simplykim2: The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight

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Monday, October 28, 2013

#TheNewSouthwest #CookbookSpotlight {Cookbook Review & Giveaway}

The New Southwest: Classic Flavors With A Modern Twist

Author: Meagan Micozzi

Publisher: Hippocrene

Hard Cover 230 pages

Meagan Micozzi's The New Southwest is a fun, bright, and colorful cookbook that celebrates the festive, and oftentimes fiery ingredients, of the American Southwest. The recipes are easy enough for beginner cooks but also unique enough to satisfy the adventurous spirit of a seasoned cook. I found myself drawn to the happy nature of the recipes, as well as the charming personality of the author Meagan Micozzi. If you are a fan of happy and cheerful food then you'll want to grab ahold of this brand new cookbook.

Twelve Chapters

Recipes I've Tried

Mushroom & Shallot Migas

Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts

Recipes I'd Like To Try

And now... here's how to win your very own copy of The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi!

***The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight Giveaway!***

How to enter:

1. Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this blog post letting me know what your favorite Southwestern dish is.

2. There are tons of optional extra entries in the rafflecopter widget!

Hippocrene will be supplying 14 copies of The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi for this giveaway, in conjunction with The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight. Contest is open to anybody with a shipping address in the USA. Submissions will be accepted via the rafflecopter widget through 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, November 3, 2013. Fourteen winners will be chosen by random draw, verified, and be notified by email (from Heather at girlichef) within 48 hours of the close of this contest. The winner should respond within 24 hours of notification, or a new winner will be drawn in their place. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Notes: Meagan Micozzi was born in New Jersey, raised in Washington, D.C. and educated in New England. In 2011 she launched Scarletta Bakes, a blog devoted to her adventures in southwestern cooking. Micozzi's recipes have been featured on The Huffington Post, The Kitchn, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Scarletta Bakes was named a Site We Love by Saveur. Micozzi resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can visit her at scarlettabakes.com.

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

Note: I received a copy of this cookbook from the publisher as part of a Cookbook Spotlight event, however I received no monetary compensation to review it. As always, my thoughts, feedback and experiences cooking from it are entirely my own.

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

To see 14 other food bloggers thoughts, reviews, and recipes they've tested from the book, click on the "cookbook spotlight button" to the left!
- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/AdoboPotatoesGratin-TheNewSouthwest-CookbookReview.html#more

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts {The New Southwest #Cookbook Spotlight}

I am a big fan of bean burgers. I've made chickpea burgers, black bean burgers, fava bean burgers, and now pinto bean burgers and I've loved them all. The good news is that everyone else in my house loves bean burgers almost as much as me so it's a total win-win situation.

As soon as I spotted this recipe for Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts in The New Southwest Cookbook I knew it would be my choice for Week Two Blogger's Choice. These pinto bean burgers are seasoned with a heavy dose of cumin, black pepper, coriander, and garlic so they are mighty flavorful. Crunchy on the exterior and creamy on the inside this is one powerhouse of a breakfast that will keep you full way into the afternoon. They were a big hit at my house!

Check back on Monday, October 28th for a cookbook review and a chance to win your very own copy of The New Southwest. You don't want to miss it!

Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts

Adapted from The New Southwest by

Meagan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes

Serves 7

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for frying

3/4 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup grated zucchini

2 jalapenos, stemmed and minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

3-1/2 cups cooked pinto beans

(about 2-1/2 cans if using canned)

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs*

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

7 slices Monterey Jack cheese

7 English muffins, sliced, toasted

Note: I had to use a little over a cup of breadcrumbs to get the mixture to come together. Also, I think the 2 tablespoons of black pepper in the recipe might be a typo. We love black pepper but I only used 1 tablespoon just in case.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until golden, translucent, and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, jalapenos, and garlic and saute for just 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, place the beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (Use a fork for chunky, uneven consistency.) Stir in the breadcrumbs, eggs, cumin, black pepper, coriander, and salt. Fold in the cooked onion mixture. Using a half cup measure, portion off and form seven patties. Freeze them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to firm them up. They can be kept frozen at this point and you can cook them as needed or you can store them in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Once ready to cook and assemble your melts, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded skillet over medium heat (I prefer cast iron). Add the patties and cook for 3 to 4 minute on each side, applying pressure to the top of the patties to flatten once you have a cooked side facing up. Note that you may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd your pan, so you may need to refresh your oil between batches and wipe the pan clean.

Once patties are crisp on the outside and cooked through, top each with a slice of cheese, replace the lid on the pan and steam just 30 to 60 seconds to melt the cheese. Remove each patty melt to a toasted English muffin bun and serve immediately.

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

If you'd like to keep tabs on who's making what from the The New Southwest, then head on over to The New Southwest event page over at girlichef.

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page. You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe. Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.
- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page. You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe. Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Mushroom & Shallot Migas {The New Southwest #Cookbook Spotlight}

For the next few weeks I'll be participating in The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight hosted by my good friend, Heather of girlichef. The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist is a brand new cookbook written by fellow food blogger, Meagan Micozzi. Meagan's adventure with southwestern inspired cuisine began when she relocated to Arizona and found comfort and inspiration in the local foods, flavors, and ingredients. Meagan created her food blog, Scarletta Bakes, to chronicle her adventures with southwestern food. Her blog is now wildly popular for it's innovative approach to southwestern cuisine. If you've been reading her blog for long then you are probably already in love. If you haven't been introduced yet then please go ahead and check her out. It's a love at first sight kinda thing.

This week we are all making Migas, an egg dish starring leftover bread or tortillas. Traditional Migas feature fried tortilla strips, tomato, onion, and jalapeno. Meagan's Mushroom & Leek Migas feature fried tortilla strips, mushrooms, leeks*, and Manchego cheese. I chose to make Meagan's migas for dinner one evening and they were an all-around hit! Everyone raved about how they loved the crunch of the fried tortilla strips, the meatiness of the mushrooms, and the nutty flavor of the Manchego cheese. We topped our migas with our favorite Pico de Gallo and it was a perfect veggie-packed meal. So simple but very pleasing. I'll definitely be making this again!

Stay tuned for more. There will be more recipes, as well as reviews, and several chances to win your very own copy of The New Southwest! Click HERE to read about the Cookbook Spotlight and see a list of all the participants. A big thank you to Meagan for such a beautiful cookbook, the folks at Hippocrene, and to Heather of girlichef for giving me the opportunity to participate in this spotlight.

Mushroom & Shallot Migas

Adapted from The New Southwest

by Megan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes

4 five inch corn tortillas

1-1/4 cups vegetable oil, divided

a little pat of butter*

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced (about 2 -1/2 cups)

2 shallots, sliced*

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1 cup shredded Manchego cheese

Notes: The recipe calls for 1 leek, ends removed, and chopped. I really don't care for leeks so I used two shallots sliced thinly. Also I used only enough vegetable oil to fry the tortillas. Instead of oil I used a little butter to saute the mushrooms and shallots and cook the eggs.

To prepare the corn strips: Cut the tortillas in half and then slice them into thin strips (1/2" to 3/4" wide). Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large in a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan (I prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping pieces as they fry and removing the crispy, browned strips to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool.

Whisk the eggs and heavy cream together in a large bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium-sized skillet melt a bit of butter. Saute the mushroom slices for approximately 3 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Add the shallots and saute for 1 more minute. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly in a circular motion until eggs begin to solidfy. Just as eggs begin to solidfy, stir in the fried tortilla strips. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until eggs are light, fluffy, and cooked through.

Remove from heat, top with cheese, and serve immediately. Goes very well with a good pico de gallo (as pictured above).

- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/MushroomLeekMigas.html#more

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/MushroomLeekMigas.html#more