Hope you enjoy my take on the dish. Let’s get started.

Cut 3-4 wonton wrappers inter a circle shape (mini taco size)…

…and brush both sides with oil.

Mold wrappers over the top of a taco rack that is oven safe.

Season with 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, salt…

…and bake at 250F until they are nice and golden brown.

Once the wonton shells are done, thinly cut 1/4 cup scallion tops…

…and 1/4 cup thinly sliced radish.

Add to ice bath.

Mince 10 oz of fresh ahi tuna (must be quality enough to eat raw).

Add tuna to a mixing bowl with 2 tbsp sesame oil…

…2 tbsp mirin…

…2-3 tbsp sliced green onion, 2-3 tbsp chopped serrano pepper, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro…

…zest and juice from half a lime, and salt to taste.

Mix until well incorporated.

Assemble tuna tacos by topping the wonton shells with the mixed tuna…

….sliced avocado…

…a mixture of the ice bathed radishes and green onion tops, drained, and tossed in a little olive oil, lime and salt to taste.

Finish it off with a helping of sour cream and ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:55]

| Top Left: Maple Cutting Board | Top Middle: Bowl Set | Top Right: Ring Cutters |

| Bottom Left: Taco Mold Rack | Bottom Middle: All-Clad Mixing Bowls | Bottom Right: Squeeze Bottle |

Food for Thought

Taco Shells: Corn vs. Flour

September 1, 2015

With modern day ingenuity and ingenious, taco shells can be made six ways to Sunday. I’ve seen tacos shells made of waffles and won tons! But for the purpose of this article, let’s take it back to tradition—and traditionally corn and flour tortillas are the most popular choices when it comes to making taco shells.

Photo Credit: BiteClubEats.com

I ask, “how are they different?” Is it true that one can be interchanged for the other, or are there specific moments for each type of taco shell to be used? To me, it’s all about preference and freshness. Freshness, because the fresher either types of tortillas, the more pliable it is. The more pliability, the more versatile. Preference, because each does have a unique taste and texture. That’s a very important factor in picking the appropriate shell.

Corn tortillas come in white or yellow. In the states we tend to use yellow corn tortilla to make tacos, but traditional Mexican cuisine will often use white. Taste-wise, there’s not a very noticeable difference and you could use both interchangeably. Corn tortillas in general have a toasted corn taste, which makes perfect sense as they’re made from finely ground “maize” (corn) and then quickly pressed and cooked.

Corn tortillas are customarily served and eaten warm, because they loose pliability the cooler they get. As the starches inside the corn tortillas cool, they begin to stiffen and become grainy. This is why you would always use a warm (or very fresh) corn tortillas for a soft shell taco, otherwise you risk it falling apart. If soft tacos aren’t your thing, then do as the masses do. Bake or fry the corn tortillas. This produces a hard, sturdy, and crunchy surface that is great for hard tacos, chips, taquitos, etc.

easy-vegan-paleo-gluten-free-tortilla-taco-shells-with-chickpea-flour-2

Photo Credit: notperfectlypaleo.com

Flour tortillas can also be fried, but the result is an airy and crunchy, yet slightly frail shell that will typically fall apart quite easily. Not ideal for holding fillings or sauces. Most people use flour tortillas for soft tacos. They have a slightly sweet, but subtle flavor and are perfect if you don’t want them overpowering any of the flavor components in the taco filling itself.

They are made in a very similar fashion to corn tortillas, only sub corn for flour, add a little baking powder, and some type of shortening. The rest of process in nearly identical. Flatten, cook, serve. The great thing about flour tortillas is the ability to retain softness and pliability even when cooled. They also have a finer texture than corn tortillas and do not get grainy as they lose their freshness.

Either way, the choice is yours. Hope you’re enjoying #TacoWeek!

Sides

Tomatillo Salsa and Chips

August 24, 2015

#TacoWeek wouldn’t be complete without a side of Homemade Chips and Salsa! This Tomatillo Salsa is in particularly tasty. Sweet, smoky and tangy—most of my favorite things!

Start by placing rinsed tomatillos and pepper on a hot grill.

Add a drizzle of canola oil…

…and season with salt…

…and pepper.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side…

…flipping in between.

Once charred on both sides, transfer grilled produce to a heat safe bowl. Cover and let sit for 15 mins.

Peel peppers.

Deseed peppers to your desire (more seeds=more heat). Add to food processor.

Add grilled tomatillos (whole)…

…1/2 a sliced avocado…

…1/4 cup of cilantro…

…juice of a 1/2 lime…

…1 tsp garlic powder.

…and a pinch of salt to the food processor.

Process throughly…

…or until you reached desired consistency.

Serve or refrigerate.

Slice tortillas into quarter wedges.

Heat oil in a large frying pan or pot over medium-high heat until simmering, but not smoking, or 350°F.

When oil is hot, add a few handfuls of tortilla wedges, being careful not to overcrowd, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Remove chips with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined dish.

Allow excess oil to drain for several minutes and then remove paper towels.

Toss chips with mixed spices (1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1tbsp Spanish paprika, and 1 tbsp kosher salt…

…and 1/2 a squeezed lime.

These are so good!

Serve salsa…

…top with a few cilantro leaves…

A pinch of the mixed spices…

…and ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:53]

| Top Left: Cutting Board | Top Middle: Strainer | Top Right: Tweezer Tongs |

| Bottom Left: Food Processor | Bottom Middle: Mixing Bowls |

| Bottom Middle: Squeeze Bottle | Bottom Right: Laser Thermometer |

Main Course

Tacos de Ropa Vieja

August 23, 2015

A lot of love went into this dish—and I live for that sort of thing. They’re the best way I could think to kick #TacoWeek off with a bang! These Tacos de Ropa Vieja are sweet, spicy, and packed with tender and juicy shredded brisket! Hope you enjoy.

Begin by coating a few pounds of brisket with olive oil…

…seasoning it with salt…

…and pepper to taste.

Top with a mixed melody of 2 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp Spanish paprika, 2 tbsp chili powder, and 2 tbsp of ground cumin.

Coat both sides generously…

…and give it a good rub down.

Grill the seasoned brisket for 4-5 minutes on high heat…

…on ALL sides, or until there are solid char marks on each side.

In a large saute pan on high heat, add a splash of olive oil…

…1/2 a quartered white onion, 1 whole garlic clove, 1 Serrano pepper (mostly seeded)…

…a bunch of cilantro, and the beef brisket.

Let the onions caramelize and then top with 1 bottle blonde beer…

…and 3 cups beef stock.

Cover with a lid and simmer on low to medium heat for three hours; occasionally adding liquid when needed.

Bring a small sauce pan to medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water…

…2 tbsp apple cider vinegar…

…and 1/2 cup sugar.

Let sugar dissolve.

Add 2 sliced green and red jalapeño peppers.

Cook for 10 minutes, or until the jalapeños are translucent.

Remove from heat and put to the side.

Once the beef has finished cooking, shred it with a couple of forks. It should fall apart.

Lightly fry a few small tortillas (you don’t want them hardening too much)…

…and form them into taco shells.

Layer tacos with a healthy portion of shredded beef. Be sure to get a good portion of that juice from the stock.

Top with a melody of 1/4 cup grilled corn, 2 tbsp chopped red onion, 1 bunch of cilantro, tossed in a bit of olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, and salt.

Layer with the sweet and spicy candied Jalapeños.

Top with Cojita cheese…

…and ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:54]

| Top Left: Boos Cutting Board | Top Middle: Mini Carafe | Top Middle: Squeeze Bottle |

Top Right: Tweezer Tongs |

| Bottom Left: Glass Mixing Bowls | Bottom Middle: All-Clad Fry Pan | Bottom Right: All-Clad Bowls |

Sides

BBQ Sauce

July 31, 2015

It wouldn’t be right to have a #BBQweek without a homemade BBQ Sauce that is absolutely killer! Made with a healthy serving of whiskey, infused with mesquite wood goodness, sweet with a definite kick—this sauce hits all the notes! A must try, for sure.