Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Long weekends are the best


We stayed pretty busy this weekend despite our need to rest.  Friday we had dinner with friends. Saturday we went to the Farmers Market downtown which was really great.  I had never been so I dragged Alan to it and we found some great stuff.  We went kind of late so I think there would be a better selection earlier in the morning but there is a lot of great locally grown organic food.  I got some beets that I cooked last night and are fabulous, home grown tomatoes and some homemade raspberry jam that tastes just like my grandmas.  Saturday afternoon Alan went camping with some friends while I took Bruce home to play with Duke and to see Nana! He was worn out by the time he got home on Monday.  It was great to see lots of friends and float the river in New Braunfels.  I'm looking forward to more floating trips this summer.  

Thursday, May 21, 2009

the latest and greatest...

the latest is that I've decided to run a marathon in November with one of my best friends Kacie :) She asked if I'd want to do it with her and I caught her off guard by saying yes.  I've decided to start eating healthier and while I'm training so I tried a few new recipes this week, surprisingly they all turned out really good... that doesn't always happen.  The oven baked sopes were delicious and I highly recommend them, enjoy! 

Oven Baked Sopes

Sopes are small, round, tarte-like cakes made with masa harina, the flour used to prepare 
tortillas. Instead of frying the sopes on a griddle, they're baked for ease. Topped with Zucchini-Com Filling, they make beautiful appetizers or you can serve a trio of stuffed sopes as an entree.

3 cups masa harina
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbs. vegetable oil or olive oil
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together masa harina, Parmesan cheese, 
if using. baking powder, and salt in bowl. Stir in 2 1/2 cups hot water until mixture forms soft dough. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir egg, then oil, into dough.
3. Roll 1/4 cup dough into ball. Press into 3-inch disk on prepared baking sheet, pinching together any cracked edges. Press indentation in center of disk using small drinking glass, then shape 1/2-inch edge around indentation with your fingers. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Bake 10 minutes, or until sopes begin to look dry. Sprinkle each indentation with 2 tsp . grated Monterey Jack cheese. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has
melted. Top with Zucchini-Corn Filling.
PER SOPE (UNFILLED): 86 CAl; 3 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT

Zucchini-Corn Filling

This ultraversatile filling works just as well in tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas as it does as a filling for Oven-Baked Sopes (above).

3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. lime juice
Chili powder, for sprinkling
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, optional

Heat oil in skillet over med ium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 7 minutes.  Add zucchini and corn, and cook 7 minutes more.  Stir in beans and cook 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.  Spoon into Oven-Baked Sopes or tacos, and sprinkle with chili powder and cheese.  
















The other recipes I made were Salmon burgers and an Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom pasta, i'll add those recipes later.