Portobello Mushroom Tacos

Dear Devon,

Things are about to get a bit hectic. After a week of pounding the pavement, we found an apartment and will be moving in on Saturday. I don't know when our internet will be up and running so I wanted to squeeze in this last post before I disappear into Barcelona's landscape. I dragged out and revamped an unsent post from months ago. My geographic location may have changed but this recipe for portobello mushroom tacos is still just as delicious.

Rummaging through the fridge in search of a quick dinner, I came up with the brilliant idea of making portobello mushroom tacos. Tortillas are regularly found in my fridge. I buy them in packs of 50 at my neighborhood market. Though they aren't as tasty as your homemade tortillas, they are an adequate substitute. At $1.25 a pack, they come in handy in the 7 o'clock hour.


Rich, hearty portobello mushrooms seem an obvious substitute for grilled meats. First, I roast them with a generous sprinkle of olive oil and salt, then set them aside to cool. I slice the large mushrooms into 1/2 inch strips. Tucked into a warm tortilla, and topped with some salty white cheese and fresh salsa, the flavor combinations are astounding. The richness of the mushrooms' flavor reminds me of the damp earth. Chunky tomato salsa, flecked with jalapenos and shredded cilantro, adds a spicy citrus tang to the succulent mushrooms. The mix of salty cheese provides a nice balance to the bright salsa, while adding a bit of savory creaminess.

Vegetarian and Mexican food aren't two words that usually go together. But these mushrooms tacos defy that logic. I served them alongside eggplant and Swiss chard enchiladas to a group of veggie friends. I'd say it was a big hit. Leftovers? There weren't any, only smiling faces and full bellies.


Portobello Mushrooms
serves 2 (makes 4 to 6 tacos)

3 large portobello mushrooms
6 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
6-8 tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

To prepare mushrooms, brush off any dirt and remove the large woody stems. Sprinkle each mushroom with 2 tsp of olive oil on both sides (1 tsp per side). Salt both sides with 1/4 tsp salt. Set on prepared baking sheet.

Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and shriveled. Place on a cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve on a large platter next to warmed tortillas.

To warm tortillas, place tortilla on a hot griddle or skillet over medium high heat, roughly 2 minutes per tortilla. The tortilla should be pliant and hot to the touch.

Tomato Salsa
3 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, thinly chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the ingredients above into a large bowl and toss. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes before serving. I don't like cilantro, so I always served chopped cilantro on the side.

P.S. These are also fantastic with guacamole. Avocado makes anything taste better.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Dear Michelle,

I apologize for my long absence, and for what I'm afraid will be another till after the wedding. I never imagined that planning for ONE DAY could take up so much time and mental space as it does! That plus getting very busy at work has really killed my free time. Jeff's been cooking a lot more, and when I do cook I just don't have the energy to photograph it and write about it. That doesn't mean I'm not thinking about food; I have lots of day-dreams about what I will make in my free time, whenever it comes again.


So right now I must take you all the way back to Easter, and to my parent's house in Virginia, to experience the height of Spring there. The magnolias were magnificent when I was home, thick and fragile and smelling of honey. The daffodils lit up the vibrant green hillsides with dots of yellow and white, and the fruit trees all had masses of flowers on them. The sycamores in the front yard started leafing out while I was there, the leaves growing noticeably each day. Could there by any place as beautiful as Virginia in the Springtime? There probably is, but I won't believe it till I see it.



I find a terrific irony in eating lamb for Easter dinner, though that's not why my mother made it then. That is, neither particularly for the holiday nor the irony. She made it because she knows it's one of my favorites, and she often makes it when I go home to visit. I usually make it a point get down there in the Spring, and therefore find myself, almost every year, meditating on the tradition of eating lamb to, essentially, celebrate rebirth of diety and land. I know it's probably just because that's when the lambs are ready to eat, at least in this hemisphere. Anyway, it's delicious.


Braised meats are, to me, the easiest to make. They rarely turn out badly, unless you don't give them enough time, and you can usually safely sneak a small glass of wine from the cooking liquid if you've bought a halfway decent bottle. I try to estimate an extra hour into the cooking time, which can only make the meat more tender and succulent. This recipe takes the dish a little further than most when it calls for pressing the cooking vegetables through a food mill or strainer to create a thick, luscious sauce. Serve it on stewed white beans, pasta, or risotto, like my mother did this time. I'd bet it's pretty good with polenta, too.


Oh, and we had apple crisp for dessert. YUM. Thanks, Mom.



Lamb Shanks

Buy at least two lamb shanks, or four or even six if you have a big enough pot for them. Preheat oven to 250F. Add fat to a hot dutch oven, and brown the shanks on all sides, removing to a plate when finished. Below measurements are for 2-4 shanks, adjust as needed for more. Add 1 small onion with about a cup or so chopped carrot to the hot dutch oven, sauteing till softened. Stir in 1 large spoonful of tomato paste (like half of one of those small cans) and two cloves of chopped garlic and let cook for a few minutes, stirring as necessary. It's ok if it browns SLIGHTLY, as this will add further depth. Add half a bottle of wine and stir, scraping bottom. Stir in a good big pinch of herbes de Provence, or some thyme and/or rosemary. Add shanks as tightly packed as possible. Pour wine to almost cover. Put in oven, flipping shanks over every once in a while (maybe once an hour?) until very tender and falling off the bone, three hours or so. Pull out shanks, skim fat off surface of the liquid and strain, pushing as much as you can of the vegetable solids through a strainer. Return to dutch oven and boil till thickened. Pull meat off the bones and add to sauce to reheat.
Leftovers make great tacos!

Fish Tacos with Two Salsas

Dear Michelle,

Finally, here is the recipe for those fish tacos we made earlier in the summer. It's hard to remember, now, with a chill in the air and the wind rushing through my apartment, that not long ago light dresses and sandals felt perfect and nothing sounded more enticing for dinner than light fish with the freshest sweet-tart-spicy salsas all wrapped up in a fresh corn tortilla.


Although we made two salsas for these, and homemade tortillas, store-bought could be substituted for both in a pinch. If the pinch is laziness instead of timeliness, though, get over it; there's no comparison. Both of these salsas are bright and clean, with none of the bland-if-spicy taste of cooked, jarred salsas. Sometimes when I'm full but I just can't stop eating, I will make a taco with just salsa. Can you say that of store-bought?

Fresh tortillas are new in my life. My friend Amy introduced me to them, and I went out the next week to buy a tortilla press. Not as rubbery or crumbly as those available in stores (and we have a fairly large Latino population around here, so I'm assuming what we can buy is pretty authentic), these are soft and tender, far superior in both flavor and texture. Plus, not only are they fun to make, but you won't end up with 50 when you only need 10.

So, here goes, an ambitious first post:

Tortillas

Masa Harina - this is a particular type of corn flour which has been treated with slaked lime. The brand available around here is Maseca, which has worked fine for me.
warm water
salt (about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dough)

Mix some salt into the flour, then pour in warm water in parts and mix till the dough is soft but not sticky. I always use more than is called for on the package. Dough should be soft enough to puff slightly when cooking, but not so soft that it will stick to the plastic wrap when using the press. Nothing I've read calls for the addition of salt, but it really helps with the flavor. If you've used too little, more can easily be added later.

At this point, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit while you make the salsa.

While salsas sit, start making the tortillas. Heat skillet (I use a cast iron) without oil till hot. Line a tortilla press with a large piece of plastic wrap, then roll a ball of dough a little larger than an inch in diameter in your hands. Place in press and press to about 1/8 inch thick. This should be very easy as the dough should be soft. You do not want it to ooze out the sides, and if it is, then you are using too much dough or pressing too hard. Peel plastic from dough carefully, and put dough on skillet. Turn once the underside has colored, about a minute or two. Wrap tortillas in a towel to keep them warm. While making tortillas, marinate fish (see below).

Salsas

Here we have two kinds of salsa, a tomatillo-tomato-avocado and a peach-papaya-avocado. Can you tell how much I like avocados? Salsa is one of those things it's impossible write a recipe with perfect amounts for. I'm going to approximate; so if you like onion, or spice, or whatever, add more, or less if you hate it. You can substitute, too. Hate peaches, but love mango? There you go!

This made a lot of salsa.

1/2 red onion
limes (2-4)
bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 peaches or nectarines
1/2 papaya
1/2 red bell pepper
chili oil or hot sauce
1 avocado
1 medium tomato
1 clove garlic

(Optional) roast tomatillos over gas burner. I use fondue picks to hold them. You could use a bbq, or probably even a broiler. In any case, char the skins and then set aside to cool.
Finely chop 1/2 a red onion and divide between two bowls, then finely chop the garlic and add to one bowl. Zest 1 lime into both bowls, then squeeze half of it into each. This mellows the onion and garlic. Rinse the tomatillos under the faucet, rubbing off the charred skin, then chop and add to the bowl with the garlic. Chop and add tomato.

Now chop peaches, papaya and bell pepper and add to other bowl. Vary amounts of each as desired. Chop cilantro and add to both bowls, reserving a little for the tacos. Drizzle a touch of chili oil or hot sauce in both. Stir and taste. Add the additional lime if necessary, or more heat. Let sit to meld flavors, but the avocado is added just before eating.


Fish

Use any mild white fish, about a half a pound per person, more for heavy eaters.

About 5-10 minutes before tortillas are done, put fish in a large ziplock bag with lime (zest and juice), chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Don't marinade for too long, or you will have ceviche! I have a DIY vacuum-packing method: put the bag in a large bowl of water, sealed but for the very edge. The water will force the air out of the bag, allowing you to seal it with the marinade touching all sides of whatever it is being marinaded. That way you don't have to bother with shaking it, or flipping it, to make sure it's been evenly exposed.

Once the tortillas are done, add a little oil and then the fish to the pan, cooking quickly till it flakes. It doesn't matter if it breaks apart.

And finally, Tacos

salsa
tortillas
cooked fish
queso fresco
cilantro

Add avocado to salsas. Put fish and cheese in bowls. Dig in.



Ah, well, Summer will come again.