February Dinner Party

Ok, so for February I had my second dinner party from The New Southwest Cookbook. This one was delicious as well. I love working with new ingredients and learning new techniques!

Appetizer- Oysters Rio Lobo with Cilantro Pesto (from Fuego! in Tucson, AZ- pg. 62)



These were amazing- we shucked fresh oysters and topped them with a homemade cilantro pesto, diced roasted poblano and red bell pepper, diced hard chorizo sausage and Monterey jack cheese- all baked until hot and bubbly. Really, really fabulous!

Soup- Butternut Squash Soup with Goat Cheese Ravioli and Fried Sage (from Graze by Jennifer James in Albuquerque, NM- p. 79)



So, the name of the soup kinda tells the whole story. It was a thick butternut squash soup flavored with cinnamon, topped with a homemade ravioli (seasoned goat cheese sandwiched between wonton wrappers) and topped with flash fried sage. It was a really complex soup- very hearty and also had really interesting flavor combination. (And that is a good interesting, not the nice way of saying weird)

Dinner: Roasted Achiote Pork Loin with Prickly Pear Glaze (from The Gold Room at Westward Look Resort in Tucson, AZ- p. 148)
Roasted Corn and Sage Mashed Potatoes (from The Gold Room at Westward Look Resort in Tucson, AZ- p. 203)



Achiote is a paste of crushed achiote seeds, vinegar, garlic and various spices. It has a very distinctive flavor and is quite yummy. I combined it with oil and rubbed it on the pork loin, seared the pork on all sides in a cast iron pan and then finished roasting it in the oven. The prickly pear glaze was made by simmering prickly pear syrup, lime juice, jalapeno and a shallot and then straining to remove the solids. The flavor for me was interesting (and I am using that to indicate a little weird) but everyone else really seemed to love it. I think I was also a little put off because I thought it made the meat look bloody- which is never a good look for pork.

These were some pretty delicious mashed potatoes. I roasted the corn over the gas flames on my stove before I cut the kernels off the cob- a little messy but the flavor was delicious. Sadly, fresh corn is not in season, but I used frozen ears and they were still very good. These also had fresh sage, which was a great flavor combination with the crispy roasted corn kernels.

Dessert: The Rose Chocolate Mousse (from The Rose Restaurant in Prescott, AZ- pg. 222)



Desserts kinda scare me- I love to cook but sweets recipes make me nervous. They are generally very precise and have a lot less room for error. Especially a mousse- you have to separate eggs, whip egg whites and fold them into a chocolate/egg yolk mixture and then whip cream and fold that in as well. All the work was very worth it- it was light, fluffy, rich and delicious!

Southwest Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings are a Southern staple. My grandfather grew up on a farm in Mississippi- he rode a horse to school, if that tells you a little about his life back then- and he was raised on chicken and dumplings. His chickens were super fresh- pulled right out of the coop- not much fresher than that, right? This is comfort food. So, how do I add a little Southwest kick? I added some flavor and spice to the dumpling dough, and some chilies and tomatoes to the sauce. This isn’t too spicy and has really nice flavor. Enjoy!


Southwest Chicken and Dumplings
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
¾ cup salt water
1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, cut in bite size pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tsp granulated chicken bouillon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 quart water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies
1 can Rotel tomatoes

In a large bowl, combine flour, cumin and salt. Sprinkle a small amount of water into center of flour. Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to the sides, adding small amounts of water. Knead dough and form into a ball. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness (will be firm). Cut into 2x1 inch strips.

In a large pot, combine chicken and next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10-12 minutes, until chicken is done. Stir in soup, chilies and tomatoes until blended; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and drop in dumplings, one at a time, into simmering soup and cook 6-8 minutes, or until they are tender and floating. (Do not stir.) Remove bay leaves.

Flan- Yum!

Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert. I would say it is THE Mexican dessert. There are others- sopapillas and tres leches cake- but flan is what jumps into my head when I think “Mexican dessert.” Personally, I am not the biggest fan- I think it is the texture- but Andrew loves it. This is a very simple recipe that I found online, and for my first time making it, it was a success!



Flan
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 6 large eggs
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 13 oz cans evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 8 ramekins and a large glass or ceramic baking pan to put them in.
2. Pour 1 ½ cups sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until it browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.
3. In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.
4. Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.
5. Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

**Note- it is very important to add hot water to your water bath. I added lukewarm water, not super hot, and I had to add 15 minutes to my baking time!

I made a simple, traditional flan, although there are many variations- chocolate, coffee, etc., and I was unsure how to, or even if I should, Southern-ize it. Perhaps peach compote or Southern pecan pralines on top? What do y’all think?