I didn't have cornmeal. I tried to make my own, using grits and my food processor, but that was a big fail. Obviously, all I needed was a quick grocery store trip, but somehow I kept finding other pressing matters, like chores, that got in the way. Hours after the breakfast I'd planned, I was starving! Finally, I made this beautiful masterpiece and now several days later I'm still in love with it! The pancakes are hearty, so I'd recommend serving 1-2 with a poached egg instead of 3, but I can also tell you there are many other ways to serve this. Try them alone with butter, with butter and honey (thank you, Melissa Cook), in place of a corn tortilla and with taco meat, lettuce and tomato, like a tostada. Save the leftover pancakes and pop them in the toaster to heat them up. Tear them up, toss with a little oil and bake for a few minutes and you will have croutons. Any way you would eat cornbread! Writing about them just makes me want to whip up another batch.
Jalapeño Corn Cakes
Adapted from recipe by Dennis Kum of Big D's Grub Truck in New York City/Food Truck Road Trip A Cookbook by Kim Pham & Philip Shen with Terri Phillips
3/4 cup (75g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (33g) masa
1/3 cup (57g) cornmeal
1/4 cup (48g) sugar
1 Tablespoon (12g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup avocado oil (use the kind you like)
1 cup (151g) corn (I used thawed frozen)
1/3 cup (60g) jalapeños, canned with seeds, chopped
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, eggs, and oil in a small bowl and then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add corn and jalapeños. Heat a large, non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat (you may need to adjust the heat depending on your stove) and when hot, pour 1/4 cup of the mixture per pancake (or any size you like).
Tip from Dennis Kum: Place the cakes on a towel-lined plate, covering with an additional towel to keep warm. (Why didn't I know this tip? I tried it, works GREAT!)
Love,
Dear Lauren,
Last night I got out the juicer. My friend Judy had asked me to see how my juicer did with watermelons. Judy is in love with watermelon juice. She needs a juicer that makes great watermelon juice.
Dear Lauren,
I don't know, there's just something about the word "hash" that I just don't like. So when people say they made or ate hash, I politely smile and say yum, but my heart's not in it. I am happy for them, of course, but I don't want a bite. It's hash!
But, earlier today I was thinking about what to have for lunch and I pulled out the leftover carnitas. Heavenly. I knew I had some zucchini. My favorite. What else? I decided to fire up the cast iron skillet and throw some diced carnitas in the pan and then I decided I would shred a zucchini and toss that in there, too. As I watched it cook I thought, hmmm...this is hash! Untraditional, yes. But hash all the same. I let it cook 'til it was browned in spots, then I dumped it all on a plate and spooned some fresh pico de gallo on top. I sprinkled it with a little lime salt. Then I remembered I had Mexican Crema in the fridge - hooray! So the hash got a tablespoon of crema on top.
This is the best hash I've ever had. The only hash I've ever had, and the only hash I've ever been tempted to try. It's delicious and will be a regular way to use any carnitas leftovers in the future.
Carnitas and Zucchini Hash
2 ounces carnitas, chopped (pork tenderloin, beef or chicken will work just fine!)
1 large zucchini, shredded
lime salt, optional
pico de gallo (see below), or use your own or a little salsa
Mexican Crema, or sour cream if that's what you have
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carnitas and cook for about 1 minute and then add the shredded zucchini. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until some of the zucchini starts to char a little. Sprinkle with a little lime salt, or coarse kosher salt, or no salt - you decide. Put the mixture on a plate and top with pico de gallo and a little crema. Serve.
Pico De Gallo
2 tomatoes, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1-2 jalapeno or serrano pepper(s), diced fine
1/4 lime, juiced - more if you need it
Stir above ingredients together and keep it in the refrigerator and use it on everything. If you like less cilantro and more of the other ingredients, make it that way!
Love,
