By Bill Dwyer 

This traditional Mexican dish is a favorite at our house. Tostadas can be made using meats other than chorizo, of course –or no meat at all. One tostada makes a good lunch, Two tostadas make dinner. 

Ingredients: 

• 4                      small corn tortillas
• 1                      small tin of refried beans
• 6-8 oz            chorizo con chili
• 1 cup             grated jack cheese, such as Monte Rico
• 4 tbsp           natilla
• 4-5                 lettuce leaves, washed, dried, and shredded
•                         vegetable oil 

For the salsa:

• ½                    medium-size tomato, finely diced
• ½                    medium-size onion, finely diced
• ½                    avocado, finely diced (optional)
• ½ cup           minced fresh cilantro
• ¼ tsp            ground cumin
• ¼ tsp            ground coriander seed (culantro)
•                         juice of ¼ lime
•                         salt, to taste
•                         hot sauce or minced chipotle peppers, to taste (may be omitted if your chorizo is spicy)

Directions: 

1. Mix all of the salsa ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate. The salsa can be made in advance. 
2. Remove the casing from the chorizo and fry it in its own fat until well-done, chopping it into smaller and smaller chunks with the edge of a spoon or spatula as it cooks. Cover and reserve 
3. Pour ¼ inch of vegetable oil into a small skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot enough, place a tortilla on the surface of the oil using tongs. Flip the tortilla over frequently with tongs, frying until crisp. (The oil will stop bubbling when the tortilla is crisp). Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with each tortilla. 
4. In a small pot, heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the refried beans and stir over low heat until the beans are heated through. 
5. Spread each tortilla with a thick coating of refried beans and put them on plates. Cover each tortilla with a layer of chorizo, then a layer of cheese. Add a generous layer of salsa, and top with a heaping tablespoonful of natilla. Sprinkle with shredded lettuce and serve.

This recipe is adapted for ingredients available in Quepos  from Alton Brown’s & is one of my favourites.

Ingredients

• 1 whole egg
• 1 Tbs water
• 1 Tbs butter
• 30 gm dried apple rings or apricots
• 1 whole pork tenderloin, 450 gm
• 100 gm thinly slice prosciutto ham
• 2” chorizo or Italian sausage, casing removed and chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp chopped fresh sage leaves
• ¼ C chopped fresh parsley
• 4 or 5 mushrooms, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, pureed
• ½ c red wine or port
• Table salt & fresh pepper
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 tsp  kosher salt

Directions

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.
2. Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separate pieces. Lay the tenderloin pieces next to each other head to tail, so when laid back together they are the same size at the ends.
4. Melt the butter & sauté mushrooms, onions, & chorizo until the onions are transparent & the chorizo is cooked, 3 – 4 minutes.
5. Add the herbs, garlic, and fruit and cook 2 minutes more.
6. Add red wine and cook until it is absorbed, about 1 minute.
7. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let it cool.
8. Lay out a 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper on the counter and arrange the pieces of prosciutto in the center, overlapping them enough to create solid layer that is as long as the tenderloin. Top with a second piece of parchment, and using a rolling pin, roll over the prosciutto to help adhere the pieces to each other.
9. Remove the top parchment paper and set the tenderloin down the middle of the prosciutto. Spread the mushroom-fruit stuffing in between the 2 pieces of tenderloin and push back together so the stuffing is held between them. Using the parchment paper to assist, wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.
10. Sprinkle the counter with flour and roll out the pastry to 12 by 14 inches. Spread the mustard thinly in the center of pastry and lay the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin in the center of the pastry on the mustard. Fold the puff pastry up and over the top of the tenderloin, then roll to completely enclose, brushing the edges of the pastry with the egg wash in order to seal. Turn the tenderloin over so the side of the tenderloin with the double thickness of pastry is underneath. Pinch the ends of the pastry to seal.
11. Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Place the tenderloin on a parchment lined half sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.
12. Remove the tenderloin from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

The soup that evolved into Gazpacho originated in medieval Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost province, when it was ruled by Moorish caliphs. The original dish bore hardly any resemblance to the soup we now know as Gazpacho. It consisted of a loaf of bread that had been soaked in water and wrung out, then ground with garlic in a mortar and pestle. Olive oil vinegar and water were then added to complete the soup. No doubt this filled the belly, but it doesn’t sound very palatable to me! I’m not surprised that, after Spain re-conquered Andalusia and Columbus brought new fruits and vegetables from the new world, Spaniards soon replaced the water with tomato juice and started adding other ingredients.

Today there are as many variations on gazpacho as there are people who make it. Some recipes (mostly from Europe) still include bread as an ingredient; but just as many leave it out, as I do in my recipe. Some gazpachos are distinctly Mediterranean, while others have a more Latin American savor, like this one.

When I started making gazpacho years ago, I decided to use mixed vegetable juice instead of tomato juice as the base of the soup, since it echoes the flavors of the other ingredients in my recipe. Since I usually make gazpacho for potlucks or parties, this recipe is large, yielding 10 – 12 servings. If you want to make less, simply reduce the proportions.

Ingredients: 

• 1 32-oz. container    V-8 or Mott’s Garden Cocktail mixed vegetable juice
• 1 small tin                  peeled diced tomatoes
• 1 cup                          beef, chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups                         finely diced onion
• 1 cup                          finely diced celery
• 1                                  medium-sized red or green bell pepper
• 3 or 4 cloves           pressed or minced garlic
• 2 cups                         seeded unpeeled cucumber, finely diced
• 1½ cups                     thinly sliced scallions
• 1 tsp                            celery seed
• ½ tsp                           ground cumin
• ¼ tsp                           ground coriander seed (culantro molido)
• ¼ cup                         lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp        olive oil
• 1½                               minced cilantro
• to taste                       salt
• to taste                       your favorite hot sauce (chilero) (I use chipotle.) 

Directions:

1. Pour the mixed vegetable juice, diced tomatoes and stock into a large soup pot.
2. Wash all vegetables (except onions and garlic) in cold water and dry them with a kitchen towel.
3. Sauté the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil until the onions are nearly transparent and the peppers and celery are slightly tender (about 5 minutes). Add them to the pot.
4. Add the cucumbers, scallions and spices to the pot and stir.
5. Place the pot on a stovetop element and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, to bring out the various flavors and blend them. Remove from heat and let stand to reach room temperature. Then refrigerate until cold.
6. Add the minced cilantro, lemon juice (or vinegar) and olive oil.
7. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Alternatively, you could put these seasonings on the table so that each diner can season his or her own serving. (NOTE: It’s important to wait until the soup is cold to add salt and hot sauce, as their intensity is reduced by heat.)
8. Serve in chilled soup bowls.

Other serving suggestions:  There are some other ingredients some people like to add to their gazpacho, and these can be made available at the table:

• a bowl of sour cream (natilla)
• a bowl of diced avocado
• a bowl of lemon or lime wedges
• a bowl of additional minced cilantro
• a bottle of Worcestershire sauce (salsa inglesa)

If it’s a festive occasion, you might provide each diner with a shot of tequila, vodka or guaro, which may be added to the soup (or not).

Diat based his recipe on a simple peasant soup made from potatoes. leeks and water (or chicken stock), a traditional country dish in France, the Low Countries, Britain and Ireland for generations. It was served hot, but Diat recalled that as a child when his mother served leek and potato soup in the summertime, he added cold milk to cool it. He based his famous creation on this childhood memory.  To turn his creation into a gourmet dish worthy of the Ritz he tarted up the recipe a bit: the potatoes were peeled; only the white part of the leeks was used; and rich cream was added, so that the color of the soup would be a uniform creamy white. The soup was then puréed and chilled before serving. It is now made by chefs and home cooks everywhere (including France).

Here’s how to make your own Vichyssoise:

Ingredients: 

3 cups              peeled and diced potatoes

3 cups              sliced leeks (white parts only0

6 cups              chicken stock

½ to 1 cup       heavy cream (crema dulce) or sour cream (natilla)

salt and white pepper, to taste

chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Directions: 

Simmer the vegetables in the stock for 40 – 50 minutes. Purée the soup in small batches in a blender. Stir in the cream. and refrigerate until cold.  Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Serve in chilled soup bowls and garnish each serving.

This soup is very versatile because it is the base for many variations: add raw watercress 5 minutes before removing the pot from the heat. Purée. chill, and you’ve got watercress soup. Add cooked asparagus, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower or tomatoes before puréeing and serve hot or cold.

Next month: Gazpacho!

What could be more fitting for a hot climate like ours than flavorful cold soups? They make a great accompaniment to a sandwich for a light meal, or a nice change from fruit drinks as a refreshing snack.  Over the next few months I’ll be presenting three classic cold soups: vichyssoise from France via USA, gazpacho from Spain and Latin America, and this month’s recipe, beet borscht, from central Europe.

Though borscht is a Yiddish word, beet-based soups are not exclusively Jewish, and are found .in the cuisines of all the Slavic countries as well as Romania, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Scandinavia.  Recipes for borscht often include cabbage, other vegetables and sometimes meat. Kosher borscht is made with either a meat stock (beef or chicken)—meat Kosher, or vegetable stock (or just water)–dairy Kosher.  For me, the quintessential borscht is the following dairy Kosher version.

Ingredients: (makes 4 – 6 servings)

• 1 pound (+/-) fresh red beets
• 4 cups vegetable stock*
• 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt (preferably coarse salt)
• ¼ – ½ tsp white pepper, to taste
• ⅓ cup lemon juice (or a bit less white vinegar or lime juice)
• sour cream (natilla)
• dill or fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions: 

Cut the root ends and greens, if any, from the beets. (If the greens are reasonably fresh, they make an excellent side dish for any meal, prepared as you would spinach or chard.)  Wash the beets and brush or spray them with oil. Wrap them in foil and roast them in an oven at 400ºF (175ºC) for an hour, turning every 15 minutes. If you don’t have an oven, you could roast them in a toaster-oven or a covered barbecue, but you’ll have to monitor them more closely so they don’t burn. Do NOT use a microwave oven!  Allow to cool to nearly room temperature.

Pour the stock into a medium sized soup pot. Add the thyme, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

While the stock is simmering, peel the beets and grate them coarsely into a large bowl.  Add the grated beets and any liquid the grating has produced to the stock. Continue to simmer another 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Using a slotted spoon, remove the thyme sprigs. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve with a generous soup-spoonful of sour cream and garnish with dill or parsley.

 Enjoy!

* If you don’t have vegetable stock on hand, you can substitute water, make your own stock. Quarter a tomato, an onion, a potato into 6 cups of water in a large pot. Slice medium-sized carrot and large celery stalk into 1-inch pieces and add them to the pot. Add a teaspoon of black peppercorns, 2 or 3 whole cloves and 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Boil until the veggies and seasonings have given up their flavor to the liquid. Strain out all the solid ingredients and discard.

Melts are open-face sandwiches, with melted cheese as the common denominator. They are usually made with a meat or seafood salad mixed with cheese. Here is my version of a favourite of ours – the crab melt.

I don’t follow a recipe when I make these, but to write this column and tell you how to make crab melts, I did some measuring as I added ingredient after ingredient. I put each ingredient into a measuring cup without packing them down – just left loose; so keep that in mind as you build your own crab melts. And don’t feel you have to match my measurements exactly – just fairly closely. By the second or third time you make crab melts you probably won’t need to do any measuring.

You can use this recipe to make shrimp, chicken, or even hot-dog melts by substituting the crabmeat.

Ingredients

• 1 six-oz can   crabmeat (Roland white crabmeat is available at Supermas)
• 1 cup               grated radishes
• 1 cup               green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• ½ cup            celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup            cucumber, finely chopped (seeds and pulp removed, but unpeeled)
• 12                    green olives, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp            fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup           mayonnaise
• ¼ cup           Dijon mustard
• salt and white pepper, to taste
• 6 oz                Emmenthal cheese, grated
• 8                      English muffin halves, toasted

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
2. Open the tin of crabmeat over a sieve. Discard the liquid. Place the crabmeat in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add the grated radishes to the crabmeat and stir to combine.
4. Add the green onions, celery, cucumber, and parsley. Toss until evenly combined.
5. In a small measuring cup or bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, pour the dressing over the crab/veggie mixture and toss thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. (At this point you have made a crab salad).
6. Add half of the grated Emmenthal cheese to the salad and stir to thoroughly combine.
7. Pack a mound of the salad/cheese mixture on each of the eight toasted English muffin halves, and place them on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. (If you want to make fewer than eight melts, you can refrigerate the salad/cheese mixture for later use).
8. Top the melts with the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top (about 15 minutes).
9. The melted cheese is very hot so wait a few minutes before serving. Soup is a nice accompaniment.

Roasted Garlic–Red Pepper Dip (1 ½ – 2cups)

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic
• 4 large red peppers
• spray vegetable oil
• ½ C cream cheese
• ½ C plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
• 3 Tbs fresh basil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Remove most of the loose outer skin from the garlic and, while leaving the head intact, chop about ¼ inch off the top (the unattached end) to expose the cloves.
3. Place the garlic, cut side up, with the red peppers evenly spaced on a cookie sheet.
4. Lightly spray the garlic and peppers with oil.
5. Roast the garlic and peppers for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Remove the garlic when it is soft (about 30 min); before the peppers are ready.
7. Turn the peppers several times while cooking. Remove from the oven when their skins turn dark brown and begin to separate from the flesh. Try not to break the skin.
8. When the garlic and peppers have cooled enough to handle, remove and discard the skins, seeds and stems. Strain and save the liquid from the peppers if you can.
9. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Sesame Crackers (makes 96)

Ingredients

• 3 C all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 stick (1/2 C) cold butter cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 C plain yogurt
• 1 ¼ C toasted sesame seeds
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 Tbs soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well mixed.
3. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal. Don’t let the butter melt; chill in the refrigerator if you have to.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt plus 1 C of the sesame seeds until the mixture forms dough.
5. Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a log, 5 – 6 inches long and 1 – 1 ½  inches thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The dough can stay refrigerated for several days before baking.
6. While the dough is chilling, stir together the egg, honey, and soy sauce. This is the glaze for the crackers.
7. Work with one dough log at a time and keep the others refrigerated. Slice 1 log into 12 equal portions. Gently form each portion into a rectangle ¾ inches wide and about 2 inches long.
8. On a floured board or waxed paper, roll out each portion into a 12 X 1 ¼ inch strip.
9. Transfer each strip to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
10. Brush each strip with the egg glaze and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.
11. With a knife or pizza cutter, score the center of each strip to make two 6 inch crackers.
12. Bake 2 cookie sheets at a time in the upper and lower racks of the oven for about 20 minutes. Switch racks halfway through to ensure even baking.
13. Bake until the glaze is golden brown and the crackers are crisp. Watch carefully near the end of cooking and remove individuals as they are ready. They may seem slightly soft at first but will crisp more as they cool.
14. Transfer to cooling racks. They can be kept crispy for several days in an airtight container.

Here’s a quick recipe for Mango Chutney that will last about a month refrigerated & goes great on Curried Chicken Burgers (below). Make the chutney before you start the burgers so it has time to cool to room temperature.

Quick Mango Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 firm, ripe mangoes
• 1/3 C light brown sugar (tapa de dulce)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp salt
• 2/3 C water
• ¼ C raisins
• 2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs cold water
• ½ tsp mustard seed
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice

Method

1. Seed, peel, and cut mango into ¼” pieces
2. Combine the sugar, cumin, pepper flakes, salt, water, raisins and mango.
3. Bring to a boil and cook partially covered over med-high heat for 6 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and while stirring continuously, cook until it thickens. Then remove from heat.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 10 seconds.
6. Add the hot mustard seeds and lemon/lime juice to the mango and mix well.
7. Serve at room temperature. Will last 4 weeks refrigerated.

Curried Chicken Burgers (makes 4)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken (available at the Saturday Farmers Market)
• 1 C fresh bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 mushrooms, finely diced
• ¼ C green onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ Tbs fresh ginger, grated
• ¼ C culantro (cilantro), chopped leaves and stalks
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 1 tsp chilero or pepper sauce
• 1 egg
• ½ – 1 C panko bread crumbs
• sliced Swiss or Emmenthal cheese
• 1 Tbs oil for frying

Method

1. Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the oil for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the culantro and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Combine the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, curry powder, salt, chilero, and mushroom mixture and mix well by hand. Note: The chicken mixture will be very moist and loose. Working with it is a messy process that takes a little practice.
5. Divide the mixture into four and pile each quarter in the middle of a 6”X6” square of wax paper.
6. Spread the Panko evenly in a pie plate.
7. This part is a bit tricky & takes a delicate touch. Very gently turn one of the piles of chicken into the Panko and pat it down into the Panko to coat one side. Using your finger tips, flip the chicken over and pat down to coat the other side. Still using your finger tips transfer the chicken back to the waxed paper and finish forming it into a burger shape.
8. Repeat for the other three burgers. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. This will help to firm them up a little before cooking.
9. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a med-high heat. Pick each burger up by the waxed paper, flip it into your hand, and gently slid it into the oil.
10. Cook each side for 3 minutes.
11. Add the sliced cheese, cover the pan, and cook 1 minute more. The burger will become firm as it cooks and should finish almost as solid as a beef burger.  Make sure the center is not soft (uncooked) before removing.
12. Top with mango chutney and serve on a large bun.

Cabbage rolls are a favorite of mine, having grown up with a Polish mother. I guess that puts them in the category of comfort food for me. It’s a good dish to make here in Costa Rica because the ingredients are both cheap and readily available (except for caraway seeds, which are only sporadically available).

In North America, cabbage rolls are usually made with rice and a combination of ground beef and pork (or just ground beef), with a tomato-based sauce. However, realizing that this Central European dish has peasant origins going back to the early middle ages, I started wondering how they were made back then. Cabbage, of course, was easily grown and could be harvested even past the first frost of winter, and kept well in root cellars. It was also not preferred by the upper classes, so it was left for the peasantry and the pigs. Likewise, beef was reserved for the gentry. Pork was the meat available to peasants, and only the less desirable parts of the pig at that. Rice in the middle ages was an exotic imported grain not grown in Central Europe, but barley and rye were commonplace.  Tomatoes were not introduced into Europe until the discovery of the New World, after which they became very popular and widespread because they were easily grown and could be preserved by canning. I speculate that grated beets were the original ingredient for flavoring the sauce for cabbage rolls. But tomatoes came along early enough for me to consider them an “authentic” ingredient.

So, considering these historical factors, I developed the following recipe, which, if I say so myself, is even more delicious than Mom’s!

Shopping Tips:

1. Buy the largest cabbage you can find.
2. Pork can be ground to order at your carnicería, but their meatgrinders are almost constantly in use producing chorizo and carne molido. I just buy chorizo sin chili instead.
3. Barley is called cebada in Spanish, and can be found in small bags in most grocery stores. You cook it the same way you would cook rice: two cups of water to one cup of barley, simmered in a covered pan until the grain has absorbed all the water.
4. Caraway seeds are sometimes found at SuperMas or Automercado. I’ve also asked visitors from North America to bring some down. The recipe can be made without them, but not if you’ve got Slavic roots! Some people, inexplicably, don’t like them.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cabbage
• 1½ lbs (750g) ground pork or chorizo sin chili
• 1 cup cooked barley
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 or 2 tbsp caraway seeds (optional), and a pinch or two more for the sauce
• 1 cup chicken or other stock
• 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1. Remove the core from the cabbage, leaving the head in one piece. Cook in a large pot of boiling water until the outer leaves can be easily peeled off without tearing (about 15 minutes). Return the cabbage to the pot of (still boiling) water until more leaves can be peeled off. Repeat as needed until you have enough leaves for wrapping 16-18 cabbage rolls.
2. Drain and cool cabbage leaves. Cut the central rib out of each leaf to make them easier to roll. Set aside leaves and coarsely chop the rest of the cabbage, and spread them in a large (9”x”13¨) Pyrex baking dish.
3. Brown the meat and onions together in a large frying pan. (If using chorizo, remove the casings first and break up into smaller and smaller pieces with the edge of a spatula or spoon while it is browning.) Add seasonings. Mix with barley and egg in a large bowl. Put a handful of the meat mixture in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll up. Place in Baking dish seam-side down. Repeat until cabbage rolls are tightly packed together and fill the baking dish.
4. Mix stock, tomatoes and brown sugar and pour over cabbage rolls. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of caraway seeds if desired. Bake at 300ºF for 1½ hours or until cabbage is soft.

Note: Cabbage rolls can be kept frozen indefinitely and reheated in a microwave oven. Leftover cabbage rolls, chopped up and with additional stock and perhaps a chopped roasted beet, make an excellent soup.

Ingredients

• 12 oz pasta (spaghetti or fettuccine)
• 1 ½ Tbs olive oil
• 2/3 C chopped tomato
• 2/3 C chopped red pepper
• 2/3 C chopped onion
• 1C sliced mushrooms
• 12” chorizo sin/without chili (skin removed)
• 1C skim milk
• 1C chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 ½ Tbs butter
• 3 ½ Tbs flour
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 1Tbs dried or 3 Tbs fresh mixed herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram)
• 1 C grated Parmesan, Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 1” cube of blue cheese
• Few drops of Chilero or Tabasco
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Directions

1. Start heating a large covered pot of salted water for the pasta. When it begins to boil, turn it down to a simmer until you’re ready to cook the pasta.
2. In the meantime, warm 1 Tbs of olive oil over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onions, red peppers and mushroom, and stir to cover them with oil.
4. Cover and sweat about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the chorizo to the vegetables and sauté until completely cooked, about 10 minutes, breaking the chorizo up as it cooks. Watch and stir occasionally so nothing burns.
6. While the chorizo and vegetables cook, combine the milk and broth in a small saucepan, and heat until just below boiling. (Or microwave in a large glass measuring cup for 3 minutes).
7. When the chorizo and vegetables begin to brown drain excess oil if there is any. The amount of excess oil depends on your chorizo and there might be none.
8. Add the tomatoes and gently mash them into the mixture. Use the moisture from the tomatoes to scrape up anything that has stuck to the pan.
9. Salt to taste, cover and keep warm.
10. Warm a saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute.
11. Add the butter and swirl above the heat until it is completely melted and stops foaming, don’t let it brown.
12. Add the chopped garlic and sauté gently, don’t let it brown.
13. Add the herbs and sauté for 1 minute.
14. Remove from heat and sprinkle the flour into the oil while stirring.
15. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Don’t let it brown.
16. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the hot milk & broth. Try to avoid creating lumps.
17. Turn up the heat to medium-high and while stirring constantly, slowly heat until the first bubbles appear and the sauce thickens.
18. Immediately remove from heat, stir for 30 seconds and then gradually whisk in all the cheese.
19. When the cheese is completely incorporated into the sauce, stir in the nutmeg, Tabasco, and white pepper. Cover and keep warm, but don’t let it boil.
20. In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Usually 8 – 12 minutes, depending on the ingredients.
21. Plate the pasta, pour the cheese sauce over, and then top with the chorizo. Serve with garlic bread.