pickled red onions

Smoked Duck Tostadas with Guajillo Salsa, Fried Black Beans and Avocado

/ Ren

Thinly-sliced apple wood-smoked duck breast, toasted guajillo salsa, crèma Mexicana, pickled red onions & jalapeños, field greens with cilantro, fresh avocado, fried black beans and pumpkin-balsamic vinaigrette.  If this doesn’t wake up your senses, you may need to consult a trained medical professional..

Smoked Duck Tostadas

For the Fried Beans

2 tablespoons leaf lard
1 cup cooked black beans
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon epazote
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt

Melt lard in a heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté cumin and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add beans with a little of their cooking liquid and mash with potato masher or the back of a spoon.  Stir in epazote, oregano and salt and cook until much of the liquid has been absorbed.  Cover and hold.

For the Salsa (adapted from a recipe by Rick Bayless)

2 tablespoons fat or oil (I’m using leaf lard)
3 guajillo chiles, stemmed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
filtered water

Heat fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Split the chiles and remove the seeds.  Place the chiles flat in the pan and cook, turning continuously, until bright red and fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a napkin and drain.

Pour off fat, then add tomatillos and garlic.  Cook until browned, about 3 minutes, then turn, sprinkle with salt and brown on the other side.   Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky.  Add water as necessary to form a thick but pour-able salsa.  Taste and adjust accordingly.

For the Vinaigrette

3 oz pumpkin seed oil
1 oz aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon guajillo honey

Slowly whisk the oil into the vinegar to form an emulsion, then whisk in honey and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Assemble

Shallow-fry pumpkin tortillas (I got these from my local tortilleria) in a little very hot leaf lard until crisp, about 30 seconds per side, then transfer to a napkin to drain.  Be sure the fat is hot, otherwise the tortillas will be greasy.

Thinly slice smoked duck breast, season with pepper and heat briefly in the tortilla pan.

Spread one tostada with guajillo salsa and crèma Mexicana, then arrange duck slices on top. Dress with pickled red onions and garnish with pickled jalapeños and fresh cilantro.

Toss assorted fresh field greens (thanks, Meredith!) in vinaigrette and place on top of the other tostada.  Spoon fried beans over the top and garnish with slices of fresh avocado.  Drizzle a little more vinaigrette over all.

Place the tostada with the duck on top the the one with the avocado and serve immediately.

Keep Austin Weird!

This post is part of the Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Thursday

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

/ Ren

Fresh whole wheat tortillas, homemade chili con queso, avocado, black beans and heirloom tomato..

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas

For the Chile con Queso

Gather jalapeños, green onions, garlic and cilantro from your backyard (or CSA, farmers’ market or co-op), grab some fresh whole milk and raw cheddar from the fridge and whole cumin, coriander, sea salt, pepper, chili powder and Mexican oregano from the pantry.

Toast the seeds in a dry pan over moderate heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add oregano, garlic, chili powder and milk and simmer for a few minutes.

Stirring briskly, add peppers, onions, cilantro and lots of shredded cheese.  Continue to stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened, perhaps 5 minutes (do not let the mixture boil, or you will lose valuable nutritional value and risk curdling the sauce).  Add a little more milk if too thick, a little more cheese if too thin.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Filling

Mix together roughly equal parts diced white onion, avocado, cooked black beans and tomatoes.  Add the juice from half of a fresh lime, bits of diced red Fresno and poblano peppers and chopped cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate at least one hour before using.

Method

Using a rubber spatula, spread a thin layer of cooled chili con queso on one side of each tortilla.  Be sure to spread all the way to the edge.

Spoon avocado mixture into the center of a tortilla and spread to within about 1/2 inch of the edge.  Top with another tortilla and press the edges together to form a seal.

Place the assembled quesadillas into a lightly-greased comal or skillet and cook in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbling and the tortillas have begun to get crisp and brown on the edges.

Slide the quesadillas onto a cutting board and let stand 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges.  Serve with pro-biotic pickled red onions on the side.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday

Pickled Red Onions (probiotic)

/ Ren

Love the idea of making and eating healthy, pro-biotic, homemade sauerkraut or kimchi, but not too crazy about the flavor, or just want to try something different?  You might like this super-easy, not-too-tart recipe for pickled red onions..

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Pickled Red Onions

(adapted from recipes by David Lebovitz and Sally Fallon)

3/4 cup organic white vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons non-refined sugar
1 pinch of sea salt
1 bay leaf
5 whole allspice berries
5 whole cloves
1 dried chile pepper
1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings
2 tablespoons whey

Heat all ingredients except the onions and whey in a non-reactive pan until boiling.

Add the onions, reduce the heat to low and stir for 60 seconds.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir in 2 tablespoons whey, then transfer all to a glass jar, allowing at least 1 inch headroom.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 48-72 hours before transferring to the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Serve as a condiment or side-dish- pickled red onions are particularly good with Mexican-style pork dishes.

Ready for more?  Try  10 Ways to Get More Probiotics (without Dairy)
at The Nourished Kitchen