Yesterday I went on an awesome date. That date involved an amazing spice shop in the East Village where there are also amazing bulk dried fruits, beans, jarred chutneys, etc. And, today there was amazing watercress at the farmer's market...So, this little gem of a dinner was born. These tacos (plus the spicy dark chocolate and trappist ale I washed it down with...) were the perfect end to a beautiful day and the satisfying meal I needed after a 30 mile bike jaunt! Sadly, I gobbled them down before taking a picture...But, I guarantee you that it was a BEAUTIFUL, colorful meal. These are light and surprisingly complex and flavorful for a super quick meal, and seriously satisfying. I think these would be great with sweet potatoes or squash in place of the yukon golds too! Dare I recommend pairing these tacos with your favorite beer and an evening on the porch with someone sweet? Bliss.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup cooked black eyed peas (Save the rest of your batch for another meal...I'm thinking tumeric scented empanadas!)
1 clove garlic, minced
smoked paprika
ground cumin
ground coriander
cayenne pepper
1 t honey or maple syrup
sea salt
lime
A healthy amount of rinsed and dried watercress
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1 large carrot, chopped small
A hefty handful of chopped cilantro (like 3/4 cup!)
1 avocado, sliced
whole grain tortillas (I like the Ezekiel ones, toasted over the stove until a bit crispy)
In a large nonstick skillet, heat some olive oil over low-medium heat and start caramelizing the onions. When they start to get clear, add the potatoes and let them sit until they begin to brown. Cook the potatoes and onions together for about 8 minutes and then add the cooked beans and chopped garlic. Let the beans brown for a minute or two and then add about 1/2t each of cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Stir lightly. Let the beans, onions and potatoes continue to brown. When they are getting a lot of color, add a dash of cayenne pepper, some salt and the honey or syrup. Let cook until dry...You want like a hash consistency, this takes some time and requires that you not stir too much. Remove your delicious pile of smokey carbs and beans from the heat and squeeze half a lime over the top.
While the beans and potatoes are turning into magic taco filling, toss the watercress with the carrots, peppers, most of the cilantro, a little olive oil and lime juice and some salt and pepper.
Assemble each taco with a bit of the salad, a scoop of the potatoes and beans, a slice of avocado and some more cilantro.
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Goat Cheese Shells with Arugula Pesto and Sweet 100's
This is a Spring/Summer recipe...But, today is so sunny and warm that it seemed apropos. This recipe emerged from my attempt to reverse engineer a particularly delicious meal at a now-defunct eatery in La Canada California...Not exactly a bastion of culinary innovation, but this place (name long forgotten) was really lovely. I like to make this dish for parties and serve it with simple veggie dishes like sauteed patty pan squash, fresh greens and wildflower salads, etc. It's so rich, that the recipe can easily feed a crowd when served in this way. It's been so long since I wrote this recipe out (and knew where the paper was that I wrote it on), that I am guesstimating a bit when it comes to the amount of cheese to use. I think this is also an issue of personal taste, so you should be sure to taste the spoon a lot when prepping this one.
I've made some nice variations on this over the years, adding cayenne and paprika and serving with spicy grilled shrimp and corn instead of the arugula; adding a ton of spring veggies and some dill into the mix, and on and on...But, this version is still my favorite. I might also mention that this pairs really nicely with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner...Sigh, summer.
Goat Cheese Shells with Arugula Pesto and Slow Roasted tomatoes
Arugula Pesto (Can be made 1-2 days ahead)
- Several large handfuls of fresh arugula. I like to mix the softer baby leaves with the larger and more peppery "mature" leaves.
- Good quality olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt and Pepper (gray sea salt is great in this)
- The juice of one lemon
- toasted almonds or pine nuts
In a food processor, blend the garlic, oil and nuts until smooth. Add the arugula a bit at a time, using the lemon juice to keep it moving. Once you have a thick green paste, add salt and pepper to taste and blend one last time to combine. If you're making ahead, pour into an airtight jar and cover the mixture with olive oil.
For the Shells & Cheese
- 1/2 pint fresh sweet 100 tomatoes halved
- 1/2 pint sweet 100 tomatoes halved and slow roasted (spread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, salted and peppered, and cooked until mostly dry in a 150- 200 degree oven...about 45m)
- 1/2-1 cup good quality french goat cheese
- 1-2 cups grated gruyere or similar cheese, sharp white cheddar can be nice, but sometimes makes the sauce grainy
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2-4 cups whole milk (Depends on how much cheese you plan on using)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 clove of garlic, minced and sweated in butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large bag of large shells, cooked al dente
- In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and make a roux (whisking briskly for about 2-3 minutes)
- Add the milk in a stream, whisking continuously and bring to a boil, still whisking and reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Add salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Whisk the sauce gently until thickened, and then remove from heat.
- Stir in the cheese until fully melted and incorporated (if you like, you can do this over very, very low heat or just keep the pan on the warm burner with the flame off).
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta, you can thin
the sauce with a bit of the warm pasta water if you need to. Stir in roasted tomatoes.
- Serve on a bed of the arugula pesto, garnished well with fresh, halved sweet 100's. If you want to go all out stir in a BIG handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and fresh basil with the roasted tomatoes and add a garnish of chopped kalamata olives in addition to the pesto and fresh tomatoes.
I've made some nice variations on this over the years, adding cayenne and paprika and serving with spicy grilled shrimp and corn instead of the arugula; adding a ton of spring veggies and some dill into the mix, and on and on...But, this version is still my favorite. I might also mention that this pairs really nicely with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner...Sigh, summer.
Goat Cheese Shells with Arugula Pesto and Slow Roasted tomatoes
Arugula Pesto (Can be made 1-2 days ahead)
- Several large handfuls of fresh arugula. I like to mix the softer baby leaves with the larger and more peppery "mature" leaves.
- Good quality olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt and Pepper (gray sea salt is great in this)
- The juice of one lemon
- toasted almonds or pine nuts
In a food processor, blend the garlic, oil and nuts until smooth. Add the arugula a bit at a time, using the lemon juice to keep it moving. Once you have a thick green paste, add salt and pepper to taste and blend one last time to combine. If you're making ahead, pour into an airtight jar and cover the mixture with olive oil.
For the Shells & Cheese
- 1/2 pint fresh sweet 100 tomatoes halved
- 1/2 pint sweet 100 tomatoes halved and slow roasted (spread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, salted and peppered, and cooked until mostly dry in a 150- 200 degree oven...about 45m)
- 1/2-1 cup good quality french goat cheese
- 1-2 cups grated gruyere or similar cheese, sharp white cheddar can be nice, but sometimes makes the sauce grainy
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2-4 cups whole milk (Depends on how much cheese you plan on using)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 clove of garlic, minced and sweated in butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large bag of large shells, cooked al dente
- In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and make a roux (whisking briskly for about 2-3 minutes)
- Add the milk in a stream, whisking continuously and bring to a boil, still whisking and reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Add salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Whisk the sauce gently until thickened, and then remove from heat.
- Stir in the cheese until fully melted and incorporated (if you like, you can do this over very, very low heat or just keep the pan on the warm burner with the flame off).
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta, you can thin
the sauce with a bit of the warm pasta water if you need to. Stir in roasted tomatoes.
- Serve on a bed of the arugula pesto, garnished well with fresh, halved sweet 100's. If you want to go all out stir in a BIG handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and fresh basil with the roasted tomatoes and add a garnish of chopped kalamata olives in addition to the pesto and fresh tomatoes.
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