Fried Cheese (Queso De Freir) Tacos

Queso De Freir brings me surprising comfort.  I first had the scrumptious Hispanic cheese years ago on the Southside of Providence, Rhode Island when I was a restless undergraduate on a mission to get off the hill (i.e., the College Hill neighborhood of Providence).  It was during the time that I became good friends with a local chef who shared my appreciation for ethnic foods.  We ate indiscriminately--Dominican, Jamaican, Vietnamese, West African, soul food, Mexican, Italian, Puerto Rican, Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc.--and I experienced new tastes, textures, techniques, and ingredients.  When I first tried Queso De Freir, I remember thinking it was weird that you could fry this cheese and it wouldn't melt.  I ate it "straight up" and it was salty, but not overpowering.  I only had it that one time, but it made quite an impression on me.

Fast forward about 6 years to 2011, and I am living in Philadelphia, PA.  I continue to eat indiscriminately, with a much greater focus on healthy foods.   I continue to enjoy dining out, but I have learned to lower my expectations (for other people's cooking) after far too many bland meals as a pescetarian.  Now, imagine the vibrant neighborhood of South Philly where The Italian Market is located along with the East Passyunk Avenue Business District and the iconic cheesesteak institutions of Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks.  If it matters to you, numerous sources along with Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic, say that the cheesesteaks at John's Roast Pork are the best in the city.  Check out Craig's 2002 Cheesesteak Report.  Now, imagine the most mundane, no frills Mexican restaurant sandwiched between all this action.  That would be La Lupe. I went there with slight apprehension a few months ago with a good friend who is a regular.  As we entered the mostly empty restaurant, the staff sat at two tables eating and chatting in Spanish as it was near closing time.  I was immediately taken aback by the fact that the Cha Cha Slide was blaring from a small portable boombox and I felt more like I was at a cookout down South.  However, I decided to overlook that odd occurrence. I was truly determined to give this place a fighting chance.  I perused the menu and the cheese tacos jumped out at me.  WAS IT THE ELUSIVE FRIED CHEESE FROM PROVIDENCE?!?!?!  I inquired and, as the cook described the dish, it still seemed like a bit of a gamble.  I went ahead and gave in to temptation and ordered two.  I was assured that "everything on the menu is good" by both my friend and the cook.   A few minutes later, the tacos finally arrived and we took our meals back to my friend's place, where I anxiously bit into a taco.  It was pure delight!  I had finally rediscovered the elusive Queso De Freir and it made a darn good taco!

This fried cheese taco is a recreation of the masterpiece I had at La Lupe during the winter of 2011.

Fried Cheese Tacos (Queso De Freir)


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Queso De Freir, shredded
1/2 avocado
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pico de gallo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 corn tortillas

Directions:
In a mortar or bowl, mash the avocado until slightly chunky.  Add the pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, and fresh ground pepper.  Mix well and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add the shredded cheese and cook 2-3 minutes.  Using a spatula, separate the cheese into two distinct patties.  Continue cooking and allow to brown on both sides by flipping the cheese patties.  Remove from heat and sprinkle sparingly with sea salt.  Queso De Freir is naturally salty so be careful not to over salt.

Heat tortillas for 1-2 minutes in the frying pan, until warm.  Then, place the warm tortillas on a dinner plate and add the fried cheese patties and guacamole.  Enjoy with crudites such as radishes and cucumbers.

Notes:  This guacamole recipe is my easy, weekday recipe for quick guacamole.  Guacamole is even better with freshly chopped vegetables and a little lime juice if you seek a more traditional taste.

If you are extra sensitive to the taste of salt, eliminate the sea salt in the recipe.

Calamari and Catfish Stew with Plantains

Who doesn't like calamari?  It's actually one of my favorite seafoods.  As I sit here writing this post, I'm reminded of the year I spent in Chicago, when I became obsessed with the blackened calamari at Davis Fish Market - it's by far the best preparation I've had.  I'm talking whole pieces of calamari, covered in blackening spice and chargrilled to perfection.  It's one of those dishes so darn good that I can remember exactly the last time I had it.  It was the dead of winter and I met up with two friends from undergrad after a long day of work.  We sat on the left side of the dining room for drinks and appetizers, discussing all the exciting changes at hand - business ventures, job offers, and graduate school.  Good times!

I happened to have some calamari on hand this past week and it got me to thinking about the possibility of incorporating it into a hearty stew.  I did a little research and came up with this recipe.  I kind of built it around the calamari and the ingredients I had on hand.   Most of the technique is inspired by the American South, but the flavors are more reminiscent of West and North Africa.  This stew and the leftover blood orange sangria turned out to be the perfect antidote to the snow flurries and windy breezes hovering over Maryland these past few days.  

Calamari and Catfish Stew

Ingredients

1 large red onion, diced

4 red bell peppers, finely chopped

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced

5 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups of vegetable stock

1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning

1/2 pound dried chickpeas

3 cups chopped okra

2 large 28 oz-cans of whole tomatoes

1 pound of calamari

1 pound of catfish, cut into medium-sized chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 bay leaves

pearled couscous, prepared according to package instructions

Directions

Begin by soaking the dried chickpeas in 4 cups of hot water.  Boil for 2 minutes and set aside for an hour.  

Blend one can of tomatoes and chop about half the tomatoes from the second can.  Set aside.  Refrigerate and store remaining tomatoes.  In a large bowl, season catfish and calamari with Cajun seasoning and set aside.

In a large stockpot, cook the red onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and ginger in the olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add 2 cups of the vegetable stock to the pot and reduce the liquid by half.  Then, add the blended and chopped tomatoes, chopped okra, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and the remaining vegetable stock.  Stir.  Reduce to low heat and cook for about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Add the soaked chickpeas and cook for another 40 - 45 minutes.  Add catfish during the last 20 minutes of cooking, and the calamari should be added during the last 2 - 3 minutes of cooking.  Serve over pearled couscous with plantain pieces (see recipe below) on the side.  Enjoy!

Plantains

Ingredients

2 plantains

canola oil

Directions

Peel plantains and slice lengthwise.  Cut each half into 3-4 pieces.  Then, add about 1 inch of canola oil to a frying pan and heat to 350 degrees.  Fry plantains until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Allow to drip dry on a plate covered with paper towels.

Blood Orange Sangria

I ended up with beaucoup blood oranges after a nutrition lesson highlighting the hydrating, cancer-fighting abilities of red fruits and vegetables for Valentine's Day, and I immediately knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  Anyone who knows me well probably knows I am obsessed with sangria.  Someone even gifted me with the book 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks for my 27th birthday.  Without a doubt, the most thoughtful gift ever!  I'm always experimenting with sangria flavor combinations, so blood oranges were a natural next step.  I built the punch around the blood oranges by choosing fruit and spirits that would complement the slightly tart flavor.  A clerk at my preferred local wine store, The Wine Source, confirmed my choice of a Torremoron Tinto 2009, made from 100% Tempranillo for this sangria.

This punch is awesome for a number of reasons.  #1.  It's seasonal!  #2.  It's perfect for today's Super Bowl Game.  #3.  It's perfect for Valentine's Day.  #4.  I've been told that sangria means blood in Spanish so the addition of blood oranges increases the irony of this punch's name.  #5.  It freakin' good.  #6.  I get to have sangria all week after those long work days.

Blood Orange Sangria


Ingredients:

1 cup simple syrup
1 bottle red wine (750mL)
1 cup fresh-squeezed blood orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1 Brown Asian Pear, diced
1 Honeycrisp Apple, diced
2 Kiwis, sliced
2 cup Black Seedless Grapes
1/2 lime, juiced

Directions:

Begin by making the simple syrup: combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup hot water in a container.  Set aside.  Wash and cut the pear, apple, and kiwis.  Set aside.  Wash grapes and set aside.  In a saucepan, combine the cut fruit and 1 cup of grapes with the simple syrup over low heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Discard cooked grapes.  Combine remaining ingredients in a large ceramic or glass container.  Add the fruit and syrup mixture and stir well.  Cover and refrigerate at for at least 4 hours.  Serve over ice.

Banana Basil Ice Cream

This past week, I channeled the spirit of Paula Deen Sunny Anderson and made a pot of buttery, garlicky, creamy, cheesy, vegetable stocky, yummy grits.  Take that Daily Double!*  They were luscious, rich, and beautiful.  I even marveled at the beautiful specks in my pot as they went from "gritty" to "creamy" with all the added fat.  They were the perfect vehicle for stir-fried vegetables and shrimp sausage.  Hmmm....

After indulging myself with such a decadent dinner, I knew I had to lighten it up for dessert.  It was the perfect opportunity to use the frozen bananas stashed away in the freezer by making homemade ice cream.  I've made one ingredient banana ice cream in the past and I found it to be a slightly bland.  So, I decided to kick up the flavor with some added vanilla yogurt, almond milk, and basil.  Yes, basil!  Gotta find a way to use up those leftover herbs and the banana and basil flavors perfectly complement one another.  To be completely honest, it was Sarina's Banana Basil Smoothie that first introduced me to this amazing combination a few years ago, and it's something I could easily see on rotation at Capogiro.

This ice cream is luscious right out of the blender/food processor.  I decided to freeze it to see how it would turn out.  It was slightly icy, but I still enjoyed it a lot.  The more fat you add (milk/cream or yogurt), the creamier the final result will turn out.

Banana Basil Ice Cream:

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas

1 tablespoon yogurt

1/3 cup almond milk

2 handful of fresh basil

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until luscious and creamy.  Either eat the ice cream right away or store it in a container with a lid in the freezer to enjoy later.

*This is in reference to a radio ad that I heard on NPR this past week referring to a lettucey, tomatoey, cheesy, mayoey, yum--me fast food sandwich.  I vainly searched across the web for the ad with no luck.  However, I think it was McDonald's Daily Double.

Tofu & Eggplant No-Boil Pasta Bake

I have a confession to make:  I absolutely hate cooking grains.   


I've probably made mushy pasta once in my entire life and rice isn't terribly complicated to cook, but I live in fear when it comes to grains.  In the case of pasta, the trepidation begins in the grocery store when I'm faced with the crippling decision of what type of pasta to buy--whole grain or refined [IMO: Whole grain tastes great with tomato-based sauced, but refined (white) is better, flavor-wise, for cheese-based sauces].  Then, when I get down to the nitty gritty of actually cooking it, I have to decide to salt or not salt the water (I actually prefer one bouillon cube); rinse or not rinse the pasta (never rinse unless you're making a pasta salad!); and, prepare a tomato-based, cheese-based, or oil-based sauce.  It probably doesn't help that chefs who cook rice and pasta on cooking shows are usually crucified by the judges.  So, I am partially justified in telling you that I ceremoniously breathe a sigh of relief each and every time my pasta is perfectly cooked al dente and my rice fluffs properly.  


Imagine my excitement when I received a recipe for a Chicken & Tomato No-Boil Pasta Bake from The Kitchn.  I knew it was something that I absolutely had to make and I bookmarked the recipe for future reference.  Fast forward several months later and I am frantically thinking of ways to use several perishables in the refrigerator (i.e. cottage cheese, spinach, and eggplant).  Dip?  Hmmm... maybe.  No-Boil Pasta Bake?  Yes, yes, yes, most definitely!  The rest is history.  


I borrowed heavily from The Kitchn in this recipe, but I made it my own by substituting chicken for tofu, adding diced eggplant, and layering julienned spinach and thinly sliced tomato across the top.  I was scurred (scared) the cottage cheese would throw off the flavor content, but this pasta is to die for.  This will definitely be coming a staple in my kitchen.  After all, it's psuedo-healthy and doggone delicious!

No-Boil Tofu & Eggplant Pasta Bake (Modified from The Kitchn)
serves 4 to 6

8 ounces (1/2 pound) dried rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 tub extra firm tofu, chopped into small logs
4 large cloves garlic, roughly minced
1/2 of one large eggplant, diced
2 cups cottage cheese
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh spinach, julienned
Freshly ground black pepper & 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 cups milk * (see Note)

Cheesy Basil Topping
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, and sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish with olive oil. (Ideally you would use a heavy Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, but you can also use a standard 9x13-inch casserole pan, tightly covered with a double layer of aluminum foil during baking.)

In a large bowl, mix the dried pasta, chopped tofu, minced garlic, and diced eggplant. Stir in the salt and a healthy quantity of black pepper.  Stir in the cottage cheese. Spread this mixture in the prepared baking dish and layer the thinly sliced tomatoes and spinach on top.  Pour the milk over top. Cover the dish tightly. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Remove the dish from the oven and turn the oven up to broil.

Meanwhile, prepare the herb topping. In a small food processor or chopper, whiz the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending until the texture resembles wet sand.

Slowly remove the lid (or foil) from the casserole dish. Be careful, as steam will billow out. Spread the herbed breadcrumbs over the bubbling pasta and return the uncovered dish to the oven. Broil for 5 minutes or until the topping is toasted and crispy on top.

Take the casserole out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Eat with a green salad and a glass of red wine.

* Note: The more fat in your milk, the thicker and more luxurious this dish will be. I have only made this with whole milk, which worked very well. I see no reason why lower-fat milks would not work as well, but they may be soupier, with a thinner sauce, when you first remove them from the oven. 

Stuffed Collard Greens

"The past is never dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner

This time of year, I am often overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia. When the very first Christmas Carol falls on my ear, I immediately call to mind fond memories of North Mississippi, the place of myth and mystery that William Faulkner immortalized in his writing. I think on the celebrations, traditions, and superstitions that characterized the holidays in my childhood home.

The New Year's holiday is popularly associated with a number of age-old superstitions. My house was no exception. First of all, my mom would absolutely insist that Christmas decorations (i.e. the tree and outdoor lights) be taken down immediately after Christmas to properly set the stage for the new year. I can hear her now, "If you don't take 'em down befo' the new year, might'a well leave 'em up all year. " Then, she would never wash clothes on the last Friday on the year because, according to superstition, she could accidentally wash someone out of the family (i.e. cause a death in the family). We didn't particularly believe in this one, but no one wants to be blamed for someone's death, especially in a family as large as ours. New Year's Eve was always spent at Watch Night Service, which is associated with the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of slavery. And, on New Year's Day, a man had to be the first person to enter the house and we always ate black-eyed peas, both for good luck. As a rural household, we also had an open door policy and family and friends would stop by, unannounced, all day long for well wishes in the new year. I have faltered on keeping most of these traditions alive. However, as a foodie, I figured the New Year's superstitions were the perfect excuse for me to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens.

I didn't want traditional southern style black-eyed peas and collard greens, though. I was in the mood for something special. I thought about making gumbo, but I wasn't feeling quite up to making a roux. I also thought about a rice dish (a la jambalaya and jollof rice), but I wanted something more. Then, it hit me to make stuffed collard greens. I thought it would be a novel idea, but a quick google search revealed numerous recipes. My recipe is still very different from all of them. The ingredients are mostly southern, but the addition of coconut milk (and lack of smoke flavor) in the rice gives the dish a more international flavor profile.

The technique of stuffing leaves most likely originates in the Mediterranean region, and I benefited from this step-by-step tutorial for making stuffed grape leaves. This recipe is rather labor intensive and requires a good deal of time and patience.

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Black-Eyed Pea and Okra Recipe (inspired by Sarina's recipe for Ochro Rice)

Ingredients

3 cups coconut milk

1 cup boiling water

12 okra, chopped into small pieces

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 lb Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley

1/4 cup butter, diced

1 cup frozen black-eyed peas

1 teaspoon of hamburger relish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Combine coconut milk, bouillon cube, water, onions, ketchup, Italian seasoning, hamburger relish and pulse until chunky.

3. Combine mixture in a greased 3-quart casserole dish with okra, black-eyed peas, rice, and butter.

4. Cover tightly (either with lid or aluminum foil) and bake for 1 hour, or until all liquid has been absorbed.

5. Fluff to serve.

Spicy Sweet Potato Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup Mr. Wonderful's Wonderful Island Hot Sauce*

2 tsp grapefruit juice

1/4 t. allspice

dash of ground ginger

salt, to taste

Directions

1. Begin by boiling the sweet potatoes in a pot until soft and tender. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Combine ingredients in a blender of food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

Note: Due to the potency of my original sauce, I added 1/2 cup apple juice and 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar to counterbalance the spiciness of the sauce.

* I picked this sauce up while on vacation in St. John, USVI. I underestimated it's potency. Simply substitute your favorite hot sauce.

Stuffed Collard Greens

Ingredients

Roughly 1/2 lb Black-Eyed Pea and Okra Rice

Spicy Sweet Potato Sauce

1 bunch of collard greens

Trader Joe's Chicken-Less Strips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Cook the chicken-less strips according to package directions.

3. Wash the collard leaves and trim steams along the bottom surface of the collards. For visual aid, see Susan's technique on the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

4. Blanch the collard greens, 6 at a time, in a large pot for about 6 minutes.

5. Cool the collard greens in a cold water bath to stop the cooking process.

6. Working with one green at a time, squeeze excess liquid from the green and lay flat on a clean surface, trimmed side up and stem closest to you.

7. Place the Spicy Sweet Potato Sauce in a 3-quart casserole dish

8. To assemble stuffed greens, scoop approximately 1/4 cup of black-eyed pea and okra rice onto the base of the collard green (for smaller leaves, use less). Add two pieces of the chicken-less strips. Roll the leaf, starting at the stem end and first roll up to encase the rice stuffing. Tuck the stem end under the stuffing. Then, fold over the leaf on both the right and leaf sides. Roll up tight. Place in prepared casserole dish. Repeat with remaining collard greens.

9. Bake the rolls, covered, in the middle of the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are cooked through.

10. Serve the stuffed collard green on a plate with the spicy sweet potato sauce.

Note: My stuffed collard greens turned out to be extremely spicy so I ate them with yogurt. I will likely purchase some mint today to make a bona fide yogurt sauce.

20,000 Grams of Sugar on my Stomach Wall

I'm BACK!!!

I last posted at the beginning of the year and I have finally returned now that the year is coming to a close. By no means was this intentional. I just happened to have an extremely busy year. In the past 12 months, I graduated from my MPH program, completed a fellowship, moved to a new city, and started a new job. The smoke is finally starting to clear and I'm back, with nutrition on my mind.

I purport to live a relatively healthy life. I'm pescetarian. I eat fruits and vegetables. I am fairly active. I don't drink sodas. I shop at stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods that tend to stock healthier food options. I hardly ever eat candy or fast food. I cook most of my meals at home. That's all great, some people would say, but what about nutrient intake?

Now that I have a community nutrition job, I have been spending lots of time thinking about micronutrients and the USDA's new MyPlate diet diagram. First of all, I realize I need to eat even more fruits and vegetables. In fact, half of your plate at every meal should be fruits and vegetables, and I'm working hard to accomplish that. I've been eating string cheese with my meals to achieve the recommended dairy intake. I am also reading nutrition labels with a new level of understanding and scrutiny. In the past, I might have seen a food item with 15 grams of sugar and thought nothing of it since I wasn't making the appropriate conversions. After learning that 4 grams is equal to 1 teaspoon, I am royally freaking out. I'm losing all my epicurean delights in the name of nutrition. Just last night, I polished off the last bottle of hard cider--a personal favorite--from a 6 pack I purchased. I glanced at the nutrition label as I was taking the last sip and realized it contained 16 grams of sugar. Really??? I just drank 4 TEASPOONS of sugar? No thanks! This morning, I realized one serving of my favorite cereals--Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Crunch and Cracklin' Oat Bran--both have roughly 3 teaspoons of sugar. Hmmm, not exactly comforting. As a rare treat, I had a Sonic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blast last week. I looked up the nutrition information and it has about 54 grams of sugar if I remember correctly. That's about 13 teaspoons of sugar.

The way I see it, what's for me is for me. I don't expect everyone to share my concerns. I know my body and I know I have to eat extra carefully in order to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. I am well equipped to handle changes (and some people are complacent aren't) and I am already revamping my diet plan. I recently lost 10 - 12 pounds and I want to keep the momentum going!

How exactly do you measure up? Is your daily food intake in line with the USDA's MyPlate recommendations? Are you satisfied with your intake of sodium and sugar?

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