Chipotle Shrimp and Grilled Corn Quesadillas

This is one of our favorite go-to recipes when we need a quick and delicious meal. 

Ingredients:
4 large flour tortillas
Chipoles in adobo sauce, pureed - 2-4 Tbl, depending on how hot you like it
1/3 to 1/2 pound jack cheese, grated
1 pound seasoned* cooked shrimp, chopped into bite-sized pieces, brought to room temperature
1 bunch (about 6) green onions (mostly white part), chopped
1 ear of corn, grilled and removed from the cob

Preparation:
Thinly spread1/2 to 1 Tbl chipotle sauce on each tortilla. Sprinkle the jack cheese on each, then top with shrimp, green onions, and corn.  Fold each in half, then saute in a little butter and olive oil on a griddle or in a large flat pan over medium heat.  When golden, flip over and cook until done on the other side.

Serve with sour cream and sliced avocado.

This recipe serves 4.

Note:  A couple of time-saving tricks are: having the shrimp pre-cooked and frozen in recipe-ready quantities; having the chipotle sauce pureed and frozen flat in a ziplock bag for easy portioning as needed; and having a dozen ears of corn pre-cooked on the grill, cut off the cob, and frozen into portion-sized ziplock bags.

* We use our "kesulu" house blend of spices, which we will be selling online in the near future.  In the meantime, you may use any dried chili and pepper spices you like.

Do You Know What's in Your Food?

While most Americans believe we have the right to know if we are eating genetically engineered foods, there are in fact no requirements for manufacturers to tell us if we are.  California's Proposition 37 seeks to remedy this with the nation's first law requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. This grassroots campaign is being massively outspent by the major corporate agribusinesses who have successfully lobbied the federal and state governments to keep the consumer in the dark.  This cartoon (from 1999!!) says it all:



While different people may have various reasons for wanting to know what's in our food, we all believe that it's our right to know what we eat.  And without labeling of genetically engineered foods, we can't make informed choices.  Prop. 37 (and the national Just Label It campaign) simply advocates for the labeling of genetically engineered foods - nothing more, nothing less.

As the election draws nearer, you can expect massive deception and misinformation from the opposition.  The simple fact remains that this ballot measure doesn't ban or restrict genetically engineered food; it simply requires disclosure and gives the consumer the choice to purchase or not.  If Prop. 37 passes in California, other states are sure to follow. And maybe, just maybe, the FDA will follow suit and we can join the nearly 50 other developed countries (including 15 in the European Union) that have laws requiring labeling.

For more information on this, go to these links:
http://justlabelit.org/
http://www.saynotogmos.org/index.htm

Tofu Parmesan

This is a terrific twist on the Italian classic.  Serves 4.

Super firm tofu (we love Wildwood Organic), sliced into four pieces, approximately 3" by 6" by 1/3 inch thick each
1 C. flour, placed in a shallow bowl
2 eggs plus 6 Tbl. milk, beaten, placed in a shallow bowl
1 C. Panko bread crumbs, placed in a shallow bowl
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbl unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
2 C. fresh or slow roasted marinara sauce
2 C. shredded mozzerella cheese
1 C. shredded parmesan cheese

Season the tofu on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Dredge in the flour, then egg-milk mixture, then Panko breading. Sautée in the butter and olive oil mixture over medium heat until golden on both sides (approx. 5 minutes per side). Remove to a baking sheet. Top with marinara sauce, then shredded mozzarella, then the parmesan. Bake in a 475° oven until cheese is melted and golden (approx. 10-12 minutes, but watch closely to prevent burning). Enjoy! 

Fresh Marinara

We recently posted our Slow Roasted Tomato Marinara - here's a quick and delicious alternative for those days when you don't want to turn the oven on.


4 lbs fresh tomatoes; halved, seeds removed, then cut into quarters

  (You may substitute canned tomatoes, but drain well before using)

1 fresh red jalapeno, halved, stemmed, cored and seeded

8-10 scallions; rough chopped white parts and some green

2 cloves garlic; peeled, crushed

4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl Aleppo pepper
½ cup packed fresh basil; rinsed, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper

Gently sauté onion and garlic in olive oil  until soft (~5 minutes).  Add remaining ingredients except for basil, salt & pepper.  Briskly simmer for 50 minutes (20 minutes if using canned tomatoes).  Add salt, pepper and basil, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.  You may need to turn up heat a little to evaporate excess moisture.

Cool slightly, transfer to stainless steel bowl, blend to smooth using a wand blender.  (If not using wand blender, can be done in blender but make sure the sauce is well cooled - otherwise you will have a ceiling full of Marinara.)

Adjust seasoning and enjoy on pasta, pizza, and Tofu Parmesan.  This sauce also freezes very well.

 

Chilled Cucumber Soup

This is a favorite for hot summer days and evenings.  So fresh tasting and easy to make, and best of all, no cooking required. 

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 ripe avocado, coarsely chopped
1 bunch green onions (mostly white parts), chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 large handful cilantro (thick stems removed), chopped
1 C. veggie broth
2 C. plain nonfat yogurt
1 C. sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until well blended (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the capacity of your blender).  Chill several hours. 

Serve in chilled soup bowls, or as soup "shooters" with Gazpacho and Vichyssoise. This is also a wonderful companion to our Shrimp Quesadillas for a summer dinner.

Amazing Local Avocados

Ahhhhh, avocados, we love you so!  From omelettes to quesadillas, soups to salads, sandwiches to sushi, avocados add the perfect combination of familiar and exotic.  While eagerly waiting for our trees to produce, we have discovered a reliable go-to source for the best avocados in the county - possibly in the world - at Pacific Ranch Market in Orange.  These fabulous Fuertes are purchased from a local grower, and Pacific Ranch sells them for $.99 each.  Absolutely worth the drive from wherever you are in Orange County; but they are usually not ripe so be sure to plan ahead.