Potato, poblano and chorizo tacos

Well, it looks like chorizo has finally become mainstream.  Our Kroger stores have started carrying it, and you can find it amongst the sausage links.  I remember the days of only being able to find it at our local Hispanic market, so I'm glad it no longer requires an extra trip (I have three tiny tots, so dragging them in and out of another store isn't high on my to-do list).  Let's celebrate this newfound chorizo freedom with these delicious tacos from Cooking Light.  (Now, for a confession- we maaaaaaaaaay have dialed down the 'cooking light' part by doubling the amount of chorizo this recipe calls for (using 6 oz instead of 3)- we're a meaty group).  

*Also, as a side note, chorizo comes in two variations: 1) raw Mexican chorizo, which you remove from the casing and crumble and brown, similar to ground beef, and 2) cooked Spanish chorizo, which is more like a smoked sausage link you chop and cook/grill).

POTATO, POBLANO AND CHORIZO TACOS

Yield: 8 tacos

Ingredients:

2 poblano chiles

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 cups diced white potato

1 cup chopped onion 

1 cup fresh corn kernels 

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces Mexican raw chorizo, casings removed

3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup shredded cheese (manchego, monterey jack, or colby jack are good choices)

8 lime wedges

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler to high.  Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblano halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel; coarsely chop.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add potato; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove potato; place in a large bowl. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add poblano, corn, red pepper, and garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion mixture to potato. Add chorizo to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Return potato mixture to pan. Stir in stock and salt; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until potato is tender, chorizo is done, and liquid almost evaporates.

3. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high heat directly on the eye of a burner for about 15 seconds on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange about 1/3 cup potato mixture in center of each tortilla; top with 1 1/2 teaspoons onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Mini calzones

These mini calzones from Food & Wine are fun & delicious. There's just something irresistible about these shrunken pizzas!  You can experiment with different fillings, changing it to suit your taste.  I did half of ours with pesto, ricotta, and pepperoni, and the other half with marinara, ricotta and pepperoni.  We loved both versions, and I served marinara on the side for dipping.  My kids devoured these too, so it's a family friendly meal!

MINI PEPPERONI, RICOTTA AND PESTO CALZONES

Yield: 16 calzones

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

1 cup warm water (110 degrees is ideal for the yeast)

1 tablespoon honey

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

1 cup ricotta cheese

4-6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni, chopped

1/4 cup jarred basil pesto

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

Olive oil, for frying

Instructions:

MAKE THE DOUGH:

In a large bowl, stir the warm water, honey and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir until a loose batter forms. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour until almost completely incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a work surface with any remaining flour and knead until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and silky, 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

FILL THE CALZONES:

Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a 4-inch round, a scant 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the ricotta on one half of the round, then top with 2 to 4 pepperoni slices and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the pesto. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press the edge to seal tightly. Crimp the edge with a fork or pinch at intervals to make pleats. Transfer the calzone to a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make the remaining calzones.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350°. Fry 4 calzones at a time, turning once, until browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the calzones on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Serve hot.

** MAKE AHEAD: The stuffed calzones can be prepared through Step 3 and frozen for up to 1 month. Let the calzones return to room temperature before frying.

Gruyere quiche with caramelized peppers, onions and spinach

I made this yummy little number from Whole Foods for Easter brunch this year.  There is a Brazilian restaurant in town that makes a delicious quiche, and my goal was to imitate it.  The keys to making the copycat version are the red bell pepper and spinach- the Gruyere cheese may be poetic license, but this version was delicious and definitely a keeper!

GRUYERE QUICHE WITH CARAMELIZED PEPPERS, ONIONS AND SPINACH

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 pound baby spinach leaves

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 refrigerated pie crust

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer mixture to a large bowl. Return skillet to heat, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spinach and cook, tossing often, until completely wilted and liquid is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to bowl with onions and peppers and set aside.

Add eggs, milk, 1/2 cup of the Gruyère, salt and pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well. Transfer to pie crust, top with remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère and bake until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly then cut into slices and serve.

Nacho burgers

This burger recipe from Bobby Flay had our name all over it- salsa and cheese sauce on a burger??  Yes, please!

NACHO BURGERS

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Salsa:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

3 plum tomatoes, finely diced

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

Cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Sliced pickled jalapeños and blue corn tortilla chips, for topping

Instructions

To prepare the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt.

To prepare the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened (5 minutes). Stir in the Jack cheese until melted, then stir in the pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Let cool until spreadable.

To prepare the burgers, heat a grill to moderately high heat. Form the beef into 4 patties and brush with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until browned outside and medium within, about 4 minutes per side. Place the burgers on the buns, top with the cheese sauce, salsa, jalapeños and chips, and serve.