Summer Eggplant Parmigiana

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: June 17, 2014

The first days of summer are arriving in Texas, and with them an incredible vegetable abundance.
This weekend eggplants at the Farmer’s Market grabbed my attention in such a way that I bought too many!… That’s the the way my crave of cooking works, with my eyes. I’m a very visual person and I believe good, healthy, fresh vegetables have to look good and smell good. Being visually inspired at the farmers market helps me create and translate my cravings into recipes. When I saw these eggplants I immediately thought of eggplant parmigiana. I love eggplant parmigiana, although to be honest sometimes the delicate eggplant flavor gets lost in the breading, frying , melted cheese, and marinara sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love all these components, but maybe in Autumn or winter…

With this memory of flavors in mind, I started to think of how could I transform a classic into a more simple and Summery version. I came up with this Summery eggplant parmigiana recipe. A lighter version in which instead of breading and frying the eggplant I cut them lengthwise and roast them in the oven. Eggplants when roasted this way, develop a buttery flavor almost like a vegetable custard contained in it’s own skin. That’s why Im skipping the melted cheese on these recipe. Believe me you have to try them, you will be enjoying the delicate eggplant flavor. To add texture and contrast to this custard I added a combination of panko bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If you have a gluten allergy these can easily be replaced with ground pecans,or almonds instead of panko breadcrumbs which it will be equally or even more delicious.

Instead of the warm marinara sauce, I made a warm tomato salad with a garlic oil dressing combining the first sweetest cherry and sun gold tomatoes of the tomato season. These little tomato marbles are incredibly flavorful, I never feel like cook them I almost eat them like grapes, as a snack in the afternoon. That’s one of the reasons this simple warm salad enhance their great qualities.

This summer eggplant parmigiana version will warm your heart. It is easy to make, light, and comforting.

Welcome to the summer, and enjoy!

Summer Eggplant Parmigiana

Serves 4

2 large eggplants
1-2 glugs of grape seed oil
sea salt and Black pepper

For the topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated.
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.
fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
A pinch of red flake peppers (optional)

For the warm tomato salad:

2 cups of a combination of cherry and sun gold tomatoes.
2-3 sprigs of fresh Basil
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
3 tablespoons Seasoned Rice Vinegar.
(Rice Vinegar goes so well with the sweetness of the tomatoes. Since this little tomatoes are so sweet, you need to balance the acidity , and the seasoned rice vinegar pairs fantastic , bringing all the notes together, sweet, salty and tangy.)
salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

Preparation method:

1. Preheat the oven 450F/ 230C
2. Cut the eggplants length wise and score them with a pairing knife.Rub the eggplants with some olive oil or grape seed oil, season them with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast them for about 15-18 minutes.

4. Mean time, in a bowl combine the Panko bread crumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper until well combined and the mixture resembles moist sand. Set a side.
5. Start making the warm tomato salad, by cutting the cherry and sun gold tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on size. Chifonade the basil. Combine them in a bowl, toss them with the rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
6. In a small pot add the extra virgin olive oil along with the thinly sliced garlic and using the lowest possible heat on the stove, start warming up the oil. This will infuse the oil with the garlic and the thin slices of garlics will start turning golden brown.

7. Check your Eggplant, take out of the oven top each half with a generous amount of the panko mixture. Place them into the oven for another 5 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

8. Mean time check your garlic and olive oil. Once the eggplants come out of the oven, remove the warm oil from the stove and add this to the cherry and sun gold tomato salad toss well.
The warm oil will gently warm up the tomatoes,the garlic chips will add flavor and aroma to the tomato salad it is a fantastic!

9. Once your eggplants are ready out of the oven transfer them onto a platter, and top with the warm tomato salad, grate a little extra Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Welcome the Summer!

Music Pairing: Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Summertime

http://youtu.be/lnXLVTi_m_M

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Sir Kensington’s Spicy Brown Mustard Cheestaches

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: June 12, 2014

Not too long ago, roaming around whole foods supermarket aisles, I discovered on the shelves the magical Sir Kensington’s ketchup. Looking at me rom the wide mouth glass jar I noticed Sir Kensington’s top hat personality and I fell in love with his aristocratic moustache. That was my very first impression. But the man behind the monocle had way more to offer than just an attractive moustache. As I grabbed the jar and started to read the label my jaw just dropped, Non- GMO, 50% less sugar, 33%less sodium, and a short list of ingredients in which whole tomatoes take the first place ingredient. I was totally in love.

You all know my love affair with tomatoes, so you must know what this discovery meant to me. In my opinion this is the best ketchup I’ve had. Shortly after I discovered the whole condiment collection, mayo, chipotle mayo, spicy ketchup and their recent addition “The” Sir Kensington’s Spicy Brown Mustard. I’ve tried them all. You should, too. Period.

A condiment revolution is here! With all natural ingredients, this spicy brown mustard already has a place in the Mustard Museum with a silver medal on the 2014 world-wide competition. The distinctive spicy mustard flavor has a hint of maple syrup. I have smothered it on everything. I decided to come up with a recipe that enhanced the mustard flavor, and a tribute to Sir Kensington’s Moustache.

This is how this recipe was born. These cheese straws are the ‘piped’ kind you can squeeze from a piping bag or a cookie gun. Not to be confused with the twisted puff-pastry kind. These buttery, cheesy, crumbly, savory cheestaches have a spicy brown mustard kick!

Mild cheddar pairs fantastically with this spicy brown mustard. This easy and fun to make recipe has five ingredients and the result are this cheesy and spicy, utterly delicious moustaches. Most anyone with a love for creamy cheddar cheese and spicy brown mustard will appreciate a treat like this. This fun snack is a great treat to pamper your Dad on Father’s Day. Even if your Dad does not have a mustache!

Apple juice, a cold glass of beer or a cold iced tea will be the perfect match for this Cheestaches on a summer afternoon. Top notch!
Enjoy!

Sir Kensington’s Spicy Brown Mustard Cheestaches

Makes 24 cheestaches

4 oz mild cheddar shredded and at room temperature
4 oz (1stick) unsalted butter room temperature
1 heaping Tablespoon of Sir Kensington’s Brown Spicy Mustard
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1+1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour.

1 medium 12” piping bag
Metal decorating tip # 32 available at any craft store.
1 cookie sheet, parchment paper.

Preparation Method

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter for about 4-5 minutes until the butter looks lighter color.
2. Add the shredded cheddar cheese mix for another 3-4 minutes. until you just see small speckles of cheese and the butter is fluffy and looks whipped.
3. Stop mixer, add the spicy brown mustard, cayenne and salt. Mix until combined. 1-2 minutes.
4. Stop the mixer and add the flour in two stages, mixing on medium low until well incorporated.
5. Mix on medium high for 2 minutes. the batter should look like a paste. (if the dough is to stiff, add a bit more mustard and bout a tablespoon more of butter. whip.)

6. Prepare the piping bag, follow instructions below.

7.Line a Baking sheet with parchment paper, a silpad or reusable-parchment, mi favorite!; place the mustache stencil under the parchment.
I made a mustache stencil you can print for easy piping, you can look it up, down load it our Yes, more please! Facebook page click here to get it!
Not in the mood of mustaches?.. pipe 3”- 4” stripes and bake for about 12 minutes.

8. Now the fun begins!…Pipe the cheese- mustaches follow the instructions on the picture below, but first take a quick look on my easy way to handle a piping bag.

9. Once you pipe the mustaches place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 15- 25 minutes.
10. Preheat your oven at 350 F.
11. Bake cheese straws for 12-14 minutes, until the tips and base of the mustaches start looking golden brown on the edges.
12. Remove from oven, let them cool on the cooking tray for 4-5 minutes on the tray. Then with the help of a flat spatula transfer them to a cooling rack.

13. This cheese mustaches can be dipped on a bit extra of spicy brown mustard if desired for more kick. But to tell you the truth they are great as they are!..and they taste fantastic the day after.

Serve with a nice cold glass of beer or Iced Tea. Enjoy!

This recipe post was sponsored by Sir Kensington’s brand condiments and the mustard used was furnished by the good folks at Sir Kensington’s.

Thank you much!

Music Pairing: If You’ve Only Got a Moustache

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Grilled Cauliflower with Garlic + Cumin Rub

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: June 7, 2014

Chef Dan Barber was the creator of the famous Cauliflower steak. His original recipe uses the whole cauliflower head. He slices two thick cauliflower wedges and sears them in a cast iron pan until the cauliflower is caramelized but al dente. He cooks the rest of the cauliflower florets in milk to make a smooth and light mash. He serves the cauliflower steak over the light cauliflower mash. The contrast in textures and different cooking methods is what makes this dish outstanding.
Cauliflower to the square; a brilliant idea.

Chef Dan’s cauliflower approach inspired me to create this recipe. Instead of contrast in textures, I wanted a contrast in flavors but chose a spice that enhanced the grilled cauliflower. With Dan’s premise of simplicity in mind, I made a four ingredient paste as a rub with garlic, cumin seeds, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I wish you could off been here with me when I was pressing the garlic and cumin seeds in the mortar, the smell was insanely good. I must confess that prior this recipe I was not fond of cumin seed flavor and using cumin was totally out of my comfort zone.This recipe gave me a different outlook about it.

I rubbed two cauliflower steaks and the rest of the loose florets with this pasty rub and grilled them. When the cauliflower was grilling the aromas were insanely good: smokey, lemony cumin and garlic. It’s a savory aroma that squeezes your tongue from behind. I just can say that I am converted now. These two flavors work together so well that I see lots of cauliflower in my near feature…
Enjoy!

Grilled Cauliflower with Garlic + Cumin Rub

Serves 2 as main dish, 4 if served as a side dish.

1 Medium fresh Cauliflower head.

For the rub:

2 teaspoons cumin seeds slightly toasted.
3 medium garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sea salt. (I used grey sea salt)
1/3 – ½ cup extra virgin Olive oil.

Serve with:

Tangy Bulgarian yogurt
Grilled pita bread
Sprigs of cilantro
Fresh cracked black pepper.

Grill and natural Charcoal.

Preparation method:

1. In a small skillet over low heat, toast the cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes.
2. Using a small mortar, place the toasted cumin seeds, garlic cloves and sea salt. Start smashing these ingredients with the pestle, until it looks like a paste.
3. At this point start adding the extra virgin olive oil little a the time, and keep mixing and smashing until each oil addition is incorporated.
4. With a silicone brush rub both sides of the cauliflower slices and the florets.
5. Fire up your grill.
6. Grill the Cauliflower steaks for about 4-5 minutes per side. They should look charred and with a fork check the center core for doneness.
7. Remove from grill and serve warm with some grilled pita bread, Bulgarian yogurt, fresh cilantro, a bit of fresh black pepper and a squeeze of lemon if desired. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

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Grilled Nopalitos and Red Bell Pepper Salad

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: June 4, 2014

Have you ever had Nopalitos? Nopalitos are traditionally used in Mexican cuisine, they are part of the cactus family, there are more species than you want to know about. The word “Nopal” comes from the Nahuatl word meaning “pads” refers to the plant shape. They are a great source of Vitamin C, minerals like magnesium, manganese, calcium,and also a great source of fiber. Besids their delicious and nutritious qualities, recent research studies have shown a positive effect on glycemic index which could be useful and a great value to add to your diet when managing diabetes or to include on your weight loss diet.

Anyhow, what you really need to know about Nopalitos and what I want to share with you is how delicious they are when prepared in a right simple manner.

Nopalitos have a bad reputation among vegetables because of their slimy and viscous flesh. However there are different ways to prepare them and a couple of tricks to avoid the slimy culinary disaster.

Like any other vegetable, Nopalitos can be boiled, steamed, sautéd, grilled or eaten raw, and there is a trick for each one of these cooking methods. Just to mention one of these tricks briefly, boiling nopalitos is the most common of all methods. When boiling Nopalitos, the trick to it is to add 4-6 tomatillo husks along with a piece of onion, a small bunch of cilantro and some sea salt in a pot of simmering water. The tomatillo husks will avoid the slimy matter. Simmer them in a pot over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until they change of color. Turn the heat down, and let them cool. Strain and rinse thoroughly. Combine the nopalitos with a good amount of Pico de Gallo salsa, toss and they are ready to serve. As you can see, with a little effort you can make the fastest salad of them all!

This kind of Nopalito salsa/salad is ideal to have as a side dish. You can make tacos, sprinkle some queso fresco, and even cook some of this left over salad with scrambled eggs, to prepare nopalitos egg breakfast tacos. OMG I just gave you another recipe! hehehe…

My favorite way to eat nopalitos it’s grilled. The char gives them a great flavor, firm texture and reduces the slimy texture almost to zero when you grill them. Therefore it’s one of my favorite ways of cooking them. Nopalitos when grilled, make the best tasting salad. This is definitely one of my personal favorite Mexican dishes, so simple and full of great flavors.

This Grilled Nopalitos and Red Bell Pepper Salad, combines simple ingredients and a crisp and tangy simple vinaigrette. As easy as it sounds it’s a great summer dish. This salad can be served as a side dish to accompany any grilled meat or fish. It can be made into vegetable medley tacos or as a vegetable complement over rice, quinoa, or whole black beans.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and give yourself the opportunity to try something new. Nopalitos salad has been in Mexican cuisine for a long time and it is too delicious to be ignored.

Give nopalitos a chance!

I would love to hear back from your culinary adventures. Remember to check our music pairings, if you are in need to shimmy while you grill…Enjoy!

Grilled Nopalitos and Red Bell Pepper Salad.

Serves 4… or 2 hungry Vegetarian Mexicans!

5-6 Nopalito pads, cleaned and thorn removed.*
1 large red bell pepper
3 small shallots or 1 small white onion thinly sliced.
1 small bunch cilantro (leaves only)
1 serrano pepper no-seeds finely chopped (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup Orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons grape seed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds.
2 sprigs of fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dry mexican oregano.
1 teaspoon sea salt.
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

Garnish with:

Toasted sesame seeds.
¼ cup Cotija cheese crumbled.

*Nowadays it’s very easy to find fresh Nopalitos that have been cleaned and de-thorned. If you are lucky enough to have your very own nopalito cactus plant, gear up! Use thick leather gardener gloves, a pair of tongs, and a sharp fillet knife to shave the thorns off. Rinse and wash thoroughly. Now it’s ready to use!
If you live here in Texas this type of Cactus Plant is very common to find in the prairie. Have a culinary adventure!
Tip: when choosing wild nopalitos: you will want to pick the medium-small size, deep green, about 1/4 inch thin or less. They look tender and have plump edges with no dry spots.These are the best tasting nopalitos and tender when cooked.

Preparation Method:

1.Wash and with a pairing knife gently score your clean nopalitos.
2.Prepare your vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients on a bowl and whisk.

3. Fire up your grill. Grill Nopalitos and red bell pepper. Grill both sides until cooked and charred.
Nopalitos turn color from bright green to a olive green when cooked. Be sure to blister them. This will add so much flavor to the salad.

4. Slice your grilled Nopalitos into ¾” ribbon strips, slice your grilled bell peppers into a thinner strips.

5. On a platter toss all ingredients and drizzle the vinaigrette. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and/or some Cotija cheese crumbled. Serve room temperature.

Special Thanks to my Aunt Paloma, who sent us this beautiful hand painted clay platter

from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. XoXo

Best, Ian & Mariana.

Music Pairing: John Lennon – Give Peace a Chance

http://youtu.be/RkZC7sqImaM

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Vegan-mato a Vegetable Cocktail

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: May 30, 2014

Need some veggies in your life? Let’s veg-out!, I mean Veg-in, Vegan-mato is a vegetable cocktail that delivers a fun way to drink and eat your vegetables. Let’s throw a party in a glass!
Sometimes you just need something that boost your inner health and some vegetable motivation in liquid form is the way to go. Not sure what to do with left overs veggies of the week? juice it up!
This Vegan-mato is waiting for you, perfect summer power drink, made with fresh vegetables, all natural, extremely flavorful and fun to make.

It can’t be easier than to throw all the veggies on a food processor, season, squeeze some lime juice, sea salt, a little hot sauce kick, some ice, a straw and some extra veggies to munch and crunch.

This Vegetable-non alcoholic cocktail is one of the best ways to drink you veggies.

Have a great weekend…Enjoy!

Do you need an umbrella to go with this cocktail? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
Check our music gallery for our music-recipe pairings…

Vegan-mato a Vegetable Cocktail

Serves 2 large mugs or 4 short glasses.

4 Roma tomatoes
3 large carrots
1 medium orange peeled
2-3 small cucumbers
1 spinach handful
2 large celery stalks including the leafy tops (celery leafy tops are a great source of magnesium do not waste them! Drink them, include them on your salads.)
1 sprig of parsley
1 green onion
2 inches of fresh ginger

Season with:

the juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch of celery salt
2 pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of spicy brown mustard
2, 3, 4 dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Garnish with:

2 bamboo skewers
Celery stalks
Martini Olives, jumbo pepper stuffed olives or Jalapeno stuffed olives.
Pickles
Fresh cucumber wedges
Cherry tomatoes
Radishes and chopped capers

Some extra sea salt and a half of lime to cover the rim of the mug.

Note: It is very important to me to make emphasis on how important it is to buy organic produce when juicing. Flavor, nutritional value is superb when organic vegetables are used; believe me you don’t want to be drinking pesticides. Please take this in consideration…

Directions:

1. Chill your Mugs, by placing them on the freezer.
2. Wash and cut the hard ends of vegetables.
3. With the help of an electric juicer, juice all your vegetables first and add the orange last. The juicy orange will help to clean up all bits of vegetable flavor on your juicer.
4. To this juice, add the soy sauce, sea salt, pepper, spicy brown mustard, a few dashes of hot sauce, and the juice of two limes. WHISK!!! until well combined. Taste to adjust the flavor.

5. Make your vegetable skewers, using what ever you prefer for garnish, cherry tomatoes, radishes,caper-berries, olives, pickles the limit is your imagination.
6. Take the mugs out of the freezer, rub some lemon on the rim and dip it in salt. Add lots of ice.
7. Add your celery stalk, a garnish skewer, a straw, umbrella, sandals, a sunny porch and some great music check our music pairings here!

Cooking music Pairing: Guardians of the Galaxy- Awesome Mix Vol. 1

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Grilled whole Red Snapper + Mint Lime Serrano Pesto

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: May 21, 2014

What a weekend we had of great cooking adventures!; On Sunday we visited one great Korean market here in Austin, recommended by my good friend Andrea. It was lots of fun. We found great ingredients and an awesome little food court with the most incredible Dolsot Bibimbap and the location of the Kin and Comfort . The menu looks divine, peppered beef tongue?, taro hush puppies!, mac and cheese with curry, coconut cabbage slaw… we have homework, but well that is a whole different episode, this post is all about the fish.

Our mission was to find a great whole fish to grill. And as soon as we entered the fish market area there he was waiting for us; a handsome fresh whole Red Snapper with gorgeous eyes looking at me. Sold! I saw it and I knew it was going to be great.

Now, how do you pick a good looking fish? I will share with you my must have fish shopping list. When I’m choosing whole fresh fish it must be odorless, must have plump clear shiny eyes, scales on, bright red gills, flesh that springs back and a perky tale. If the fish is missing one of these… I will be having pork chops instead. How big of a fish you should buy? If you go by weight, a whole Red Snapper wild yield in meat almost half of the weight. This weight tip is a good point of reference to consider, when you are buying whole fish. We bought a 2 Lb. fish and it was good for two people.(in fact, the fish turned out so good that maybe next time I will get a 3 pounder for sure!) At the market, the fish monger cleaned our fish, removed scales, and butterflied it for us. It was clean and ready to cook when we arrived home.

Ian is the fire master at our house so he lit up the charcoal, while I was preparing the pesto. Red Snapper has great flavor and white flaky flesh. It is a little bony but if you follow the flesh grain it is easy to eat whole. For the preparation of this baby, I went for light fresh herbs to go with the freshness of the fish. I grabbed some mint, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, and a little serrano to add some kick and brighten up the flavor. The pumpkin seeds gave a nutty note and body to the pesto. this pesto paired perfect with the charred-grilled fish flavor.

Now, let’s talk about grilling. The grilling style that is close to my heart I inherited from an Argentinian chef, Francis Mallmann. I had the opportunity to meet him at a book signing here in Austin where I was helping to host his Seven Fires book presentation. I was amused by his premise about grilling. For Chef Mallmann it’s all about developing char. Char adds character and flavor to meats, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit when grilled. I remember the first time we grilled following instructions from his book, and we were thinking all along we had burnt the dinner, and when we tried those charred vegetables it changed our grilling perspective. So since then, when we grill we use his technique.

For fish like Red Snapper when it’s grilled, it develops a delicious crusty salty and slightly fatty flavor, charred areas add deep of flavor and character to the fish it’s just utterly delicious. If you never have had a whole grilled fish you are missing big time flavor, and a great cooking adventure from your cooking repertoire, I betcha 100% you’ll love fish even more after this recipe. Enjoy!

Grilled Whole Red Snapper + Mint Lime Pesto

Serves 2, recipe can easily be double or tripled if needed.

1 whole Red Snapper 2lbs. approximately.
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1-2 extra virgin olive oil glugs
Sea salt & Pepper to taste.

Serve with: Red quinoa, rice or couscous. Vegetables of your affection. In this case I grilled red onions, red tomatoes, broccolini, and cucumber slices, dressed with lime salt and pepper.

Natural charcoal
A large grill fish basket, with wood handle.
It is so easy to use one of these baskets and also is prevents your fish from sticking to the gill. You can flip it in a more secure manner with out tearing it apart and it cooks evenly and its safer to handle, a great inexpensive grill gear investment.

Mint Lime Serrano Pesto

1 packed cup fresh mint leaves or mexican hierba buena leaves
(about a medium size mint bunch will yield a packed cup of leaves)
1 small serrano or jalapeno if you prefer.
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons salted toasted pumpkin seeds
the juice of two limes
the zest of one lime
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt

Preparation Method:

1. First prepare the Pesto. Place every pesto ingredient in an immersion blender glass or food processor until pureed. The consistency should be like a loose paste. If too pasty add a bit more extra virgin olive oil and an extra squeeze of lime. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
2. Prepare your fish. Rinse and wash your fish really well. With a paper towel path dry your fish inside out. With a knife make some slits on the skin of your fish so it cooks evenly.(See picture below)
3. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the pesto in the fish cavity, add some lime slices, and mint sprigs

4. Oil your fish basket with a bit of olive oil. Place the whole fish into the fish basket. Make sure to secure the lock.

5. Light up your charcoal. I always prefer to use natural charcoal because it adds great flavor to the grilling and it avoids the use of chemicals that in my opinion when used transfer an odd flavor to the food. The easiest way I found to start the natural charcoal is by using a charcoal chimney.
6. Once your charcoal is hot and ashed over place the fish on the grill. It will take about 6-7 minutes per side to cook depending on the size of your fish. For a salt water fish like red snapper thermometer should read between 110-120F when cooked.

7. Serve with vegetables of your affection, we grilled red onions, tomatoes, and broccolini.
Serve over tricolor quinoa. Drizzle more pesto on the fish when plated an extra squeeze of lime or lemon, eat with abandon…

Eat good, enjoy the ride!

Cooking Music Pairing: Ultra Lounge- Bossanova Ville

https://youtu.be/UmrnOGvaTKI

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Strawberry Empanadas

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: May 16, 2014

The Empanada is a classic pastry in Mexico. We inherited these pastry pockets of goodness from the Galician people of Spain. If we backtrack to the empanada’s middle eastern cousins ,the samosas, we can trace their origins all the way to Persia. They have been around for a quite while. The common denominator of these pastries is a piece of dough that wraps in a half-moon pocket with any kind of filling; sweet to savory, meats, vegetables, fish, cheese, nuts, fruits, you name it! Your craving and the sky are your limit on this one.

What makes a good empanada? Is it the filling or the dough? Its like asking what was first the egg? or the chicken?…For me its all about the dough. If you have a great dough recipe even the humblest filling will shine.

This recipe is all about the dough and a very humble strawberry compote filling.

I woke up dreaming about these strawberry empanadas. Yes, I had the empanada voice in my head but my conscious belly did not want to have to deal with the caloric remorse. So I re-vamped my old recipe to make it a bit more nutritious. Its a recipe I’ve used for a long time. I adapted it, made it my own and it never fails, it always turns out great and it’s easy to make. What makes it different from other recipes is that I replaced the water and leavening with white wine. Yes, you heard it well or shall I say read it clearly. WINE in my dough! any wine left overs?… Why wine? Well the wine acts as the leavening and gives the dough a smooth and pleasant flavor, tender crumb and bit of sweetness. No worries about alcohol content please. Once you bake these babies the alcohol is gone leaving the great flavor on the dough. *sight*

The original recipe calls for lard, which with the years I’ve changed to butter. For this recipe in an effort to not use lard or any other heavy-duty fat I decided to replace the butter with coconut oil, a plant-based fat. This might seem like a fad, but I’m on a mission to demystify this trend. I’ve used it in a couple of recipes, with great success and flavor. So if the healthy bonus come along that’s even greater! Also I’ve substituted half of the white un-bleached flour for oatmeal flour.

The results are delicious. The empanadas are light and flavorful, easy to digest, with no caloric remorse, and best of all an oatmeal empanada can technically be a breakfast of champions! Hehehe.

For the filling I used strawberries, honey and lemon to make a simple strawberry compote. Three perfect natural flavors in harmony.

And for the final touch some sea salt flakes on the crust. Oh my when you take a bite of these babies its heaven. They have a light crust, not too sweet, and the sea salt flakes add tons of attitude, they brighten up the strawberry filling and balance the sweet flavor. This recipe is a winner and I truly believe You are gonna love them. I would love to hear back from you if you make them, shoot us some comments do not forget to share…Enjoy!

Other empanada fillings: peach & ginger, apples, strawberry and peanut butter, raspberry, mangos, pineapple! Or any savory flavor will work too…strawberry & peanut butter wha?!

Strawberry Empanadas

Makes 12 empanadas, recipe can easily be doubled for a bigger yield.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 good dash of kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup coconut oil Organic Coconut Oil Pure Extra Virgin
½ cup white wine ...almost any kind will work, left over wine? Great!.. with the exception of a very dry and mineral-rich wine (Those flavor notes will be a bit harsh on the dough flavor.)

For the strawberry compote:

2 cups diced strawberries
the zest of one lemon
the juice of half a lemon
a pinch of salt.
¼ cup honey
¼ -1/3 cup turbinado sugar, upon how sweet or tart your strawberries are, start with ¼, taste, and add more if needed.

Top with:

Sea salt flakes
Oat flakes
1 egg + 1 teaspoon water for egg wash.

Preparation method:

Making the dough:

1. Combine dry ingredients, whisk.
2. Add coconut oil in solid form mix using your fingers until the flour resembles coarse sand.
3. Add egg yolk and mix.
4. Add white wine little by little and mix with your hands until well incorporated and you form a ball.
5. Knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes until smooth.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

While the dough is resting, make the strawberry compote:

In a small non reactive pot (stainless steel preferable) combine diced strawberries, turbinado sugar, honey, lemon zest lemon juice. Mix well until sugar is dissolved by the strawberry juices.
Over medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Attend at all times, you don’t want a sugary foam all over your stove!. Remove from burner set a side and cool.

Making the empanadas:

1. Roll the dough into a large circle, start by shaping the dough into a disk, flour the surface and with your rolling pin start rolling from the center out. rotate your dough 90 degrees every time you roll to keep the dough into a circle . /this rolling and rotating allow you to keep the dough from sticking to the surface, and to keep it at an even thickness. You want to stop rolling until your dough is about 1/8 of an inch thick. (see picture below)

2. Cut 4” circles (I used a bowl with a thin edge for better results use a pastry or cookie cutter)

3.Egg wash the perimeter, place a little less than a tablespoon of strawberry compote on the center of the dough and fold the circle in half making a half-moon.
4. Slightly press the edges to seal the empanada, place on a floured surface and with the help of a fork press all the edge to seal it.
5. Place them as you go on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpad for best results.Proceed with the rest of the dough until you have about 12 empanadas.
6. With the same fork prick all the empanadas in the center so steam can get off as they bake and avoid leaks. ~Sometimes leaks happen ands thats ok; keep calm and carry on because they still taste delicious!~
8. With a pastry brush apply egg wash and sprinkle some sea salt and oat flakes. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.

9.Remove out of the oven and let them sit for a minute or two, transfer to a cooling rack, before you eat them all!!!

Eat a warm one with a small glass of milk…

and remember to share!

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Deviled Shrimp Camarones a la Diabla

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: May 10, 2014

Calling all the brave spicy souls! Are you there? … If you are one of them, keep reading because your ride to spicy heaven is here. Deviled Shrimp Camarones a la Diabla!
Why “a La Diabla” well because this recipe is *SPICY*, as in ~shzsshzzsshz~ that noise that your mouth makes when your mouth salivates, when your tongue tingle and sweats and you have rosy checks and almost start cursing HELL YES! Spicy shrimp It is a pleasurable torture… are you still with me?

This is a classic Mexican seafood dish. Where does it come from? Nobody knows. I’ve been Mexican all my life ~hehe~ and I do not know the origin of this dish. Go figure!. What I do know is that you can find Camarones a La Diabla on any menu of a seafront restaurant all along the coastal perimeter of the Mexican Republic. There are some rumors about the origin of this recipe comes from Sinaloa but it’s not unanimously agreed upon. Anyway, we Mexicans love any kind of spicy pledge.

In this recipe you are your own executioner as we say in Mexico. You “punish yourself” with the amount of spiciness you add. This recipe is for brave people, unless you want to end up eating tomato garlic sauce. Be brave-Be bold.

I balanced the spice by adding some orange juice to give a citrus background note and a more pleasurable spicy flavor. If you follow the recipe as it is written you will end up with spicy shrimp that makes you want more without being overwhelmed in fire. (I am brave, but I don’t want Ian to have a spicy comma, he almost has a Mexican palette when it comes to spicy foods…but still there’s some homework to do).

This recipe is one of my Mom’s favorite ~hi Mom!~ thinking of her wishing she was here on Mothers Day, sending her all the visual and shrimp love I can. This is for you Yoli!

She is one of the bravest women I know, I admire her and love her dearly. And oh my! spicy as she can be!..And sometimes like all Moms, a pleasurable torture!
I just love you so much shorty! Thank you for being such an awesome Lady, Happy Mother’s Day to all the spicy Moms out there.

Thinking of you Yoli…Enjoy!

Deviled Shrimp Camarones a la Diabla

Serves 4 spicy brave souls

2 lbs. Medium size Shrimp. I used Gulf shrimp, skin off, tale on and deveined.
6 tablespoons of butter
1 good glug of extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white onion finely diced
8-10 garlic cloves finely chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
1/2- ¾ cup freshly squeeze orange juice (approx 1 large juicy sweet orange, if your orange is to sweet, please add 1 teaspoon of white or rice vinegar)
1 teaspoon orange zest.
½ cup Cholula sauce
¼ cup Valentina or Huichol hot sauce
2 chiles chipotles in adobo sauce pureed
(you can buy the 2 oz little cans they work great for this recipe)
Salt and black pepper to taste.

* If you are not feeling so brave, reduce the Cholula sauce by half, omit the Valentina hot sauce, and use just one chipotle.

For the Garlic- Butter Rice:

White garlic rice
Serves 4 or 2 sailors.

1 cup white rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 glug of extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves cut in halves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken stock or water

Preparation method:

In a medium size pot over medium heat melt butter and oil, add the rice, garlic cloves and bay leaf.
Stir constantly until the rice is to slightly toasted, (it will turn off white slightly golden) see picture below.

Add the 2 cups of water. Cover the pot with a lid until the water rich to a rolling boil.
At this point-set the temperature to low with the lid on. (my advise for good rice, do not look at it do not stir it, do not keep poking it or removing the lid. Rice is a lonely cooker. He likes to bloom in private. So set your timer at 20 minutes and go and peel the shrimp… hehehe)

* 25 min. later…Check your rice. Has the timer gone of? When it does just taste a little bit for doneness and make sure all the water has evaporated. If not give it 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the rice covered on the stove to keep it warm. Once you are ready to serve it, with a fork, please fluff the rice. It makes it airy and light…

Let’s talk about shrimp…

Skin on or skin of /head on head of.. that’s the dilemma!…
Is totally up to you! You are in charge of this decision. It’s up to which mood are you and flavor profile. Head on is a delicacy! makes the sauce a bit creamier and intense sea flavor. Also and most important, the shrimp skins add tons off flavor to the sauce.With this said, not a lot of people likes this shrimp intensity and the heads can be a bit intimidating, those big black shrimpy eyes looking at you, bring the sun glasses please!…In my opinion, I find skin on is fun and messy, a whole different adventure. But again my friend, you decide on your mood an make your call.

This time I choose skin off and head off (since this recipe is thinking of you mom, I know this is the way you like them!)…so while my rice is cooking I started by peeling the shrimp.
I leave the tales on they look so good and devein them with a little pairing knife run it onto the back of the shrimp and remove the black vein under the running water.

Cooking the shrimp:

1. In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat melt the butter, add a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Once the butter is bubbling add the finely chopped onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until a bit translucent.
Add shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they start to curl but still look a bit translucent. At this point take out the shrimp into a bowl, set a side.

2.At this point you will have some butter, olive oil, garlic, onions and some shrimp juices in the pot. Add the tomato paste cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the Orange juice, the zest and all the chilli sauces. Mix until well combined. Cook for 3-4 minutes, adjust for salt and black pepper. Taste for acidity. If is to sweet add a bit of vinegar. If is to spicy you are on the right track. this is the moment to adjust the sauce.

3. Add the shrimp to the sauce, until well combined and toss and cook for another 2-3 minutes. It really does not take longer for shrimp to cook, you do not want over cook, pasty, grainy shrimp…yikes!, so watch out!.

I which you could smell this … insanely good, butter, garlic, spices, uff!

(Where are you Mom???!!!)

Time to Eat!, serve a generous amount of rice and your shrimp a la diabla on the side with

enough sauce to cover them, a green salad with a simple dressed with lemon salt and olive oil.

Be brave ~Shhz ha, Sshz ha shhzzha~ Enjoy!

Cooking Music Paring: Peggy Lee-Fever

https://youtu.be/X7_k_0dKknA

Deviled Shrimp Camarones a la Diabla

www.yes-moreplease.com

A dreamy spicy shrimp, serve with fluffy garlic rice, and a green refreshing salad.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 little devils

Ingredients

2 lbs. medium size Shrimp, I used Gulf shrimp, skin off, tale on and deveined.
6 tablespoons Butter
1 glug Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup white onion, diced
8 large garlic cloves, finely choped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup Cholula hot sauce*
1/4 cup Valentina or Huichol hot sauce
2 chiles chipotles in adobo sauce pureed, you can buy the 2 oz little cans they work great for this recipe
1/2 -3/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice, about 1 large juicy orange, if your orange is too sweet add 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
1 teaspoon orange zezt
1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper, to taste

For the garlic-butter-rice:

1 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2-4 large garlic cloves, cut in halves
1 medium bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken stock, or water

Instructions

Prepare the Rice:
1. In a medium size pot over medium heat melt butter and oil, add the rice, garlic cloves and bay leaf. Stir constantly until the rice is to slightly toasted, it will turn off white slightly golden.
2. Add the 2 cups of water. Cover the pot with a lid until the water rich to a rolling boil. At this point-set the temperature to low with the lid on. (my advise for good rice, do not look at it do not stir it, do not keep poking it or removing the lid. Rice is a lonely cooker. He likes to bloom in private. So set your timer at 20 minutes and go and peel the shrimp… hehehe)
* 25 min. later…Check your rice. Has the timer gone of? When it does just taste a little bit for doneness and make sure all the water has evaporated. If not give it 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the rice covered on the stove to keep it warm. Once you are ready to serve it, with a fork, please fluff the rice. It makes it airy and light…
Cooking the shrimp:
1. In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat melt the butter, add a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Once the butter is bubbling add the finely chopped onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until a bit translucent.
2. Add shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they start to curl but still look a bit translucent. At this point take out the shrimp into a bowl, set a side.
3. At this point you will have some butter, olive oil, garlic, onions and some shrimp juices in the pot. Add the tomato paste cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the Orange juice, the zest and the chilli sauce. Mix until well combined. Cook for 3-4 minutes, adjust for salt and black pepper. Taste for acidity. If is to sweet add a bit of vinegar. If is to spicy you are on the right track. this is the moment to adjust the sauce.
4. Add the shrimp to the sauce, until well combined and toss and cook for another 2-3 minutes. It really does not take longer for shrimp to cook, you do not want over cook, pasty, grainy shrimp…yikes, so watch out!. Enjoy!

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