Spooktacular Pumpkin Enchiladas

It's a funny thing, Halloween. For one night you get to don a costume and make believe you are someone else, being unrecognizable to even your best of friends. You hollow out gourds and carve funny faces in their skin, illuminating them on the porch for the world to see. It's especially fun when you are a kid, and you go knocking on strangers' doors begging for a year's worth of sweets and treats in a single night, reciting the same weird phrase over and over again. When you think about it, it sounds like a completely bizarre and morbid holiday. Perhaps that is why my dad has never liked Halloween. On the other hand, it is my mom's favorite holiday and I have most certainly taken after her. 

From left to right, the pumpkins Alyson and I carved last night!

Growing up this was absolutely the best holiday to me (right after Christmas, which goes without saying is most kids' #1). While my mom stayed home and passed out candy, my dad would join the troop of neighborhood fathers who walked us around the neighborhood. To make the experience more enjoyable for everyone, we took the unconventional route and went house to house on a golf cart decked out in Halloween decorations. There was always a cauldron in the back of the cart that touted both juice boxes for the kids and brews for the dads. For one night we became the popular posse in the neighborhood. In short... it was awesome. My mom did all the hard work in the background, slaving over our costumes every year (usually the night before) ensuring they were always the most creative and pretty. I've been a devil (twice), a gypsy, Marilyn Monroe, a pirate, Maid Marian (Robin Hood's fair lady), a ballerina, a Siamese twin with my best friend.... the list goes on and on.


This must be why I had a very difficult time thinking of what to be for Halloween this year. I'm afraid I have almost reached my quota of costumes. Although I loved the holiday as a kid (for different reasons), some of my best years for Halloween were in college. My favorite night of all happened completely haphazardly. It was a week night and no one had any costumes prepared for the evening's festivities. In the sum of an hour we came up with our favorite costumes of all time: a pumpkin, Fantasia, the Mad Hatter, and Puss in Boots.

It is common knowledge to most that Elizabeth and I have many token traits in common: we like to cook, we enjoy shopping for clothes we can't afford, and we love laughing at the hilarity that is Scott Sutherland. But what most people don't know is the second layer of similarities we share: Did you know that we share the middle name Hall? Or that we were both bunches of grapes for Halloween as children? It is connections like these that prove we are in each others' lives for a reason, and it was destined that we create a blog to share our love of food with all of you. However, we do have our differences: there is one thing I love about fall that E is weary of... and that is pumpkin. She enjoys a savory squash dish, but when it comes to adding sweetness to the gourd, she shies away.

To appease both Elizabeth and myself, I am featuring a savory pumpkin dish this week. For every holiday, I have a favorite food and when it comes to Halloween, it seems only fitting that pumpkin enchiladas are the main stay.  For best results, serve with homemade refried beans and Brett's Salsamole recipe. As a special treat, I have also included my favorite spice mixture to roast the pumpkin seeds you carve out of your pumpkin.

Happy Halloween!

Lindsay

 

Pumpkin Enchiladas

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

1/2 leftover rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded

6 scallions, thinly sliced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree*

4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno chile, ribs and seeds removed and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.

Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Top with a small amount of cheese, about 2 tablespoons. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.

Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

*Use Libby's pure pumpkin for best flavor

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After extracting the seeds from the pumpkin, clean off any leftover strings of pumpkin and rinse well in a colander. Spread the seeds out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. One spice at a time, sprinkle cumin, paprika, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and dry mustard in a light, even layer on the seeds. Top with a few pinches (or more depending on your preferred level of heat) of chili powder. Use your hands to toss and mix the seeds together until evenly coated. Spread out again on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Pulled Pork Sandos

Alas! I am too late for Labor Day, but for good reason.  Elizabeth and I enjoyed yet another “epication.”  What is an epication, you might wonder?  It is what the infamous Scott Sutherland (my father) has dubbed an epicurean vacation—a food-centric journey through a new place with people who love food and enjoy learning about different regions' flavors.  And so it is that we found ourselves in Seattle, indulging in local lore and dishes of the Pacific Northwest. But more on that later…

Bringing me back to my original point:  I had intended to post this for Labor Day, but time slipped away as it tends to do.  In the last six or so months, I've found myself consistently craving pulled pork sandwiches, for no apparent reason.  Truly, I'd never eaten them in my youth, nor had I previously given them much thought.  My, was I missing out!  Aside from the delicious flavor and wonderful texture of this dish, my favorite thing about it is it can feed about ten mouths rather inexpensively—ultimately, the perfect thing to serve when entertaining large groups.  Which is exactly what my good friend Kelsey and I did.  She was probably the biggest motivator in getting me to begin the pulled pork sandwich train. We enjoyed these on a perfect summer afternoon before a baseball game... a truly patriotic day!  Kudos Kels!

As I dined on pulled pork sandwiches this past week, my Grammy pointed out that pulled pork is just as satisfying (if not more) in the winter months. Dually noted, Grammy!  I like that this recipe can be done indoors, and therefore, enjoyed year round; there's no need to reserve this meal exclusively for summer. I find it satisfying and comforting, and have decided it would be equally enjoyable on a cold February night.  In fact, if you season the pork with just salt and pepper and omit the rub, the pork can be used for tacos, enchiladas, and plenty of other recipes.

Interestingly enough, it seems it was fate I post about pulled pork sandwiches after the holiday weekend.  While we did enjoy many of Seattle's culinary offerings, we had actually come to town for a fabulous wedding.  A post-wedding picnic was hosted the day after the festivities and, as luck would have it, what do you think was served? You'd be right if you guessed pulled pork sandwiches. As previously mentioned, I also had pulled pork sandos at my Grammy's house 4 days later. Must be pulled pork season!

Happy eating,

Lindsay

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw

1 boneless pork shoulder roast, about 7 lbs.

3 tablespoons dry mustard

1 ½  tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Hamburger buns

½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced

½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

½ cup green onions, thinly sliced

Cilantro-Lime Aioli (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine dry mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl, breaking up any lumps.

Using a sharp knife, score the fat (but not the meat) of the pork in a diamond pattern.  Dry pork with paper towel and rub spice mixture all over the roast. 

Place pork, fat side up, in a large dutch oven with a ½ cup of water. Roast until some fat has rendered, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F. Put on lid, or if using a roasting pan tightly cover with foil. Cook until meat is very tender, about 4 hours. Remove from oven and let cool.

When cool enough to handle, remove fat from top of roast. Using two forks, shred meat into bite size pieces, removing any large pieces of fat. Toss with your favorite barbeque sauce*.

While pork is cooking, prepare the coleslaw. Generously salt the cabbage and drain in colander for 3 hours. Rinse thoroughly and dry. Mix red and green cabbage, carrot and green onion in a large bowl until well incorporated.  Starting with a half cup, add the cilantro-lime aioli to the cabbage mixture and toss until evenly coated.  Add more sauce to taste.

Toast the hamburger buns, if desired (this is a recommended step as it adds a crunchy texture to the other soft components of the sandwich).  Spoon a generous helping of the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom bun.  Top with coleslaw, and top half of bun.  Enjoy amongst friends!

*Unless you prefer homemade, I recommend using Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce... again.

Cilantro-Lime Aioli

Adapted from She Eats Bears*

1 egg yolk**

1 tablespoon Dijon

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 1 lime

2 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

¾ cup cilantro, chopped

In the bowl of a blender, combine the egg yolk, Dijon, lime juice and zest, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil of until the right consistency is reached (about 3/4 cup, but taste as you go!). Start adding the oil drop by drop as the mixer is going, then add as a slow stream. Toss in chopped cilantro just before serving. Add more lime juice if desired.

* She Eats Bears is a blog Elizabeth introduced me to as we began our research for Knife and Fork Adventures.  Some people like mayonnaise, others don’t.  I’m on the team that does, and I think this recipe is great.  Marysol, who writes the blog, suggests pairing the Cilantro-Lime Aioli with pork skewers, sweet potato fries and gai lan.  Next time I prepare this, I will definitely try it with the aforementioned goodies. 
** If you do not want to use raw egg, you can substitute for a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise.  If you wish for the aioli to be thinner, just add a little more lime juice.

For Valaree

Well, the latter half of the month of July and the first half of August came and went, and nary a post was to be had. Thank goodness for Lindsay breaking our dry spell and posting last week about ribs; now, we’re out of excuses.

But while I’m on the topic of excuses, allow me to share mine. My friend Sally put it perfectly when she said this summer I’m currently living my own version of Four Weddings and a Funeral, although, to be frank, if I could give it my own title it would be Six Weddings and a Non-traditional Memorial Service. Kyle and I were the first to get married in our group of friends, and last year ours was the only one we attended. 




The Sutherlands



A few months after we said “I do,” our friends started dropping off the singles scene quicker than a pack of summer bees dipping too close to a pool and ultimately falling in. And here we are. Over the last three months, we’ve been up and down the state of California, with each celebration unique in its own way, and differing from others in ways greater than the fact that there was a new bride and groom each time. A mini-montage of photos devoted to each couple seemed appropriate:



The Brewers



The Barcelonas



The Piersons



The McNeices



(Yes, I realize this is only 4 weddings... There are still 2 to come!)

Sadly though, it’s not the weddings I plan on speaking of today, although they were all lovely in their own right. My best friend’s mom, Valaree, died on July 9th unexpectedly, and I felt it only appropriate to devote a post to her. Why? This woman lived for cooking, eating and feeding as much as I do, and dare I say I owe a bit of my personal zest to her?

The thing I love about food, and I realize I’ve mentioned this before, is that it has an uncanny way of bringing people together. Food truly is about family and life and love because it nourishes. Valaree had a natural way in the kitchen, and she was one of the first people to demonstrate to me that going the extra mile, whether it be with ingredients, prep work or time needed to prepare a delicious feast, really does make all the difference. If you cook with love, your food is going to taste better. It’s common sense, really.

Honestly, there were many specialties I would gladly race over to her house for, and I could talk about her Caesar salad or her Greek shrimp and rigatoni (probably for hours), but it’s her salsa I feel obliged to share.

Valaree knew how much I loved her tacos and always extended an invitation to me if she was whipping up a batch. Brittany (my best friend) would call me up, and about 20 minutes later, I would arrive at their house panting and drooling with pupils dilated. The tacos themselves were pretty basic aside from the salsa, which itself is simple being made up of only five ingredients. One of the ingredients, however, was secret, and I like to think that Val would be ok with me sharing it with you today: it was beer. Dark Mexican beer, actually.

The beer has a way of not only infusing itself into the flavor of the rest, but also highlighting each ingredient on its own. I would be lying if I said I couldn’t polish off an entire bowl of this stuff. In one sitting. With just a spoon and a smile.

The salsa always tasted better in the summertime because, well, tomatoes are in season. Thus, I felt it only right to spend a ridiculous amount of money on some amazing heirloom tomatoes to honor Valaree and her dish. I would like to mention I would not have spent $9 on them (to my husband, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry… Yes, I realize we’re on a budget!), but we live in an apartment and are not able to grow our own.

These tomatoes made me groan with delight and they made it my best batch of her salsa yet (I say my best batch because I’ve never been able to make it taste quite as good as she could).

So please, celebrate one of the best fruits of summer and the life of a passionate woman all at once. Think of Valaree, make some salsa and have a taco. I’m sure she’d want you to.

Happy Eating,

Elizabeth

Valaree’s Salsa

10 roma tomatoes, chopped (any tomato will do if amount is comparable)

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup dark Mexican beer (Dos Equis is delicious, but Negro Modelo is good also)

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ cup red onion, chopped

Juice of one lime

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let sit it in the fridge for a couple of hours to really help the flavors blend.

Valaree’s tacos

Corn tortillas, fried until crispy

Ground beef cooked with garlic and a little salt and pepper

Valaree’s salsa

Guacamole (to make guacamole, combine mashed avocado, pressed garlic and salsa)

Shredded cheese (cheddar and jack are excellent)

Shredded lettuce

Ketchup

Assemble tacos with tortilla on bottom and other fixings inside. Top with a couple dabs of ketchup.*

* Really? Ketchup? Yes, really. It sounds disgusting, I agree with you, but it adds just a hint of sweetness and is scrumptious. I cannot vouch for the fact with all tacos, however.



My well-used copy of the recipe Valaree once wrote for me.



Mmmm... Ribs!

There are some foods that you always have a hankering for. It varies person to person, as many crave chocolate, French fries, or pizza. Or if you are me (and Pat) you die for finger lickin’ good ribs.  Even though this summer has been unseasonably cool (even for San Francisco), I still feel the need for a good ol’ backyard barbeque.  But what to cook?  Burgers are always a crowd pleaser, fish tacos are fun… but there is nothing quite like ribs that are tender and falling off the bone.  

My friend Pat had been requesting we make ribs for months, but I never really felt quite confident enough in my barbequing skills to make ribs good enough to impress.  It was when I was discussing methods of barbequing with my friend Nat when I realized that this grill master would be the perfect companion to show me the way to the perfect rib.

Nat has a wealth of knowledge about grilling, and offered me a slew of recipes to choose from. After comparing various methods, I could not decide which to choose. And thus, the rib-off was born.  It came in the form of a goodbye party for a friend.  Nat and I decided to make two types of ribs, and have the crowd decide which they favored.  Nat’s ribs are no walk in the park, but the end certainly justifies the means. Both begin with the same rub, but the grilling methods are very unique from each other. Nat smokes his ribs for hours on a charcoal grill, whereas rib recipe #2 are steamed cooked on a gas grill. When the votes came in, most people preferred Nat’s ribs to the competition.  I was in agreeance for their juicy, smoky meat that was falling off the bone.

I recommend starting by first making the rub recipe. Then, rub the rub on the ribs and set aside in the refrigerator to let the flavors penetrate. Then begin to prepare the grill, and continue to follow the directions.

Just a couple of tips before you begin the journey: (1) It will take all day, so begin early in the morning to avoid eating at 11 o’clock at night. (2) Read all of the directions before you get started—there are a lot of steps. (3) Equip yourself with a lot of foil. You may even need a whole roll to make the ribs successfully. (4) You need a basting brush or large paint brush. We like this one, as can be thrown in the dishwasher and it is easier to clean. You also need a spray bottle. (5) If you do not have a table/tray attached to grill, set up a table next to it or nearby. (6) In terms of ingredients, exact amounts and quantities don't matter. Trust your judgement and cook without limits!

Happy Eating,
Lindsay

Nat’s Rub

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup non-iodized table salt*

1/8 cup brown sugar, dried*

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder


Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

*Brown sugar can be dried by leaving it on a baking sheet for a few hours or throwing it in a warm oven.  
*Nat recommends starting with 1/2 the salt and add more to taste.  

To build a charcoal fire:


I pretty much knew what I was getting myself into when I was emailed this illustration of  "the plan." It actually does a pretty good job of visually mapping out what to build. This particular process is what you use to steam the ribs, and is the technique Nat uses for his ribs.

To begin, make sure that the grate is flat in the bottom of the grill. Laying 2 or 3 fire bricks up on their side (available at most hardware stores), section off half of the grill.  Fill one half of the grill with a layer of unlit charcoal so that it fills the grill about halfway. Top with 5 or 6 fist sized wood chips, such as oak, cedar or applewood.

Next, prepare the bbq chimney. Roll five sheets of newspaper longways, and coil them on the out edges of the bottom of the chimney, making sure to keep the center of the chimney clear.

Set the chimney upright and fill with coals. Put the chimney in the empty side of the grill, and light the newspaper with a long match or lighter.  

Once you see the white ash forming on the coals at the top of the chimney, dump the hot coals on top of unlit charcoal and wood chips in the grill.  Fill a small aluminum pan with cool water and place this on the bottom grate opposite the charcoal. Put the top grate on top of the coals and the top on the grill so that it may heat up.  This method of lighting the coals on the top is called the Minion Method.  The coals on top will slowly ignite those below them and allow for a long, uninterrupted cook time.  (Ribs can be added right away at this point).

Nat's Ribs

An easy way to remember his method is to call it the 3-2-1 method (smoke three hours, steam for 2, finish in sauce for one). 

3 or 4 racks of pork ribs

Rub recipe

Jug of apple juice

Bbq sauce*

An entire roll of foil

Spray bottle

Pat dry the each side of the ribs with a paper towel. Check ribs to see if there is an extra membrane, which is a tough clear layer running over the bones along the bottom of the ribs. Do this by running a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it, starting at the end of one of the bones. If there is an extra layer, it will lift so that you can pull it off in strips. If it is too slippery to grip, try using a paper towel to properly grasp it. Cut the rack of ribs in halves or thirds so as to fit on your grill. Sprinkle each side of the ribs generously with the rub. As the ribs cook, their juices will run off a lot of the rub, so do not be afraid of being heavy handed.  Refrigerate ribs until ready to grill.

If you have a rib rack, using one to cook the ribs will yield the best results. Otherwise, lay each rib rib-side down on the grill, layering slightly if need be. Cover with lid. In order to let the ribs slowly smoke, the grill should always be kept between 250 and 300 degrees. To lower the temperature, you need to reduce the amount of oxygen getting inside the grill. To raise temperature, open vents to let more oxygen in. Keeping an eye on the temperature, let the ribs smoke for 3 hours.

The next step is to steam the ribs in individual packets, working one set at a time.  Tear off pieces big enough to completely wrap each rib--enough for each set of ribs.  Stack foil in a pile on top of each other to work most efficiently. Set one rib down on a piece of foil. Spray generously with apple juice, and securely wrap in the foil. Set aside and continue to spray and wrap each rib.  Once all ribs are wrapped, place all of the packets back on the grill, continuing to maintain the 250-300 degree temperature. Let steam in grill for 2 hours. (If you need to stack the packets, there is no need to rotate.)

Pull apart one packet to check and see if done. The meat should be pulled down about an inch from the top of the bone; when pulling two bones apart, you should feel the meat resist slightly before tearing away. 

If done, take all of the ribs packets off of the grill. Prepare a bowl of the bbq sauce to set next to grill. As you unwrap each rib, use a basting brush paint each side with bbq sauce. Place each sauced rib back on the grill, and let cook for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from grill, let cool 5 minutes, and serve!

*We used Sweet Baby Ray's, but any barbecue sauce of your choice is acceptable.

Nat's smoked ribs are on bottom, Matt's steamed/boiled on bottom.

Matt's Ribs

3 racks of ribs

Rib rub

6-pack of beer* 

2 onions, roughly chopped

Handful of fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems

5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Aluminum roasting pan

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 350-400 degrees (medium-high heat).

Pat dry the each side of the ribs. Check ribs to see if there is an extra membrane, which is a tough clear layer running over the bones along the bottom of the ribs. Do this by running a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it, starting at the end of one of the bones. If there is an extra layer, it will lift so that you can pull it off in strips. If it is too slippery to grip, try using a paper towel to properly grasp it. Cut the rack of ribs in halves or thirds so as to fit on your grill. Sprinkle each side of the ribs generously with the rub. As the ribs cook, their juices will run off a lot of the rub, so do not be afraid of being heavy handed.

Place the ribs into the roasting pan. Cover with the onions, rosemary and garlic.  Pour enough beer into the pan to fully cover the ribs.  Cover with foil, leaving a small opening in the side to let out steam as the ribs cook.  Put the roasting pan on the grill, and cover the grill. Leave to cook for 1-1.5 hours. 

After 1-1.5 hours, take the pan off grill.  One rack at a time, take out of cooking liquid. Brush both sides with bbq sauce and put on grill. Repeat with remaining ribs. Cook on grill over high heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill, let cool 5 minutes, and serve!

*Although we used what we had on hand, I highly recommend using a good quality beer. As with cooking with wine, make sure it is a beer you would drink. Anchor Steam is a good choice.