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LAYERED CHILE RELLANO: Surprisingly Easy!

Give a recipe to 100 different cooks and you’ll get 100 different variations of that recipe. We substitute ingredients, we add ingredients, we leave out ingredients, we change the methodology. Sometimes the finished product bears no resemblance to the original recipe.

Such is the case with my Chile Rellano recipe. It’s zucchini season in my garden which means I’m always looking for ways to use these fast growing beauties. The plan was to make Chile Rellano for dinner when I spied a 13″ zucchini lurking at the base of the plant. Yikes! One can only serve zucchini stir-fry or zucchini bread so often. Hmmm! I wondered aloud (yes, I talk to myself). How about layering zucchini slices in the Chile Rellano I was making. I like to live on the edge (or, at least, nearby), so I gave it a try. It turned out great!

NOTE: Recipe can be doubled or more – just use a larger casserole dish.

LAYERED CHILE RELLANO – made in a casserole dish about 10″ x 8″ (25cm x 20cm)

  • 3 poblano chili peppers
  • 286g (10 oz) pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • about 400g (15 oz) zucchini
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 21g (2.5 T) flour
  • 22g (2 T) milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

SALSA for Chile Rellano – makes about 350ml (1.5 cups)

  • 192g (1.33 cups) salsa roja – homemade or purchased
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 12g (2T) masa harina
  • 1/4 tsp salt

NOTE: Zucchini is really optional. You can layer something else (such as eggplant) or, just leave that layer out entirely. It will be delicious either way!

First thing to do is roast the poblanos. This is so you can remove the skin. Lay washed chili peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler. Set a timer for a few minutes so you don’t forget them.

Once they begin to shrivel and blacken (after about 5 minutes) flip them and broil the other side. Remove them from the broiler and let cool a bit.

Lower oven to 350°F (180°C) to keep oven hot while you prepare the Layered Chile Rellano.

Peel away and discard the skin.

Cut peeled poblanos in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the stem end and seeds.

Tear the halves into smaller pieces so they can be fitted into the casserole dish.

Grate the cheese and separate into 3 fairly equal piles.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4″ (1/2cm) rounds.

Separate eggs by placing the yolks in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place the whites in the bowl of your electric mixer – NOT the small bowl of yolks! Beat whites on high to reach stiff peaks – about 1.5 minutes. (I you don’t have an electric mixer, beat by hand – it will take longer.)

In the small bowl of yolks, add the baking powder, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. Combine and pour into the beaten whites. On low speed (or by hand) add the yolk mixture and briefly combine. You don’t want to deflate the whites!

Pour approximately half of the egg mixture into the casserole dish, spreading it to evenly cover bottom.

Layer on half of the poblanos.

Layer half of the zucchini.

Layer 1/3 of cheese.

Layer on remaining poblano pieces.

Layer remaining zucchini.

Layer half of remaining cheese (one third of total cheese).

Pour on remaining egg mixture and spread to cover.

Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake UNCOVERED at 350°F (180°C) until browned on top – about 30 minutes.

Let set about 10 minutes or so before serving.

While Chile Rellano is setting, prepare the Rellano Salsa. It just take minutes. This can be done ahead of time, also.

Into a food processor, immersion blender, or regular pitcher blender, add the salsa, oregano, masa harina, and salt.

Blend – I’m using my immersion blender.

Done! As self proclaimed Queen Of Freeze I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t let you know this salsa freezes well. If you like it (try it first), double, triple, etc the recipe and freeze in portion sized containers for future use!

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APPLE BARS: A Tasty Treat!

My brother has a penchant for apple desserts. So, as a good sister, I decided to develop an apple bar recipe for him. It was to be three layers: the crust, the apple filling, and the streusel topping. What I wanted was a sturdy crust so the bar could be picked up to eat, the apple filling full of flavor, and the streusel with a tasty crunch. Each layer ended up having its own challenges but, in the end, I got there!

APPLE BARS – Makes about 9 bars, depending how you cut them

Crust

  • 112g (8 T) butter, melted
  • 147g (1.25 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 49g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

Apple Filling

  • 4 (1.5 lb) apples (I like Gala apples, but use what you prefer)
  • 112g (8 T) butter
  • 10g (1 T) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 13g (2 T) cornstarch

Streusel Topping

  • 94g (1/2 cup), packed dark brown sugar
  • 21g (1/4 cup) raw whole oats
  • 30g (1/4 cup ) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 56g (4 T) butter, cold

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°F / 190°C

Line a 7.5″ x 7.5″ (19cm x 19cm) metal (preferably) pan with baking paper. The baking paper allows for removal of the bars for clean cuts. If you prefer not to use baking paper, just lightly butter the sides and bottom of the pan.

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix together the 147g (1.25 cups) flour, 1/3 tsp salt, and 49g (1/4 cup ) sugar. Add in the 112g (8 T) melted butter and blend with a fork or spatula.

Drop clumps of dough evenly onto baking pan and press with fingers to cover bottom. Compact the dough by lightly pressing down with a spatual or the bottom of a flat cup. Dock dough with a fork and bake in preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly browned – about 23 minutes. Cool in pan.

Prepare the streusel topping:

Into the workbowl of a food processor, place the 94g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, 21g (1/4 cup) oats, 30g (1/4 cup) flour, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse about 5 times. Cut the 56g (4 T) cold butter into small pieces and add to processor. Pulse several times to blend. Set streusel topping aside. If you don’t have a food processor, blend the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then cross-cut the cold butter into the mixture.

Prepare apple filling:

Peel, core, and cut apples into approximate 1.5cm (1/4″) pieces.

In skillet or saucepan, melt the 112g (8 /T) butter. Add in the cubed apples, 10g (1 T) granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamom, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Over medium-high heat, cook the apple mixture until the liquid has evaporated – about 20 minutes. (If there’s still liquid remaining after 20 minutes, just pour it off and discard – you don’t want a soggy filling.)

Stir the 13g (2 T) cornstarch into the apple mixture. Pour apple filling onto the cooled crust, spreading evenly. Gently tamp down filling to bind it.

Sprinkle steusel topping over apples, and gently press it down with a fork or spatula.

Bake in preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly browned – about 37 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. Then chill several hours to firm up Apple Bars before slicing.

Once the Apple Bars are firmed-up, remove from pan and slice. Serve as is, or top with, perhaps, ice cream or caramel sauce.

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COLESLAW DRESSING: Easy Peasy!!!

If you have a food processor, coleslaw is a snap to make. Just put in the shredder disk and in a couple of minutes you have shredded cabbage, carrots and onion. Of course, you can shred the ingredients by hand, if you don’t. Now all you need is the dressing.

Luckily, my Coleslaw Dressing is just as fast. Basically, just combine all the ingredients and whisk.

Coleslaw Dressing – makes about 1/2 cup (enough for 4 cups of coleslaw)

  • 75g (1/3 cup) mayonnaise
  • 6g (1/2 T) apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 tsp celery seeds
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp black ground pepper
  • 12g (1/2 T) maple syrup

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Chill.

About an hour or so before serving, combine the coleslaw ingredients and dressing. That’s all there is to it!

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RED LENTIL DAL: Quick & Versatile!

I’ve heard about cooks that don’t bother measuring nor weighing – they just throw in a little of this, a little of that and it turns out great. I’m NOT one of those cooks. I weigh everything, then write it down, noting if it was a good amount or how I could improve it next time.

Then I came across a youtube video from Chetna, a former contestant on The Great British Bake Off. Her video was about red lentil dal, which sounded delicious. For this recipe she gave no actual measurements – rather, just kind of described what they were: a couple of small onions, some cilantro, etc. So, I put on my big girl blouse and decided to wing it! I used her recipe as a guide, then changed things to suit what I had and what I like.

Of course, some things never change – I wrote down exact measurements of what I used and made notes of what I liked and what I’d change. All this is to say: use my recipe as a base, tweaking it as you see fit!

NOTE: I found plain yogurt to be a game changer for this recipe. While I liked the Red Lentil Dal that Chetna made (adding my own touches), I felt it needed something to brighten it. I topped it with yogurt and that made all the difference!

Red Lentil Dal – Makes about 4 cups / 1 litre

  • 250g (1.5g) red lentils, rinsed well
  • 750g ( 1.6) cups water
  • 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp table salt, DIVIDED
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 320g (about 2) onions, chopped
  • 2 large garlic clove, pressed or minced
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T (26g) butter
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 13g (2/3 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp chili-lime powder (or, chili powder)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 60g (1/2 cup) peas (I use frozen peas)
  • 170g (1 cup) raw rice
  • 400g (2 cups) water
  • plain yogurt

If you’re planning on serving Red Lentil Dal over rice, prepare it before starting. I find that 170g (1 cup) raw rice cooked in 400g (2 cups) water is a good amount to serve with this recipe.

Then chop and measure out your ingredients so they’re ready to go.

Into a saucepan combine the rinsed lentils, 750g (1.6 cups) water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover with lid askew so it doesn’t boil over. Cook, stiring now and then, until lentils start breaking up and are no longer crunchy – about 8 minutes.

As lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil and butter together in another saucepan or skillet over medium flame. Add in cumin powder, chili-lime powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir about 1 minute to bloom the flavor.

Add in onions and stir until golden.. Then add in garlic and saute another minute to bloom the garlic.

Add tomatoes and cook a few minutes to soften.

Combine the lentils and onion mixture into the bigger of the two saucepans. Add in the peas, 1/2 tsp salt, cilantro, and anything else you want to add. Heat to a simmer about 5 minutes to combine flavors. You can add some water if dal is too thick.

To serve, top rice with dal, then spoon on plain yogurt.

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Cowboy Bread: Yipee Ki Yay – That’s Good Eats!

When I was at school, my favorite snack was a cinnamon cake called Cowboy Bread. (I have no idea why.) I never forgot how tasty it was. So, once the internet became a thing, I googled it to find the recipe. Of course, nothing is ever that easy. I found multiple recipes for Cowboy Bread, with slight variations. One of them was an actual bread. Sadly, none of them matched my memory of this scrumptious cake. I finally ended up creating my own version.

NOTE: Both chilled ingredients (the buttermilk and egg) should be at room temperature. I used to ignore this instruction in recipes, but it really makes a difference in baked goods! You’ll get a better rise from your cake.

COWBOY BREAD:

  • 323g (2.5 cups) AP flour
  • 209g (1 cup) packed brown sugar (I prefer light)
  • 105g (1/2 cup + 1 T) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp, DIVIDED
  • 3/4 tsp cardamom
  • 162g (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 250g (1 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°F (180°F)

Into a large mixing bowl, put the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, 2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp cardamom, and vegetable oil. Mix by hand – it will become crumbly. (I like to use a pastry cutter.)

Remove 89g (1/2 cup) of flour mixture and place into a small bowl. Add in the remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon and gently stir. Set aside – this will become the topping.

Beat the egg with a fork in a small bowl

Into the large mixing bowl with the flour (not the small bowl set aside with the topping) add the egg, buttermilk, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix by hand just until the flour is incorporated. (Don’t over mix or the cake will be tougher)

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9″ x 13″ (7.5cm x 36cm ) metal pan. Tilt the pan around to even the batter level.

Sprinkle the topping on top of batter as evenly as you can.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven, rack in the middle position, for 25- 30 minutes. (Mine takes 25 minutes.) It’s a little difficult to tell doneness when there’s a topping. Look for browning around the edges. Also, you can carefully bring the cake near your ear and listen for a bubble popping sound. If you hear that, put it back in the oven another minute or so and check again.

When done, remove from oven. Cool completely before slicing.

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FARRO VEGGIE STEW: Quick & Easy!

It’s getting to be that time of year when we start regretting that extra slice of holiday pie. Yes, swimsuit season is closing in. My FARRO VEGETABLE STEW is low in calories, easy to make, and adaptable to what you happen to have in the fridge or prefer.

NOTE: Even though this recipe is called Farro Veggie Stew, you can use a different grain that you might prefer. I did try quinoa, but didn’t care for it. However, taste is subjective. As they say now: you do you!

FARRO VEGGIE STEW – makes about 6 cups (1.5 litres)

  • 160g (1 cup) uncooked farro
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 170g (1.5 cups) onion, chopped
  • 80g (about 1 large) red pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 T paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 675g (3 cups) vegetable stock – homemade or purchased
  • 232g (8 oz) Yukon Gold or red potatoes, unpeeled
  • 230g (1 cup) tomato sauce
  • 60g (1/2 cup) corn (frozen, canned, or from the cob)
  • 60g (1/2 cup green peas (frozen or canned)
  • 2-3 tomatoes (I like Roma), chopped
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you prefer)
  • OPTIONAL (RECOMMENDED!) TOPPINGS:
  • 80g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
  • 227g (1.25 cups) Feta cheese, crumbled

First thing to do, before any prep work, is to hydrate the farro. This gives a jump start to the cooking time.

Rinse the farro in a sieve. Pour drained farro into a bowl, cover with boiling water, then top with a plate to retain the heat. Set aside. Proceed with prep work and cooking.

Into a saucepan that can hold at least 6 cups (1.5 litres), saute the onions and red pepper in olive oil over medium/high heat for 5 minutes. Stir often.

Add garlic, paprika, coriander, and cumin. Stir over medium/low for 30 seconds to bloom the favors.

Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the soaking farro and discard liquid.

Into the pot, add the vegetable stock, potatoes, and drained farro. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 18 minutes.

Chop tomatoes.

After the 18 minutes are up, add tomato sauce, corn, peas, and chopped tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to heat the veggies.

Add in red wine vinegar and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste, bearing in mind the cheeses are salty.

Top with Feta, Pecorino Romano, croutons, or whatever you like. Serve.

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CREOLE HEARTS OF PALM: A Fast Last-Minute Meal!

Sometimes dinner time is rising fast on the horizon and I need to put food on the table soon. I like to have ingredients at the ready that can be assembled quickly and easily, thus avoiding expensive take-out foods.

Creole Hearts Of Palm is one of those quick-to-put-together meals with most ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The exception might be the hearts of palm. I now keep several jars of them on hand.

My husband prefers spaghetti pasta as a base for the sauce, but you can choose any base you please: other types of pasta, rices, or grains are delicious possibilites as well. Whatever you prefer or have in the house will do!

CREOLE HEARTS OF PALM – serves about 4

  • 64g (4 T) olive oil
  • 226g (16 T) butter
  • 52g (4T) lemon juice
  • 12 cloves garlic
  • 28g (2 T) vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 T ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 4 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 500g (2- 8.5 oz jars) hearts of palm

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter to melt.

To the saucepan add all the ingredients EXCEPT the hearts of palm. Saute over medium 3 minutes to bloom the flavors, stirring often.

Slice hearts of palm into approximate 1/4″(1 cm) slices.

Add sliced hearts of palm to saucepan and saute 3-4 minutes over medium/high heat.

Cover pot with a lid and, over low heat, cook about 10 minutes to fuse the flavors. REMOVE AND DISCARD THE BAY LEAVES!!!

Use this time to cook the pasta (or whatever your choice of base.) Serve.

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RANCH DRESSING: An Easy Crowd Pleaser!

Ranch dressing has always been a favorite for my family. Not only is this creamy delight fabulous on salads, but as a dipping sauce for…well, practically everything. So, naturally, in my quest to make everything possible from scratch, I decided to give ranch dressing a go. I picked a recipe then did what most of us do – immediatly amended it to suit my taste. I even got a rare compliment from my picky eater!

NOTE 1: If you want it thicker, decrease the buttermilk.

NOTE 2: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it by combining 10g (or 2 tsp) apple cider vinegar with enough milk to make a total of 150g (1/3 cup).

NOTE 3: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to point out this dressing freezes well.

RANCH DRESSING – makes about 1.5 cups

  • 150g (1/3 cup) buttermilk
  • 107g (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
  • 73g (6 T) sour cream
  • 2 T shallot or red onion, chopped finely
  • 1 T cilantro, fresh, chopped finely
  • 1 T dried dill
  • 1 garlic cloves, pressed or diced finely
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/4 tsp black ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend with spoon or whisk.

Pour into a container with a top and chill. You are now done. Yes, it’s that easy!

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LEMON POSSET: Easy To Make – Elegant To Serve!

Lemon Posset is a lovely, light-ish finish to a meal. It, also, happens to have been a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II. While anything favored by the queen may sound daunting, it’s, actually, extremely easy to prepare. Bonus: there are only 4 ingredients!

NOTE: It’s best to make this a day or two ahead of serving time to allow it to firm up to a creamy texture.

Ingredients

  • 714g (3 cups) heavy cream
  • 199g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 8g (1.5 T) PACKED lemon zest – don’t be stingy!
  • 113g (9 T) lemon juice

TIP: If you have a kitchen scale, this step will save you time. Weigh your EMPTY saucepan. To this number add 755g. Write this number down so you don’t forget it. This is the number you’re going to reduce the mixture down to.

Into a large saucepan, add the cream, sugar, and zest.

Over medium heat bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring now and then. Keep an eye on it so the mixture doesn’t boil over. Adjust the flame as needed.

Boil down to as close to 755g (3 cups) as you can. If you’re using my above mentioned tip, after about 5 minutes weigh the mixture plus the saucepan to get a sense of how close you are to the weight of your saucepan plus 755g (you wrote down this number, I hope!) Return the pan to the burner and continue to boil the liquid, weighing every few minutes until you reach your target weight. This takes about 8-12 minutes.

If you don’t have a scale, you’ll have to keep pouring the liquid into a measuring cup until you reach 3 cups (700ml). Remove pan from heat.

Stir in the lemon juice. Let set 20 minutes.

Strain cream mixture into a container with a spout (to make pouring easier). Use a spatula or spoon to scrape the sieve’s sides and bottom. This will assist the straining process. Don’t forget to scrape the mixture off the bottom of the sieve into the bowl.

Discard the solid remains left in the strainer.

Then pour even amounts of the Lemon Posset into 4 indivual serving containers. NOTE: Don’t pour into one large bowl – it may not set properly. Cover and chill at least 5 hours. I strongly suggest making it a day or two before serving.

Look how it thickened after a long chill – yum!!!

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ZUCCHINI PASTA SALAD: Fast & Easy!

I’m always looking for zucchini recipes ever since I’ve begun to grow them in my garden. Not only is this recipe delicious, it has the added bonus of being easy to prepare. It’s great to serve at holiday dinners, picnics, and pot-lucks.

ZUCCHINI PASTA SALAD – makes about 650g (5 cups)

  • 12g (2 T) diced shallots
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 10g (1 T) red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
  • 114g (1/4 lb) small pasta
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 15g (1 T) ketchup
  • 170g (1-2) zucchini, chopped into half-moons
  • 46g (1/2 cup) red pepper, chopped
  • 27g (1/4 cup) small carrot, sliced thin
  • 130g (1 cup) Feta cheese, crumbled into chunks
  • 63g (1/2 cup) Kalamata olives, chopped

In a small bowl, blend together 1 T olive, the shallots, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Bring about a quart of water to a full boil and add in the uncooked pasta. Cook for about 9 minutes, stirring now and then. Drain without shaking out the excess water in the sieve. Pour the cooked pasta into a large bowl.

Into the now empty pot, put the remaining 1 T olive oil, garlic, ketchup, zucchini, red pepper, and carrot. Over medium flame cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. You only want to par-cook the veggies so there’s still a slight bite to them, not make them soggy.

Pour the cooked veggies to the bowl of cooked pasta. Mix in the Feta, Kalamata olives, and vinegrette.

Serve at room temperature (or chilled, if you prefer).