Rick Bayless Magic

One of the best things about my cooking group is the fact that it forces gives me the chance to push my culinary boundaries. Not only do I get to taste foods I wouldn't otherwise, but I cook them as well.

This month's theme was Rick Bayless recipes.
Unless you watch cooking shows as religiously as I do (or live in Chicago), you may not be familiar with  Rick. He's the authority on authentic Mexican cooking, author of several cookbooks (including Fiesta at Rick's, where most of these recipes came from) and owner of two award-winning restaurants. I had never cooked any of his recipes, which can get very detailed. But Kathy, our host for the evening did a great job picking some of his less complicated ones.

Vamos!


For a snack with our margaritas, there were chili and garlic salted peanuts. The spanish word for peanuts is cacahuetes, which is just fun to say. They were fun to eat too, with plenty of spice.

The classic guacamole got a sweet twist with some fresh mango.

There was a gorgeous heirloom tomato salad (last of the season) with tomatillos, husk cherries, avocado and cilantro vinaigrette.

Another appetizer was Camarones  a al Diabla or Devilish Shrimp for the unilingual among you...

My assignment was Rick's Classic Ceviche, which I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about.
 Not about the flavors, which I love. But about the raw fish "cooked" by lime juice. How does that even work? 

I shouldn't have even spent a moment over-thinking it. The ceviche was muy exquisito! 
Of course living on the coast, we have access to the freshest fish, which is the only kind you should use in this dish.
I used halibut. It would be wonderful with scallops too.
Don't hesitate to make this. It's a lovely, light starter and people will be impressed with the magic way the fish "cooks" itself.

Rick Bayless' Classic Ceviche


1 lb. fresh skinless halibut, snapper, bass or other white ocean fish fillets,
        cut into 1/2" dice

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juce

1/2 medium white onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces

2 medium tomatoes, chopped into 1/2" pieces

fresh hot green chiles (2-3 serranos or 1-2 jalapenos), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus a few leaves for garnish

1/3 cup pitted green olives (Manzanillo if available)

1-2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbps. fresh orange juice, or 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

sea salt

In a  1 1/2 quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. Use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely. Too little juice will result in unevenly "cooked" fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when broken open. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, olives, and olive oil. Stir in the fish and season with salt. Add the orange juice or sugar. Cover and refrigerate of not serving immediately.
Just before serving, gently stir in avocado.
The ceviche can be served in individual small dishes at the table, or in the large bowl as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

NOTE: Don't allow fish to marinate in lime juice too long, or it will be too tangy. And do not use the lime juice - it will be too fishy.

The main course was Grilled Rack of Lamb with a Honey Pasilla Sauce, with a side of Classic White Mexican Rice with Sweet Plantains. Earthy and delicious, but not photogenic.
Dessert was another kind of Bayless magic trick. It's called Impossible Cake.

See that layer of flan? It starts on the bottom and as the cake cooks, it somehow makes its way to the top. Pretty cool, huh? The science of that one has me stumped.
The bottom is chocolate and the caramel-y looking stuff on top is cajeta, goat's milk caramel.
Si senorita!  It's as good as it looks.

If you've never cooked anything of Rick Bayless' before, I urge you to give it a try. All his food is a little bit of magic.

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

September is truly the golden month in Maine.
Still warm enough for boating or biking during the day.
Cool enough for a campfire or a cup of hot tea in the evening.

The farmers' markets are still in full swing.
Berries have given way to apples and Brussels sprouts (yay!) are the new zucchini.
And how about these sweet little peppers? Soooo cute.

This week I branched out a bit and bought some tomatillos.

"Why?" you might ask.
Because I've always wanted to and never have. And because I've had this recipe hanging around for awhile and it seemed like the right time to give it a try.
I hope you do too. It's tangy, spicy and smoky. Plus it's an excellent accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish.
I wouldn't mind it with some good tortilla chips either.

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa inspired by Rachel Ray


1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and halved crosswise

1 small red onion, thickly sliced

1 fresh jalapeno, halved and seeded

1/2 tomato, preferably yellow, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatillos, onion and jalapeno halves with the vegetable oil and garlic. Season with salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill to high.
Remove vegetables from oil and grill until lightly charred. The tomatillos will cook much more quickly than the onion and jalapeno. Remove from the grill.
Chop all the vegetables and mix in a bowl with tomato, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and sugar.

Spice Cake: Now with More Zucchini!

Trying to adjust to the new back to school schedule has been...trying.
I am not a morning person.

Perhaps I became this way in an effort to avoid all the name-calling, door-slamming and other dramatics that went on in my childhood home before 7 am each day.
Whatever. I'll take that up in therapy next week.

But now that mini-Mignardise (aka the Bonus Baby, or child #3 who is quite a bit younger than her 2 older siblings) has started middle school, the bus picks her up at the ungodly hour of 6:45 am. That means she needs to be awakened by 6 am, which for me is practically the middle of the night. What do I do with myself after she leaves?

I could go back to sleep, an option I'll surely choose in the dead of winter.
I could drink more coffee and read two newspapers.
 I could write a blog post.
Or I could bake.

Leaving me plenty of time to nap in the afternoon.

Spiced Zucchini Cake adapted from My Baking Addiction

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsps. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom*

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup shredded zucchini, drained (place in a colander and press on zucchini with your hands to expel extra water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (or spray with cooking spray for baking) an 8x8 pan. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine flours, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to blend well.
In another bowl, mix sugars, oil, applesauce and eggs. Add to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Add zucchini and mix well.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

*If you don't have cardamom, don't worry. It'll be fine without it.

The cake would be delicious with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar, but to take it over the top, frost with...

Cream Cheese Frosting


6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature

3 Tbsps. butter, room temperature

4 Tbsps. pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and ginger with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and mix well. If you'd like it a little thinner, add a tablespoon of milk. If you prefer it thicker, increase the amount of confectioners' sugar.

Wicked Good Turkey Burgers and Corn Salad

Dear Readers,

Please excuse Mignardise's absence for the past ten days. She has been extremely busy getting her daughter back to college, feeding the football player and enjoying the waning days of an excellent Maine summer. She promises to turn her attention to blogging now.

Since I've been AWOL for the past ten days, today I bring you a two-fer.
You know, two recipes in one post.
Both are wicked easy and good-for-you. Especially if you're trying to get back on track after months of ice cream, friend clams and onion rings.
Who? Me?

A Really Good Turkey Burger


1 lb. ground turkey breast

3 oz. fresh baby spinach

3 scallions

1 egg white

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Place turkey in a medium bowl. Mix in egg white and Dijon mustard with a fork.
Place spinach and scallions in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until chopped finely. Mix into turkey, along with salt and pepper.
Divide mixture evenly into four patties. Grill until cooked through.
Serve on toasted buns.
I liked mine with a smear of Lemonaise. Or you could combine some light mayo (or lowfat yogurt) with lemon juice and parsley.

Fresh Corn Salad from The Barefoot Contessa


5 ears of corn, shucked

1/2 cup red onion, diced small

3 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for three minutes. Drain and immerse corn in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off, cutting as close to the cob as possible.
Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onion, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, mix in the basil. Taste for seasoning and serve cold or at room temperature.

Summer Produce-palooza Panic!: Maine Blueberry Cake

 Throughout the summer, I approach the farmers' markets each week with enthusiasm, excitement and anticipation.
 So much color and texture.
So much choice. So many possibilities.

Until there's not.
Suddenly it's September and now I visit the market with a bit of trepidation.
What if there aren't any more Sungolds?
Is this the last week for blackberries?
Will those baby zucchini still be here next time?

It was rough in early July when the local strawberries were done. Raspberries too - gone before I knew it.
It's a little like holding your child's hand. You never know when will be the last time.

So I'm in a bit of a panic. Especially about the blueberries. Those tiny Maine blueberries, that along with lobster and LL Bean are a symbol of all that's best and holy about our state.

I've been eating them every day on my cereal and in my yogurt. But for some reason I hadn't baked a single thing with them.
Until today. Which is pretty much the hottest day of the entire year.
But I couldn't wait any longer. Because you just never know.

This recipe is adapted from a wonderful blog I recently discovered called Baked in Maine. The cake has an extremely tender crumb, which is a nice contrast to the crunch of the streusel top.  And it's not at all stingy with the blueberries. I couldn't resist eating a piece warm from the oven.
Even if it is 93 degrees outside.

I made two 9x9 cakes from this recipe. You could do that or make one 9x13. Baked in Maine also suggests a bundt pan. I'm thinking of making this cake with chopped apples when the blueberries are all gone.

Maine Blueberry Cake adapted from Baked in Maine


3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsps. vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
(Can be found in the natural foods section of your grocer. Not regular whole wheat flour - it will be too heavy.)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps. baking soda

1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt

2 cups fresh or frozen Maine blueberries (or some other kind if that's what you can get)

Streusel:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup whole oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 Tbsps. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line your pan (or pans) with nonstick foil or spray with baking spray.
Make the streusel by mixing all ingredients together with a fork, until well blended.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer in a large bowl) cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Alternating these dry ingredients with the yogurt, mix into the batter. Beat one more minute.
Place berries in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. flour. Mix lightly so that all the berries are covered with flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your cake. Fold berries gently into batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans. You can layer the streusel with the batter, or put all the streusel on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. Check for doneness with a toothpick - it should come out of the cake with just a few crumbs attached.