Spicy Rasta Pasta with Chicken and Hot Chiles

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Originally served at the restaurant Barbacoa in Newport Beach, California, this pasta has the flavors of the Caribbean.

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

  • 12 ounces assorted color peparodelle pasta (wide cut noodles)

  • 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch by 4 inch strips

  • 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1 cup diced tomatoes

  • 1/2 pound zucchini and yellow squash (cut very thin lengthwise)

  • 2 cups Spicy Marinara Sauce 

  • 1 habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, minced

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • ½ cup white wine

  • Chopped cilantro for garnish

 For the Sauce:

  • ½ teaspoon crushed hot dried red chile, such as piquin

  • 1 small white onion, diced

  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon dried basil

  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 6 ounces tomato paste

  • 3/4 pound whole tomatoes, peeled and chopped

  • 1 teaspoon white pepper

  • Salt to taste

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

 

Instructions

For the Pasta:

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water with a little olive oil until cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Dust the chicken with the jerk seasoning spice and saute in the olive oil in a large frying pan for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, squash and saute for an additional minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cilantro, and boil for 1 minute.

Mix the pasta with the chicken sauce, garnish with the cilantro and serve.

 For the Sauce:

In a pan, saute the chile, onion, garlic, basil, and oregano in the oil until soft. Add the tomato paste and whole tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place the sauce in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Add salt to taste.

Chill the sauce and add the fresh basil.

 

 

Blue Corn Fettucine with Chorizo and Smoked Chicken

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This recipe was served at the Spoon River Charcuterie in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Spoon River, John Wysor, says, “We smoke our own bacon and chicken, and we make about five kinds of chorizo, including a chorizo borracho, made with Jose Cuervo Tequila, that we use in this dish. Any flavorful Mexican-style sausage will be wonderful, however, and smoked turkey can be used in place of the chicken.”

Ingredients

  • 10 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 1/4 pound smoked slab bacon

  • 1 12-ounce package blue corn fettuccine

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions

  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 cup tequila

  • 3 cups chicken stock or water

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes

  • 1/2 pound Mexican-style chorizo, in links

  • 1/2 pound smoked chicken meat, chopped or shredded

  • 1 or 2 cups grated queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

Place the anchos on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven for about five minutes until you can smell them roasting. Take care that they do not burn.

Saute the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until it renders some of its fat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Add the cumin and oregano and cook for three minutes, stirring. Add the tequila and the stock or water and bring to a simmer. Add the roasted ancho chiles, remove from the heat, and steep for five or ten minutes. Cut the tomatoes in half and roast them in a heavy skillet, cut side down, over medium heat, until blackened.

Puree the ancho mixture with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor until quite smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender and adding more liquid as needed. Return to the sauce pan and simmer for about 1/2 hour. The sauce should be smooth but not too thick. Add more liquid as needed.

Add the chorizo, taking care not to boil the sauce at this point, lest the sausage burst. Simmer about twelve to fifteen minutes, remove the sausage, slice it, and return it to the sauce, along with the smoked chicken, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions, drain it, and divide it between four plates. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with the grated cheese.

East Indian-Style Samosas

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Similar to empanadas, traditional samosas are conical shaped filled pastries that are a popular snack throughout the sub-continent. Although they are typically fried, I prefer the filling in a baked empanada pastry. Potatoes and peas are common ingredients in samosas and I like to add a little yogurt so the mixture isn’t too dry.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 3 serrano chiles, stems removed, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/3 to ½ cup plain yogurt

  • 2 small potatoes, boiled and cut into ½ -inch cubes

  • ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted or if using fresh, cooked

  • 1 tablespoon curry powder

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh preferred

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, serrano, and ginger until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the yogurt. Add the potatoes and peas, curry powder, fennel seeds, cayenne, and cumin seeds and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mint and lemon juice, stir well and salt to taste.

Cool slightly before filling the samosas.

Grilled Green Chile Cheese Tamales with Avocado Cream

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Oh no, not a grilled tamale! But it works–if you can keep the corn husks from burning. And for that, be armed with a spray bottle filled with water. These tamales can be served as an entree or as a side dish. You can tie the tamales together with string or with a thin strip of corn husk. Serve with Mexican rice, squash with tomatoes and green chile, and flan for dessert.

Ingredients

For the Tamales:

  • 15 dried corn husks

  • ½ cup cornmeal

  • 1/3 cup milk

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 tablespoon instant masa mix

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup whole kernel corn

For the Green Chile Cheese Filling:

  • 6 to 8 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, cut in strips

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped onions

  • 6 ounces asadero cheese, coarsely grated or substitute Monterey Jack cheese

  • 1/3 cup chopped black olives

  • Avocado Cream

  • 2 medium avocados, peeled and chopped

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onions

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

To Finish

  • Sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For the Tamales:

Place the corn husks in water in a large bowl, weigh down with a plate and soak for 30 minutes or until soft.

Combine the cornmeal, milk, butter, masa, sugar and salt in a saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes. Cool and add the corn.

Drain the husks, pat dry with paper towels, and lay on a flat surface. Place two together, overlapping a little. Spread some of the cornmeal mixture on a husk, cover with chile strips, then onions, olives, and cheese. Place another layer of the cornmeal on top, pull the husks over the top and tie at both ends. Repeat until you have 6 packets.

Arrange the tamales around the edge of a high heat grill. Cook until the filling sets, turning occasionally, spraying with water to keep the husks from burning. 45 to 60 minutes.

For the Green Chile Cheese Filling:

Place all the ingredients for the avocado cream in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth

To serve, slice open the tamale, spoon in the avocado cream, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the cilantro.

 

Mixed Mediterranean Herbed Vegetables with Penne Pasta

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Here is a dish that Nancy likes to prepare towards the end of the summer when fresh vegetables are in abundance and she doesn’t want to heat up the kitchen with a hot stove. Use the tomatoes as a base sauce and vary the types of vegetables for a different pasta flavor. Begin the meal with a crisp Caesar salad and finish it with a warm apple nut tart.

Ingredients

The Herbed Vegetables

  • 2 medium tomatoes, cut in half

  • 1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut in quarters

  • 1 thickly sliced red onion

  • The Herbed Marinade

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or substitute 1 teaspoon dried

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile

The Pasta

  • 4 cups cooked penne pasta, kept warm

  • 1 tablespoon crushed chile pequin, or other small, hot chile

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, Greek preferred, or substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

  • 12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, oregano, garlic, and cayenne together and pour over the vegetables. Marinate the vegetables for 1 hour at room temperature. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

Place the marinated vegetables in a grill basket and grill over a medium fire until the vegetables a slightly cooked but still a little firm, about 7 minutes. Be sure to shake the basket so that the vegetables are evenly grilled. Remove the vegetables from the basket and chop them. Place them in a bowl with the vegetable juices.

Toss the warm or hot pasta with 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade, chile, oregano, parsley, and vinegar. Add the vegetables and juices, artichoke hearts, and olives and toss again.

Season with salt and pepper, top with the cheese and serve.