This recipe comes from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. The recipes in this book could mostly be considered weeknight-friendly; no three-hour ordeals. We really enjoyed this dish, where salmon is simply seared and then topped with a mexican-inspired creamed spinach. We served it a simple steamed green-bean and red onion salad.

Is there anything better than a seared piece of salmon?

Lisa says:

I’m sure there is, but I can’t think of anything right now.

Chris says:

What do you think of the spinach?

Lisa says:

You’re right, it just tastes like creamed spinach, but better.

Chris says:

You can actually taste the masa harina in the spinach; I really like it.

Lisa says:

You, me and Popeye.

Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Roasted Peppers
1 fresh poblano pepper
~5 cups cleaned spinach
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 tbsp masa harina
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 6-oz skinless salmon fillets
salt and pepper

Roast the poblanos over an open flame, turning regularly until blackened all over. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
Steam or microwave the spinach just until wilted and set aside.
Turn the oven on to its lowest setting. In a very large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until browned, about 4 minutes. Scoop into a blender and set the skillet aside.
Rub the skin off the poblano pepper with a paper towel and remove the seeds and stems. Roughly chop and add to the blender, along with the milk and masa harina. Blend until smooth.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Lay the fillets in the oil and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the fillets and cook until the fish just barely flakes when pressed. Transfer the fish to an ovenproof plate and set in the oven.
Pour the poblano mixture into the skillet and whisk until it boils, about a minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking in some more milk if it gets too thick. Season, add the spinach, and stir until warmed throughout.
Top each salmon fillet with a portion of the sauce.

2 Servings

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, looks like I had bookmarked it about a year ago and finally got around to making it.  Originally from a Cooking Light recipe, this modified version from The Kitchen Sink features chicken, potatoes, and other veggies in a smoky-tasting, creamy broth — using just 1/4 cup of cream.

This is bueno — I knew I’d saved that link for a reason…

Lisa says:

It’s pretty creamy tasting…

Chris says:

I know! There’s a little cream in there, but not a lot — most of the texture is from pureeing the broth and onion, celery, and carrots.

Lisa says:

Oh good, I like that the potatoes aren’t pureed in. I like the chunks.

Chris says:

Same here… and I just want to add lime and cilantro to every recipe.

Lisa says:

Don’t we already?.

Chris says:

Good point.

Lisa says:

Good dinner.

Chipotle Chicken Chowder
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce, minced with 1 tsp of the adobo sauce *
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3/4 lb yukon gold potatoes, in 1/2″ dice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chile, adobo sauce, onion, carrot, celery, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in the potatoes and chicken; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Top with additional cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.

* Tip: To avoid wasting an entire can of chipotles when you only need one for a recipe, do the following: Once the can is opened, line a baking sheet with foil, spoon each chipotle chile with sauce onto the foil, and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the foil (they’ll slide right off) and place into a ziploc bag or other container and keep in the freezer. Easy to remove just one when required for future recipes.

These vegetarian tacos didn’t leave me missing the meat. The earthiness of the chard combined with the onion and garlic is just a great combination, and the simple black bean and corn salsa gave it some heft and a slight crunch. Lisa found this recipe when searching for ways to use up the chard that showed up in our CSA box.

Okay, this is probably the easiest recipe I’ve ever made.

Chris says:

Yeah?

Lisa says:

Have you seen the clock? When’s the last time we ate this early?

Chris says:

Whoa, you’re right. I guess simplicity rules in this case — these are delicious.

Lisa says:

I know it — but I swear we’ve made something really similar.

Chris says:

Yeah, there were the chard tacos from the Rick Bayless book.

Lisa says:

That’s right!

Chris says:

Don’t worry, they’re different enough to warrant a new post…

Lisa says:

Uh, YEAH… that, and they’re awesome.

Chris says:

…and they’re TACOS. TACOS should always get posted.

Lisa says:

Well, when you take a picture, anyway. You didn’t photograph the zucchini-mushroom-chorizo tacos from a few days ago.

Chris says:

I was hot! And hungry. And this way I have an excuse to make them again.

Lisa says:

Stay tuned, I guess!

Rainbow Chard Soft Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Tacos:
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems and stalks removed, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
corn tortillas
queso fresco

Salsa:
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onion
red pepper flakes
1 clove of garlic, minced
handful of cilantro, chopped
squeeze of lime

For the tacos, saute the onion and garlic in a half tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until softened. Add in the chard, cook until wilted, then season with salt and pepper.
For the salsa, combine all ingredients and season to taste.
Warm the corn tortillas in an oven or by heating in a dry pan. Fill each tortilla with some of the chard mixture and top with the salsa and some crumbled queso fresco.

The Third Place Books close to us was having a blowout on used books a couple of weeks ago, and we picked up a copy of The Best of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites for four bucks (I’m a sucker for cookbooks with pictures). This pork posole recipe caught my eye because it looked pretty much like a normal (aka, non-light) posole recipe. Pork is browned and then added to a stock made from chicken broth and pureed ancho chilies. This recipe is all about the condiments: a squeeze of lime and a bunch of cilantro really brings out the flavors in this soup.

We must love posole — I think we have four different recipes on the site.

Chris says:

Yep, and each one is a little different.

Lisa says:

I’m not sure about this one, you know I like the stewier ones.

Chris says:

Well, even though this one is broth-based, I think you’ll like it.

Lisa says:

Hmmm… kind of bland.

Chris says:

What? Ahhh… hit it with those garnishes. Squeeze that lime! Add those onions! Savor the cilantro!

Lisa says:

Wow, that makes a big difference… yum! It’s definitely growing on me.

Chris says:

Yeah, keep going…

Lisa says:

Awesome — I’m going back for more.

Chris says:

Mission Accomplished!

Pork Posole
4 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into (1/2″) pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 15.5-oz cans white hominy, undrained
sliced radishes
chopped green onions
minced fresh cilantro
lime slices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place chilies in pan; flatten with a spatula. Cook 10 seconds on each side or until blackened. Combine toasted chilies and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Place pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Cook cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Do this in batches if you must — don’t crowd the pork or it’ll steam instead of brown. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring frequently. Stir in pork, pureed chilies, toasted ground cumin, broth, sugar, salt, and hominy; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Spoon equal portions posole into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

6 Servings

This recipe was recently featured on Serious Eats; it comes from a cookbook titled Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet. I’m all for the occasional veggie burger, but make no mistake: these plump, juicy orbs of joy are NOT vegetarian. Rather, ground lamb is supplemented with steel-cut oatmeal to add bulk — the aim of Almost Meatless is not to eliminate meat all together, but to just use less of it. I haven’t yet tried any of the other recipes from this book, but unless this a one-off standout, I certainly look forward to it!

What the — how are these “almost meatless”? Aren’t they made with lamb?

Chris says:

Yeah, but only 1/2 a pound in the entire recipe… certainly not “mostly meat”.

Lisa says:

Ah, okay. I get it.

Chris says:

These are so juicy! I would not have realized that they were made with oatmeal…

Lisa says:

Me neither — maybe rice or something, but definitely not oatmeal.

Chris says:

These would be awesome for a tapas party; just stick some toothpicks in them and you’re done.

Lisa says:

Ooooh, I think we should have one soon!

“Almost Meatless” Albondigas
1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped plus more for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb ground lamb
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
Juice from 1 lime

Mix together the oatmeal, cilantro, half the garlic, the chipotle, 2 teaspoons of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to incorporate the lamb into the mixture, distributing it evenly. Form balls out of tablespoon-size scoops of the mixture and set aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic, cumin, and coriander, cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Add the canned crushed tomatoes and water and stir to combine.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the meatballs. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, squeeze the lime juice over top, and serve with extra chopped cilantro.

4 Servings