MARGARET PROUSE: Food columnist celebrates sister’s birthday with some regional recipes

It’s my sister’s birthday, and, a lot as I’d like to see her in individual, our properties are too far aside for us to have a good time collectively. 

As an alternative, our dinner right now in Prince Edward Island can be impressed by the cooking type of the American southwest, the place she lives. 

Whereas one can by no means exactly outline cuisines, as a result of regional cooks interpret them in several methods and cuisines frequently evolve, there are often commonalities based mostly on the influences from which they’ve grown and the elements which are suited to the native local weather. Southwest fare was influenced by the native American and Mexican cuisines of the early inhabitants, and corn, beans, avocados and chile peppers are extensively utilized in space kitchens. 

In nowadays of journey and mass communication, there are certain to be different influences at play, however these are among the many predominant ones. 

This recipe makes use of typical southwest elements to make a tasty, healthful soup in jig time. I bought this recipe from the very sister whose birthday we’re celebrating. 

20-Minute Tortilla Soup

• 15 mL (1 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 10 mL (2 tsp) chili powder
• 1 mL (¼ tsp) EACH, salt and pepper
• 750 mL (3 cups) vegetable or rooster inventory
• 1 can (796 mL/28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (540 mL/19 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed OR 500 mL (2 cups) 
• cooked black beans
• sprint sizzling pepper sauce
• 1 massive flour tortilla
• 25 mL (2 tbsp) minced recent cilantro or parsley
• 1 avocado, chopped (sprinkled with lime juice if not being served instantly)
• 250 mL (1 cup) grated Monterey Jack cheese 

In a big saucepan or Dutch oven, warmth oil over medium warmth. Fry onion, garlic, zucchini, chili powder, salt and pepper, stirring sometimes till onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add inventory, tomatoes and beans. Deliver to a boil. Cut back warmth, cowl and simmer for quarter-hour. (Make-ahead: let cool for half-hour. Refrigerate till chilly. Cowl and maintain refrigerated in hermetic container for as much as two days or freeze for as much as two weeks. Reheat to serve.)

In the meantime, lower tortilla in half; lower crosswise into skinny strips. In massive skillet, toast tortilla strips over medium-low warmth, stirring usually, till crisp and golden, about eight minutes. (Make-ahead: let cool. Retailer in hermetic container for as much as one week.) Stir in a touch of sizzling pepper sauce. 

Ladle into bowls. Garnish with tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with chopped avocado and shredded cheese on the facet. 

Makes 4-6 servings

To accompany the soup, I’m making these Pepper-Corn Muffins, which incorporate finely-chopped greens to maintain them moist and attractive.  It’s a big recipe, and I’m halving it, however another choice is to make all of the muffins and maintain some within the freezer for later use.  

The recipe initially referred to as for twice as a lot salt, however I decreased it as a result of each the butter and the 2 sorts of cheese provide further salt.

Pepper-Corn Muffins

Tailored from Walters, Lon: Vegetarian Southwest, Northland Publishing, Flagstaff, 1998.

• Oil 36 muffin tins, or line with paper liners.
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 inexperienced bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ purple bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 inexperienced chile, finely chopped
• butter for sautéing
• 110 g (4 oz/¼ lb) butter, at room temperature
• 125 mL (½ cup) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 500 mL (2 cups) bread flour or all objective flour
• 30 mL (2 tbsp)    baking powder
• 15 mL (1 tbsp)    baking soda
• 5 mL (1 tsp) salt (optionally available)
• 500 mL (2 cups) cornmeal
• 250 mL (1 cup) milk
• 280 g (10 oz) grated cheese of your selection
• 110 g (4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, sauté chopped onions, purple and inexperienced peppers and inexperienced chile in butter till tender, then drain and funky.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). 

Cream the 110 g of butter and sugar along with an electrical mixer. Add eggs and proceed to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cornmeal and milk, and proceed to combine. Add sautéed greens and grated cheeses, incorporating them effectively. 

Spoon into ready muffin tins, and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or till flippantly browned.

Makes 24 massive muffins.

Margaret Prouse, a house economist, writes this column for The Guardian each Friday. She might be reached by e-mail at [email protected].