All Over The Map

"gOOD eATS" from around the planet. 

Cuban Breakfast Muffin

All the taste of a Cuban sandwich, in a different kind of 'hand meal'.   A guest at the Cabana last week needed a 'breakfast to go' as he was leaving about 4:30 AM to catch a very early flight back to California. This savory "muffin" is what I came up with. I made it the night before.  He kept it in the fridge until he was ready to leave, then had his gourmet breakfast while waiting for his flight to depart.

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Bisquick tm

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup diced Deli Ham

1/4 cup diced Deli Roast Pork

1/4 cup diced Cubanelle pepper (or New Mexico or Anaheim)

1/2 cup Shredded Cheese - Mexican blend

1/4 tsp Sazón Completa tm seasoning

4" Springform, sprayed w/non-stick or similar size bakeware to hold 5oz or so.

Pre-heat oven to 425F while preparing the mixture.

In a bowl stir together the milk and Bisquick. Add the other ingredients and stir again to combine.  Pour into a 4" springform pan or similar bakeware that will hold about 5 ounces.  You can also use cupcake papers and pan to make 2 or 3 smaller muffins.

Put pan in the oven. Reduce heat to 375. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Can be made the night before and or eaten at room temperature or reheated the next morning.

Beef & Beans (not chili!)

After my Bush's Beans entry last week, Sally decided I should make "chili" for Sunday brunch. Her "chili" has beans in it. Well I made a batch, and a pone of cornbread to go with it. Enough so there's leftovers for the week.

1-1/2 lbs Ground Beef -- coarse or 'chili' grind if you can get it.

2 ea 15-16 oz cans Kidney Beans, one 'light' and one dark, with spices

1 ea 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes, with spices

1 diced White Onion

2 whole Cubanelle chiles, diced

1 Poblano chile, diced

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 can Diced Green Chiles

1 Tbsp Tabasco tm sauce or other pepper sauce, to taste

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar (helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

Beef broth and water to make 6 quarts.

Brown the beef first, then add the peppers and onion and saute them until fragrant. Add the hot sauce, sugar and liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour or so, until the liquid reduces to make the dish thicker.

For my pone of cornbread, I used a package of the Jiffytm Cornbread Muffin mix, according to package directions. Sprinkle a tsp or so of sugar on top for a slightly sweeter cornbread.

Butternut Latke

Sally found the basic recipe in a magazine for diabetics.  I 'made it my way' of course.  Latkes are usually made from shredded potato. These shredded butternut squash latkes make a great side dish/vegetable, and are a lot healthier for us diabetics.

2 cups shredded Butternut Squash

2 Eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp AP Flour

1 tsp Garam Masala Indian spice blend

1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

Put the squash in a largish bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time, tossing with a fork to distribute each addition.

In a medium hot skillet (I used an electric skillet on 350F), add a couple Tbsp of canola or olive oil. Then drop the squash mixture by heaping forkfuls to make 4-6 mounds. Don't smash them down.  Cook for 5 minutes or so without disturbing. Then turn each stack over with a spatula, and cook again. Continue turning every 5 minutes or so until you get a nice crispy exterior that's not burned black.

Serve 1 or 2 latke's as a vegetable side, and top them with a dollop of homemade Raita.

Raita

Raita is a dish of the Indian subcontinent, a sort of dip, usually cold or cool. There are hundreds of versions of Raita. To Americans the most common Raita is made with yogurt, diced cucumber and spices. The Greeks make a similar dish called Tzatziki (may have been introduced to Greece by Alexander the Great), which is usually seen as dressing in a Gyro sandwich.

This is one of those "process rather than a formula" recipes: 

 

Take 'some' plain yogurt, the thicker Greek yogurt works best, IMHO.   Add 'some' peeled, seeded, diced cucumber. I used about half a cup of yogurt and half a cup of small-diced cucumber. 

Now add 'some' spice -- to taste. Cumin is good, ground Coriander too. A little White Pepper if you like. Perhaps a minced garlic, or mint or cilantro clove (I didn't, this time). Ladle the mixture into a serving bowl and dust with a bit of smoked Paprika. Chill. Great on those Butternut Latke, or as a dip for pita chips or crackers (home made of course).

Chiles Rellano

Most Americans think Chiles Rellano are cheese-stuffed chiles dipped in an egg batter and pan- or deep-fried. Truth be told, there are many versions of this stuffed, but never stuffy, dish that originated in Puebla, Mexico. Some are baked, some fried, some steamed.  With dozens of different fillings.

Elsewhere in this blog I described making Chiles en Nogada, which are Chiles Rellano  stuffed with a sauteed pork/vegetable/fruit mixture and topped with a walnut-crema sauce. This time I made a simpler version. To make four Chiles Rellano (2 servings):

4 Cubanelle or small Poblano chiles

1/3-1/2 lb ground Turkey

1/2 cup diced White Onion

1/4 cup Golden Raisins

1/4 cup shredded Carrot

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/8 tsp Cayenne

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

1 Roma Tomato, diced

Core, seed and vein the chiles. Roast under the broiler until the skins starts to blacken and the chiles soften -- about 5 minutes. Remove and reserve.

In a saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients with a splash of water and/or white wine. Brown the meat and simmer the mixture until the filling comes together and thickens.

Carefully stuff the chiles with the filling, then top with some Queso Fresca cheese or white cheddar, and serve.

Sazón Completa

 Above I mentioned a seasoning called Sazón Completa, made by the Badia company.  This is a great 24/7 or Universal seasoning for meats, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetables, which originated in Cuba.   It's a mixture of herbs and spices; not hot in the slightest.   I use it in many, many dishes just to take them up a notch from ordinary to exceptional.   

The Badia version does include MSG, so if you're allergic, or just don't care for it, you can make you own by combining the following and then buzzing it, in batches, in your coffee/spice grinder.

4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
6 Tbsp  granulated Garlic
4 Tbsp Onion powder
2 Tbsp Cumin powder
2 Tbsp Black Pepper
3 Tbso dried Lime zest
2 Tbsp dried Parsley 

Makes about 1-1/4 cups.