Weekly Dish

CHIMI, CHIMI

Friday, September 9 (but not really)

I’m not sure what happened, but somehow my days got mixed up this week. Labor Day? The hurricane week? I don’t know; I’m sure it’s a combination of all manner of things. Baton Rouge has turned into a different city this week (my local grocery store only had one bag of angel hair pasta in the whole store when I went Wednesday afternoon), new students from New Orleans have transferred to LSU for a semester, and traffic is, well, a nightmare. I try not to stray too far from home, fearing I may never return. I, for one, was glad to return to class, see my students’ faces, and know that they and their families are okay (many of them are from the Slidell area). Several of my students lamented not their families’ loss of property, but simply said, “We are thankful to be alive and have food and a place to stay.” These times do indeed put things into perspective, possibly one positive out of this surreal disaster.

So, here is what I cooked on Friday of whatever week this menu comes from (I really am having a hard time remembering), even though I am perfectly aware that today (the day I’m posting) is Saturday. But, whatever. I always buy ground beef in the 2 or 3 pound quantities, so I had about a pound leftover from our hamburger night. By Friday, I’m always looking for something quick, and these chimichangas really hit the spot. Yes, you have to fry them (gasp!) in about a half-inch of oil, but really, how often do you do that? And, look, I’m serving the fried thing with oranges and avocado! Doesn’t that help to balance out the grease? (This is what I tell myself when I have a diet coke with a medium pizza, anyway). You can make guacamole, of course, but these avocados were so perfectly ripe and pretty that I decided not to. The salsa is leftover from quesadilla night (Wednesday, I think?). Next week will be saner (at least I hope so.)

Beef Chimichangas with Orange-Red Onion Salad and Avocado

For the filling:

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1/2 small yellow onion, ciced

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. seasoning salt

1/4 cup salsa

4 ounces pepper jack cheese

Cook the onion and garlic over medium heat, just until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the meat and seasonings. Cook until the beef is completely brown; drain well (I use a mesh strainer so I don’t lose the garlic or onion). Return the beef to the skillet, add the salsa and cheese and heat until cheese is melted and well-mixed in. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels (they will absorb more of the grease).

To assemble:

4 large tortillas

Enough oil to fill the skillet about 1/2 inch-up (I use canola)

Lay each tortilla flat, and place about 1/2 cup of the filling down the center. Fold in from the sides (like you were making a wrap), and then fold the ends up too (to make a closed packet). Heat the oil over medium and lay the chimis in the skillet, folded side down. Fry until brown, about 4-6 minutes per side. (The first ones will take a little longer, but once the oil gets really hot, they cook pretty quickly). I cook them two at a time; they should not touch in the skillet.

While they are frying, in a medium-sized bowl, toss 2 oranges, peeled and diced (I cut it into rings and then quarter each slice), about a quarter of a red onion, chopped very, very finely, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Let the oranges sit and soak up the dressing while you finish frying. Remove each chimi, as it’s done, to a paper-towel-lined plate. While they are cooling, slice the avocado and sprinkle with salt. Plate up, and enjoy!

One of my favorite things to make for dinner after a trip to the Farmer’s Market is a vegetable plate with lots of different colors, textures, and flavors. Fortunately, my husband is not one of those meat-and-potatoes guys, but to add some extra protein, I usually try to make one dish with eggs in it. For today’s menu, I chose corn pudding, which allows me to use the sweet, sweet corn that is so delicious right now and the monstrous basil in my backyard. I use The Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Sagoponack Corn Pudding (Barefoot Contessa Family Style), halved, and I bake it without fooling with a water bath. With fresh corn right off the cob, really sharp Cheddar cheese, and fresh basil, it melts in your mouth with a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Tonight, I served it with Roasted Asparagus, which I like with a splash of lemon juice, olive oil, and lots of salt and pepper roasted at 400 degrees just until it turns bright green, and Spinach-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes. The bread crumbs in the tomatoes also go a long way to make this meal filling. It is, in our estimation, straight-from-the-garden-delicious. So delicious, in fact, that we were in such a hurry to eat it, we forgot to snap a picture! Sorry…we’ll try to do better.

Sagoponack Corn Pudding

½ stick butter

Fresh corn kernels from about 4 corn cobs

1 small yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 large eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup half-and-half

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup ricotta cheese

2 T chopped fresh basil leaves (more if you have it)

½ T. sugar

½ T. kosher salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces of shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (reserve some for the top)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet (I use a heat-resistant one that can go right in the oven). Sauté the corn and onion over medium-high heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half. Slowly add the cornmeal and ricotta cheese. When well-combined, mix in the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add to the corn mixture and mix in the Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is brown and the center is set.

–Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina Garten, 2002.

Because the corn pudding has to cook the longest, I assemble it first and place it in the oven. Then, when I have the tomatoes ready to go in, I turn the heat up to 400 degrees and watch the corn pudding carefully. When it’s brown and done, I take it out and cover it tightly with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Next, I place the asparagus spears in the oven, to cook while the tomatoes are finishing. As soon as the asparagus goes in the oven, I get the bread ready: arrange slices of a baguette on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with thin slices of Parmesan cheese (I use a vegetable peeler).

Spinach-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Filling (for 8 large cherry tomatoes):

½ cup fresh white bread crumbs

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup spinach leaves, washed and chopped

1 tsp. fresh basil leaves

¼ cup ricotta

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

Mix together filling and set aside. Cut the tops off of the cherry tomatoes and remove the seeds and juice (I do it with my fingers). Stuff each tomato liberally with filling. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, until tomatoes are almost collapsing. The spinach filling is excellent in omelets or stuffed in a loaf of French bread, if you have some leftover. I saved about 2 tablespoons for the frittata I’m planning to make next week.

Grilling is one of those summertime pleasures that, when summer’s over, I always feel I haven’t indulged in enough. My husband is excellent on the grill, and it’s so quick—plus I usually wind up with much less mess in the kitchen. If I remember to marinate the meat, we can usually throw dinner together in about half an hour (after the grill’s been fired up, of course). We have heard great things about gas grills, but we are traditional (and poor), so we use the old-fashioned charcoal method. I love the smoky flavor the coals give to whatever I cook.

This chicken recipe derives from leftover tequila in the house and a margarita sauce I once watched a chef at the Brick Oven (a restaurant where I worked in college—sadly, it no longer exists) fix for tilapia. If you have margarita mix on hand, I know it would be good in place of some of the orange juice; we just didn’t have any when I got ready to mix up the marinade.

Grilled Margarita Chicken

For the marinade:

½ c. tequila (I use whatever is cheapest; we only use the good stuff for real margaritas)

3 lbs. chicken breasts

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on the size of your garlic (the stuff I bought at the farmer’s market last week is tremendous, so I only used 2)

Juice of one orange and three limes (if you roll them on the counter a few times, putting a good bit of pressure on them, they will yield more juice. Cutting them into wedges instead of halves helps too.)

1 T. chili paste (I used the Sambal chili paste I bought at an Asian market, but any hot chili sauce would do)

2 t. Kosher salt

Ground pepper

2 t. honey plus extra for drizzling

1 t. cumin

Olive oil and orange juice (or margarita mix) to cover

Mix together everything but the olive oil and orange juice (I do it right in the baking dish, or whatever I’m putting the chicken in); then place the chicken in the dish and turn several times until it’s good and coated. Drizzle with more honey and pour over equal parts olive oil and orange juice/margarita mix until the breasts are just covered. Marinate at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Grill over a medium fire for about 20 minutes, turning frequently to prevent it from getting too black on one side.

I served the chicken with a version of Sara Foster’s Apple and Avocado Salad from Fresh Everyday and grilled corn. I assemble the salad right on the plate, as the chicken and corn are cooking. I use spinach instead of watercress, and place one layer of torn leaves on the plate. Top with sliced avocado, chopped mint leaves, green onions, and chopped green apple. Instead of mixing up a separate dressing, I drizzle equal parts lime juice and olive oil on each salad and top with a good dose of salt and pepper. Finish with a good handful of crumbled feta cheese. The lime in the chicken and in the salad dressing is a nice pairing.

For the Grilled Corn, I like it simple. Wrap cobs in aluminum foil, dotted with pats of butter, and cook for about 10 minutes. I like sweet summer corn very plain, seasoned only with salt and pepper (and of course the butter); I also like it crunchy, so if you prefer yours cooked more thoroughly, just leave it on the grill a little longer.

Set aside the leftover chicken breasts; you will need 2 for the Taboulleh chicken salad, and then you should still have 3 or 4 left. I will probably use them for quesadillas next week, so I wrap them really well in plastic wrap and place them in a large Ziploc bag. That way, they won’t dry out in the fridge.