La Fonda on the Plaza Santa Fe, New Mexico Reservations have been made for you Cooley Mansion 4620 Bretton Bay Dallas, TX
La Fonda on the Plaza Santa Fe, New Mexico May 14, 2011 7:00 PM Menu Appetizer: Avocado Sandwiches Salsa Baked cheese 6 Layer Bean Dip with Chips Salad: Bean Salad Mexican Caesar Salad Entrée: Pork Tenderloin using BBQ rub Mango Salsa Layered Jalapeño Cornbread Dessert: Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake Vanilla Ice Cream
Avocado Sandwiches 1/4 pound of unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon of finely chopped cilantro 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 6 slices crisp cooked bacon, chopped 2 medium size ripe avocados 20 thin slices of Honey wheat Bread (from Heartland or local grocery stores) In a small bowl, cream the butter with the cilantro. Trim the crusts of the bread to equal squares first. Butter VERY LIGHTLY, just enough to seal the bread. Spread a little of the tomato on 10 slices of bread and dust with the bacon. Thinly slice the avocado and arrange over the bacon. Top each sandwich with a slice of butter bread. Cut in half diagonally. Pack in an airtight container, covered with damp paper towels. Close tight until ready to serve, Makes 20 half-sandwiches. From Christopher Idone's Glorious American Food.
Salsa Baked Cheese 1/4 cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans 1 4-ounce log goat cheese (softened) 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 cup Roasted Tomato Salsa or Habanero Salsa A tablespoon or so chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet, set them in the oven and let toast until lightly browned and very fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and slide off into a medium-size bowl. Add the softened cheeses to the bowl and combine thoroughly with the nuts. Scoop into the center of an ovenproof baking dish and form it into a 5-inch-diameter disc. Spoon the salsa over and around the cheese, set in the oven and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve with unsalted canapé crackers, chunks of bread or toasted croutons. Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer. Recipe from Salsas That Cook by Rick Bayless with JeanMarie Brownson and Deann Groen Bayless.
6 Layer Bean Dip and Chips The amounts below are all approximate except for the bean dip and the black olives. Adjust below quantities based on size of serving platter and number of people to be served. Since these aren t exact quantities listed, your good cooking sense will work fine. 2 cans of bean dip 2 packages of Guacamole Dip 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 Cup grape tomatoes, sliced 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (white and a little of the green for color) 1 6 oz can sliced black olives Spread bean dip on plate in circle. Top with layer of Guacamole. Top that with cheese. Top that with tomatoes, onions and olives. Serve with chips.
Southwest Black B Bean Salad Serves 6 to 8 2 15 oz. cans black beans 1 Cup corn 1 Red bell pepper, diced 4 plumb tomatoes, Seeded, Chopped 1 medium size sweet onion 1/3 Cup cilantro, Chopped 1/3 Cup lime juice 1 Lime zested 1/3 Olive oil 1 Clove garlic, finely minced ½ tsp salt or to taste Pinch of cayenne pepper In a large mixing bowl combine the first 5 ingredients and gently toss. Chill for at least one hour. (Can be made 24 hours in advance of serving.) Whisk together the remaining ingredients and let stand at room temperature for at least one hour. (Can be prepared a day in advance of serving.) Combine vinaigrette and salad ingredients at least one hour before serving. Chill to mingle flavors.
Mexican Caesar Salad Yield: 6 to 8 Servings For cilantro pepita dressing: 1 medium Anaheim chilies -- roasted, peeled and seeded 2 Tablespoons roasted pepitas 1 garlic cloves -- diced 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 ounces vegetable oil 1/8 cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese 1 small bunches cilantro -- stemmed 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/8 cup water For salad: 2 corn tortillas Vegetable oil 2 small heads of Romaine rinsed and spun dry 1/3 cup finely grated Cotija cheese 1 roasted red bell pepper -- peeled and cut into julienne strips -- see cook's notes 1/4 cup pepitas Prepare dressing: Place all ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in blender or food processor; blend 10 seconds. Add cilantro little by little until blended smooth. Place mayonnaise and water in large stainless steel bowl. Mix with wire whip until smooth. Add dressing mixture to mayonnaise mixture, and combine thoroughly. Place in airtight container and refrigerate. Cut corn tortillas into matchstick-size strips. Heat oil in sauté pan, and fry tortilla strips until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Tear or rough chop romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces and toss with dressing in large mixing bowl. Add just enough dressing to lightly coat lettuce. Place red pepper strips, Cotija cheese, and tortilla stripes in separate bowls to be used as garnishes as desired. Cook's note: To roast chilies and red bell pepper, line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place chilies in single layer on foil. Adjust oven rack to 6-8 inches below broiler element and turn on broiler. Char chilies, rotating as need, to lightly blacken all sides. Remove from oven and enclose chilies in foil 5 minutes. Open foil; when cool enough to handle, peel and remove seeds. Pepitas are edible pumpkin seed kernels, originally hulled in Mexico and China, but can now be found in many grocery stores. Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese, available at some grocery stores and most Mexican markets.
Pork Tenderloin with rub Cooking Pork Tenderloin Flavor it: Dry rub Apply the Cooley Rub below. Grill it: Its small size, tenderness and lack of fat make the pork tenderloin ideal for grilling. Sear the tenderloin on the hottest part of the grill for about 1 ½ minutes on each side and then cooking over either direct heat, 2 to 3 minutes more per side, or indirect heat, for 10 to 15 minutes more without turning. Take its temperature: The tenderloin's small size and leanness make it susceptible to overcooking, so an instant read thermometer is a must when cooking pork tenderloin. The National Pork Board suggests cooking to a final internal temperature of 160F degrees, which can be achieved by cooking to 155F degrees and removing the tenderloin and resting for 10 minutes (the temperature will rise several degrees). Condiments: Barbecue sauces; fruit preserves, jellies or jams; reduced fruit purees and juices; and syrups are all potential condiments. Cooley Rub Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup paprika 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne Preparation: Combine all ingredients together and keep in an air tight container.
Mango Salsa 4 6 Servings 1 Mango peeled and diced 1/2 cup diced red onion 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced 1/4 cup sweet onion 1 lime zested and juiced Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Layered Jalapeño Cornbread Ingredients Butter or non-stick cooking spray for greasing pan 1 cup of cornmeal 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons baking powder 2 Tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 beaten eggs 2/3 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup canola oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 (14 ounce) canned creamed corn 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese 1 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeño peppers Directions Preheat oven to 375 O F Grease a 9 X 9 square pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Mix in buttermilk, eggs and oil. Add onions to creamed corn then stir into batter. Pour half the batter into the greased pan. Top with peppers and cheese, spreading onto batter. Pour remaining batter on top of the cheese and peppers. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into squares. From a slightly modified Paula Dean recipe
Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream Serves 12 For the streusel topping: 1 18- or 19-ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped 1 large egg yolk Salt 3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour For the cake: 1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup granulated sugar 4 large eggs, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE The streusel topping. In a food processor, pulse half of the Mexican chocolate until it is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Remove and set aside for the batter. To the processor, add the second half of the chocolate and process it to the consistency of coarse crumbs. Mix the egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, omit the salt) in a small bowl to dissolve the salt. Add to the processor along with the 3 1/2 ounces butter, and the 1cup flour. Pulse the machine just until everything is thoroughly combined it should look crumbly, not having been processed to a paste. The cake. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sift together the 1 3/4 cups flour and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the cream cheese, the 8 ounces butter and the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. One at a time, add the eggs, beating until one is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Add the sifted flour mixture, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute, just until the flour is incorporated. Lastly, use a large spoon to stir the reserved chopped chocolate into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth. Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the batter, making sure there are no large lumps lumps may sink during baking. Bake in the center of the oven until springy (the edges will have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan) and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares for serving. Working Ahead: Tightly wrapped, the finished cake keeps beautifully for several days. You may want to re-warm pieces of the cake before serving. VANILLA ICE CREAM