Chorizo on toast

If you are getting ready for a Super Bowl party, I’ve got some styling, kickin’ tapas ideas for you! Just click on the picture for the recipe…they are all pretty easy (with the exception of the tortillas, which require a bit of derring-do, but are well worth it). They are also portable! Have a great Game Day…I’ll be back with more ideas soon!

¡Ole! ¡Fantástico!

Mussels vinaigrette (make em the night before)

Tortilla Torcal

Tortilla española

Red Grapes and Latin White Cheese

Smoked Salmon and Capers on Endives

Champinones al ajillo (Spanish Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce)

Black Olive Paste (Tapenade)

]]> http://hotcheapeasy.com/2013/01/30/super-bowl-tapas-and-snacks-easy-and-more-elegant-than-the-average-tailgate/feed/ 11 Mussels vinaigrette nataliadecuba Chorizo on toast ¡Ole! ¡Fantástico! Mussels vinaigrette (make em the night before) Tortilla Torcal 2011 October potluck, hatti, tomatoes, avocado, tortillas 034 The Little Chef and his work 2012-12-02 04.08.30 2012-08-10 06.11.07 2012-09-14 21.29.36 http://hotcheapeasy.com/2013/01/26/basic-baked-meatballs-simple-adaptable-freezeable/ http://hotcheapeasy.com/2013/01/26/basic-baked-meatballs-simple-adaptable-freezeable/#comments Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:58:12 +0000 Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy http://hotcheapeasy.com/?p=3424 ]]> Great Super Bowl party buffet idea!

The other day I posted my recipe for fancy-cheesy meatballs. Here now, as promised, the basic meatballs that I did just in case we had a child who wanted something more simple (we did not). Baked and basic, you can add any seasonings or sauces to them to make them suit your mood. (Try Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce)

(You can also try my albóndigas variation which is pretty easy and includes Old Bay, or Pedro’s pan-fried  albóndigas, or Ham & Cheese meatballs in the oven. I do like my meatballs!)

I now have a bunch of basics in the freezer, and will very likely pull them out for Super Bowl…and serve them with toothpicks. If I can find the right passionfruit juice, I will soon post a passionfruit sauce recipe that my friend Mayra used to do in PR. I just found the recipe among some old papers and I am eager to try it.

Otherwise, any BBQ-type thick dipping sauce will do!

Basic Baked Meatballs

Basic Baked Meatballs

1 egg

1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dry)

1 Tbs grated onion

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp Adobo powder

1 grating black pepper

1 lb. ground beef (can include ¼ lb. ground pork)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all ingredients except meat until combined. Add meat in chunks. Mix lightly until well combined and roll into 1.5” balls. Place on a foil-covered rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into one reaches 160°F. Serve as cocktail meatballs with your favorite sauce, add to pasta sauce, or make into sandwiches. They will adapt to just about any flavor palette.

Cooking a nice meal for both parents and kids does not have to involve making two separate dinners.Well, not exactly, anyway.

I confess to getting cold feet halfway through my prep and making myself a safety net, so let’s say this time I made one-and-a-half meals, but in the process, I really stocked the freezer for the new semester.

The juicy, savory, binding

I made some “fancy” meatballs and some basic ones (that recipe later in the week) for a Single Mothers By Choice-three-family dinner here at home last weekend…pasta, meatballs and red sauce…can you really go wrong? My friend, Pam, brought the salad fixings, and Kim brought a sinful dessert (which one pretends is for the kids, but is really just as much for the growns) and everything went swimmingly! And everyone liked both fancy and plain.

On their way to the oven

Regular readers will remember that when we get together, the kids dance to show approval of their meal (click here for their fave: Chicken Meuniere). At least when permissive me is in charge. So yes, there was dancing, albeit a bit less than usual, as the other moms were more anxious to keep them at the table like civilized human beings rather than conceding to let me wallow in their heathen dance of praise…ah well.

Pile ‘em high!

Anyhoo, here’s why you should try making this too:

1. You can make a lot in a short period of time with very little prep.

2. They freeze well.

3. They are baked. (I hate frying, and who needs the extra fat/calories?)

4. They are delicious!

(Optional 5. The Red Sauce has just three ingredients – plus salt to taste – and the only prep is to cut one onion in half and peel it. Seriously.)

And dinner is served!

Cheesy Meatballs (makes about 48)

3-4 eggs

½ Cup lowfat yogurt or milk

2 Tbs garlic, minced

1.5 Tbs dry oregano

1 Tbs fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

1.5 tsp salt

1 Cup plain breadcrumbs

2 Cups grated cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)

3 lbs. beef (1/2 – 1 lb. can be pork)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk eggs, yogurt or milk, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, and salt together lightly. Add breadcrumbs and cheese just until combined. Add chunks of meat and, using fingertips, mix lightly until combined. Make 2-inch meatballs, rolling just enough to make a ball, but don’t pack them.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (for easier clean-up) and grease lightly with oil. Place meatballs on sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into one reaches 160°F. Serve with pasta and sauce, as a side dish, or as an appetizer.

One month in, the days seem never-ending and yet never long enough. I am up at 5:30 a.m. every day. Eighteen hours later, I still find myself vertical, eyes open, preparing food, washing dishes, cleaning the bathroom (!), folding clothes, laying out everything for the morning in a semi-headachy fog, wrinkling my nose and wondering, in the words of David Byrne, “How Did I Get Here?”

Scenes from the Farm

So when — oh s**t! — the Restoration Farm End-of-Summer-Potluck came roaring up, I was sort of astonished, and not a little dismayed.

It Takes a (Old Bethpage Restoration) Village

What to make!?! You cannot go empty-handed, no matter how empty-headed you may be. And I’d already said I’d go – I vaguely remembered doing that at some strange hour in the middle of something else. And of course it’s a really good time, on the grounds of a restored old village with like-minded friends, a folksy band, and plenty of grounds for the children to run around on and not bother me while I am eating!

Laying down the chicken: pollo guisado

Salvation came in the form of stuff I’d prepared and frozen just before Labor Day! Hurray for me! I defrosted pollo guisado (Puerto Rican stewed chicken), whipped up some 5-minute black beans (I actually made them from beans I had soaked, but the prep is seriously five minutes), shredded some cheese, layered it all and low and behold, I had a worthy baking dish of homemade Mexican lasagne goodness that I was not at all ashamed of. In fact, my mom thought it was the best dish on a very amply and generously laid buffet table. Okay, so she’s my mom, but she is very honest, so believe it!

Okay, so I didn’t shred the cheese…it was a looooong September

I give you the chicken version, but it can easily be made with Latin Seasoned Ground Beef. I ended up making pretty much the same thing, only with Flex-Mex Shredded Chicken, for a get together of The So-Called Book Club (meaning we haven’t read a book together in a year, but we still get together for drinks and conversation on occasion). Along with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and my now legendary Guacamole…it was a fiesta!

Latin-style lasagne. Good stuff. Good party. Good night!

Lasagne Latino

Vegetable oil or cooking spray to just grease a baking dish

4-5 medium or large flour tortillas (whole wheat works fine)

1 pint/2 Cups Five Minute Black Beans (recipe below)

1 pint/2 Cups Flex Mex Shredded Chicken  or Pollo Guisado (recipes below)

1.5 Cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Cheddar-types) – more if you’re living large

Heat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease a 3 qt. (8″x13″x 2″) baking dish. Lay down a layer of tortillas (trimming if necessary) follwoed by a layer of chicken, then beans. Lay down another layer of tortillas, followed by cheese, chicken, beans, tortilla, and top with cheese.

If cooking with still-warm ingredients, then cook for 15 minutes under foil and an additional five minutes without foil. If cooking with pre-made ingredients from the fridge, bake for an additional ten minutes before taking off the foil. Watch the cheese for excessive browning.

Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

For complete recipes, see below. For a beautiful round-up of the potluck, visit T.W. Barritt’s blog post at Culinary Types!

Flex-Mex Shredded Chicken

½ Cup onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stock cube and four cups of water OR four cups of your favorite chicken stock

1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, seeds removed (1 pepper was not very spicy; play with this proportion according to your taste)

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 20 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked. If you have time, you can cook it longer for more tenderness. Remove from heat and remove chicken from any remaining liquid. Allow to cool, shred, and serve – hot or cold — in your favorite Mexican-style recipes (quesadillas, tacos, with rice, on salads). Flavor affinities include avocado, lime, cilantro, kidney beans.

Pollo Guisado II

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup chopped onion

1 Cup chopped green peppers (the long pale green cubanelles are preferred, but I use whatever I have around, including red peppers or roasted red peppers from a jar)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Cup tomato puree, diced/chopped or peeled whole tomatoes

2 lbs boneless chicken breast

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

12 oz can beer

2 Tbs red wine

15 pimiento stuffed olives

In a saucepan, heat oil until fragrant and liquid.

Add onion, peppers and garlic, coat and lower heat, sauteing until wilted.

Add tomatoes and allow to thicken at medium heat. Add chicken and stir to coat then add salt. Add wine and beer and bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes and then add stuffed olives.

Simmer another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors develop and the chicken to tenderize. I let it cook as long as I have time for so the chicken begins to fall apart. Serve over rice or as part of a quesadilla or over tortillas with melted cheese. Serves four big appetites. Or divide up into four freezeable portions and defrost as needed. 

Five-Minute Black Beans

1/2 Tbs olive oil

One small onion, chopped

(optional – chopped red or green pepper; if I have end bits that need to be used, I chop ‘em up and put them in too)

one 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

half a chicken bouillion cube (the whole thing, if the beans are low sodium)

Heat oil in a small pot on medium high. Add onions, stir, then lower heat to allow to soften. Add beans, 1/4 can water and stock cube and simmer up until the rice is ready. Serve over rice. Or roll up in your favorite wrap with some cheese.

I joined the group when considering embarking on single parenthood and started going to the local meetings when I got pregnant(!), so it’s been about five years, and let me tell you, there is nothing better than a supportive and understanding peer group to help you navigate your ups, downs, and angst. Leandro considers some of the kids among his best friends and we share times with them outside regular meetings, so it is really important to us.

So thus inside-out guacamole – a speedier way to the same great flavor.

And this guac without the mashing is not just for single chicks…It’s got NFL cred…try it on Sunday when Big Blue shows that team from San Francisco where they can put that candlestick….

Inside-Out Guacamole (can be doubled or tripled)

2 ripe Haas avocados (unpeeled flesh should give a bit when pressed with a finger), peeled and chunked

Juice of half a lime

½ Cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

¼ red onion, sliced very thin

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

¼-1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8-1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

Place avocado chunks in a bowl and sprinkle with lime (for flavor and to prevent browning)

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix gently and serve with large tortilla chips or tortilla scoops.

There are very few commercially prepared salsas that I like; most are too sweet or too tomatoe-y or just boring, so making my own makes a lot of sense. Once you see how easy tomatillos are to char, you will probably become adventurous with your own flavor combinations.

Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is indeed in the same family as the tomato, as well as the ground cherry (or cape gooseberry), which it actually resembles more, in looks, if not flavor. Native to Mexico, tomatillo has green or sometimes purple fruit, surrounded by a husk that gets papery as it ripens; it has always reminded me of a Japanese lantern.

When you buy, look for firm fruit with the husk still on (they will keep for a month in a paper bag). When you buy green ones, avoid any that are yellowish.  To prepare them for cooking, remove the husk and wash off the stickiness on the skin.

Although tomatillo is most often used for salsa verde (green sauce), I used purple ones in this recipe. I charred them under the broiler with red tomatoes and mixed them together for a deep and satisfying color.

Roasted Tomatillo, Tomato  and Chile Salsa

7-8 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half

Tomatoes of your choice, in an equal amount to the tomatillos, sliced in half (if using cherry-types) or chunked to the same size as the tomatillo halves

1 fresh hot chile pepper of your choice (I use jalapeño)

2 Tbs red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs cilantro, chopped

1/8 tsp lime juice

1/8-1/4 tsp coarse salt

Place tomatillos, tomatoes and whole chile pepper on a baking sheet and broil, turning once (carefully!) with a spatula when the tops start to char (my sturdy, but not so high-powered toaster oven took 10 minutes on each side {!} but a stronger oven could do the job in half the time, so watch out!)

When the vegetables are charred, let them cool until you can peel them (over a bowl to catch the juices). Discard peels and add tomatillo and tomato to bowl. Also peel the pepper and BE WARNED: this is a small amount of salsa, so you don’t want to go overboard on the heat. I use only half a jalapeño and remove the seeds and it is still pretty searing on the tongue. So…add roasted chile at your discretion/peril.

I break my salsa up with a fork – unnecessary if you are going to use a blender at the end. Stir in remaining ingredients. For a smoother texture, pulse a few times in a food processor or blender (I prefer chunkier and I hate extra equipment to wash, so I skip it). Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

The whole Super Bowl thing has got me thinking about creative solutions for portable party food that doesn’t bore, travels well without dripping onto your car seat or collapsing en route and isn’t unwieldy if you take public transport. It should look nice – presentation counts for a lot. If you are not sure whether the crowd is primarily vegetarian, a meatless dish can be a very thoughtful additon to a party buffet. And of course, you want it to be simple and easy.

Enter Feta Walnut Spread. I made it in a few minutes with the help of my food processor, ably pulsed by my three year old (DISCLAIMER: My son is a good eater, but please don’t think he’ll eat everything I make or that you see on this blog. He refused to try this spread, even though he participated in the making and really likes feta cheese in other dishes. Can’t win ‘em all ).

We took it to a Valentine’s playdate-party for my Single Moms By Choice group this weekend. I can’t say it won everyone over, but I liked it a whole lot with the vegetable sticks I cut up. I think next time I will pair it with toasted pita chips (they won’t compete as much with the flavor of the spread) and I think that the leftovers will make an excellent alternative to mayo on chicken or vegetable sandwiches.

The original inspiration comes from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook, which I had to buy again after my well-worn original fell prey to a hurricane-related flood in Puerto Rico years ago, and which I was delighted to find still had all the recipes written by hand.

Feta-Walnut Spread

1 Cup chopped walnuts

½ packed Cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup water

Three cloves garlic, peeled and chunked (less or none if you are not a garlic fan)

1 tsp lemon juice

(garnish – hot red pepper flakes, dried oregano, olive oil)

Pulse the walnuts and parsley in a food processor until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the garnish) and puree until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl and cover tightly. Place in fridge to chill. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and red pepper flakes. Serve with toasted pita chips or as a dip for crudité.

I’ve got nothing against potato salad; in fact, it is a big favorite of mine for summer barbecues, church functions, Christmas buffets or midnight raids on the leftovers.

But Game Day calls for a more assertive strategy: yuca en escabeche (or, as my friends and family know and love it: yuca salad) is the clear winner for full flavor, honking big texture, great colors and the ability to stand up to spicy wings and ribs. It has the heft to defend against the beer and alcohol blitz of Super Bowl Sunday, but is not so exotic looking or smelling as to scare off cautious diners. And of course it makes for more interesting conversation amongst those who are only really there for the food and the commercials.

Yuca (Manihot esculenta) is a rough-skinned root vegetable native to Brazil. It is also known as cassava, manioc and mandioca. The bitter kind has a poison that native Americans from the Caribbean on down used to tip their hunting arrows with back in the day. We’re not serving that kind. In fact, I have never seen it (although that is exactly the type that gets made into bland tapioca – go figure). Up here we get the sweet kind that simply needs to be peeled and boiled to share its goodness (just don’t eat it raw).

I must confess I don’t even peel it myself usually. I buy it pre-peeled and tidily frozen in 1.5 lbs portions for $1.99. Then I can use it when I want (and believe me, peeling tropical tubers is enough of a pain that your purchases can go bad waiting for you to get motivated to do it). Before you dismiss the whole idea because you think your suburban supermarket chain won’t have it, please check the frozen food section/ask at customer service. I get my frozen yuca at Waldbaums here in suburban Long Island in a neighborhood not known for its Caribbean/South/Central American/or Indonesian population.

So, before I impart this recipe to you, let me say that it is my most-requested (This one is for you Jayne, Ashley and Vanessa). It is the one that I counted on to feed the hordes at my legendary barbecue birthday parties in Puerto Rico for 70+ hard-partying people. It is the one I bang together for any buffet, pot luck, or spontaneous dinner party for 14. It does not discriminate; yuca salad goes with chicken, meat, fish – pretty much anything you introduce it to. It requires little work, but works hard for you and makes you look very clever. I encourage you to give it a try this weekend for Super Bowl, ’cause it’s gonna make you look good.

Yuca en escabeche (Yuca Salad)

1.5 lb bag frozen yuca

3/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced in thin rounds

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs roasted red pepper, chopped (drained from a jar is fine)

1 Tbs capers

15 pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced into thick rings

(2 Tbs olive brine reserved)

1/3 Cup white vinegar

Bring 6 or 7 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and add yuca (you want the yuca covered completely). Reduce heat a bit, but keep the boil on for 30 minutes. The yuca should lose most of its chalky whiteness and darken to yellow. The pieces will start to split and you can help them along to check insides for doneness. When done, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool until handle-able

While the yuca cooks, heat the oil in a sauce pan until very liquid. Add onions and cook at medium high until wilted and becoming translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for five to ten minutes while you attend to the yuca.

The yuca will have a thick inner fibrous thread which must be removed (it will practically fall out by itself). Then slice the yuca into 1” by ½” slices (just like potatoes for potato salad) into a bowl. You will notice its density and starchiness! Add vinaigrette, mix well and serve. It can be kept in the fridge a few days, but must be brought to room temperature before serving.

An integral part of any Super Bowl strategy

The Super Bowl is only a game.

Super Bowl food, however, is serious business.

Guacamole is the bottom line of that business.

Guacamole (an appropriate linguistic blend of  the Spanish word for avocado: “aguacate” and “mole” or “milled/mashed”) is an integral part of the strategy of any self-respecting Super Bowl party, with avocado forming the base. I borrow this from Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition to give you an idea:

Avocado consumption during the Super Bowl has become the stuff of urban legend. Most of the statistics are probably exaggerated, but that’s not going to stop us from repeating them. Because one says Americans will consume about 50 million pounds of the fruit as they sit on their couches watching the game. A more graphic claim comes from the California Avocado Commission (which)… has been quoted saying the amount of guacamole that Americans will eat this Sunday is enough to cover a football field – end-zone to end-zone, waist deep.

And when it comes to guacamole, I am the one who should have several big, fat Super Bowl rings studding my stumpy-sturdy, more-useful-than-beautiful, hands. Any time I serve it, I win.

I do not care what is traditional, what is correct, what should be, how anyone else does it. My guacamole has always and will always rock. I am proud of it and everyone loves it.

So now that we have dispensed with any pretense at humility, I will give you my recipe, which is a more-or-less one that you should taste while making, because that is what I do. It never tastes exactly the same, but it always tastes good.

Natalia de Cuba Romero’s Legendary Guacamole

2-3-4 Hass (small black pebbly) avocadoes, purchased relatively hard, 3-4 days before the game and scrupulously monitored for a gentle give before cutting open*

3-4 generous and fragrant cloves garlic, peeled (minced superfine if you don’t have a garlic press. If you do have a garlic press, wait for instructions)

1 tsp ground cumin (at least)

¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (Key limes are the best, but not crucial; pre-squeezed from those plastic lime shaped containers is not an acceptable option)

¼ tsp salt

1 Cup nonfat plain yogurt

1-2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Handful grape tomatoes, halved, insides squeezed out haphazardly, then chopped

1 Tbs cilantro, finely chopped (unless you have some aversion to cilantro, which many people, remarkably enough, do)

Black pepper to sprinkle

Note: You really should have a garlic press for this.

Have a big bowl ready. Cut the avocado in half, remove pit and peel. Place in bowl. Press  (or add minced) garlic. Add cumin, salt, and some of the lime juice. Mash it to your liking (smooth or chunky). Add a couple of generous tablespoons of yogurt to taste (this is a stretching measure so you need to play with it and add as needed). Play with the spices a quarter tsp at a time and the lime a tsp at a time. When you like the flavor you have achieved, stir in the eggs and tomato. Et voila! The best guacamole ever. Serve with good tortilla chips (I like the blue corn ones, myself)

 *Do NOT wait till game day to buy your avocadoes because only the hard, unripe ones will be left. Buy several days ahead, let soften outside the fridge and if they give a LOT when you press, put them in the fridge immediately. The yogurt will save you if you don’t have enough soft or if you have too much brown flesh.

If using the Florida/Caribbean large, smooth-skinned variety, you may not need much yogurt, because they are more watery, not as dense.