Tortas

There are rare, incomparable meals I have eaten that embody the Platonic ideal of certain foods. At the time, all you can do is revel in their glory. You are ecstatic to have the experience of tasting such delectable perfection.

But then problems begin. No matter where you go, no matter how hard you search, you cannot find anything to replicate that original experience. Everything else you taste comes up short.

I once had the best fish and chips from a hole in the wall joint in Auckland, New Zealand. I subsequently spent the better part of three weeks attempting to replicate the experience. I searched all over the North and South Island. No dice.

The same thing happened in Mexico City. Across the street from the apartment where I lived, there was a hole in the wall (the best places always seem to be of the hole in the wall variety) taco place Chip's--pronounced cheeps in Spanish--which were a better version of Tim's.) In the intervening 12 years, I have yet to encounter a torta that is even in the same ballpark as Watsy's. They. Just. Don't. Compare.

called--of all things--Watsy Taco. For months my friends and I were regulars, and we always ordered the same thing: a chicken torta with cheese. (For a perfect pairing, consume with a green bag of jalapeño

To make a torta, it is best to have a very special type of soft, wide bread called a telera. I randomly encountered teleras in a Wilsonville Albertson's recently, and couldn't pass them up. For my first attempt at making tortas, I did not hope to achieve the apogee of the Watsy Torta. But the nice thing about a torta is that it will be still be delicious, even if you are not in Mexico City.

 Tortas

~Print Recipe~

• Telera rolls, cut in half and toasted-1 per person
• Refried black beans prepared, or homemade: diced onions, minced garlic, broth
• Chicken, or meat of your choice 
• Cheese
• Grilled onions
• Avocado slices
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapeños
• Other toppings of your choice (tomato, grilled peppers, etc)
• Spices, to taste

1.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin, chipotle, chile powder, paprika, salt and pepper, etc. to taste. Add diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add black beans and a couple tablespoons of broth. Mash the beans together.
2. Toast telera in a toaster oven or broiler. Cover one side with cheese, so it melts. 
3. Spread sour cream on one side and refried beans on the other. Build the sandwich by layering the meat, onions, avocado and other ingredients. Drizzle with salsa and top with telera.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

This is our Dad's special casserole that we grew up with.  Great way to get kids to eat their greens!

2 cans condensed mushroom or chicken condensed soup (one of each is also a good option)
1 Tbs. cumin
very generous amount of cheddar cheese, shredded (the more the better)
2 small heads of brocoli (and stem), chopped
2 chicken breasts cooked or boiled and chopped into bite size pieces
soda crackers

Preheat oven to 375' F
In a large bowl mix soup cans with cumin, cheddar cheese, and chicken.

Spray caserolle dish with cooking spray and layer brocoli with chicken mix. Add any extra cheese on top then put crushed soda crackers on top to keep cheese from burning.

Cook for 45 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a really easy and delicious recipe! It can either be slow cooked if you want to make it in the morning or on the stove for a fast dinner and is good served with tortillas. Enjoy! :)

1 onion chopped
3 garlic, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder (cayenne powder can also be used for more spice)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 can (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
10.5 oz. of condensed chicken broth (extra water can also replace this)
1 1/4 cups water
1 can of corn or 1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup white hominy
green chile peppers
1 can black beans rinsed and drained (garbanzo beans are also good to add)
chicken cooked and cut
chopped green onions
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded monterey jack cheese


Heat oil over medium heat in a pot and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, simmer for 5-10 min.

Stir in remaining ingredients (except leave crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and cheese for serving on top of soup). 

Chicken Vindaloo

I don't spend a lot of time planning my last meal, but when I started thinking about how exactly to describe this chicken vindaloo recipe, I started thinking about Ajanta's chicken vindaloo. Ajanta has the best Indian food in the Bay Area. That's my opinion, but not just my opinion. It has been so designated by Zagat and SF Baylist for a few years, though I'm lucky enough to have known about Ajanta for at least a decade.

I once traveled to India mostly to experience a country where I could find this incredible food everywhere. I probably should have known that not every restaurant in India would be Ajanta-calibre. Disappointingly, I found nothing that could compare. So even after five weeks in India, Ajanta has the best Indian food I've ever eaten. 

Next I bought the Ajanta cookbook, hoping to get their vindaloo recipe. No dice.

I may never be able to make vindaloo like the chefs at Ajanta, but if I had to pick a recipe that could approximate the experience, I would feel comfortable leaving it to Cook's Illustrated. I expected that something as complexly flavorful as vindaloo would be really hard to make, but it is surprisingly simple. And, it's a one pot recipe which is always a bonus. (Especially if you are doing the dishes--and I am.)

This particular vindaloo recipe was inspired by Savory, a new spice shop in my neighborhood. They had a great curry selection, including a vindaloo spice blend that made this recipe super simple!

The more I thought about vindaloo, the clearer it became. Since I love food it would definitely be a very tough decision, but if it came down to it, I think my last meal would be chicken vindaloo. It's just that good.

Chicken Vindaloo

~Print Recipe~

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika*
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom*
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves*
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
•  1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves, divided

1. Adjust oven rack to lower- middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Add meat, keeping pieces close together but not touching. Cook, not moving pieces until the side in contact with the pot are well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to a medium bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil to empty Dutch oven, and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. After onions have softened, about 5 minutes, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and spices or spice blend. Stir until onion are evenly coated and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Gradually add broth, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits and dissolve flour. Add tomatoes, vinegar, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add browned chicken and accumulated juices, submerging meat under liquid. Return to simmer, cover and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours.
4. Remove pot from oven. If serving immediately, spoon off any accumulated fat at surface. Remove bay leaves, stir in some cilantro. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with a garnish of cilantro leaves.

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Three years ago Alexis posted a delicious recipe for Tortilla Soup, which I was inspired to make after having made enchiladas resulting in leftover chicken broth. It is hard to believe three years have already flown by. Well, tortilla soup is still very much in our repertoire of go-to comfort food, and the discovery of this slow cooker version has rocked our world. We recently received a brand new fancy slow cooker with a timer from our wedding registry (thanks von!), so I was inspired to find new and simple slow cooker recipes. I highly recommend you try this slow cooker version (with a new kick of enchilada sauce) in that slow cooker you could probably dust off and give another chance. You will not be disappointed in the magic of coming home to a house full of delicious smells, and dinner already made.

What's in it

1 box (or can) chicken broth

2 C water (or more broth)

1 or 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes (I recommend the fire-roasted kind)

1 14oz can red enchilada sauce

2 small cans diced fire-roasted green chiles, drained

1 small onion chopped

1-2 lb chicken breast or tenders (I started with frozen), rinsed

1 package frozen corn (could add a can of hominy or beans as well)

1 tsp each: chile, cumin, salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

garnish: chopped cilantro, wedge of lime, avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cabbage, tortilla chips (homemade if you like)

How it's made

In a large slow cooker (if using small, reduce ingredient amounts) add all ingredients except for garnish. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Towards the end of cook time, shred chicken into smaller pieces.

If you would like to make your own chips, spray tortillas with cooking spray and cut into strips. Bake on a sheet in a 450 degree (pre-heated) oven for 10-15 min until crisp. Season as you like.

Serve soup in bowls with all garnish (yes, use lots of the garnish options!). Enjoy!

Enchiladas Suizas

I made these enchiladas to drop off for our friends who just had a baby. Enchiladas are great because they aren't very labor intensive and you can make them ahead of time. (And who doesn't love a gooey cheese-y comfort food dish at this time of year.) Done and done. I went to look up this recipe and realized that there were no photos posted, so I took a couple and added them here. I figured I would re-post this 2009 recipe while I was at it. We'll call it a belated día de los muertos post...
___________________________________________________________________________
Living in Mexico, this was easily one of my top five dishes to order. (Which, if you have ever been to Mexico, you'll know that's really saying something. So much good food!) As far as I'm concerned, enchiladas suizas are without a doubt the best enchilada out there. Creamy, cheesy chicken and green chile sauce? Yes, please. And just so you know, it would be nearly sacrilegious to make enchiladas with flour tortillas. (In fact, corn is always best, in my not-so-humble opinion.)

This recipe is a variation on one I found about five years ago in the San Francisco Chronicle Food Section. The woman who wrote it got the recipe from the family running the bed and breakfast where she stayed. The original version calls for making the salsa verde from scratch, but I didn't want to spend all day on this and just used canned green enchilada sauce. Some brands are better than others, and while I've yet to do a brand by brand taste test, I know that El Pato, Las Palmas and La Victoria are decent.

(If you are wondering, the word suiza, surprisingly enough, means Swiss. Apparently Swiss immigrants in Mexico often ended up making cheeses and other dairy products, like the crema Mexicana in this dish.)

Enchiladas Suizas

~Print Recipe~

The Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts (It called for bone and skin, but we used boneless/skinless.)
• 1/4 of a white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth

1. Rinse chicken and put in a 4 quart pot with the onion quarter and garlic. Add broth. If the chicken is not completely covered, add water until covered. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let chicken cool in broth for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and when cool, shred it.
   
3. Save the broth for use in any recipe calling for chicken broth. (We used it to make tortilla soup.)

The Enchiladas

• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 10 large corn tortillas
• 4 cups (or more) green chile enchilada sauce (spicy, if you like!)
• Shredded chicken from above
  
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion (optional)
  
• 3 cups grated manchego or Monterey Jack Cheese (We used cheddar and it was fine.)
• 3/4 cup crema Mexicana (We had to substitute sour cream; it's definitely not as good as the real stuff.)

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet and fry the tortillas (1-2 at a time) to soften them, turning once--about 20 seconds on each side. Stack them as you finish. Add more oil to the pan as needed.
2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
   
3. Use 1 teaspoon oil (I used a spray instead) to coat a 12x9 inch (or so) baking dish. Spread 1 cup of green sauce over the bottom of the dish.
4. Moisten the shredded chicken with 3/4 cup of the green sauce.
5. For each enchilada, spoon some of the chicken, some chopped onions and some shredded cheese down the middle of a tortilla. Roll it up and place seam side down in the dish.
6. When all of the enchiladas are in the dish, spread 1 tablespoon of crema over each one. Pour 2 cups (or more as desired) of the green sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinke more grated cheese all over the top.
   
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Pass the remaining salsa verde at the table.

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

I've been stowing my slow-cooker safely in the cupboard for about 2 years. I keep intending to use it---don't get me wrong, I like the idea of throwing some stuff in a pot and coming home after work to a hot and tasty meal just as much as the next person. But somehow I never put it together.

I have been scoping out slow-cooker cookbooks for over a year. Either they are too expensive or they include too many recipes that I wouldn't actual make, so I put off buying one. Then I found the new WW Slow Cook It. It got the price tag to usable recipe ratio right, so I brought it home.

This noodle recipe was the first we attempted out of the book. (Mark actually made it!) The basic recipe is comforting, but kinda plain. But that's ok with me, it leaves a good canvas for decorating with other flavors. We enjoyed adding some hoisin and a dash of habanero hot sauce in addition to the suggested green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Sriracha would probably be good, too. This soup can go which ever direction you want to take it!

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

~Print Recipe~

• 2 chicken breasts, 1/2 lb each (recipe called for bone in, we used boneless)
• 8 springs fresh cilantro, plus leaves for topping
• 6 green onions, cut and separated into white and green parts
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, bruised
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (we used 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 2 32-ounce cartons low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 pound rice noodles
• Basil, mint, lime wedges, hot sauces for garnish

1. Combine chicken, cilantro springs, white part of green onions, lemongrass, garlic, coriander, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken and veggies. Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
2. Once it is cooked, transfer chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and let stand until cool enough to touch. Discard bones (if necessary) and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. 
4. Strain broth to remove vegetables and spices. Stir chicken and noodles back into broth. Cover and cook until chicken and noodles are hot, 5-10 minutes.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, squeeze lime juice over soup and garnish with desired toppings.

Serves 6

Gramma's Chinese Chicken Salad

This one's from the 80's, originating with my Grandma Barbara Reid (who is by no means Chinese).  This salad is quite tasty, and cheap to make.  I am sure there are ways to make it a little more authentic.  It's a perfect summer dish.

Mix and let stand together overnight:

1 package uncooked Top Ramen (chicken flavor) broken into bits

1 package season mix from Ramen

2 Tbl sugar

1 C oil

6 Tbl white vinegar

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp acsent (no idea what this is)

Next day add:

2 whole cooked chicken breasts, chopped

4 Tbl sesame seeds

4 green onions, sliced

1 package sliced almonds

1 head of red or green (or both!) cabbage, chopped

Mix together and serve!

Bryan's Buffalo Wings

Another Ode to Super Bowl.  This recipe is from Bryan Pelton, our old manager at REI, now the store manager at REI Marina.  He used to make these in the break room in crock pots.  Magic.  Apparently the recipe's from Pyramid Brewery.  Mary Ann and Lauren are making them tomorrow for the big football event. (I'm all about the food, forget football).

Again, this is from Bryan's head, so you may need to adjust for quantities and taste.

What's in it:

Frozen buffalo wings (technically referred to as 'drummettes'), preferably the jumbo bag from Costco

Hot Sauce:

1/2 bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce (apparently this is key), not their buffalo sauce, though

1 Tbl Chipotle BBQ sauce (or any you have on hand)

1/2 stick melted butter

Spoon full of brown sugar

Splash of OJ

Tangy Sauce:

1/2 stick melted butter

Spoon full of brown sugar

Splash of OJ

1 Tbl soy sauce

lots of lime juice

shot or so of Tequilla

How it's made:

Thaw chicken overnight in fridge or by running hot water over them in a large bowl, or in a crock pot on low.

Preheat oven to 350 (or as directed on chicken packaging). 

Combine ingredients for either hot sauce or tangy sauce, or both.  You can make two separate batches for each flavor.  Use a baking pan lined with foil, add chicken and cover with sauce.  Bake as directed, or for about 15-20 minutes until done.  Baste often and turn 3-4 times.

Enchiladas Suizas (Verdes)

Living in Mexico, this was easily one of my top five dishes to order, and as far as I'm concerned, enchiladas suizas are without a doubt the best enchiladas out there. Creamy, cheesy chicken and green chile sauce? Yes, please. And just so you know, it would be nearly sacrilegious to make enchiladas with flour tortillas. (In fact, corn is always best, in my not-so-humble opinion.)

This recipe is a variation on one I found about five years ago in the San Francisco Chronicle Food Section. The woman who wrote it got the recipe from the family running the bed and breakfast where she stayed. The original version calls for making the salsa verde from scratch, but I didn't want to spend all day on this and just used canned green enchilada sauce. Some brands are better than others, and while I've yet to do a brand by brand taste test, I know that El Pato, Las Palmas and La Victoria are decent.

(If you are wondering, the word suiza, surprisingly enough, means Swiss. Apparently Swiss immigrants in Mexico often ended up making cheeses and other dairy products, like the crema Mexicana in this dish.)

The Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts (It called for bone and skin, but we used boneless/skinless.)
• 1/4 of a white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth

1. Rinse chicken and put in a 4 quart pot with the onion quarter and garlic. Add broth. If the chicken is not completely covered, add water until covered. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let chicken cool in broth for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and when cool, shred it.
   
3. Save the broth for use in any recipe calling for chicken broth. (We used it to make tortilla soup.)

The Enchiladas

• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 10 large corn tortillas
• 4 cups (or more) green chile enchilada sauce (spicy, if you like!)
• Shredded chicken from above
  
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion (optional)
  
• 3 cups grated manchego or Monterey Jack Cheese (We used cheddar and it was fine.)
• 3/4 cup crema Mexicana (We had to substitute sour cream; it's definitely not as good as the real stuff.)

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet and fry the tortillas (1-2 at a time) to soften them, turning once--about 20 seconds on each side. Stack them as you finish. Add more oil to the pan as needed.
2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
   
3. Use 1 teaspoon oil (I used a spray instead) to coat a 12x9 inch (or so) baking dish. Spread 1 cup of green sauce over the bottom of the dish.
4. Moisten the shredded chicken with 3/4 cup of the green sauce.
5. For each enchilada, spoon some of the chicken, some chopped onions and some shredded cheese down the middle of a tortilla. Roll it up and place seam side down in the dish.
6. When all of the enchiladas are in the dish, spread 1 tablespoon of crema over each one. Pour 2 cups (or more as desired) of the green sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinke more grated cheese all over the top.
   
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Pass the remaining salsa verde at the table.
   

Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup, but I'd never attempted to make it. I figured that it's so delicious that it must be really complicated, right? Well, I have seen a number of versions ranging from the ridiculously complex and time consuming (from my Dona Tomas cookbook) to the surely too simple to be authentic. Here's my variation on one from Simply Recipes (and before that from a Muir Glen can of tomatoes) that struck me as better than most, yet still remarkably easy.

Even after I started making this recipe, I wasn't sure it would turn out like I wanted it to, but in the in end it was pretty spot on. I'm sure the intense, all day version from Dona Tomas is much more authentic and probably tastier, but this was super quick and ended up just like I imagined it should. Comfort food at its finest.

Tortilla Soup
~Print Recipe~

Tortilla Strips

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  
• 1/4 cup canola oil (for frying)

1. In a small skillet with high sides, heat canola oil over medium high heat. 
2. Cut tortillas in half. Then cut the halves into 1/4" to 1/2" strips--cut strips that are 3" or shorter--i.e. cut the strips width-wise rather than lengthwise).
3. Once it it hot (350 degrees), add tortilla strips and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are golden and crispy.
4. Use a couple of extra tortillas to fry tortilla chips (for snacking--believe me, you'll want some), when fry the strips(for the soup. Let drain on a paper towel.

The Soup

• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (We put one Anaheim and two jalapeños--nice and spicy!)
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, un-drained (I found Safeway brand.)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 ripe medium avocado, cut into cubes
  
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used cheddar, but whatever you like)
  
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges (I have lime juicer, one of my favorite gadgets! Get one.)

1. Heat a little of the remaining oil (from frying strips) in a saucepan on medium-high. Saute your onion for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chilies, cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, the whole can of tomatoes and the salt. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the cooked chicken. Let it simmer until the chicken is hot.
4. Divide half of the tortilla strips among the bowls you'll be eating from. Ladle soup on top of the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese, remaining tortilla strips, cilantro and avocado. Drizzle with lime juice.
   

Chilaquiles

I remember very clearly the first time I had chilaquiles, a staple in Mexico not frequently found at Mexican restaurants in the U.S. I was 18 and living in Mexico City on my first stint studying abroad. A group of other students and I had reservations at the Hotel Majestic for brunch, purely for the direct view of the Zocalo--historic Mexico City's expansive main square. We were able to watch Ruben Blades perform (part of a series of free summer concerts) from above the fray of thousands--while enjoying breakfast. The music was good, but the chilaquiles ended up stealing the show.

Chilaquiles come in many forms: red sauce or green sauce, with eggs without eggs, with chicken or other meat or vegetarian. But my favorite remains the way I originally experienced them: with green sauce, chicken and no eggs. Traveling throughout Mexico, I'd always order them when I found the right combo. The other versions are not bad by any means, but with the green sauce they're transcendent.

Awhile ago, Mark and I made a version of chilaquiles with shrimp roughly adapted from my Dona Tomas cookbook. We used homemade totopos, tortilla chips, from the same. It may have been the best version I've ever had--and that's saying something. (NOTE: There are delicious chilaquiles offered at La Bamba on SE 49th and Division in Portland.)

For the chilaquiles:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cups (or so) chile verde enchilada sauce
  
• 10 ounces corn tortilla chips
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Monterey Jack is recommended, but we used cheddar)
• 1/4 thinly sliced white onions
• 1/3 cup crumbed Cotija cheese (worth getting for authenticity's sake)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup crema or sour cream

1. Add the oil to a skillet over high heat.
   
2. Add about 2 cups of green sauce. Bring to a boil, then add tortilla chips. Saute the chips in the sauce for about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the chips absorb the sauce.
   
3. Continue to add sauce until all the chips are well coated but not soupy. You may not need all of the sauce.
   
4. Add the grated cheese and stir once or twice util barely melted. Transfer to a serving plate or individual plates.
   
5. Sprinkle with onion, Cotija and cilantro. Drizzle with crema. Top with shrimp or chicken. Die of happiness.

For the shrimp:

• 1/2 white onion, sliced
  
• 1 pound frozen shrimp
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons unslated butter
• 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• Lime

1. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and onion--quickly stir 2-3 times. Add the shrimp and a few dashes of salt. Saute for a minute.
   
2. Add the butter, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for a minute, until butter melts and the garlic releases it's aroma and shrimp are done.
3. Serve on top of your chilaquiles.
   

Tom Kah Gai: Chicken Coconut Soup

I've always been a fan of Thai food, but Thai cooking somehow seemed rather mysterious. Then Amber told me about a wonderful cookbook called Quick & Easy Thai. (Now, I've seen some "easy" Indian food cookbooks that don't seem to have a quick recipe in them, so I was a little hesitant.) But, the author--previously a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand--wrote these recipes for busy people to cook on a weeknight.

As it turns out, many Thai recipes are not difficult to prepare and can be made any time, not just on fancy special occasions. The recipes I've tried are pretty amazingly simple, but still incredibly delicious. Some of the recipes call for exotic ingredients (that is, if you live in Oregon and not California), but most of the time you can substitute or skip an ingredient and your dish will be fine.

This is an impressively flavorful soup! It pairs well with other recipes in the book, like chicken satay or crab cakes.

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 wild lime leaves, cut into quarters (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (a light version is available at Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
• 10-12 slices galanga (this is a relative of ginger--I substitute fresh ginger slices)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (available at Whole Foods and Safeway--do not leave this out!)
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks (or tofu!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and green onions (plus half of the wild lime leaves--optional). Set aside. Put chopped cilantro in a separate small bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galanga or ginger and lemongrass (plus remainder of lime leaves, if using.)
   
3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked--about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the lime juice mixture into the pot and mix well! Ladle soup into serving bowls and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
   

*Serves 4*

I substituted the chicken for tofu only because I was also serving another chicken dish, but if you use vegetable stock, tofu and leave the fish sauce out this would be vegan. The fish sauce does add a distinct depth to the soup, though, as it does to a lot of Thai dishes. If you have vegetarian friends who eat fish, leave it in for best results.

Paella!

Last spring, we visited Passalacqua Winery in Sonoma for a "barrel tasting" event and the kind folks over there served visitors paella. One of our friends asked for the recipe, and Dave and I were inspired to cook this at home.

First, you'll need one of these. The following is the original recipe, but the great thing about paella is that you really can't mess it up. Just make sure you cook things long enough and everything will turn out delicious. Try it a few times and you'll learn what works and what doesn't.

Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
2-3 heads of garlic, with cloves detached but not skinned
6 red peppers or piquillo peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
5-6 pounds of chicken, preferably legs and thighs with bone in
4 yellow onions, chopped
2 16-ounce cans diced tomatoes
6-7½ cups chicken stock, homemade or canned
20-25 threads of saffron, crushed
2-2½ teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
4-5 cups uncooked Valencian short-grain rice
2 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans
1 pound green beans, slender asparagus or baby artichoke hearts
20-24 jumbo shrimp (16/20 count)
20-24 Manila clams and/or New Zealand Green Lip mussels
4-5 lemons, cut into wedges, for garnish

Directions

Heat the paella pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and garlic and fry the peppers. (Add more peppers if you want to serve some as an appetizer.) Remove peppers and set aside.

Add chicken parts to the pan, turning to sear all sides. When chicken is golden, add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the tomatoes and the stock and reduce the sofrito base down for about a half hour. Meanwhile, crush the saffron with the smoked paprika in a mortar and pestle and add it to the stock.

After a half hour, stir in the rice and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Important: Do not stir or cover the rice. As the rice cooks, add the vegetables and the garbanzo beans.

During the final 10 minutes, poke the shrimp and shellfish into the rice mixture so that they will cook.

You will know when the dish is done when you can smell the smoky odor of the rice carmelizing on the bottom of the pan, and all the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Finish with squirts of lemon and leave lemon wedges in the paella pan or perched along the rim.

Mark's Chicken Merry-Nade

It's winter. It's cold. But I've decided that barbecuing shouldn't be relegated to summers in the back yard. Bundle up, make yourself a hot toddy, strap a headlamp to your skull and fire up the grill.

This marinade is very simple and open to interpretation. My brain starts to hurt when I think about numbers or measurements, so I like to use pinches, skoshes, splashes and dashes. But I made it today using conventional means so that I might translate it to others.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Hunan Red Chili Sauce (more if you like it hot!)
4-5 splashes soy sauce
3-4 ounces beer (preferably a darker brew)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
fresh ground pepper

Put all ingredients together in a shallow baking dish, mix well, pour into a tumbler and drink it down! Kidding. Don't do that. Keep it in the baking dish, and add two organic chicken breasts. Let it marinate 5-6 hours. Throw them on the barbie and poof---it's July again.

Winter Squash and Chicken Stew

This recipe was originally from epicurious.com, but the below is a slightly modified version. Butternut squash is a pain to work with - if you're not lazy, throw it in the oven for a bit first to soften it up so that it's easier to cut. I always go straight at it with a heavy-duty knife on a very sturdy surface and although I always walk away with sore arms, it's always well worth it.

If you want every bite to be delicious, use sweet potatoes instead of russets. Serve directly on top of a bed of white rice. This dish keeps very well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day. It's perfect for November!

2 teaspoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs, skin removed

1 1/3 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (I didn't have curry powder the first time, so I just threw in some extra cumin, turmeric and coriander)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut or acorn squash
2 cups 1-inch pieces peeled sweet potatoes
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven or any deep saucepan suitable for a "stew" over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pan; sauté until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon; stir 1 minute. Return chicken to pot. Add squash, potatoes, broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro.