“Creamy” Southwest Gazpacho

For some reason, I am obsessed with cool summer soups lately. I decided to try making the ultimate cool refreshing summer soup: Gazpacho! – with a southwest twist. Many cooks describe gazpacho as a  “liquid salad,” and  likewise mine could be labeled “liquid salsa.”

I decided to throw in an avocado to try for a “creamy” texture. It worked great and tasted smooth and delicious, but the color was very muddy. I added a small can of tomato paste for color. Result: creaminess with a deep red color! Perfecto!CREAMY SOUTHWEST GAZPACHO

4 large ripe tomatoes, core removed
2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, or more to taste
3 green onions, sliced
Juice and zest of one lime
2 tablespoons diced cilantro
1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled
1 can (4 ounces) tomato paste
A few dashes Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out seeds and gel. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon  by scraping down the center. Cut jalapeno in half lengthwise. If you want more heat, leave seeds and pulp in, but for flavor without heat remove seeds and pulp by scraping with a spoon down the center.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Garnish with chunks of avocado, cilantro or sliced green onions.

Other food bloggers do gazpachos:
White Gazpacho, Simply Recipes
Gazpacho con Tropazones, Delicious Days
Watermelon Gazpacho, Gluten Free Goddess
Refreshing Gazpacho, Bitchin Camaro
Mango Gazpacho, The Perfect Pantry
No Cook Recipe -Gazapcho, The Dabble
White Gazpacho, The Paupered Chef
Gazpacho, La Tartine Gourmande

– posted by Donna

Home-made Southwest Spiced Chips

I love those “gourmet” chips they sell at the grocery stores these days, but the problem is that for a little sprinkle of, say, chipotle powder, they charge you 2 or 3 times the price of regular old potato chips.

So, I decided to experiment with my own spiced chips.

This is so incredibly simple that you’ll be making your own spiced chips in no time!

THIS IS THE ENTIRE RECIPE. NO, REALLY: Spread potato chips on a baking sheet in a single layer. Heat in a 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until chips become oily. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with spice mix of choice.

Try one of our three FFF spice blends, or whip up your own. Chef Bobby Flay has a fabulous 16-spice blend, if you’re feeling ambitious. Or, just use a favorite spice from your pantry. I love just plain smoked paprika or cumin. Yum!

Happy Summer Everyone!

– posted by Donna

Some recipes are so unique that the taste, smell and texture stays with you forever. So it is with Chilled Avocado Soup and my celebration of  the 200th birthday of America in Guadalajara, Mexico. I was a foreign exchange student living with a Mexican family and attending the University of Guadalajara. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but on July 4th, 1976, a particularly notable bicentennial celebration, I was homesick. I was daydreaming of potato salad, barbecued chicken and strawberry shortcake. What the cook of the household set before me was a strange, pale green concoction in a bowl. I sat in stunned silence as she announced: “Sopa de Aguacate.”

When you are a guest in a foreign country, you do not refuse food. It is an insult to your hosts. I reluctantly dipped in my spoon and braced myself for something weird and inedible that must be choked down at any cost. Much to my astonishment, it was creamy, frothy, sweet and savory – one of the most delicious soups I have ever eaten still to this day. Now that I think about it, who doesn’t love avocados in any way, shape or form? And folks have touted the creamy green flesh as having almost magical powers:  keeping you thin, protecting your vision and even curing cancer!

I recreated the food memory recently, fearing that I would be disappointed, since almost all recreated dishes pale in comparison to a powerful food memory. Much to my surprise, this soup was even more delicious than that of my memory. I used just a hint of freshly grated nutmeg – not enough to actually taste the nutmeg on its own, but just a hint of something intriguing added to give depth. I also used Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, which I am sure our Guadalajara cook used.

This refreshing cool and frothy summer soup is a snap to make in your blender and the taste and texture are amazing . Put this soup on your “100 Things to Eat Before I Die” list!

“Feasting is also closely related to memory. We eat certain things in a particular way in order to remember who we are. Why else would you eat grits in Madison, New Jersey?”
Jeff Smith, ‘The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast’

GUADALAJARA CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP

Serves 6 as a first course; Total time 20 minutes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 large ripe Haas avocados
8 ounces low fat plain Greek yogurt
2 cans (14 ounces each) vegetable broth (I used Swanson’s)
Juice of 1 lime
A little freshly grated nutmeg, as desired
Salt and white pepper to taste

In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the diced onion in the butter for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned. Add in garlic and cook another minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place the onion mixture in a blender with all remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Chill. Garnish with diced avocado, tomato and cucumber, as desired.

– posted by Donna

Who says guacamole is the one and only southwest chip dip?

When I was having some people over a few days ago, I decided I needed a dip to go with my enchiladas. But. No avocados.  =Sigh=

When I searched the pantry, I had lots of canned black beans and one can of garbanzo beans, both protein powerhouses and so yummy, but could they be yummy together? Answer: Most definitely!

The cumin and chipotle powders are fabulous together, the raw garlic adds a very nice mild bite, and the garbanzo and black beans are a perfect texture pair. I LOVE this dip, and will make it again and again. Especially when I run out of avocados!

BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

2 cans (14ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika
Handful of cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Process all ingredients in food processor until very smooth. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for flavors to blend.

Other fabulous black bean dips:
Spicy Black Bean Dip, Food Blogga
Black Bean Dip, Perfect Pantry
Hot Black Bean and Corn Dip, Delish
Healthy Black Bean Dip, Dishing up Delights
Black Bean Dip, Fearless Kitchen
Jalapeno Black Bean Dip, Noble Pig

– posted by Donna

I’m always looking for a new mocktail recipe to serve poolside during the summer.  After all, you can only drink so many diet sodas or lemonades . For some reason, I can’t get the lime sherbet punch served at summer weddings out of my mind. You know the punch I’m talking about.  Just about everyone from the local Church Lady to Paula Deen has a recipe for it.  We don’t have a lot of weddings in the summer here in Phoenix (like we always say, “If the wedding can’t wait  until October, it’s not really love.”)   So, it looks like I’m going to have to make it myself.  The only problem is… I forgot to invite  two hundred of my closest friends over to swim today.

The best part of this drink is the little lumps of half frozen sherbet that float on the top of the punch and leave a “got lime?” mustache with every sip.  It’s hard to keep that semi-frozen state for very long, so I decided to prep all of the ingredients separately and mix the drinks in individual servings,  like a bartender might do.

First, I scooped the lime sherbet into small balls with a two ounce ice cream scoop and returned them to the freezer.  Then I set up a “bar” area on the patio with all the shakers, jiggers and glasses we would need.  I put the chilled ginger ale, chilled pineapple-orange juice and sherbet scoops into an ice chest with ice packs and brought them out just as the fun was about to start.

The drinks were a big hit.  Preparing them separately made sure that the last drink was as frozen as the first.  You can let your family and friends try their hand at mixing their own drink.

Lime Sherbet Mocktail

serves 10

20 oz lime sherbet, scooped into 2 oz scoops

20 oz ginger ale or 7up

10 0z pineapple juice or pineapple-orange juice blend

2 limes, sliced

Put 1 scoop of lime sherbet into shaker.  Add 2 oz of ginger ale or 7up (use a jigger to measure).  Add 1 0z of pineapple juice.  Shake until just mixed. The sherbet should still have lumps.  Pour into a chilled 5 to 6 oz glass.  Garnish with a slice of lime.

Here are some other drinks that look good your summer party:

Tropical Pineapple Coconut Banana Smoothie- Baking Bites

Sparkling Ginger and Lime Cooler-Steamy Kitchen

Pomegranate Cooler- ecurry

Grilled Chicken with Mesa Grill's 16-Spice Rub

This recipe is a fabulous way to grill up some chicken breasts or pretty much any other grillable cut of meat. It’s also a fabulous way for me to reminisce.

You see, last weekend two of my best friends and I got away for our annual (ok, it’s usually only semi-annual) Girls’ Weekend. This time we chose fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada a.k.a. Lost Wages, Nevada. We each picked an activity. Lisa picked Donny and Marie. June picked The Blue Man Group. I, of course, picked Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. So, soooooooo fabulous.

Chef Flay says he prefers rubs to marinades for meat because they add so much more flavor. So, I came home and made up a batch of Chef Flay’s 16-Spice Rub to keep on hand for summer grilling and to bring that fabulous Mesa Grill flavor back to my taste buds. This spice rub adds a ton of flavor without overpowering your meat. I have a batch stashed in my pantry. I hope it lasts the whole summer, cause it’s going fast.

Bobby Flay’s 16-Spice Rub

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons chile powder ( I used chipotle)
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons coriander
3 tablespoons ground ginger
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onions powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon allspice
1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine and store in an airtight container for up to six months. (If it lasts that long!)

Other unique spice rubs by food bloggers:
Chocolate Spice Rub, Tasty Kitchen
Jerry’s Texas Spice Rub, Cooking by the Seat of My Pants
Five Spice Rubs, Andrea’s Recipes

– posted by Donna

I know what you’re thinking,  ”Crepe recipes?  On a Southwest food blog?” That’s what I thought.  Until I tasted fajita steak and chipotle chicken wrapped up in a crispy crepe, that is.

We found a great little restaurant in Irvine, California last month called the Crepe Maker. The menu is built around a basic crepe recipe filled with just about anything you can imagine.  Savory, sweet, Southwest, Italian, they have it all.  My husband was skeptical, to say the least.  ”Crepes aren’t really food.  Are they?”

These crepes certainly are!  I have never had a crepe like this.  The crepes I have eaten are usually small and soft… delicate little things.  The crepes at Crepe Maker are large and crispy!  Think pizza sized.  They are folded in half and rolled into a cone shape in order to hold such hearty ingredients as fajita steak, marinated chicken and even Tex-Mex combos with corn and black beans.  My favorite crepe turned out to be the one I tried on a whim.  It has marinated chicken, melted cheddar cheese, tomatoes, spinach, walnuts and… wait for it… raspberry jam!  It was delicious!  The raspberry jam added tartness and just a little sweet to the dish.  The jam melted slightly in the warm crepe and spread itself around on the spinach greens.  I’ve been craving the crepes ever since we returned home.

The cooks at the Crepe Maker shared their tips for making the perfect crepe.  So, get  your filling and your crepe batter ready and cook along.

1.  Consistency.  The batter should be a thin pancake like batter so that it will spread evenly but, it should still have body and not be too runny.

2.  The biggest tip is to spread the crepe batter evenly so that it will brown evenly and crisp up without patches of uncooked batter.  A crepe maker machine is used but, the cooks said they make crepes at home in a regular saute pan and they turn out just as well.  If you don’t have one of these “spreaders,” just roll the batter around the pan and pour off the excess before the crepes brown.

3.  Use an “off set” spatula that is long enough to fit under the entire crepe so the crepe can be flipped without tearing.

4.  Make sure that the crepe browns evenly on both sides so that it will get crispy and be strong enough to hold the  fillings.

5.  Fold the crepe in half while still in the pan so that your warm ingredients will stay warm and cheese will melt to the crepe.

6.  Work quickly when adding the fillings so that the crepe will not over cook or dry out.

7.  Roll the crepe into a cone shape around the filling while the crepe is warm and can still be shaped without cracking.

8.  Don’t forget to make extra crepes to fill with carmel and fresh fruit for a low-fat dessert.

Here is a good basic crepe recipe to experiment with.  You can always add things like chives to the batter.

Basic Crepes

1 cup milk

1/2 cup lukewarm water

4 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick melted butter

Vegetable oil for pan

Pour milk, water and eggs into a blender.  Pulse a few times.  Add flour and salt.  Cover and pulse a few times again.  Add melted butter and blend for one to two minutes.  Scrape down the sides if necessary and pulse.

Rest batter in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Brush the cooking surface with oil.  Follow the directions above.  If you are using a large saute pan, pour a circle of batter into the middle of the pan and swirl the batter around to coat the bottom of the pan and pour excess back into the bowl of batter.  Proceed as above.

Use your favorite fajita or chile marinated steak to fill the crepes or try some of these ideas-

Fillet Asada with Greens and Cranberry, Pecan Salad- Everday Southwest in Southwest Flair Magazine

Succulent Achiote- Orange Carnitas Recipe- Black Girl Chef’s  Whites

Pulled Chicken Tacos- Guilty Kitchen

- posted by Sandy

I have come up with my very own fabulous frugal food tip!  I made a pesto recipe out of a wilted spinach salad.  I think it is a rather brilliant way to stretch the delicious spinach salad recipe with strawberries, goat cheese and candied walnuts into another dish.   Bruschetta!

I was so disappointed when I went to the refrigerator to get some left over salad for lunch and realized that I had dressed all of the spinach the night before and now, it was wilted.  The spinach, goat cheese and strawberry combo from the day before (don’t forget the walnuts) sounded so good to me that I just had to figure out a way to finish them off.  I decided that if pesto is made by just chopping up basil and smothering it in oil anyway, why not start out with spinach that was dressed in olive oil already?

It worked out really well and the little bit of balsamic vinegar from the original vinaigrette gave the pesto a tiny bit of sweetness and just a little tang.  I stretched the remaining goat cheese, strawberries and walnuts by putting them on a sliced baguette and drizzling them with the pesto.

The thing to watch for when using the “all ready been dressed” spinach is, of coarse, the type of dressing used in the first place.  I can’t quite picture pesto made with ranch or thousand island dressing.  Also, taste for salt and garlic levels as you go along; you might want to hold back on some of these ingredients to start out. You can always add more if needed.

Wilted Spinach Salad Pesto

2 1/2 cups leftover spinach greens

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked

1/2 to 2/3 cups olive oil

1/2 pint strawberries

3 oz creamy goat cheese

1/2 baguette

Put spinach, garlic, walnuts, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times.  Drizzle olive oil into food processor while pulsing until you reach the desired consistency.

Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and toast lightly.  Top baguette slices with quartered strawberries and goat cheese.  Drizzle with pesto.

I love to make pesto with unusual ingredients.  It’s a great way to top sandwiches, pastas or cheesy dips.  I’m inspired by these creative pestos:

Artichoke and Hazelnut Pesto Spread- Cookin’ Canuck

Roasted Squash with Coriander Pesto-Fuss Free Cooking

Frugal version of Mario Batali’s Brocoli Rabe Pesto- Fab Frugal Food

Delicious Ramp Pesto-Sarah’s Cucina Bella

posted by Sandy

Ahhhhh – Mexican Chorizo. It is one of those foods that – when it’s good – can be heavenly, but . . . when it’s bad, it can be a greasy and nasty nightmare. So, I thought, how about making it at home so I could control the ingredients?

Mexican style chorizo is made from ground pork, vinegar and spices.  I decided not to bother with trying to put it into casings because I always wind up removing the casings and using it like ground beef in recipes anyway.

First I did some research.

The Homesick Texan posts a fabulous chorizo with pork, vinegar, chiles and spices. Thank goodness HT agrees with me to skip the casings! The Spicie Foodie made a chorizo with less heat. Diane at The Whole Gang adds tequila to her chorizo! Wow! Must try this next time.  Menu in Progress makes an Oaxacan style chorizo with five different chile powders.

And, the King of Mexican Cuisine himself, Rick Bayless, adds pork, pork fat, chiles, spices and garlic to his Chorizo Toluqueño in his book Authentic Mexican. He recommends refrigerating for 2 days before using.

Many of the recipes call for using a meat grinder, but, seriously, who has a meat grinder these days?  I found that pulsing the pork in my food processor works just as well.

Chorizo is surprisingly easy to make and is very lean, depending on the cut of pork you use. I had to add oil to my pan to cook it because it was so very lean. And, I loved the flavor of my homemade version. So delicious. I have some stashed in my freezer right now for our next leisurely breakfast with chorizo and eggs!

EVERYDAY SOUTHWEST CHORIZO

1 pound pork, visible fat removed (I used center cut loin chops), cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon each: sugar, ground oregano, salt
1 tablespoon cumin
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until very fine chunks, similar to ground beef. Refrigerate mixture for at least 2 days before using. Use as you would ground beef.

–posted by Donna

Apparently, I didn’t do that great of a job shopping before I went into the hospital for knee surgery.  I found a strange collection of ingredients in the fridge when I got home: left over pizza, dried out chicken nuggets and really smelly chinese food.  All signs that my family survived any way they could… by eating take-out.  The big bag of salad greens I purchased is still sitting there, looking a little sad.  I must have been under the influence of pre-surgery medication when I bought it.   I had these images of my  husband sitting around, munching on salad and marveling at its crisp, summery, freshness while I was in the hospital eating reconstituted beef bullion and rubberized pork chops.

However, there is a big patch of really fresh strawberries in the fridge that wasn’t there before.  He probably picked them up at the grocery store on one of his “emergency runs” for ice cream (the evidence is in the trash can).  So, I mixed the strawberries and bag of greens with creamy goat cheese from the fridge (every Southwest cook has goat cheese in the fridge) and candied walnuts from the pantry for a fresh summery salad that made me feel so happy to be home.

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Walnuts

Serves 4

4 to 6 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette

1 pint fresh strawberries

8 oz goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel, but you can use your favorite)

1 cup candied walnuts (recipe follows)

Method-

Rinse spinach and spin or pat dry.  Remove stems from strawberries and cut into quarters.  Toss spinach and strawberries with vinaigrette a tablespoon or two at a time so that it doesn’t become “over dressed”.

Plate the spinach and strawberries.  Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the salad and sprinkle with the candied walnuts.

Candied Walnuts

This is the recipe I used to candy the walnuts.  I like it because the walnuts turn out crunchy with a lightly sweet taste, but not too sticky like many of the recipes that caramelize the nuts.  It is also a good way to use left over egg whites.

2 1/2 cups walnuts

1 large egg white, beaten by hand

1/4 cup granulated sugar or super fine sugar (not powdered sugar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method-

Toss the walnuts in the beaten egg white.

Add the salt to the sugar and mix well with a fork.  Sprinkle sugar mixture over the walnuts and stir until evenly coated.

Spread walnuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Separate the nuts as well as you can.

Bake for about 30 minutes.  Every oven is different, so be sure to check them sooner.  Nuts burn easily.

Remove from oven and lift the parchment paper off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack to allow the nuts to cool.

I’ve been searching the web for other things to do with goat cheese and have put these recipes on my “wish list.”

David Lebowitz’s Goat Cheese Custard Recipe with Strawberries in Red Wine Syrup

Love and Olive Oil’s Fried Goat Cheese and Strawberry Salad

Good Bite’s Goat Cheese Tart by Kat Odell

                                                                                                                                                                                  -posted by Sandy