Cooking & Conversation: March 2013

Casa Rio, The Riverwalk

Doug and I found a wonderful Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. I ordered this colorful, tasty salad for lunch and wanted to duplicate it. I made this salad last night for supper. It is snowing and 29 degrees in Iowa, so it is just not the same as sitting along the Riverwalk in San Antonio enjoying the bright, colorful, sunny Southwest on a 94 degree afternoon. Much of the flavor of the food comes from the colorful culture of San Antonio. I do have to return to the colors of Texas culture.

Ensalada de Colores

ENSALADA DE COLORES Mixed Greens with Citrus Sections, Red Bell Pepper, Avocados, Red Onions and Our Lime Vinaigrette House Dressing

CasaRio River House

Over the centuries, all who found their way to this area have been blessed by the river and the abundance of life that its water has provided. For the native American hunters and gatherers, the numerous deer, bear, mountain lions, alligators, raccoons, squirrels, cats, coyote and javelinas provided ample meat along with fish and water fowl.

The Spaniards, exploring their way north out of Mexico through deserts and semi-arid South Texas, found the timber, fertile soil, and clear water well suited for their purposes of settlement and colonization. The river, first named St. Anthony de Padua, was soon diverted into channels and acequias for irrigation of fields and household use.

The first bridge built to span the river was here at Commerce Street. The priests at the Alamo were afraid the easy access by the soldiers from the garrison would endanger the women of the mission. The bugle call of "El Deguello", from Santa Anna's army came from these banks. It signaled, no quarters, utter destruction, and no mercy for the defenders of the Alamo.

As the mission period gave way to a more established society, the river was used for numerous bath houses natatoriums, breweries, and mills. San Antonio began a romance with the river with festivals, fairs, parties and picnics on the banks.

The restaurant founded in 1946 by Alfred F. Beyer, sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. The Spanish Colonial period hacienda became the core of the new business. The cedar door and window lintels, the fireplace, and thick rock walls, are still evident inside the building.

Casa Rio was the first San Antonio business to open its doors to the River and take advantage of the River's setting. Canoes, gondolas, and paddle boats, evolving into tour and dinner boats, began here and helped create the Riverwalk of today.

(from the Casa Rio web page on line)

Ingredients:

Mixed lettuce greens
Grapefruit sections
Orange sections
Red onion
Red bell pepper
Green bell pepper
Avocado
Lime vinaigrette

Lime Vinaigrette Dressing:

1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic

Puree all together until well blended.

(from EatingWell.com)

Printable version of recipe: Ensalada de Colores

Gather the ingredients.

Layer mixed greens into salad bowl.

Chop red & green bell peppers.

Add to bowl.

Chop red onion.

Section orange.

Section grapefruit.

Slice avocado.

Layer all vegetables in salad bowl.

Lime Vinaigrette

Measure 1 cup of cilantro.

Add 1/2 cup olive oil to blender.

Add washed cilantro.

Measure 1/4 cup orange juice.

Squeeze 1 fresh lime, enough to make about 1/4 to 1/2 cup juice.

Mince fresh garlic to taste, 1 tsp.

Measure 1/2 tsp. sea salt.

Grind fresh pepper, about 1/2 tsp. to taste.

Puree in blender.

Dress salad with Lime Vinaigrette.
Enjoy!

The Riverwalk in San Antonio

Going down to the Riverwalk.

This is a refreshing salad whether you are in Iowa or
San Antonio!

Spring Break

San Antonio !

Doug and I spent our spring break this year in San Antonio, Texas. It was the first visit to the beautiful, sunny, warm, Southwest city. The weather was inviting and Mexican food is my favorite! We visited with our niece, Andrea, and her friend, Gil. Their hospitality was like no other. And, Gil and Andrea made us some delicious Mexican cuisine the day we arrived. I will be sharing some of the recipes they prepared for us. However, there is one family favorite recipe that Gil's father made for him when he was growing up. It is a salsa that he is not ready to share the recipe ...Yet. I tried my hardest to get the recipe, but Gil wants to keep it in the family. If it is as good as the food he served us, I don't blame him. He knows just how to season each dish to perfection. Thank you, Andrea and Gil, for a taste of San Antonio. We loved the bright colorful flavors of the food and the culture of Texas. We have a new destination vacation!

Delicioso!

Gil's Guacamole:

9 avocados
1-2 large, whole, fresh jalapenos
1-bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 medium yellow onions
2 pickled jalapenos
fresh or minced garlic
sea salt
ground cumin
black pepper

Printable version of recipe: Gil's Guacamole

Gil is ready to walk me through his guacamole recipe.
He likes to cook and enjoys it, it is not work to him.

Guacamole is an avocado based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico as early as the 16th century. The name from the Aztec dialect translates to "avocado sauce".

(from Wikipedia)

Gil used Hass avocados. He has several tips for picking out just the right avocados.
They should be slightly soft to the touch, not hard, with an even color on the outside.

The inside should be healthy looking with a light, bright, fresh green color.
It should not look old or black on the inside, but a consistent color throughout.

Slice each one in half.

All of the avocados are consistent in texture and color.

Remove the pit.

Scoop out each half with a spoon. The flesh should come out of the rind easily.

Beautiful, fresh color.

Slice 1-2 fresh jalapenos in half.

Run under cold water to remove the seeds and white ribs.
The seeds and white pith contain most of the heat of the pepper.
Always wash fresh produce after bringing it home from the market.

Dice into consistently sized pieces.

Add to avocados in mixing bowl.

Wash a bunch of fresh cilantro. The leaves should be bright, green, and fresh.

Twist and tear the stems off and discard.

Dice and add to the bowl.

Finely chop 2-3 medium sized onions.
Dice the pieces smaller because guacamole is used as a dip.

Continue adding the layers of flavor to the bowl.

Gil also adds pickled peppers in addition to the fresh.

Gil says if you cook Mexican and are serious,
you buy BIG cans.

Finely dice and you can leave the seeds in these.
They blend in more easily because they are pickled and cooked.

Refrigerated, minced garlic, another big jar of BIG flavor.
Gil believes in using garlic in a lot of dishes. He strongly believes you can't have too
much fresh onion or garlic. In a pinch, you can use garlic powder and onion powder and garlic salt.

Season to taste, we added 2 large tablespoons of minced garlic.

Break up with a knife. It will cut up the larger pieces of avocado.

Cut until pieces are consistent.

Add the layers of seasonings, 1-2 tablespoons of sea salt.

Add 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin.

Add 1 Tbsp. black pepper.

Mix with a potato masher.

Leave mixture slightly lumpy, not creamy like mashed potatoes.

Then use spoon to stir the spices to blend the flavors.

You can serve at room temperature.
Then after the meal, you can refrigerate it.

Disfrute del guacamole!

This is the best we have eaten.
Thank you, Gil!

Gil took Doug & I on a tour of his old neighborhood. Gil was born in Texas with a rich cultural Spanish and Indian heritage. His mom was a first generation American and his dad was naturalized after Gil was born. We visited the west side of San Antonio where Guadalupe and Brazos streets meet. Gil shared where he grew up. His faith is important, and he has a strong cultural identity. He holds on to where he came from and how he felt relative to his surroundings. He is part of the native "Tejano" culture. His dad's family were cattlemen and ranchers in this area when the land was still Mexico back 300-400 years.