I have bypassed coleslaw on many picnic platters. For some reason it just never seemed appealing to me. In the last two weeks my tastes have changed after having coleslaw at two excellent Bay Area restaurants, Bakesale Betty’s (Oakland, CA) and BarBersQ (Napa, CA), and I thought it was time to give coleslaw a try at home. (more…)
I like recipes that seem a little off-beat, that take a common ingredient in a new direction or bring a new taste to an old favorite. This week I decided it was time for a little potato salad remodel, an update on a summer classic.
I have found many potato salad recipes to be over-dressed and loaded with mayonnaise and oils that dominate the flavor. They often turn out kind of slimy and not so nice to eat. I’ve been picking up delicious new potatoes at the farmer’s market and the last thing I wanted to do was overpower the potato with a heavy dressing. I also wanted to try something new and make potato salad interesting again. Luckily I have Penelope Casas’s expertise on my bookshelf. (more…)
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I have been working on recipes geared towards summer entertaining - food that is casual, fun and friendly to appetites of all ages. The one thing no one wants to do on hot summer days is spend time in the kitchen, so that means lots of grilling and planning ahead.
I am a big fan of casseroles (which you don’t see too often in food magazines these days) and I think they are a great option for summer parties. If the word casserole brings back dark childhood memories, hang in there. New school casseroles use top notch ingredients that will make any foodie smile. The best thing about casseroles is that they generally freeze/reheat well - that means you can make it during the week and actually enjoy the party on the weekend.
This tamale casserole is gooey enough to make the kids happy and bold enough to satisfy adults. It’s also loaded with vegetables. In designing this recipe I had efficiency in mind, so I took a couple of ’shortcuts’ and used a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods and canned black beans. I am all for cooking with fresh ingredients and from scratch, but on occasion I find it is worth saving some time and substituting a prepared food item. Since the beans don’t take center stage in this recipe, I opted for canned and was happy with the outcome.
This recipe may appear to be pretty complicated based on its length, but it really comes together quickly. The sauce is on the medium-mild side, so if you prefer a little more bite you can dial up the spices a bit. If you end up with some leftovers, I had a slice for breakfast this week and it was a great way to start the day.
Tamale Pie
(serves 6-8)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub a 3-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.
In a large pot, bring chicken stock to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking vigorously. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 10-20 minutes until the cornmeal has thickened (this is a good time to begin to prepare the filling). When the cornmeal has plumped up and tastes creamy, add 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 pound frozen corn, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, and 2 teaspoons salt; stir until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon into the prepared casserole dish.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the ground chipotle, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to combine and cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes (use a wooden spoon to crush and incorporate) and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted.
Pour ¼ of the tomato sauce into a blender (only fill the blender up ½ way to avoid blender eruptions and being burned by hot liquid). Blend for 1 minute, then pour into a large stainless steel bowl. Repeat until all of the sauce has been processed.
Once all of the sauce has been blended, return the sauce back to the sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the shredded chicken, remaining frozen corn, black beans and sour cream. Stir to incorporate and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Spoon the chicken mixture over the cornmeal. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake until the crust has set and the pie is heated through (the sides will be bubbling) about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
More Tamale-Style Casseroles On The Web:
Peaches and nectarines are everywhere at the farmer’s market these days, a sure signal that summer is around the corner. To celebrate the warmer weather and longer nights I invited a few friends over last week for some outdoor, Italian-style grilling . My friend Meredith always comes up with neat salads and bites to share and for this party she brought over her peach bruschetta recipe, which was a hit with the crowd. So being the good friend that I am, I’m stealing Meredith’s recipe and taking all of the credit. (more…)
This past Monday I experienced a pleasant surprise when I peered into my local butcher’s deli case and saw three fresh, local, organic quails ready for me to take home. I usually don’t have access to fresh (vs. frozen) game birds, especially organic ones, so this was a real treat and I immediately began foraging for recipes.
Breezing through my cookbook collection, I pulled down Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Chef Suzanne Goin (of Lucques & AOC) to see if she had any quail offerings. Luckily she did, and it was just the type of recipe I was looking for: simple and quick. I decided to tweak the recipe a little bit, adding a balsamic marinade and subtracting the ricotta pudding (which I’ll have to try when I have more time!) (more…)
After last week’s Spotted Pig excursion I spent a lot of time talking burgers with my friends and family. We all agreed that while tuna burgers, turkey burgers and even andouille burgers can be exciting, to achieve true burger bliss it doesn’t get any better than a well-cooked classic cheeseburger.
The basics of the classic cheeseburger are ground beef, bun and cheese - that’s it. It is straightforward, simple and clean. You won’t see any guacamole, chipotle sauce or other fancy fixings on the classic cheeseburger, but maybe a couple of embellishments like ketchup or mayonnaise (or my favorite, a combination of both). To create truly memorable classic cheeseburgers, you have to source the best ingredients and use the best techniques. (more…)
I was lucky enough to enjoy not one but two rockin’ dinners out last week, and while they are located on opposite sides of the country, they are both serving upscale pub food in a casual atmosphere and have been quite successful. The foodie term that has been used to label these concepts are gastropubs, and they are both chef-driven operations that source high quality, local and organic ingredients. (more…)
Feelgood Eats is a food blog written by Natural Chef Sue Bette. Here you will find recipes, reviews, and resources centered on the use of whole, seasonal, and local foods.
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