When I saw the Mojo de Ajo episode of Mexico: One Plate at a Time I knew I had to make it. Rick Bayless calls it liquid gold and made several recipes with it on the show. His daughter even used it on popcorn!

This recipe is especially good as I always have shrimp, pasta and chiptles in adobo available.  I made the mojo a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit time consuming to peel four heads of garlic. No matter how good my aim is skins always end up on the floor. After that you just slow roast the garlic in olive oil and add lime juice. Your house will smell wonderful!

The shrimp dish has amazing depth of flavor and was not too spicy for my pepper averting boyfriend. And once you have the mojo made this couldn't be easier.

I've posted both recipes below.

Slow Roasted Garlic Mojo

Ingredients

Directions

 

Garlicky Linguine with Seared Shrimp, Chipotle and Queso Anejo

Ingredients

Directions

This is definitely going on my regular rotation!!!

The chicken was moist and the sauce was creamy with a bit of tang. The recipe calls for the chicken to be pounded into paillards but I felt like skipping that step. They probably would have cooked faster but other than that I didn't see the point.

Jim thought the cauliflower was potatoes. Hahaha. I've made the South Beach diet version but I like these better. Definitely a great side dish.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce
Eating Well  December 2005 January/ 2006

4 servings | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped chives, (about 1 bunch)

Preparation

1. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.
4. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 244 Calories; 9 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 72 mg Cholesterol; 1 g Carbohydrates; 26 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 679 mg Sodium; 334 mg Potassium
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

From EatingWell:  February/March 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005)

4 servings, 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving : 107 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 3 mg Cholesterol; 10 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 339 mg Sodium; 288 mg Potassium
 

1. Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a large container with a lid or a large freezer bag, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the chicken to the brine, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and no more than 6.
2. Set up a steamer on the stove. Drain the chicken and discard the brine. Put the chicken in the steamer basket (if you are using a stacking Chinese-style bamboo steamer, put the legs in the bottom level and the breast on the top). Turn the heat to medium and set the lid of the steamer ever so slightly ajar. Steam the chicken for 40 minutes, then remove it from the steamer and put it on a cooling rack to cool. Chill it in the refrigerator, preferably on the rack, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you fry it.
4. In a deep skillet, heat enough oil for the chicken to be submerged to 375F. Fry the chicken in batches, turning once, until the skin is deep drown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. Cut the chicken into a few pieces: cut the wing from the breast, cut the breast in half, cut through the knee to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Put in a large bowl, toss with the vinaigrette, and serve hot.

 

I really wish I could try these at the Momofuku restaurant for a point of reference. I know people who have and they've said they couldn't stop eating them and even had dreams about them. With endorsements like those how could I not try the recipe in the book?

The verdict....

Holy crap are they ever good!!!! David Chang's are probably better but my little buggers are addictive! I'm really glad I only kept 4 buns out and sent the rest of them and the meat to the freezer. These are totally worth the full day commitment and there's plenty of inactive time to get things like laundry and housework done.

I made the pork in the early morning. The pork recipe is really simple.Rub, bake, refrigerate and slice.

The buns were a bit trickier for me because I sucked at rolling them into the perfectly formed clamshell buns in the book. I used my food scale which helped and despite their non uniformity they still tasted good.

Chang says cutting the recipe in half doesn't work. That's OK because we'll definitely finish these off and I'll make another batch.

Full recipe and picture of Chang's prettier bun is HERE. I think these directions for the buns are a bit easier than in the book. I also used my bamboo steamer. I also should have stuffed mine with more pork belly.

It doesn't mention to quick pickle the cucumber slices, which I thought added more flavor than plain cukes. All you do is slice 2 kirby cukes into 1/8 inch slices (the mandoline is my friend here). Toss with 1 tbs sugar and 1 tsp salt. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Taste and if the slices are too salty or sweet, rinse in a colander and taste again and adjust sugar or salt and let sit for an additional 5-10 minutes Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

 This is fantastic even without the sardines! And healthy. I used the sardines since I've overcome my ambivalence. I actually like them now. I do prefer Crown Prince Brisling in olive oil as they are milder.

I marinated the stinkers in the dressing while I was chopping the vegetables. And I used grape tomatoes because regular tomatoes are gross when they're out of season. The salad was great in a pita or you could serve it on a bed of greens. Or just eat it as it is.

Recipe courtesy of Eating Well Magazine May/June 2010.

The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad—tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette—pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil. Serve with: Warm pita bread and a cold beer.