Rio Grande Fritter Cakes Recipes

CRISPY MASHED POTATO CAKES

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes and add to a large pot. Cover with water and salt the water. Bring to boil over medium heat, and cook until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to hot pot to dry. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. Soften cream cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave the cream cheese for 20 seconds on high. Add to the potatoes along with sour cream, scallions, zest, egg, salt and pepper, to taste. Mash potatoes to combine mixture.
• Heat the oil and butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop 2-inch mounds of potatoes into skillet and gently press down to flatten a bit. Crisp potatoes until deeply golden on each side, about 7 to 8 minutes total. Mixture makes 8 golden cakes.

HERE'S THE OUTLAW CHEF'S "RIO GRANDE CORNBREAD"

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium-high.
• Grill the corn until slightly charred black in some areas and has good color. Remove the corn from the grill to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut the kernels off the cob. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add about 1/8-inch of bacon fat to a 10-inch cast iron skillet and put it in the oven to heat up. While this is going on, mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl add the cornmeal, reserving about 1/8 cup, the salt and the baking soda. When the oil is hot, remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle the bottom with the reserved 1/8 cup of cornmeal. Stir it into the oil and return the skillet to the oven to brown the cornmeal. In a large bowl add the eggs, creme mexicana, corn, chiles, water, remaining bacon fat and the onions. When the cornmeal roux is nice and brown, remove the skillet from the oven and pour in half of the batter. It should sizzle a little in the hot bacon fat. Now sprinkle the goat cheese evenly across the top of the first layer of batter. Gently pour in the remaining batter, being careful not to upset the layers, and bake until the top is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving

BACON WRAPPED BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAKS WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE CAKES

Steps:

• Defrost spinach in microwave. Wring spinach dry by nesting in kitchen towel and twisting towel over garbage bowl or sink until spinach has given off all of its liquid. Place spinach in a medium mixing bowl. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil and onion and saute the onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add onion to spinach in bowl and return pan to stove top. Turn off heat.
• Add remaining ingredients to spinach: bread crumbs, cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Combine mixture with a fork, then form into 3-inch patties. Set aside.
• Line bacon up on meat-safe cutting board a few inches apart. Preheat a second skillet over high heat. Reheat the spinach cakes skillet over medium high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper and set on bacon slices in the center of each slice. Wrap bacon over steaks. Place seam side down in pan and cook 2 minutes on each side. Add 2 tablespoons oil to spinach cakes pan and set cakes in to cook. Work in 2 batches if necessary. Cook cakes 3 minutes on each side.
• Reduce heat to medium under steaks after the first 2 minutes on each side. Cook meat another 6 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, for medium rare to medium well doneness.
• Remove meat from the pan and let it rest. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and flour and cook together 1 minute. Whisk in wine and deglaze pan. Whisk in broth and thicken sauce 1 minute. Add remaining tablespoon butter and remove skillet from heat.
• Quarter tomatoes lengthwise.
• To serve, set the spinach cakes and steaks beside each other on 2/3 of serving plates and pour sauce evenly over steaks. Scatter a quartered tomato next to spinach cakes on each plate. Drizzle tomatoes with oil, season with salt and pepper and top with chopped chives. Serve plates immediately.

CHICKEN SUIZAS QUESADILLA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan to medium-high or heat an outdoor grill.
• Peel and rinse the tomatillos. Halve the tomatillos and thread onto metal skewers along with the onions, peppers and garlic. Spray the skewered ingredients with cooking spray and grill for 15 minutes. Scrape the charred ingredients into a food processor and add the cilantro, the lime zest, lime juice, honey, cumin and salt, to taste. Process to form a sauce - if too thick, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water. Add the chicken and the sauce to a large bowl and toss together.
• Char the tortillas on a grill or over a flame burner. Spray a cake pan with cooking spray, then add a tortilla and top with 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 4 rounded teaspoon-sized dollops of creme fraiche or sour cream and some shredded Swiss and Monterey Jack. Add another tortilla and continue to build until you have 4 layers of chicken and cheese ending with a tortilla. Spray the top tortilla with cooking spray and put the pan in a preheated 400 degree F oven or on an outdoor grill with the lid down to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes. Put a plate over the pan and invert it onto a cutting board. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

CRACKED CORN AND CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter. Stir cheese, corn, and scallions into packaged mixed corn muffin batter.
• Pour batter into baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.