Creamy Cotija Poblano and Mushroom Tacos

Y’all know how much my family loves tacos but sometimes I just want something different and we are in the middle of spring and mushrooms are everywhere. These tacos are sure to please any vegetarian or meat eater in your life, they are really satisfying and filling and we were stuffed after just two a piece. They come together in about 15-20 minutes.

What you need:

2 poblano peppers

2 cups mixed mushrooms (any you like, button, shiitake, portobello, trumpet, etc)

2 green onions

1-2 ears of fresh corn, sliced off the cob

1 tsp each smoked paprika, dried oregano, cumin

salt and pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup grated Cotija cheese

*tortillas, guacamole, hot sauce for serving

*lately I‘ve been making my guacamole with just 1 large avocado, squeeze of half a lemon, salt and pepper, 1 tsp cilantro, and 1 chopped small shallot. This paired perfectly with these tacos.

The poblanos take the longest amount of time to cook so drizzle a bit of oil in a saute pan and add your poblanos to cook for a few minutes on medium heat. When they have started to soften add your onion, corn, and mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your spices, and a dash more salt and pepper. When all the vegetables have cooked through turn off the heat and stir in your sour cream and most of the cotija cheese. Mix thoroughly and serve with warm tortillas and the remaining cheese on top.

Aromatic lamb, quinoa, and cauliflower bowls

Not that you need the whole back story but I was craving a really balanced meal after a long weekend. I mostly ate bread, cheese, and snack foods because I was away at a horse show and too busy to worry much about real food. Enter the desire to have some healthy grains, vegetables, and red meat. Usually when I am craving something new and don’t have the time to leaf through all of my glorious cookbooks I begin a Google search and start piecing things together with what’s in my pantry and fridge. This turned out to be so delicious and I can’t wait to make it again and share with friends.

Part Indian, part Moroccan, part Southern Fusion (j/k maybe a stretch) this has loads of aromatic spices and flavor. I used quinoa in place of couscous but that would be perfect too if you aren’t watching your gluten intake. I have SO much mint growing in my herb garden and it pairs so nicely with lamb and the combination of spices. It’s hard to use too much mint in a recipe like this. After assembling the bowls with equal parts, quinoa, cauliflower, and the ground lamb mixture I garnished with mint, hot peach chutney, and mayo (I know sounds so weird but I was out of Greek yogurt and I just went for it, turned out well). Yogurt would be the obvious choice but sour cream would also work. Feel free to use some liberties and make it your own but I’ll share my recipe below.

Ground Lamb sautéed with curry and tomatoes:

1 pound ground lamb

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small shallot

1 garlic clove

2 tsp fresh grated ginger (I like to buy the frozen cubes)

2 tsp Indian curry seasoning (look for one that has cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, saffron, etc not a Thai curry powder)

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1 tbsp each fresh chopped parsley and mint

salt and pepper

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat, add your olive oil, shallot, garlic, and ginger. Sweat for about 2 minutes and then add in your dry spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once the aromas start to really develop add your ground lamb, tomatoes, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until the meat is cooked through. When the lamb is brown add in your fresh parsley and mint and stir to combine. Cover with a lid to keep warm and set aside.

Quinoa (or couscous) Salad

1 1/2 cups of quinoa prepared according to package directions

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped salted pistachios

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

2 tbsp hot peach chutney (mango chutney good too)

1 1/2 tbsp julienned mint

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat quinoa and combine with chutney while still warm. After it has cooled to room temperature stir in the rest of your ingredients. Store in the fridge until serving time or service immediately.

Roasted Cauliflower was prepared using my favorite recipe with smoked paprika and cumin:

1 head of cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp salted butter

2 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 small shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place all of the ingredients in a glass baking dish (minus the butter) and swirl around to thoroughly combine and coat the cauliflower with the spices. Place in the oven and bake for a total of about 45 minutes. At roughly 15 minute increments, stir the dish. When the cauliflower has nicely browned and softened put in your butter and stir to combine, let finish an additional 5 minutes in the oven.

Paella

We love paella and when one of my college besties was able to visit and it was her birthday, we had good reason to celebrate! Its such a fun dish for a dinner party because it’s not too difficult and I was able to make it while everyone else hung out in the kitchen with me and snacked on Spanish cheeses and charcuterie. Some good Rioja was also enjoyed and DJ Johnny found some fun Spanish background music : )

What you need:

• 1 pound chorizo sausage links, sliced into 1/4 thick rounds

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped, 1/8 cup reserved for garnish

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• 1 tomato, chopped

• 2 cups white rice

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1.5 lb shrimp (I like to use 12-15 ct skin on)

• 4 cups chicken stock

• Pinch of saffron (1/4 tsp)

Heat half the olive oil in a large paella pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and sauté until browned. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside. In the same paella pan or skillet, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over low heat. Add onion, garlic, peppers and tomato continuing to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Now add all of your spices except the saffron and reserved 1/8 cup of parsley. Sweat for 2-3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. You’ll want the vegetables to become tender, but not to brown, so be sure to use low heat.

When veggies have softened add your 2 cups rice and stir with the onion mixture until coated. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and your pinch of saffron. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes on medium/low heat. Don’t stir!

Lastly, add the cooked chorizo gently placing it into the rice and layer the shrimp on top. Gently tap the pan to allow the rice and liquid to settle. Cover and cook for 15 minutes longer.

When the paella is finished, the rice will be fluffy and moist. Turn up the heat to medium/high for about 1-2 minutes to let that yummy crust form on the bottom of the pan. I like to add about 2 tbsp melted salted butter to the top of the shrimp because it looks and tastes good. Garnish with remaining parsley.