Empanadas Dulces (Alfajores Style)

I love alfajores (who wouldn't?).  The delicious combination of dulce de leche, toasted coconut, and cornmeal-style shortbread is almost too much to handle.  So why not turn this delectable cookie into a larger dessert empanada?  My thoughts, exactly.

These empanadas couldn't get much easier.  Make your empanada dough, roll it out, fill it with dulce de leche, and top with a toasted coconut sugar.

It has nothing to do with South America or empanadas, but one of my superfluous summer goals for 2014 was to listen to more early Black Sabbath.  I found their self-titled debut album on vinyl yesterday in Richmond at Steady Sounds, so here's "N.I.B.", live from Paris in 1970.

Ingredients:

For the dough:
--3/4 c. all-purpose flour
--1/2 c. yellow corn flour (not to be confused with cornstarch!)
--2 tbsp. granulated sugar
--1/2 c. butter, chopped and chilled
--1/4 c. ice water
--1 egg yolk

For the rest:
--1/4 c. turbinado sugar
--1/4 c. sweetened coconut
--1 egg, beaten
--1 jar dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor (or in a bowl using a pastry blender), combine the dough ingredients.  Immediately roll out onto a floured surface until the dough is about 1/8" thick.  Cut the dough into circles with a diameter of approximately 6-8" (you can use a small plate or saucer to do this).  Place the circles between parchment and chill in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Now for the topping.  In your food processor, combine 1/4 c. turbinado sugar and 1/4 c. sweetened coconut.  Pulse the sugar and coconut mixture until it's very finely ground.  Set aside.

Remove your empanada dough circles from the fridge and fill each with about 2 tbsp. dulce de leche on one side of the circle.  Fold the dough over the dulce de leche filling, creating half moons.  Now you need to seal the empanadas.  To make a braided seal, or repulge, take a look at this short video.  (*Note: if you're having trouble making the braided seal, you can pinch the edges firmly.)

Brush your egg wash over the tops of the empanadas and generously sprinkle your sugar and coconut mixture.  On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place 6 empanadas at a time.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes.  If the crusts are turning golden, they're overdone.  You only want the coconut to begin to toast before you take them out of the oven.  When they're done, remove from oven and allow to cool before serving (the filling will be *extremely* hot!).  Store in an airtight container.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

It's December, and it's time for holiday desserts!  Inspired by Giada's recipe, this bread pudding is oh-so-rich and sweet.  Every winter, I end up experimenting with different bread puddings, and this year won't disappoint.  The only catch to this specific bread pudding is that you'll likely find that the main ingredient, the panettone, is typically available solely during the holiday season.  (*Not sure what panettone looks like or where to find it?  It's a sweet Christmas bread filled with candied fruits that, I believe, originated in Italy but is a holiday staple across many parts of the world.  You can find it in almost any speciality food store once November rolls around, or you can make your own.)

I made this eggnog bread pudding during one of the first real snowfalls of 2013, and it was a delightful dessert (and later on, as a breakfast food).  I topped it with a cinnamon and molasses whipped cream, recipe to follow.

During the snowy winter months, I have to admit that I've collected snowflakes on contrasting dark-colored paper to marvel at their singularity.  For the sentiments that snowflake collecting brings, and for winter treats, here's Mark Mothersbaugh's "Snowflake Music" from the fabulous Rushmore soundtrack.

Ingredients:
The Bread Pudding:
--1 large (1 lb.) panettone loaf
--10 large eggs
--6 c. eggnog (you could make your own, of course, but a tasty half gallon from your local grocer will do just fine)
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--1/2 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. vanilla extract

*Note: it's best to make this the night before you plan to serve it so the pudding can have time to "marinate" in the refrigerator!

The Cinnamon Molasses Whipped Cream:
--1 pint heavy whipping cream
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. molasses
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.  Remove your panettone loaf from its wrappers and cut into roughly 1" cubes.  Arrange the cubes in the baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, eggnog, sugars, and vanilla until well blended.  Pour over the panettone cubes, cover with plastic, and place in the fridge overnight.  (In a pinch, you don't need to let the bread pudding sit--you can put it in the oven right away.)

Bake uncovered for 45-50 min, or until the center puffs and the pudding is set (believe me, you'll know when this happens, and if you check too soon, the pudding will look like it's never going to set). Remove and allow to cool.

You can also make the whipped cream a day in advance, or immediately before you're ready to serve your bread pudding.  Either way, it's quick and easy.  In a large bowl, beat the ingredients on medium speed for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.

Cut and serve your eggnog bread pudding with a (very large) dollop of cinnamon molasses whipped cream.

Chimichurri Sauce and Parillada

I've never had a better steak than in Argentina.  All grass-fed beef, and it comes straight from the Pampas.  In Buenos Aires restaurants serving up parilladas (a parillada, "pah-ree-zhah-da," is an assortment of grilled meats), you're sure to find a large dish of chimichurri to smother your steak.  Chimichurri is an Argentinean sauce for grilled meats, typically made with some combination of parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and oregano.  We had some delicious examples at Parilla Pena (our neighborhood parilla), Don Julio (in the Palermo Soho neighborhood), El Desnivel (in cobblestoned San Telmo), and Las Cabras (in Palermo Hollywood).

I added a few more ingredients to my version than those featured in the typical recipes, hoping to replicate the best features of the chimichurri sauces at those amazing restaurants.  And to make it extra special, I served it up in a special pig dish made from the famous Chilean clay in Pomaire.  (I bought mine at the Los Dominicos market in Las Condes.)

When deciding how to grill the meat for our parillada (we chose a New York strip, a T-Bone, and a skirt steak), we read that some of the parillas in Buenos Aires cover the grill grates in salt water.  Others simply rub (and rub!) sea salt onto the meats prior to grilling.  We tried both and decided that the salt water on the grill grates didn't make a noticeable difference, but the exterior sea salt coating was crispy and oh-so-delicious.  When you make this chimichurri, I'd highly recommend pairing it with a grilled New York strip, rubbed in salt (and only salt!).  No marinades, no spices.  Just the salt.

And a special trick for the chimichurri sauce?  Make it at least 24 hours in advance.  The flavors need some time to marinate.

I know some people don't like Simon and Garfunkel.  And look, I know they're pretty far removed from Argentina.  But chimichurri is so much about the parsley.  So clearly, I've gotta pull something off their 1966 album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.  As it so happens, one of my favorite songs appears on this album.  Here's "The Dangling Conversation."

Ingredients:
--1/2 c. freshly and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (you *must* use fresh parsley here)
--1/3 c. dried oregano
--2 garlic cloves, finely minced
--1 tsp. coriander
--1 tsp. dried paprika
--1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
--1/2 tsp. onion powder
--a pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like it extra spicy, add some more)
--3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
--3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
--several pinches of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight before serving.  And the best part?  You can keep it in your fridge for a few weeks, adding it to anything and everything.

And of course, an Argentinian-inspired steak dinner tastes better with a Malbec.

Humitas

At a small Buenos Aires restaurant called Na Serapia, I ordered a dish I had never seen on a menu before: humita.  My plate arrived with a small square package of folded cornhusks, filled with creamed corn and tied together with a string of husk.  Naturally, I knew I'd be making a version back at home.  Humitas are South American steamed corn cakes, created with fresh corn, cheese, and spices.  

*Just as a side note, the owner of Na Serapia is one quirky and cool dude.  This portrait of him hangs on the wall behind one of the tables, and in fact, the MALBA now keeps it in their permanent collection.  He's a hole-in-the-wall, pun intended, Buenos Aires celebrity of sorts.

Aside from the blanching and folding of the cornhusks, the corn cakes themselves are pretty easy to make.  I added a few ingredients of my own and steamed them in a roasting pan.  They're delicious for dinner on their own, as an appetizer, or to accompany a juicy steak.  They're also the perfect addition to any autumn menu.

In South America, these are often made with choclo, a large-kerneled corn from the Andes.  While I can't provide you with ears of corn that are out of the current reach of my American hands, I can give you an Andean song.  Here is Violeta Parra's extraordinary "Gracias a la vida."

Ingredients:
--6 ears of corn
--1/3 c. half and half
--1 c. cornmeal
--2 red peppers, chopped
--2 cloves garlic, slices thinly
--1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
--2 tbsp. olive oil
--2 eggs
--2 c. shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but if you have a crumbly queso, I think that'd be delicious)
--1 tsp. coriander
--a few pinches of salt and pepper

In a medium-sized saucepan, saute the garlic and onions for about 3-4 minutes in the olive oil until they're getting soft.  Add the red peppers and saute until everything is soft and aromatic.  Set aside and allow to cool just a bit.

Husk the ears of corn, being very careful to preserve the husks--you're going to be using them as casings for the corn cakes.  Set the husks aside.  Using a large knife, cut the kernels from the corn and place them in a large food processor.  Don't pulse yet!

To the kernels in the food processor, add the garlic/onion/pepper mixture, the half and half, cornmeal shredded cheese, eggs, coriander, and the salt and pepper (in other words, all remaining ingredients).  Pulse for about a minute, or until all ingredients are finely ground and combined.  Set aside.

Now, the next part gets a little tricky.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add the corn husks and boil for about 5-7 minutes, or until they're soft and pliable.  Drain the pot and place the husks in a bowl of ice water.

Using 3 or 4 husks as a base, line them up on a workspace, and then add 3 or 4 more in a cross pattern on top.  In short, you're creating a liner/pocket to fill with the corn cake mixture.  This picture should help:

Next, fill the layer of cornhusks with about 1/2 c. of the corn mixture.

Then, fold up the edges so you've got a small packet, and tie a piece of a cornhusk around the packet to keep its shape.

Repeat with all remaining husks and remaining corn mixture.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and fill the bottom of a roasting pan with about 1/2" water.  Place the roasting rack in the dish, and place the corn packets on top of the roasting rack (you want to steam them in the oven).

Place the roasting dish in the oven and steam/bake for approximately 40 minutes, or just until the edges of the husks begin to turn a golden color.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Serve in a dish.  When you unwrap them, you'll find a delicious and perfectly steamed corn cake.

And as with everything else from South America, it seems, humitas go very nicely with a glass of Torrontes.

Banana Torta de Mil Hojas (Thousand-Layer Cake)

The torta de mil hojas is a classic South American dessert.  I tried my first slice at Liguria, an amazing and quirky restaurant in Santiago.  I bought another in Buenos Aires at our neighborhood panaderia, Del Carmen on Viamonte.  In Chile, the cake featured a lighter caramel in between the layers, and naturally, the Argentinean version had spoonfuls (and more spoonfuls) of dulce de leche.

While I was in the Southern Cone, I continued to dream about all of the sweet things to pair with dulce de leche when I returned to America.  Banana has been at the top of my list since I had a banana split and dulce de leche sundae at Freddo, the best heladeria in the world.  (I'm not kidding: I don't think I'll ever taste ice cream that's as rich, velvety, and creamy until I return to Argentina.)

I thought a torta de mil hojas featuring some fresh bananas would be out of this world, and it turns out I was right.  As with any layer cake, this one is a labor of love, but it's definitely worth the work.  I topped mine with a decorative Argentinean sun.

I have the most perfect song to accompany the banana torta de mil hojas.  Los Beat 4, a Chilean band formed in Santiago in the late 1960s, has a song that's absolutely made for this dessert.  Here's "Dame un Bananino" ("Give me a banana!").

Ingredients:
--1 1/4 c. flour, + extra for rolling
--1/2 c. chilled butter, chopped
--1/4 c. ice water
--pinch of salt
--pinch of granulated sugar
--2 c. dulce de leche (we brought some back from Argentina, but you can also buy it at any specialty foods store, or in many cases, the lovely World Market)
--2 ripe bananas, slice very thinly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, make a pastry crust by pulsing the flour, butter, ice water, salt, and sugar until the mixture begins to form a ball of dough.  On a large flat surface, add some flour and roll out the dough until it's quite thin.  Using a dish or other perfect circle, cut out eight (8) dough circles that are approximately 6" in diameter.

On a parchment lined baking dish, bake the pastry dough for about 12 minutes, or until it becomes lightly golden around the edges.  Remove and allow to cool completely.  **If you want to make a design on top like I did, cut out whatever design you'd like from your remaining dough and bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until golden around the edges--just like the pastry layers.

Once the pastries have cooled, place a dollop of dulce de leche on the bottom of a plate and stick the first pastry circle on top.  This will prevent the torta de mil hojas from moving around.  Coat the top of the first pastry circle with a heaping of dulce de leche (about 3-4 tablespoons), and then add another pastry circle on top.  This time, coat the circle with a very thin layer of dulce de leche (less than one tablespoon) and add a thin layer of bananas.  Repeat, alternating between layers of dulce de leche and bananas, until you've placed the final pastry circle on top.  If you're adding some pastry decor, attach it with any remaining dulce de leche.

Serve!

Calabaza & Queso Empanadas (Pumpkin & Cheese)

In South America during the winter months of July and August, calabaza is king!  Panaderías all over Santiago and Buenos Aires sell pumpkin empanadas, pumpkin torts, and so on.  I also had some amazing calabaza creations at Cumana, a delicious restaurant in Buenos Aires' Recoleta neighborhood.  Naturally, given my love of winter squashes, I tried my hand at some pumpkin and cheese empanadas in our Buenos Aires kitchen!  And they're a fabulous savory pastry to have for dinner on a chilly night.

They're also pretty easy to make.  Once you've made the flaky empanada dough (basically a pie crust with some salt and pepper), all you need to do is fill your savory pastries with a pumpkin mash.  I bought and roasted a pumpkin, added some delicious raw honey fresh from the Pampas, and topped off the filling with some delicious Argentinian queso de campo and a little bit of salt and pepper.
  

After going to a New Order show just before leaving for South America, I've been listening to a lot of Joy Division and New Order (in fact, I listened to "Unknown Pleasures" almost exclusively as I rode buses to Isla Negra and Valparaiso in Chile).  Given the way these empanadas conjure my visit, here's Joy Division's haunting and beautiful "Atmosphere" (and, might I add, one of my favorite music videos of all time).  

Ingredients:

The Empanada Crust:
--2 1/2 c. flour
--1 c. cold butter
--1/2 c. ice water
--1 tsp. salt
--1/2 tsp. pepper
--1 egg yolk
--extra flour for rolling

Pour flour into a large bowl and cut in the butter (you can also pulse the ingredients in a food processor).  Add the ice water, salt, pepper, and egg yolk.  Mix together until all the dry flour has absorbed into the dough.

Roll on a flat surface and cut into approx. 6" diameter circles.  Set aside until ready to use.

The Filling:
--1/2 c. shredded queso de campo (if you can't find this cheese in the states, you can substitute a Spanish manchego)
--3 c. pumpkin puree (about one medium-sized pumpkin, roasted)
--3 heaping tablespoons of raw honey
--1 large yellow onion, chopped
--2 cloves garlic, minced.
--2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
--salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

If you're roasting your own pumpkin, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Coat the squash with olive oil.  Place both halves on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 1 hour, or until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  (If you're using canned pumpkin, go on to the next set of steps.)

Decrease oven heat to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, saute the garlic and onions until soft and golden.  Set aside until ready to use.

In the saucepan with the onions and garlic, mash in the pumpkin puree, raw honey, queso, and the salt and pepper.  (If you've roasted your own pumpkin, it should be soft enough to just scoop right out of its skin and into the bowl.)  I like mine with some texture, so I do a rustic mash with chunks of the squash still intact.

Fill each empanada shell with about 1 tablespoon of the mash, fold the shell over to create a half-moon shape, and press the edges together with a fork.  Poke a couple of fork hole in the top to allow the empanada to breathe in the oven.  Continue until you've filled all empanadas.  (That's me, in our Argentinean kitchen.)

Place empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges become golden and crispy.  Remove from oven, allow to cool, and serve. 

Eat heartily and happily!

*Wine hint: these go very, very well with a bottle of Torrontes, a delicious Argentinean white wine.

Cuban Burrito Bowl

While doing research at Indiana University's Lilly Library in Bloomington, I had a delicious lunch at Laughing Planet Cafe.  I was delighted to see a Cuban Burrito on the menu and promptly ordered it in a bowl.  When I returned to Virginia, I decided to make my own version.

The Laughing Planet Cafe uses pulled pork in their burrito bowl, but I decided to take advantage of the pork loins at Charlottesville's recently opened Trader Joe's (finally).  I glazed it with a paprika and curry powder blend.  Combined with a kiwi and mango fruit salsa, along with roasted plantains and sweet potatoes, this burrito bowl was a huge hit.

The song choice is going to be an obvious one, I'm warning you.  Here's the Flying Burrito Bros.' "Hot Burrito #1"(I know you'll love Gram Parsons).

Ingredients:
--1 boneless, center-cut pork loin
--1 tbsp. olive oil
--1 tbsp. paprika
--1 tbsp. curry powder
--1/2 tsp. salt
--1 ripe mango, chopped
--3 ripe kiwis, chopped
--1/2 a small jalapeno, chopped very finely
--1 c. cooked black beans (you can use canned)
--2 very ripe plantains, sliced
--2 sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
--2 c. brown rice, cooked
--1/2 c. sour cream (for topping)

In a cast iron pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Rub the pork loin in the paprika and curry powder.  Over medium heat, sear each side of the pork loin until a bit browned (about 4-5 minutes each side).  Transfer to oven at 375 degrees F and roast for 35 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees F.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Leave the oven on for the plantains and sweet potatoes, and allow the pork to sit for 10 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing.

After 10 minutes, slice and chop the pork for the burrito bowl.

On a parchment-line baking sheet, roast the sliced plantains and sweet potatoes at 375 degrees F for approx. 20 minutes, or until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mango, kiwi, salt, and jalapeno.  Mix and set aside.

Arrange each burrito bowl individually: add rice and sliced/chopped pork loin, then top with black beans, plantains and sweet potatoes, and finally with the fruit salsa and sour cream.  After serving, mix up and eat!

Coquitos

What better way to ring in 2013 than with a delicious drink?  Like an eggnog without the eggs, a coquito is a creamy, spiced, and rum-spiked holiday beverage traditionally served in Puerto Rico. 

To celebrate the new year, here's Bert Jansch's "The Bright New Year," from his 1969 album Birthday Blues. 

Ingredients:
--1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
--1 32oz carton sweetened coconut milk
--2 tbsp. vanilla extract
--1 c. dark rum
--2 tsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. nutmeg
--2 tsp. cloves

We used Venezuelan rum and Mexican-imported vanilla we picked up from El Mercado in San Antonio, TX.  

Whisk all ingredients together vigorously in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until cold.  Serve and enjoy!

Mexican Wedding Cakes

I just got back from Texas, and the tastes of San Antonio are inspirational for both dinners and desserts.  This "snowball" cookie is straight out of "Flavors," a 1970s San Antonio Junior League cookbook that I excavated from an antique store near the Alamo.  I love finding vintage cookbooks from places I visit.  Best souvenirs?  Just maybe. 

My favorite line from "Flavors" is its opening description of the distinctly San Antonio taste, yet multifaceted collection, of the cookbook: "The only thread of similarity you will find making all these dishes typically San Antonio is the inevitable dash of picante or Mexican spice."  If you've never been, El Mercado is delightfully saturated in color and spice.  In fact, I picked up a bottle of Mexican-imported vanilla from one of the shops.  It's hard at work in this recipe.

These cookies are easy and delicious.  And with the ample amounts of cinnamon and cloves, the Mexican spice of "Flavors" comes through.  Since most of my driving around Texas included repeat listens to Sir Douglas Quintet's 1983 "Border Wave," it only seems right to pair these cookies with a song from this Chrysalis album.  Here's "Sheila Tequila," from this original San Antonio band.  

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  

Ingredients:
--2 sticks butter
--1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
--2 c. flour
--1/2 c. chopped pecans
--2 tsp. vanilla (I used Mexican-imported vanilla, but any pure vanilla will do)
--1/4 c. confectioner's sugar (for dusting)
--2 tsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. cloves

Cream butter and 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar.  Add flour, pecans, and vanilla.  Shape into small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes. 

While the cookies are baking, sift 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.  When warm, roll cookies in confectioner's sugar mixture.  Once cool, roll again.

Tex Mex Lasagna, or "The Most Interesting Lasagna in the World"

Plantains, peppers, sausage, and cheese.  I'd eat this in Texas or anywhere south of the border.  I had some of the greatest Tex-Mex for the first time at Guero's Taco Bar in Austin, TX (on S. Congress), and I often think about their delicious al Pastor enchiladas with homemade mole.  This lasagna is something a little bit different, but it's also incredibly yummy.  Almost a Latin version of the American holiday favorite of ham & scalloped potatoes, this no-noodle dinner dish is rich, creamy, and spicy on the palate.  Paired with a Dos Equis, it just might be "the most interesting lasagna in the world."

I was in Dallas a couple months ago and found a vinyl copy of the Telefones' debut album, Vibration Change at the very cool Dolly Python Vintage.  (The Telefones were a Dallas-based punk/new wave band from the early 1980s.)  In (small-scale) homage to Texas punk and my continued excitement over finding that record, here's "Living in America," a song from the album. 

Ingredients:

*Adapted from Ingrid Hoffmann's Food Network recipe

--4 ripe plantains, sliced very thinly

--4 links andouille sausage, cases removed

--1 lb. ground turkey

--2-3 tsp. olive oil

--1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

--1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

--3 c. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

--1 1/2 c. chicken stock

--1 c. whole milk

--1 medium yellow onion, chopped

--1 clove garlic, minced

--3 tbsp. unsalted butter

--1/4 c. flour

--3-4 tsp. salt (to taste)

--3-4 tsp. pepper (to taste)

--1 tbsp. paprika

--1 tsp. cumin

--sour cream (for topping)

--black beans (for topping)

Heat butter in a medium saucepan and add onions and garlic and allow to slightly brown.  Whisk in flour until combined.  Slowly whisk in chicken stock.  Once chicken stock has been fully whisked in, whisk in the milk.  Bring to a low boil, and then reduce heat to low.  Add 2 1/2 c. Monterey jack cheese (reserve 1/2 c. for topping).  Add peppers and season with salt and pepper.  Once cheese is combined, allow to thicken over low heat for approximately 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and cover with plastic until ready to use.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil.  Combine the andouille and ground turkey.  Fry until browned and drain if necessary.  Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin.  Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 13 x 9" baking dish and layer plantains along bottom (do *not* overlap the plantains!).  Add a layer of the meat (approx. 1/3 of the mixture), and then pour cheese sauce over (approx. 1/3 of the sauce).  Repeat twice, and then end with a final layer of plantains only.  Top with the remaining Monterey jack cheese.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until cheese is browned on top and sides and very bubbly (you want to be sure to cook the plantains through so they're soft).  Allow to cool and serve with black beans and a scoop of sour cream.

Cantaloupe Kiwi Salsa & Chicken Quesadillas

Lately I've been craving varieties of Mexican, Cuban, and other Latin American savory dishes.  Since it's high time for summertime fruit, I decided to make an easy favorite--chicken quesadillas--with a melon-infused salsa.  These quesadillas are filled with paprika-spiced pulled chicken and queso, then topped with a salsa made with fresh cantaloupe, kiwi, poblano peppers (with a bit of jalapeno thrown in), ripe avocado, and coarsely chopped cilantro.

This song may seem like too obvious a choice (and I reserve the right to pair another of their songs with a different dish quite soon!), but here's the Felice Brothers' "Run Chicken Run". . . . enjoy!

The Quesadilla:

--3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

--1 tbsp. paprika

--1-2 tsp. salt

--1-2 tsp. pepper

--2 tbsp. olive oil

--8 medium-sized flour tortillas

--2 cups queso

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heeat.  Brown chicken breasts on both sides until cooked through, approx. 5-6 minutes per side.  Remove from heat, pull apart, and place in bowl.  Season pulled chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper.

In the saucepan in which you cooked the chicken, place one flour tortilla down and top with a handful of pulled chicken.  Sprinkle generously with queso.  Top with a second flour tortilla, and fry over medium heat until bottom tortilla is crispy.  Flip and crisp the "top" tortilla.  Repeat for remaining tortillas, chicken, and queso.

The Salsa:

--1/2 large ripe cantaloupe, coarsely chopped

--2 ripe avocados, chopped

--1 kiwi, chopped

--1/2 poblano pepper, seeds removed and chopped finely

--1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped finely

--1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely (or to taste preference)

--1 tbsp. salt

Mix ingredients in a large bowl.

Serve quesadillas with a lotta salsa and a scoop (or two) of sour cream.

Mango Cardamom Tres Leches Cake

Traditionally a Mexican dessert, I've re-worked the "Tres Leches" cake into a rich treat in which Near-East spice meets Far-East fruit.  Infused with cardamom, topped with a mango whipped cream, and surrounded by a mango-cardamom dipping sauce, this treat is to die for.

Tres Leches, of course, means "three milks"--this cake is meant to be eaten straight from the refrigerator, delightfully dripping with the blend of milks and creams with which it has been drenched.  I first got the idea to pair mango and cardamom after sampling a similarly flavored vodka cocktail at Clementine, an adorable little restaurant in Baltimore, MD.  But in sheer anticipation of my upcoming trip to Istanbul [*lookout for dinners and desserts made with spices from the Grand Bazaar following my return on March 10th!], I've been itching to put cardamom in everything.     

With a fruit-and-spice combination that gives this rich, creamy treat the color shades of "just before evening," I'm dying to pair it with the Fruit Bats' "Magic Hour," a truly pretty song that conjures the magical quality of both late-day visions and traveling on the road.

Cake ingredients:

--6 eggs

--1 c. granulated sugar

--2 tsp. vanilla

--1/2 c. almond milk (you could use whole milk or soy milk, too!)

--1/3 c. canola oil

--1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

--1 tsp. baking powder

--pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, and oil until blended.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture until you have a cake batter.  Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 13 x 9" cake pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or just until tester comes out clean from the center.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cream syrup:

--1/4 c. heavy cream

--1/4 c. mango juice

--12 oz. evaporated milk (1 can)

--14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (1 can)

--2 tsp. ground cardamom

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl.  Using a toothpick, pierce the cooled cake approximate 100 times all over the cake (you want to cream a LOT of little holes that will allow the cake to soak up this syrup).  Pour the cream syrup over the cake, and spoon the runoff back onto the top until the cake has absorbed the liquid.  (You may need to poke more toothpick holes after pouring the cream syrup on top to allow the cake to absorb it.)

Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.  After it has chilled, then make the whipped topping. 

Whipped Cream topping:

--1 c. heavy whipping cream

--2 tbsp. mango juice

--1/2 c. granulated sugar

--1 tsp. vanilla

Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Spread over the top of the cake.  Now, it's time to make the mango-cardamom dipping sauce!

Mango-Cardamom dipping sauce:

--1 c. mango juice

--1/4 c. granulated sugar

--1-2 tsp. ground cardamom (you can use more or less, depending on how "spicy" you'd like your syrup to be)

In a small saucepan, heat mango juice and sugar over medium heat, stirring regularly, for approx 7-8 minutes or until the juice has thickened into a syrup.  While it's still warm, whisk in the ground cardamom.  Allow the sauce to cool--it will thicken a bit more.  Serve liberally with a large slice of cake!