Vegetarian Mexican Corn Cakes

Continuing with our celebration of healthy and fresh Mexican food, here is a vegetarian dish of corn cakes.  Light and fluffy, these go great with Avocado and Papaya Salad for a meatless dinner.  For some additional spice and flavor, add a half of chopped jalapeno!

Ingredients
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 tbl butter
1/2 cup of flour
4 tablespoons of cornmeal
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of cumin
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
2 cups of corn (if frozen, thaw)
1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese
sour cream and salsa for topping

Preparation
1.  Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and pepper (and jalapeno for spice!) and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat.

2.  Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and cumin in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until blended.

3.  Add the onion/pepper, corn and cheese to the large bowl.  Stir to blend.

4.  Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Drop 1/4 cup of the mix on the frying pan and cook until crisp (about 3 - 4 minutes).

5.  Flip and cook the cake on the other side.  Serve hot and top with sour cream and salsa!

Avocado and Papaya Salad

A great compliment to a spicy Mexican dish is a sweet, juicy side salad to balance out the heat.  This avocado and papaya salad is healthy and super easy to make.  As an alternative, dice the ingredients for a twist on dip/topping for chips. 

Ingredients
2 avocados, ripe
1/2 papaya
1 lime
sea salt

Preparation
1.  Cut two ripe avocados in half (ripe avocados are dark skinned and are tender when pressed).  Remove the pit.  Slice the inner flesh into strips. 

2.  Cut a ripe papaya in half (I usually buy mine 3 days in advance to ripen in the kitchen.  They are ripe when the skin starts to turn yellow). 

3.  Remove the papaya seeds from one half.  Remove skin with a peeler or knife.  Slice lthe short side into strips.

4.  Arrange avocados and papaya slices on a plate.  Sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt.

5.  Cut a lime in half.  Squeeze lime sections over the avocados and papaya.  Serve with spicy food!

Caramel and Coconut Flan

Cinco de Mayo has past, but that doesn't mean the celebration has to end!  My next few blog posts will be dedicated to simple, fresh Mexican food that you can make all month long celebrating the flavors of summer. 

So many times I go to eat at Mexican restaurants and fill up on chips, sauces, and cheese and by the end of the meal I am so full that dessert is not an option.  So my first post will be dedicated to what I always miss -- dessert. 

My suggestion for a Mexican dessrt is flan.  Rich and creamy, it's a wonderful way to end a meal.  This recipe (adopted from Bon Appetite) brings together rich caramel and flavorful cococut for a decadent flan.  And, as an added bonus, it can be made the night before having guests over for dinner! 

Ingredients

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup whipping cream

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup purchased caramel ice cream topping

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Preparation

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Separate eggs so you have 6 egg yolks (easiest way is to crack the egg, put the yolk in your hand, and the let the whites drip through your fingers).

2.  Combine coconut milk, whipping cream, sugar, caramel topping, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.  

3.  Add egg yolks to the bowl and whisk together until smooth.

4.  Place six ramekin cups in a 9x11 baking dish.  Pour liquid in to the ramekin cups.  Pour hot water in the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  

5.  Place in the oven and cook for about one hour until the tops are golden brown and the flan is firm and set in the center.

6.  Remove from water bath.  Place in the refrigerator to cool for 3 hours.  Cover with foil overnight.  Serve the next day!    

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Peas and Pancetta

Homemade macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite side dishes.... it's such a wonderful comfort food.  The standard macaroni and cheese with cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs, etc. is delicious, but sometimes it can be fun to create a new mix.  Like this re-vamped version with guyrere cheese, peas and pancetta.  This is not your normal mac and cheese.  Yes, it's creamy and comforting but it's also a bit savory and rich.  A new twist to a tried and true side dish. 

Ingredients
8 oz of whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 cups of milk
1 shallot
3 oz of pancetta
1 cup of frozen peas
1 1/4 cups of gruyere cheese
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper

Preparation
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using a large stock pot, boil 6 cups of water with a dash of salt.  Add macaroni and cook until al dente (approximately 8-10 minutes).  Drain.  Dice/chop the shallot and pancetta into small chunks and slivers of meat.

2.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a tablespoon of buter, heat until melted.  Add the shallots and pancetta to the skillet.  Cook for 10 minutes until shallot is tender and pancetta is crispy on the edges.  Remove from skillet.

3.  Shred gruyere and parmesan cheese.

4.  Lower heat in the skillet to medium.  Add the two tablespoons of butter and heat until melted.  Add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter and mix until thick.  

5.  Slowly add the two cups of milk to the butter/flour roux whisking constantly.   

6.  Allow the sauce to thick over the low heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes.  Add the cheeses to the sauce whisk until melted.

7.  Add the pancetta and shallot mix to the sauce.  Lower the heat to low.

8.  Add the macaroni and peas to the sauce.

9.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

10. Spoon macaroni and cheese into buttered individual serving dishes or a casserole dish. Sprinkle with a dash of parmesan cheese. Cook in the oven at 400 for about 10-15 minutes until the tops are lightly toasted. Serve with your favorite salad!

  

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!

I love a toasty, warm grilled cheese sandwich.  The butter finish and the gooey cheesy inside is like heaven.  I grew up eating grilled cheese with Miracle Whip mayo (this may sound nasty, but don't judge until you try!) and I still love them.  But I also love other types of grilled cheese sandwiches.  So, for National Grilled Cheese Month, I thought it only appropriate to have a grilled-chesse-off in celebration.  

The competitors showcased two different types of taste -- bitter and spicy.  The bitter contenter was the Pickled Grilled Cheese featuring tomatoes, dill pickles, and colby cheese.  The spicy challenger was the Spicy California Grilled Cheese with jalapeno peppers, monterey jack cheese, avocado, and Sririacha mayo.  

Pickled Grilled Cheese

Ingredients
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 slices of tomato
2 dill pickle slices
2 slices of colby cheese
1 tablespoon of butter

Preparation 
1.  Layer on the bread the pickles, 1 slice of cheese, 1 slice of tomato and then the other slice of cheese.  Top with the other slice of bread.

2.  Warm a skillet over medium high heat.  Melt one tablespoon of butter.  Grill the sandwich on one side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown.  Flip and grill the other side of the sandwich.

3.  Remove sandwich from the skillet with a spatula.  Cut in half.  Serve with chips!

Spicy California Grilled Cheese

Ingredients
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 slices of tomato
3 slices of avocado 
1/2 jalapeno, diced** (optional, only if you like really spicy!) 
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Srirachi hot sauce
2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon of butter

Preparation
1.  Mix mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl.  Slice the avocado.

2.  Dice the half of the jalapeno. Spread the hot sauce/mayo mix on both slices of bread.  On top of the bread, layer the tomato, 1 slice of cheese, sprinkle with the diced jalapeno, and then the slices of avocado.  Top with 1 slice of cheese and the other piece of bread.

3.   Warm a skillet over medium high heat. Melt one tablespoon of butter. Grill the sandwich on one side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and grill the other side of the sandwich.  Remove sandwich from the skillet with a spatula. Cut in half.

It was a tough choice.  The pickles in the Pickled Grilled Cheese gave a nice bite to the creamy cheese.  But the Spicy California was a better mix of ingredients and flavor -- the balance of the spicy pepper with the smooth avocado and creamy cheese was delicious.  It was the clear winner (and Srirachi mayo was the icing on the cake).  Be sure to enjoy and celebrate with some grilled cheese this month!  

Brunch at Maple Ave Restaurant

Make reservations.  There are nine tables in this tiny little restaurant on Maple Avenue in Vienna.  We showed up for brunch at 9:50am (they open at 10am) and waited outside with two other parties for the restaurant to open.   Lucky for us, we were able to get a table before another brunch reservation at 11:15am.  So I guess it's true, good things come to those who wait. 

Maple Ave Restaurant is a small, simple restaurant in Northern Virginia (gasp! not located in DC!?!) that serves eclectic American cuisine comprised of Asian, Latin American and French flavors.  Maple Ave Chef Tim Ma is a nominee for a RAMMY in the category "Rising Culinary Star of the Year."  And since I went to Blue Duck Tavern on Thursday (nominee for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year) and Green Pig Bistro on Saturday (another nominee for Rising Culinary Star of the Year), it was only fitting that on Sunday, we go to Maple Ave Restaurant to complete our RAMMY nominee circuit.  You know, in case someone steps down from the judging panel, I want to make sure I'm ready.  

The menu at Maple Ave is deliberate and focused, offering a select number of brunch plates, small plates, and a brunch tasting menu.  As an added bonus, they have a bottomless brunch cocktail special for $15 and you can pick/vary any brunch cocktail you would like (mimosa, poinsetta, and bloody mary).  Maple Ave also sources local ingredients from some of my favorite farms in the area, like Polyface (where we get our meat and eggs from for our family).  I truly appreciate a dining experience that emphasizes not just the final product, but places importance on sourcing sustainable ingredients.   

To start, I ordered a mimosa and coffee.  The mimosa was delicious, perfect mix of champagne and orange juice to start  off the morning.  The coffee, served in a French press, was rich and bold.  I loved the serving of the coffee in a french press.  It's that sort of attention to detail that sets apart a dining experience. 

For brunch, I decided on the Eggs and Kimchi which consisted of scrambled eggs mixed with chinese sausage, jasmine rice, and caramelized kimchi with a slice of grilled Spam.  There was no way that I was going to pass up such an interesting and spicy egg dish.  It was outstanding... I loved the eggs with the spicy kimchi, it was a delicious pairing and a great use of a non-traditional brunch ingredient (I do love surprises!).  The sausage mixed with the eggs added a savory, salty flavoring while the Spam served as a whimsical addition.  Definitely one of the most creative and spicy delicious brunch dishes I've had in a while. 

My husband opted for the truffled eggs served with applewood smoked bacon, potato hash and mesclun.  The slight truffle flavoring of the eggs was tasty and added richness to the dish.  Again, a well executed brunch plate with an emphasis on select flavors.  I really enjoyed the attention to the main ingredients in each dish.  Too often you eat dishes that are sort of all over the place -- too many flavorings, too many ingredients.  Not the case at Maple Ave, and it was refreshing.

Overall, we had an exceptional brunch dining experience at Maple Ave.  Based on my experience, I would say Chef Ma is a strong contender as a Rising Culinary Star of the Year.  Best of luck for the RAMMY award! 

My take away is -- excellent food in a non-pretentious setting with great service.  I will definitely head back for dinner!   


 


   

Banana Bread

My kids eat a lot of fruit -- strawberries, grapes, oranges, apples, kiwi, you name it.  They love fruit.  And they especially love bananas.  My oldest son will not eat a sandwich for lunch so I usually have to send him to school with granola, a banana and yogurt.  Needless to say, we have a lot of bananas in our house. 

Bananas ripen quite quickly and turn from firm to mushy.  Which makes it no longer 'lunch pack-able' for my son.  So, in order to not waste ripe bananas, I use them to make banana bread.  A super easy recipe (you don't even need to use a mixer!) and a tasty, healthy snack.   For variety, add chopped pecans! 

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of flour

Preparation 
1.  Peel and mash the three ripe bananas in a bowl.

2.  Melt the butter and mix with the bananas.

3.  Beat the egg and vanilla in a small bowl.  Mix the brown sugar and egg mixture with the bananas.

4.  Add the baking soda and pinch of salt to the bananas and stir.

5.  Mix in the 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the bananas.

6.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a loaf pan and pour the batter in the loaf pan.  Cook in the oven for 50 minutes (until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean).

7.  Cook on a wire rack.  Remove from pan and slice to serve!