Two Kinds of Tacos: Carnitas and Braised Greens

Both of these taco fillings are delicious, both separately and together. The carnitas is one of my absolute favorite taco fillings--crispy yet moist, flavorful, and spicy. The braised greens are also terrific, and provide a great option if you have vegetarians in the mix...plus, they're tasty enough for everyone to enjoy. Although they seem like an unusual taco filling (to me, at least), Rick Bayless writes that they're actually traditional! Be sure to have plenty of fixings to go around--tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, rice, guacamole, and anything else you like for topping tacos.

For a truly tasty taco, save the liquid from making the carnitas--we used it to make rice, and it resulted in rice that was quite spicy and totally delicious. It's a great use for a flavorful liquid that you might otherwise toss, and it really adds something great to the tacos.

Finally, I think these tacos are great for a picnics and outdoor eating--but only if the location is close by. We had these for our 4th of July picnic in Ohio, but that was just in our backyard. People were able to load up their plates with tacos and sides inside, and then eat out back. These probably have too many components to be worth it for packing up and taking to another location (plus it would be hard to keep everything hot). But, I definitely recommend these tacos for backyard picnics!

Carnitas (from Hot Sauce Blog, recipe here, easily halved)

7 pounds pork butt or boneless pork country ribs
1 very large onion, quartered
5 chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped
3 T adobo sauce from the chipotles
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
1 T oregano
1 T salt
2 bay leaves
2-3 quarts low sodium chicken broth
2 T vegetable oil

1. Cut the pork into 10 large chunks and place in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the vegetable oil. Add more stock as needed to cover the pork. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 hours, until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove pork to a platter, let cool slightly, and then cut into 1-inch chunks. Don't remove any pieces of fat--they will render in the next step and make everything more delicious.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large baking dish with the vegetable oil and then add the pork. Toss gently, and then roast in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes, until sizzling and crispy.

Braised Greens (from Rick Bayless's Everyday Mexican)

1 12 ounce bunch Swiss chard, washed (or collard greens, kale, etc.), sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1 large white or red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Cook onion until brown but not completely soft, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the onions and cook 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, a generous pinch of salt, and the greens. Reduce heat to low and braise, covered, for about 5 minutes, until greens are barely tender but not quite done.

3. Remove cover from greens and cook until the moisture is mostly evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

And here are the awesome patriotic star cookies we made for dessert...yum! They're just this Christmas cookie recipe for rolled sugar cookies with 4th of July shapes and colors.

Spicy Chipotle Bean Dip

This black bean dip is spicy, flavorful, and perfect for a big group. The chipotles add a smoky note, and all the flavors meld together well. I made a half-recipe and it was plenty for our group of 9 (which included 2 kids), but as part of a meal rather than as a separate snack. I listed the full recipe below in case you're cooking for a crowd or want to serve this on its own. My mom and I included this dip as part of our 4th of July picnic, which was Mexican themed and lots of fun. Coming up later this week are our awesome tacos from that same meal--carnitas for meat-eaters and braised greens for veggies/everyone.

Spicy Chipotle Bean Dip (from Fine Cooking)

Cooking spray/oil
2 T olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
2 15-1/2 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 canned chipotles en adobo, minced (about 1 T)
3 T adobo sauce from the canned chipotles
3 T cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with oil and place on a baking sheet lined with oil.
2. Put the tomatoes into a colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, and set aside.
3. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and 1 tsp salt. Cooking, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half the black beans, the chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid reduces by half, 2-3 minutes.
4. Transfer bean mixture to a food processor, add the vinegar, and process until smooth. Or, transfer to a large bowl, add vinegar, and mash well with a potato masher. Let cool a few minutes, then add the reserved beans, the tomatoes, corn, half of each type of cheese, and 1/2 cup cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer bean dip to the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and browns around the edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the remaining cilantro and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Blue Cheese-Bacon Potato Salad

This is an awesome potato salad recipe that my housemate Jessie has made for a couple of our recent barbecues. It's a nice change from the ordinary, while still being creamy and delicious. The blue cheese and buttermilk give the potato salad a great tang, and we all know that bacon makes everything better. ;)


Blue Cheese-Bacon Potato Salad (from Martha Stewart Living)

1 1/2 pounds red-skin potatoes, scrubbed clean
3 T coarse salt
1 1/2 ounces blue cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T minced fresh chives, plus 1 tsp for garnish
8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp, and crumbled

1. Place potatoes and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook until a knife pierces through potatoes with little resistance, about 12 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Halve potatoes.

2. Meanwhile, mix blue cheese (feel free to use a larger amount if desired), buttermilk, vinegar, and mustard in a bowl until well combined.

3. Combine still-warm potatoes, dressing, chives, and almost all the bacon in a large bowl. Garnish with blue cheese, chives, and remaining bacon.

Cracked Wheat Beer Bread

I particularly enjoyed this bread toasted with jam and in a sandwich with mustard, goat brie, and fried egg. Mmmmm... The beer flavor comes through pretty well, but the bread is still good in both savory and breakfast applications. This is a great "everyday" loaf for sandwiches and such, plus the addition of whole wheat and cracked wheat makes it feel a bit healthier.


Link to the recipe is here; I didn't change a thing except adding an egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. It's totally worth it to hunt down that vital wheat gluten--it makes the whole wheat bread really light.

Nectarine-Arugula Pizza

One of my favorite pizza places in Berkeley is the Cheeseboard, which serves only one kind of pizza each day--always something different, creative, and delicious! They're currently in a two-week vacation, but on the last day of pizza, we picked up some truly amazing slices--"Fresh Peaches and Nectarines, Mozzarella Cheese, Ricotta Salata, Arugula w/ Vinaigrette." They were so tasty that my housemate Jessie and I wanted to recreate this pizza at home. Jessie was the chef on this one; I just helped with inspiration. ;)

To make this pizza, start with a base of Martha Stewart's pizza dough. When it's ready to go, top with olive oil, goat cheese, thinly sliced nectarines, cubed goat cheese, caramelized onions, sauteed arugula, and a bit of mozzarella. Yum!

Check out more dishes featuring fruits and veggies at Sweetnicks' ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday Roundup.

Top Chef Venison

I recently got invited by some friends to participate in Top Chef Venison! What fun! I had never cooked venison before (or even eaten it), but I'm always up for a challenge. After some research online, I decided to create venison sliders--mini burgers because of course we were each creating only a tasting portion. This recipe makes tasting portions for about 10 and would probably make dinner for 4ish.

I added shallots and plain yogurt to the sliders to make them moist, and cooked them in LOTS of butter. This resulted in a juicy burger despite the fact that venison itself is pretty lean. I complemented the flavor with goat cheese for richness and a tart blackberry compote for sweetness and tang. The sliders were surrounded by homemade brioche circles--rich and probably a little soft to stand up to the wet toppings, but tasty nonetheless. I made balsamic wax beans on the side.

And...the result? Despite lots of truly amazing dishes, I ended up winning! Very exciting but most of all just a really fun evening with friends and tons of good food. I was also delighted to enjoy venison since I'd never had it before--wonderful flavor and everyone really showed it in its best light! This was a great way to see all the awesome ways to feature venison in different dishes and different cuisines. Hopefully I can finagle some more someday. :) Unfortunately I didn't get a great shot because I didn't want to interrupt everything for ten minutes, but here's the best I managed:

Venison Sliders with Goat Cheese and Blackberry Compote on Brioche

1 lb. ground venison, Italian flavor
1/4 cup very finely diced shallots
2 T plain Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper
4 T unsalted butter
Goat Cheese (choose something really creamy)
Blackberry Compote
Brioche

Gently mix together the venison, shallots, yogurt, salt, and pepper with your hands. Shape into 10-12 small patties. Heat butter over medium heat until melted (you may want to use two skillets or do this in batches). When the butter is melted, add the burgers and cook on both sides until well done. You may need to turn the heat down to medium-low to get the inside fully cooked.

To serve, cut the brioche into slices and then cut out circles about the size of the sliders with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Spread half the rounds with a thin layer of goat cheese. Top with a slider, a generous drizzle of blackberry compote, and another brioche round. Serve immediately.

Blackberry Compote

1/2 pint blackberries
Sugar, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Heat half the blackberries in a small saucepan until soft. Mash with a potato masher and then force through a sieve into another small saucepan. Simmer the liquid until slightly reduced and thickened (about 7 minutes). Add a few good pinches of sugar and stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the remaining blackberries. Stir well, and crush them slightly with your spoon (but don't turn them into a puree!). Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir, and taste again. How much sugar/vinegar you add will depend on your taste and the sweetness of the berries you use; just remember that this is a savory sauce rather than an ice cream topper, so you don't want to get it too sweet!

Brioche

I used Dorie's recipe, linked here (though this time I did it with a stand mixer--much easier!)

Balsamic Wax Beans

1 pound wax beans
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Wash and trim the beans. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook over high heat until they begin to brown and blister. Turn down the heat and cover, cooking until the beans just start to become tender. Remove the lid, turn up the heat a bit, and add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar. Saute the beans until very tender and caramelized. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, and vinegar.

Here I am with my friend Peter and our tasting portions!

This is me describing the dish to all the judges and other chefs.

Ricotta-Spinach Calzones

These calzones are absolutely delicious, with a moist, flavorful filling and a tender crust. Compared to the original recipe, my main changes were to reduce the amount of filling by half (Mollie Katzen must have been on crack if she thought a full recipe of filling would fit into that amount of dough!) and to add in some pepperonis (to the originally vegetarian recipe). With or without the pepperoni, this recipe is a winner. I'd suggest serving with marinara sauce for dipping.

Also be sure to check out other awesome yeast-y delights at YeastSpotting over at Wild Yeast.

Ricotta-Spinach Calzones (from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook)

Makes 6 calzones (enough for 6 regular eaters or 3 big eaters)

Dough

1 ½ tsp dry yeast

1 T honey

1 cup warm water

1 ½ tsp salt

2 ½-3 cups flour (mix whole wheat and white, or just white)

Soften together the yeast, honey, and water for 5-10 minutes until the yeast bubbles up. Add the salt and flour, then knead 10-15 minutes (by hand, or less if using a stand mixer). Cover, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Prepare the filling while the dough rises:

½ pound fresh spinach

2 T butter, very soft

1 clove minced garlic

¼ cup minced onion

½ pound ricotta cheese

1 packed cup grated mozzarella

¼ cup grated parmesan

Dash nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Several pepperonis (optional)

1. Wash, stem, and finely chop the spinach. Steam it quickly over medium high heat, adding no additional water. When wilted and deep green, it is done and should be removed to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon.

2. Saute the garlic and onion in half the butter (1 T) until translucent and soft. Add to the bowl with the spinach. Add the cheeses, nutmeg, and remaining 1 T butter and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve pepperonis for the next step.

Make the calzones:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Punch down the dough. Divide into six sections and roll or press out into rounds about ¼-inch thick. Fill each with ½ - ¾ cup filling, placing the filling on half of the circle and leaving a ½-inch rim. Tuck in a few pepperonis, if desired. Moisten the rim with water, fold the empty side over, and crimp the edge well with a fork. Prick the top 2-3 times.

2. Bake the calzones on oiled trays for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and lightly-browned.

3. If desired, serve with good marinara or meat sauce for dipping.