RECIPE ROUNDUP
Meet the Chefs Behind the Office Door
By Kevin Hargis
About nine years ago, I left my newspaper job and moved from Austin to Canyon Lake after I met my wife, Lisa, whose house was near the lake. One of the things I remember from living out there was reading an interesting little magazine that we got because we were members of Pedernales Electric Cooperative. I liked that little magazine because in the back I would almost always find an intriguing recipe that made me want to try it.
Now, almost a decade later, I find myself the one responsible for making sure those recipes are worthwhile. But I definitely couldn’t do it alone. I get plenty of help from my colleagues at the magazine, a bunch of excellent cooks who all appreciate good food.
Recently, we held our own staff recipe contest (with only bragging rights at stake), and the competition was stiff. Any recipe legitimately could have won.
Everyone’s favorite that day was supplied by Production Designer Andy Doughty. I’ll let him tell you about it:
My family usually has potluck dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was the “green-bean casserole guy” for a while, so I worked on that recipe until it got as good as it was going to get, but I wanted to try something different.
I don’t specifically remember where the “something with corn and green chiles” thought came from, but I know it’s a good combination, and I figured there were probably plenty of recipes floating around with those ingredients.
I still liked the idea of a comfort-food casserole for a holiday dish, so I followed my normal practice of searching various resources for interesting recipes, checking out the common elements along with the unique ingredients that sounded good, then building a recipe from there. I thought this dish would be savory, but I was surprised by how sweet it turned out. It’s a nice contrast, especially if you add just enough salt to punch up the sweet/savory interplay.
It’s also a pretty easy recipe to tailor to your personal taste. I went vegetarian-friendly on my version, but you can add four or five—or 12—strips of crumbled, crisp-fried bacon for more flavor. Or, add a cup or so of chopped, cooked chicken for a main-course casserole. You can also substitute three cups of cooked frozen or fresh corn for the cans of shoepeg corn and Mexi-corn. And you can adjust the time and temperature if you’d like a looser or tighter consistency.
GREEN CHILE CORN CASSEROLE
Andy Doughty, Production Designer
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1 pinch salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 can (11 ounces) white shoepeg corn, drained
1 can (11 ounces) Mexi-corn
1 can (16 ounces) cream corn
3 cans (4 ounces) diced green chiles
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
1 package (9 ounces) corn muffin mix
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, poblano and salt and sweat until onion is soft and translucent, but not browned. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, sour cream, egg, corn, green chiles and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Add the corn muffin mix and stir until moistened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour mixture into greased 2 1/2-quart round casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with remaining cheese, then return to oven for another 15 minutes, or until top is well browned.
Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 282 calories, 9.8 g protein, 17.1 g fat, 23.8 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 396 mg sodium, 66 mg cholesterol
Cook’s Tip: Make sure to add every bit of butter from the heating of the onion into the final mixture. There’s lots of flavor in there!
SPICY VEGGIE CHILI
Ashley Clary, Field Editor
When I said goodbye to meat in April and dived headfirst into the world of vegetarianism, I was forced to get creative—and get creative fast! I had learned about TVP (textured vegetable protein) from a friend and was delighted when I learned that if it was seasoned correctly, the meat substitute that resembles crumbled hamburger can satisfy the most carnivorous of carnivores. At first, all I made was simple Mexican tacos, but since meat has left the picture, I have graduated to spaghetti and stroganoff. Finally, I did the unthinkable in Texas and made the jump to the mecca of all meat dishes: chili.
It’s been a lot of fun experimenting with vegetables and spices; this is a variation on my original meaty recipe, but with TVP in place of the beef—and a whole lot more veggies. To me, if food doesn’t have a little kick, it’s not worth eating, so if you’re sensitive to spice, leave out one or both of the jalapeños or remove the seeds before adding. I recommend leaving the chipotle peppers in, as they give the chili a subtle smokiness, but if you simply can’t handle it, go ahead and leave those out as well.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles, drained
1 package (10 ounces) julienned carrots
2 fresh jalapeños, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 package (12 ounces) textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 zucchini, julienned
1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 5 peppers with some sauce)
2 teaspoons sage
2 squares mildly sweet dark chocolate
3 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
1 package Goya seasoning (I like Culantro y Achiote flavor)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano and salt; cook and stir until tender. Stir in bell peppers, green chiles, carrots, jalapeños, celery and garlic. When vegetables are heated through, mix in TVP and zucchini, cover and simmer about 5 minutes.
While the vegetables simmer, heat chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sage and dark chocolate in a separate, small pot, stirring until chocolate melts.
Add the chipotle mixture, tomatoes, chili powder, Goya seasoning and beans to vegetable mixture; stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, then continue to simmer 5 minutes before serving.
Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 127 calories, 6.3 g protein, 4.1 g fat, 18.6 g carbohydrates, 5.2 g fiber, 820 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE
Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor
A dear friend in New Mexico prepared this recipe for dinner one evening during my recent visit. It
was so simple and so delectable, I jotted down the ingredients and couldn’t wait to try it at home. In my excitement to share this with the staff, I was told by a colleague, “Oh, that’s chicken piccata,” as if my new discovery were as common as spaghetti and meatballs. But that’s OK—this dish (the version in Best Recipes published by Cook’s Illustrated) tastes anything but ordinary, I promise.
Chicken Breasts
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Flour for dipping
Lemon Caper Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons butter
Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Salt and pepper to taste, then press both sides in flour. Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet. Add chicken breasts tenderloin side down in large skillet. Cook at medium high heat until golden brown. Turn and cook other side till golden brown. Remove chicken and keep warm.
Deglaze skillet by slowly adding chicken stock. Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Place cooked chicken in sauce and continue cooking at medium heat until sauce thickens to desired consistency.
Serving size: 1 breast. Per serving: 441 calories, 56.2 g protein, 19.5 g fat, 4.1 g carbohydrates, 0.2 g fiber, 300 mg sodium, 170 mg cholesterol
SOUTHWESTERN ENCHILADA MEATLOAF
Kevin Hargis, Food Editor
The inspiration for this recipe came a few years ago from a bag of stale blue corn tortilla chips.
One day, I was hungry for a meatloaf, which I usually just throw together from whatever ground meat and other ingredients we have on hand. I thawed some ground turkey, then saw the crumpled bag with the stale blue shards. Since I hate throwing anything away, I got out the rolling pin, crushed the chips and tossed them into the mix. I added some onion, green chiles and red bell pepper and liked the result.
I’ve played with the recipe ever since, and this is what, after some refinements and inspirations, it has evolved into. If you are trying to eat a little healthier, leave out the cheese at the end.
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (4 ounces) green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 pound chorizo, casing removed
1 egg
1 cup crushed blue corn tortilla chips, plus extra chips for topping
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and membranes removed, diced fine
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Combine tomato paste, green chilies, salsa and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan. Add cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir well. Simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, place meat, egg, remaining salt, crushed chips, garlic, onion, bell pepper, cilantro and 1/2 cup of simmering sauce and mix well.
Place mixture in bread-loaf pan. Using your fingers, make a trench lengthwise in the middle of the meat mixture, leaving an equal amount of meat around edges. Fill trench with cheese, then fold meat over to seal cavity.
Top with remaining sauce, then a handful of crumbled corn chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Turn out of pan onto plate, then flip over on another plate and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving size (based on eight servings): 1 slice. Per serving: 457 calories, 24.9 g protein, 24.1 g fat, 28.2 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g fiber, 1,272 mg sodium, 110 mg cholesterol
Past recipes are available in the Recipes Archive at www.texascooppower.com.
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RECIPE CONTEST
JANUARY’S recipe contest topic is FUN TO MAKE; FUN TO EAT. Have any treats that give you as much pleasure in the preparation as in the consumption? Send along your fun-packed recipes. The deadline is SEPTEMBER 10.
Send recipes to Home Cooking, 1122 Colorado, 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You may also fax them to (512) 486-6254, e-mail them to recipes@texas-ec.org, or submit online at www.texascooppower.com. Please include your name, address and phone number, as well as the name of your electric co-op. The top winner will receive a copy of 60 Years of Home Cooking and a Texas-shaped trivet. Runners-up will also receive a prize.
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