Stuffed zucchini (with bacon and mozzarella)

Hello everybody! I have been busy changing some little things on my blog... like the colors, button, etc (I encourage you to visit the Welcome Page I just added pictures of my mom, dad, husband and some random "food pictures" from Mexico) so, anyway... I was thinking that maybe many would think they are only going to find hot/spicy food recipes in my blog, but I just want you all to know that "Cooking with Fire" is not about "adding hot pepper or Tabasco sauce" to everything you cook, it's about Cooking with Passion, with Love for others! and hopefully with Real Fire on your Stove (which unfortunately, I don't have right now because my stove HAS TO BE electric in the new place we live... oh well!) but ... I just want you to know that I hope I will make this blog as varied as possible and you will find from a salad, stew, etc... to a luscious dessert! It doesn't have to be spicy at all! (sometimes it'll be! of course!) I just hope I can help "end some myths" about Mexican food being spicy! All filled with "taco seasonings" and "yellow melted cheese on top" ... Mexican food can be refined, ideal for a romantic dinner or just for a family gathering where everyone can enjoy!

So... ok... let's just go for our new recipe...

Stuffed Zucchini:

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
- 2 Zucchinis
- 1 clove of garlic (crushed and finely chopped)
- 3 slices of bacon (cut in small squares)
- 1/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Directions:
- In a pot with water, boil the zucchinis for about 8 minutes, they should be cooked but still firm so they keep their shape.
- In the meantime fry the bacon in a pan on the stove until it's cooked all the way through and starts getting crispy. (Make sure it's not too crispy)
- Once the bacon is cooked and the zucchinis have boiled for about 8 minutes, remove the zucchinis from the water, cuth them lengthwise in halves and remove the center/pulp and seeds (set aside) and put each "empty zucchini shell" for about 30 seconds on each half in the hot fat the bacon released (the bacon can still be there cooking, it doesn't matter) just make sure you coat the zucchinis with part of the fat so they get the flavor/saltiness from the bacon.
- Remove the "zucchini shells" from the pan, season them with a little bit of salt and black pepper, set them aside.
- Now in the same pan with the bacon add the pulp/seeds from the zucchini, garlic and season with black pepper (only add salt if you taste it and think it's necessary, but remember that bacon is already salty). Cook for about 1 or 2 more minutes, stirring constantly and use this to stuff your "zucchini shells" top with mozarella cheese (you can add more if you want) and serve hot! (You can even set aside and have this ready to warm up later in the oven)

I hope you enjoy this recipe... I made it yesterday and hubby loved it! Remember that cooking "The Mexican way" is not about "amounts and following recipes to the "t" " It's about cooking with love and combining the ingredients and flavors you love! You can make stuffed zucchini with many other ingredients, you can use corn and fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato. You can also fry some ham with butter/garlic/onions and stuff your zucchini topping it all with mozzarella...You can do SO MUCH ... just get creative! ;)

Provecho.

Paloma.

Linguine in tomato/chipotle sauce

You can probably see a pattern here... yes... I had a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and I didn't want to either leave them too long in the fridge or have them go to waste... Since you don't really use many of these awesome tasting peppers in recipes a small can of them can go a very long way... (Actually I still have more than 1/2 of them)

So.. I'll post the recipe for the pasta today, I accompanied the pasta with breaded chicken strips and also with fried garlic/butter zucchini, I'll post the recipe for the zucchini on Monday and the chicken strips were so easy to make that I am sure you already have your very own recipe, I don't think I'll share that because it's just plain chicken breast strips in a breading of flour/breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and black pepper.

Ok.. let's not make the story longer than it is and go right into the recipe:


Linguine in Tomato/Chipotle Sauce:
Serves 4
1/2 lb. of linguine pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup of water
1/2 white onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/2 cube of chicken bouillion
2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) - chopped -
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions of the package (al-dente)
- While the pasta cooks pour the 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a pot (big enough to make the sauce and to add the pasta there at the end.)
- Sautee the Onions, season with salt and pepper.
- When the onions are translucent add the garlic and sautee for 30 more seconds
- Pour the tomato sauce, add chicken bouillion and water bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and let it simmer for 10 mins (stirring occasionally)
- Add the chipotle peppers, stir and let it simmer for extra 5  minutes and add the cooked pasta, making sure all the noodles are covered by the sauce.
- Serve and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Buen provecho!

Paloma.

Potato and carrot cream soup

You would wonder... who doesn't love a good creamy soup? right? it feels like they were made to make people feel better and even loved... But hubby does not like them! so most times I am craving soups because I don't usually cook them... last week was different! regardless of his dislike towards them, I made a potato and carrot cream soup.. And hubby (who hates all creamy soups) loved it!

So ... I am going to share with you how I made it:

Serves about: 4 cups or 2 big bowls

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 big white onion - chopped - (or 1 smaller)
• 3 carrots - chopped in small cubes
• 2 potatoes - chopped in small cubes -
• 3 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cube of chicken bouillion (knorr suiza) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a big stainless steel pot (or a dutch oven) melt the butter (medium heat) and add the onion, carrots and potatoes (season with black pepper and salt) cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently, add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds (no more). Then add the chicken stock, making sure you scrape the bottom of the pot (to remove all the goodness that might stick to it). Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover and let it simmer for about 6 minutes (stirring occasionally, making sure it doesn't dry up or stick to the pot). Add the heavy cream, stir one more time and check the potatoes for doneness. Once the vegetables are completely cooked scoop it all (or pour it all) into the blender (you can do this in two batches) and blend until smooth. Return it all to the pot where it was cooked and chicken stock or heavy cream as needed (to adjust thickness) and season with more salt and pepper to your liking, stir and let it simmer for 2 more minutes; remove from the heat, add the chopped cilantro and stir so it blends with the soup. Serve immediately and decorate with fresh cilantro leaves in the center.

Buen Provecho!

Paloma.

Chipotle Mayonnaise!

Good morning everybody! I hope you all had a great weekend and are all fired up to start this new week at work, at home, at school or wherever you are! :) ... We did have a pretty good weekend here, we hit the pool (it was the hottest weekend EVER here according to the records) so I guess we are enjoying our extended summer! Anyway... so, not only we enjoyed the pool but hubby grilled some hamburgers, and as I was in the kitchen I kept wondering what I could do to make those hamburgers even better... so, I checked my pantry and fridge... and it just hit me... OF COURSE... Chipotle Mayonnaise! it is very simple to make and it adds so much flavor, "fire" and oh! it turns any "simple hamburger" into a "gourmet-like" one!

so here is what you need:

- Mayonnaise (as much as you would use, I used 1/2 cup of mayo)
- Canned Chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) -to taste- I used 1/2 of one chipotle pepper and some of the adobo sauce.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.

Just put the ingredients in the blender and blend it until smooth... Taste and adjust if necessary (add more chipotle for more flavor/heat or more mayo if it was too hot for you)

You can use this "Chipotle Mayonnaise" as a wonderful dressing not just for hamburgers but also for fish fries, fried shrimp or ... be creative and think what you would like to have it with!

I hope you like it as much as we do!

Paloma.

Fire in my food - Chicken and mushrooms in a Chipotle cream sauce

Hello everyone, as most of you know (if you read this blog) I now lack the basic fire every Mexican needs on our stoves... but... I still have the fire in my heart and in my food! So... yes, I wasn't happy when we had to lose our gas stove and start using an electric one but had to wipe my tears and move on! right??

I have been happy that with my new gained attitude I've also gained confidence with my cooking with "electricity" ... so I have been busy in my kitchen and here it is one of my latest meals I thought I should share with you ... I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken and mushrooms in a Chipotle Cream Sauce: (2 or 3 servings, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the size of your appetite)

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast (no bones, no skin) sliced vertically in thin (about 1/2 inch) strips
• 4 oz. fresh white (or baby portobello) mushrooms (sliced)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• about 3 oz philadelphia cream cheese
• 2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) you can use more or less depending on how you handle the heat, taste a little bit first, start with one, taste it and adjust. I use about 1 1/2 so it's enjoyable and still has a kick!
• 2 tbsp. butter (unsalted)
• Milk (as needed, not help the sauce get the right consistency and thin it if needed)
• Salt and black pepper to taste.
• 1/2 chicken bouillion cube
• 1/2 clove of garlic

(Here is my can of chipotle peppers)

Directions:

- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper (use less salt than you usually would because the chicken bouillion adds salt too and you don't want it to be salty... so taste as you cook)
- Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, once the butter is melted and warm enough cook the chicken strips there, don't stir, just place the stripes on the skillet, cook them 5 minutes on one side (making sure they cook at least 1/2 way through)  - cook uncovered-
- Turn the chicken strips on the other side and add the mushrooms slices, cook for 3 more minutes -your chicken should have a beautiful not too light not too dark golden color on both sides - make sure the mushrooms cook as evenly as possible.
- While the chicken cooks (or you can make the sauce previously to not be in any hurries) you can make the sauce, put the heavy cream, creem cheese, chipotle pepper, some milk (about 1/4 cup), garlic and chicken bouillion in the blender, blend until it looks like a creamy sauce.
- Pour it over the chicken once the chicken has cooked making sure it covers everything, mix it and let it stir for about 5 minutes in low heat to make sure it all gets the flavor, if the sauce is too thick you can adjust with a little more milk, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary (a little more salt or black pepper as you prefer)

I serve it next to a white rice with vegetables and butter and a fresh lettuce/tomato salad.

Buen provecho!

Paloma.