Meals 88-94 (and shotguns. and llamas.)

03/28 i spent some of my best "poor and starving artist" years in atlanta. which is a wonderful city to be in if you love to eat! one of the best places my friends and i would go to was neuvo laredo cantina. a hole in the wall mexican place in the middle of an industrial park. and this hole in the wall? had the best damn mexican food i have ever had. period. and that counts the two weeks i spent in mexico. we never waited less than an hour for a table, but we were happy to do so, knowing the fantastic meals that awaited us. this was during my stint as a vegetarian, and my favorite things to order were the mole vegetable enchiladas. if the only purpose my being a vegetarian was to introduce me to this dish? WORTH IT. i still dream about those delicious enchiladas, filled with vegetables and smothered with the thick dark sauce of chilies and chocolate.

that was over a decade ago, and i am still haunted by the memories of this beautiful dish. so tonight i decided to be brave, and try to pay homage to this precious memory. it wasn't quite as good as the original? but it was pretty damn close. enchiladas stuffed with corn, spinach and cheese. a spicy rich mole sauce. a side of avocado and tomato salad with a sprinkling of queso fresco. now i'll be honest. i didn't go full authentic and buy a million different chilies and spend an entire day of cooking to make this sauce. it took some hunting, but i was actually able to find a jar of "dona maria" pre-made mole sauce at a local mercado. it needed a little doctoring. some vegetable broth. some brown sugar. a hint of pureed chipotles. and in the end? i was very pleased with the outcome!

03/29 i had some ham leftover from our easter brunch, so decided to make a modified "chicken cordon bleu" tonight. tenderized chicken breasts stuffed with swiss and ham. rolled and baked with a sauce of dijon, lemon, and a touch of mayonnaise. i didn't bread the chicken (per the standard recipe) but instead put just a hint of parmesan on the outside for texture. a much lighter and lower carb version. and just as tasty! for a side i made cauliflower "muffins" (natch). mashed cauliflower mixed with beaten egg and cheese. baked to create a sort of soufflé. a nice twist on the usual mashed cauliflower i make! and to add a little green to the plate? some simple steamed green beans!

03/30 i saw this recipe for asian stuffed cabbage rolls and knew i had to try it. tony loves asian flavors. tony loves stuffed cabbage rolls. so i figured this was the perfect combination for him! it has all the wonderful flavors of ginger, garlic, scallion and cilantro. and a sauce this is absolutely phenomenal. and so simple. hoison mixed with rice vinegar. i added a bit of thai chili paste for some heat. i will be putting this sauce on everything from now on. sweet, tangy and spicy. what's not to love! here's a copy of the recipe:

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/asian-style-cabbage-rolls/

03/31 a friend of mine who lives overseas was in town tonight, so we had a mini-reunion at one of my all time favorite sushi restaurants. miyagi's. it is hidden in the basement of a strip of offices. you would never think to look for it if you didn't know it was there. i'm actually glad it's so hidden. otherwise i'd never be able to get a seat! their nigiri is always fresh, and their rolls are creative and delicious. we feasted on spicy tuna, yellow tail with avocado, salmon and eel. it was a great evening of catching up and laughing with good friends and great food. and really, is there anything better?

04/01 i'm spending the weekend up at the family compound. my mom just had surgery, and i promised her at christmas that my gift would be stocking her table and freezer with recovery meals! tonight i made my parents a vegetarian version of my stuffed peppers. i replaced my usual brown rice and ground beef with pearl barley and mushrooms. the flavors were earthy and hearty. for sides i made ginger glazed carrots and "smashed" potatoes. the meal was high in fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C and D. All of which should help the body to heal!

04/02 another night of feeding the 'rents! i made a meal that i saw served at an onsen (japanese hot spring) in nagano japan.  salmon with a ginger garlic glazed served with soba noodles. i added some scallion and edamame to bring some green to the plate. a very healthy meal full of all the amino acids, antioxidants and nutrients the body needs to be at it's best! and soba noodles. seriously. i love me some soba noodles.....

sidebar, i haven't spent this entire weekend in the kitchen. i got out this afternoon to spend time with a friend of my dad's who is an amazing firearms instructor. we went to another family friend's home, where he has set up his own private "firing range" to test out some weapons! just to be clear....when i say  "firing range"? this is literally a pile of dirt set up in the back of a llama enclosure. yes. i said llama.  here i am about to shoot a shot gun for the first time, and you can see my wooly peruvian friend milling about in the background. please don't worry, no llamas were injured in the making of this blog. my shoulder though? oof.....that kickback packs a wallop!

the shotgun was fun. but not as fun as the M4...i feel this is a natural look for me.

04/03 we had all the local family over the folks house this afternoon for a belated easter dinner. mom had a ham to serve, and i put out sides of roasted asparagus and macaroni and cheese. it was a beautiful afternoon of wonderful conversation with loved ones!

i have a deep and abiding love for macaroni and cheese. if i had to choose my last meal on earth? it would be mac and cheese. i have made many batches over the years, but my go-to standard recipe remains the same:

Macaroni and Cheese:

1 lb elbow macaroni (cooked and drained)

1 qt milk

8 Tblsp butter (divided 6T/2T)

1/2 c flour

12 oz shredded gruyere cheese

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 c unseasoned tomato sauce

3 Tblsp sugar

2 c French's Fried Onions

-Heat oven to 375F

-Heat milk in saucepan to steaming NOT boiling.

-Melt 6 Tblsp butter in large pot over medium.  

-Add flour to butter. Turn heat to low and whisk for two minutes.

-Continue whisking flour/butter "roux" and slowly add hot milk. Whisk one minute.

-Turn off heat and add cheeses, and seasonings.

-Add macaroni and stir to coat.

-Pour into 13x9 baking dish.

-Combine fried onions with 2 Tbslp melted butter. Sprinkle on top of macaroni.

-Bake 30-35 minutes.  

***Experiment with different cheese combinations....but always add up to 20 ounces.  I like to use smoked gouda, or bleu. Depends on taste!