Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, August 08, 2008
Reader Exchange: Tapas
Today strikes me as a good day to put the finishing touches on tapas, which are patron-pleasing appetizers served in Spanish eateries.
According to “The Food Lover’s Companion” they can be snacks or full meals, “and can range from ... olives or cubes of ham and cheese to ... cold omelets, snails in a spicy sauce, stuffed peppers and miniature sandwiches.” It appears the sky’s the limit. One of today’s recipes came from one of my cookbooks; two are courtesy of anonymous friends; and Renee Preeshl sent a recipe that a friend shared with her. Each of them could be put together requiring very little time or energy.
Plantains have more starch than bananas and need to be cooked before eating. In Latin America, they are used much like potatoes. Plantains are ready to eat when the skins are almost black. Green ones can be ripened at room temperature for a couple of days. I have seen plantains in the produce sections of stores for years but never really thought about what to do with them. Now I know a little bit about them and just might give them a try.
Lime-horseradish dip with cubed pork sounds good to me, but I’m not sure I have ever seen lime marmalade on the grocer’s shelf. I think orange marmalade might work just as well and ought to be good with chicken or shrimp, too. If you know where lime marmalade is available, please pass that information along to us.
Quesadillas are truly a “refrigerator-door” cook’s dream food. You can use pretty much any kind of meat or no meat, a wide variety of vegetables and your favorite cheese. Fold it in a tortilla and fry or broil it until it’s browned and a little crispy and you have a treat few guests could resist.
And salsa? Well, salsa is salsa. A perennial party-pleaser with chips but just as good with seafood or poultry, and I love it as a very low-cal, low-fat salad dressing.
Hopefully “Coulee Region Cooks” radio host Mike Hayes has time now and is working on a recipe for Tuscany tomato soup for Betty M. It would be nice to have a couple more recipes for her to try. We’ll be serving up a few more summer salads in the next week or two. Paella is one of those dishes that you hear mentioned a lot, but apparently people don’t make it very often. We’re still hoping to see a couple of those recipes. And soon, we’ll have a number of New Villa coleslaw recipes. You’ll have to judge for yourselves which one might be the real deal.
Send requests, recipes and tips to Alice P. Clark at: Reader Exchange, c/o La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St.,
La Crosse, WI 54601; e-mail: exchange@lacrossetribune.com or send a fax to (608) 782-9723.
Spiced Plantain Chips
2 large plantains
Oil for shallow frying
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Hot chili sauce to serve
Peel plantains; cut off and discard ends. Slice fruit ¼ to 3/8-inch thick, diagonally to give larger, flatter slices. Pour oil about ½ inch deep in small frying pan; heat until oil is very hot, watching closely. Test by carefully adding a slice of plantain: it should float and the oil should immediately bubble up around it. Fry plantains in small batches — oil temperature will drop if too many are fried at a time. When slices are golden brown, remove from oil with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Combine chili powder and cinnamon; put fried plantains on plate and sprinkle them with the chili/cinnamon mixture. Serve immediately, with a small bowl of hot chili sauce for dipping. (From: World Cook’s Collection Mexican Kitchen, Barnes & Noble, 2002)
Lime-Horseradish Dip
1 (6-ounce) jar lime marmalade
1 (5-ounce) jar prepared hot horseradish
Combine marmalade and horseradish; serve with pork cubes. (Shared by an anonymous friend)
Crab and Avocado Quesadilla
1/2 pound crab meat, cooked
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 green chile, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Place first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. In medium skillet heat oil over medium heat until hot; fry each tortilla for 10 seconds on each side (they should not be crisp). Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Set oven to broil. Spread crab mixture evenly over ½ of each tortilla; fold over. Place folded tortillas on baking sheet; sprinkle with cheese and broil until cheese melts. Serve immediately. (Shared by an anonymous friend)
Marcey’s Salsa
2 jars sliced green olives
4 to 5 tomatoes, diced
3 peeled avocados, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
Combine all ingredients. Serve with baked chips or use as a topping for fish or chicken. Could also add black olives. (Renee Preeshl and friend)
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