Albuquerque-area resident and vegetarian cookbook author Nanette Blanchard has self-published a booklet of her favorite southwestern plant-based recipes. Fiesta Vegan: 30 Delicious Recipes from New Mexico contains her take on traditional recipes such as Posole, Calabacitas, Sangria, and Capirotada. Each of the recipes includes a color photo and a nutritional analysis. Fiesta Vegan also offers a list of online sources for specialty ingredients and recommendations for New Mexico stops for food-lovers. The 40 page booklet is available either in print or as a .PDF download. You can also find a Kindle version without photos; information on all the booklet versions is on her web site here. Blanchard also maintains a food blog, Cooking in Color.

Ingredients

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a serving dish. Let sit about an hour for the flavors to intensify and stir well before serving. Serve with tortilla chips. I use flour tortillas, cut into strips, sprinkled with Chimayo chile powder, and baked at 375 degrees F until just starting to brown.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 11 Calories; trace Fat (4.4% calories from fat); trace Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.

“The second item I prepared was classic Thai street food: Crying Tiger Beef. But instead of cooking a whole piece of marinated skirt steak (the traditional method), I bias-sliced a partially frozen steak and marinated the sliced beef. When the block was screaming hot, I quickly seared the steak strips to medium-rare, about two to three minutes per side. (The longer food stays on the block and the higher the food’s moisture content the more salt it will pick up from the block.) To accompany the steak, I grilled marinated asparagus on the salt block until crisp-tender and served it with Jasmine rice.”

Read the entire article on salt block cooking by Mike Stines here.

Ingredients

1 pound Top Round beef steak

Marinade:

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Thai Birdseye chiles (prik ki nu), seeds removed and finely minced
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Partially freeze the steak. Bias-slice the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch thick strips.

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the steak strips and marinate, refrigerated and covered, for two to four hours. Remove the steak from the marinade and drain well. Discard the marinade.

Prepare the salt block for high heat cooking. Sear the steak strips for about two minutes or until done as you like.

This alternative to hamburgers makes a great light meal when served with a side salad. Also excellent as a cocktail party hors d’oeuvre.

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, finely diced (about three tablespoons)

1 clove garlic, minced (about one teaspoon)

1 tablespoon ketchup

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chiffonade cut mint

8 small hamburger or slider buns, such as King’s Hawaiian, halved and toasted

Lemon-Mint Aïoli (recipe follows)

Optional toppings:

8 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese

8 leaves lettuce, cut to size

8 tomato slices

For the aïoli:

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chiffonade cut mint

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Combine all the aïoli ingredients in a small bowl and reserve. (This also makes a nice salad dressing or can be served atop vegetables.)

Place a grill pan over medium-low heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the shallots are soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and cool.

Combine the shallot mixture, lamb, cumin, ketchup, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Form the mixture into eight patties each 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick, about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each. Brush the patties with the remaining oil and grill until cooked through, about three to four minutes per side. Let the patties rest for two minutes.

Assemble the sliders by liberally spreading the aïoli on each surface of the cut bun. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato, if desired. Place the patties in the buns and serve.

Heat Scale: Mild