Talking Hats and Pepper Enchiladas

"You're the one with the hat that didn't say anything."
"You must know some pretty talkative hats."-Two for the Seesaw (1962)

In this movie based on a play, Two for the Seesaw,  the two main characters are played by Shirley Maclaine and Robert Mitchum.  It is very much about the developing relationship between two people using hats as an introduction.  They meet in Manhattan and each are trying to put their lives back together.  It is an interesting character study but as a movie I did not think it was "the whole enchilada".

The roasted pepper enchiladas we had last night were "the whole enchilada".  So many lovely subtle flavors in this dish.  I adapted the recipe from one of Rick Bayless's in Mexico, One plate at a Time.  He used roasted poblano peppers and spinach.  I had red bell peppers and a very ripe tomato. The addition of milk to make a slightly creamy sauce was the same.

Roasted Red Pepper Enchiladas

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups chicken stock
3 large red bell peppers
1 big ripe tomato
1 cup milk
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
12 corn tortillas
grape seed oil for frying
guacamole;  2 ripe avocados smashed with juice of 1 lime, 1 tbs. chopped cilantro and a pinch of sea salt 


Poach the chicken thighs very gently in the chicken stock for 20 minutes.  Remove the thighs and let cool, reserving the stock.  

Roast the bell peppers over a flame until the skin is completely blackened.  Place the peppers in a bowl, cover with cling film and let them steam for 10 minutes.  When they are cool enough to handle remove the blackened skin, seeds and ribs from the inside of the peppers.  Cut two of the peppers into big chunks and put in a saucepan with a cup of the reserved stock.  Let simmer to finish cooking the peppers.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tbs. chopped cilantro.


Prick the tomato with the point of a knife and place in boiling salted water for one minute.  Remove the skin, coarsely chop and add to the bell pepper mixture.  When the peppers are tender and the tomato has dissolved into the sauce, puree with a hand blender.  Mix the cup of milk with 1/4 cup of the reserved stock and add to the pureed peppers.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly.

Heat about 1" of the grape seed oil in a small cast iron pan just big enough to fit the tortillas.  When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas one at a time for 30 seconds on each side.  Work quickly, you don't want them crispy.  Drain on a brown paper bag.


To prepare the filling, shred the cooked chicken.  Finely dice the remaining bell pepper and mix with the shredded chicken along with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and 1 tbs. of the chopped cilantro.  Season with a pinch of salt.


To form the enchiladas, put some of the sauce in a shallow dish big enough for dipping the tortillas.  Coat a tortilla on both sides with the sauce, fill with about 2 tbs. of the filling, roll it into a cigar shape and put seam side down into a rectangular baking dish big enough to hold all twelve enchiladas.  Assemble the rest of the enchiladas in the dish and pour over the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.


Garnish with homemade guacamole and sour cream.  Serve with baked black beans and a green salad.


Now that is the whole enchilada.


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The Eligible Bachelor and Carrot Salad

"That girl is as nervous as a cat."
Response from hard of hearing Aunt, "Yes, she always looked curious in a hat."- The Eligible Bachelor with Sherlock Holmes

Can you imagine if they were playing telephone?  Curious, as in 'What's that?' or funny looking in a hat?  Well it was all nonsense and did not help Mr. Holmes solve the case of murder.

I came across a curious recipe recently. I was looking for something to make with a big bunch of organic carrots.  These were the fat tipped ones that have great flavor.  Jamie Oliver had a recipe for carrot and avocado salad.  This is my version.

Carrot and Avocado Salad

serves 4 people

8-10 big fat-tipped heirloom organic carrots
1 tsp. cumin seeds1 tbs. chopped cilantro
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 orange, cut in half
1 lime, cut in half
2 ripe avocados
1 cup micro-greens

Wash, peel and cut the carrots in half lengthwise.  Cook for 8-10 minutes in boiling salted water until just tender.  While the carrots are cooking, prepare the marinade.  In a mortar and pestle,  grind the cumin seeds with the chopped cilantro, olive oil, vinegar and sea salt.  


When the carrots are cooked and still hot, toss them into the marinade.  Put them in a single layer in a baking dish big enough for them and the orange and lime halves, cut side down.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.  Make a dressing with the juice of the cooked orange and lime and a little olive oil.  Cut the avocado into bite sized pieces, cut the carrots into big chunks and gently mix with the avocado.  Arrange on 4 plates, top with a small handful of the micro-greens and pour over the orange and lime dressing.  Finish with a drizzle of really good olive oil.

A curious carrot salad, and very tasty.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.   

Philip Marlowe and Sauted Cucumbers

"On the smooth brown hair was a hat that had been taken from its mother too young."  -Philip Marlowe, The Little Sister

Raymond Chandler sure had his own way with words.  In this one sentence we have a picture of what this new client of his detective, Philip Marlowe's, was like.  A young woman trying to look older but only looking as if she were dressed in her mother's clothes.  Philip Marlowe summed her up in one look.  He was super cool.  As cool as a cucumber.

Cucumbers are also cool.  One of my new favorite ways to eat them is hot after being sautéd in butter.  A really good side dish for fish or lamb chops.  I successfully grew cucumbers this year and there is nothing like them freshly picked.  They stay a little crunchy when you cook them.

Sautéd Cucumbers


Serves 2 people


1 large or 2 small cucumbers
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)
sea salt


Peel the cucumbers.  Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Halve again and cut into 2"-3" lengths.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan with the olive oil.  Add the cucumbers and sauté until tender.  Season with sea salt.  They can be served at this point or if you want a little more sauce add the chicken stock and cook for a few minutes until it reduces and thickens.

Philip Marlowe and cucumbers.  Both pretty cool.


To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

The Cheshire Cat and Colorful Coleslaw

"I really do love that hat...I'll wear it to all the finest occasions." -Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

The Cheshire Cat does have a chance to wear the Mad Hatter's top hat.  He actually saves the Mad Hatter's life while wearing it.  That hat had really been on an adventure.  It had been re-trimmed with a luxurious satin ribbon and sported some very fine hat pins.  When the Cheshire Cat had to give back the hat, his parting words were, "Goodbye, sweet hat."

I wonder what fine occasions the Cheshire Cat was talking about.  He had a way of appearing and disappearing whenever he wanted to.  Say he made an appearance at a summer picnic.   And he was wearing the hat and eating coleslaw.  Very colorful coleslaw...it was wonderland after all.

Colorful Coleslaw

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small head purple cabbage, shredded
1 bunch rainbow carrots, grated
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped parsley

dressing; whisk together 1/2 cup mayonaise, 1/2 cup creme fraiche, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbs. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. fennel seeds, 1 tsp. sea salt

In a big mixing bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, cranberries and parsley.  Pour over the dressing and toss together.  Let marinate for at least an hour before serving, stirring a couple of times.

This coleslaw is colorful enough for a fine occasion, to be eaten outside with hats on.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

The Mad Hatter and Fried Chicken Legs

"Everyone can get a horse and carriage, but the absolute best way to travel is by hat." -Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland

This would sound silly if it weren't spoken by the Mad Hatter.  Nothing is as it seems in Wonderland and traveling by hat is indeed how Alice gets to the palace of the Red Queen of Hearts.

In my house there were very mixed reviews of the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland.  I finally saw it and loved it.  Especially the heads floating in the moat...that was creepy.  There were a couple of good hat scenes where the Mad Hatter was making hats and trying them on the Queen.  His hat has a major part in the movie.

So Alice traveled by hat. She did not have to use her legs when it came to covering a great distance.  Should I say her legs reminded me of chicken legs.  No that would be mean.  Now I am thinking of chicken legs.  And frying them.

Fried Chicken Legs

serves 2 people

5-6 chicken drumsticks
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour
1tbs. salt
grape seed oil for frying

Marinate the chicken drumsticks in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat about 3" of grape seed oil to 325 degrees in a heavy pot with high sides.  Mix the flour and salt in a shallow dish and coat the chicken with the flour right before frying.  Work in small batches.  Fry the chicken on all sides until golden brown.  Transfer to a rack on a sheet pan in  the hot oven.  When all the chicken is done leave it in the oven for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with a green salad.

Eating crunchy fried chicken legs and traveling by hat...both good.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
    

The Doll's Hat and Little Zucchini Cakes

"The entire gamut of female cussedness reduced and confined to a few spare inches of hat." -New York Sunday Mirror, Spring 1938

Hats became almost miniature in the Spring of 1938.  They were called "Doll's Hats".  Apparently men hated them.  I wonder why they elicited such a strong opinion.  Of course the thing about hats is everyone has an opinion about them.  But this is not a very nice one. 

At the New York World's Fair in the 1930's, a copper time capsule was sealed to be opened in 5,000 years.  The hat chosen to be put in the capsule and to represent the 1930's turned out to be the "Doll's Hat".  A miniature purple and green hat with a veil and purple ostrich feathers was made by famed milliner Lilly Daché.  

There is a resurgence today of the "Doll's Hat".  They have a new name, "fascinators".  A few inches of hat.  You can top them with almost anything.  If I relate that to food I think of little zucchini cakes.  A few inches of goodness and top them with almost anything.

Little Zucchini Cakes

makes 8-2" cakes


2-6" zucchini, grated
1 tbs. Zazu & Violets' all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten-free flour for dredging
grape seed oil for frying


Mix together the zucchini, flour, and salt.  Let sit for 5 minutes then form into 2" patties.  Heat grape seed oil in a skillet, enough to just cover the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot and working quickly, lightly dredge the patties in the flour and lay in the hot pan.  Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels. 

Let the zucchini cakes cool a bit.  Top with creme fraiche and chopped chives or smoked salmon and horseradish cream.  Try finely sliced cucumbers mixed with yogurt for a refreshing topping.

These little zucchini cakes are a few inches of goodness just like the "Doll's Hat".

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

My Coco and GF Tofu Burgers

"She likes dresses with no corsets, shoes with no heels, and hats with no feathers.  That's my Coco..."

When she was very young Coco Chanel had a relationship with a wealthy fellow named Étienne Balsan.  He was amused by her because she did not follow the fashion of the time.  She borrowed his clothes, refused to ride sidesaddle and wore plain straw boater style hats with no feathers.  That was the beginning of the new Chanel look.

She might have also liked burgers with no beef.  Like tofu burgers.  I just discovered firm sprouted tofu.  The sprouting makes it alive and easier to digest.  Once you add all the fixings, it is a delicious burger substitute.

Tofu Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 14 oz. square of firm sprouted tofu
olive oil
4 gluten-free buns, lightly toasted
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin and caramelized
1 cup grated English cheddar cheese
sliced pickles
1 cup micro-greens
2 tbs. mayonaise mixed with 1 tbs. mustard

Cut 4-3/4" slices across the widest part of the block of tofu.  Using a biscuit cutter a little bigger than your buns cut the slices into circles.  Pat dry.  Sprinkle a little salt on the tofu circles.  Save the scraps of tofu to crumble into a salad.  

Heat 1/4" of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet big enough for the 4 circles of tofu.  Fry the tofu on both sides until golden brown, adding the cheese to the second side.  Slather the buns with the mustard-mayo mixture.  Put the tofu burgers on the buns and top with the pickles and micro-greens.


No corsets, no heels, no feathers and no meat.  


To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.