Cilantro and Sriracha Crostini

I recently came back from a 4 day getaway with some friends to the Pocono Mountains. The fresh mountain air was amazing. The peace and quiet in the house away from the hustle and bustle of big towns/cities was something I could get used to. I think for the entire 4 days I was there I didn't hear a single car honking.

The first day was spent relaxing and taking in each other's company. The following day went exploring the town we were closest to and end up go kart racing for half the day. The next day was spent white water rafting along the Lehigh River. On the last day we were so tired from the previous day's activities that we all just slept in.

Dinner was a particular highlight of the days. One of my buddies on the trip is a professional chef trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. So naturally he was making extravagant dinners for our group every night. On the first night I decided to make a snack for everyone before dinner with my Cilantro and Sriracha Crostinis. I first mentioned these when I had just picked a container full of cilantro from my garden in June. It was an instant hit with my friends and they ended up requesting it along with dinner every night.

Here's a picture of it along with a hearty curry stew and white rice we had one night.

1 baguette or other long, crusty loaf bread
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tbsp sriracha (or more if you like it hot)
4 tbsp butter

1. Cut the baguette into half-thick slices and arrange on a baking sheet so that the insides face up.
2. Bake the bread slices at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.
3. Without allowing them to cool, spread a little butter on the top of each slice.
4. Melt the rest of the butter in a sauce pan.
5. Sauté the minced garlic for a few minutes in the butter then toss in the cilantro. The hot butter should make the cilantro instantly wilt.
6. Stir the sriracha into the cilantro.
7. Spread the cilantro and sriracha mixture onto each slice of bread.
8. Place back into the oven at 400 degrees F for another 5 minutes to get a nice crunch all around the bread.

Colorful Tomatoes From the Garden

It's midsummer here in New York City and I'm finally getting ripe tomatoes off the vine. This year I planted more tomatoes then I did in previous years. I planted a red variety (Mortgage Lifter), a yellow variety (Azoychka), and an orange variety (Amana Orange). I also planted a yellow grape tomato variety but I forget the name of it. Time for colorful salads and slices for sandwiches.

Enchilada!

Has anybody else watched those new Taco Bell commercials about their “Smothered Burritos” and thought to themselves “isn’t that just an enchilada?”

I’ve seen that commercial about 5 times in one night and was sold. Not that I was going to rush out and buy a smothered burrito. But rather I was going to make my own enchiladas. Luckily for me I had half the ingredients I needed in my fridge as leftovers.

1 pound of ground beef

2 cups of cooked rice

1 can of red kidney beans

2 diced tomatoes

1 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 jar of tomato sauce or pasta sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (more if you like the heat)

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder
Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 package tortillas

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the rice. Once cooked, mix in the chopped cilantro and set aside.
2. Cook the ground beef in a skillet. Add the pinch of salt and pepper. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
3. To make the enchilada sauce, sauté the chopped pepper in the oil in a saucepan until fragrant. Add the tomato/pasta sauce, the cumin, and the chili powder. Heat until warmed through.
4. Spread two ladles of enchilada sauce mixture on the bottom of your baking pan.
5. Microwave the tortillas covered with a wet paper towel for 30 seconds to make them for pliable.
6. In the middle of each tortilla, add a spoonful of the kidney beans, a spoonful of rice, a spoonful of beef and then the chopped tomatoes. You can either roll from the bottom until you get a long package with open sides like a fajita or you can fold the sides in to get a neater package like a burrito.
7. Arrange them in the baking dish as you make them.
8. Ladle on the remaining enchilada sauce.
9. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.
10. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
11. Serve with a dollop of light sour cream and freshly cracked black pepper.

Fresh From the Garden

The chilly weather has finally been replaced with warm breezes. The plants have been out and growing in the garden for about 2 months now. Nothing is at harvesting time yet. Well almost nothing. Check out the insane amount of cilantro that I just picked from the base of my tomato plants. They sensed the warm weather and really taken off running. I'm thinking guacamole, chimichurri, and a recent discovery Cilantro and Sriracha Crostinis.

Mashed Po-Tater Tots

It'll be Chinese New Years in a few days and my house has been hustling and bustling with friends and family visiting and bringing fruits and other delectable symbolic foods. My parents have been running around doing the same with theirs friends as well. At home, we've been frying a variety of foods that will be given away and also eaten with relatives.

I've never been keen on eating, and much less making, such foods so I never took an interest in them. But since I saw the wok filled with bubbling oil from frying food throughout the day, I took the opportunity to make something of my own. I have been having a craving for tater tots lately. Between seeing the commercials for the Cheesy Tots from Burger King and my friends constantly mentioning them, it's not surprising that I'd been daydreaming about the bite sized, golden, and flaky potato snacks. The only problem for me was I didn't have any potatoes on hand. What I did have though was a package of instant mashed potato mix (I know, I know that stuff is disgusting and unhealthy) which I figured should work.

The texture wasn't exactly the same as the mashed potato center was more mushy than the chunks of fried potato would have been. Still it was pretty good and the flavor was spot on.

1 pouch of instant mashed potato mix (and whatever ingredients required according to package instructions)
2 eggs, beaten and place in separate bowls
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh black pepper
Panko bread crumbs

1. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the instructions on the package. Allow to cool. Putting it in the fridge overnight would be even better so it dries out and is easier to work with.
2. Mix 1 beaten egg into the mashed potatoes.
3. Combine the Panko, salt, and pepper and mix well.
4. Using a spoon, get a small amount of mashed potato and form the desired shape with you hand.
5. Roll the shaped mashed potato in the flour and then into the beaten egg.
6. Roll the mashed potato into the Panko mixture. Set them on a sheet of wax paper while you make the rest.
7. Fry them in oil at 375 degrees F until the Panko turns a golden brown.
8. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy warm.