Fiesta Shrimp Bisque
If you like lobster bisque then you will love Fiesta Shrimp Bisque. If you don’t have shrimp you can substitute any shellfish to this bisque (clams or mussels). If you have a shellfish allergy then use a favorite fish instead of the shrimp. Serve with a crisp green salad for a simple but special meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 Chopped Onion
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour
1 Cup White Wine
½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Coriander
1/2 Pound Uncooked Shrimp (Peeled & Deveined)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
Chopped Parsley or Chopped Cilantro for Garnish
In a medium size saucepan sauté the onions in the olive oil for 2 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour until blended. Stir in the white wine, cream, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 6 minutes. Cut the shrimp into bite size pieces. Add the shrimp to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes. The shrimp should turn pink at this point. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they become chewy. Take a small bowl and gradually add the sour cream into 1/2 cup of the hot soup. Return to the saucepan and stir constantly. Cook for another 3 minutes to heat through, but do not bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and place into bowls. Top with parsley or cilantro. Serves 2
Lobster Tacos
The best lobster tacos that I’ve ever had are at Quicks Hole in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. I’ve had them several times while waiting for the Martha’s Vineyard ferry. As a matter of fact I usually plan my ferry ride around what time the restaurant opens up. Yeah, they’re that good!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Avocado
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
2 Teaspoons Lime Juice
1/3 Cup Water
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Pound Chopped & Cooked Lobster Meat
3 Sliced Serrano Chiles
1/4 Cup Cooked Corn
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
Corn Tortillas
In either a food processor or blender puree the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, water and salt. Toss the avocado puree with the chopped lobster. Serve in tortillas with the sliced chiles, corn and cilantro. Serves 4
Carnitas
From living on the West Coast for years I really got seriously spoiled with all of the great Mexican food. My kids discovered an old food truck that was parked in some gas station parking lot that served up the best Mexican food ever. Every day at lunch the food truck was always mobbed with Hispanic construction workers for a cheap and delicious meal. I have fond memories of that food truck.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Cubed Pork Shoulder
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1/2 Orange
1/2 Lime
3 Thyme Sprigs
2 Bay Leaves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Water
1 Sliced Onion
Salsa For Garnish
Corn Tortillas
In a medium size pot add the pork shoulder, garlic, juice of 1/2 of an orange, juice of 1/2 of a lime, thyme, bay leaves, salt, milk and water. Cook over a medium heat for 90 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the pork is browned. Throw away the thyme and bay leaves. Remove the pork and set aside covered to stay warm. Now add the sliced onions to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the onions from the pot. Serve the pork and the onions in corn tortillas garnished with salsa. Serves 4
Toasted Open Faced Mozzarella Sandwiches
I like to serve these with soup. So easy to make and extremely yummy!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pieces Sliced Italian Bread
5 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
6 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
In a small size bowl, mix together the butter and garlic powder. Set aside. In a separate small size bowl, mix together the mustards and set aside. Preheat the oven to broil on low. Butter each piece of bread evenly and then smear an even layer of the mustard mixture over the butter layer. Put a piece of mozzarella cheese on top of each slice of bread. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sandwiches on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes turn off the oven and let the sandwiches sit for another 4 minutes. The cheese will not completely melt, but the sandwiches will be ready to eat. Take them out of the oven and place them on a serving plate. Serve warm. Serves 6
Tortilla Soup
I really like Tortilla Soup. I used to buy it from Fresh Direct and then decided to make it homemade. Super good!
INGREDIENTS
1 Chopped Onion
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Oregano
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes (Canned Will Do Fine)
11 Ounces Chicken Broth
1 ¼ Cups Water
1 Cup Cooked Corn Kernels
1 Cup White Hominy
4 Ounces Chopped Green Chile Peppers
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Chopped Green Onions
Cook and cut the 2 boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. In a medium sized pot heat the olive oil over a medium heat sauté the onion and garlic in the oil
until soft. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth and water. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat. Stir in the corn, hominy, chilies, beans, cilantro and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and chopped green onion. Serves 8
Spicy Black Bean Soup
Warmed corn tortillas and a nice green salad go nicely with this hearty soup.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Dried Black Beans
5 Cups Water
1 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
1 Cup Spicy Salsa
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
6 Tablespoons Sour Cream
6 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
¼ Cup Diced Tomatoes
Soak the dried beans, covered with cold water, over night. The next morning drain the beans. Transfer the beans into a medium cooking pot with the 5 cups of water. Bring the beans to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Add more water if you need to. Add the onion, salsa, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. And cook on medium for another 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 2 hours until done to the consistency that you desire. Serve in bowls garnished with sour cream, chopped cilantro and diced tomatoes. Serves 6
Chicken Tacos
From living on the West Coast for so long I became spoiled. Everywhere I turned there was authentic Mexican food. Good Mexican food is definitely missing here in New York. I don’t care how hard the Mexican restaurants try they just can’t compete with the West Coast. Period!
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breasts
½ Cup Garlic Lime Marinade (Lime, Chili Powder, Kosher Salt, Pepper)
¾ Teaspoons Ancho Chili Powder
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Can Rinsed & Drained Mexicorn
¼ Cup Fire Roasted Salsa Verde
¼ Cup Diced Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
8 Yellow Corn Taco Shells
Shredded Romain Lettuce For Garnish
1 Diced Tomato For Garnish
Lime Marinade: ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder, 1 Squeezed Lime, ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken and marinade together. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix the mexicorn, salsa verde, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Set aside. Heat a stovetop grill pan over a medium heat. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove and set aside. Cut the chicken breast into ½ inch pieces and fill each corn tortilla with the chicken. Divide evenly. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the corn mixture ( mexicorn, salsa verde, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper & Ancho Chili Powder). Roll up and garnish with lettuce and tomatoes. Serves 2 or 4
Chile Rellenos
Chile Relleno is a Mexican dish that originated in Puebla and literally means “stuffed chile.” Chile Rellenos are usually stuffed with melted cheese like queso Chihuahua or queso Oaxaca (which are good for melting). They are also stuffed with something called picadillo meat which consists of diced pork, raisins, nuts and spiced with canella. Typically roasted poblano peppers are used, but sometimes are substituted with Anaheim, Hatch, Pasilla or Jalapeno chili peppers. After stuffing the chile pepper it is either covered in egg batter or corn masa flour and fried. Then served in a sauce.
INGREDIENTS
6 Fresh Poblano Chiles
1 Pound Queso Blanco
3 Tablespoons Flour
3 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Olive Oil For Frying
For The Sauce:
14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes With Juice
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Diced Onion
For roasting the chiles place them directly on the burner of a gas stove until they are mostly blackened on each side. If you have an electric stove then put the chiles under the broiler. Remove the chiles from the burner and place them in bowl covered with plastic wrap for a minute. Peel off the blackened skin with your fingers. Don’t worry if you don’t get every bit of the skin off. Slice each chile on one side from the stem to the bottom. Remove most of the seeds and membranes, but if you like the chiles spicy then leave them in. Cut the cheese into long slices that fit the chiles and stuff the cheese into each chile. Roll in the flour. Separate the eggs. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites and salt until they are stiff. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and then gently fold into the egg whites. Pour the olive oil into a medium sauté pan and heat on medium high. Dip each chile into the egg coating and drop into the oil and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown on each side. Turn once with a spatula. Drain on paper towels. Top with either tomato sauce or enchilada sauce. You can top with chopped cilantro, sour cream, green chiles or shredded cheese. Serves 2
For the sauce: Combine onions, chicken broth and tomatoes with the juice. Simmer while you are making the rellenos. Serve on the side or cover the rellenos before serving.
Homemade Habanero Hot Sauce
This sauce is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!! Get yourself a doctor’s note and proceed with caution!
INGREDIENTS
20 Fresh Habaneros
5 Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Champagne Vinegar
½ Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Raw Sugar
Slice and remove the insides of the habaneros. If you want hotter sauce you can use the insides in the sauce as the seed are the hottest part of the habanero. Peel the garlic and cut into quarters. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Oil a pan and roast the habaneros and garlic for 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Make sure that you keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn. Roasting the habaneros and the garlic really adds to the flavor.
After removing the habaneros and garlic from the oven, put them into a food processor and add the champagne vinegar, water, sea salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, raw sugar and puree. If you find that the sauce is too thick then add more vinegar and water in equal parts. Pour into a storage container or bottle and refrigerate. This sauce should keep for quite awhile. Use it on eggs, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, pasta, rice dishes or anything that you want to add a kick to. Makes 1 ½ to 2 cups
Victoria’s Mojo Burritos
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Small Chopped Green Sweet Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Beer
1 Tablespoon Hot Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Cup Cooked Rice
4 Ounce Can Diced Green Chile Peppers Drain or
4 Ounces Fresh Diced Green Chile Peppers
1 Large Chopped Tomato
8 Ten Inch Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
Guacamole
Salsa
For the filling: In a large skillet cook the ground sirloin, onion, sweet pepper and garlic until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir in the beer, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until most of the beer has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and chile peppers. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas tightly in foil. Heat a preheated 350° F oven for 10 minutes to soften. When you are ready to fill the tortillas, remove only half of them from the oven at a time. Keep the remaining tortillas warm in the oven. Spoon about ½ cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top the filling with cheese and tomato. Fold the bottom edge of each tortilla up and over the filling. Fold the opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up the bottom and secure with wooden toothpicks if needed. Makes 8 delicious Mojo Burritos!
