Chicken Sopes

Sopes, or gorditas, are miniature fried corn-dough bowls filled with beans and sauce and topped with cheese. There are many variations that you can create. One of my favorites is chicken sopes. A few time saving tips are: use canned or boxed low-sodium chicken stock instead of making your own; buy pre-cooked chicken (such as rotisserie); use canned re-fried beans and; buy pre-made sopes at your grocery store or your local Latin-American food store.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALSITA

• 1 large tomato or 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 quarter of a red onion
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 1 small jalapeno, or serrano or güerito chile
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt & peper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. oregano

Add the first five ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Peel the skins from the tomatoes.

In a food processor, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and the chile (optional). Process until smooth. Add the salt and pepper to taste and the oregano. If it's too chunky, add some of the chicken stock until you get a soupy consistency. Place the salsita in a small bowl and set aside.

SOPES

1 bag of pre-cooked sopes

Corn or Vegetable oil, for frying

1 can refried beans

2 cups fully cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 Lettuce or cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 cup red onion, diced and marinated with the juice of 2 limes + pinch salt for 15 minutes

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

4 oz. Cotija cheese or Romano or Parmesan if you can't find cotija

1 avocado, cut into wedges (optional)

1. Add about 1 to 1-1/2 inch of corn or vegetable oil into a large fying pan and set on medium-high. When bubbly, add two or three sopes at a time and fry them for about 2 minutes per side or per package directions. Remove and let them drain over paper towels.
2. In another pan, add your refried beans and heat them up.
3. To assemble: Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of refried beans inside the sope. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded chicken (or more if you prefer), then top with marinated red onion, tomatoes shredded lettuce or cabbage, cheese and generously pour some salsita with a spoon over each sope. Top each sope with avocados, if using.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Sometimes I have really weird cravings at unusual times. Like the time I craved salmon sashimi in the middle of the night; or milk even though I'm VERY lactose intolerant! I had a mad V8 craving the other night and so we had canned tomato soup. Truthfully, the soup was too salty and it didn't impress me at all. So, in my ever good food quest, I found this recipe for homemade tomato soup. Once you try this delightful version of tomato soup with just a hint of citrus and the perfume of basil, you'll swear off canned tomato soup for good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 18 ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered
• Heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded Monterey Jack or salami as toppings (optional)

1. Using a heavy saucepan set over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil, stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Stir in orange zest and tomatoes and continue to cook over medium heat stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and rendered much of their liquid.
3. Puree soup in batches using either a food processor or blender. Then strain the mixture through a food mill or medium mesh sieve placed over a clean saucepan, discard remaining peel and seeds.
4. Reheat soup mixture gently over medium-low heat, season with salt and pepper. Add heavy or light cream to taste (anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups or until you achieve the consistency and flavor you desire.) If you're lactose intolerant, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead. Season to taste.
5. Just before serving (about 1-2 minutes before) add fresh basil, torn into small pieces to the soup and/or your toppings, if using.

Lazy Fascist Hot Dog

My brother's friend, Kevin Griffey, called Attorney General Alberto Gonzales "a lazy fascist" yesterday. Kevin, a.k.a. the crazy San Diegan guy, was in Washington, DC protesting to the Bush administration's eavesdropping program. Since everyone is writing a story about this disruption on the papers here, here and here, I decided to write a recipe about it. I'm calling it the Lazy Fascist Hot Dog or el perro caliente huevon y fascista. And just like the Bush Administration, this hot dog is full of pork, fat and it will break your heart--literally. **If you have high cholesterol, do not try this at home, aight?**

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz. ground pork
• 1 hot dog
• 2 slice of bacon
• 2 slices of American cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 large sub or steak roll
• Salt and pepper
• A six pack of Budweiser

1. Heat your grill.
2. Wrap your winnie in the two slices of bacon. Place it on the grill and grill it until the bacon is crispy and cooked through. Remove from grill and set aside.
3. Form the ground meat into a large rectagular patty, long enough so that your winnie dog can fit in it. Place it in a shallow bowl.
4. Add the beaten eggs over the meat, then some salt and pepper and let it soak for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Put the two slices of cheese on the egg-soaked pork patty then put the bacon-wrapped hot dog over it and wrap it up. This step takes a lot of concentration. Put the bacon-covered hotdog on the cheese, brace it with a spatcula, and start wrapping. The easiest way to do it is to just flip the meat over then press it all together with your hands, and roll it around on the plate.
6. Cook it on the grill, about 20 minutes. You want it to cook through and the cheese will ooze out.
7. Toast your bread roll and when ready, add the lazy fascist hot dog on it and enjoy with a tall, cool Budweiser. Heck, I'd have seconds.

Provençal Sandwiches with Grilled Vegetables

I know there's a lot of steps to this recipe, but it actually is really fast. Total time is about 35 minutes. This is a great meal to try if you have a lot of veggies in your house and don't know what to do with them. The bread is very important, too. We used rosemary bread from Costco that we cut into thick slices. Olive or country bread work well too. My husband made this meal for us last night and it was incredible!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 red bell pepper or use half a 12-ounce jar of roasted bell peppers instead of roasting and peeling your own.
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 1 small bulb fennel, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
• 4 slices Italian or country bread, 1/2 inch thick
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons store-bought pesto

1. Set your grill to medium-high for indirect grilling.
2. Rub the pepper with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Place the pepper on the grill, turning occasionally, until the skin blackens and blisters, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Using a paring knife, remove the core from the top of each tomato and make a shallow X in the bottom. Place foil over the grill and add the tomatoes. Grill until they become soft, about 15 minutes.
4. Place the zucchini and fennel on the grill and brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sprinkle with salt. Grill until tender, about 5 minutes per side for the zucchini and 10 minutes per side for the fennel.
5. Once all your veggies are nice and grilled, set aside and let cool.
6. Transfer the red bell pepper to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds from the pepper and discard. Cut the pepper lengthwise into 8 slices; set aside.
7. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and cut them about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside.
8. Remove the tough cores from the fennels and set aside.
9. To assemble: Place the bread on a work surface. Brush each side with the remaining olive oil. Layer the veggies in the following order onto each slice: sliced fennel, tomato, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Cut 1/4" slices of goat cheese and top each sandwich with a few slices.
10. Place each open faced sandwich on the grill and grill until the bread is golden brown and the goat cheese browns a little, 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle each sandwich with the pesto.

Quick and Easy Hors d'oeuvres

Whew! Talk about a busy weekend. Not only did I participate in this year's Qualcomm's Rock-n-Bowl charity event on Friday night with my fellow "GNS Alley Cats", I also attended my cousins Cheer-Off on Saturday morning. And, by the way, her team won first place for Junior Varsity cheerleaders! Way to go, Fernanda!

That same Saturday, my friend Isabel got married and I was asked to provide the hors d'oeuvres. This was a wedding of about 56 people. My sister-in-law, Lindsey, also made a delicious hors d'oeuvre. On the menu we had Caprese Sticks which is a very simple little bite but everyone loved it--actually ALL of the hors d'oeuvres were gone in less than 40 minutes! I also made proscuitto e melone, basically cantaloupe and honeydew melon wrapped in proscuitto di parma. I have to thank my husband because he helped me in all the prep work, too. Finally, Lindsey made crostini with slices of blue cheese and drizzled honey over it. All three hors d'oeuvres were simple, but quite delicious. You can find the recipes for Caprese Sticks and Proscuitto e Melone here.

Crostini & Blue Cheese

• 1 Baguette, sliced into 1/4" rounds - about 40 slices
• 1/2 lb. Danish Blue Cheese (or Roquefort Blue Cheese)
• Honey

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, place your blue cheese in the freezer (15 to 30 minutes).
3. In a baking sheet, arrange all the slices of bread and toast them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You want them to be toasty and golden brown. Removed from oven and let them cool.
4. To assemble: Arrange the crostini in a platter. Remove the blue cheese from the freezer and slice it into 1/8" slices. Place a slice of blue cheese over each crostini. By the time you are done arranging them, the cheese should be thawed out.
5. Drizzle honey over each crostini and watch your hors d'oeuvre dissapear!

Crab and Shrimp Quiche

Sometimes on Sunday mornings my husband and I pay a visit to the Kensington Cafe and I always end up ordering the same thing: Quiche Lorraine. The cafe probably has one of the best quiche's I've had and I decided to give this wonderful dish a try.

Making a quiche from scratch is an art form: There are three parts to the recipe, all of which you have to make, prepare or pre-bake. Then there is the patience portion because baking a quiche takes almost an hour, not counting all the prep beforehand. But, just like an artist, the outcome is a beautiful (and tasty) piece of art.

Step 1: Make the pastry dough

• 2 cups flour
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp Ice Water

1. Whisk the flour and salt in a glass bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and butter to the well.
2. Knead the flour into the butter while slowly adding the water.
3. Form the pastry into a ball and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut dough in half. **You can freeze the other half for up to two weeks.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll out one piece of the dough to 10 to 11" diameter (or large enough to fit over your glass pie pan). Place the dough over a greased 9" glass pie plate. Cut any overhang.
5. Cover the pie shell with aluminum foil or wax paper and place some beans or rice on top to keep it from puffing up.
6. Partially bake it at 350F for 15 min. Remove the foil and bake for 5 to10 more minutes or until very light golden color.

Leave the oven on at 350F.

Step 2: The Seafood Filling

• 1 lb Crab (use Dungeness, if possible)
• 1/2 lb Shrimp
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 stalk Broccoli
• 6 Mushrooms
• 1 large Shallot
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1/8 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1. In a very large stock pot, cook the crab and shrimp in unsalted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked. Let it cool then peel. Set aside.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the garlic and shallots in olive oil for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and broccoli and sauté for 5 more minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water to steam up the broccoli.
3. Add the peeled crab and shrimp into the sautéed broccoli and mushroom mixture and toss to coat for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let it cool slightly.

Step 3. The Egg Filling

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 4 large Eggs
• 1/3 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1/3 cup Swiss Cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/8 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 green onion stalk, chopped

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside for a moment.

1. To assemble: Fill the pre-cooked pie shell with the Crab-Shrimp-Broccoli mixture.
2. Pour in the egg filling.
3. Bake in the oven at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until the center is done.
4. Let the quiche stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut pie into wedges. Scrumptulescent!

Norwegian Pancakes

I am on a pancake kick this week. It could be that the cold spell we've been having in San Diego is making my body crave more carbs...and as you know, one of my favorite carbs is pancakes. This recipe is from the PBS show New Scandinavian Cooking. Basically, this pancake is a crepe, but boy is it good. You can top it with sugar and melted butter, or fresh berries and whipped cream. You can even stuff them with cheese and ham. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS (2-4 servings)

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted, plus butter for cooking

1. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and sugar, whisk until you have a light batter; make sure there are no lumps. Stir in 3 Tbsp. melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat in a cast-iron or crepe pan or 10" non-stick skillet. Add 1/3 cup of the batter and immediately tilt the skillet so that the batter spreads out evenly.
3. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, until the batter has set on top, then flip, using a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat, stacking the cooked pancakes, until you have used all the batter.
4. Serve the pancakes warm with berries and sugar, or cheese and ham.

Mexican Spaghetti

I think that almost every Latin American family has their own version of spaghetti. I'm calling this one Mexican spaghetti because my mom and grandmother used to make it a lot when we lived in Mexico back in the 80's. The best part is you can use almost any veggie you have available; I've had this spaghetti with squash, corn, even tomatillos! My mom and grandmother always used their own seasonings, but I could never figure out what they were. The taco seasoning in this recipe gives it a great taste. By the way, I did not use spaghetti pasta because I ran out, but I highly recommend you do.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

• 12 ounces spaghetti pasta
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
• One package (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
• One can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in sauce
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large Serrano pepper, chopped
• 1 7 oz. can of chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1. Cook according to package. Drain; keep warm.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a non-stick skillet and cook the onions and carrots on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the ground beef with taco seasoning mix and cook until beef is no longer pink, about 8 more minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes, serrano pepper, and green chilies.
4. Bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for 15 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
5. Toss tomato mixture with spaghetti in large bowl until well blended. Remember to top each serving with cheese!