Not sure what to make for your Memorial Day get-together?  Tired of fixing the same old stand-by dishes?  Mix it up a little by serving these five simple and tasty Memorial Day side dishes:

1. Maple Glazed Parslied Baby Carrots
2. Queso Fresco Grilled Corn on the Cob
3. Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes
4. Chorizo and Manchego Bites
5. Zesty Guacamole

If you try any of these recipes, please post a comment to let me know how you and your guests liked them.  Enjoy the long weekend while keeping in mind that there’s more to Memorial Day weekend than the food and celebrations.

Happy Memorial Day!

Veronique

Stuffed Poblano Chiles

I love Mexican food and try to fix some type of Mexican dish at least once a month.  On a weekend where I was craving Chile Rellenos, I decided to tweak my recipe a bit and stuff the chiles with slow-cooked pork shoulder I fixed in my slow cooker – boy was it a winning dish and simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 4 large Poblano peppers
• 2 cups Troegs Braised Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder, shredded with two forks
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Roast the Poblano peppers over a flame (or under the broiler) until the skin is almost completely blackened.  Place roasted peppers in a glass bowl and cover with shrink wrap for about 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pork, 1 cup of cheese and cilantro.
3. Peel the skin off the peppers, cut a slit down the long side of the peppers then remove the seeds and most of the veins.
4. Divide the stuffing into 4 portions, then stuff peppers with the pork mixture – do not overfill.  Secure the opening of each pepper with 1-2 toothpicks.
5. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs well.  In a separate shallow bowl, add the cornmeal.  Dip each stuffed pepper in the egg mixture then coat with cornmeal.  Place the coated peppers in an oven-proof dish.  Drizzle olive oil over the peppers, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese then place in the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve each pepper over Spanish rice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Makes 4 servings.

I’ve been commuting to Chicago from New York for work for just over a year now.  Flying from a destination with significant weather issues to one with worse weather swings means that I spend tons of quality time at O’Hare and LaGuardia airports.  The highlight of being stuck at O’Hare because of bad  weather conditions on two of my last three trips, has been my visits to Tortas Frontera, a new Rick Bayless restaurant at Terminal 1 of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

I flew into O’Hare on the first day Tortas Frontera opened (my arrival gate was actually directly across from it) and loved the buzz and frantic energy already at the restaurant at 8:45AM.  On my return trip home that week, I knew I had to try Rick’s fabulous food.

Tortas Frontera offers a breakfast and an all-day menu with items so incredible that it’s difficult to make a selection.  Call me food obsessed, but who wouldn’t love to wake up to a Breakfast Molletes (warm open-face sandwich) of “queso fresco, sweet butter, cajeta caramel, toasted pecans, Mexican cinnamon and sugar ($4.50)?

Tortas Frontera features a guacamole bar that serves what might be the best guacamole I’ve had.  I order the “Fully Dressed” version ($6.25) with is topped with bacon, toasted pepitas, sun-dried tomatoes, spicy roasted peppers and a mix of queso fresco/cotija.  Is it a bit pricey for the size of the portion and the setting it’s enjoyed in, perhaps.  Is it worth every buttery, chunky avocado morsel, heck yes.

On last night’s visit to Rick’s place, I opted for the Torta Pepito, a Mexican griddle-baked sandwich filled with beer-braised beef short ribs, pickled jalapenos, Chihuahua cheese, black beans, cilantro crema and arugula ($11).  The ingredients are top-notch, fresh and delectable.

The tortas are made to order, so allow for a few worthwhile minutes before having to rush to your gate if you’re going to try Tortas Frontera.  I’ve found that sitting at a very well stocked bar near the checkout line with a hand-shaken margarita ($8.50) makes the minutes go by pretty painlessly.

I’d never thought I’d look forward to a visit to O’Hare or that I’d ever consider making that busy airport my midwest layover of choice, but this new addition to the Rick Bayless foodie empire has proven me wrong. A must.

I lunched at Pampano this week and it was a super meal.  The space is appealing, the wait staff is attentive an unobtrusive and the food is tasty and creatively presented.

Guacamole

I started with the guacamole ($13) (can be spicy or not – ours was spicy) and it was delicious.  It featured tons of fresh cilantro and lime and the portion could have easily served four guests. The chips paired with it were a bit different but warm and crispy.

Pampano offers six variations of masterfully made ceviches that guests can order in single servings or combinations of three ($26) or four ($30).  I had the Ceviche Mariscos ($13) – a mix of shrimps, scallops and octopus, as part of the Prix Fixe menu ($28) and it was zesty from fresh lime with a kick of heat from serrano chile.

Enchiladas Nortenas

The lunch menu is quite extensive and features salads, soups, fish/seafood dishes and special platters.  On this recent visit, our entree selections were the Churrasco ($24), skirt steak with wild mushroom escabeche served over white bean puree  and the Enchiladas Nortenas ($16), tortillas filled with slow-cooked pulled pork and black beans served over chile pasilla sauce.  Both entrees were rich, flavorful and outstanding.

Pampano offers a couple desserts that clearly aren’t its forte, but are nonetheless enjoyable.  The Chocoflan was more cheesecake than flan, but the flavor was nice.

Award-winning chef/Owner Richard Sandoval does it well and I’ll definitely dine here again.

Pampano

209 East 49th Street

New York, NY 10017

212-751-4545

Reservations: http://www.opentable.com

Tortillas Cooking

One day as I was preparing for Mexican Fiesta Night at Casa Chickie, my dear friend Lisa who loves all things Mexico/Central & South America, offered to make homemade tortillas.  To my delight, she didn’t arrive with already-prepared tortillas, but with her tortilla press, ingredients and griddle!  This is her simple recipe for tender, delicious corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups masa flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups warm water

Directions:

1. Combine masa flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Add warm water 1/4 cup at a time until mixture can be formed into a ball of dough (you may not need 2 cups). Let dough rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
2. Knead dough for 5 minutes until it’s completely smooth.
3. Divide dough in golf ball-sized portions.  Roll divided dough into balls.  Using a tortilla press or a rolling pin, flatten dough to 6-inch in diameter tortilla disks.
4. Heat a large skillet (or griddle) on medium-high heat.  Cook one tortillas for 1 minute on each side.  Place cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep moist.  Serve with your favorite topping.

Makes 16-18 tortillas.

Notes:  My friend recommends using scissors to turn a gallon-size zip top bag into 2 sheets of plastic film.  The dough can then be flatten between the film sheets to make easier to handle and to prevent sticking.  If dough is sticky while kneading, coat hands with masa!

Berry Cobbler

It’s nearly Summertime and all of us are looking for simple dishes to make while entertaining friends and family.  Here are five dishes to try throughout the Summer that won’t keep you away from the party.

Beef Chili for a Crowd: http://bit.ly/96QARr

Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes: http://bit.ly/cQRipt

Whole Grilled Chicken for the Non-Cook: http://bit.ly/bNYU1z

Zesty Guacamole: http://bit.ly/b0PYgj

Very Berry Cobbler: http://bit.ly/bP2yIL

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbs. diced red onion
• 1 Tbs. chopped jalapenos
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• salt and pepper

Slice avocados in half and remove the pit and the skin.  Mash avocados with a fork until there are only small lumps.  Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well.  Cover tightly and chill for 2-4 hours. Serve with tortillas.

6 Servings