What did you cook today?

[XexoX]

This Washington Post recipe for Chile Relleno Casserole had red flags all over it but still, there was something compellingly comforting about it, so I decided to give it a shot . . .


Mise En Place & Yu Kurosaki Fujin VG10 Petty, 120mm
Yellow onion, roasted/skinned/seeded poblano peppers, unsalted butter, eggs, ground pork, shredded chihuahua, shredded aged cheddar, ground cotija, AP flour, salt, cumin, ancho chile powder, whole milk and black pepper.

Once I was into re-reading the recipe, making the dish and tasting it along the way, everything seemed under-seasoned. So, I ended up adding some seasonings that were not called for in the original recipe (ancho among them, along with more salt, more pepper, more cumin, granulated garlic, onion and some Mexican oregano). Since I had ground pork on hand, that's what I used (recipe calls for beef). I also decided that using 100% cheddar didn't sound great, so I went with an 80/20 mix of chihuahua and cheddar. The addition of the cotija was also my modification. I also upped the overall size/quantity and went with a 9x13" version over the 9x9" square the recipe calls for. In the end, I'd say the recipe was more inspiration than actual road map but it worked out nicely.


Chile Relleno Casserole
Because I went with a larger batch/vessel, I baked this for ~45 minutes @ 350F (instead of 375F). I also turned the fan on at the end for 3-4 minutes.


Plated Up
With some Mexican restaurant-style rice (tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken/tomato bouillon power, carrot, onion). Ingredient details aside, in the end, I think this is a great method/technique. I'd love to try it again, working some sauteed mushrooms into the mix. Chorizo might be great, too. I'm definitely glad I followed my gut on some of the specifics but in the end, this is nothing I ever would have come up with on my own. Tasty, comforting, versatile and relatively easy to put together.

Sounds like you made enough changes, that you should write up your own recipe and say it was "inspired by" the Washington Post recipe. Looks good.

[ronnie_suburban]

Sounds like you made enough changes, that you should write up your own recipe and say it was "inspired by" the Washington Post recipe. Looks good.

Yeah, after dinner I went back and updated the word document that I'd originally created for the recipe. Mainly, I wanted to record the changes I made so I could duplicate the dish in the future. Some of what I did on the fly didn't make it into the picture, so I figured I'd better type it all out or it'd eventually be gone forever.

One interesting thing -- or maybe not -- is that the recipe calls for using canned poblanos (and roasting fresh ones, which I did, as an alternative). I cannot remember ever seeing canned poblanos but I've never shopped for them and I spend a lot more time at Asian markets than I do at Latin markets. That said, I'm going to look for them next time I'm at the Mexican market near my house. Since roasting/skinning/seeding the poblanos was unquestionably the most time-consuming, labor-intensive part of this prep, it'd at least be worth trying some canned ones to see if they're any good. If so, they'd be a real time saver and would make this dish viable even for a weeknight/after work situation. Reading the original recipe, I think that's one of the creator's primary goals.

[trancher]

That said, I'm going to look for them next time I'm at the Mexican market near my house. Since roasting/skinning/seeding the poblanos was unquestionably the most time-consuming, labor-intensive part of this prep, it'd at least be worth trying some canned ones to see if they're any good. If so, they'd be a real time saver and would make this dish viable even for a weeknight/after work situation.

This is timely as I was thinking about this process just a few days ago making a Moroccan Dish. I usually double the dish doing 8 bell peppers, char them on the grill (the dish tastes better if not completely charred) let them cool in a stainless steel bowl covered with saran wrap, making the skins a little easier to remove. But the problem is like you said, it's very time consuming and once the skins are off that's half the battle. Removing the ribs and a little less so the seeds inside the now very soft pepper is quite slow - so you're in good company with the frustration. I ask, does anyone (maybe pro kitchen) have any tips on this???

[ronnie_suburban]

That said, I'm going to look for them next time I'm at the Mexican market near my house. Since roasting/skinning/seeding the poblanos was unquestionably the most time-consuming, labor-intensive part of this prep, it'd at least be worth trying some canned ones to see if they're any good. If so, they'd be a real time saver and would make this dish viable even for a weeknight/after work situation.

This is timely as I was thinking about this process just a few days ago making a Moroccan Dish. I usually double the dish doing 8 bell peppers, char them on the grill (the dish tastes better if not completely charred) let them cool in a stainless steel bowl covered with saran wrap, making the skins a little easier to remove. But the problem is like you said, it's very time consuming and once the skins are off that's half the battle. Removing the ribs and a little less so the seeds inside the now very soft pepper is quite slow - so you're in good company with the frustration. I ask, does anyone (maybe pro kitchen) have any tips on this???

I'll be curious too but I think you're on the right track. You don't have to be great at math to calculate how much time this process adds to an overall prep. My pepper roasting process is very similar to yours but in this case, I lightly oiled and broiled the peppers. That took about 15 minutes total and saved on the charring time but even after that and the bowl-steam, it's at least 2-3 minutes with each pepper, so that part alone added nearly a half hour to my cooking time. Well worth it but also a factor that would have me making any applicable dish less often. I feel like when I've successfully prepped roasted peppers, I'm sitting on kitchen gold!

[mauichef]

One of my all time favorite meals.....
Roast Chicken, Roast Root Vegetables and Gravy.
I used Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Leaks, Squash, Yucca and Fennel.

I don't know what it is with produce here but it all tastes and looks so much better than we were used to in Hawaii and Mainland USA.

The chicken in particular is the best I have ever had. Fresh free range are not even close to these beauties.
The birds are larger but not tough. Quite the opposite. So plump and juicy.
You can see the fat is a different color. When you buy them in the big markets they come with all the unhatched eggs!
And the price!!!!! How about $1.30/lb for portions. Whole birds are cheaper.

[ronnie_suburban]

Started the cooking day by prepping some newly arrived ramps . . .


Trimmed/Cleaned Ramps & Kurosaki Fujin VG10 Petty, 120mm

Not sure what I'll do with these yet. I may pickle the bottoms and cook with the tops but for pickling, some thicker stalks would be preferable. I may just cook with all of this and hope/hold out for some larger ones for pickling that may or may not ever come.

Next up, a decadent brunch sandwich that we ended up splitting 4+ ways . . .


Mortadella "Griller"
Sort of in the style of the OK onion burger. Fried mortadella and onions on milk bread with 'Merikan cheese and provolone piccante.

Later, like Ray, we also had some chicken over here. For us, our #1 prep . . .


Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Thighs
Happy, happy!


Plated Up
With our first asparagus of the season -- butter, lemon -- and some leftover/reheated lentils.

[Kekoa]

One of my all time favorite meals.....
Roast Chicken, Roast Root Vegetables and Gravy.
I used Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Leaks, Squash, Yucca and Fennel.

That meal looks right up my alley, I'd like to try something like it. Do you just roast it in the oven?

[mauichef]

I mix the vegetables in a bowl with some olive oil and season then spread in a baking pan and cook for about 30 min at 425F. Season the chicken, lightly oil and place on the vegetables, skin side up, and cook till it reaches correct internal temp. Aprox 45-60 mins. Remove chicken and let stand of 15 mins while vegetables brown in a slightly hotter oven, about 450F.

[ronnie_suburban]

Decided to just throw caution to the wind and pickle those ramps . . .


Mise En Place
Pickling salt, trimmed/cleaned ramp stalks, 50/50 water & white vinegar, granulated sugar and spice plate (black peppercorns, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, yellow mustard seeds and celery seeds).


Jarred Up
These should be optimal in a couple of weeks but if I get my hands on more of them, I may also pickle those, too.

Happy Monday!

[gladius]

Burnt Ends off Spiral-Cut Ham (my favorite), roasted Fuji apple, shoestring cut Zucchini squash and mashed Russet potatoes.

[Kekoa]

Here is my simple breakfast themed lunch that really seemed to hit the spot this particular day; puffy oven pancake with a bit of honey, ham slices, and apple chunks.

[ex1580]

Did you know that I am a magician? Yep, that's right! I make nachos for dinner and poof, they're gone! I didn't even get a chance to plate it.

It's funny that everyone gravitates toward the kitchen when I am finishing them. "Whatcha got there?... Are those nachos?"

[billk1002]

Old Bay shrimp with potatoes and onions with Asian stir fry veggies.
Happy Hump Day..

Tsunehisa AUS10 Hammered Damascus Kiritsuke 210mm

[ronnie_suburban]

Been an exceptionally busy few days but I really wanted to cook dinner. Started with some side-dishery . . .


Mise En Place & Kanjo ZDP189 Gyuto, 210mm
White wine, chives, unsalted butter, minced garlic, hakurei turnips, soy sauce and danshan. Just a quick stir-fry here . . .


Spicy Stir-Fried Turnips

As for the main course, my travels today took me right by one of my favorite local spots for fresh fish. When I arrived, they were just taking their ice-packed delivery off the truck . . .


Grilling
Norwegian farm-raised salmon. Marinated/basted in teriyaki and dusted with my personal BBQ rub.


Plated Up
With leftover/reheated lentils. Damn - I needed that!

[gladius]

Deconstructed taco.

[aporigine]

Deconstructed taco.

as painted by Picasso

[salemj]

Deconstructed taco.

I don't mean to pry - and certainly don't mean to ask you to give away anything you don't want to - but I know you like avocados and you always have nice produce. Do you live in a certain region that provides those year-round? Or are you just that good at picking out good ones?! Having lived for some time in Connecticut and knowing your familiarity with Korin, I've always assumed you were in the Northeast, but that seems to go against the produce on display on your plates. Hahaha. . All in good humour, of course.

[billk1002]

Ronnie, I have never stir fried turnips but those so dam good I am going to try, thinking something along the line of a Spanish Patatas Bravas flavor profile...

Gladius, a deconstructed taco, very well executed!
Your Spanish/Mexican influenced dishes are incredible, your use of beans & peppers are great, do you make all of your sauces from scratch?

You two killed it tonight.

[ronnie_suburban]

Ronnie, I have never stir fried turnips but those so dam good I am going to try, thinking something along the line of a Spanish Patatas Bravas flavor profile...

Thanks, Bill. I didn't plan it. Just had them and needed use them. This came to mind but I love your idea of a pimenton-infused patatas bravas theme even more.

[gladius]

I don't mean to pry - and certainly don't mean to ask you to give away anything you don't want to - but I know you like avocados and you always have nice produce. Do you live in a certain region that provides those year-round? Or are you just that good at picking out good ones?! Having lived for some time in Connecticut and knowing your familiarity with Korin, I've always assumed you were in the Northeast, but that seems to go against the produce on display on your plates. Hahaha. . All in good humour, of course.

---
Thanks Joe, I live in Southern California where high quality food is plentiful year round. I eat avocado daily and enjoy them, I planted four avocado trees on my property but they are still young and not yet producing. I have a friend though who has a grove so have a good supply.