Jane Butel's Quick and Easy Southwestern Cookbook

by Butel, Jane

• ISBN13: 9780609602287
• ISBN10: 0609602284
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: Harmony

Summary

When it comes to Southwestern cuisine, no one can hold a candle to the innovative and simply delicious style of best-selling author Jane Butel, one of the most renowned cooks in her field. In these pages, she has created more than one hundred intensely flavorful recipes that take the worry and work out of cooking authentic Southwestern cuisine. And because you can never be too thin, too healthy, or have too much extra time on your hands, each of these mouthwatering recipes is low-fat, healthful, and quick and easy. Jane Butel's Quick and Easy Southwestern Cookbookis a completely contemporary collection of recipes that makes creating a variety of fabulous dishes easier than ever. Give in to the lure of Shrimp with Mint Mango Salsa, Quick Corn and Green Chile Chowder, and Grilled Lobster Tail with Lemon Cucumber Salsa. Jane Butel lends her signature style to these mouthwatering dishes and more--Black Bean and Goat Cheese Chalupitas, Grilled Squash Medley with Herbs, Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Chile Cheese Rice, Grilled Lamb with Soft Tacos, and a Spicy Hot Chocolate Mousse that will have your guests in a state of ecstacy. Sound elaborate? These delectable recipes are easy to prepare, often requiring no more than five or six easy-to-find ingredients per dish and taking only twenty minutes to cook. Each recipe contains extensive nutritional information, as well as timesaving ideas, meal planning, and fat-reduction tips. A special entertaining section includes suggested menus for everything from a New Year's Eve party to a Fourth of July fiesta to an All Saints' Day dinner. The superb flavors and subtle delight of Southwestern cooking continue to make it grow in popularity, and Jane Butel is at the forefront of innovative and simply delicious ways to make this wonderful cuisine a big part of your culinary life.

Author Biography

<b>Jane Butel</b>, whose first books on New Mexican and American Mexican food were published in the 1960s, is often credited with starting the Tex-Mex mania. She is the author of more than fifteen cookbooks and is a contributor to the Los Angeles Times, Redbook, and National Geographic Traveler, among others. In addition to managing the Jane Butel Southwestern Cooking School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which Bon Appétit has called among "the best in the U.S.," she continually lectures and conducts cooking classes across the country.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Appetizers	p. 13
Pronto Beef, Pork, Veal, and Lamb	p. 35
Main Dish Salads	p. 49
Southwestern Pizza and Pasta	p. 69
Pollo . . . Poultry, Quick to Please	p. 83
Seafood Southwest--Si, Si!	p. 99
Soup's On!	p. 113
Meal Complements	p. 127
Under Wraps	p. 151
Vegetarian Dishes	p. 171
Sauces, Salsas Galore, and Spicy Pantry Pleasures	p. 185
How Sweet It Is . . . Desserts	p. 207
Beverages - to Sip and Cool Off With	p. 225
Menus	p. 233
Appendix: Mail-Order Sources	p. 241
Index	p. 242
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction
I have had a lifelong love affair with the Southwestern "taste" -- whether you call it Mexican, American Mexican, or Tex-Mex. Many of my happiest childhood memories are of the aromas of chile-laden dishes. I grew up in a food-loving fam-ily where both my mother and grandmother were graduate home economists, so the study of food was a natural. And mastering South-western dishes was a must.

In our gardens, we grew all types of chiles, garlic, herbs, robust tomatoes, and tons of corn, plus beans, squash, melons, and more.

My mother's favorite food was tamales. She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she developed an early taste for them. Not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill variety but really good homemade tamales. When I was a child, we always made them on the first cold Sunday afternoon in the fall for the entire holiday season.

Another strong influence on my young tastebuds was my early introduction to authentic Mexican family cooking. For several years my uncle was in charge of a major American animal health program in Old Mexico. While there, he married a Mexican woman who had a culinary background.

Swiss Chard-Wrapped Salmon
Chard leaves are so big that they make a great wrap.

Cooking Time: 3 to 4 minutes in a microwave oven,
12 to 15 minutes in a convential oven
Yield: 4 servings

4 large leaves Swiss chard, well rinsed
1 pound salmon fillet or steak, bones removed
4 teaspoons minced reconstituted chipotle chiles
1 lime, cut into 8 slices

Place the chard leaves in a plastic bag and cook on high in the microwave oven for about 1 minute, or until they wilt. Or immerse the leaves in rapidly boiling water for about 2 minutes.
Drain the leaves and lay them flat on a work surface. Cut the salmon into 4 equal portions and place one on each leaf.
Place 1 teaspoon chipotles on each fillet and spread as uniformly as possible. Top each fillet with 2 slices of lime. Wrap the chard leaf around the fillings and secure with toothpicks, if needed.
Place the salmon wraps on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and cook in the microwave oven on high power for 2 to 3 minutes, until done (see *Note). The thinner the cut of salmon, the faster it will cook. The salmon should be somewhat shiny in the center for the best flavor.  Serve hot.
                                  
*NOTE: To cook the salmon conventially, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the wraps on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 10 minutes.
                                  
PER SERVING: Calories 182, Protein 22 g., Carbohydrates 3 g,. Fiber 1 g, Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Sodium 155 mg

Zippy Glaze
This glaze is almost too good to believe. I like it with honey as well as molasses for glazing roasted, grilled, or broiled chicken or pork.

Preparation Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup (see *Note)

1/2 cup fragrant-blossom honey, preferably desert honey, such as cactus or mesquite
1 tablespoon crushed red caribe chile
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoons orange zest (optional)

Combine the honey, chile, juice, and zest (if using).
                                  
VARIATION: Use molasses instead of honey for a delicious glaze for pork chops.
                                  
*NOTE: This recipe makes enough for 2 pork tenderloins, 3 or 4 large chicken breasts, or 12 chicken thighs.
                                  
PER SERVING (1/4 recipe): Calories 74, Protein 0 g., Carbohydrates 19 g, Fiber 0 g, Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 2 mg

Margarita Cake
This delicious cake is a fun dessert for an impromptu dinner party. And it is low in calories. You can vary the liquors; rum or bourbon would give it an entirely different flavor. This is a "Sunday Best" recipe.

Baking Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
1 large orange
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons tequila, silver or gold
2 large eggs
1/4 cup skim milk                                        
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
Confectioner's sugar and orange twists, for garnish (optional; see *Note)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a springform pan, or line an 8-inch round pan with wax paper. Use a zester to remove as much zest as possible from the orange, then halve the orange and juice it. Measure the juice, adding water to make 1/2 cup. Combine the orange juice, zest, and sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat and set askide. When cool, add the tequila. Reserve this syrup to use over the cake when done. Do not add to the batter.
In a food processor or blender, combine the eggs, milk, flours, baking powder, and butter. Process until the ingredients are combined, scraping down the sides of the container.
Place the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from teh sides of the pan and springs back when touched with a finger.
If using a springform pan, place the cake, still in the pan, on a plate to catch the drips. Otherwise, transfer the cake from the pan to a plate 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Pierce the top of the cake with a fork in several places, then slowly drizzle the tequila syrup over the cake. Remove the springform pan sides, but not the bottom. Sprinkle the cake with tthe confectioner's sugar and decorate with orange twists, if desired
                                  
*NOTE: To make orange twists, cut an orange in half, then slice each half to rind and twist very thinly. Twist the ends of each slice in opposite directions.
                                  
PER SERVING: Calories 255, Protein 3 g., Carbohydrates 42 g,. Fiber 0 g, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 122 mg  

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Excerpted from Jane Butel's Quick and Easy Southwestern Cookbook by Jane Butel
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