Muffin Tin Chef (10 page)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, swirl to coat the pan, and add the steak. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the steak, rice, beans, bell pepper, green onions, avocado, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the salsa. Stuff the tortillas into 12 jumbo muffin cups. Distribute half of the cheddar cheese in the bottom of the tortilla cups, and top with the steak mixture and the remaining cheese. Bake until the tortillas have turned crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding.

Here's a fun twist for taco night. Forget the table manners; just pick these up and devour.
Serves 6 V, G

Heat the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until soft and pliable, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Or, stack the tortillas and microwave on high power uncovered until warm and flexible, about 25 seconds. Brush both sides of the warm tortillas with oil. With the bottom of a glass, gently press the tortillas into 6 jumbo muffin cups. Don't worry if some of the tortilla folds inward.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spice mixture and the ground meat, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion. Cook until the meat is no longer red and the mushrooms have softened, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the Monterey Jack cheese and the cheddar cheese. Add a 1-tablespoon layer of cheese to the bottom of each tortilla cup and evenly top with the meat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake until the tortillas begin to brown on the edges and the cheese is nicely melted, about 15 minutes. Serve topped with cherry tomatoes and cilantro.

 

TACO CUPS,
page 78

 

FISH TACOS,
page 80

Cast your line for this weeknight-friendly, fast, and fun twist on tacos. The smoky yogurt sauce and tropical mango flavor take them from OK to oh, yeah!
Serves 6 G

Heat the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until soft and pliable, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Or, stack the tortillas and microwave on high power uncovered until warm and flexible, about 25 seconds. Brush both sides of the warm tortillas with oil. With the bottom of a glass, gently press the tortillas into 6 jumbo muffin cups. Don't worry if some of the tortilla folds inward.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the cabbage or lettuce among the tortilla cups. Wash the fish with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice the fish into 1-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, and lime zest. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the fish and toss to coat. Divide the fish among the tortilla cups and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss together the mango, avocado, cilantro, green onions, juice of 1/2 lime, and salt to taste. In a second small bowl, stir together the yogurt, chipotle chile, and the remaining lime juice. Serve the fish tacos topped with the mango salsa and a dollop of yogurt sauce.

Versatile canned salmon is a natural fit for muffin tin entree creations. If possible, splurge and use canned salmon from a smaller-scale company such as Wild Planet (
www.wildplanetfoods.com
) that employs sustainable fishing practices and, frankly, offers a much more flavorful product.
Serves 4

For the Salsa:
Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the peaches and bell peppers with oil. Grill the peaches until slightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the red peppers until slightly charred all over, turning about every 2 minutes. Let cool. In a medium bowl, toss together the red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, mint, lime juice, and orange zest. Remove the skin from the peaches. Chop the peaches and red pepper, and stir into the onion mixture.

For the Salmon Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, flake the salmon with a fork. Using a fork, mix in the carrot, shallot, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, lemon juice, tarragon, fennel seeds, paprika, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture among 10 medium muffin cups and pack down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake until slightly browned on top and set, about 25 minutes. Let the cakes rest for several minutes before unmolding. Serve with the peach salsa.

These delightful crab cakes are considerably lighter than the fried version. One cup frozen corn kernels can be used in place of fresh.
Serves 6

For the Crab Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in the bread crumbs, bell pepper, celery, garlic, chives, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce or cayenne pepper, sour cream, salt, and black pepper. Gently fold in the crabmeat and then divide the mixture among 12 medium muffin cups. Bake until golden and set, about 25 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding.

For the Corn Relish:
Preheat a grill to medium. Remove the husks from the corn and brush the kernels with oil. Grill until the kernels are tender and slightly charred, turning the corn several times during grilling. Let cool and slice off the kernels into a bowl. Or, slice off the raw corn kernels and sauté in 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño, green onions, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and cilantro to the bowl and toss. Serve the crab cakes with the corn salsa.

 

CRAB CAKES WITH CORN-TOMATO RELISH,
page 82

 

CHICKEN-RICE CABBAGE ROLLS,
page 84

The mélange of rice, poultry, cheese, and an easy-peasy fresh tomato sauce team up to deliver a big time flavor punch.
Serves 6 G, F