Tag Archives: chorizo

Meat Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes

Sweet Corn Tomalito with Chorizo and Peppers

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Smother Me with Deliciousness

Sweet corn tomalito, do you want to go steady?  Can I wear your letter jacket?  Wanna go to prom together?  Because I think you’re the bees knees.  I fell in love the first time I tasted you at Chevy’s, tipsy from bathtub sized margaritas with plenty o’ salt, sneaking nibbles of you in an effort to extend the fun.  I had to find a recipe hack on the web in order to bring you home with me, and it turned out that I had to dedicate a full-on hour to get you hot and ready before I could eat you up.  You were a corn souffle of out and out perfection, and it meant that you needed time to rise to the occasion.  But wait!  How could I make things a little more dangerous?  I know – I’d smother you with spicy chorizo, tri-colored sweet peppers, onions and garlic and then devour you with no hesitation and every last bit of my love.  And yes, I’m willing to share you with everyone who wants you, just as long as I can still get a taste.  Sound like a plan? Continue reading Sweet Corn Tomalito with Chorizo and Peppers →

Appetizers and Small Plates, Easy to Prepare, Main Courses, Meat Dishes, Recipes, Seafood Dishes, Side Dishes

Littleneck Clams with Chorizo and Garlic

My husband likes most all that I cook for him – in fact, the only thing that got a resounding thumbs down were my Cold Peanut Noodles – I still say it’s not the noodles so much as his distaste for cold pasta, but that’s another story for another day.  But because of his regular approval, I live for those dishes that mean adoration spelled across his face in a smile – the ones that get a “This is REALLY good, baby!” instead of a mere “It’s good.”  The bites that make him look up immediately, eyes creased with a smile, the satisfaction emanating in a grin and nod.  They don’t tell you when you get married that you become hypersensitive to context clues, but alas, here I am, reading facial expressions like ancient runes, sussing out the inside scoop. Continue reading Littleneck Clams with Chorizo and Garlic →

Breakfast and Brunch, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes, Chorizo and Egg

Breakfast Taco with Potatoes, Chorizo and Egg © Photo by Angela GunderSay what you will about Texas, but they get things absolutely right when it comes to fast food – chiefly, above all else, the glory of Taco Cabana.  The name is so misleading in its plebian nature, while the franchise dishes out tasty fillings in tender, pliant tortillas.  May all the Taco Bells be stricken from the earth in place of this bastion of tex mex wonders.

I first had Taco Cabana on a trip to Austin City Limits – the hubby and I woke up early at the hotel and decided to forage for breakfast.  We wandered out of the hotel and found a shopping center with a closed Whole Foods and a very open Taco Cabana.  With the best of intentions, we ordered a dozen mixed breakfast tacos in the hopes of bringing back the bounty to our friends back at the hotel.  But no – we lapsed into total food amensia and ate every single taco without even realizing what we were doing.  Dennis and I stared at each other in wonderment after attacking the mass of eggs, beans, potatoes, chorizo and cheese.  It was just so good, we devoured the goodness with no hesitation.

In that I don’t find myself in Texas too often (read: ever), I had to find a way to get my breakfast taco fix at home.  I’d be lying if I told you that I actually eat this for breakfast though.  This is the kind of home cooking that is thrown together at midnight and eaten directly from the kitchen island standing up.  Utensils be damned, eating this dish transports us back to that day where we found some serious goodness in a Texas parking lot in a moment of unexpected perfection.

Recipe for

Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes, Chorizo and Egg

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tsp. of salt

1 lb. of fresh chorizo (pork or beef)
6 eggs
flour or corn tortillas

chopped tomato
shredded cheese
salsa
cilantro
chopped onion

Add potatoes, garlic and salt to a small saucepan and cover with water.  Heat on high and boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, breaking up the large pieces with a spatula.  When the meat is just about cooked through, add the potatoes and allow them to crisp up with the chorizo.  Set aside.

In another skillet, heat 1 tbs. of olive oil on medium.  Scramble your eggs in small bowl and slip into the pan with the oil.  Turn the heat to medium low and gently push the eggs around the pan, allowing curds to slowly form.

Assemble your taco by scooping some of the chorizo and potatoes onto a warmed tortilla.  Top with eggs and a bit of the condiments of your choosing – Dennis likes shredded cheddar, but I love a bit of cilantro, tomato and onion.  Dab with a bit of salsa and eat with reckless abandon.

Cheese Dishes, Low Brow Treats, Main Courses, Meat Dishes, Pasta Dishes, Recipes

Spicy Mac with Chorizo and Jack

So, my friends, it seems that the macaroni and cheese adventure continues with this spicy, south of the border version.  Clever name aside (come on, you love that I rhymed mac with jack), this is full of piquant flavors and lovely texture that will become a welcomed departure from the usually cheddar pasta conglomeration.  If you like things hotter than hot, use a hefty pinch of cayenne pepper when making your cheese sauce.  Or dice a little chopped jalapeno into the mix as you saute the veggies.  I use mexican-style smoked chorizo for this, but you can also crumble and brown fresh chorizo, or dice a nice andouille sausage as well.  The choice is yours, dolls.

Spicy Mac and Cheese with Chorizo and Jack © Spice or Die

The bechamel for the macaroni and cheese is similar to most of the other versions I’ve posted, with the exception of the milk.  Here I use canned, evaporated milk of the fat-free variety, which provides lovely creaminess with half the fat.  Another variation is that in most of my mac and cheese recipes, I bake the entire thing after saucing.  This version is actually perfectly lovely unbaked and topped with a smattering of sliced scallions.  It’s excellent weekday eating – heck, you could even replace the chorizo for browned ground beef for truly the best Hamburger Helper you may ever have on this green earth.  Given that actual Hamburger Helper is abysmal, this isn’t much of a challenge.  Cook on!

Spicy Mac with Chorizo and Jack

1 lb of elbow macaroni
1/2 c. of chopped piquillo peppers (roasted reds are fine)
2 tbs. of onion, finely chopped
1 lb. of smoked chorizo, diced
3 c. of evaporated milk
4 tbs. of butter
4 tbs. of flour
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1 tsp. of mustard
3/4 tsp. of garlic powder
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 c. of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 c. of pepper jack, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.

While pasta is boiling, make your sauce. In a large sized pot, melt your butter on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the piquillo peppers and stir. Whisk the flour into the butter to form a smooth paste.  Slowly add the milk in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Add the salt, black pepper, mustard and garlic powder. Turn up heat and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, whisking until melted.  Stir in diced chorizo and taste for spice.  Add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste.

Toss macaroni and sauce in a large bowl. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then serve.

Appetizers and Small Plates, Meat Dishes, Recipes

Sweet Potato Croquettes

There’s something to be said for the beauty of a small bite – as an eater, you are (hopefully) treated to a microcosm of flavors all combined in a single tasty morsel.  As the chef, you are tasked with creating a complex body of flavors, carefully melded together to treat the diner with a one-punch knock out sensation.  It’s goodness.  Nay, the bestness.  Unlike my grammar.

Sweet Potato Croquettes

This dish is a shout out to my love of Caribbean and Spanish flavors when combined and/or fried.  There’s something about spicy, salty, cool, crunchy and sweet that just makes me swoon big time.  One of my favorite examples of this is in this incredibly simple, savory croquette made with a combination of sweet potatoes and chorizo.  Based on the famous Spanish tapas, Croquetas con Picadillo, this dish is prepared under many names and with various flavor combinations (like the delicious Cuban twin, Papas Rellenas).  The potato/meat mixture is formed into small balls and then breaded and fried into a lovely golden morsel.  Play up the gorgeousness of sweet and salty by serving this with a light mango sauce, grilled pineapple or peach salsa.

Sweet Potato Croquettes

3 c. of mashed sweet potatoes
4 tbs. butter, melted
1/4 c. of milk
1 tsp. of pepper
2 tsp. of salt
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
4 tbs. of flour
pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. of fresh chorizo, removed from casing
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 c. of flour
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs. of water
1/2 c. of bread crumbs
oil for frying

Mix the mashed potatoes with the butter, salt, pepper, salt, beaten eggs and nutmeg.  Place in a fridge to chill.  In a large skillet, brown the chorizo well.  Once fully cooked, add the garlic and red pepper and continue to cook until fragrant.  Cool the chorizo filling and stir into the mashed potatoes.  Return mixture to the fridge to cool.

Scoop the mashed potatoes into portions 3 tablespoons each.  Wet your hands and form each of the portions into a smooth ball.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with a sheet of wax paper.  When you’ve rolled all of the croquettes, place in the freezer to allow them to solidify a bit.

While the  croquettes are cooling, break out 3 shallow dishes.  Add 1/2 c. of flour to one dish.  Scramble the egg and two tbs. of water together in the second dish.  Place the breadcrumbs in the third dish.  Take the croquettes out of the freezer and start an assembly line.  First dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Then, plunk them in the egg to wet them all over.  Lastly, dredge in the breadcrumbs and place on a clean dish or another cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Heat a pot of cooking oil to 340° and gently lower a batch of arancini into the hot oil (5 at a time is good).  Cook until beautifully golden on the outside, about 9 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and serve with a fat wedge of lime and a sweet dipping sauce of your choice.