September 29, 2007 by Nathalie Herling.

Spicy Boiled Shrimp

Handful of fresh Cilantro

Fresh Rosemary if available or dried

1 Sliced Jalapeno

Pepper

3 cloves of garlic sliced

Scallion sliced including the green parts

1 lb of large shrimp with shell, with head okay.

½ Lime

½ C of Sake

Fill your vessel with water, add the herbs, peppers, garlic, scallions, pepper and sake.

Bring the broth to a brisk boil.

Cook until pink 4 to 6 minutes.

Quickly drain all the ingredients and immerse the shrimp in an iced water bath.

Put in dish and serve.

I like to garnish with fresh cilantro and limes.

Nice dipping sauces to have handy:

A melted butter and garlic.

Tomato based seafood cocktail sauce 

Soy with fresh ginger and scallion.

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September 21, 2007 by Nathalie Herling.

This is one of three recipes on this blog, that involve the stuffing of fat and happy green peppers.
This recipe is a vegetatian version that satifies the taste buds need for some serious deep green peppers. I use classic rellenos peppers from Puebla. They are usually not really spicy hot. Poblano Peppers have a deep luscious green color and dense skins. Veggie and interior mexican food lovers will appreciate the fleashy intensity (sounds so meaty) of these peppers.

3 T Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 onion sliced
1 jalapeno chopped
1 large can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
3 T of fresh cilantro
1 t of Cumin
1.5 t of Chile Powder
1 t Paprika
1 t black pepper
8 ploblano peppers
6 oz of quezo fresco or blanco
6 oz of fresh mozzerella

Start with the sauce… using the same clay cassarole that you are going to be baking the peppers.  Saute the garlic slices in olive oil until toasty, then add chopped jalepenos, the sliced onions until golden and wilting and semi tender. Combine a large can of crushed or chopped tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cilantro and pepper.  Add your favorite hot peppers. I am personally addicted to chipotle but it adds a very distinctive flavoring. While that is cooking cut a slit and a T down the peppers. Remove the seed and the core. I like to fill with 2 cheeses.. a nice smooth mozerella, fresh if available easily… and a mexican fresco cheese that is dry and salty.  Packaged mozzarella or quesa blanco works if you do not have many options….. its all yummy. I don’t usually use salt so these cheases and the canned tomatoes usually add all the salt you need. Avoid any tomatoes that use sugars. Kills the whole experience. Take your chosen cheese and cut is into slices or chunks. Ideal I mix a mexican cheese and a mozzerella, smooth and salty.. stuff each pepper and pour your tomatoe sauce over the stuffed cheese peppers. Cook 45 min to 1 hour get peppers melt tender.  Serve with rice or grain of your choice… cous cous or quinoa works for healther set.

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September 20, 2007 by Nathalie Herling.

 This is the first in a series of recipes that are great for an Indigenous Thanksgiving gathering.  What qualifies as an Indigenous Thanksgiving food? Any recipe that primarily uses foods indigenous to the New World. A fabulous array of creative options for a delicious Thanksgiving spread.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Rum

Super easy to prepare. Ideal for cooking in clayware. One pot cooking and serving. Cooks the potato beautifully, heats the milk and stays nice and warm in the clay pottery… any Thanksgiving cook knows that keeping the food warm is a major plus as you bring a wide variety of dishes to the Thanksgiving table. Also this recipe is very easy to scale and almost impossible to mess up.

3 large yams, your choice garnet or orange

1.5 t of salt

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 stick of  unsalted butter

1/4 C of Dark Rum Your choice remove all or about half the skin from the Yams.  If it is for a less health conscious crowd I peal… if very aware just cut away the tougher parts. If you like cut an boil the potatoes also easy to peal after cooking. I like to peel the sweet potatos a little first to speed the mashing process while the potatos are just cooked.Peel a little, cut into about 10 pieces for a large yam… cook 20 to 30 min until tender in a generous amout of water with salt… Drain potatoes. Heat milk and butter in same drained clay pot. When the butter is almost melted add rum and sweet potatoes. Use a potatoe masher, mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, rum mixture. Season or add a little butter to the top. You can put the mashed yams in the oven on low to keep them hot. Black clayware is fabulous for keeping the potatos warm and to directly serve. I doubt if you will have any left overs!!!

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