N.I.C.E. #2 - A Mexican Fiesta, Ole!!

Last Friday night we held our second N.I.C.E. event - a Mexican Fiesta, and who knew Mexico could be so Windy??

All hail the tacky powers of Duct Tape,
and staple guns for keeping our decorations
inplace through the wind storm

Although I had originally thought that holding this feast outside on one of the longest days of the year would be a great way to welcome summer, mother nature had slightly different ideas.  

Yes, she kept the rain away, but instead, lovingly arranged for a brisk and chilly wind to blow through for most of the evening.  BUT what's a little windy chill in southern Alberta to a bunch of tough, winter-weary Canadians?  To brave the chill we lit campfire, pulled on our jackets and enjoyed the burn of hot chili pepper seasonings in our backyard, while dreaming of real Mexican holidays...


Here's how N.I.C.E. Mexico went down:

Our N.I.C.E. Backyard Mexican Fiesta

The potluck menu, pulled together by the N.I.C.E. gang, consisted of everything from family favourite dishes, to Old el Paso comfort foods, to experimental cookbook recipes.

Judging from how little food was left over, I rule this N.I.C.E culinary event to be a great success!!!

El menú mexicano:(click on each dish name for the recipe)

Roasted Red Pepper Soup
with Avocado Cream

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Avocado Cream
(aka Christmas Red Pepper Soup), from the All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukin.  This soup is a lovely and vibrant red colour.  It has a surprising flavour, because on first glance it appears to be a tomato based soup, when in fact it is made almost entirely of sweet red bell peppers and onions - tasty enough, but I think I might play around with the seasonings if I were to make it again.

Natchoes with Guacamole and Salsa
A classic party food

Shrimp Avocado Boats

Shrimp Avocado Boats
A delicious spin on Avocado and Shrimp - the Melon adds a surprising touch!

Taco Salad

Taco salad
this layered salad made a beautiful addition to the fiesta table



 

Avocado and Corn Salad







 

Fajitas

Fajitas
Another classic - who can resist the sizzle???

Tacos

Tacos
a fiesta stand-by and family favourite...TGFOld elPaso!!! 

Oaxacan Grilled Shrimp

Oaxacan Grilled Shrimp
These were a tasty appetizer - perfect for a summer barbecue, and beautifully presented!!

  

Santa Fe Chicken

Santa Fe Chicken 
This easy dish would make a yummy and healthy main course for a family dinner that even the kids would love.  Although I don't personally use Epicure Seasonings, I think I can adapt this one, and will definitely add it to my list of go-to recipes.

Enchiladas

 Enchiladas
Almost like a Mexican-inspired lasagna!!

Pastel de Tres Leches - Three Milk Cake

Pastel de Tres Leches - Three Milk Cake
This cake was a wonderful treat - very heavy, very rich and very different from any other cake I had ever tasted before. It was PERFECTLY complimented by the fresh raspberry and whipped cream topping.

Apple Enchiladas

Apple Enchiladas
These were a tasty treat - and easy to make!  Looking at the recipe - I bet it could be adapted by substituting the apple with your favourite pie filling.  Perfect picnic food!








Our meal was accompanied by plenty of Cervezas with lime and various types of Margarita - it may have been cold outside, but that didn't stop the blender from working its magic with us hardy-partiers... especially with the fabulous tequila base!!!

We threw in some surprise 40th Feliz Cumpleanos wishes for one of the gang:

Yes that's a Dora and Diego cake

No fiesta could be complete without some pinata fun,

We are all kids at heart afterall!!!

Phew! I'm ready for a well earned siesta!!

Next up for N.I.C.E.? Perhaps a late summer Luau, complete with grass skirts and the limbo....
Meanwhile, please post your comments and share any new and exotic recipes you try out with us here.

Have a safe and happy summer!

Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas

 

These sound delicious AND easy to make!!!! Click through to

Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas (Takeamegabite.com for the recipe.) and let them tide you over until I finish composing my N.I.C.E. Mexico post.

Psyching up for a N.I.C.E. Mexican Fiesta

Sigh.... that's the sound of me unwinding with a glass of wine after a busy evening...(Shout out to Georgina - this bottle of Pinot Grigio is LOVELY!!!!)

So tonight is the eve of our next N.I.C.E. night, and I am psyched, not to mention a little nervous to be hosting 20+ people in my little house tomorrow night.

Not only have I cleaned my house (inside and out) this evening, but I also loaded my Ipod with an eclectic Mariachi and Latino Mix, pre-prepped a kickass homemade chicken broth, made my own roasted red peppers, stewed some fresh rhubarb from my garden (for my breakfast tomorrow, not for N.I.C.E.... sorry gang) AND actually succeeded in getting my overtired kids to bed at a decent hour - all in anticipation of completing my contribution to tomorrow's Mexican Fiesta! (Talk about Super Woman, I should be wearing a cape!)

SO - to share my excitement, and to whet your appetites, I thought I'd post a teaser recipe and share with you the surprisingly easy recipe for the homemade roasted red peppers that I'm going to use in a Roasted Red Pepper soup, my contribution to tomorrow's Mexican inspired pot luck. (THAT recipe will follow in the official N.I.C.E. Mexican Fiesta Post that I'll put up here after tomorrow).

Roasted Bell Peppers,
Recipe from: All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukins

4 large bell peppers (red, green, yellow or orange) stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 t fresh lemon juice

1.  Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
2. Flatten each pepper half slightly with the palm of your hand.  Lay the peppers, skin side up, in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Place under the broiler about 3 inches from the heat source and broil until the skins are charred black, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove the peppers to a paper or plastic bag (I used a lidded glass casserole dish), close tightly and let the peppers steam for about 15 minutes.  Slip off the charred skins.
3. Place the peppers in a flat plastic container and drizzle with the oil and lemon juice.  Stir to coat the peppers.  cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 4.

Apparently these can keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator, if they are kept covered with the olive oil.

Yum Yum Yum!!!!
I can't imagine a better way to kick off summer!!  Stay tuned for details about tomorrow's Fiesta!!!!

Ole!

Mint Tea, Morocco

Phototograph by Cezary Wojtkowski, My Shot

Glasses filled to the rim with mint, and a healthy helping of sugar, stand ready for the preparation of Morocco’s distinctive green tea. The beverage refreshes the spirit on a hot day in Marrakech, but it’s far more than a thirst quencher. The tea’s preparation and enjoyment are an essential part of the Moroccan culture and a “must-try” experience for any visitor.

From:  Street Food Photos -- National Geographic

N.I.C.E. Night #1 - Morocco

Big shout out to Jen T for hosting N.I.C.E.#1 -
Check out the decor she pulled together!

Well, it's been a couple of weeks now, since our culinary trip to Morocco and what an overwhelming success it was, if I may say so myself... (sorry for being so slow to post details it's been a busy month).

Here's how it went down....

We brought together a small inaugural group of 7 girlfriends, and asked everyone to find a Moroccan recipe online or in a cookbook (preferably one they had never tried before) and bring it out for everyone else to sample - an international potluck if you will.

N.I.C.E.Girls: (clockwise from the front:)
Paige, Carrie, Jen T, Julia, me (in the empty chair),
Jen H, Juanita, Cassandra

Hummous, pita and fresh cut veggies

The resulting menu was inspired and everything tasted AMAZING!  The evening started off with an appetizer of Hummous, pita and fresh veggies - served to a background soundtrack of World Music (courtesy of Galaxie Radio - thank you Satellite TV).
The hummous we served this evening came from the deli - but if anyone is interested, I have a super easy recipe that I will post on the recipe page.

Moroccan Carrot Soup

Our next course was a heavenly Moroccan Carrot Soup.  It was a beautiful warm Orange colour, gently spiced and soooooo creamy!

After the soup we laid everything else out for a major main course consisting of:

Tomato and Bell Pepper Salad

Tomato and Bell Pepper Salad (click for recipe link)
A fresh light lettuce-free salad, perfect for summer!
This recipe is taken from "A Taste of the Mediterranean: Vegetarian Style" by Mary Salloum.  According to the cookbook "Salad in Morocco consists mostly of crunchy vegetables rather than lettuce."

Maakouda Batata

Maakouda Batata (Moroccan Potato cakes)(click for the recipe link)
These are "a popular street food in Morocco, where they might be eaten plain or used as a sandwich filler. They can also be served as an appetizer or as a side."

Moroccan Style Mussels

Moroccan Style Mussels (click for the recipe link)
"Chickpeas transform saucy mussels into a meal that's as hearty as it is seductive"

 

Moroccan Carrot Orange Salad

Moroccan Carrot Orange Salad (click for the recipe link)
"This delicious Moroccan salad blends fresh oranges, grated carrots and orange flower water.  Serve it as a starter, side dish, or as a refreshing follow-up to a main course."

Couscous with grilled vegetables

Couscous with grilled vegetables (recipe link will be posted shortly)

B'stilla (chicken pie)

B'stilla (Chicken Pie)
I found this recipe in a cookbook that my parents brought back with them from Africa, when they travelled there about 15 years ago.  The cookbook is called Cooking from Cape to Cairo, and each chapter is dedicated to recipes from a different African Country.  According to the book:  "B'stilla is one of the great dishes of North Africa.  It is served hot as a first course, and is best eaten using the fingers.  In Morocco, the crust is made of tissue-thin warka, for which phyllo pastry is the most practical substitute"  I was a little nervous about preparing it - the spice combination was particularly foreign to my tastebuds - BUT the whole point of N.I.C.E. Nights is to try new foods, so I gave it a whirl and I'm so glad I did.  What a pleasant surprise it was - although mine didn't turn out looking like the photo in the cookbook, nevertheless, the sweetness of the cinnamon and icing sugar sprinkled almond layer perfectly complimented the savoury chicken, onion, ginger, coriander, parsley and scrambled egg filling.  It was a fair bit of work to make, but I would definitely consider trying it again!

Mediterranean Lamb Chops

Mediterranean Lamb Chops (click for recipe link)
Lamb is always delicious, and this recipe's combination of Mediterranean spices is a PERFECT compliment to the meat's distinctive flavour.

Pastilla with Milk

 - Pastilla with Milk This recipe was taken from the same cookbook as for the B'stilla (Cooking from Cape to Cairo: a Taste of Africa by Dorah Sitole and True Love Magazine).  According to the book: "Desserts are not common in African cuisine.  A meal is usually rounded off with fresh fruit.  Pastilla, with a milky sauce, is one of the few pastry desserts served in Morocco."
The pastilla with milk I prepared was supposed to be dessert - but we were all so stuffed by the end of our main course(s) that we never cut into this dish.
I ended up bringing the dessert home with me and tried it the next day.  Although it looks like it should taste absolutely fabulous, I was a little disappointed.  The filling was kind of bland - sort of like weakly spiced rice pudding, without the rice, and the mixed nuts on top were overpowering and bitter... now if they were candied praline-type nuts I might have felt a little differently :).  In any case, I'll post the recipe for Pastilla with Milk in case anyone wants to give it a whirl - perhaps try to enhance it a bit.  But for me, I think I'll cross it off my "make again" list, unless someone can show me a tastier way to prepare it.


- Beef Tagine with Prunes.... Sorry, this dish didn't photograph very well (see 4 o'clock in the photo below) - it was pretty rich and probably not one that I would make again.

 

Our Moroccan Feast! MMMMMM

We rounded out our evening  by watching one of my all time favourite movies..... Casablanca.  Being set in Morocco during the second World War, and starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, it was a perfect ending to a "no boys no babies" dinner.

All in all I declare our first N.I.C.E Night to have been an overwhelming success!  Much better than any restaurant I've been to in a l-o-n-g while!  I look forward to trying out many more fabulous dishes with the N.I.C.E. gang, as we continue our culinary world tour..... next stop: MEXICO!!!!

A N.I.C.E. Idea

Welcome world to this new entry into the blogosphere!
N.I.C.E. Cooking will be a blog dedicated to our efforts to experience a wide range of International Cuisines in the small  prairie town of Nanton, Alberta.... A town with a population of just over 2100 people, with 3 chinese restaurants, 3 takeout pizza places, 2 great little coffee shops, 1 italian restaurant, 1 indian take out and a couple of generic diners.

The idea for N.I.C.E. originated at my recent 40th Birthday Party, when a couple of girlfriends and I got together to share an Indian Curry Feast, followed by a fun little Bollywood/Hollywood crossover.  Over the course of the evening we talked about some of our favourite experiences with international foods, and lamented the relatively limited range of multicultural offerings available in our small town. 

Jennifer H, Sandra G, Annette R. and I had such a nice time trying out new curry dishes that evening, that we decided to do it again on another evening- only next time sampling foods from a different country.... and so the idea for N.I.C.E (the Nanton International Cuisine Enthusiasts) was born.

Tonight, I am soooooo excited to be preparing for our next culinary adventure, with a few more girlfriends (call us N.I.C.E. Girls) - this time delving into the north African country of Morocco (a choice inspired by the Casablanca DVD I received for my birthday  - thanks Jen H).

SO.... my vision for this blog is to record and share some our culinary experiences, as we try out new recipes from different countries.  I hope to post photos of our dinners, some of our favourite recipes, perhaps some cooking mishaps, and whatever else catches our fancy.

... so stay tuned - I'm sure there will be many courses to follow this initial post!

You'll have to excuse me now, as I jet off to Morocco for the evening!

Bon Apetit!!

Dayna