Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I ventured down to Reading Terminal the other day and picked up three avocados for 99 cents and 5 poblano peppers for 99 cents. It seemed like we were destined to have a Mexican inspired dinner! I used my favorite Alton Brown recipe (minus the roma tomatoes) to whip up a spicy batch of guacamole in the molcajete. 

Next up were these lovely stuffed poblano peppers. I cheated a bit and used a package of spanish style rice instead of plain brown rice or other healthy grain. The result was delicious! There was a ton of filling leftover over which we're going to finish either as burritos or a rice bowl. This was a great summer dish to welcome in this fabulous weather we've been having.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

(Pinterest find! Adapted from acouplecooks.com

Ingredients:
5 poblano peppers
1 package spanish style rice
1.5 cups salsa
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 of a small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cayenne to taste

A handful of chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese (Cabot all the way!)
Directions:

1. Cook rice according to directions.

2. Slice peppers in half and remove the ribs and seeds.
3. Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil about 7 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 7 minutes more.
4. In a large skillet combine the beans, onions, salsa, corn, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and cilantro. Heat over low heat. Stir in the cooked rice and mix well.
5. Place the peppers skin side down and spoon in the desired amount of filling. Top with cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Molcajete!

I asked for a molcajete (a mexican mortar and pestle) on our wedding registry. I love Mexican food and enjoy messing around in the kitchen so why not? It was among several splurge additions to the list that included the creme brulee torch, fondue pot, and kitchenaid ice cream mixer. They're all kind of random but I know I'll enjoy them. The molcajete was loving purchased by a friend and delivered last friday. Upon opening it and reading the seasoning instructions I realized that it was LITERALLY THE WORST DECISION IN ALL OF MY KITCHEN DEBAUCHERY.

Seriously. I can't think of a worst kitchen decision I've made in my ENTIRE kitchen life....well, other than feeding my parents a "butter and chocolate chip sandwich" for their hard work in the garden. I served it to them and then watched them chuck it into the woods from the kitchen window. Such is life. I mean, this ranks up there with The Great Cookie Massacre of 2011.

Okay so I'm mostly joking. After this tedious seasoning process the molcajete will be a rockstar in the kitchen but man, getting one of these things is not for the weak of heart....or upper arm. Bonus wedding gift: helping to tone up these spaghetti arms!

It has taken me a week to season the molcajete and it's not done yet. The instructions that came with it told me grind small portions of uncooked rice in it until the ground rice is not gray, followed by grinding rock salt until the surface is smooth, followed by letting a paste of 6 garlic cloves and one teaspoon of each of the following: salt, pepper, and cumin, to sit for 24 hours. The purpose of this is to wear down the volcanic rock so you don't get any grit in any of the guacamole/salsa/sauces you make. A more authentic way of seasoning is doing the following: 3 turns of uncooked corn, 3 turns of uncooked beans, 3 turns of uncooked rice, followed by the garlic and spices. I followed the instructions that accompanied my molcajete and went through one whole bag (about one pound) of rice to season it. I started in the kitchen but let me tell you, grinding up rice is messy business and I soon moved out to the balcony. As it stands I'm sure I'll be finding pieces of rice around the apartment for the next six months.

So I've been grinding and grinding and grinding uncooked rice and salt for a week. On Sunday I messed around with grinding rice for three hours and could not move my wrist on Monday. I have finally reached the last step in seasoning my molcajete: seeping it a mixture of crushed garlic, peppercorns, salt, and cumin for 24 hours. Hopefully after this I will be able to make guacamole with no grit. If not I'm ready to chuck the hunk of volcanic rock off my balcony. However it has been a good pre-wedding work out for my upper arms.

 Cleaning out rice powder.

 Rice powder. Super exciting.

Getting ready for the garlic/cumin/salt/peppercorn paste!

 Some sites recommend cover the molcajete with plastic wrap if the garlic smell bothers you. I am here to tell you that the only thing the garlic-cumin smell will do to you is make you crave Mexican food with a passion.

Unseasoned vs. seasoned volcanic rock.

Can you see the difference? You can certainly feel it.

The only thing left to do now is name it. I name any major kitchen appliance that I used often. If you spend an inordinate amount of massaging oil into it, hand washing it like a baby, or whispering sweet nothings to a kitchen item it needs a name! Although at this point I think the molcajete has heard more cursing than sweet nothings. Thoughts? I'm thinking about Mortimer or Osito (means little bear, a reference to an old series we watched in Spanish class in high school). It will join the ranks of Reggie the Kitchenaid Mixer, Wicket the Wok, Excalibur and The General. RIP Weggie the basil plant.

Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Early Cinco De Mayo!

I decided to start my mexican feast early was we will be engaged all weekend and I will not be able to make a proper celebratory meal.
Here is my before picture. Look at all that deliciousness! 

 The aftermath. 

It was delicious.

Taco Taco!

You really can't go wrong with a taco or quesadilla. This recipe did not disappoint. Mr. Lawyer inhaled three of them in rapid succession. Sadly, I only had one because I had eaten half of the guacamole before he got home. It's an addiction. I made it and put it in the fridge so the flavors could mingle. I kept going back, peeling off the plastic wrap, and scooooooooop. I can't get enough of it.

The potatoes were an interesting addition that I wouldn't have thought of. They were good! And nothing beats a onion/pepper/mushroom mixture. The only part I skipped was adding the crema/sour cream to the mixture at the end. I served it as a traditional topping along with the homemade guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheddar.

 Naked Taco!

Fully Loaded Taco!

Poblano, Mushroom, and Potato Taco

(From the Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:
4 medium poblano chile peppers
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 ounces cremini and/or white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
Freshly ground pepper
Corn tortillas, warmed, and assorted toppings, for serving
Directions:1. Roast the poblanos directly over the flame of a gas burner or under the broiler, turning with tongs, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and let steam until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin with a paring knife; remove the stems and seeds. Cut the poblanos into strips and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large nonstick skillet and cover with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes; drain. Wipe the skillet dry.
3. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle with half of the herbs, and salt to taste. Discard the excess oil and wipe out the skillet.
4. Heat the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs and the garlic; cook 1 minute. Add the roasted poblanos, crema, lime juice and a few spoonfuls of water; stir until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the potatoes and mushroom mixture in tortillas with assorted toppings.

Heavenly Refried Beans

"Touch that clock, and you can never come back!" a quote from All Dogs Go to Heaven that was burned into my little four year old brain. This recipe illustrates that quote: once you touch these refried beans you'll never go back to canned. I know I can't.

For starters you don't need to soak the dried beans over night. Which is great in case you forget important steps like that. It's a crockpot recipes, can't beat the ease of that! (added bonus: it made the place smell amazing all day). You can control the consistency: Mr. Lawyer likes things chunky so I lightly mashed the beans but left in most of the water/broth for a more creamy-chunky texture. And the flavor! So rich and delicious. It's suppose to freeze well too. The original post doubled this recipe, that's a lot of  refried beans! But it's so delicious I could have just had the beans for dinner, I didn't even want the quesadilla! A note on the quesadilla: Mushroom Onion Provolone Quesadilla. Mr. Lawyer thought it was an odd choice of cheese but it was a marvelous combination.

Crockpot Refried Beans

(Adapted from Pennies & Pancakes)

Ingredients:

1 lb dried pinto beans
1/2 large onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped (could be omitted, I didn't taste the spiciness)
2 tablespoons jarred minced garlic
1 1/4 tablespoon salt (or less if desired)
1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

2.5 cups chicken broth

2.5 cups water
Directions:
1. Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.
2. Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or until beans are soft.
3. Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are mashed. Mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency. If it is still too soupy just let it simmer in the crockpot for an hour or until the desired consistency is reached (which is what I did).
4. Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.

Meatless Monday: Crunchy Tacos

Someone came home with flowers tonight ♥

So I stuffed him full of beans and told him it was okay if he tooted. Romance.

Fact: I love quesadillas. I use to go for straight cheese quesadillas with the occasional mushroom/onion mix but now I have to be a healthy, responsible adult. Beans are now the bulk of the dish and cheese just a topping. Normally I bake them (see: healthy!) but I liked the sound of this crunchy recipe. They did come out crunchy but they sat (covered) for about 15 to 20 minutes because Mr. Lawyer was running a bit late (see: flowers) and they lost their crunchiness. I loved the black bean insides, good flavor, slightly mashed means it's easier to keep everything in the tortilla....slathered with avocado and spicy apple salsa from Fly Creek. Delicious. 

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

(Pinterest find! Cornerstone Cooking)

Ingredients:
2  cups black beans, cooked
½  cup red onion, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 tortillas
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.
2. In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add one tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add the desired amount of bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
3. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
4. Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

GUAC!

Last week we went out to Plaza Azteca with the 'Rents. Man oh man, I love mexican food and I love guacamole. So this week I made some homemade guacamole and have been cooking up quesadillas...two nights in a row!

A giant bowl of spicy guacamole?! Heaven!

The recipe is HERE!

 mmmm quesadillas! Bean and cheese this time around.

Comfort Food Monday

Man oh man. Nothing like some nice warm and spicy mexican food on a chilly day.

I used a sweet corn salsa (from the Fly Creek Cider Mill), cheddar cheese and black beans for the quesadilla. I popped them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. They were served up with some spicy guacamole, cool sour cream, refried beans and brown rice. Plus some chips and salsa on the side. All washed down with some Ommegang Witte in the proper glass because that's how I roll. 

There was something very comforting about this meal.

Mexicali Chicken

Mr. Lawyer baked up some chicken last night to supplement our salad. The chipotle cheese (Cabot of course!) added a nice zip to it. mmmm look at the cheese. Plus it was nice to have some else do the cooking!

Mexicali Chicken

(from Country Herbs)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced in half
1 (0.5 ounce packet) Mexicali Seasoning (or other Mexican type seasoning)
1 tablespoon oil
Flour
1 cup water
Shredded Cabot Chipotle Cheddar
Directions:
1. Lightly flour chicken and saute in oil until lightly brown. Lay in a shallow baking dish.
2. Mix seasoning with water and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Sprinkle on cheese during the last minute to melt it.

Warm Soup Belly!

Happy half-anniversary! Have a giant vat of chicken enchilada soup. So romantic, although since someone isn't a fan of celebrating half-anniversaries or birthdays I suppose the feeling of "warm soup belly" will have to suffice. But who doesn't love an excuse for drinks and celebrations?! Boys. Psh.
I have very fond memories of the Mother Unit making this soup. And then I have the not so fond memory of being tasked with taking a huge crock pot full of this soup from her house to my dad's for some reason. I feel like maybe it was a graduation or boy scout thing or something. So the Dork and I pile into my first car (a lovely silver dodge stratus) and go on our way. There was this tricky little part where you left the tiny side road and had to cross two lanes of highway to get in the proper lane all while making a curvy turn and accelerating so you didn't get smushed by the speeding tractor trailers. Yeah. Guess what happened? The Dork and I watched in horror as the crock pot slide over and spilled all it's contents in the front seat of my car. And by watched I mean he was too busy playing his game boy to actually grab it when I told him to and I have no idea why the soup was in the front seat and not him. I'm guessing this was done so he wouldn't mess with my radio. Ah smart life decisions. As delicious as this soup is do you know how hard it is to clean up a puddle of cheesy goo with chicken bits? And how nasty it smelled on hot days for months after that fateful day (good thing we didn't have a lot of those in NY. Zing!). There was still a slightly crusty soup stain when we sold it. Ah memories.
Moving on to the recipe! Delicious and nutritious! Well except for that 16 oz of Velveeta. Speaking of which, it is incredibly hard to find Velveeta in the city. I ended up having to pay an outrageous amount for 12 oz of Velveeta singles from the little market downstairs which left me 4 oz short. Ah well, probably a bit healthier that way. Also, enchilada sauce is wicked expensive even by Whole Foods standards.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

(From the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
4 chicken breasts
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup flour
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 oz Velveeta
1 generous teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Shredded cheese and chips for serving
Directions:
1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Brown chicken until cooked. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pot, add onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth. Combine flour with 2 cups of water and whisk until blended. Add flour mix to pot with onions and broth. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mix to a boil.
4. Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
5. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

I started the soup early so it simmered for about 1.5 hours until Mr. Lawyer got home for dinner and it was delicious! Side note: I like blue tortilla chips and Mr. Lawyer like regular. Whole Foods makes a wonderful bag of tortilla chips that has both! The best of both worlds.

Lefties and Veggies!

Tonight was Leftover Part II! Served up with a side of brussels sprouts. The leftover fajita makings went straight into a quesadilla (I used my throw it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minute recipe). I am madly in love with the brussels sprouts recipe. Well it does involve maple syrup so what's not to love? It's a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy. Mr. Lawyer inhaled a bunch of them and if you can get a boy to eat a ton of veggies it's a keeper right?

Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Cayenne

(from Martha Stewart's Food Everyday)

Ingredients:
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss brussels sprouts with olive oil; season with salt. Roast until brussels sprouts are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine syrup and cayenne pepper. Drizzle brussels sprouts with maple syrup mixture, stir to coat, and roast 1 minute.

Getting the Quesadilla prepped!

Lovely Leftovers

Today we ventured down to Reading Terminal for lunch and veggie shopping. We ended up splitting the Turkey/Stuffing/Cranberry on sourdough sandwich from Original Turkey. Delicious! And good eating preparation for Thanksgiving. Iovine Brothers has gorgeous looking fruits and veggies on the cheap so we grabbed a few things for tonight's dinner. I got some amazing corn and black bean salsa from Whole Foods to top it off (store brand so it was cheap!).

Steak Fajitas

(from our kitchen!)

Ingredients:
Leftover Steak, sliced up
2 peppers (any color), sliced long
1 red onion, sliced long
1 long hot pepper or jalapeno, minced
Cabot Cheddar, shredded
Corn and black bean salsa
Tortillas
Olive Oil
Directions:
1. Heat up 1-2 tablespoons oil on medium heat in a large frying pan.
2. Saute the onion and peppers to desired crisp/softness. We like them a bit on the crunchy side.
3. Add the steak to warm it up.
4. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
5. Assemble your fajita!

Fridge Leftovers

There was a ton of leftover chicken. There were peppers about to go soft. What's a girl to do? Make Chicken Stuffed Peppers of course! This was pretty good. Not sure if I would make it again although I love the stuffing (heck it's just chicken and cheese, what's not to love!). I guess maybe it was the sauce? Good but a lot of work and I wanted something spicy! Mr. Lawyer broke out some tabasco. But it smelled so delicious and winter-homey while it was simmering. Maybe I need some new chili powder. 

Things I changed: I used bell peppers because that's what I had. Our chicken was already cooked so I just tossed it with some taco seasoning. Of course I changed the cheese. Everyone knows that monterey jack is weakling of cheese, I amped it up with some Cabot Cheddar (no surprise there right?).

Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
4 large Anaheim chile peppers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons hot chili powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 (1 ounce) square bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Place the chicken, taco seasoning mix, and water into a resealable plastic zipper bag, seal, and massage the bag with your fingers to mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.
2. Cut the stem and top 1/2 inch from the top of each pepper, and carefully remove the seeds without cutting holes or breaking skin of the peppers. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and immerse the peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes; cool immediately in a bowl of cold water. Drain the peppers and set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and chili powder, and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the chocolate until it melts and blends into the sauce. Allow the sauce to gently simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain the marinated chicken breasts, and place into a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes; remove chicken to a bowl, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, and lightly mix in a bowl with Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, and cilantro. Stuff each pepper with 1/4 of the chicken mixture, and place on a baking sheet.
5. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
6. Broil the stuffed peppers until blistered and hot, about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

Pre-sauce. Look at that golden cheddar. 

Meatless Monday!

Oh snap. It's both meatless monday and mexican monday rolled into one. I hope that's a good apology for being suck a slacker! There's been vacation, vacation detox, a trip to dc, and now new job stress. Now that we're back to our pre-vacation weight we've been cooking again. We're still trying to keep it healthy so Meatless Monday made it's way back into our life. I saw this recipe in my Penzeys Spices magazine and it looked yummy plus we had black beans in the cupboard so why not! I'm sure all that cheese decreases the healthiness but you don't have to add it all I suppose. I went all out of course and used Cabots. Are we surprised?
To start with, I was in a mood. It was my first day back in the classroom. The first thing I did when I got home was pour a glass of wine (good thing we hit up a winery that weekend!) and eat cheese (because cheese is my comfort food). It looked like this:

Okay in reality it was a white wine.

Oh and there was a roll involved.

Right so I was grumpy and distracted. I ended up burning some of the sweet potatoes which I believe is a flaw in the recipe. There is not enough liquid to sufficiently cook the potatoes before they absorb it all and they burn. Luckily I added a bit of water and only a couple of pieces were inedible (added bonus: the pan wasn't that hard to clean!). Due to my difficulties with the potatoes not all of them were completely cooked. I saw this as a negative but Mr Lawyer liked the slight firmness they added to the enchiladas. He even ate one for breakfast today. I also thought that the cider vinegar taste was a tad overpowering and would reduce the amount a bit. Moral of the story: I was a mess, I thought dinner was a mess but I guess it was okay.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

(Penzeys Spices)

Ingredients:
8 large flour tortillas
2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
1 leek, thinly sliced (I used a bunch of green onions because it's cheaper!)
1 tsp. Penzey’s minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
One 15 oz. can black beans
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese divided
Olive oil
Salsa, to taste
Sour cream, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Put the potatoes, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup of the cider vinegar into a large pot and boil until the potatoes are soft and the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Saute the leek and garlic over medium-high heat in a small amount of oil with the cumin. Add the rest of the cider vinegar and the black beans.
3. Mash the potatoes (leaving it somewhat chunky), combine with the leek/bean mixture, add 1 cup of shredded cheese.
4. Fill the tortillas with roughly a handful of filling, roll and pack tightly into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with salsa/sour cream.

Veggie Thunder!

So Mr. Lawyer had his annual physical the other week. Needless to say he will not be receiving any more "bacon wrapped bacon". In an attempt at a healthier lifestyle and inspired by Melissa's Veggies Salsa we had some veggie tortillas tonight. He also hit the gym tonight but we'll see how long that lasts. In light (or darkness!) of the current apocalypse thunderstorm that is swirling above our heads I present to you Veggie Thunder Tortillas!

Veggie Thunder Tortillas!

(from the kitchen of Jenni)

Ingredients:
Tortillas
Veggies of your choice: This time around it was zucchini, yellow squash, corn, onion, pepper, black beans, jalapeno and tomatillos
Toppings of your choice: This time there was guacamole, sour cream and Cabot Cheese (I can't give up my cheese!)
A thunderstorm, preferably of epic proportions
Directions:
1. Prepare your veggies to the desired size (uniform size assists in even cooking time)
2. Saute everything in a pan.
3. Assemble your tortilla!

Our naming inspiration: THUNDERSTORM OF DOOOOOM!

Empanaaaadas!

I had a craving for emapandas but sadly, while these were acceptable, I would not make them again. This may or may not be due to my traumatic childhood incident involving tacos and a stomach bug/food poisoning from my dad. They were glorified tacos in puff pastry. Mr. Lawyer loved them but he is a boy and therefore inhales everything edible (and sometimes inedible). He even wants to eat one for breakfast. Gross. However the black bean dipping sauce was pretty awesome and I would make it again for a mexican themed night. It was also a pretty purplish color. It doesn't help that the empandas I had in mind were wonderfully delicious ones from the Good Dog Bar that contained thinly sliced ribeye steak, truffled cheddar cheese and had a bourbon infused rogue chocolate stout dipping sauce. In case you don't understand what all of that means (truffled (!?) cheese?!), it means awesomeness. Granted all of this was consumed after Flipadelphia so take it with a shot grain of salt. I also had some of the best lo mien of my life that night at Charles Plaza in China Town.

Beef Empanadas with Black Bean Dipping Sauce

(from Bon Appetit) 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
1/3 cup fresh cilantro (Which I totally omitted)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package puff pastry
3 egg yolks, beaten (for glazed)
I added cheese to each one, whatever kind you would like.
Dipping Sauce:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream
2 roma tomatoes, seeded, chopped and divided
2 large scallions, chopped, divided
Directions:
1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and brown beef with garlic, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, cumin and cayenne to beef, stirring often for 4ish minutes.
3. Add cilantro, salt and pepper (to taste) and let beef come to room temperature.
4. Preheat oven to 375 and cut puff pastry sheets in to 4.5 inch squares.
5. Lightly brush edges with egg glaze, put in a spoonful of filling (meat and cheese!) and fold pastry over. Crimp edges with a fork and coat with egg glaze. Bake until golden and puffy, approximately 20 minutes.
Dipping Sauce Directions:
1. Puree beans and sour cream in the blender. Transfer to bowl. Add half of the tomatoes and scallions, stir. Top sauce with the remaining half of tomatoes and scallions.

Obviously I suck at math and did not make triangles.

Mexican Monday Part Dos!

I wasn't kidding about my obsession with quesadillas. This one was not pretty. Too much cheese, the mushrooms were too moist, it didn't crisp up, I needed a fork but it was delicious.

Steak, Mushroom and Onion Quesadillas

(Based on Chicken Quesadillas)

But with steak and mushrooms minus the chicken, peppers and fajita seasoning.