The Surreal Gourmet

show: Nuevo Mexicano Dinner at Ange's House

ease of preparation: easy to moderate

off the beaten path

Bob's award winning 3rd book will help you transform everyday ingredients into a dining adventure, and turn you into a culinary hero amongst your friends and family.

NUEVO MEXICANO DINNER AT ANGE’S HOUSE

For hundreds of years, quesadillas meant Jack cheese, and tacos meant ground beef. Then in the ’80s frenzy of fusion cooking, Wolfgang Puck put smoked salmon on pizza, and the sacred cows of ethnic cuisine were all led to slaughter. Many of the resulting who’d-a-thunk-it combinations, like these, are so good, it’s hard to imagine going back to the originals. In this episode we fuse two Mexican standards with a decidedly Californian attitude, then top it all of with ice cream cones. Olé.

Le Menu

Mango & Brie Quesadilla with Sour Cream & Lime Dipping Sauce
(Yield: 4 servings)

Seared Ahi Tuna Taco with Avocado Salsa
(Yield: 4 servings)

Psychedelic Coleslaw
(Yield: 4 servings)

Ice Cream Cones

Mango & Brie Quesadilla


4			8-inch flour tortillas (available in all grocery stores but sometimes hidden in the refrigerated or frozen food sections)
1			serrano chili, or 2 jalapeño chilies, minced
2			scallions, trimmed and diced
1			ripe mango, peeled, and sliced (If unavailable, replace with papaya or pear)
1/2			cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, stems discarded before measuring
8			ounces Brie, sliced into long 1/4-inch slices (rind removal is optional—but I always remove it)

Prep


1			Heat a 10-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place 1 tortilla in the dry pan for approximately 1 minute per side, or until it just begins to brown. Remove. Repeat with the second tortilla. (If your tortilla expands like a blowfish, poke it with a fork to release the hot air.)
2			After the second tortilla has browned, leave it in the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Spread half of the mango evenly over the tortilla, then top with half of the chilies, scallions, cilantro and Brie strips. Top with the first tortilla. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 2 minutes.
3			Flip the quesadilla with a spatula, re-cover the pan, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. (Don’t worry if a bit of cheese escapes and begins to sizzle loudly.)
4			Remove the quesadilla from the pan, let sit for 1 minute, then slice into 8 wedges (like a pizza). Serve immediately with the sour cream dipping sauce.
5			Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Sour Cream & Lime Dipping Sauce


1/4			cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2			tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4			teaspoon salt

Prep


1			Blend sour cream, lime juice and salt with a fork until the mixture is smooth.
2			Transfer to a small decorative bowl or teacup and refrigerate.

Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos w/ Avocado Salsa


1			teaspoon ground cumin
1/4			teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2			teaspoon salt
1/2			tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2			teaspoon ground coriander
12			ounces ahi (or albacore) tuna, cut into 1-inch-thick steaks
1/2			tablespoon olive oil
8			taco shells (available in most grocery stores)
2			limes, halved

Prep


1			In a small bowl, combine cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and coriander.
2			Rub spice mixture generously on both sides of the tuna.
3			Preheat oven to 350°F for the taco shells.
4			Heat a nonstick pan on the stove over high heat. When pan is smoking hot, add olive oil, wait 10 seconds, then add tuna. Sear for 1 minute per side, or until fish is cooked
5			Separate taco shells and place them in the oven for 4 minutes (timing is everything here, since they go from perfectly done to burned after about 1 additional minute).
6			While the shells are heating, dice tuna into 1/4-inch cubes.
7			To serve, fill all eight taco shells halfway with salsa. Spoon tuna over salsa and squeeze a spritz of lime juice overtop. Serve immediately.

Avocado Salsa


2			just-ripe avocados (just-ripe = indents with the firm press of a finger), pit and skin discarded, diced into 1/4-nch cubes.
2			medium tomatoes, diced into 1/4-nch cubes
1			cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, stems discarded before measuring
1/4			cup red onion, diced
3			tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8			teaspoon salt
1/4			teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prep


1			Add all ingredients to a medium-size bowl.
2			Toss gently. DO NOT MASH AVOCADO.
3			Preheat oven to 350°F for the taco shells.

Psychedelic Coleslaw


1/4			cup rice wine vinegar
2			teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2			teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1			tablespoon honey
1/4			teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional; this meal already has lots of spice, so you might want to omit here)
2			carrots, peeled and grated coarsely
1/3			head red cabbage (looks purple to me), cored, then cut crosswise into the narrowest ribbons possible and separated
1			yellow bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, then sliced lengthwise into the thinnest strips possible
1			red pepper, seeds and membranes removed, then sliced lengthwise into the thinnest strips possible
1/2			medium-size sweet onion, finely sliced, rings separated
1 1/2			tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh gingerroot, peeled first
1			cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, stems discarded before measuring, chopped
1/4			daikon—a large white Japanese radish (optional; available in some grocery stores) peeled and grated coarsely
2			tablespoons sesame seeds

Prep


1			In a small bowl whisk together rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, and cayenne. Set aside.
2			Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan, over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3			In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and toss thoroughly. Then toss with dressing.
4			Serve immediately or refrigerate.
5			Separate taco shells and place them in the oven for 4 minutes (timing is everything here, since they go from perfectly done to burned after about 1 additional minute).
6			Just before serving, toss with sesame seeds (reserving a few to sprinkle overtop).
7			Note: Do not prepare more than a couple of hours in advance because the color of the cabbage will seep into the other ingredients.

Ice Cream Cones


			You are on your own here, but I recommend dulce de leche ice cream

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