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Chilaquiles with Ancho Roasted Sweet Potatoes
September 20, 2011 | 
Author Whenever I try new recipes, I usually get my insipration from blogs that I read. I currently subscribe to approximately 15 food blogs that cover a range of subjects, from wine to rustic, and some of them are just people that I know and want to support.
A local Memphis photographer and vegetarian, Justin Burks (whose olive oil shortbread is covered here) posted a recipe on his blog, The Chubby Vegetarian, that intrigued me. From the moment I read the ingredient list, I wanted to make these chilaquiles with ancho roasted sweet potatoes.
This recipe is full of all kinds of delicious veggies. And, in my version, I lighten it up a little bit (Although, it is already quite healthy.)
Chilaquiles with Ancho Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from The Chubby Vegetarian’s Chilaquiles + Ancho Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ancho Roasted Sweet Potatoes
1 1/2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tablespoon of ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes in olive oil until coated. Combine remaining ingredients, sprinkle over potatoes and mix until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and edges start to darken.
Chilaquiles
1/4 cup onion (diced)
1/4 cup green bell pepper (diced)
1 tomato (peeled, diced)
2 eggs and 1/2 cup egg substitute (thoroughly mixed)
1 1/2 cups baked tortilla chips
2 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
Mexican hot sauce (I use Valentina)
sour cream
In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season egg mixture with salt and pepper. In a shallow baking dish, place one handful of tortilla chips so that they cover the bottom of the dish, pour in half of the eggs, and add half of the vegetable mixture. Repeat. Top with goat cheese, and place into a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Serve chilaquiles over the sweet potatoes. Garnish with hot sauce and sour cream.
Here’s my ten cents, my two cents is free. For more recipes, product reviews and restaurant tips (especially in and around Memphis, TN) Please visit my food blog, Tiffany Tastes.
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Delicious Dip
A friend of mine posted this dip recipe on Facebook and said it was “Delicious!” So, I put it on my to-do list, and at a recent dinner party I busted out this recipe. It only takes a little extra effort than the store-bought version, and it’s so much better.
It all starts with a pan full of onions
Cook ‘em low and slow until they turn golden brown and delicious
Throw it in a food processor with a few other ingredients and blend to the desired consistency. It couldn’t get any easier or more delicious.
Caramelized Onion Dip
Adapted from A Dash of Sass
2 large yellow onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 ounces light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
- Quarter the onion and cut into strips
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Combine butter and olive oil in pan.
- Add the onions, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne. Saute for about 10 minutes, until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue sauteing for another 30 minutes, stiring frequently, until the onions are browned and caramelized.
- Add balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook an additional 2 minutes
- Remove onions from pan and let cool.
- Place cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce into a food processor. Process until well-combined.
- Add the onions. Process to desired consistency (I left mine a little chunky, but you can definitely go until it’s smooth)
-Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Serve at room temperature with chips (or a spoon!).
This dip is even better the second or third day.
Here’s my ten cents, my two cents is free. For more recipes, product reviews and restaurant tips (especially in and around Memphis, TN) Please visit my food blog, Tiffany Tastes.
If you want to contact me, drop me a line at tiffany(at)tiffanytastes(dot)com
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Open faced sandwiches, homemade. Cream cheese with cucumber and tiny green onions,
and cream cheese and salmon with dill. All very proper. Opps, did I mention the English
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Escabeche – My Favorite Jalapeño
the Green God
There is something wonderful about the jalapeño. I love growing them and always get more than I thought five plants could actually produce. I do like them raw, they have a unique flavor that I find very distinctive, and just enough heat to add fire, but not overwhelming. I will also let some go to the red stage in order to dry, smoke and make Chipotle. But what if there are too many of them? Never a problem; I will simply turn them into Escabeche
Technically, Escabeche is a Mediterranean preparation. It refers to either a dish of poached or fried fish that is marinated in an acidic mixture, sort of like the Mexican Ceviche. It can also refer to the acidic marinade itself, and, using this marinade in the following manner is my absolute favorite way of preparing Jalapeño’s and Serrano’s.
I made this last year, but I did not document doing so in order to post on this site. Since then, I have eaten them all. Being out, and seeing them for sale at sub-99 cents (beautiful, I might add), I decided to make some more to get me through to their season in my local. I also took pictures and notes in order to post to my favorite food site. Oh, that’s this one, the one you’re reading.
Anyway, the recipe I use is a modified recipe that I have come to love. It is as follows:
- 1 lb jalapeño chile peppers (or, for the more daring, serranos)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 medium white onions, thickly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 head garlic, separated into cloves, BUT DO NOT PEEL
- 4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Kosher salt or sea salt
- Bay leaves (I use one per jar)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sprigs dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp sugar
(Note: When I am making marinades, I use dry herbs, as their flavor is more predictable in that setting and seems to develop in a more consistent, predictable, manner.)
So now that we have assembled all of the above, let’s begin:
"X" cut in tip
Wash the jalapeño peppers and dry. Cut an “X” in the tip of each one (this will allow the marinade into the pepper, and the heat out into the marinade).
Get a small stock pot and heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the jalapeños, carrots, onions and unpeeled garlic. Lightly fry for about ten minutes, stirring and turning occasionally.
Hot Pot
Add the vinegar, salt, herbs, and sugar and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes for serranos or 10 minutes for jalapeños. You want to make sure that the chilies are completely cooked. They should be soft to the touch of a wooden spoon.
Everything in!
I then can them in wide mouth pint jars. Each jar should hold 4-5 jalapeños, 7-8 serranos. Place in the bottom of each jar some of the onions, carrots and garlic until you’ve used half of that. Then pack the jars evenly with the jalapeños, divide the remaining vegetables amongst the jars, then fill each up with the remaining marinade. The is the best way I have found to make each jar consistent with all the others. To can, process the jars for 20 minutes in a water bath. I let the jars age for 1 month before opening; this allows for the flavors to develop fully.
Why not peel the garlic (I just know this is going to be a question)? Well, after a month has passed and you decide to try out your jalapeños, you’ll find that the garlic is soft and wonderfully marinated. The skin just falls off, and the taste is phenomenal!
My Go-To Soup
For my inaugural FoodNuts post, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite soup recipes. I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand, it’s a one-pot wonder, and it comes together in a matter of minutes.
Rustic Italian Soup
Adapted for my tastes. You can find the original recipe here.
8 oz. turkey sausage (spicy or mild) casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if using spicy sausage)
salt and pepper to taste
- Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
- Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
- Add the broth, wine (make sure you use a wine that you’d actually drink), tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach, oregano, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
This recipe makes 2 quarts, which is about 6 generous portions.
I just happened to have about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream that I threw into the pot at the last minute just to get it out of my refrigerator, which explains the creamy color of the soup (If you’re cutting calories, feel free to omit). To finish it off, I top it with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add a crusty roll and a side salad, and you’ve got dinner!
Here’s my ten cents, my two cents is free. For more recipes, product reviews and restaurant tips (especially in and around Memphis, TN) Please visit my food blog, Tiffany Tastes.
If you want to contact me, drop me a line at tiffany(at)tiffanytastes(dot)com
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