Kids Dish

Despite my best intentions, with the heat and humidity I haven’t much felt like cooking in my swelteringly hot kitchen the past couple of weeks. That’s not to say I haven’t- I’ve cooked plenty. I just haven’t really wanted to, so none of the meals I’ve cooked have stood out. I ordered tomatillos in my CSA share, a vegetable I’d never cooked with before, and I wanted to find a recipe to showcase them. After flipping through a couple of different cookbooks and browsing online for a while I found a recipe for Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Two Salsas in my Bon Appétit cookbook. I had all of the fresh, seasonal vegetables the recipe called for at home and a quick trip to the grocery store got me the ingredients I was missing- Ancho chilis for the red salsa, cilantro for the green, and flour tortillas.

The two salsas really made the meal. The red salsa is made with dried Ancho Chilis and tomatoes, and the green salsa is made with tomatillos and cilantro. The salsas didn’t take long to make at all, and if you can make them a day or two ahead of time because they taste better after sitting for a while. If you’re not up to making the salsas you can buy jarred salsas at the market, usually in the ethnic aisle by the Mexican food. If you buy them, check out the ingredients on the label. Try to find a tomato salsa that’s made with ancho or chipotle chilis so you don’t miss out on the smoky flavor.

Grilled vegetables, brushed with a seasoned oil mixture, are the stars of this recipe. Grill them until they’re tender and browned on both sides, layer them on crispy flour tortillas and top them with the two salsas. I also added shredded cheese and a dollop of low fat sour cream. While my husband took charge of the grilling I made Mexican rice (to ensure Sam would eat something if he didn’t like the grilled veggies) and heated up a can of organic black beans for protein. The recipe calls for frying the tortillas in oil but I’d recommend just throwing them on the grill to crisp them.

Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Two Salsas
from Bon Appétit

Grilled Vegetables

3/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I used less)
3 large zucchini, cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

12 large oyster mushrooms ( I skipped the mushrooms)
1 large onion, cut into thin rounds

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Mix olive oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in large bowl. Pour 1/4 cup oil mixture into small bowl and reserve. Add zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant to oil mixture in large bowl; toss to coat.

Grill zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant in batches until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet. Cover with foil. Brush mushrooms and onion rounds with reserved 1/4 cup oil mixture. Grill until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet with other vegetables.

The salsa recipes are after the jump.

Tomatillo Salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh tomatillos,* husked, quartered
2/3 cup canned vegetable broth

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatillos; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 8 minutes.

Blend tomatillo mixture and cilantro in food processor until almost smooth. Transfer to bowl. Mix in chili powder. Season with hot pepper sauce and salt. Cover; chill up to 2 days.

Tomato-Chili Sauce
2 large dried ancho chilies

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes

2 green onions, finely chopped (I used a regular onion)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Place chilies in bowl. Cover with hot water. Soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Cut open; scrape out seeds. Cut off stems and coarsely chop chilies.

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and peel. Cut in half; squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes.

Combine chilies and 3/4 cup tomatoes in processor; puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Mix in remaining tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, garlic, sugar and cumin. Season with salt. Cover; chill up to 1 day.

Tortillas
Line a baking sheet with paper towels, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until very hot, and fry the tortillas (I use whole wheat) for about 30 seconds on each side until crisp. Drain them on paper towels, move to a clean baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven.

I used a toaster oven to keep them warm, but the next time I make this I’m definitely going to crisp the tortillas on the grill, rather than messing around with frying them indoors.