Mexican Fiesta

I recently returned from a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where I had the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. Chili Rellenos, Chilaquiles, Tamales, Tostadas, Carne Asada, Ceviche, shrimp tacos, as well as the most tender, flavourful skirt steak ever... not to mention fresh made tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo and refried beans. It was heaven!

This trip rekindled my interest in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking so I hope to create some of the dishes I enjoyed the most and post them here. When I was in Vegas a couple years ago I had an amazing sweet potato tamale at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I was determined to make tamales myself. I managed to find corn husks here in Vancouver, which is amazing since it's incredibly difficult to find authentic Mexican/Spanish food items that don't come from a yellow box. Despite having a bag of corn husks buried deep in my cabinet, I still haven't tackled homemade tamales. I think while the Mexican spirit is still in my heart, I will give it a go. I'm also determined to re-create the delicious skirt steak (flank steak).

In the picture is one of the best things I tasted. I'm not sure how authentically Mexican or Spanish it is, but it was light, refreshing and oh so tasty. It was some sort of cold shirmp and crab salad, stuffed into a cucumber boat and topped with a drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkle of queso fresco. I'm definitely serving something like it at my next cocktail party!

And if any one knows where I can buy queso Mexicano (Mexican cheese) in Vancouver, specifically cotija and queso fresco, please let me know. I really wish we had a true Spanish foods aisle at our grocery stores like they do in the United States. I almost stocked up on cotija when I was visiting my cousin in Seattle last month but decided against it. Kicking myself now!

Baked Basque Eggs

The Basque region is an area that borders Southwest France and Northeast Spain. Basque Eggs take on the culinary traditions of both areas. Traditional Basque Eggs include bacon or Serrano ham (Spanish version of Prosciutto) and is often scrambled instead of baked. I opted not to use ham to cut some fat, but if you wanted you could add ham to the bottom of the dish before adding the veggies and eggs.

Serves 2

Baked Basque Eggs:

4 eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs or freeze dried herb blend (parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary etc. Whatever you've got!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/4 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil the inside of 2 individual casserole dishes or ramekins.

2. Add half the diced veggies (peppers, tomatoes and onions), half the garlic and half the herb blend to each dish.

3. Mix together the melted butter and milk. Add half the mixture to each ramekin.

4. Place each ramekin on a baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes.

5. While ramekins are in the oven, crack two eggs into a small dish, careful not to crack the yolks. Remove the ramekins from the oven and gently slide the eggs into the ramekin. Repeat the process with the other two eggs and second ramekin.

6. Sprinkle salt and pepper and more herbs over both ramekins and return to the oven. Bake for another 8-10 minutes. Eggs will be slightly runny. Cover with foil or place the lid on the casseroles and let sit for a couple minutes while you prepare toast or make tea, or whatever it is you do in the morning! If you prefer your yolks firmer, bake for a couple extra minutes.

10 Cent's Spicy Vegetarian Escabeche

This is one of my all time favourite 10 Cent Diet recipes. I didn't deviate from her recipe very much so you might as well just check it out on her blog. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of chilies used. Her recipe calls for six. I used three the first time I made it and it was still too hot for me. This time I used two. If you aren't much for heat, start with half of one and go from there. I have made this a few times, once adding baby potatoes and another time using the broth to poach a piece of wild salmon. It's a very versatile recipe. Tonight I served it over rice.

10 Cent's Spicy Vegetarian Escabeche.

And in case you're wondering: Escabeche is a typical Mediterranean cuisine which refers to both a dish of poached or fried fish that is marinated in an acidic mixture before serving. The marinade itself is also referred to as an escabeche. The dish is common in Spanish cuisine. (From Wikipedia)

Potato, Onion & Mushroom Spanish Omlette

This simple dish is inspired by Ricardo's Spanish Potato & Onion Omelette. In Spain it is called "tortilla de patatas" or "tortilla a la española", meaning potato omlette or Spanish omlette. It can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner and doesn't take long to prepare. You could even put it together the day before and bake before serving. You can also add bacon, chopped ham or chorizo sausage for a more complete breakfast dish or leave as is for a delicious vegetarian entree.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced with a mandolin or sliced thin
3 large white potatoes or 8-10 small new potatoes, sliced with a mandolin or sliced thin
6-8 large white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup shredded white cheese (I used Goat's Gouda)
6 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and high sided square or round glass baking dish. Line the dish with a strip of parchment paper horizontally with the paper hanging over the two ends so the frittata will be easy to remove. Lightly oil the parchment paper as well.

2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and potatoes. Cook until just starting to brown. Add more oil if necessary. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender and browned, stirring often. Total cooking time should be 15-20 minutes to ensure potatoes are mostly cooked through.

3. Scoop half the onion/potato mixture into the baking dish. Top with half the parsley and half the cheese. Scoop the rest of the onion/potato mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining parsley and cheese.

4. Pour the eggs over the onion/potato mixture.

5. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes until eggs are set. Check every 10 minutes by jiggling the baking pan and inserting a fork in the centre. The eggs should be fluffy, not runny.

6. Let cool in dish for 5 mins. To remove from baking pan, carefully invert it on a serving dish. Cut into squares or wedges. Serve warm.



Variations:

- Add bacon, ham, chorizo or other meat. If using bacon, cook it first and use the bacon fat to cook the onion and potato, eliminating the need for olive oil.
- Use different herbs and cheese to vary the flavour.
- Add diced bell peppers, green onion and chopped chili pepper for a mexican style dish. Sub the parsley for cilantro. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
- Assemble in ramekins for individual portions.
- Eliminate the cheese, creating a dairy-free meal.