Fred’s a friend of mine and one day we were going to be working together on a big project. We knew the day would be hectic with no time to cook, so on his way to my place, Fred stopped at his favorite taco shop for our lunchtime provisions.
Fred picked up a spread that included all the usual suspects — beans, rice, chili rellenos, and, of course, tacos.
Included in the feast was pickled carrots. The perfect counterpart to the richness of the meal, the pickles were an unexpected treat. At once, gently spicy, satisfyingly al dente, and meaty.
Needless to say, I had to try my hand at duplicating those little gems and if I do say so myself, I nailed it.
If you like carrots, and you like peppers, and you like pickles, I think you’ll love these!
7cut into 1/4" ringsfrom a red jalapeno(flick seeds from pepper rings - or the resulting pickles may be too hot)
7cut into 1/4" ringsfrom a green jalapeno(flick seeds from pepper rings - or the resulting pickles may be too hot)
4 largecarrots washed, peeled, and sliced diagonally into 1/4" slices
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Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the first 7 ingredients (everything except the sliced carrots.
Add the sliced carrots to the boiling mixture and reduce the heat to medium high.
Simmer carrots uncovered for 7 minutes (for al dente).
Remove from heat, cover the pot, and allow carrots to cool in their brine to room temperature.
Transfer the pickled carrots and pickled pepper rounds with brine to a glass container, cover, and allow to chill several hours for flavors to meld. Keep refrigerated and use within 1 week.
On a rainy, cold, and dreary day recently, I suddenly heard loud noises, as if someone had begun dumping pebbles on my rooftop. I looked outside my kitchen window and I could scarcely believe my eyes. My normally sunny southern California was being pelted unmercifully with pea-sized hail that was now blanketing the entire yard in its frozen, glistening white.
So, it was no wonder that I craved comfort from the cupboard as lunchtime rolled around. I wanted soup — hot, well-seasoned, and quick to prepare.
A quick forage through the shelves yielded chicken broth, enchilada sauce, and refried beans. I threw everything together along with the addition of onion and spices and I couldn’t believe how soothing, warming, and satisfying the resulting nectar tasted.
The perfect antidote for the winter blues, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until golden, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients, raise heat to high just to bring the soup to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium and simmer gently, without a lid, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Can be served immediately or prepared ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator before reheating. Enjoy within 5 days.
For years, I’ve loved the bright, fresh, snap of flavor I could only get in the shredded lettuce salads served in my favorite, family-owned Mexican restaurants.
Duplicating the dressing however, proved elusive and my attempts were, as they say, “close, but no cigar.”
Then, one day I was without my usual red wine vinegar, so I used some seasoned rice wine vinegar to flavor my half of avocado.
Eureka!
Accidentally, it was the closest I had come to capturing the herby tang I was hankering after. All it needed was less edge and a deeper flavor.
I’m not talking about the cumin/lime combo of flavors that many chain restaurants use for their salad dressings (also delicious), but rather, the oregano ‘hit’ that small, authentic restaurants in my area often prefer to offer.
After a bit of tinkering, I present to you Mexican Vinaigrette salad dressing — a truly refreshing counterpart to just about any Mexico-inspired meal. It also pairs well with left-over turkey and gravy for a ‘cut above’ lunch — just saying.
1/4 teaspoon (slightly rounded)xanthan gumoptional, but dressing will have a thinner consistancy and dried herbs will not incorporate, but will instead, float on top of dressing
1/4 teaspoon (slightly rounded)xanthan gumoptional, but dressing will have a thinner consistancy and dried herbs will not incorporate, but will instead, float on top of dressing
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Instructions
Place all ingredients in a screw top jar that will hold at least 8 ounces, shake vigorously and refrgerate several hours to allow flavors to meld.
