La Boca – Santa Fe

I haven’t written about restaurants in awhile, despite visiting some good ones, but I loved this one so much that I had to document it here.

On a weekend trip to Santa Fe, we had dinner at La Boca, a tapas restaurant in the historic area near the plaza. I almost could not decide what to try because so many things looked good. We ended up sharing 3 plates:

Trio of 3 spreads with flatbread:
- Carrot/garbanzo hummus with cumin
- Fire roasted eggplant puree
- Mint-feta cheese spread
Mashed butternut squash with melted manchego cheese and pumpkin seeds
Panko fried calamari

There were many other items that looked amazing as well, such as:

Bruschetta with mushrooms and truffle oil
Roasted artichokes with Spanish goat cheese, orange zest and mint
Fried potatoes with sea salt and olive oil, served with roasted garlic aioli
Mediterranean salad with figs, olives, feta, honey viniagrette, and greens
Panko crusted fried oysters
Canneloni with lump crab, scallops and manchego cream
Spiced lamb kebab with mint yogurt and cucumber salad
Hangar steak and grilled shrimp with manchego creamed spinach

See what I mean? I think I should visit again for about a week and eat there every night till I’ve tried it all. Well….that might be a little crazy. But the food is simply amazing.

Hummus

Finally I find a hummus recipe that is tasty and lower fat (It replaces the olive oil and most of the tahini with nonfat yogurt).

1 can chickpeas, drained
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Blend all ingredients in food processor. Adjust seasonings to taste.

You could vary this by adding roasted red pepper or caramelized onions.

Chocolate Red Wine Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups dry red wine
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Iced pumpkin cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients (flour through salt) and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until combined; add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Remove onto rack to cool and once cooled, spread with icing.

Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cranberries

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined. Add next 5 ingredients. Fold in cranberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

The original recipe I found said it made 12 muffins but I got about 18 out of this. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries, or dried ones if you reconstitute them by placing them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.

Pasta with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

I adapted this from something I read in Cooking Light.

4 strips bacon
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound rotini (or other pasta if you want)
2 ears fresh corn
1 zucchini
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water about 10 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from the pan, crumble, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add the olive oil to the remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the corn, zucchini and tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes or until the tomatoes burst. Add the cooked pasta and cheese and stir until combined. Serve with more cheese.

You could add some mozzarella cheese if you like at the end with the pasta, if you like your pasta dishes cheesier. I think as a light summer dish it is better without.

Corn and Lobster Chowder

2 (10 ounce) frozen uncooked lobster tails, thawed, or 1 pound freshly cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces
8 cups frozen yellow corn kernels, thawed
3 cups chicken broth
8 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup peeled finely diced carrots
2/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups bottled clam juice
1 1/2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
6 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

If using thawed frozen lobster tails, cook in pot of boiling water until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cool. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells open. Remove lobster meat; cut into bite-size pieces. Discard shells.

Puree 4 cups corn with 1 1/4 cups broth in processor until almost smooth.

Saute bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions to pot; saute until light golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn; saute 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and cayenne; saute until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add clam juice and 1 3/4 cups broth; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in corn puree and whipping cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Lobster, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill lobster and bacon separately. Cool soup slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Remove soup from heat; stir in sour cream.

Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and saute just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with lobster pieces, bacon, and chives and serve.
Yield: 8 servings

Jerk-Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Mango-Habanero Sauce

I got this from my new Bobby Flay cookbook, Boy Gets Grill, which I highly recommend. Lots of inventive things to cook on the grill and many of them have plenty of heat and spice, which we love. You could also use the jerk rub and sauce on a pork loin; actually I think I almost like that better. Be careful working with habaneros as they are just about the hottest pepper there is. After chopping them, I scrubbed my hands like a surgeon.

Jerk Rub
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Rub the skin side of 8 chicken thighs with the rub and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat the grill to medium heat and grill the thighs, skin side down for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the chicken, close the cover of the grill and move the chicken to the side (or cooler part) of the grill. Continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes or until completely cooked through. Remove to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving

Mango-Habanero Sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped (I only used one).
1 habanero, chopped
1 cup white wine vinegar
Salt

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, mangoes, habanero and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or vinegar. Season with salt.

Smoky Red Pepper and White Bean Dip

This is a great high protein snack with no fat.

2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chipotle puree
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper

Combine peppers, vinegar, and chipotle puree in a food processor and process till smooth. Add the beans and garlic and process until smooth. Add the honey and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla chips.

* Can use 1 pound dried beans, soaked and cooked, in place of canned beans.
* Can used fresh red peppers that you have roasted. I find that to be a huge pain and jarred peppers cost pretty much the same, so I’ve sworn off roasting my own red peppers.
* For chipotle puree, take 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce and process till smooth. It keeps quite a while in the refrigerator. You can adjust the amount of puree if you want more or less heat.
* Would also be good with pita chips or grilled pitas (if you’re grilling meat or veggies, just throw the pitas on there too).

Butternut squash/goat cheese gratin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-oz can fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 cup lowfat milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium butternut squash, cut into 1 inch square by 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 3-quart gratin dish.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the milks, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the squash and half of the pecans and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Transfer half of the squash mixture to the prepared gratin dish. Dot with half of the goat cheese. Cover with the remaining squash mixture and sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the top.

Bake until the squash is very tender, the liquid is mostly absorbed, and the top is golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.