Herbed Cream Cheese with Tuna and Scallions

This recipe is good as a dip for vegetables and crackers. It is also good as a filling for wrap sandwiches.

3 scallions or green onions roughly chopped
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbl fresh
2 tsps lemon juice
8 ounces light cream cheese
6 ounce can of tuna, drained and broken into small chunks
salt and pepper to taste

Process scallions, zest, and basil in a food processor until minced. Add lemon juice and cream cheese; pulse until combined. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in tuna and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate

Turkey Chilaquiles

 

Turkey Chilaquiles

Serves 6

• Prep time:1 hr
• Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

The colloquial translation of chilaquiles is “broken-up old sombrero,” that uses up stale corn tortillas. For the holidays, it is a great way to use up leftover holiday turkey.

For tortilla strips

• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 2 (8-oz) packages corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

For chilaquiles

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (14 1/2-oz) can chicken broth
• 1 1/4 lb shredded cooked turkey meat (4 cups)
• 1 jar of salsa verde (green  or tomatillo salsa) 
• 6 oz Monterey Jack, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 3 oz shredded mexican cheese or crumbled feta

Fry tortilla strips:

• Heat oil in a 3 1/2-quart flameproof nonreactive shallow casserole or deep skillet to 375°F. Fry tortillas in batches, turning occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute, and transfer to paper towels to drain (return oil to 375°F between batches). Carefully pour off all but 1 tablespoon hot oil into a large metal bowl to cool before discarding.

Make chilaquiles:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook onion in oil in casserole over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened. Add broth and turkey and simmer, uncovered, stirring, until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups salsa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and toss with Monterey Jack and tortilla strips. Bake chilaquiles, uncovered, in middle of oven until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Whisk together crème fraîche and milk. Serve chilaquiles topped with crème fraîche, cilantro, and cheese.

Pork Roast with Winter Fruit and Port Sauce

December 2008

Ever dream about bringing an impressive roast to the holiday table with equally impressive ease? Now you can. Stuffing and preparing the pork a day ahead leaves you free to entertain and makes the meat especially flavorful as well. Bacon wrapped around the roast keeps it moist as it cooks. Prunes and dried apricots simmered in Port bring a fruity but not overly sweet intensity to the pork and its sauce.

For stuffing

• 1/4 lb California dried apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 lb pitted prunes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2/3 cup ruby Port
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tart apple such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For roast

• 1 (6-lb) bone-in pork loin roast (10 ribs), frenched, at room temperature 1 hour
• 9 or 10 bacon slices

For port sauce

• 1/2 cup ruby Port
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot

Make stuffing:

• Simmer apricots, prunes, and Port in a small heavy saucepan, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
• Cook onion and shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add apple and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple is just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in apricot mixture and cool.

Stuff and roast pork:

• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
• Make a pocket in center of roast by making a horizontal 1 1/2-inch-wide cut into 1 end of roast with a long thin knife, repeating from opposite end so pocket runs all the way through. Then make a vertical cut through center (forming a cross) to widen pocket. Push about 1 cup stuffing into pocket using a long-handled wooden spoon (you may need to stuff from both sides if roast is long). Reserve remaining stuffing for sauce.
• Season roast with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Wrap with bacon, between rib bones, tucking ends under roast. Roast pork 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 325°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of roast (do not touch bone or stuffing) registers 155°F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours total.
• Transfer roast to a cutting board, reserving pan, and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of meat will rise to about 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)

Make sauce:

• Skim fat from pan drippings and reserve 1 1/2 Tbsp fat. Straddle pan across 2 burners and add Port to drippings, then deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
• Cook shallot in reserved fat in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in pan juices, 1 1/4 cups water, and reserved fruit stuffing and bring to a simmer. Whisk together arrowroot and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth, then whisk into sauce with any juices from cutting board.
• Simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carve roast into chops by cutting between ribs, then serve with sauce.

Cooks’ notes:

• Stuffing can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.
• Uncooked roast improves in flavor if stuffed, seasoned, and wrapped with bacon 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Start to finish time: 3 1/2 hours
• Serves 8