Tag: mexican cheese
Chorizo Lasagna with Poblano Bechamel Sauce
This lasagna is a bit involved and may take a bit longer than your regular, run of the mill lasagna- but it is so worth it! The flavor is unbelievable. I decided to give the lasagna a huge punch of flavor by using, my favorite, Latin flavors!
I first roasted a medley of veggies including poblano pepper, onion, garlic and combined them all with fresh cilantro in a blender. I had a thick paste which I added to a white sauce also known as a béchamel sauce. The sauce had an amazing, smoky flavor.
I then made the meat mixture with turkey meat, onion, garlic and fresh chorizo. I also added chipotle pepper to the mix to mimic the smokey flavor of the green sauce. I always have fresh tomato sauce which I used in conjunction with the green béchamel sauce to make the dish.
I layered the lasagna with a mixture of shredded Mexican cheese- it brought the flavor profile to another level. This is one of my favorite lasagnas.. so please try it…
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Fresh Ancho Chili and Sausage Pasta
When it is hot outside, I think of Southwestern or Mexican flavors. Fresh chilies, cilantro, corn and avocados come to mind. I feel like making fresh guacamole and eat tons of chips with it- or make enchiladas. I do try to come up with different recipes to post on this blog- sometimes it gets quite challenging…
Some chain restaurants have a southwestern style pasta on their menus. That is what I started to think of when I visited the farmer’s market the other day- I bought some fresh ancho chilies. I pictured roasting them and then making a sauce out of them- maybe a cheese sauce for a pasta. I planned on stopping at the grocery store to pick up chicken thighs to grill and add to the dish- but as usual something came up and I didn’t get time to go. I then remembered I have chicken sausage in the freezer- perfect!
I roasted the ancho chilies and diced and sauteed them with sliced shallots and garlic. I then sprinkled all-purpose flour to make a roux. Chicken broth and a little half and half completed the sauce. I had a bag of shredded mexican cheese (including queso fresco, monterey, etc.)- which I thought would be perfect for this dish- though any cheese will do.
I roasted the chicken sausages in the oven and added them to the cheese sauce. I added a my favorite ingredient- smoked paprika. It gave the cheese sauce a delicious smoky flavor that complemented the smokiness in the ancho chilies really well.
Overall the flavor was very delicious and different. I added fresh cilantro on top instead of the usual basil or parsley. I felt cilantro was a better fit with all the southwestern flavors- and it was – really yummy. I wasn’t sure if my family would like it- but they did- they all relished it with a bottle of red wine and milk (for my daughter).
Great Leftover Recipe: Shrimp and Arugula Quesadilla
The weather has been very kind to us lately- I guess we deserve it after the spring we have had. We decided to keep my daughter home from camp one day and visit a lake. Everyone was responsible for packing their own food, snacks and fruit, etc. I thought of cherries and nectarines for fruit; gogurts and fruit leather for snacks- but was having trouble deciding on the lunch part.
My daughter has been into quesadillas lately- which is good since she doesn’t like to eat sandwiches. So- quesadillas came to mind- cheese for her but what about me?? The left over shrimps from the shrimp rolls came to mind.. hmm.. I thought of chopping those up with the grated Mexican cheese blend- perfect- but what about veggies?? I thought of packing a salad but the idea of lettuce on a warm day wilting away didn’t seem very appealing. I instead thought of adding a bit of arugula right into the quesadilla.
Now, ideally I like to dip my quesadilla into something spicy- like a tomato salsa or guacamole. I didn’t have any made and I was too lazy to go buy some and pack tiny containers- too complicated. I used my favorite hot sauce instead- the sriracha sauce. I love using this particular one, it has great flavor with the heat. It has a bit of garlic and sugar paired with the tang and saltiness- perfection in my book! The combination was yum- the quesadilla tasted great room temperature- the shrimp gave it nice substance while the greens gave it a nice crunch- yup they were still a bit crunchy. The hot sauce put it over the top- it was delicious! I devoured the entire quesadilla in less than a minute and wished I had made another one. We ate sweet and juicy nectarines and thoroughly enjoyed the day.
A great picnic or pool item to pack along- no reason to have the not so healthy and not so tasty food you tend to get at those places.