cilantro Archives

CORNfirmation, Summer is Here! (Elote-Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

By threejamigos | June 10, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

I consider my weekly trip to our local Farmer’s Market as my sanity break from COVID-19. As the weather warms not only are more folks coming out but the variety of fruits and vegetables at the market has also blossomed. As the apples and pears bid us goodbye-cherries, stone fruits, and berries have slid into those same spots without missing a beat.

My usual routine on Sundays is to head over to our local farmers market. I line up around 8:30, before the market opens at 9:00, to grab my half flat of strawberries. All my “ducks” are in a row so I then hop over to the next kiosk for microgreens and mushrooms, veggies at Live Earth Farm, and then cherries on the corner along with my Asian veggie fix. I wrap up my shopping at the fresh blueberries stand and then sit on a bench with my buds to catch up.

This past Sunday, I added a stop.

Fresh Corn is Back Baby!

There I was, waiting in the strawberry line when I noticed a new stall next to the strawberries, FRESH CORN. This signals the beginning of summer. Everybody have corn tonight, uh-huh, uh-huh.

The Paint

Most of the time we boil or steam the corn and happily munch on them unadorned, a sprinkle of salt perhaps. My new favorite way to serve fresh corn is as Grilled Mexican Street Corn called Elote. Shuck the corn and throw them on a hot grill until they are nicely charred. Remove and slather corn with mayonnaise or a 50:50 blend of mayonnaise and sour cream or Mexican Crema. If you have an aversion to mayo, you could use just sour cream or melted butter. I use a brush to “fine-tune” how much mayo I spread on each cob to appease my guilt about the calories.

The Sprinkles

The essential ingredient for corn sprinkles (cute, eh) is chili powder. A purist will get specific chili powders like ancho or guajillo, which can be purchased online or at any Hispanic market. These are specifically dried chilis ground into powder. Chili Powder found in most supermarkets is actually a blend of chilis and other spices like cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne. ANY of these work for Elote.

AND THEN…You can try commercial products made to mimic the flavors of Elote and enhance your “street food” dish. I like Tajin, a blend of chilis, lime, and salt. Think of it as the granddaddy of the Mexican spice blend. Lately, TJ’s has jumped on the bandwagon and has a Chili Lime seasoning blend and in their Everything But The…line, an Elote blend that contains Parmesan, Chipotle, cumin, and cilantro, which sounds pretty darn delicious.

The Fixins’

The finishing trifecta for your Elote. Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija Cheese or in a pinch, Parmesan cheese, and finally a squeeze of lime all over the corn.

Done, so good.

For those of you who just can’t stand corn between your teeth, after grilling, scrape the corn off the cob. Put the corn in a bowl and add the sprinkles and fixins’ on top, voila, a delicious, colorful Corn Salad, and no flossing. Check out Serious Eats’s Esquites-Mexican Street Corn Salad.

Enjoy

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Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Fresh corn on the cob marks the summer season. Elote or Mexican Street Corn, a delicious way to highlight fresh corn, grill and top with mayo, chili, cheese and lime.

Course Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine Hispanic, Mexican

Keyword Corn on the cob, Elote, Fresh corn

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

6 ears corn shucked and cleaned
1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise or use a blend of Mayo and sour cream or Crema
Chili powder See post for variations
1/3 c. crumbled cotija cheese or Parmesan in a pinch
Freshly chopped cilantro
Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
Brush corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili? Yes We CAN!

By threejamigos | December 11, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Ramping up for the holidays? Here is a recipe that is easy, delicious and thanks to your handy dandy Instant Pot, ready in minutes. You will need, first and foremost, a can opener. Yep, a can opener, indispensable. You’ll also need, chicken, white beans (can), chicken stock or broth (can), roasted peppers (can), corn (yes, a can) and spices. Everything except the chicken, you’ll need a can opener. Stupid easy.

I couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie, the original recipe from the blog Eat.Drink.Love. calls for onion powder and garlic powder. I decided to use chopped onions and garlic cloves instead. It adds a couple of minutes, but I like the texture and flavor of the onions and garlic. Feel free to stick with the original if you like.

This really is quick and easy, perfect for a busy weekday night. Ready in minutes, good the next day, and very kid friendly.

The recipe calls for chicken breast, you can use thighs instead if you prefer dark meat. Any white bean will work, Kidney, Great Northern, Navy or Cannellini. The recipe calls for a can of corn, which I misread and thought it was a can of creamed corn. I went with it and I actually liked it. It adds a bit of sweetness and creaminess to the chili. Consider decreasing the broth if you use creamed corn. I also added a finely diced jalapeño pepper to give the chili an extra kick. If the sauce seems a bit thin at the end, remove chicken and continue to cook sauce on saute’ function to reduce to desired thickness then add the shredded chicken back to the pot.

Between you and me, I love eating chili over macaroni or rice. From Epicurious, favorite ways to eat chili.

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INSTANT POT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword White Chicken Chili

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts halved lengthwise
2 15-ounce cans white navy beans rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce canned corn, drained or 1 15 ounce canned creamed corn + 1 cup frozen corn
1 4-ounce can roasted diced green chiles
2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1-1/2 cups if using creamed corn
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder*
1/2 teaspoon onion powder*
1 teaspoon kosher salt

*Substitute 1 chopped yellow onion and 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and veined, finely diced (optional)

Toppings

shredded cheddar or jack cheese
diced avocado
sour cream
cilantro or sliced green onions

Instructions

*If using onions and garlic, on saute', add 1 tablespoon oil to Instant Pot. Add onions and garlic and saute' until soft. Proceed with recipe, omit garlic powder and onion powder
Place the chicken into the pressure cooker.
Pour in the beans, corn, chiles, and the broth. Then stir in the seasonings*
Cover with the lid and set valve to sealing position.
Cook on poultry setting for 15 minutes followed by a quick pressure release.
Shred the chicken with a fork and serve with desired toppings.
Can add additional seasonings if desired.
Garnish with toppings, serve immediately

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

By threejamigos | May 2, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

A while back on a visit to The Big Apple, we stopped at Brookfield Place for a quick bite. Near the World Trade Center, The Brookfield has an upscale food court (this is an understatment). You won’t find corn dogs and pretzel bites, what you will find-organic kale and quinoa salads, Pad Thai, avocado toast, sushi…the trendy hipster options are endless. After agonizing over what to eat, grab your food and pounce on the first table near the windows. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Hudson while you eat.

I decided on an egg dish (can’t remember exactly what I had) but it needed a punch of flavor. Back to the stand where I ordered my eggs. “Do you have any salsa”? The woman in line behind me rudely interjects “RIGHT in front of you”. I glance at the counter, turn to her and say “SALSA not salt” (you schmuck). The counter guy hands me a couple of packets of hot sauce with an apologetic “uh, will this do?” I take them and quickly walk away so he doesn’t hear me sigh.

New York City, you don’t know what you are missing…

With Cinco de Mayo coming up I pulled out a salsa recipe I had come across in the blog Cookie + Kate. This salsa is SUPER EASY and a snap to put together. This leaves plenty of time to mix up a batch of your favorite Margaritas, the perfect foil for chips and this salsa.

The secret? The salsa starts with a can of FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES. TJ’s has their house brand version that I have used with good results and Muir Glen makes organic fire-roasted tomatoes. Drain the tomatoes well or it will be watery. Throw the tomatoes in your food processor along with coarsely chopped garlic, jalapeno, diced onion, cilantro and a bit of lime juice and salt. Give it a whirl and voila’ SALSA TIME. Want it spicier, add more jalapeno. Bit more tangy? Extra squeeze of lime. Added punch? 2 garlic cloves instead one. It’s entirely up to you.

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

Ingredients

1 can 15 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped white onion about ½ small onion
¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ medium jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice more if needed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Drain off about half of the tomato juice from the can (about ⅓ cup) and discard it.
In a food processor:
Add the tomatoes and all of the remaining juice from the can. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.
Pulse the mixture until it is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomato or onion remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if you like.
Serve the salsa immediately or store it for later.
This salsa keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

Soup with Silken Tofu & Chicken Dumplings (A Thai-rrific, Easy Soup)

By threejamigos | April 10, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

This month’s Food52 Cooking Club selection is Simple Thai Food by Leela Punyaratabandhu, a book I have had sitting on my shelf for quite awhile. The only recipe I have tried from the book is the Shrimp Pad Thai which was pretty darn tasty. But thanks to Food52 I am discovering it is a gem of a book. Each month the club features a different cookbook. A variety of old and new cookbooks, of which shockingly (lol), I own quite a few. Yes, confessions of a cookbook junkie.

Food52ers post photos and comments on recipes they try from the month’s selection. It’s a great way to find out which recipes are winners and which may need a bit of tweaking. It has definitely pushed me to actually try more recipes from the gazillions of cookbooks I have sitting on my shelf. Raindrops on roses and a cookbook treasure trove, Dumplings that are meatballs for soup simmering on the stove..these are a few of my favorite things…..lalala.

Yep, singing led to this delicious soup from Simple Thai Food, Clear Soup with Silken Tofu and Chicken Dumplings

It is quick, easy and DELICIOUS with just a teeny weeny caveat…hope you like cilantro!

Break It Down

The soup comes together in a snap. I used a commercial chicken stock to start with but you could use homemade stock. The chicken dumplings, really meatballs, start with ground chicken to which just a few ingredients are added, cilantro, fish sauce, garlic, pepper and an egg white for texture. Dump it in your food processor and blend until mixture is sticky and smooth. These dumplings are light with a fine grain texture not as chunky as meatballs, think city versus country rustic.

The stock is seasoned with onions and soy sauce and brought to a gentle boil. I used a small ice cream scoop to shape and drop my dumplings into the broth to cook. Add cubed soft tofu once it is heated through, literally a few minutes later, you have a delicious, flavor-packed bowl of soup. Finish with a garnish of cilantro and green onions.

This would be perfect as a light lunch or as a starter for dinner. The following day I took some liberties and added shredded Napa Cabbage and carrots and poured it over udon noodles for a satisfying, tasty noodle soup. Yumminess in a bowl.

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These are a Few of My Favorite Things (Soup with Tofu and Chicken Dumplings)

Ingredients

2 medium cloves garlic peeled
2 tablespoons cilantro stems or 2 cilantro roots chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 pound ground chicken dark or a mix of dark and light chicken, should not be too lean
2 teaspoons fish sauce such as 3 Crabs brand
4 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store bought chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
1 pound silken tofu packed in water drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces separate the white from the green parts
1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

1.In a mortar or a small chopper, make a fine paste out of the garlic, cilantro stems/roots,
2.Place the ground chicken into a mixing bowl and add prepared paste. Add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. Mix until homogenous; set aside. You can use 1 teaspoon soy sauce in place of 1 of fish sauce if you desire.
3.In a large saucepan combine broth with soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce and white parts of green onions. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle boil. Scoop chicken mixture into 1-inch balls and gently drop into simmering stock. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is gone. Cook until dumplings float to the surface about 1-2 minutes.
4. Gently add the tofu cubes to the broth; return to a simmer, then add the remaining green onions and remove from heat immediately. Adjust the seasoning as necessary with more fish sauce or soy sauce.
5. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Some freshly-ground white pepper on top is optional, but recommended.
6. Is this blasphemous? I don't know, but it is delicious, add a handful shredded Napa cabbage and carrots to broth, simmer additional 2-3 minutes until vegetables are soft. Top udon or ramen noodles with broth, dumplings and vegetables. Garnish with cilantro and green onions. You can use a firmer tofu instead if serving with noodles. Hmmm...

Good Morning Mr. Phoods (Cilantro Chutney Chicken Curry)

By threejamigos | October 21, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

Good morning Mr. Phoods:

The dish you are about to take-on requires that you answer the following questions. Your answers will determine whether you should proceed with this post or not.

Do you like cilantro?

What does cilantro taste like to you?

If you answered NO and it tastes like soap exit NOW by clicking on MII consolation

If you answered yes and yumminess, I LOVE cilantro…your mission, should you decide to accept it, will be to run to the store for cilantro, boneless chicken, peanuts, garlic, and onions and make this dish. As usual, if you or any other MII fans (Made In India) should be caught while making this dish you will be required to….invite me over for dinner. If not, the secretary (again me) will disavow any knowledge of you.

Yes, Meera Sodha’s Cilantro Chutney Chicken from her book Made In India is that good. It inspired me to create this homage to one of my all-time favorite TV shows.

Start by making the chutney. It’s sweet from the brown sugar, aromatic from the cilantro and tangy from the lemon juice. The peanuts give it body. If you have extra after making the chicken, spread it on some naan or crackers. Delicious. the chutney can be made in a blender. If it seems too thick thin it with a bit of water.

This cilantro chicken curry is very user-friendly. Despite being a newbie at cooking Indian cuisine, this dish was not intimidating, it was in fact very “doable” and takes just minutes to prepare. Saute boneless chicken with onions and a paste made of peppers, garlic, and ginger. Add the cilantro chutney and simmer until the chicken is tender. Top with the reserved onions that have been caramelized to a deep rich toasty brown. This dish is absolutely delightful. Every bite is a flavor explosion. Served on top of fragrant basmati rice and garnished with cilantro leaves, its a great one pot meal perfect for a weekday dinner.

Quick, easy…Mission Possible…completed. Signing off.

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Good Morning Mr. Phoods (Cilantro Chutney Chicken Curry)

Ingredients

Cilanto Chutney Chicken Curry

2- inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
3/4 fresh green chili roughly chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)
salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 onions finely sliced
1 3/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, chopped into 3/4 x 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons cilantro chutney recipe follows

Cilantro Chutney

4 ounces cilantro
2 ounces peanuts unsalted and unroasted
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 to 3 small fresh green chilis roughly chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)

Instructions

Chicken Curry

Throw the ginger, garlic, and green chili into a mortar and pestle, along with a pinch of salt, and bash up to a coarse paste.
Put the oil into a wide-bottomed, lidded frying pan on a medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are starting to turn golden. Transfer half of the onions to a bowl and put to one side.
Add the ginger, garlic, and green chili paste and cook for around 3 minutes. Put the chicken pieces into the pan, sear them on all sides and add the chutney. Stir the chutney, pop the lid on, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for around 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
In the meantime, transfer the onions from the bowl into a small frying pan and continue to cook them on a medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dark brown, soft, and sweet, then take them off the heat.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) to the chicken little by little, until it tastes just right, then take it off the heat.
Scatter the caramelized onions over the top of the curry just before serving. Serve alongside some steaming hot basmati rice or a pile of hot, homemade chapatis.

Chutney recipe instructions:

To wash the cilantro, fill a bowl full of cold water and put the cilantro in it. Move the cilantro around in the water, then take it out and shake off the excess water.
Roughly chop the stems and leaves and put them in a blender. Add the peanuts, lemon juice, salt, sugar, turmeric, and 2 small chilis, and pulse them in the blender until the mixture has a smooth, almost pesto-like consistency. Add some water to help the mixture to blend if necessary. The result should be a smooth cilantro chutney which is equally sweet, fiery, and lemony. Add the remaining chili, or more lemon juice, salt, and sugar to balance it to your taste, then spoon it into your clean jar.

Spicy Noodle Salad, A Pasta for All Seasons – Summer

By threejamigos | August 10, 2015 | Comments 2 comments

Summertime! This is the PERFECT summer potluck dish, Spicy Noodle Salad. It can be made the night before, it keeps well, and it’s vegetarian, (yes, you can add a protein like chicken if you want). Peanut allergy? As much as peanuts are perfect in this salad, pine nuts make an excellent stand-in. I have made this so many times I’ve lost count, it’s my go-to-crowd pleaser recipe. Try it.

For those of you who HATE cilantro, I know it’s not your fault-it’s a genetic thing, I can’t think of a substitute BUT, lucky you, for a tasty noodle salad that doesn’t need cilantro, try Super Summer Somen Salad. Need a Gluten-free option, try this Pho-tastic Chicken Noodle Salad that calls for rice noodles!

Make this our own, needs to be more savory? Add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce. If you want a brinier taste try soy Dashi which starts with a fish base stock.

Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

Spicy Cold Noodle Salad

Asian inspired Spicy Cold Noodle Salad, the perfect summer potluck dish! Vegetarian and delicious!

Course dinner, lunch, noodles, potluck

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword Angel hair pasta, cucumber salad, Garlic Noodles, Spicy Cold Noodle Salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Ingredients

Dressing

4 T. corn oil
6 T sesame seed oil
2 t. crushed red pepper
6 T honey decrease by 1T if desired
4 T soy sauce
3 T rice wine vinegar

Ingredients

16 oz. angel hair pasta or any thin pasta, ie. capellini, somen noodles
4 T chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sliced green onions 2 T for garnish
2 T toasted white sesame seeds you could throw in black sesame seeds too!

Instructions

Heat pepper in oils over med/high heat for 1-2 minutes (the longer, the hotter! I usually half the amount of red pepper flakes called for). Cool oils, add honey and soy sauce and stir to combine. Cook pasta according to instructions. Do not overcook noodles! Pour sauce over noodles, add cilantro and onions and chill for 24 hours.
Garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds and additional green onions before serving
Perfect for summer! Toasted pine nuts or cashews can be substituted for the peanuts.

Notes

Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar is not in the original recipe but I think it needs a hit of acid.

In place of 4 T soy sauce you can use 2 T reg soy sauce and 2 T Ponzu-citrus flavored soy.

If the dressing is too sweet reduce honey by 1 tablespoon.