Blackened Fish Tacos (Eat tacos. Drink beer. Love life.)

Not quite how they make them in Baja, but I actually like this better--no fried fish or heavy sauce. Light and delicious!

Note that blackening the fish will create a lot of smoke in your kitchen. If you can't keep a window open to ventilate, you may wish to fry at a lower temperature and not use the oven... or poach the fish in tequila, lime juice and cilantro after a flash fry--both methods are also very delicious.

Prep time: 3 cocktails (including Pico and homemade tortillas)

1 pound catfish, tilapia or other eco-conscious white fish... cheap fish is just fine—you’re just gonna spice the hell out of it
Several large pinches of each of the following: ground cayenne pepper, ground cumin, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper
1/3 bunch of cilantro, minced

A dozen small corn tortillas, store-bought or from scratch (click here for recipe)
1-2 cups cabbage, shredded

1/2 batch Pico de Gallo (click here for recipe)
Finely shredded jack cheese (optional)

3 limes, quartered
Hot sauce—Important: use only Tapatio or Chilula… Tabasco sauce will ruin the tacos, as will other vinegar-based hot sauces.

Preheat oven to 350.

Soak raw fish filets in the canola oil for about 20 minutes, flipping occasionally. Then put fish on a large plate and sprinkle with very generous pinches the dry spices, salt, and pepper. Flip filets and repeat spice application.

Heat a dry frying pan on the highest possible heat. Fry filets for a minute or so on each side. Then place fried filets in a casserole pan or cookie sheet. Sprinkle the cilantro on top and add another bit of salt and pepper.

Bake 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of filets. You want the fish to cook through, but still be tender and juicy inside.

When done, chop up into chunks that are small enough to make good fish tacos.

If your tortillas aren't warm, heat them up a bit in the microwave (or for more authentic tacos, fry each tortilla in very hot oil for 1-2 seconds on each side). Fill each taco with equal parts fish, pico and cabbage. Give each taco a squeeze of lime, a bit of cheese (if using), and add a few splashes of hot sauce.

Eat tacos. Drink beer. Love life.

Pico De Gallo

This is as simple as it gets. Perfect for chips, fish tacos, or damn near anything else.

2/3 of a bunch cilantro, minced and divided
4 tomatoes, chopped (vine ripened only, don’t use Roma or others)
1 small red onion, chopped
4 jalapeños, chopped
1 tsp salt
Juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine everything in a big bowl and stir well. Eat the shit out of it!

Homemade Corn Tortillas

After living in Mexico for a year, I eventually realized that store-bought corn tortillas in the states are a crime against humanity. They are dry, taste weird, and have the wrong texture. So stop buying them! The difference between homemade tortillas and store-bought is about the same as homemade bread and Wonder Bread. Really.

This recipe and others call for masa harina. It's corn flour made from lime-treated, de-hulled corn. It's available in the Mexican or baking aisle of just about any supermarket or any Mexican grocer. Note that you can't use plain old 'corn flour,' as it often is processed with the hulls on and will likely result in some very bizarre 'tortillas.'

Two key tricks I learned in cooking school in Mexico are to add use just a bit of white flour. This gives the tortillas strength, so they won't fall apart when you load them up. Also, use the hottest water possible when you make the tortillas, as the masa doesn't dissolve correctly in cold water.

Also, you’ll need a tortilla press: a small and inexpensive appliance available at most kitchen shops and online.

2 cups masa harina
1/4 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, as hot as you're able to touch

Heat a non-stick griddle or seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat.

While pan heats up, combine first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl. With your hands, gradually knead in the water until you've reached the consistency of Play-Doh or soft cookie-dough and is plenty moist but won't stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands (this may require more than 1 cup of water, depending on the masa). Roll the dough into ping-pong-sized balls and cover them with plastic wrap or something to prevent drying (if they do get dry, just wet your hands before putting each ball into the press and gently re-roll them. This should re-introduce enough moisture.)

Place a ball in the tortilla press with a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper both above and below the ball. With your hands, flatten the ball a bit, then and press well. Now if you look closely, the press has likely made your tortilla a little flatter on one side than the other, which you don't want. So flip the tortilla over and reverse sides (the top right should become the bottom left). Now press once again, but very, very gently this time; you're not trying to smash it, just to even it all out.

Carefully extract your tortilla from the plastic or waxed paper and gently lay it on the griddle or pan. Dry fry about 30 seconds, or until it changes color slightly and the tortilla's edges lift slightly. Flip and repeat, cooking this side more like 60 seconds. Now flip once again, so the first side is down for another 45-60 seconds. If you've made the tortilla properly, it should poof up with air slightly. Now, start stacking in a tortilla-sized basket lined with a clean dish towel to seal in warmth and moisture as you cook the rest.

Red-Red: The Greatest Recipe Known to Humankind

If you've ever been to a dinner party at my house, the chances are good that you had red-red. I'm not kidding when I say it is the best recipe that will ever grace this (or any) blog. I should just hang up my apron after this, because it simply won't get any better.

Red-red is a traditional Ghanaian recipe of spicy black-eyed peas. Though it sounds odd, I must say that it is simply amazing. Red-red gets the name from dual red palm oil and tomatoes traditionally used to prepare this dish. It is also usually served with fried plantains (I typically opt for fried bananas). I also add a non-traditional twist by eating it with injera (click here for recipe), though the more traditional kenkey is great, as is plain old rice.

Also, if you like to make your black-eyed peas from scratch rather than purchasing store-bought, you'll want to increase the salt by roughly  2 tsp.

Prep time: 3 cocktails

1 cup red palm or canola oil
2 onions, chopped
1-3 habenero peppers, minced (I use 4)
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, vine ripened (not Roma or Hothouse), quartered
2 cans black eyed peas, drained
1-2 TBSP salt (depending on how much your canned beans have in them already)
¼ cup fresh, unpeeled ginger, grated (grate with smallest possible grating of cheese grater or Microplane; do not mince with knife!)
3 ounces tomato paste (1/2 small can)
2 tsp shrimp powder (optional)
Ground black pepper to taste
2-3 bananas or plantains, sliced into 1" wheels (optional)
Injera or kenkey for serving (rice or flour tortillas make acceptable alternatives as accompaniments)

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and sauté about 5 minutes, until softened. Add peppers and garlic. Cook a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 1 more minute.

Transfer to a food processor bowl and puree into a sauce.

Return onion/tomato sauce to pan or Dutch oven and reduce heat to a nice simmer, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, drain the black-eyed peas and mash up about 1/3 of them in the cans or a separate bowl. Add all peas to the tomato mixture. Also add the salt, ginger, tomato paste, and shrimp powder (if using). Let simmer about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add black pepper.

Stirring occasionally, simmer 20 minutes or until you reach consistency of a thick stew. Add additional salt, if needed—it should be a fairly (but not crazy) salty dish. Same with the spiciness: it should be really hot. If it's not, add some cayenne powder.

As the red-red simmers, heat a couple more tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When it gets hot, add the bananas, flat-side down with a tongs. Once the bottoms get browned but not burned (about 3 minutes), flip and repeat. Remove and gently pat with a paper towel or cloth to remove excess oil.

Now tear your kenkey or injera into bite-sized pieces. You'll use these pieces to work like an edible scoop--no utensils here!

Eat the shit out of this and let me know how awesome it is!

Aloo Gobi: It'll Turn You Into an Indian Grandmother Too

I was told last night after I served Aloo Gobi that I "could pass for an Indian grandmother." I guess I should take that as a compliment. Though, I suppose I probably do have the liver of an Indian grandmother at this point... so why not the cooking skills too?

Anyhow, aloo gobi is a classic dry curry of potatoes and cauliflower that originates in the Punjab region. It is great served with rice, chapati, or naan. Note that this recipe calls for ghee. Ghee is clarified butter than can be found at any Asian grocer or natural food store. You can also make it easily at home using directions found online. If you're not on the butter program, substituting canola oil is fine (though not quite as tasty).

Prep time: 2 cocktails

2 jalapeño or Serrano chilies, chopped
2 tsp whole cumin seed

1 inch ginger piece, chopped finely or grated
½ tsp black mustard seeds

3 bay leaves

¼ cup ghee or oil

2 medium-large russet potatoes, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
1/2 head of cauliflower, divided into florets
1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp salt
1 TBSP brown sugar

1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine chilies, cumin, ginger, mustard seeds, and bay leaves in a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt the ghee in a wok on medium heat. Add the spice mixture. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the seeds turn a shade darker and become nice and aromatic. Add potato and cauliflower. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until the veggies begin to brown just a bit and you can smell the potatoes really beginning to cook.

Add water, turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt, brown sugar, and bell pepper. Reduce to low/medium-low and saute until all the veggies are tender, but not mushy… about 15-20 minutes. If it starts to stick, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Add cilantro, stir well and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serve over rice or with naan or chapati.

Momos!!!

These traditional Tibetan steamed dumplings are one of my favorite foods. They're typically served with a tomato chutney called achar. However, I think tomato achar tastes too much like Mexican salsa and is a pain in the ass to make. Instead, I just whisk together keycap manis (a sweet Indonesian soy sauce available at any Asian grocer) with Siracha and soy sauce.

Prep time 2-3 cocktails

Dough:
3 cups white flour
1 cup water

Filling:
2 Potatoes
3 TBSP ghee or oil
½ cup shallot, minced
2” Ginger, minced
2-4 cayenne or Serrano chilies, chopped

5 cloves Garlic, minced
Pinch of curry powder
3/4 cup additional shredded veggies (bell pepper, cabbage, daikon, bok choi, etc).
¾ tsp Salt
Several good grinds black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2-4 cayenne or Serrano chilies, chopped
1 tsp cumin

Dipping Sauce:

4 TBSP keycap manis
2 TBSP Siracha
2 tsp soy sauce

Start with the dough. Combine flour and water in a bowl and mix well. With a stand mixer or by hand, knead the dough for 10 minutes. The consistency should be somewhat like pizza dough--if it is too dry, add a TBSP or two of water. Let stand at least 30 more minutes, covered.

Bake or microwave the potato. Cut into small cubes. Set aside in a covered container.

Heat the ghee or oil over medium heat in a frying pan or wok. Add all filling ingredients except the potatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until everything becomes a bit

tender. Add potatoes and sauté another minuter or two.

Bring a bamboo or stackable steamer to a boil on high heat.

Now assemble your momos. Divide the dough into 18 small balls and cover. With a rolling pin, roll a dough ball into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon a few tablespoons of filling into the disk. Pinch the dumpling closed around the filling. As you may have noticed from the picture above, I'm not great at making this look very pretty. But there are many momo how-to videos online. I recommend you check them out before attempting.

After you're dumplings are formed, it's time to steam them. I recommend that you brush the bottom of the steamer with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. Steam 8-10 minutes or until dumplings are tender but not chewy and dried out.

While the momos steam, make the dipping sauce by whisking together the three ingredients.

Nepalese Dal: The Sacred Honda Civic of the Culinary World

When I traveled to Nepal, this is what everybody ate. It’s called Dal Bhat, or lentils with rice. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this dish in parts of India and Nepal. I was told that many people will go their entire lives without ever eating anything except this dish. During my few months there, I ate this for every meal myself.

While this dish excels in reliability, it lags a bit in sexy department.... It's kind of the Honda Civic of the culinary world. It's sacred to millions, but if you want some excitement for dinner, I recommend you make another Indian or Nepalese recipe and serve this as a side dish. Much like Steve Buscemi, dal bhat is always best in a supporting role.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

1 cup brown lentils
2 tsp ground coriander
½-inch piece ginger
2 tsp ground turmeric
½ pound fresh spinach or beet greens, chopped (optional)
2 TBSP ghee, butter, or oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
A dash of cayenne
Prepared rice (I like Forbidden Black)

In medium-sized saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add lentils, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. Stirring occasionally, bring to boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer, peeking in occasionally to stir. Continue stirring occasionally until the lentils begin to soften, about 30 minutes.

Remove lid and add spinach or beet greens, if using.

After adding the greens, in a medium frying pan or wok, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. When it’s up to temperature, add the cumin and fry until seeds turn a nice golden-brown. Immediately transfer the ghee and seeds to the lentils being careful not to splatter. Also add the salt, lemon juice and cayenne. Stir well and cook another couple minutes before serving over rice.

Rasta Pasta

Holy crap, I love this dish! Many years ago, I worked at a Jamaican fusion restaurant in Fort Collins. This is my take on their namesake dish--though my preparation is a lot better, I have to say. Maybe it's because I'm typically not as high as the cooks at the restaurant when I make it(?).

Anyway, the recipe calls for jerk paste. I provide the homemade recipe here, and it’s pretty quick and easy to make. But you can also purchase pre-made jerk paste (sometimes called wet jerk) at many gourmet shops and larger natural food stores like Whole Foods in the condiment aisle. Note that all storebought jerk pastes will vary in intensity and saltiness, so adding a little at a time is a good idea. And make sure you purchase paste and not powder.

Because this dish is pretty hot, you'll want to enjoy it with juice, a sweet cocktail, or a beer--preferably a ginger beer.

Prep time: 2 cocktails

1/3 cup canola oil
1 head garlic, minced (yes--an entire head!)
3 TBSP red wine
3 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 pinches dried basil
2 pinches dried oregano
1 tsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
1/3 cup jerk paste (click here for recipe)
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 very petite zucchini, chopped
1 small broccoli floret broken up by hand
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced or mandolined
½ cup purple cabbage, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 serving Incredible Jerk Tofu (click here for recipe)
2 handfuls pre-cooked pasta—use only penne or spirals
The top (green) third of a medium bunch of green onions, chopped
Pineapple pieces for topping, optional

Combine oil and garlic in food processor or blender. Puree well.

Heat a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add garlic oil mixture. Sauté until it begins to turn gold--but not brown, about 30-60 seconds. Add wine. Continue to cook for 20 more seconds.

Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato, basil, oregano, Cajun seasoning, and jerk paste. Stir frequently for about 8 minutes. Taste and add salt or jerk, if necessary—it should be very strongly flavored!

Add all the veggies EXCEPT the green onion. Reduce heat to medium and sauté another 5 minutes or so, until the veggies become a bit tender, stirring occasionally.

Add tofu, pasta, green onions, salt and pepper to taste (salt may not be necessary if your jerk paste already has some). Sauté 1 more minute stirring often.

Remove from heat and serve with pineapple on top, if using.

Incredible Jerk Tofu

Anytime somebody tells you that they think tofu sucks, tell them I said they're an ass. Then make this. It'll shut them up for good.

Note that this preparation tends to make a bit of a mess out of your frying pan. I highly recommend that you use a well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan for this recipe, as the clean-up is immeasurably easier.

This is also a fantastic way to prepare tofu for any cuisine, just change the spices from jerk to whatever is appropriate to fit your cuisine.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch dried basil
3 TBSP jerk paste (click here for recipe)
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1-2 TBSP soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine
½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice
3 TBSP peanut or non-toasted sesame oil
1 brick extra firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes
2 TBSP sesame seeds

In small bowl, whisk together oregano, basil, jerk paste, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire, soy sauce, red wine, and juice. Set aside.

Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When it gets hot, add tofu. Stir very gently and very frequently with spatula being careful to avoid breaking the tofu (it can be tricky to keep your tofu intact depending on brand and moisture content, this is why using extra firm is critical). Fry until the tofu begins to become golden brown. This can take from 10-20 minutes, depending on the moisture content of the tofu. If your tofu is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a bit more oil and be sure you're flipping it around every few seconds with the spatula.

Once tofu is golden-brown, add wine/juice mixture. Bump your heat up one notch and occasionally stir everything. Cook until all the moisture has cooked off, about 5-10 minutes. Toss in the sesame seeds and then transfer the tofu to a plate. Place in refrigerator and allow to cool completely before eating or using in another recipe.

Jerk Paste

Jerk is one of the cornerstones of Jamaican cuisine. It is either a paste or a dry rub of brown spices, garlic, peppers, ginger, and thyme that dates back to colonial times. It combines the flavors of the old world and the new in a fantastic, unusual way. Jerk was used as a means of preserving meat in the days before refrigeration—much the way that very spicy rubs or salts have been used in other parts of the world. As such, it is pretty potent stuff (spice wimps should probably be cautious with my Jerk recipes). Today, jerk is ideal either as a marinade (especially good for grilling tofu, vegetables, meat, and fruit) or as a sauce. Jerk is one of those things that can be made a thousand different ways. This is my recipe.

Also note that if you wish to save time, there are commercially-available jerk pastes that work well for my recipes as well. I most highly recommend Neera’s; it’s long been my favorite. You can find it in a small jar in the condiment aisle of many gourmet and natural food stores, as well as online. But one word of caution: if you go with a store-bought paste in any of my recipes, be warned that these are often more potent than my recipe. As a result, it is probably a good idea to start with about a third of what my recipes call for and add additional jerk slowly, tasting as you go, in order to avoid overdoing it. And because these pastes often contain varying amounts of salt, the same is true for salt in my recipes that use jerk paste.

1 TBSP ground allspice
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground clove
3 TBSP vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Habenero or Scotch Bonnet chilies (heat wimps can use 2 peppers)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 TBSP dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 TBSP fresh ginger
5 scallions, chopped
1 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP fresh lime juice
¼ cup white vinegar

In small dish, combine allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

Heat oil in a small frying pan on medium. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until the garlic just begins to turn light golden—about 1 minute. Add spice combination. Stir constantly another 20 seconds and remove from heat. Transfer immediately to a bowl.

Now combine all other ingredients, along with the spice/garlic mixture, in a food processor or blender. Process until it is a smooth liquid.

Stores in the refrigerator for months.