Main Course

© Chef LaLa

Cooking with wine is a great way to concentrate intricate flavors and tenderize meat without adding extra fat.  Depending on how you prepare your food, some or all of the alcohol in the wine will evaporate, leaving behind a sophisticated blend of flavors. The key to great flavor is to cook with wine that you would use for drinking – not the expensive bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion - not something labeled “cooking wine” either.  Cooking wine just cooks down adding a saltier flavor while drinking wines have more complex flavors, so a wine with a fruity flavor, for example, will add a concentrated fruitier flavor to your meal.  If you aren’t sure what type of wine to use, keep in mind what you are cooking and the overall flavor you want it to have – sweet, dry, spicy, etc.  Wine should be added toward the end of the cooking process unless used as a marinade and if you want the flavor of wine without the alcohol, be sure to reduce your sauce until no liquid remains, keeping in mind that white wine alcohol evaporates more quickly than red.

Whether you’ve never had an artichoke, don’t know how to prepare or eat one, or are already an expert, now is the time to enjoy since they are in peak season from March to May. Artichokes are a Mediterranean food related to the thistle and are delicious and fun to eat.  They’re easy to prepare and are an excellent source of nutrients like dietary magnesium, fiber, and the trace mineral chromium.  They’re also a very good source of vitamins A and C, folic acid, biotin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, potassium, the trace mineral manganese, and a carbohydrate that’s in the form of insulin.  These properties make them healthy for the whole family including those watching their calories and blood sugar.  Fresh artichokes contain polysaccharide which is a carbohydrate handled by the body differently than other sugars, making them low in calories and extremely beneficial to diabetics because the type of insulin they produce has been shown to improve blood sugar control in diabetes.  Throughout history artichokes have been known to treat liver disease, lower cholesterol, and are considered an aphrodisiac food.

There are many varieties of artichokes, ranging in color from olive green to deep red, though the Globe variety is most commonly found in supermarkets. Commonly known as a vegetable, the artichoke is actually a flower bud, which when allowed to blossom, is violet blue in color. Artichokes come in a variety of sizes–the biggest, perfect for steaming or boiling, while baby artichokes (often much cheaper) are a delicious and tender addition to almost any recipe. When buying artichokes, as with any produce, fresh is best. Choose artichokes that are tightly closed and seem heavy for their size with few discolored or shriveled leaves. Rub the leaves together; if they squeak, they’re fresh. Once you get your artichokes home, keep them in a sealed bag in the refrigerator to prevent discoloration.

75% of the 3 million cartons of domestically-grown artichokes are grown in Castroville, California, the self-proclaimed Artichoke Center of the World since 1959 with an annual mid-May festival to celebrate the artichoke. Have your own celebration by enjoying some steamed artichokes petals at home.  Dip them in butter or your favorite sauce for an added treat and you’ll be hooked!

How to Cook an Artichoke

Once you’ve bought your artichoke, preparation is easy. Start by trying the classic steamed or boiled approach and then you can experiment with different methods and recipes as you get more comfortable.

1. Wash the artichoke in cold water.
2. Remove any discolored or shriveled lower petals.
3. Using a sharp stainless steel knife (to prevent discoloration) trim the stem close to the artichoke’s base.
4. Cut off the top quarter of petals if you prefer so the tips don’t poke your fingers.
5. To preserve the vegetable’s color, though not necessary, you can dip it in acidified water prior to cooking (one quart of water mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar). You can also add a touch of sugar and salt or herbs to the boiling water to obtain a better flavor.
6. Steam (place on rack above an inch or two of boiling water) or boil (add to pot with enough boiling water to completely cover). Cook until you can pull off a petal near the center with ease–25 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. Large ones may take 60 minutes but are much “meatier”

How to Eat an Artichoke

The artichoke is like a delicacy that can be consumed alone or with a simple dipping sauce to complement it and make a great appetizer, especially for kids. This spiny vegetable can be an intimidating presence on the dinner table if you’ve never had one whole but the following tips can help even the novice artichoke eater enjoy the wonderfully nutty flavor of this unique plant like an expert:

• Pull off outer petals one by one, dip the thicker base into the sauce of your choice, and bite or scrape the succulent pulp off the inside of the petal with your teeth. Discard the rest of the petal.  This is especially fun for children.
• When you get to the heart of the artichoke, spoon or cut away the fuzzy portion in the center, cut the remainder of the heart (including any portion of the attached stem) into bite-size portions, dip, and savor!

Final Notes on Artichokes

Once you’ve mastered the basic preparation and eating techniques, allow yourself to get creative. Artichokes can be marinated and grilled, stuffed and fried, sautéed with meat and vegetables as a topping for pasta, roasted, braised, added to salads, or creamed in soups. If you prefer to keep things simple, try varying your dipping sauces for steamed artichokes. For a change of pace from butter, homemade mayonnaise-based sauces mixed with fresh herbs, spices or garlic and lemon are a nice complement.  However you enjoy your artichokes, feel good about serving them to your entire family for a fun, healthy appetizer or main course this spring.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds chicken breast, bone in, skinless
7 cups water
3 ounces brown onion, peeled, medium dice
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
2 stalks celery, large dice
½ teaspoon fresh oregano
3 each carrot, peeled, large dice
8 ounces potato, peeled, large dice

METHOD

* In a stock pot, add chicken, water, onion, chicken bouillon, celery and
oregano.
* Cover, cook over medium heat for one hour.
* Remove chicken from stock pot, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
* Remove chicken meat from bones tearing into ¼ inch strips.
* Add chicken pieces back into stock pot.
* Add potatoes and carrots, cook for 15 minutes.
* Serve in a large soup bowl.

Makes 14 cups
Servings 7

Note: This soup also tastes great the next day, when reheated.

Nutritional Guide
Per serving

Calories 181
Fat (g) 1.6
Saturated .4
Unsaturated 1.2
Protein (g) 29.2
Carbohydrates (g) 11
Fiber (g) 1.9
Cholesterol (mg) 70
Sodium (mg) 154

Recipe from the book “Latin Lover Lite” by Chef LaLa available at amazon.com and retailers near you.

6 ounces potato
½ teaspoon canola oil
2 stalks green onions, shredded
5 large eggs, whites only
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

METHOD

* Wash and boil the potatoes until tender. Peel and cut into medium dice.

* Separate five eggs from the egg whites into a mixing bowl.

* Add one whole egg to egg whites.

* Whip the eggs.

* Add salt and pepper, fold over to combine all ingredients.

* Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet.

* Add onions, and potatoes to skillet.

* Cook until the potatoes are golden brown.

* Add egg mixture.

* Cook for two minutes .

* Transfer to a preheated oven for 8 minutes at 375˚.

* Cook until egg is set or firm.

* Allow to cool.

* Slice into wedges and serve.

Note: This dish is served at room temperature.

Servings: 2

Nutritional Guide Per serving

Calories 130
Fat (g) 2.6
Saturated .8
Unsaturated 1.8
Protein (g) 8.8
Carbohydrates (g) 12.9
Fiber (g) 1.5
Cholesterol (mg) 10
Sodium (mg) 442

Recipe from the book “Latin Lover Lite” by Chef LaLa available at amazon.com and retailers near you.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Spanish.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Spanish.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Spanish.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Spanish.

© Chef LaLa

 Ingredients

Fritters/Tortitas:

• 8 Medium Potatoes, boiled, peeled
• 4 Ounces Ground Dried Shrimp
• 4 Ounces Cotija Cheese, finely grated
• 4 Medium Eggs
• As needed Oil

Sauce:

• 28 Ounces Canned Red Enchilada Sauce
• 1 Medium Onion, pureed
• 1 Medium Tomato, pureed
• 1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 32 Ounces Sliced Nopalitos

Preparation Method

1. In a large saucepan add Enchilada Sauce, pureed tomatoes, onions, and chicken Bouillon. Cook for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water.
2. Slowly incorporate dissolved cornstarch into sauce stirring constantly.
3. Cook for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, place the potatoes and mash well.
4. Add dried shrimp, cotija cheese and eggs. In a skillet, heat oil. It is important that the heat is not too high because then the patties won’t fully cook inside. Also, if the heat is too low the patties will absorb all the oil. To check if oil is hot enough, drop a little potato mixture into the pan. They should sizzle immediately.
5. With a tablespoon, spoon potato/shrimp mixture (about 1 ½ ounces) in the pan and use the spoon or spatula to flatten them into a patty shape.
6. Carefully flip over when golden brown.
7. After removing drain excess oil. Set aside until service.
8. Before serving add the Sliced Nopalitos (cactus). Cook to warm.
9. Add patties to sauce, cook for additional 3-5 minutes and serve.

SERVE

Do not combine the Sliced Nopalitos, red sauce and patties until ready for service so that they maintain the vibrant colors and shape.

SERVES

20-25 patties – slightly larger than a silver dollar

Sorry, this entry is only available in Spanish.