Foodmomiac

Great Mexican Comfort Food: Baked Fideo

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I worked at the Food Network back in my early twenties. It was the early days of the network. Back when all of the hosts were trained chefs, the staff numbered about fifty, and all of the sets rotated on one tiny sound stage. It was a fun, fun job, and I got to meet some amazing people.

Two of my favorite hosts were the Two Hot Tamales. They were wonderful women, full of smiles and laughter, and the joy they got from their food and their friendship was infectious. Whenever I had the pleasure of being around these women, I was thrilled. It didn't hurt that all of their food was amazing. From the moistest tamales you've ever tasted to amazing homemade salsa, I loved all of it.

One of my favorite dishes in their repertoire was Baked Fideo. It's a cheap and easy meal that manages to taste both comforting and exotic, and when Michael and I were a poor young couple scraping by in New York, it was one of our regular dishes. For some reason, though, I hadn't made it in years. Tonight, though, I suddenly remembered this long lost dish, and quickly cooked up an amazing meal.

My version is slightly different from the one that Mary Sue and Susan made (they use fresh tomatoes and dried chipotles), but the spirit of it is the same. It's smokey and a bit spicy, and all together delicious.

Baked Fideo

1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped into eights
6 garlic cloves, cut in half
2 chipotles in adobo plus a teaspoon or two of the sauce (found in the Mexican aisle - these come in a small can - there are a few in the can, but you only want two)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
8 ounces angel hair pasta (I like buying the nests - they are easier to break up)
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
3/4 cup grated anejo cheese (this is hard to find - I usually substitute Parmigiano Reggiano)
sliced avocado and sour cream to garnish

Prehat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotles and water.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Break up the pasta into pieces and add it to the oil, stirring frequently. When the pasta is browned (again, stir a LOT so it doesn't burn), add the tomato sauce from the blender and the vegetable stock. Bring the entire mixture to a simmer, and then pour it into a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Turn the heat up to 400 degrees and bake the dish for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with sliced avocado and sour cream as garnish. Enjoy!

The rest of the corned beef recipe

For those of you making corned beef with me, here is the rest of the recipe:
(First part of the recipe is here.)

Remove the meat from the ziploc and soak it in cold water for a couple of hours, changing the water a few times to remove as much salt from the outside as possible. The meat has already absorbed a lot of salt, so the stuff on the outside is no longer necessary. Once the meat is done soaking, remove it from the water and pat it dry.

Put the meat in a large pot (I use my big Le Creuset) and cover it by 1/2 to 1 inch of water. If any scum comes up to the top of the water, just remove it with a spoon. Turn the heat on medium high and bring the water up to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat as low as possible, cover the pot, and let the meat simmer for about two to three hours. You want a skewer or sharp knife to be able to pierce the meat with no resistance whatsoever.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Remove the meat from the water, and place it on a large heat-proof platter (I usually just use a roasting pan). Pour about a cup of the water/broth over the meat, cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven.

OK, Now you are going to need seven to eight pounds of vegetables. You can choose any combination of the below (I have italicized the ones I am using tonight): 

Category One
Carrots
Rutabagas (small)
White turnips
New potatoes
Boiling onions

Category Two
Green cabbage, uncored
Parsnips
Brussels sprouts

Add the vegetables from category one to the pot and bring the broth back up to a boil. Then, turn the heat as low as possible, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes. They should have begun to soften at this point.

Then, add the vegetables from category two and bring the broth to a boil again. Then, turn the heat down once again, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes. At this point, all of the vegetables should be tender.

While the vegetables cook, remove the meat from the oven and cut it across the grain (so if the stripes in the meat are going vertically, you want to cut it horizontally - this is VERY important and will insure tender meat) into 1/4 inch slices. 

Arrange the vegetables and meat on a beautiful platter, moisten as needed with any of the broth, and serve! This tastes great with a variety of accompaniments. We use horseradish mixed with sour cream and mustard. 

Some Updates and Some Corned Beef

Wow, sorry to leave you all hanging.

• Short Ribs - As I suspected, the 1.5 hours of cooking that Bittman suggested were NOT enough for the short ribs. They were still tough. However, we ate them two days later after an additional 3-4 hours of cooking, and they were tender enough to eat with a spoon. The recipe is posted on this blog. A few notes: I used soy sauce, not fish sauce. Though my fish allergy is lessened GREATLY thanks to Yaelle (acumomma), I am still afraid to cook with fish. Also, do NOT ignore the instruction to drain off most of the fat. I did ignore that, and they were greasy (duh).
• On Sunday morning, I left for NY to attend a big event for my client, Quaker. I was able to sneak a quick brunch with my dad, step-mom and aunt, but then I headed up to Times Square to prepare for Monday morning's activities. After preparation, I again sneaked in some fun. Abby, one of my favorite people and an old friend from Vassar, met me at my hotel for dinner and a sleepover. I think she probably regretted the sleepover decision when my alarm went off at 5:45 am, but it was so good to see her! We even got to pose with the Quaker Man together!



• Following the Times Square event, I rode up to the Food Bank for New York City in the Bronx with Isabel from Alpha Mom, Anna from Mommy Poppins, Joanna from My Mom Shops, Emily from The Motherhood, Brian from Looky, Daddy! and Magda from Ask Moxie. We spent just over an hour sorting food and packing it for food pantries around the city. In that small period of time, we packed over 1,100 pounds of food which translates to 888 meals. I will for sure be doing this again in the future, and would encourage others to do the same. It's really simple to coordinate a food bank volunteer "party." Call your local food bank and ask them about group volunteer opportunities. Consider what a difference you can make if even one time per year you volunteer instead of going to book club or bunco. We are doing more blogger food bank volunteer efforts throughout the country on behalf of Quaker, so if you'd like to get involved, please email me. I can't promise that we'll have one in your city, but if we do, you are certainly welcome to join us.
• Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I started my corned beef yesterday. This will be the third time I do this. Using a recipe from Cooks Illustrated, I buy a plain brisket and then "corn" it for five to seven days in my refrigerator. At the end of that time period, I end up with the same corned beef you can buy at the store. The difference is that I made it myself, it doesn't contain salt peter, so it's not reddish in color, and it tastes AMAZING. Seriously, when you taste this corned beef, you'll have an a ha moment. Kind of like, "Wow, so THIS is what corned beef tastes like!??!" It's not too late for you to join me.
• • Go to a meat market (or Costco like I did), and buy a beef brisket that is between four and six pounds. It will look like this:

  

  • You'll also need kosher salt, black peppercorns, paprika, dried thyme, allspice and bay leaves. When you get home, trim the beef of all excess fat. Then, combine 1/2 cup of kosher salt, 1 Tb. cracked black peppercorns, 2-1/4 tsp. ground allspice, 1 Tb. dried thyme, 1.5 tsp. paprika and two crumbled bay leaves. Mix this together and set it aside. Stab the meat with a sharp fork 30 times on each side. Rub on the spice mix, put the meat in a large plastic ziploc bag and remove as much air as possible. It will look like this:

  

  • Then, you need to weight it down and put it in your refrigerator. Two years ago, I weighted it down like this:

  

  • This year, I have it weighted down with my heaviest cookbooks. You can even use bricks. Just make sure that there is significant weight on top of the meat.
  • The next few days are very easy. Flip the meat once a day. On March 17th, we'll finish this baby up, but if you are joining me, please be sure to email or comment, so I can link to all the finished products.

Trying to be creative with our weeknight meals

I've written before about my issues finding good quality meat while out shopping. The meats at our usual supermarket (Jewel-Osco) just don't look great a lot of the time, and their selection of organic meats is incredibly minimal. The meats at Costco are terrific, but I don't always want to get so MUCH meat all at once. PLUS, I need to get some meat every week, and I can't deal with a Costco trip every week. Trader Joe's has lots of organic meats at a great price, but I've had too many instances of TJ meats that have turned. We love, love, love the Paulina Meat Market, but they aren't open on Sundays, and that's when we shop.

So, Michael started doing some research, and he found a lot of people talking about a market called Treasure Island. This is a European-style market with a few locations in Chicago, but we had never been there. I'm not sure why. It has certainly been recommended to me. 

We finally made it to Treasure Island on Sunday and it was terrific. They had Boars' Head meats (which we love), lots of great ethnic foods and a fabulous meat department. I was most excited by the short ribs I bought, so when we got home, I sat with my cookbooks and tried to find a good recipe. 

I realized as I looked through the recipes that most of them required multiple hours of cooking. However, I already had a Sunday dinner planned (with not enough time or energy to make two at once). This meant that the short ribs had to become a weeknight meal, but I didn't want to use the crockpot. So... I got creative.

I found a Mark Bittman recipe for Anise-Scented Short Ribs that required multiple hours of cooking. Last night, after Michael and Dylie headed up to bed, I did the first part of the recipe. I browned the meat, removed it from the pot, and then sauteed onions and ginger in the fat. The rest of the ingredients were added (soy sauce, water, sugar, rice vinegar) and then I brought it all to a boil. According to the original recipe, I was then supposed to turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook it all for an hour. This was not happening at 10:30 pm. So, I covered the pot, threw it in the fridge and then pot it back on the stove after work today. Right now it's cooking away, but I'm feeling a little nervous. The meat doesn't seem to be falling off the bone yet. We still have half an hour, but not sure we'll get what we want. Stay tuned...

Moroccan Tempeh (and the start of some detoxing)

Detox Day One: Salad, Tempeh, Couscous
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

What a day, huh? I'm overjoyed that Obama is our new president, and as my dad said to me yesterday, overjoyed that I can once again feel pride in my country.

I'm also overjoyed that these parties that I worked so hard to organize (along with my tireless team - they ROCK) are over (and went amazingly well).

It's a good day.

It is also the start of me and Michael being a bit healthier. For at least one month (maybe three - we are debating), we are going to be really strict about our bodies. No alcohol, no junk food, more exercise. I'd love to do a REAL detox diet (no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no gluten), but I know my limits.

To start our detox off right, we ate our favorite vegetarian dinner; Moroccan Tempeh and couscous. I am shocked that I have never blogged this recipe, but after multiple google searches of my blog, I'm just not seeing it. And you guys need to have this recipe. It is so good. It's from some chef who was a guest star on the Food Network back when I worked there years ago. Over the years I've made some adaptations, and it is so, so good. Even the kids love it.

Moroccan Tempeh

1 pound tempeh (any variety, this is probably two packages)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tempeh into bite-sized pieces and steam for seven minutes. While it's steaming, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. When the tempeh is steamed, place it in one layer in a baking dish (lining the dish with tin foil will GREATLY improve your clean-up). Pour the liquid over the tempeh. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the liquid is at least halfway evaporated and the tempeh has a nice crust on it. Serve over couscous.

Winging it (Chorizo Kale Pasta)

Chorizo Kale Pasta
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

We were away all last weekend in Toledo, which was a lot of fun, but we didn't get home until late Sunday night. This translates to no groceries in the house. I DID get our au pair a Trader Joe's gift card, so that she could pick things up for the house while we're at work, but that seems to have translated from English to German into, "Hey, go buy as much mochi as you can find! Hurry! Fill the freezer with mochi!!" So... lots of Japanese ice cream. But, in terms of other food? Not so much. I take full blame for this. Sending an 18-year-old to the grocery store with no list is just not smart. So, anyway... we don't have much food.

Luckily, we did have some fun ingredients left over from last week's trip to the Farmer's Market, including kale and lamb chorizo. I decided to create a pasta dish. I minced one small onion and sauteed it in a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Then, I sliced up two links of the chorizo and added those, cooking them until they were nice and brown. I then added a couple of tablespoons of flour to create a roux. I poured in a box of chicken broth, added the cleaned and chopped kale, and covered the pan until the kale was steamed to perfection and the sauce was slightly thickened. (I stirred occasionally to help things along). While I made the sauce, I cooked the pasta. Once it was done, I drained it, added it to the sauce, and tossed the whole concoction with a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Yum - it was really good!

P.S. How is everyone doing with the shred? I've missed a few days, but I'm up to Level 3. Was not a huge fan of Level 2.

A Winning (Vegetarian) Recipe - Vegetable Curry!

Warning: this is a long story kept long.

On Saturday, Michael and I used our au pair for some morning babysitting (instead of the usual evening babysitting) so that we could buy me a new car. This was awesome in terms of the vehicle (Saturn Vue Hybrid), but sucky in terms of date night. In an effort to keep our Saturday night somewhat exciting, we decided to take the kids out for Korean BBQ. We have tried a few different Korean BBQ places since moving to Chicago, and they were fine. Just... fine. None of them held a candle to our favorite NY place; Kang Suh. Until now. I did a little bit of online research and came up with San Soo Gap San. It was amazing. We left reeking of charcoal smoke and raw garlic. Both kids were totally happy with their food, as were the adults. Four stars from me. A picture:

Anyway,it was great, but VERY meat heavy. We ate enough red meat to last a month. So, when it came to Sunday night dinner, we were meated out. I searched around online a bit and came up with this recipe for Vegetable Curry. I made changes OF COURSE, which are all incorporated below, but it was excellent. Everyone loved it, which is a rarity. And it was incredibly healthy. One more benefit is that it is a great use of autumn vegetables.

Vegetable Curry

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 can coconut milk
2/3 box of chicken broth (you can and probably should use vegetable broth - I just didn't have it on hand)
2 heaping tablespoons curry powder
4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into smallish cubes
1 handful of baby carrots, cut into small discs (you can use regular, but we always have the babies because of school lunches)
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into smallish florets
1 can chickpeas, drained
plain yogurt (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Add onions. Saute for about three minutes, or until softened. Add flour and combine well. Add coconut milk, broth and curry powder. Stir well to combine. Add veggies, turn heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice with plain yogurt as a garnish. (If you are vegan, leave out the yogurt, for obvious reasons.)

Fancy Mac & Cheese (with no-cook sauce!)

Hot enough for you guys out there? Chicago has actually been just beautiful this week, but I know that many of us in the US are sweltering in 90+ degrees weather. Ugh. Now that I have air conditioning, this doesn't affect my cooking like it once did (our Toledo home had no A/C), but slaving over a hot stove in the summer isn't much fun for anyone.

The solution? No-cook pasta sauces! There are many ways to do this (one of my favorites is to just chop up a bunch of fresh tomatoes, add garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil and enjoy!). However, the method I'm going to share here is by far my favorite (and most decadent).

The ingredients (this will serve 4 with leftovers):
One box pasta (penne or some other tubular shape is best)
One wedge brie (or a small round, but the wedge is easier)
Bunch of fresh basil, sliced chiffonade-style (stack leaves, roll up lengthwise, then cut into thin strips)
Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta al dente. While it's cooking, grab a big pasta bowl for the rest of your ingredients. Remove the white rind from the brie and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in the bowl along with the basil and tomatoes. Just before you drain the pasta, grab about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and dump it into the pasta bowl, on top of the other ingredients. Toss well, adding pasta water as necessary for great texture. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Me? Cooking? Whaddayaknow (Chicken Milanese and Pasta)

Chicken Milanese with Pasta
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

I know myself better than to promise anything, but today begins July's NaBloPoMo (posting every day in a month), and the topic is food. I gotta at least try, no?

Last night we had Chicken Milanese. I sliced chicken breasts very thinly, dredged them in egg and panko (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder) and then pan fried them in extra virgin olive oil. Once they were cooked, I popped them into the oven on low to keep them warm. Then, Dylan stepped up to help.

We grabbed a few leaves of basil from the garden along with some cherry tomatoes. These were all thrown into a wooden bowl with some capers and some baby arugula. She chopped everything up and then I added a bit of olive oil. No vinegar was needed due to the capers. I also threw in a bit of shredded cheese (an Italian blend that was lurking in the fridge).

The kids ate the chicken breasts plain. The adults topped them with the arugula mix for a delicious Milanese.

On the side, we had gemelli tossed with raw, chopped cherry tomatoes, black pepper, olive oil and chunks of fresh mozzarella. Such a nice summer meal.

Foodmomiac's Meatloaf

A friend of ours had surgery last week, so a bunch of us got together to make them some dinners. My friend Joni did an awesome job of insuring that the family was covered for dinner by a different person each night, and our night was Sunday.

I volunteered to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes (I did the cheesy kind) and a veggie (just some simple sauteed zucchini with minced onion and dill). I figured comfort food is always welcomed. It was really very easy to pull everything together, and I made two of everything, so we had our dinner ready to go as well.

I don't know why we don't eat meatloaf more often. It's easy. It freezes GREAT. The kids love it. I have some twists to my meatloaf, as you see below. Typically, I use white bread as the binding agent, but Michael asked me to use oatmeal yesterday instead, and I have to say I LOVED it. I'll never use white bread again.

Foodmomiac's Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
2 Tb. ketchup
1 Tb. yellow mustard
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tb. dehydrated minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tb. prepared horseradish

Combine everything together in a large bowl using your hands (This is the most important part. I honestly believe that it is impossible to make good meatloaf using a spoon.)

Place in a 9 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.