Roasted Red Pepper & Chipotle Pesto

When I came across Aida Mollenkamp's recipe for a roasted red pepper pesto, I was intrigued. But as I read through it, I was disappointed by the ingredients.

Don't get me wrong, I love goat cheese. It's my favorite cheese. But the rest of the ingredients lacked oomph. I have a serious disdain for red pepper flakes.

They are fine on pizza, if you're into that. But for my sauce, I wanted a good spice kick blended throughout and not little flakes getting stuck in my teeth. At first I considered adding sriracha, but thought it might be a bit too extreme. I settled on chipotle peppers. And that's when this became a Mexican dish.

I figured chipotle and my beloved goat cheese, both being strong flavors, would compete for attention, but chipotle and queso fresco pair beautifully together. And it crumbles so nicely. Great on refried beans, delicious on chipotle & roasted pepper spaghetti. And since we were already going the Latino route, why not go all the way and use cilantro instead of thyme?

What came out was nothing like what Aida started with. It was so much better. Even without nuts.

The next morning, one of the taste testers mixed this dish with the citrus quinoa, wrapped it in flat bread and called it breakfast. He then tweeted a picture. Boys. They'll eat anything!

I think this sauce might be equally as good as a soup. That's an idea for next time.

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Roasted Red Pepper & Chipotle Pesto

by Paulette Fontanez October-10-2012

Adapted from Roasted Pepper Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 8 roasted red peppers (1 16-ounce jar), chopped
• 1 chipotle pepper in sauce
• 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 ounces queso fresco (Mexican white cheese), crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the past water then drain the pasta.2. While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until just as it begins to take on color, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds. 3. Add the tomato paste, both types of peppers (roasted and chipotle), chipotle sauce, and sugar (this balances the sourness from the tomato paste). Cook until thickened.4. Transfer the sauce to a blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan with the drained pasta and salt, and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the pasta water and cook over medium heat until the sauce clings to the noodles. Add more water as needed to thin the sauce. 5. Serve topped with crumbled cheese and chopped cilantro.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

Ajad – Thai Cucumber Salad

For the last 25+ years, my family has been frequenting the same Thai restaurant in Burbank. To pass it on to the next generation, my brother’s family orders take-out from it regularly. I have always ordered the chicken satay. I love slathering the chicken skewers with peanut sauce and then sprinkling on the sweet vinegar from the cucumber salad before popping it in my mouth. To this day, it reminds me of being seven years old.

But what is that sweet and sour relish filled with cucumbers and onions? Oh, it’s known by many names, but the proper name is ajad. Or ajat, ached, or อาจาด. My Thai friend Oakley, she of the Oakmonster food blog—and the catalyst for the bacon scotch we always keep on hand in the G+F kitchen—told me ajad is correct. And because she will play tour guide on my eventual trip to Thailand, I believe her. She’s also originally from Bangkok, so she should know.

And who knew it was the easiest dish to make? Certainly not seven year old me, who believed this sweet and sour concoction must be magical. I was always afraid to finish it for fear that there would be none the next time. The innocence of childhood!

But it truly is so simple. Cut up a cucumber, some shallots, a pepper (I prefer red Fresnos for color, as do the folks at Saveur), boil some water, mix it with vinegar and sugar, toss in some cilantro, and you’re done. Waiting for it to cool enough to eat is the hardest part.

This keeps well in the fridge for quite some time, given the preservative qualities of the vinegar (and sugar). I now consistently keep it on hand. Because it IS magical. And I never want it to disappear!

Saveur’s recipe calls for a LOT of shallots. I rarely use more than one small one for a large cucumber. Your mileage may vary.

Original recipe on Saveur's site.

Turkey Goat Cheese Meatballs

You know how this story starts. I had some turkey and a hankering for goat cheese, so I looked for an easy way to combine them. Hence, meatballs. Turkey goat cheese meatballs. Balls of meat oozing goat cheese.

It's like a mini version of food nirvana for me.

Since I was only cooking for two, I used half a pound of ground turkey meat. And about two ounces of soft herbed chèvre. If I hadn't put it in the meat, I would've spread it all over crackers. This is an arguably healthier option.

This is just about when I discovered lemon pepper, too. I've had it for a while, but have been hesitant to use it. This time I threw caution to the wind. Somehow the lemon pepper, turmeric, coriander, and paprika were perfect together. Quite deliciously perfect.

I also made a very quick cilantro yogurt sauce for them (chop cilantro and add to Greek yogurt with ground ginger, ground coriander and garlic powder). It was a damn good combination overall.

And disappeared far too quickly. Next time, I'll go for the full pound of meat.

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Easy Bake Turkey Goat Cheese Meatballs

by Paulette Fontanez May-15-2012

A simple baked meatball recipe, stuffed with creamy goat cheese goodness.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 ounces soft herbed goat cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray.2. Combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Make sure cheese is evenly spread throughout.3. Roll the mixture into golf ball-size balls. Space evenly on the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Cheese might ooze out.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 9 meatballs

Tia Lily's Salsa Colorada

My beloved aunt Lily is my mom's sister. They are originally from Guadalajara, Mexico and she is one of the best cooks I've ever met. As a rule, I don't eat at Mexican restaurants because nothing compares to my tia's cooking. I only eat her posole, and her tamales are a Christmas treat, but what she's best known for is her salsa.

Lest you think I'm putting my own mother down, let me tell you who the best Puerto Rican cook I've ever met is: my mom. While Tia Lily is the consummate Mexican cocinera, my mom had to learn to cook for my dad, who preferred his own homeland's cuisine. And hates celery.

The joke in our family is that you can always tell how angry she was when she makes her salsas by the level of spice. Those babies will burn through your tongue, even when she's in the greatest of moods. They can take on any Indian curry or southern Thai dish in a heat competition. You will probably sweat eating them. And it'll be totally worth it.

She made this salsa for a recent family gathering. One of the wonderful things about our family is that every occasion brings out the entire clan. I have 5 cousins on that side, 4 of which have their own children, and I love the parties we have together. Piñatas, food, music, and kids running everywhere, that's life. It was on one of these family affairs, while my mouth was on fire, that I begged her to share the recipe. She laughed while telling me how utterly simple it is.

Like my dad's salsa, it goes great on everything: rice, tacos, eggs. But the salsa verde has far less heat than this one, so be careful how much you throw on your plate. Make sure you have lots of crema (or sour cream, milk, what have you) on hand!

It's especially delicious on an egg in a hole, which has a convenient buffer for heat built right in: bread!

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Tia Lily's Salsa Colorada

by Lilia Ruiz-Velasco Colunga February-7-2012

An intensely spicy red salsa.

Ingredients

• 8 tomatillos
• 6 chiles arbol (with seeds)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying chiles
• 3 sprigs cilantro (more for garnish)
• salt to taste 

Instructions

1. Remove the papery outer skin of the tomatillos and rinse well (they will be pretty sticky). Chop in half, and put in a large pot of water. Make sure the water covers the tomatillos by at least an inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes (till fork tender).2. While the tomatillos are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chiles and fry until crispy. Remove from heat and discard the oil.3. Drain the tomatillos, reserving a quarter cup of the water. Blend together the tomatillos, fried chiles, garlic, and cilantro with half the water. Add more as needed for a thinner salsa. Add salt to taste.4. Pour into a bowl, garnish with some cilantro. Or pour over a dish that needs a bit of pizzazz. Enjoy.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 15 mins Yield: 2 cups