Guest Post #2: Dylan's turn

Moriah and I cooked these two recipes for Mom, Dad, and Brad while they were visiting me in Seattle in July, and they were such a hit that Dad asked me to write them up for a blog post. Cass and Jancalo couldn’t escape Florida and Virginia, respectively, to make it out here for a visit, but maybe they’ll cook these recipes from the blog.

 

These quesadillas are a meal-prep staple for Moriah and me, and we frequently make the hash for brunches. The quesadillas are inspired by a stall at the farmer’s market. They were so good that one day we asked about the basic ingredients and flavorings; it turns out that these quesadillas are simple as well as delicious, so we bought some produce and cheese, went home, and made them ourselves. The hash is similar. Moriah’s roommate Toby brought an excellent hash to brunch, so we asked him how he made it then made it ourselves for the next brunch.

 

I like these two recipes because they are “no-recipe recipes” that encourage improvisation and invite you to cook from principles rather than from following prescribed steps. (I added detail for this post.) Moriah and I both started cooking by following recipes, and we found it helpful to have step-by-step instructions as we grew comfortable in the kitchen. We’ve both been cooking for 5+ years now, though, and we want to feel confident deviating from recipes and experimenting to suit our tastes. So we read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and have been trying to apply its lessons in our cooking. These recipes are an example of what that style of cooking looks like for us.

Step 2: sauteed onions (and peppers in my case), a good start to any meal

I used beautiful, multi-colored organic carrots from Trader Joe's ...

Except they all turned red when I steamed them with the beets in steps 3 and 4. Whoops!

Step 5

GBD: Golden brown and delicious

Step 6: Farmers Market Quesadillas served with some Best-Ever Smoky Red Salsa

Farmers Market Quesadillas

Time: ~45 minutes till you start cooking the quesadillas in step 5 (it took ~20 minutes more to cook all the quesadillas)

 

At the farmers market, these quesadillas are made with handfuls of seasonal veggies bought from yesterday’s unsold produce. The core components are carrots, onions, a leafy green, and a root vegetable. We sometimes add one other vegetable, too, if something calls out to us from the produce aisle. [Paul's comments in italics: in step 2, I added in 1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips, for a fajita veggie feel.] This is great for meal prep because you can make a ton of it and keep half in the freezer for another week.  

Onions [I used 1 large onion to make 1 recipe feeding at least 4; white, yellow, or red onion would all work]

Olive oil 

Carrots

Swiss chard

Golden or red beets

Salt

Chili powder (American blend style like McCormick)

Cumin

Dried oregano

Flour tortillas

Cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater

 

To serve: hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, and/or diced avocado [I served these with Best-Ever Smoky Red Salsa, which was outstanding; I think Avocado Crema would also be good]

 

1. Prep the vegetables: Thinly slice the onions. Slice the carrots [no need to peel] into thin rounds. De-stem the chard, dice the stems, and tear the leaves into bunches. Cut the beets in half twice then thinly slice them into quarter-moons (dicing the beets works too). [If you cook your onions for at least 15 to 20 minutes in step 2, not only will they start caramelizing, but you'll also have time to get the rest of the veggie prep done while the onions are cooking.]

2. Heat a large saucepan or saucier over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add some olive oil, wait for it to heat, then add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook them as long as you want, 5 to 30 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate.

3. Add the carrots, chard stems, and beets to the same pan, and stir until coated with oil (add a little more oil if you need to). Season with salt, then add water to the pan [I started with ~¼ cup], cover, and steam until the veggies are almost cooked. Uncover, season with chili powder, cumin, and oregano to taste [I started with 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon oregano, and it wasn't enough], and sauté until the water is cooked off and the veggies start to take on a bit of color around the edges, a few minutes longer. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

4. Add the onion back to the pan along with the chard leaves, cover, and allow the chard to wilt. [I had to add a little more water to the pan here to help with the steaming/wilting process.] Uncover, stir to combine, and cook for another minute or two. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

5. To serve: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a few drops of oil. Drop in a tortilla, sprinkle on some Cheddar, then some of the cooked vegetables (warm the veggie mix in the microwave first if taking them from the fridge). Cook until the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown and delicious (and maybe even a little crispy if you like). Fold the tortilla in half, then remove to a cutting board.

6. Cut the tortillas into strips [or thirds or quarters] and top with whatever fixings you like (see above for suggestions). Serves at least 4.

Breakfast Hash

I’m not sure if there’s a standard packaging for polenta. At our grocery store they come in big cylinders, so it makes sense to slice them into thin circles for this recipe. The shape doesn’t really matter since we later chop them into smaller pieces; do whatever makes sense for the polenta you buy.

We like sweet potatoes, but any kind of potato is fine. Any kind of mushroom will work, too; we usually use cremini. And we like Pepper Jack cheese with this.

 

[This is Dylan's recipe as written. Once I have a chance to make it, I'll add pictures and whatever notes I have.] 

Potatoes

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (whole or diced)

1 big mild pepper (such as Poblano)

Mushrooms

1 package polenta

Neutral-flavored oil, such as safflower or canola

1 can black beans

Salt

Chili powder (American blend style)

Garlic powder or garlic

Cumin

Lime

Cheese

Eggs

 

1. Heat the oven to 400 or 425 degrees.

2. Prep the vegetables: Roughly chop the potatoes (no need to peel them). Quarter or halve the mushrooms. Chop the pepper. If using whole tomatoes, chop them too.

3. Arrange the vegetables on two baking sheets, keeping each kind of vegetable separate — they’ll cook at different speeds. Use your hands to mix each group of veggies with olive oil and a generous helping of salt. Put the veggies in the oven and cook, checking every 10 minutes. The tomatoes and mushrooms will finish first, followed by the pepper then the potatoes. As each vegetable finishes baking, remove it to the same large serving bowl and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, cut the polenta into thin (¼- to ½-inch) rounds. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil. Once hot, add the polenta rounds in a single layer. (Now is the time to use a spatter shield if you have one.) Cook, unmoving, for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on one side. Flip and repeat for the other side. Remove cooked polenta to a cooling rack.

5. Meanwhile, place a small pot over medium-low heat. Drain the beans, then add them to the pot to warm. Season liberally with salt, chili powder, garlic powder (or minced/grated garlic), and cumin.

6. Once everything has cooked, cut the polenta into small pieces. Add the polenta and beans to the veggies in the serving dish. Mix and taste for seasoning. We like to serve by adding a layer of grated cheese to each portion and topping with a freshly fried egg. Pass lime wedges and hot sauce at the table.