Queso

I highly recommend making this for a group of people, or you are liable to (as I did) eat bowls of queso all to yourself for days on end (not that there's anything wrong with that). 

Now, I understand that some traditional ATX queso is likely made with American cheese and flour, but as I proved to myself and my super special taste-testers, you can make creamy smooth, delicious queso using a mix of cheddar & pepper jack, and corn starch (which not only makes it gluten-free, but keeps it so creamy smooth).

Making it is so easy, and takes just about 10-15 minutes from start to chow down. 

Ingredients
11oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (grate it yourself bc purchased grated cheese won't yield as smooth a result)
11 oz pepper jack cheese, grated (again, grate it yourself)
2T corn starch
2oz cream cheese
1.5C milk
1T butter
1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 
1t ground cumin
1-2 chipotle peppers, seeded and finely chopped OR about 1-2T of El Pato Chipotle Sauce 
Garnishes can be anything you want: salsa, avocado, cilantro...have fun! 
tortilla chips for serving

Preparation
I like to serve this right from the pan to keep the queso warm, so you can use a 2Qt sauté pan or a small sauce pan. Toss the grated cheeses together in a large bowl with the cornstarch and set aside. Sauté the onion and jalapeño with the cumin in the butter on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Pour in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer, then turn down to the lowest possible setting. If it gets too hot your cheese can break. You don’t want that. 

Whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, whisking til smooth each time. This takes a couple minutes, but it will result in the perfect consistency. Once all the cheese is incorporated, remove from the heat and serve immediately. If for some bizarre reason you have leftovers, store the cooled queso in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be reheated by whisking in a small pot over low heat until melted. 

¡A Salud! 

Mushroom Potato Onion Pirog (Russian Savory Pie)

Whole Foods charges about $4 a slice for something like this. I made two whole pies (10"x5") for about $10 total. And that was using purchased puff pastry, which is both easy to work with and tasty, but you could make your own dough (a traditional pie dough) if you prefer. 

I like to share these (either whole pies or individual turnovers) with friends on camping trips, picnics, concerts, etc. These are for HSB15. Fall is in the air, and the combination of caramelized onions and mushrooms with potato wrapped in a golden pastry is really satisfying.

What You Need
1 box Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets 
1.5# russet potatoes
1 large onion
8oz crimini mushrooms 
olive oil
S&P
an egg for eggwash 

How to Make it
The puff pastry comes frozen. Thaw the whole box in the fridge overnight. Keep them cold as you prepare the filling. 

Peel, cube and boil the potatoes (with 2t salt) until soft. Drain and roughly mash them. 
Dice the onion, and saute in olive oil until soft.
Slice the mushrooms and add them to the onions. Sprinkle with S&P. Crank up the heat and saute til the onions are golden brown and the mushrooms are tender. You can deglaze the pan with a little dry sherry if you like. It adds a nice flavor and helps collect all the flavors from the pan. 
Combine the onion mixture with the potatoes and let it cool to room temp. You can also make this mixture ahead and chill it overnight. 

Preheat oven to 425' (you will reduce the heat to 400' after you put the pies in). 
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. 
Flour a work surface and unfold one of the pastry sheets. Keep the 2nd one in the fridge. 
Gently roll the square out a bit making it about 2" bigger all around. Spread half the filling evenly in the center of the dough, leaving about 3" on each side, and 1" at the top and bottom. Join the sides over the center of the pie, pinching the dough together to create a tight seal. Seal and crimp the top and bottom as well. Gently lift the pie and place it in the center of a baking sheet. Glaze with egg wash. Place the baking sheet in the freezer or fridge while you repeat the process with the second pie. 

Bake the pies at 400' for about 30-40 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through. The pies should be deeply golden brown. Cool on a rack. Either serve slightly warm, or cool completely and store wrapped at room temp for up to a day. Beyond that, you should keep them in the fridge, though that will make the dough gunky. Just eat them within a day. It won't be a problem. Trust me. 

на здоровье! 

Thai Coconut Braised Spinach with Chick Peas

Until today, if I were offered a choice of beef stew or vegan stew, I would have gone with beef. 

Now, unless Julia Child floats down from the sky with a bowl of her boeuf bourguignon, I'm sticking with this vegan bowl of heaven on earth. 

A friend shared the Treehugger recipe on Facebook the other day, and I, predictably, adapted it. There is nothing wrong with the original recipe, mind you. The ingredients are simple, and once combined, may fool you into thinking you're eating at a fine Thai restaurant. That said, I only changed two ingredients because I didn't have what was called for. Instead of sundried tomatoes, I roasted some cherry tomatoes, which I'm sure weren't as flavorful, but were ok. I also substituted chili-garlic paste for the chili flakes. This was a good decision, as the paste added depth of flavor quickly. The last thing I did was serve the stew over half a roasted acorn squash. I just wanted a little more "meat" to the dish, and the squash was a perfect choice. 

Shopping List (Serves 4)

2 acorn squash , split in half lengthwise & seeded 

1C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1# baby spinach

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1T ginger, minced or grated 

1T chili-garlic paste

1 lemon, zested & juiced (I prefer Meyer lemon here)

1 14oz can light coconut milk

1 15oz can chick peas, drained & rinsed 

olive oil

S&P

ground ginger 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400'. Lay the squash halves hollow-side up on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, coating all sides with your hands. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. On another sheet pan, spread out the tomatoes cut-size up. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until caramelized but not burnt. 

Heat a 4Qt. or larger heavy pot, add about 3T olive oil, then saute the onions until they begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute. Stir in the chili-garlic paste and lemon zest, then add the chick peas, cooking for a few minutes. 

Next add a handful of spinach at a time, stirring and allowing it to wilt. Continue until all of the spinach is incorporated into the mixture. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with S&P and ground ginger. 

To serve, place a half acorn squash into a bowl, and ladle in some of the stew. Top with some of the roasted tomatoes. 

(Do not eat the squash skin. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon as you eat the stew.)