Butternut Squash Enchiladas

     It's not always easy to find good, not to mention, healthy food when you're driving on the freeway. Sometimes I'll find a smoothie bar, or a place for a good veggie burrito, but I'm more likely just to swing by a gas station for some sparkling water to hold me off until I can get a real meal. In my last entry, I mentioned I've been taking weekend trips to San Diego from Los Angeles. And each and every time, I find myself pulling off the freeway to visit and old favorite spot....

     The Roxy in Encinitas is located on the Coast Hwy just off the Encinitas Blvd exit on Interstate 5 and it has stolen my heart. I usually can't help but order the 'Avocado,' a sandwich stuffed with avocado and sprouts on yummy 7-grain toast, or their sweet potato fries which are by far the best I've ever had because they're fresh cut and not deep fried. But when perusing the menu for new options I spotted this:

"Squash Enchilada
Steamed banana squash mixed with fresh corn, bell peppers and low fat cream cheese. Rolled on a whole-wheat tortilla and topped with olives, tomatoes, red onions, cheese and enchilada sauce. Served with a side of brown rice. " -The Roxy

     Squash inside of enchiladas was mind-blowing! How have I been eating plain cheese enchiladas for so long? So of course, instead of ordering it, I decided to try my own version. The recipe that follows might just be one of my proudest new creations.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

(Inspired by The Roxy)

see serving suggestions below for description of topping and sides

Ingredients:

• 1 Lrg Butternut Squash
• 3-4 Ears of corn
• 3-4 Ancho Chilis or Aneheim Peppers (Any sweet green pepper will do) 
• 1-2 Cans Mild Red Enchilada sauce (I use La Victoria)
• 1 Package shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
• 1 Package small whole wheat tortillas

350-375 degree F

step 1.
    Prepare your butternut squash as described in my previous entry "Butternut Squash Basics". Spoon out all the squash from the rind and puree slightly adding in a few tablespoons of the water from the baking dish.

step 2.
   Prepare your veggies. Halve your chilis and spoon out the seeds and then coat them in oil. It's good to put a little oil on the corn as well, maybe even some salt and peppper, but not much. The corn and chilis can go into the oven on the same tray, but the chilis must be skin side up.  Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet for at least 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Rotate the corn half way through. Then change the oven to a broil. Take the corn out when it has browned a little bit,  and set aside, but you are going to leave the chilis in until the skin is blackened. When big black bubbles have developed on your chilis, put them immediately into an ice bath. A few minutes later, you should be able to wasily peel the skins off your peppers. Thinly slice them and chop into 2inch strips. Cut your corn from the cob and set aside.

step 3.
    In a mixing bowl, stir together peppers, squash, half of your corn, and about a cup of shredded cheese.

step 4.
    Slightly warm your tortillas before folding in the mixture. You can do this on a skillet or by wrapping a small stack of tortillas in a paper towel and microwaving for 30 seconds.

step 5.
    Coat each side of the tortilla in enchilada sauce before spreading on the squash and veggie mixture. Roll tightly. Once you've filled your pan, pour remaining sauce over the tortillas. Top with the remaining corn and cheese.

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step 6.
    Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and set the oven to broil to really get that cheese nice and bubbly.

 

The result is amazing! I'm so so happy with this dish, I've already made it twice! I know you'll enjoy them, and your friends and family will thank you.

Serving suggestions (as pictured) : 

• Cotija cheese
• Avocado slices
• Sour Cream
• Black Beans w/ Rotel

Summer Mango Salsa

Spotting whales from the Shake Shack at Crystal Cove

Family Vacation

The perfect time for making big portions of food, something I don't often get to do when cooking for myself in my little apartment. I got to make three great recipes for my family this week as we vacationed in Newport Coast, CA. The first, is a sweet mango salsa, the perfect compliment to the poolside beverage of your choice. My brother-in-law, who picked out this delicious beer for us, was practically begging me to make a second batch. This salsa is a healthy and colorful expression of summer, and a great way to change up a snack food favorite.

Honey Mango Salsa

Ingredients*:

• 3 mangos
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 jalepeno pepper
• 2 serano chiles
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• salt & pepper to taste

*note: These measurements are guidelines. Everybody likes their salsa a little different. I like a little a lot of cilantro, and not as much heat. But if you like things spicy, feel free to throw in an extra pepper or chile. 

 

 

step. 1

peel and dice your mango. If you've never chopped a fresh mango before, it can be a little tricky because the center, or pit, is unusually shaped. I like to peel it first, and then cut lengthwise as close to the pit as I can, on both sides; splitting the mango into three pieces. 

 

 

   Then I make diagonal cuts toward the pit so I can figure out where it is, and then I slice chunks of the mango away from the pit. It can be a weird experience the first time, I'll be honest, so I suggest you buy an extra mango for practice. Once you get it, it's really easier to do than to explain. But you'll be thankful for your sous chef next time you see mango in your fruit salad. 

 

 Three fully diced mangoes should look like this:

step 2.

    Get the corn off it's cobb. I grilled my corn first so it had a little char on it, but this is optional. If you don't have a grill, you can rub a little oil on the cob and stick it under your broiler, rotating every 5 minutes or so. The honey and lime juice will deglaze the char later and you won't see any black corn in your salsa, but the smokey flavor will hang around for a subtle difference. 

 

step 3. 

  Chop your peppers. For your bell peppers and your chiles, you want to get out the veins and seeds. Just slice your pepper in half and scrape along the inside with a teaspoon until all the white parts and seeds are gone. Then chop finely. Go ahead and chop up that onion too. 

step 4. 

    In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lime juice with a pinch of salt. Pour this over your fruit and veggie mixture and toss lightly. 

step 5.

    Chop your cilantro and gently fold into your salsa. Give it a taste, and add salt, pepper, or more spicy chiles as desired. 

 

Suggested serving: Sweet potato tortilla chips, or on top of a three cheese quesadilla.

A note on mangoes:  

If you're taking an iron supplement, which most vegetarians do in one way or another, the vitamin C in Mangoes will help your body absorb the iron into your blood. One raw mango carries almost 75% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin C.

America Loves Corn

 

 
     When I think of the 4th of July, too many memories come to mind. For me, this is just as much of a family holiday as Christmas.  The 4th of July's of my youth were either speant sittin' on the porch at my grandparent's house, with homemade ice cream and fresh picked boysenberries; Or at our cousins' property in Oyster Bay, New York, for extravagant soirees and dockside fireworks. In high school, I attended my first annual MacNaughton's 3rd of July party. My friend's family lived on a golf course that had a private fireworks show on the 3rd. We'd drink tequila 'til our clothes came off, literally, because we'd always end up in the jacuzzi or passed out in a bikini somewhere. Sadly that era has ended, but maybe it's better for the heath of us all. July 4, 2010, I was in Avignon, France, and I was alone. I celebrated by watching 2 hours of the show Kendra, dubbed over in French on France's E! channel. I like to think, that no matter where I am, I'm celebrating where I live, and where I come from.

     There's really no recipe that can blend all these stories together. I just feel that corn is such a quintessential summer food, that I decided to make some. My family loves preparing side dishes like grilled corn on the cob, creamed corn, and corn bread; but corn does not an entree make. Unless we're talkin' grits! Grits are American, right? Grits are made from ground cornmeal. The Italians call this "polenta," but both are made by boiling ground corn meal into a paste. I don't like that pasty texture, which is why I love this recipe. Adding fresh corn and cheese, gives much needed flavor and creaminess to this typically uninspired dish. Top with roasted vegetables or butterflied vegan sausage.

Fresh Corn & Cheesy Grits 

(Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's 'polenta with fresh corn' )

 

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta or corn grits (Bob's Red Mill is a good call)
• salt
• kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup grated cheese
• chopped fresh chives, for serving

step 1.
     Bring the water to a boil in a large saute or saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta and a dash of salt. Turn the heat as low as it can go, and cover. Depending on your stove, and how creamy or grainy you like your grits, you may want to leave the lid lightly ajar to let some steam escape.Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 5-10.

Step 2.
    Cute the kernels off two ears of corn. Add the kernels, milk, and cream, and cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

step 3.
     Remove from heat, and stir in your cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve sprinkled with chives. You can sprinkle some more cheese on each serving as well.

Grits with sheeps milk cheese, chives, and roasted artichoke

   I served mine with some baby artichokes from the Farmer's Market that I steamed, halved, and roasted. But I ate my leftovers with butterflied vegan sausage. Field Roast makes Apple & Sage Sausage Links, and they're by far my favorite meatless replacement for sausage and hot dogs. You should find them at whole Foods near the tofu.

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"But you know what? The more cheese to me, the better." - Paula Deen

Featured Local

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love going to the Farmer's Market! Sometimes I just show up there with $20 and let the vendors tell me what I should be making for dinner. This week, I met a new vendor, and he calls himself The Milk Man.

His name is Chris, and he made me sample butter. That's right, a slice of butter. But thankfully, I also got to sample cheese. I can be pretty picky about cheese since that one semester that I worked at a cheese counter in Chicago. And I consider myself to know an above-average amount about cheese.  Chris sent me home with a delicious sheeps-milk cheese that I used in my grits. I love cheese, and I'm excited to visit Chris next week and try some new cuts. Here's what I got from the milk man this week:

MilkmanLA

Love where you live.

Happy 4th, friends.