Rick Bayless is a mexican food specialist from Chicago with books and restaurants that reflect his many travels south of the border. His creations are authentic Mexican cuisine and are not difficult to make at home.
Here's some foodie goodness from his book, Mexican Everyday
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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Salsa Tomate Verde Asado
If all-raw tomatillo salsa is all light-fresh-immediate, roasted tomatillo salsa is richer and more settled, balancing freshness with the sweet caramel of pan-roasting. I love the way it perks up grilled steak tacos or makes a black bean tostada a dish to dream about. And a soft tortilla full of chorizo sausage and browned potatoes plays incredibly well with roasted tomatillo salsa. You can make the base of this salsa in advance—as much as several days. But I'd advise you to add the cilantro (finely chop it) and onion when you're ready to serve.
Makes 1 ½ cups
* 4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
* Hot green chiles to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed and roughly chopped
* About 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
* ½ small white onion, finely chopped
* Salt
Set a large (10-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (if a non-stick skillet is unavailable, lay in a piece of foil). Lay in the garlic and tomatillos (cut side down). When the tomatillos are well browned, 3 or 4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. (The tomatillos should be completely soft.)
Scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender or food processor, and let cool to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the chile, cilantro and ¼ cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish and thin with a little additional water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.
Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon.
Riffs on Roasted Tomatillo Salsa: Though it's common and easy to use small hot green chiles in this salsa, one of my favorite versions includes a whole roasted/peeled/seeded poblano chile coarsely pureed with the other ingredients. It may sound like heresy to Mexican cooks, but a dash of Worcestershire, balsamic or coarse-grain mustard is good in this salsa. If I'm serving this salsa with something off the grill, I'll slow-grill a large green onion or two (or just a slice of white onion), chop it and add it in place of the raw onion. To underscore the tomatillo's natural citrusy tang, I sometimes add a little fresh lime juice. (For more citrus (and herb) ideas, read the Riff on Fresh Tomatillo Salsa—page 000.) Or go full-bore fruity and stir in finely chopped pineapple, apple or pear.
Pasta with Roasted Tomatillos, Chicken or Salmon: Put on a pot of water to boil, then make the salsa without letting the ingredients cool. Boil 12 ounces pasta (fusilli or shells are good choices) in salted water until it's al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot, along with the salsa, the reserved cooking liquid and 2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken or salmon—I usually buy rotisserie chicken or pepper-coated hot-smoked salmon that's easy to flake. Sprinkle on a generous cup Mexican queso añejo or Parmesan, toss and serve with chopped cilantro, extra cheese and a few wedges of lime for each hungry eater to add to their liking. Wonderful at room temperature for a picnic.
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Chipotle Shrimp
SERVES 6
Ingredients
* 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
* 1 small white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
* 6 ounces ripe tomatoes (1 medium-small or 2 to 3 plum)
* 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
* 1/8 teaspoon clove, freshly ground
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2-4 tablespoons very finely chopped canned chipotle chiles, drained before chopping
* salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
* 2 lbs medium-large shrimp (about 50)
* 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, warm
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
On an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet set over medium heat, roast the garlic cloves, turning occasionally, until soft (they will blacken in spots), about 15 minutes.
Cool and peel.
While the garlic is roasting, lay the onion out on a small square of foil, set on the griddle and let sear, brown and soften, about 5 minutes on each side.
Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet set 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened in spots and soft, about 6 minutes; flip and roast the other side.
Cool and peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.
Combine all the roasted ingredients in a food processor or blender, along with the pepper, cloves and 1/4 cup water.
Process to a medium-smooth puree.
In a very large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
When hot enough to make a drip of the puree sizzle noisily, add it all at once.
Stir for several minutes as the mixture sears and darkens then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until very thick, about 5 minutes.
A tablespoon at a time, stir in the chopped chipotle, tasting until the thick salsa suits your own liking.
Taste, season with salt and remove from the heat.
Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the final joint and the tail intact.
Return the skillet with the sauce to medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp, then slowly stir and turn for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through.
Season with salt if needed.
Serve the shrimp with the rice.
Garnish with cilantro.
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Sopes Tapatios
SERVES 8
The Dough
* 1 1/4 lbs fresh masa harina flour (OR 2 and 1/4 cups masa harina mixed with a scant 1 and 1/2 cups hot tap water)
* 2 tablespoons lard or shortening
* 1/3 cup flour, plus
* 1 tablespoon flour, for the masa harina
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
The Filling
* 1 cup brothy beans, coarsely pureed with a little broth
* 8 ounces chorizo sausage (see Chorizo)
* vegetable oil (for frying)
* 1 1/4 cups green tomatillo sauce (see recipe # 52588)
* 1/2 cup mexican queso fresco (or a cheese like feta, farmers cheese or a mild Parmesan)
* 1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
* 3 radishes, sliced paper thin
Directions
For the Shells: If using the masa harina mix with the hot water, cover and let stand 25 minutes.
Mix the masa with the lard, flour, salt and baking powder, kneading until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
If needed adjust the consistency of the dough with a little water.
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls.
Place them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Cut a square of heavy plastic and lay it out in front of you.
Flatten one of the balls onto it, then gently pat and press it into a evenly flat disc, about 3/8 inch thick and 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter.
With the fat little tortilla still on the plastic, flip it over onto one hand, dough side down and peel off the plastic.
Lay the tortilla on the hot skillet and bake for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned.
It will still be soft and uncooked inside.
Pat out and bake the remaining masa balls in the same way.
With a thin sharp knife slice each tortilla in half.
With the cooked side down pinch up a 1/4 inch high border around each disc, molding the uncooked masa from the center.
Cover with plastic and set aside.
For the Filling: 1/2 hour before eating heat the beans, you want them the consistency of thick bean soup, so simmer them down if needed.
In a small skillet heat 1 T.
oil over medium heat.
Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up any pieces.
When cooked drain off fat and cover with foil-place in oven to keep warm.
Frying the shells: Add the oil to a heavy skilled 3/4 of an inch deep.
Fry the shells 4 at a time until lightly browned.
Drain on paper towels then place in a cast iron skilled and keep warm on the oven-repeat until shells are done.
Finishing the Dish: Layer in this order- Shell 2 t's beans 1 heaping t.
chorizo 1 T.
tomatillo sauce 1 t.
cheese a little lettuce 2 radish slices Serve.
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