Cooking With Ping

Quote by Ping


Quinoa and Vegetable Stew

This is a tasty dish that is also pleasing to the eye.

If you cannot find or use pre-washed quinoa, ensure you wash it thoroughly to remove the bitter, protective coating.
This stew thickens over time, so if desired, add a little warm, vegetable broth for your desired consistency.


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2­inch pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 cups vegetable broth
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2­inch pieces
1 cup pre-washed white quinoa
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped coarse
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper
8 ounces queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and diced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro


Instructions:

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.

Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in garlic, paprika, coriander, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth and potatoes and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-­low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in quinoa and simmer for 8 minutes.

Stir in corn and simmer until potatoes and quinoa are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in *tomatoes and peas and let heat through, about 2 minutes.

Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle individual portions with feta OR queso fresco, avocado, and cilantro before serving

* I prefer to add tomatoes at the end instead

* * * DO NOT FORGET THE CHEESE AND CILANTRO * * *

The cheese adds a briny flavor that brings this dish to life. The cilantro adds freshness with each bite.

Quote by gypsygyrl


My Green chile mushroom enchilada recipe coming soon!

Quote by gypsygyrl
Green Chile Chicken and Mushroom Enchiladas (NM version)

This recipe as taught to me and as I have seen through various versions, calls for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. I thought we could make a much superior gravy on our own so if you choose to bypass the added steps of the gravy sauce, just ignore it and use the cream of mushroom soup.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups of green chile
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
corn oil


Gravy requires:
1 Portabella mushroom (definned)
1 8 oz package of white mushrooms
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons powdered chicken broth
2 tablespoons of butter

Instructions:

Cook chicken. best if just overdone but not burnt on outsides. Very hot cast iron works best.

Remove chicken. Add mushrooms, onion into pan drippings and fry until soft

add chopped garlic.

add 2 TBSp butter.

add 1.5 TBSp of flour and stir until completely incorproated into the veg mix.

add milk slowly, stirring constantly. bring to low boil.

Dice or shred chicken and add to pan

add heavy cream and chopped green chile. Salt pepper to taste

simmer until gravy thickens.

in separate fry pan, add the corn oil and cook the corn tortillas just until soft. I out them in for a few seconds, turn and place on plate with paper towels to blot out the excess corn oil.

In NM, we tend to layer our tortillas in a lasagna style fashion rather than roll but thats also up to you. I layer 6 overlapping on the bottom of a cake pan.
then spread half of the gravy mixture and half of the shredded cheese, add another layer of corn tortillas and cheese. Pop into oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or just until cheese melts.

Quote by gypsygyrl
Green Chile Chicken and Mushroom Enchiladas (NM version)

This recipe as taught to me and as I have seen through various versions, calls for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. I thought we could make a much superior gravy on our own so if you choose to bypass the added steps of the gravy sauce, just ignore it and use the cream of mushroom soup.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups of green chile
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
corn oil


Gravy requires:
1 Portabella mushroom (definned)
1 8 oz package of white mushrooms
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons powdered chicken broth
2 tablespoons of butter

Instructions:

Cook chicken. best if just overdone but not burnt on outsides. Very hot cast iron works best.

Remove chicken. Add mushrooms, onion into pan drippings and fry until soft

add chopped garlic.

add 2 TBSp butter.

add 1.5 TBSp of flour and stir until completely incorproated into the veg mix.

add milk slowly, stirring constantly. bring to low boil.

Dice or shred chicken and add to pan

add heavy cream and chopped green chile. Salt pepper to taste

simmer until gravy thickens.

in separate fry pan, add the corn oil and cook the corn tortillas just until soft. I out them in for a few seconds, turn and place on plate with paper towels to blot out the excess corn oil.

In NM, we tend to layer our tortillas in a lasagna style fashion rather than roll but thats also up to you. I layer 6 overlapping on the bottom of a cake pan.
then spread half of the gravy mixture and half of the shredded cheese, add another layer of corn tortillas and remainder of gravy mix and cheese. Pop into oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or just until cheese melts.

Quote by Verbal
This looks excellent. I've never had mushrooms in enchiladas before.

My BIG question about enchiladas: I really don't want to fry the tortillas in oil, because of all the extra grease it adds, but it's really the only good way to get them pliable enough to roll (although your idea of laying them out lasagna style might solve my problem). I put a wet paper towel over 10-15 tortillas at a time and warm them in the microwave, which works okay, not great. They still tend to break when you roll them. Anyone know a better way to make corn tortillas bendy without frying them?

Quote by Ping
CREAMY EGG SALAD

* I will post a picture next time I make this *

If you can find, or make, a high fibre white bread, that is what I recommend. Slap a few pieces of cello/head lettuce on too for some welcomed crunch.

Remember - the egg salad is the star of the sandwich.


Ingredients:

10 large eggs (try to use Certified Organic)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (I like to add a wee bit more, but be careful not too much)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (whole grain, honey flavored preferred)
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1 celery rib, chopped fine (use 2 or 3 for more crunch)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley


Instructions:

Combine 4+ cups COLD water and 4 cups ice cubes in large bowl; set aside to chill water.

Place eggs in large saucepan, cover with 1 inch water, and bring to boil over high heat.

IMMEDIATELY remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand 8 minutes.
(slightly under cooking eggs makes for creamier yolks)

Pour out water gently then shake pan back and forth to crack egg shells. Transfer eggs to ice water and cool for 5 minutes to prevent over cooking.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Transfer yolks to large bowl. Using a large spoon or potato masher, mash yolks with mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Whisk mixture until smooth, then set aside.

Chop whites into ¼" pieces. Fold whites, celery, chives, and parsley into yolk mixture and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes to chill and blend flavors.

If desired, season with salt and pepper.

Quote by TonyaL


Making this for my son's school lunch this week. Thanks again, G.

Quote by Ping



Oh YES! There will be sparks from my son's plate when he eats this.

Thanks Man! This is fantastic!!!

Quote by Verbal


Hoe was it?

My fear is that I call for too much cumin - I eyeball and don't actually measure - so I hope a tablespoon was not too much!

Quote by Verbal
Verbal's white chili

3 green chilis (or one of the small cans) - chopped, and mostly deseeded - but leave a few seeds (more = hotter)
1 onion - chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
cayenne pepper to taste

Fry all this up in olive oil, until onions are translucent.

Then add:

I lb cooked chicken - shredded
4 cups veggie or chicken bullion
2 cans Cannellini beans (add these toward the end)

Adding celery and carrots is good too - fry them up with the initial ingredients. This is really good, and by the second day, when the flavors have a chance to mix, it is heavenly.

And I STRONGLY recommend using fresh green chilis. So much better than the tasteless canned crap. And you get to experiment with how many of the seeds you want to leave (a fine art). Luckily I live near the green chili capitol of the world - Pueblo, Co.!

Quote by gypsygyrl
Green Chile Chicken and Mushroom Enchiladas (NM version)

This recipe as taught to me and as I have seen through various versions, calls for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. I thought we could make a much superior gravy on our own so if you choose to bypass the added steps of the gravy sauce, just ignore it and use the cream of mushroom soup.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups of green chile (best to use fresh Anaheim green chile peppers. If you have the luxury of fresh, make sure they are roasted to where the skin is charred. This carmelized the sugar inside and brings out the flavor. Once charred, hold by end and pull charred skin off and then end of the pepper and also inside of the pepper leaving only the meaty part of the pepper)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
corn oil


Gravy requires:
1 Portabella mushroom (definned)
1 8 oz package of white mushrooms
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons powdered chicken broth
2 tablespoons of butter

Instructions:

Cook chicken. best if just overdone but not burnt on outsides. Very hot cast iron works best.

Remove chicken. Add mushrooms, onion into pan drippings and fry until soft

add chopped garlic.

add 2 TBSp butter.

add 1.5 TBSp of flour and stir until completely incorproated into the veg mix.

add milk slowly, stirring constantly. bring to low boil.

Dice or shred chicken and add to pan

add heavy cream and chopped green chile. Salt pepper to taste

simmer until gravy thickens.

in separate fry pan, add the corn oil and cook the corn tortillas just until soft. I out them in for a few seconds, turn and place on plate with paper towels to blot out the excess corn oil.

In NM, we tend to layer our tortillas in a lasagna style fashion rather than roll but thats also up to you. I layer 6 overlapping on the bottom of a cake pan.
then spread half of the gravy mixture and half of the shredded cheese, add another layer of corn tortillas and remainder of gravy mix and cheese. Pop into oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or just until cheese melts.

Quote by ChrisM

Ingredients

Mahshi Wara’ inab. But you can call it… stuffed grape leaves! It’s okay! lol

50 to 60 grape leaves (fresh or jarred)
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 cup white basmati rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large onion, cut into large rings
4 cloves of garlic, minced
⅓ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup olive oil, divided
½ tsp all spice
½ tsp cumin
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
In a skillet, heat 2Tbsp of the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the spices and let them sweat for a couple more minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the meat, the rice, the onion mixture and the parsley. Mix everything together with your hands until everything is incorporated. Reserve.
Drain and rinse the grape leaves.
Take the stems of every grape leaf and blanch them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.
To roll the grape leaves, place a leaf with the vein side up on your work surface. Add one tablespoon of the filling mixture to the center of the leaf. Fold the edges in and up and roll the grape leaf until it looks like a cigar, tucking the edges under the roll. Proceed with the other leaves until you've run out of filling or leaves.
Line a heavy bottomed pot with (unrolled) grape leaves. On top of that, add the onion rings.
Proceed to arrange the stuffed grape leaves in rows, alternating the direction of each layer of rows.
Fill the pot with the chicken broth (enough to cover the rolls) and the remaining olive oil.
Place a plate on the top to prevent the rolls from floating.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
When it boils, lower the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes, until meat is cooked and rice is tender.
Remove the rolls from the broth and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes
There exit almost as many variations of this dish as exist families in Greece and in the middle east.
In my family we add the juice of 4 lemons to the broth and layer each row with a couple of garlic loves.
Can be eaten hot or cold.

Enjoy!

Quote by Gillianleeeza
SHRIMP SCAMPI

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Yield: Serves 4


Ingredients

1 pound large (16-20 count) raw shrimp, shelled* and de-veined, (if you want, keep the tail on for an attractive presentation)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp butter
Salt
3-4 garlic cloves, slivered, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less or more to taste)
1/2 cup white wine (I recommend a dry white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice

* Shell on? or Shell off? It's really up to you. Shrimp cooked shell on are more flavorful because the shells infuse more flavor into the shrimp while they cook. But, shell-on is fussier to eat.

1 Sauté garlic, red pepper flakes, in butter and olive oil: Heat a sauté pan on high heat then reduce to medium high heat. Swirl the butter and olive oil into the pan. After the butter melts it will foam up a bit then subside. If using unsalted butter, sprinkle a little salt in the pan. Stir in the slivered garlic and red pepper flakes.

2 Add shrimp and wine: Sauté the garlic for just a minute, until it begins to brown at the edges, then add the shrimp.

Add the wine and stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce of butter, oil, and wine.

Move the shrimp so they are in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to high and boil the wine for two to three minutes.

3 Turn shrimp over to cook on the other side: Stir the shrimp and arrange them so that you turn them over to cook on the other side. Continue to cook on high heat for another minute.

4 Toss with parsley, lemon juice, pepper: Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with parsley, lemon juice, and black pepper, and toss to combine.

Serve as is, or with crusty bread, over pasta. I do both

Quote by Ping


Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread

Thank you Gypsygyrl for this fabulous recipe!!!


Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

NOTE: We like to use more jalapeno's, and you can also substitute green chile's for the jalapeno's


Directions:

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter.

With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Do NOT over mix!
Mix in the scallions and jalapenos, and 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, leaving some for the topping.

Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish or pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheddar cheese and extra chopped scallions.

Check at 25 minutes, but bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.