Dinner 7: New Mexico

Menu

Stacked Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
Spanish Rice
New Mexico Style Calabacitas
Sopapillas with Cinnamon Sugar

Justin's Review

For our next dinner, I chose New Mexico. I didn't know anything about New Mexico when I chose it, but I thought the food would be good, even though I don't think I've ever had anything from there before. Mommy said it might be spicy, but she'd make it less spicy for me if I wanted, which I did.

I helped Mommy make some tortillas, by mixing the flour and then rolling them out. I also tried one after it was cooked - it was really yummy and reminded me of a pizza with no toppings!

I really really liked the enchiladas, which were kind of like a lasagna, but with tortillas instead of pasta. I also liked the rice, but not the tomatoes in it. And I liked the corn, but not the squash that was mixed with it. For dessert, we had sopapillas, which were like cinnamon sugar cookies, but also like bread. They were yummy! I had more of them as a snack the next day, too.

Recipes

Stacked Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

(original recipe from red or green?)

2 tablespoons olive oil
9 corn tortillas (see recipe below)
1 pound shredded cheddar soy cheese
1 white onion, diced
2 scallions, minced
1 cup New Mexican chile sauce, or more, if desired (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a 2.2 quart casserole dish with olive oil. Pour half a cup of the chile sauce into dish and spread to cover the bottom. Cover the sauce with a single layer of tortillas, tearing pieces to cover any gaps. Sprinkle 1/3 of the soy cheese over the tortillas, and 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the scallions over the soy cheese. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the chile sauce, then add another layer of tortillas, soy cheese, onions and scallions. Cover with any remaining tortillas, and the remaining sauce and soy cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Granny's Corn Flour Tortillas

(original recipe from allrecipe.com)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
Cooking oil, for pan

In a large bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal. Add the baking powder and salt and mix together well. Stir in the water to form a crumbly dough. Work the dough with your hands until it holds together.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover lightly with saran wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the pan.

Working with one dough ball at a time, flatten it by hand, then roll it into a 9 inch round. Place it into the pan and cook until light brown. Repeat with remaining tortillas and re-oiling the pan as necessary.

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

(original recipe from red or green?)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup New Mexican ground red chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Cook the onions until they are translucent. Add the garlic and salt and cook for 1 minute.

Add 1 tablespoon of the flour and stir until incorporated and no lumps remain. Repeat with the second tablespoon. Cook for 1 minute, then add the water and chile powder, stirring until well combined. Add the oregano and cumin and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Spanish Rice

(original recipe from Food.com)

1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green chile, drained
1 teaspoon oil
2/3 cup long-grain rice
1 1/3 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste

Saute rice in oil until brown. Add onion, tomato, garlic, green chile and water. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed.

New Mexico Style Calabacitas

(original recipe from Adobe Nido)

1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and chopped.
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped.
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup shredded soy mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup prepared green chile
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, until fragrant. Add squash and zucchini and cook until they are about halfway done. Add the corn and cook until it is thawed. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then transfer to a 1 quart casserole dish. Stir in the soy cheese and chile.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes.

Sopapillas with Cinnamon Sugar

(original recipe from Cynthia Pineda)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
2/3 cup warm soy milk
Oil, for frying
Cinnamon sugar, for serving

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening, then add in the soy milk and quickly mix the dough until it forms a ball.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it until it is no longer sticky.

Re-flour the board and gently roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut the dough into approximately 10-inch by 5-inch rectangles.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet until it reaches 400 degrees.

Carefully slide the first sopapilla into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Cook until the sopapilla is a light golden brown, turning half way through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the sopapilla and drain on a paper towel.

Serve with cinnamon sugar.

Dinner 6: Florida

Menu

Cuban Sandwich
Black Bean and Rice Salad with Peppers
Florida Roasted Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad
Florida Key Lime Pie

Justin's Review

I chose Florida next, because I like Florida. It's fun to visit there, because it's sunny and Mickey Mouse lives there.

We looked on the computer and found some recipes. I chose Cuban sandwiches, bean and rice salad, corn salad and a kind of pie made with limes. To make the sandwiches, first we had to make the right kind of bread and roast the pork with a special kind of sauce on it.

I kind of liked the dinner, but not really. I really liked the bread and the pork, but didn't really like the sandwich, because it was too hard to eat all at once. I did like that Mommy had to eat a pickle, because she doesn't like them, but she tried it in the sandwich anyway and said it tasted okay.

I also liked the rice and bean salad, but not the peppers in it. And I liked the corn salad, but not the tomatoes in that.

I didn't like the key lime pie because it tasted too lime-y and sour. But I liked the crust! It was like eating a cookie!

Recipes

Cuban Sandwich

(original recipe from Three Guys from Miami)

4 small loaves of Cuban bread (we used this recipe: Pan Cubano)
3 tablespoons soy margarine
1 pound sweet cured ham
1 pound Cuban pork (recipe follows)
1/2 pound sliced Swiss soy cheese
Dill pickle slices

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.

Cut the loaves in half and spread generously with margarine.

Assemble the sandwiches in this order: pickles, pork, ham, and soy cheese.

Melt a little margarine in the frying pan. Place a sandwich on the pan, and, using a heavy skillet, bacon press or foil-wrapped brick, flatten the sandwich. Grill the sandwich for 2-3 minutes per side, until the bread is golden brown and the sandwich is about 1/3 it's original height.

Slice the sandwich diagonally and serve.

Cuban Pork

(original recipe from Three Guys from Miami)

1 4-pound pork shoulder roast
1 head of garlic (about 10-15 cloves)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sour orange juice (or two parts orange juice, one part lemon juice and one part lime juice)
1 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 cup olive oil

Mash the garlic, salt and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Combine with the orange juice, onion and oregano. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan until hot (about 220 degrees).  Remove the oil from heat and quickly whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture until well blended. Let cool before using.

Pierce the pork roast as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork. Pour the marinade over the pork, reserving a little for basting while roasting. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then allow to return to room temperature (about 1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roast the pork, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 225 degrees. Continue roasting until the meat is easy to pull apart with a fork. Baste occasionally with remaining marinade.

Black Bean and Rice Salad with Peppers

(original recipe from About Food)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked long-grain rice, chilled
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large bowl, combine beans, rice, bell peppers, and onion. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, mustard, sugar, cumin, and pepper. Add dressing to the beans and rice and stir gently to blend the ingredients. Garnish with parsley and serve chilled.

Florida Roasted Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad

(original recipe from Authentic Florida)

3 ears of corn, with the husks left on
2 pints of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the corn, in the husks, directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then remove the husks. Cut the corn from the cob, into a bowl. Add the tomatoes and basil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the corn salad, stir gently, cover and chill for 20-30 minutes.

Florida Key Lime Pie

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 9-inch graham cracker crust
16 ounces soy cream cheese
3 cups sweetened condensed soy milk (we doubled this recipe: Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk)
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dairy-Free Whipped topping (we used this recipe: Dairy Free Whipped Cream Frosting)

In a large bowl, whip soy cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed soy milk, lime juice, zest and salt. Whip until mixture is smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Before serving, spread topping over pie.

Dinner 5: Rhode Island

Menu

N.Y. System Hot Wieners
Wimpy Skippy
Corn Fritters
Blackberry Slump

Justin's Review

For our next dinner we had food from Rhode Island. I really liked how small it was on the map and hoped it would have good food, too! We had special hot dogs that they make with beef on it, something called Wimpy Skippy, corn fritters and blackberry slump.

The beef sauce for the hot dogs smelled really gross and I thought it would be yucky to eat. I liked helping make the dough for the Wimpy Skippy and the blackberry slump, though. And stirring the corn into the corn fritters.

I didn't really like the food from Rhode Island. I did like the blackberry slump because it had blackberries and ice cream and dumplings. Everything else tasted too weird for me.

Recipes

N.Y. System Hot Wieners

(original recipes from Olneyville N.Y. System and Food Network)

2 tablespoons soybean oil
1 yellow onion, minced, divided
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablesppon paprika
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pound ground beef, 80/20
1/4 cup water
all-beef rope-style wieners
side-cut hot dog rolls
yellow mustard
celery salt

Heat soybean oil in a saucepan. Add half the onion and simmer until brown. Stir in the spices and crumble in the beef.

Add water and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Mash with a potato masher for a finer consistency. If the sauce is too dry, add more oil.

In a medium saucepan, boil the wieners and steam the buns.

To serve, place the wieners in the buns, top with meat mixture, remaining onion and yellow mustard, and sprinkle with celery salt.

Wimpy Skippy

(original recipe from Just A Pinch)

10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
1 stick of pepperoni, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella soy cheese
garlic powder, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 pounds pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the spinach according to the package directions. Combine with pepperoni, soy cheese, garlic powder and black pepper.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Place a scoop of the spinach mixture in the center of each piece.

Fold and seal the dough around the spinach mixture. Brush the dough with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Corn Fritters

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

3 cups oil, for frying
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon shortening, melted
water, until desired consistency
1 1/2 cups corn kernels

Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 365 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and shortening. Add the soy milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to make a thick, smooth paste, adding water, as needed. Stir in the corn kernels.

Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Blackberry Slump

(original recipe from simplyrecipes.com)

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy margarine

1/3 cup soy milk

4 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup water

vanilla soy ice cream, for serving

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, then add the milk and stir until just combined. Handling the dough as little as possible, form it into a ball. Set aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan, add the berries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon zest and water. Heat until boiling, stirring a few times so that the berries are well coated. Once the berry mixture is boiling, tear off chunks of the dough ball and drop onto the fruit, around the edges of the pot. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes.

Serve with ice cream.

Dinner 4: Mississippi

Menu

Big Mama's Fried Chicken
Crispy Coated Cajun Fries
Southern as You Can Get Collard Greens
Mississippi Mud Pie

Justin's Review

I chose Mississippi next because I thought it would have cool foods to choose from. I was right! We had fried chicken, spicy fries, collard greens and a dessert called Mississippi Mud Pie. All of the ingredients were easy to get - we only had to go to the regular grocery store.

I helped Mommy make the different layers of the pie. I also helped shake the spices and potatoes in a big bag! That was fun! It was like doing a bouncy potato dance!

I liked the chicken and the spicy fries. They were delicious. The mud pie was really good, too. It was gooey and fell apart as I tried to eat it.

Recipes

Big Mama's Fried Chicken

(original recipe from food52.com)

8-10 chicken pieces
salted water, for brining
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 quart soy milk
canola oil, for frying

Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Cover with water by 1 inch and add 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water used. Cover and refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

In a large, shallow dish, mix the flour and seasonings until well blended.

Drain the chicken, pat the pieces dry, and return to the bowl. Pour in the soy milk and soak the chicken for 15 minutes.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, thoroughly coating each piece. Set the chicken aside.

Fill a large heavy pot with oil, about 4 inches deep. Heat, over medium-high heat, until the oil registers 315-325 degrees.

In small batches, fry the chicken pieces, turning once, until crust is a deep golden brown, about 10-15 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, drain the oil, and place on a baking sheet in a warm oven. Repeat until all pieces have been fried.

Crispy Coated Cajun Fries

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into the wedges
1 tablespoon cornmeal
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Place cut potatoes into a large bowl of cold water. Soak for 10 minutes.

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal and cajun seasoning. Shake the bag to blend.

Drain the potatoes, but leave them wet. Add the fries to the bag of seasonings. Shake to coat.

Spread the fries on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 45-60 minutes.

Southern as You Can Get Collard Greens

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 bunch collard greens, rinsed, trimmed and chopped
2 smoked ham hocks
2 cans condensed chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Mississippi Mud Pie

(original recipe from food.com)

1 prepared Oreo crumb crust
1 package fudge sauce, divided
8 ounces soy cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipped topping (dairy-free recipe), divided
1 package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups soy milk

Spread half the fudge sauce on the bottom of Oreo crust. Set aside.

Blend together the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in half the whipped topping. Spread the mixture over the fudge layer. Place the pie in the refrigerator to chill.

Whisk together the pudding mix and soy milk. Chill until pudding it set. Spread the pudding over the cream cheese layer. Freeze the pie until solid.

Top with the remaining whipped topping. Drizzle the remaining fudge sauce over top. Return the pie to the freezer until fudge has hardened or ready to serve.

Dinner 3: Hawaii

Menu

Hawaiian Spareribs

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Hawaiian Sweet Potato Casserole

Luau Rice

Pineapple Pudding Cake

Justin's review

The third state I chose was Hawaii. Hawaii is a group of islands in the ocean. The recipes we made were chicken kabobs with pineapple, special hawaiian party rice, a mix of sweet potatoes and bananas, pork spareribs, and pineapple pudding cake. It was a lot of food!

My favorite things were the cake and the spareribs. I also liked the rice a lot. Everything was very yummy, except the grilled pineapple, which I didn't like very much. I hope we can have the spareribs again, though!

Recipes

Hawaiian Spareribs

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1/4 vinegar
1/2 ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 pounds pork spareribs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all sauce ingredients. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened slightly.

Arrange the spareribs in a roasting pan. Pour the sauce over top and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until done.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

(original recipe from food.com)

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
2 large bell peppers, cut into chunks

Place chicken in a small dish. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine juice, soy sauce, oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, mustard and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Remove chicken from marinade. Alternate chicken, pineapple and peppers on skewers.

Grill kabobs over hot coals until chicken is done.

Hawaiian Sweet Potato Casserole

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and sliced
1 tablespoon soy margarine, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
5 firm bananas, sliced
1 cup crushed pineapple
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Layer the potatoes in the baking dish, dot with margarine and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the bananas over the potatoes and spread the sugar mixture evenly over top. Top with crushed pineapple.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, lemon juice and honey. Pour over the casserole.

Bake until browned on top. About 40 minutes.

Luau Rice

(original recipe from Bam's Kitchen)

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cloved garlic, minced
1/4 cup ham, diced
1 teaspoon chicken powder
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped green onions

Cook the basmati rice a day ahead and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion, ginger and garlic until lightly aromatic. Add the ham and cook until golden brown.

Add the rice, chicken powder and pepper to the pan, stirring until rice is well coated by the oil.

Add the pineapple and green onions. Cook until the pineapple is warmed through.

Pineapple Pudding Cake

(original recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff)

Cake:
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Pineapple Pudding:
2 packages vanilla instant pudding
2 cups cold soy milk
3/4 cup soy cream cheese, softened
1 2/3 cups crushed pineapple, drained

Topping:
1/4 cup soy margarine
1/4 vegetable shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a square baking pan.

Whisk together soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, combine the soy milk mixture, oil, juice and granulated sugar. Sift in the flour mixture and mix until no large lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until done. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix and soy milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add the soy cream cheese and beat until smooth, then gently stir in the pineapple. Spread pudding mixture over cooled cake.

Beat together the margarine and shortening until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the soy milk and beat until consistency becomes similar to a thick whipped cream.

Spread the topping over the pudding layer. Chill cake for 3 hours.