Ginger Chutney

2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 dried red chili, seeded
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
1 Tb. tamarind paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
handful cilantro
1/4c. shredded coconut

Sautee red chili, ginger, and tamarind in oil. When ginger is cooked (light brown), remove from pan. Sautee tomato and coriander leaves together for a few minutes. Add ginger mixture and tomato mixture together in a food processor, add coconut. Add salt and blend until smooth, adding water as needed.

Enjoy with dosa or iddly.

Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

Recipe

I bought oyster mushrooms from the farmer's market this weekend, and I found this great recipe while I was browsing my fave food site, Tastespotting. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I did cook the mushrooms in butter instead of oil. I also cooked the tofu longer than called for, until it was turning dark brown and a little crunchy. The stir-fry was fabulous. The flavors were just amazing, and I could have eaten seconds....and thirds! I served it with brown rice instead of white.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 pint strawberries with stems/leaves, washed and dried
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (If you don't have a double boiler, see tip below) Hold each strawberry by the stem, and swirl in melted chocolate until bottom half of strawberry is coated. After swirling, set strawberry on its side on waxed paper and allow chocolate to set (about 30-60mins). Enjoy!

Tips: I don't have a double boiler, so I took a small pot and found a bowl that would fit on top of it. I filled the bottom 2" of the pot with water, and brought it to a boil. Then I turned off the heat and set the bowl (with chocolate in it) on top of the pot. The heat from the steam slowly melted the chocolate.

I think these will only keep for about a day in the fridge. Between three of us, we had no problem finishing them in a day! I'm already craving more!

Migas

This recipe is my favorite Tex-Mex version of an omelet or scrambler. The key ingredient is crispy, fried corn tortilla strips. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2 corn tortillas, cut thin strips
5 eggs
2 tb. milk
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 ripe avocado
handful pepper jack cheese (shredded)
handful cilantro
salsa
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a skillet, heat 2 Tb. olive oil over med-hi heat and stir in tortilla strips. Add a pinch of salt and fry tortillas until they become slightly crispy. Remove from skillet. In hot skillet combine olive oil, jalapenos, and onion. Fry until onion is translucent and fully cooked. Beat eggs and milk together and add to skillet, stirring frequently. When eggs are still cooking, but almost ready, stir in the tortillas and cook another minute or so, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet and serve garnished with pepper jack cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and salsa.

My husband became addicted to migas the first time we had them at a brunch in Austin. He has been looking for them in restaurants everywhere we go, and usually ends up disappointed that the migas in Wisconsin are nothing like the migas we had in Austin. I tried to recreate that wonderful meal in Austin and my husband finally gave me the "oooh, these are soooo good" look (It took three different attempts to get it right!). Well, this is my celebration of Cinco de Mayo....Tex-Mex style.