Fancy dinner nachos, or some call it a “chilaquiles.”  This is how we eat at home   Marco, my DH, makes the best dinner nachos – and he makes it often too, especially when the chef in the house is too lazy to cook!  Seriously, I have tried to imitate his dinner nachos and have yet to succeed.  This is HIS recipe!  Adding a dash of lime juice at the end sparks up the flavors.  This is a good comfort food!

Chef’s tip: To make avocado slices, run a knife around the avocado middle lengthwise and twist it to split it into two. Using the heel of your knife, make a small stab into the pit, twist to remove the pit. Discard the pit. Then using a paring knife, score the half avocado right down the middle, and then down the middle on each quarter. Do not cut into the skin. The avocado should still look like a half avocado. Using a spoon, scoop out the slivers.

Also, if you can find it, get the Primavera hand-made corn tortilla.  It’s thicker and soaks up the sauce.  And the sauce, I prefer the Las Palmas brand which is less starchy.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 small red bell pepper, julienned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces handmade corn tortilla, cut into 1 X 2 inch strips
1 14-oz can Las Palmas medium hot enchilada sauce
2 medium tomatoes, cut into medium dice
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup Monterey jack, shredded
1 avocado, sliced into 8 slivers
1 cup cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet under medium heat.  Saute the red onion, about 2 minutes till the onion is limp and slightly browned.  Add red bell peppers and saute another 2 minutes.
2. Add add more oil, add the cut tortilla and toss to brown, about 2 minute.
3. Pour in the enchilada sauce, cover and simmer for a minute.
4. Add in the tomatoes and kidney beans.  Cover and simmer another minute.
5. Sprinkle on the cheese, cover for half a minute until the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.
6. Gently lay the avocado on top, garnish with cilantro and serve with wedges of lime and some sour cream on the side.

Serves: 2

Tags: Mexican, tortilla.

Adding some avocado to the Hawaiian poke freshens up the dish.

Cook’s tip: Wait until the last minute before you serve to toss the avocado and the fish together.

Ingredients:

12 round Wonton skins
Some olive oil for brushing

6 oz of sashimi-grade tuna

1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated, fresh wasabi (substitute with horseradish or 1 teaspoon wasabi paste)
2 tablespoon chopped green onions
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 Avocado
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Daikon sprouts

Preparing the wonton cups:
1. Preheat the oven 350F.  Brush a mini muffin pan with oil.

2. Line the muffin cups with a wonton skin.  Roll up a piece of skin and use it instead of your fingers to push the wonton skin into the cups.  Brush each wonton cup thorughly with olive oil.
3. Bake in the oven till golden, about 6 minutes.
4. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
To make the Sashimi Tartare:
5. Chop tuna into fine cubes, and finely chop green onions and cilantro
6. Mix tuna with mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, wasabi, scallions and cilantro.
7. Cut the avocado into half and score it to make a grid.  Scoop out avocado to get dice.  Toss with lime juice and salt.
To assemble just before serving::
8. Toss tuna mix with avocado.
9. Spoon into prepared cups.
10. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Tags: Ahi tuna, finger foods, Japanese, tartare.

Cilantro or coriander, depending on where you come from, is perhaps the world’s most widely consumed herb. Cilantro is used in cuisines from Latin America to across Asia. I refer the seed of the plant, the spice, coriander and plant itself, cilantro. You can use the stem and the leaves.
In this Asian Fusion recipe, we combine the freshness of Japanese sushi style with a cilantro pesto and an avocado guac. The flavors come together with the help of the best EV olive oil and lime zest. The finishing sprinkling of crushed coriander and sea salt gives the dish an aromatic kick and texture.

Chef’s tip: Zesting is done best with microplane…just like how those Food Network folks do it on TV.  If you are like most of us who are right handed, hold the citrus with your left hand, then slide the microplane around the citrus, being careful to only remove the colored part of the peel.  The zest collects right on the microplane itself.   To make your own lime-infused olive oil, warm the olive oil to about 175F. Add in the lime zest, cool and let it sit for an hour. Strain.

12 Square Wonton skins or store-bought shrimp chips/rice chips
Canola Oil

1 tablespoon lime zest
1/3 cup lime-infused olive oil (or EVOO)
1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
A drop of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime-infused olive oil (or EVOO)
1/4 teasppon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted, crushed coarsely
A few turns of sea salt

Directions
1. To make the Wonton skin crisps: Heat a wok with 1-inch canola oil. Cut each wonton skin into two triangles. Deep fry till golden brown. Finish with salt. Drain and set aside.
2. To make the Vinaigrette: Zest the lime with a Microplane zester. Combine zest with the cilantro and lime-infused olive oil. Blend together.  Add salt.
3. To make the Sashimi Tartare: Chop tuna into small cubes. Mix tuna with mirin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime-infused olive oil, white pepper and salt.
4. To Make the Avocado mash: Dice the avocado and gently mash avocado, lime juice and salt with a fork, leaving some chunkiness texture in it.
5. Assemble: Using a tall cake ring, fill the lower part of the ring with the avocado. Top with the tuna mix. Drizzle around the sides with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with crushed coriander seeds and a few turns of the sea salt. Serve with wonton skins or chips on the side.

Serves: 4

Tags: finger foods, Fusion, Japanese, sashimi, tartare, tuna tartare.