Hasson's Famous New Years Day Bean dip

Okay, well maybe it's not famous yet... but it has potential!



20 min
10 min prep

SERVES 10

16 ounces refried beans
16 oz Ranch Style Beans

8 ounces pepper jack cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 C milk or Half & Half

About 5 or so slices of american cheese
Grated Cotija Cheese (can be found in the mexican foods section of most groceries. This cheese has a nice bite to it and enhances Mexican recipes)


1 chopped jalapeno (more if you like the heat!)
1/3 C chopped Red onion
About 1/3 bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lime
lime zest


Combine pepper jack, milk, and cream cheese over medium low heat and stir until smooth and creamy.

Add beans and jalepenos and stir until uniform consistency.

Add chopped cilantro and lime juice... grate some of the lime zest into the pan. Blend.

If the consistency appears too runny, add some of the american cheese and stir till blended so that sauce thickens. (Remember, the sauce will thicken up when off the heat)


Pour into a small bowl and top with grated cotija cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.


If you want to cut the recipe, just keep proportion of cheeses in equal thirds, and add beans to taste.

Gabriel's Guacamole

How do you like your guacamole? Here in Santa Fe, they like it pretty simple, and Gabriel's tableside guacamole is hard to beat anywhere in the world.

This is the base recipe from Gabriel's in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is intended only as a jumping-off point: Add more seasonings to your taste.  Prep Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 2 cups


Ingredients

2 medium Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Preparation

Coarsely mash avocados, garlic, and jalapeño with a wooden spoon until the avocados are creamy but still very chunky. Add the tomato, onion, and salt to taste, and stir together. Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro, then stir and taste once more. Add more garlic, jalapeño, onion, salt, lime juice, or cilantro as desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Irish Nachos for an American Thanksgiving?

So it is thankgiving day. I am sorta falling asleep and flipping channels when I stop on some channel (A&E?, Bravo?, Food Network?) when they are talking about "Bar Food". The restaurant they are talking about is J. Gilligans in Arlington, TX, and they are talking about this creation of "Irish Nachos"; Irish for the potatoes and topped like Nachos.

Now my wife likes nachos, and LOVES potato skins, so this looked like a great bet for her. She had told me earlier she didn't want a traditional Thanksgiving dinner...

My version goes like this:

the potatoes are cut into thick "cottage style" slices (about four times as thick as a potato chip) and then double deep fried till the consistency of crisp French Fries.

They are then layered in a single layer in an oven safe pan or skillet, and topped with pepper jack cheese, diced red onion, diced jalepeno pepper (remove the seeds if you want it a bit more tame), and fresh chopped Cilantro... then further top with shredded cheddar, and fresh cooked chopped bacon.

Put in the oven at 450 till cheese is melted and bubbly, and plate with fresh sliced avocado and diced fresh tomato.

For the dipping sauce, mix sour cream with some spicy mix found in your cupboard; I used a Cajun spice, but any spicy mix will work.

You'll need a fork for this one...

Oh, and Valerie? She said this was one of her absolute favorites...

FRIED Avocado?!?!

One of my favorite things about coming to Santa Fe was the discovery of a Tapas restaurant that had "Aguacate" on the menu... fried Avocado. We went back to that restaurant recently and ordered the dish, and I determined that I must figure out how to make it!

I found a few recipes online, but Emeril's below looked to be the closest for what I was trying to accomplish. I have adapted a few minor things from his recipe... like adding cucumber to the Crema Sauce and using a Mexican Table Cream instead of Sour Cream. Also, instead of cutting or slicing the Avocado into strips, I simply halved them. My adaptations are noted in italic

His recipe is fantastic just as it is btw... I was trying to get close to what I was tasting at this particular restaurant (El Farol, Santa Fe)

Fried Avocado Slices With Spicy Lime Crema
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 4 min
Level: Easy
Serves: about 32 slices, serving
8 to 10 as hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients
􀁺 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
􀁺 3 tablespoons hot sauce
􀁺 4 firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and each sliced into 8 even pieces

(Cooks note: I halved them as shown above)
􀁺 1 1/2 cups Sour Cream (cooks note: I use Mexican Table Cream)

􀁺 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Cooks Note: add some Shredded Cucumber
􀁺 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
􀁺 1/4 cup diced red onion
􀁺 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
􀁺 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
􀁺 Vegetable oil, for frying
􀁺 1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
􀁺 3 tablespoons flour
􀁺 3/4 teaspoon Essence, plus more for seasoning, recipe follows
􀁺 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
􀁺 Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce and avocado slices. Soak for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream (or Crema), lime juice, cilantro, red onion, Serrano pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, (or puree in food processor). Chill until ready to use.
In a medium Dutch oven or deep-fryer, fill oil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches (no more than halfway up the sides of the pan.) Heat oil to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat.
Combine cornmeal, flour, Essence, baking powder, and the remaining teaspoon of salt in a shallow dish.
Dredge soaked avocado slices in the cornmeal mixture, shaking to remove excess cornmeal.
Place avocado slices in the hot oil and fry until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove slices and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with additional Essence.

Serve immediately with spicy lime crema and garnish with lime wedges.

As pictured above, I also made a Salsa Fresca from tomato, red onion, Cilantro and lime juice for additional taste and garnish.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William
and Morrow, 1993.

Smoked Baby Backs, Apricot Chicken, and Marinated Artichoke with Cauliflower Gratin and Southwestern Slaw

Sometimes you practice and practice and then it is Showtime! With friends in town, it was time to cook all day and see what happened.

For the ribs, a spicy New Mexico style rub, 6 hours of smoking and a finishing Cherry-Chipotle Barbeque sauce (both recipes from Karen Putman's "Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food") ... and as long as I had room on the smoker I might as well smoke a pastrami for sandwiches later... right?!

Pictured above:

Smoked Baby backs with a Cherry Chipotle bbq sauce, Chicken Skewers with an Apricot glaze, Southwestern Slaw, Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin, and Smoked marinated Artichoke

For the baby backs: Cooking method is avg 230 degrees on a smoker. 2 1/2 to three hours smoking with a mixture of charcoal, oak and hickory or fruit wood such as cherry. Spray with apple juice every half hour or so. At the end of that time, wrap the ribs in foil (adding about a 1/4 cup of apple juice) and place back on the smoker for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Un wrap and place back on the grill for about 1/2 hour while glazing with sauce. (Rub and Sauce recipes courtesy Karen Putman's book "Championship Barbeque Secrets for Real Smoked Food")
Note: This cooking method is to produce ribs that are firm and pull cleanly off the bone; for "fall off the bone" ribs leave them in the foil a little longer.

Cherry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce
2 cups Ketchup
1 cup Cherry Preserves
1/2 cup Cherry Juice
1/2 packed brown suger
3 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder

Blend and simmer for about 10 minutes for flavors to blend

For the Chicken Skewers: Four or so chicken breasts sliced into thin strips and threaded onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers. Place on grill... when you flip them over glaze the cooked side, and when you take them off glaze the other side.

Apricot Glaze: (Adapted from Karen Putman's book above)

1 C Apricot preserves; 1/4 C maple syrup, 1/4 C packed brown Sugar, 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger, fresh ground black pepper

For the Marinated Artichoke: (recipe courtesy Artichokes.org)

(Recipe for 4 artichokes, 8 servings ½ artichoke each)
This recipe is perfect for the lazy cook, since all preparation can be done the previous day. The slightly smoky taste compliments the nuttiness of the artichoke and no dip is necessary, although some might want to use additional marinade for dipping.

Ingredients: 4 large artichokes, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 T minced ginger, ¼ cup olive oil

Method:
Slice artichoke tops off, crosswise. Trim Stems.
Boil or steam artichokes until bottoms pierce easily, or a petal pulls off easily.
Drain artichokes. Cool. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and scrape out fuzzy center and any purple tipped petals.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag. Place artichokes in the bag and coat all sides of the artichokes. For best flavor marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator but should marinate at least one hour.
Drain artichokes. Place cut side down on a grill over a solid bed of medium coals or gas grill on medium. Grill until lightly browned on the cut side, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn artichokes over and drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the artichokes. Grill until petal tips are lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve hot or room temperature

For the Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin: (Recipe Courtesy Bobby Flay)

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (cooks note: I used Pepper Jack)
2 cups grated Parmesan
6 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Layer the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cook's Note: Recipe can be doubled and made in a roasting pan.

For the Southwestern Slaw: (recipe Courtesy Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients
1 medium jicama, sliced into thin strips (about 3 cups)
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, toss together the jicama, cabbage, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Pineapple Orange Mango Salsa

A number of years ago in the summer I was looking for something refreshing... I looked at what I had in the house and came up with this which has been very popular from the start... I don't really measure stuff on this so sorry the proportions are approximate and can be adjusted to your taste...

1 pineapple

2 navel oranges

1 to 2 mangoes

about 1/4 red onion (or half if it is small)

1/4 to 1/2 bunch Cilantro
about 1 jalepeno
Minced garlic to taste

ground Cumin, Salt, and Cayenne pepper

Dice the fruit and onion up to salsa sized bits and throw it in a bowl, then add the finely chopped cilantro. Add some sea salt, and lightly dust the top with cumin. add a couple of very light shakes of the cayenne... be careful here not too much you can add more later.

The result should be a refreshing salsa that gets your attention with that little cayenne kick about 5 seconds after you take a bite...

If you want to add extra color to the dish (because you are, like, an artist or something), then try a bit of sweet red pepper and/or green onion or chopped red grapes...

Chicken Cherry roll Ups

I found this recipe and just had to modify it a tiny bit... the rub recommended in the recipe is salt, pepper and brown sugar... but I could see that would leave this dish way too sweet for our taste. I used a spicier rub instead...

Chicken Cherry roll-ups

4 oz Cream Cheese (1/2 bar)

1/3 C snipped Dried Tart Red Cherries

3 tbs or so chopped green onion

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Fresh Ground Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Your favorite bbq spice rub for chicken that has a kick

For the Filling

combine Cream Cheese, cherries and Green Onion

Set aside

Pound chicken breasts flat between plastic wrap

Season with salt, pepper, and spicy rub

spread filling on breasts and roll up, securing with toothpicks.

For Sauce to go over the chicken:

Grate 1 tbs orange peel

1/4 cup of the juice from that orange

1/4 cup cherry preserves

The rest of the orange you just squoze... coarse chopped

1 Clove Garlic

Fresh Ground pepper and salt to taste

in a small pan heat the juice and the preserves, garlic pepper and salt till just simmering

Remove from heat and stir in orange zest, and the rest of the orange...

Grill on medium, indirect heat with a drip pan under chicken for about 25 minutes. I used a combination of hickory and mesquite because I wanted a little stronger smoke flavor on this one.

This was really good, and the heat from the spice balanced out the sweet really well... combined with the nice smoke flavor I already have a request for a repeat...

Note: We found out the next day that these make FANTASTIC little appetizers sliced cold...