cilantro | Mommie Cooks!

Navajo Fry Bread

February 28, 2011 By Julie 32 Comments

The time comes when all birds must leave the nest and fly on their own. When I graduated college and started looking for a job, I decided that the farther I could soar from my hometown the better. Sound familiar? Be it a need for actual physical distance or merely emotional distance, I’m willing to bet that at one point in our lives we could all relate to that new found feeling of independence pulling us as far away as possible from where it all began. As for myself, I wanted nothing more than to show all those around me that I had what it took to make it on my own.

That ever growing need for independence eventually landed me in Phoenix, AZ. It was far from my childhood stomping grounds, completely different in every possible way from Wisconsin, and I had a cushion in the fact that my grandparents were living there in case I ever needed a familiar hand.
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Micki’s Black Bean Corn Salsa

May 17, 2010 By Julie 18 Comments

Some people call it black bean salsa, some call it texas caviar. I simply call it delicious. This stuff is so good that I can eat it by the spoonful, with or without chips. I’m not alone either. Andrew and Alex, my two youngest, will join me in my spoon eating of this black bean goodness. We mainly use it as a dip for tortilla chips or as an accompaniment with main dishes; I’ve got two main dish recipes that I will be sharing in the upcoming days that use it as an enhancement. It’s versatile, healthy and yummy!

I have my best Texas friend, EVER, to thank for this delicious recipe. Micki and I met 6 years ago at a childbirth class for the arrival of both of our first children, and we’ve never looked back. I love this girl to pieces. She’s the type of friend that you can tell anything to, call any time of the day or night, talk on the phone with for HOURS and never get bored, and just plain have a kick ass time with any time you see her. She’s been there for the laughs and tears; even now that we’re long distance. She’s got your back no matter what and she’ll defend you with everything that’s in her. Friends come and go, but every once in a while you meet one that you know is special. Micki’s that one for me. I love ya girl!

Now, without further ado… Black Bean and Corn Salsa; Micki Style. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Large Lime, Juiced
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp. Ground Cumin
¼ tsp. Salt
1 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, Thawed
1 Medium Tomato, Diced
8 Thin Green Onions, Sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Fresh Avocado, Chopped

Combine your lime juice, vinegar, cumin and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well. Next, add in the beans, corn, green onions and cilantro; and stir to mix well again. Before serving add in the tomato and avocado. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

Micki's Black Bean Corn Salsa

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 Large Lime, Juiced
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
1 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, Thawed
1 Medium Tomato, Diced
4 Green Onions, Chopped (1/2 Cup)
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 Avocado, Chopped

Directions:

Combine your lime juice, vinegar, cumin and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well.

Next, add in the beans, corn, green onions and cilantro; and stir to mix well again.

Before serving add in the tomato and avocado.

Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

Fish gone Thai

April 20, 2010 By Julie 4 Comments

So I got a bit creative the other night and decided to try and concoct a Thai inspired fish dish. I’m not sure what did it, but I’m thinking it must have been the coconut milk that I bought at Trader Joe’s earlier in the day. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a Trader Joe’s ADDICT. We don’t have a lot of fancy schmancy (and affordable!) food stores here in Charlotte. It’s something that I really, really, REALLY miss about living in Dallas. The food stores there were amazing. Central Market, Sprouts, Market Street, Whole Foods *Sigh*. But I digress. We’re here to make some dinner so let’s break out the fish! Here’s what you’ll need to bring my inspiration to your dinner table:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound of White Fish (I used dover sole)
3/4 Cup of Flour
1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1 tsp Lemon Grass
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro (1/8 cup Chopped Fresh)
Olive Oil for cooking the fish in

The first thing you need to do in order to create these little beauties, is to get out three separate dishes. In the first dish mix together the flour, salt, pepper, lemon grass, and turmeric. In the second dish, beat the two eggs and then stir in the garlic and cilantro. In the third dish add your panko bread crumbs. Here’s what you’ll have:

Now, grab a large skillet, turn your heat on medium high and add in a few swirls of olive oil to cover the bottom. Dredge your fish; first in flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Add the covered fish to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown depending on the thickness of the fish you use. Here’s what it should look like. Are you getting hungry yet? 🙂

If you use a thin fish like I did, you will need to do multiple batches. If that’s the case, you should change out your oil at least once or it will get burned after a couple batches from the random breadcrumbs and fish pieces that stay behind.

And here’s the finished product. I served it up with coconut curry rice, fresh broccoli and a lemon wedge. And yes, the lemon, broccoli and rice (with the above mentioned coconut milk) were all from my good friend Trader Joe as well.

Fish Gone Thai

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound White Fish (I used Dover Sole)
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1 tsp Lemon Grass
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
2 tsp Cilantro (1/8 Cup Chopped Fresh)
Olive Oil for Cooking

Directions:

Grab three dishes. In the first dish mix together the flour, salt, pepper, lemon grass, and turmeric. In the second dish, beat the two eggs and then stir in the garlic and cilantro. In the third dish add your panko bread crumbs.

Grab a large skillet, turn your heat on medium high and add in a few swirls of olive oil to cover the bottom. Dredge your fish; first in flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Add the covered fish to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown depending on the thickness of the fish you use.

Quickie Guacamole

March 22, 2010 By Julie 11 Comments

Well, the weekend’s over and it’s back to the bump and grind of every day life. I’m feeling pretty fortunate that we were blessed with beautiful weather here in North Carolina for the first weekend of spring considering my friends back in Texas were given yet another snowstorm with multiple inches of snow. It inspired me to cook up all kinds of goodies to share this week including a pizza using the guacamole recipe below that was amazing (who would have thought you could use guacamole on a pizza?) and a pound cake that was worth every tablespoon of butter I put into it.

Ok, so let’s get to the guacamole. This is my quickie version of guacamole. It’s the recipe you go to when you want yummy guacamole without all the dicing and chopping. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a batch of high effort guaco as much as the next girl, but most nights during the witching hour (and if you have kids you know what I mean), I feel lucky just to get food on the table, let alone gourmet guacamole. This guaco serves up a mean batch of delicious and takes about half the time to make. So here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

2 Large Avocados
The Juice from 1 Lime
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
Sea Salt to taste

Now I know I mentioned this in an earlier recipe, but I just want to throw out again what a wonderful thing Dorot herbs are. No garlic mincing, no cilantro chopping, and best of all, because it’s a freezer item, it stays good for so much longer than fresh herbs. Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh herbs as well as the next gal and use them often, but for a quick backup, that really does the job, these are awesome.

Ok, the recipe. Mash up your two avocados in a bowl with a fork. Add in the juice, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and cilantro. Mix well and then add your sea salt to taste. And let me tell ya, don’t be afraid with the salt. I find it takes a bit to really get the flavor where I want it. And that’s it! I told you it was a quickie.

I want to add one more note about the salt. For this recipe if you have access to it, try to use sea salt vs. regular salt. I don’t know why it is, but for some reason, sea salt makes guacamole that is really good! A friend once told me that sea salt was the secret to great restaurant guaco and after trying it, I’m a believer.

So here it is; the finished product. Try not to drool too much on your computer screen.

Quickie Guacamole

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

2 Large Avocados
1 Lime, Juiced
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
Sea Salt to Taste

Directions:

Mash up your two avocados in a bowl with a fork.

Add in the juice, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and cilantro.

Mix well and then add your sea salt to taste.

French Quarter Nachos

March 19, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.

In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.

Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!

French Quarter Nachos

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.

Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.

While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.

Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.

Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.

Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.

Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.