This March, only three weeks after coming home from Japan, we took a quick trip down to Costa Rica to join my family for their spring break vacation. Hard life, I know. It feels a bit presumptive to call this a travelogue, as the majority of what we did was sit in the pool and watch the wildlife in the trees, but I did want to share some pictures and thoughts (and a recipe for fish tacos with mango salsa) all the same.

We spent a full day traveling from Boston to the Dominical area – two flights, one layover, an hour at the rental car agency, then a three hour drive as the sun slipped over the mountains in a fiery blaze and we descended into a thick, tropical darkness. When we pulled up to the house we were staying in – which was at the end of a steep, unpaved driveway with trees closing in on either edge – we were all a bit frayed. Opening the car door the heat hit us like a smack in the face – even at night the temperatures were in the 90s – as did the incredible noise of the jungle after dark. Buzzing, whirring, hooting – an incredible cacophony of new sounds, amazing to listen to when you’re calm and comfortable, but enough to put you more than a little on edge when you’re in an unfamiliar place with the only light coming from two yellow headlights guiding you forward. That first night we slept a bit restlessly.

But the next morning was an entirely different story. We woke to find ourselves in a beautiful house with an expansive view sweeping down toward the ocean. Between us and the water were only tropical trees, giant red hibiscus flowers, toucans swooping back and forth from tree to tree, and puffy clouds still tinged with pink from the sunrise. I think that the view alone made the trip worthwhile.

We spent the majority of our short trip lounging in the plunge pool, looking out at the view and watching the birds (and occasional monkey!). I read an entire book, one that I bought in the airport in an atypically touristy move. But we also ventured out a few times – to watch the surfers at Dominical Beach at sunset, to hike the trails and beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park, and to a local waterfall and swimming hole with a smoothie bar at the top.

Dominical is a hippie surf town with lots of deeply tanned, dreadlocked gringos living in tents and small cabins along the coast, there to surf, eat vegan food, and embody “pura vida.” The beach is long, a little rocky, and has an intense riptide – dangerous for swimmers but perfect for surfers. Although we were definitely not Dominical’s standard crowd, we went just to hang out and watch the sunset (and stock up on groceries at the little market). On the way home, we stopped for drinks and perfect fish tacos on the patio at Por Que No?, where we sipped our margaritas and watched the last hint of purple sunset lingering over the darkening ocean.

Manuel Antonio, a teeny National Park on the coast, was a highlight of the trip. Despite the fact that it is extremely crowded, we managed to carve out our own space. We saw SO many monkeys – I think I counted 21, if I’m remembering my monkey-sighting competition with my brothers correctly. I actually enjoyed the park most on our walk back in the early afternoon, when many of the crowds seemed to have cleared out but the monkeys were still active (and sloths, if you can ever actually consider them active). In the more densely forested peninsula trail to Punta Cathedral, we were almost alone and saw a dozen Capuchin monkeys and five big, loud, Howlers. At one point the forest got so thick and the animals so close that it made us a little nervous – where in the rest of the park, we were in the majority seeking out the animals, we suddenly felt surrounded. It was cool. The boys absolutely fried themselves playing in the surf for an hour at midday, but according to them it was worth it. On the way out of the park everyone got a chilled coconut (locally, “Pipa Fria”) which was 100% the most refreshing post-hike drink. Beer, ceviche, and Cuban sandwiches at Claro Que Si, a nearby (and very good) restaurant with a gorgeous view from the patio, were next.

Close to where we were staying, just a few minutes away from the town of Uvita, there is a small waterfall and swimming hole that is absolutely worth a visit. The sun and heat are no joke in Costa Rica, and slipping into the shaded, ice cold water at the swimming hole was the most refreshed I felt the whole trip. We watched a group slide one by one down a 20 foot rock slide into the pool at the bottom, but none of us had the guts to try it. After sufficiently chilling ourselves, we walked back up the steep path to the open-air smoothie restaurant at the top, and slurped down ice cold fruit and ice cream smoothies.

The food in Costa Rica was unexpectedly delicious. I think I was expecting mediocre resorty food and what I got was the rich, flavorful Latin food I enjoy so much when I’m in Colombia and Ecuador, but with a more coastal flavor profile. I ate mostly fresh fish, mango, black beans and rice, and margaritas. Our most memorable meal was the one at Por Que No?, where we all ordered blackened fish tacos with rice and beans and mango salsa and they were absolutely perfect. And so that’s what I’ve recreated for you here. My homemade version was also delicious, although frying the fish proved to be a little tricky at first. My tips: make sure your oil is hot, as the fish cooks very quickly and too-cool oil will results in greasy, falling apart fish; only fry one piece of fish at a time; be very gentle when transferring the fish too and from the oil, especially after it is cooked – a metal skimmer may be the best tool to keep it from falling apart. Once you’ve got the hang of it though, the results will be well worth it.

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Fried Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

It takes a little bit of practice to get the fish fry just right without your fish falling to pieces or drenched in oil, but once you’ve got it done, the result will be tender, flaky, golden brown fried fish. Serve wtih avocado, mango salsa, crema, black beans and rice.

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats. 

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4
• Cuisine: Costa Rican

Ingredients

• 1 c. cake flour
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 c. light-flavored beer (or seltzer)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 c. canola or peanut oil
• 1 pound fresh cod, deboned and cut into eight, 2-oz. fingers
• 8 small corn tortillas
• Mango salsa, recipe below
• Mexican crema, for serving
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced, for serving
• 1 lime, quartered, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, black pepper, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Transfer half of the mixture to a smaller bowl and set aside. Add the beer (or seltzer) and beaten egg to one of the bowls, and whisk until you have a thick but drippy batter. If necessary, add more beer or flour until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Heat oil in a medium, high-sided saucepan (or deep fryer if you have one) until temperature reaches 350°F. Working one piece at a time, gently dip a piece of fish into the batter, let extra batter drip off, then roll the fish in the dry flour mixture. Remove the fish for ~30 seconds to let the mixture become tacky, then roll in the flour again (the double-dipping method helps the tacos become extra crunchy). Use tongs or a slotted spoon/skimmer to gently transfer the fish to the hot oil. Fry for about 1 minute, then gently flip in the oil to fry the other side (unless the fish is fully submerged, in which case don’t worry about flipping it). When the fish is golden brown all over, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the fish to a paper-towel lined plate (be careful! The fish is super delicate here and it’s easy for it to fall apart if you go too fast). Season lightly with sea salt while still warm. Repeat until you have used all the fish.
3. To serve, place one piece of fish in each tortilla. Top with mango salsa, crema, avocado, and serve with a piece of lime. Serve immediately.

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Canned goods are a cheap and easy way to ensure that you always have the foundation of a good, homemade dinner on hand, especially in the winter when fresh produce is more expensive and has to travel much further to get to you (at least for those of us in Northern climes). Like many home cooks, they are an essential part of my pantry – I always keep canned tomatoes and a variety of canned beans on hand, a habit that I picked up in college and that has stuck with me. In my first year with a kitchen, one of my dinner-time staples was a can of black beans mixed with a can of tomatoes, frozen corn, and a variety of spices – an easy, cheap, and nutritious meal for a busy college student.

This month, Albertsons and Shaw’s are celebrating “National Canned Food Month” by featuring tasty and easy recipes that make good use of canned goods. When they asked me to participate by coming up with a recipe using primarily canned goods, I quickly thought back to my tomatoes-and-beans days. While I’d like to think I’ve come a long way in terms of the quality and elegance of the meals that I make since then, I do still love that combination. I’ve elevated it here into Chipotle and Black Bean Chilaquiles, which are topped with cheese, avocado, and grilled pineapple. If you’re unfamiliar, chilaquiles are a Mexican dish of fried tortillas simmered in sauce, then served with a variety of toppings. It’s typically a breakfast or brunch dish, and I’ve seen it on quite a few trendy brunch menus recently, usually with a fried egg on top for good measure. My version makes use of canned tomatoes and canned chipotles in adobo for the sauce, and tops the tortilla chips with canned black beans and frozen corn to make a more filling, wholesome meal. The sauce has a mild heat, and the sweetness of the grilled pineapple topping makes a great match for it.

You can find the recipe for these chilaquiles over on the Albertsons website. Also, be sure to head over to the Albertsons Cantry homepage and check out the other easy and affordable canned goods recipes they are featuring. By voting for your favorite recipe (chilaquiles! chilaquiles!) you can also enter to win a giftcard.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons. The opinions and text are all mine.

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It was nice to take August off from holding myself to, well, much of anything. I needed the break. Of course, I was still working, and work was actually quite hectic – the main reason for needing to let everything else slide a little. But things have slowed down, and I’m finally feeling caught up on all the other aspects of my life. A part of that, of course, is getting back into a healthy daily routine, and that means the monthly fitness goals are back on.

I’ve known that speed would be the focus of my September goal since July, really. Since I started running again in January (after the longest hiatus I’ve probably ever taken last fall), I’ve been pretty diligent about getting out there. Starting back up again is the worst part of running, so once I’ve got a little endurance I like to hang on to it. So far this year I’ve run over 300 miles, and from January through June I was getting faster every month, moving from an average pace of 9’22” in January all the way down to an 8’04” in June. But July and August were full of hot, slow slogs, so I promised myself that once the weather cooled down, I’d focus on getting my pace back up. I set a goal of getting down under an average pace of 8’10” again, and although the first few runs of the month were a struggle, my last three were all sub 8′, and my current average is exactly 8’10”. But that doesn’t mean I’m done! I’ve run 20 miles this month and I’d like to get in at least 20 miles more, maybe even getting down to my stretch goal of 7’59”. We’ll see. For now I’m just glad to feel a little faster and lighter (not to mention cooler!) out on the road.

On a different note, let’s talk about these enchiladas. On our way home from Maine after Labor Day we stopped in at a little restaurant in Belfast called Chase’s Daily. It’s an airy space, and in the back they sell the most gorgeous local vegetables and flowers. Belfast is a small town, but the line to buy fresh produce snaked all the way down the counter. We sat down for a late breakfast, and although Trevor looked somewhat crestfallen when I told him it was a vegetarian restaurant, we both very much enjoyed our meals. I ordered the potato and roasted poblano enchiladas, which were smothered in the tangiest salsa verde, and liked them so much I knew I wanted to recreate them at home ASAP. Since they use lots of vegetables and we’re moving into that time of year where we all need to figure out how to make warm, comforting food be good for you, I thought they would do nicely for this month’s healthy recipe.

As I researched salsa verde recipes I saw two basic variations, one using raw tomatillos and the other using roasted tomatillos. Beyond that, and perhaps the ratio of chiles to tomatillos to cilantro, most of the recipes were nearly identical. As I thought about how to make this recipe my own, I decided that with equal numbers of recipes for raw salsa verde and roasted salsa verde, they must both be good – why not build in an extra layer of flavor and make a raw and roasted version? That was a good starting point, and yielded a salsa verde that was both tangy and a little sweet. For the enchilada filling, I grabbed a few potatoes out of the large bag we harvested last week and boiled them, then cooked them briefly with garlic, swiss chard, and diced roasted poblano. The potato-poblano filling gets rolled up in tortillas, smothered with salsa verde, and sprinkled with grated pepper jack, before a brief stint in the oven that yields crispy tortilla edges, golden-brown cheese, and steaming hot filling. I ate way too much of this in one sitting, but managed to save a little bit of leftovers (that I’m very much looking forward to for lunch tomorrow). It’s perfect on a chilly night – warm and filling but full of veggies!

I hope all of your Septembers are off to an equally healthy and productive start. It’s a good time of year to take stock, get organized and energized and charge into a new season.

Past Fitness Challenges

January: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March: Run 40  miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites
April: Walk 8,000 steps a day; Recipe: Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous
May: 180 minutes of Nike Training Club; Recipe: Warm Arugula Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
June: Fresh fruit/veggies at every meal; Recipe: Chickpea Crepes with Grilled Curried Chicken and Mango Salsa
July: 8 different types of exercise; Recipe: Homemade Spinach Wraps with Chopped Greek Salad Filling
August: Relax; Recipe: Green Tea and Zucchini Noodles with Honey Ginger Sauce

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Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Inspired by breakfast at Chase’s Daily in Belfast, ME. Serves 4-5.

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• sea salt
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch of swiss chard (about 15-20 medium-sized leaves)
• Eight 8-inch tortillas
• 1 1/2 c. raw and roasted salsa verde, recipe below
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until blistered and blackened all over. If you are making the salsa verde at the same time, do this while broiling the tomatillos. When the peppers are done, remove them from the oven and place in a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 20 minutes. After they have steamed, you will be able to easily peel and discard their skins. Do this, then cut into slices, discarding the stem and seeds. Chop roughly and taste for heat to get an idea of how much you should use in your filling.
2. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until just tender when poked with a fork, about 5 minutes once the water has reached a boil. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sliced garlic, and smoked paprika and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Roughly chop the stems of the swiss chard and add to the saute pan, then chop the leaves add add to the pan as well. Saute until wilted, about 3 minutes, then add the potatoes and chopped poblanos (start with one, add the second after tasting the mixture for heat). Saute for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread half a cup of salsa verde on the bottom of an 11×13 inch roasting pan. Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl. Fill each of the tortillas with a few spoonfuls of the potato filling, and 2-3 TBS of cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with all tortillas, filling pan completely, then spoon another half cup of salsa verde over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then bake until cheese is bubbly and golden and edges of tortillas are crispy, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with leftover salsa verde.

Raw and Roasted Salsa Verde

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 1 lb. tomatillos
• 1-2 serrano chiles
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the husks and stem from the tomatillos and wash the sticky residue off the fruit. Cut the tomatillos in half. Place half of the tomatillos cut side down on the baking sheet. Set the other half aside. If using two chiles, place one of the serranos on the baking sheet as well. Broil the tomatillos and chile for 8-10 minutes, flipping over with tongs once about halfway through. Remove from the oven.
2. Add the roasted tomatillos and their juices to a blender, then add the raw tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, water, lime juice, and salt. If you like your food spicy, remove the stem from the roasted serrano and add to the blender, then remove the stem from the raw serrano, roughly chop and add to the blender with the seeds. If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the raw serrano, chop, and add to the blender. After blending, taste and decide whether to add the roasted serrano. Blend the tomatillos on high until a smooth puree forms. Taste, and add additional chile, lime, or salt if desired. Set aside.

The post Monthly Fitness Goals: September // Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Raw and Roasted Salsa Verde appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I struggled a bunch to come up with the right goal for July. I knew the problem I wanted the goal to address: backsliding. I’ve made so much progress this year – I hit the ten pounds lighter mark at the end of June, something that has felt vaguely impossible for the past few years – and I’m worried about losing that progress. I feel really good about how I look, and I’ve been feeling energized and even excited about working out. But last year, July was the month I pretty much stopped working out, partly because of the heat, partly because it was the month we moved, and partly because my work travel schedule became really busy. Although we’re not moving this year and my work schedule is lighter, the memory of last year is looming large over me. Coming up with a concrete goal to address this, that would also continue forcing forward progress, was challenging.

Eventually, I settled on this: do 8 different types of workouts during the month of July. My regular workout routine has 3 components – running, Nike Training Club weight training, and ballet. Those are the easy ones. Hopefully, adding 5 other things will keep me engaged, excited, and active – and maybe I’ll even find something new to add to my regular routine. I have lots of ideas for the types of activities I can try: hip hop, biking, roller blading, swimming, rock climbing, yoga, boot camp, hiking, tennis, jump rope… anything else you guys would suggest? I plan to continue running and lifting on a regular basis, as well, so of course I’ll work out more than 8 times in total.

Now, let’s talk about food. I think a big part of the reason I’m feeling so healthy and strong coming into July is because of how well my goal for June went. Forcing myself to include fruit or vegetables in every single meal was weirdly eye-opening for me. After only about a week or two, my afternoon cookie cravings had significantly diminished, I was eating light meals and feeling satisfied, and when I did feel like indulging, it was easy to stop after a bite or two of whatever overly decadent thing I was eating. The most successful days were the ones when I was able to bring a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack to work – instead of running to the cafe downstairs for an afternoon treat, I’d reach right next to me and munch on raw peas or blueberries.

Now, there are plenty of days when I do not have my act together enough to even get one of these meals in my bag, let alone all three, so this month’s recipe is a portable, make-ahead, healthy lunch that I can throw in my bag on those super-harried mornings with very little forethought. Wraps aren’t on my normal grocery list, but my mom always has some in the fridge, along with some easy salad-based fillings for them, and it’s a great way to have a quick and healthy lunch. Since the ingredients in store bought wraps and tortillas can be a little suspect, I decided to make my own spinach wraps for easy grab-and-go sandwich lunches this month. They’re surprisingly easy to make – the dough is extremely elastic and fun to work with – and I like knowing exactly what’s in them, including lots and lots of spinach. I filled my first batch with chopped Greek salad, tzatziki, and roasted chickpeas – they were so tasty and zingy and crunchy, a very satisfying vegetable-focused lunch. Because the chopped salad has a lot of liquid, it’s best to serve these immediately after assembling, so if you’re bringing them to go, throw the salad in a tupperware, bring a wrap, and assemble when you’re ready to eat.

Past Fitness Challenges

January: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March: Run 40  miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites
April: Walk 8,000 steps a day; Recipe: Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous
May: 180 minutes of Nike Training Club; Recipe: Warm Arugula Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
June: Fresh fruit/veggies at every meal; Recipe: Chickpea Crepes with Grilled Curried Chicken and Mango Salsa

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Homemade Spinach Wraps

Makes 10-12 wraps.

• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 TBS vegetable oil
• 4 oz. spinach
• 3/4 c. milk, warmed in the microwave or on the stovetop

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed. Add the vegetable oil and stir until crumbly dough is formed. Set aside.
2. Place the spinach and warm milk in a blender, and blend on high until the mixture is smooth. Pour the spinach into the flour and stir to combine. If mixture is too wet, add a little bit more flour. Knead the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Break the chilled dough into 10-12 golf-ball sized balls. Roll each ball out into a very thin circle about 8 inches in diameter. The thinner the dough is, the more pliable the wrap will be. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. One at a time, cook the wraps in the dry frying pan, for about 30 seconds on each side or until wrap has stiffened slightly and is golden brown in spots. Let cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Chopped Greek Salad

Serves 3-4 as a wrap filling.

• 1 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas
• 2 TBS + 1 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 medium tomato, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 small red pepper, stemmed and seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/3 c. feta cheese
• 12-15 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1 TBS red wine vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• tzatziki, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the chickpeas with 2 TBS of the olive oil and the smoked paprika, and spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Roast until crispy, about 30 minutes in total, stirring once about halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Combine the tomato, red pepper, cucumber, feta, and olives in a large bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and the remaining 1 TBS of olive oil. Stir to coat vegetables with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, mix in the roasted chickpeas.
3. To serve as a wrap, spread a layer of tzatziki on the inside of the wrap, then place several spoonfuls of the chopped salad on top. Roll up and enjoy immediately.

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Some cookbooks are meant to be impersonal. They are written to be useful, educational, reference guides to the kitchen. But this is not true of all cookbooks. There is another group of cookbooks out there, in which the flood of images, stories, and commentaries begin to carry the cookbook into a different realm – the realm of travelogues  of memoirs, of novels. Both types of books are important – which you prefer is a matter of taste, or of your current mood, or of your particular kitchen dilemma. Do you need to be inspired, transported to another place and time? Or do you simply need to know the best technique for baking a fluffy muffin, and why it works?

Jose Garces’ The Latin Road Home is definitely of the personal variety. The Iron Chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and all-around food personality uses this book to take readers on a journey through the five countries that have influenced his cooking style – Ecuador, Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru. Unlike Gran Cocina Latina, this is not an exhaustive look at the cuisines of these countries. Rather, each country has four regional menus that range in difficulty and simplicity, with the fourth menu in each country encompassing a massive spread – cocktails, snacks, appetizers – in short, party food. The recipes range from the traditional, like Moros y Cristianos and Tostones, to the innovative, like Citrus-Marinated Halibut and Calamari in Coconut Broth and Griddled Potato Cakes topped with Mushrooms with Saffron and Ginger. And if you like seafood, you’re in luck – it’s the most heavily represented food group in the book, with 8 different recipes for ceviche alone. Another bonus – most of the recipes are accompanied by beautiful full-page photographs that are bright and full of life.

I would also like to point out how well the recipes are laid out. Each recipe is very clearly broken down into its multiple parts, with a separate table of ingredients and set of instructions for each component of the recipe. For recipes with 4 or more different components, this is highly valuable – and it’s executed without causing the design of the book to suffer at all. Beauty and usability!

Lake Isle Press invited me to participate in a blogger cook-around of this book today. A group of bloggers are all cooking recipes from the fourth Mexico menu – a taco-bar party menu – with recipes including Mango Margartitas, Carnitas, Beer-Braised Beans, Shrimp Skewers, and Tres Leches Cake. I chose to make the Chipotle Chicken Nachos, mainly because I couldn’t get over how delicious they looked. I can now confirm that they also taste delicious – sweet and a little smoky, with falling-apart tender chicken and just the right amount of sauce. While I went the whole nine-yards and fried my own corn tortilla chips, I actually liked the filling (called pollo ropa vieja) the best without any garnish, rolled up in a soft, warm corn tortilla. Making the filling is simple – a matter of throwing the sauce ingredients in the blender, sauteeing peppers and onions, and briefly poaching chicken thighs in boiling water. Definitely a good addition to any weeknight meal rotation.

The bottom line: Jose Garces’ The Latin Road Home gives readers a brief and personal take on the cuisines of five different Latin countries. While not an exhaustive look at any one cuisine, the recipes featured are traditional with an innovative twist, and well worth taking a crack at. Combined with the heartfelt narrative and bright and inviting photos, the recipes in this book make it a worthwhile addition to the shelves of any cook looking for inspiration in Latin flavors.

Disclaimer: Lake Isle Press sent me a review copy of this book, but all opinions are my own.

Chipotle Chicken Nachos

Recipe from The Latin Road Home. Serves 8 as an appetizer.

Notes: If you’re trying to get dinner on the table fast, roasting the garlic (step 1) might be best done the morning or even the night before dinner is served. Two alternative ways to serve this dish that I really enjoyed are to 1) prepare the chicken ropa vieja and serve in warm corn tortillas as tacos and 2) prepare the chicken ropa vieja and mix with cooked rice or couscous and serve in a bowl.

For the Chicken Ropa Vieja:

• 20 cloves garlic, divided, peeled
• 2 TBS olive oil
• sea salt, used throughout recipe
• 3 Spanish onions, divided, peeled
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2-3 red bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
• 4 canned chipotles in adobo
• 1 c. ketchup
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 2 TBS Spanish smoked sweet paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place 6 of the peeled garlic cloves in a piece of tinfoil, drizzle with the olive oil and sea salt, and fold the edges of the tinfoil up to make a closed packet. Roast the garlic in this packet (seam side facing up in the oven to avoid leaks!) for 45 minutes – garlic should be tender when done.
2. While garlic is roasting, bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil. Take one of the onions and roughly chop it. Add this onion, the bay leaf, and the chicken to the boiling water, lower the heat to a simmer, and simmer the chicken for 10-14 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water with a slotted spoon to a bowl, let cool, then shred into bite-size pieces by hand. Set aside. Discard the cooking water and onion.
3. Finely chop the remaining 14 cloves of garlic and 2 onions. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, then add the chopped onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until beginning to soften.
4. While vegetables are sauteing, combine the roasted garlic, chipotles in adobo, ketchup, chicken stock, and paprika in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the sauce to the vegetables and cook at a gentle simmer until mixture is reduced by one quarter, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and heat through. Continue with nacho recipe or serve as mentioned in head note above.

For the Nachos:

• 12 small (6-inch) corn tortillas OR 1 bag corn tortilla chips
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 c. grated cheese
• 2 avocados, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 4 radishes, washed and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. Mexican crema OR sour cream

1. If making your own chips, stack the tortillas in groups of 4 and cut each stack into 6 triangles. Separate the triangles. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the tortillas in batches until golden brown and crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel lined baking tray.
2. Top chips with the chicken ropa vieja mixture and sprinkle with grated cheese. If serving to a crowd, do this in a casserole dish and broil on high for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. If making for yourself, do this on a plate and just pop in the microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Top nachos with avocados, radishes, and cilantro. Serve with crema/sour cream on the side.

The post The Latin Road Home Blog-Around: Chipotle-Chicken Nachos appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.