Sunday, August 24, 2014

Calabacitas

Well I don't know about y'all, but I'm drowning in zucchini! What is it with those things? It's like they seem to go from too small to eat to the size of a limb in a matter of hours!


OK... I've never gotten quite as desperate as the person who apparently took that photo, but over the years I've begged quite a few neighbors to take some off of my hands.

After a few summers, I started to notice a distinct pattern in the neighborhood. The white folks would all run when they saw me coming, zucchini in hand, but my neighbors of Mexican descent would happily accept as many as I offered saying that they would make "calabacitas."

"Interesting," I thought... wondering what this mysterious "calabacitas" dish was. Finally, I asked one of my neighbors for the recipe and suffice it to say, I don't give away quite so many zucchinis anymore!


Now, depending on who you ask "calabacita" can be translated to mean either "squash," "small pumpkin" or (you guessed it) "zucchini"! But any way you slice it, this recipe is a great and simple way to use up a lot of the suckers and create a wonderful and tasty side dish.

This recipe comes by way of my neighbor, Maria. It can easily be made in smaller portions, but generally when I'm making it, it's because I have a TON of zucchini to use up, so I make a big pot and freeze most of it for later.

So... without further ado, here's the recipe:

Maria's Calabacitas

Ingredients:
* Please Note: all measurements are approximate and flexible

  • 1 large or 2 medium sized onions chopped into medium sized pieces
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
  • 24 ounces of roasted, peeled & chopped green chilies (California Anaheim Peppers or New Mexico Hatch Chiles)**
  • 3 large arm sized, or 6-7 small zucchinis - remove any seeds and chop into small pieces (any kind of summer squash will work)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or lard (I know lard is traditional, but I can't bring myself to use it)
  • 2 tablespoons of corn starch or flour 
  • salt to taste
  • grated cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, colby, queso quesadilla, or asadero)


**Green Chilies might be difficult to find in certain parts of the world. In my neighborhood there are chile stands on virtually every corner this time of year with big roasters where they'll roast them while you wait.


If you have to roast them yourself it's best to do it on an open flame, or you can put them directly onto the stove burner (even an electric one).


When the chiles are well blackened you put them in a paper bag until they cool. At that point the skin should basically wash off under running water. You remove the stems and most of the seeds but don't worry if a few seeds sneak in there.

I'm generally too lazy to deal with the washing and chopping, so I don't buy the fresh ones unless I'm making rellenos or something that requires the whole chile. I usually buy them frozen, but you can also get them canned. I like the mild ones, but they come in various degrees of heat... but be careful, hot means HOT!



Method:
Saute onion in olive oil or lard until clear. Add a bit of salt at this stage to help the onion along. When the onion is almost done add the garlic if you're using it and saute another minute or two. Add the chopped zucchini & green chilies. Cook stirring occasionally until zucchini is cooked through, depending on how much you're making this can be anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour. When zucchini is thoroughly cooked mix cornstarch or flour with a spoonful or two of water and add it to the pot. Stir to distribute until liquid thickens. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle each serving with shredded cheese and enjoy!


I've since learned that there are infinite variations on this recipe - some include corn, or tomatoes - and I've even seen cream used in some versions. I'm pretty happy with Maria's simple recipe, but feel free to experiment as you see fit.

Calabacitas with corn and tomatoes

Calabacitas are great all by themselves as a snack, or as a side dish with any Mexican food. They go wonderfully with refritos or beans & rice. You can use them in place of green chile salsa to smother burritos, or pour them over some fried eggs & chorizo for quick huevos rancheros. You can dress them up with fresh tomatoes, avocado, cilantro (if you're not allergic) & sour cream or just enjoy them simply.

They freeze really well and are a wonderful way to enjoy the taste of summer all year round!

So tell me, what are your favorite recipes for using up a bounty of zucchini?


24 comments :

  1. Yummy! I love zucchini, this recipe sounds delicious! My favorite is just a simple combo of sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, white onions, and sliced mushrooms. It makes a pretty, colorful dish too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually like it just sauteed in olive oil or butter, but mushrooms sounds like a great idea!

      Delete
  2. I don't like hot and spicy and my husband doesn't like onions, so we'd have to change this recipe quite a bit. However, salted, sauteed zucchini with cheese on top doesn't sound too bad.

    My favorite recipe I made this week with zucchini was shredded zucchini in chocolate cake.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, it's hard to go wrong with chocolate cake! I'm trying to avoid using my zucchini as an excuse for extra desserts this year though.

      The mild green chiles aren't very spicy at all, but I suppose it depends on how much you dislike hot food! And I'm trying to imagine not liking onions! Anyhow, some of the recipes out there are mostly zucchini, corn and tomatoes, so I suppose you could try one of those... or you could just make more cake! :-)

      Delete
    2. Hmm, if they're not that spicy ...

      Delete
    3. Have you never had a smothered burrito? The sauce that they generally smother it in is green chile salsa. Anyhow, the mild kind is not much hotter than a green bell pepper - of course I like really hot food, so perhaps I'm not the best judge! :-)

      Delete
  3. Interesting. I'm not a fan of chili peppers but this almost sounds good anyway.

    My favorites are bread and cake recipes. And I also just grate it finely and add it to savory things where the flavor disappears, like spaghetti and chili.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wait... how can you live in Texas and not like chili peppers?!? :-)

      I like the grate and add to anything strategy too... I've even gotten CatMan (who is a professed zucchini hater) to eat some that way!

      Delete
    2. (Sssh. I'm a yankee infiltrator! I'm just here for the weather. And my friends.)

      I do like Tex-Mex, barbeque, and wildflowers, so part of me fits in!

      Delete
    3. Tex-Mex BBQ sounds delicious! I think I'm gonna go eat dinner now... :-)

      Delete
  4. NOM! Sounds good! Just need me some green chillies. Is it possible to have too much zucchini though, really?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Um... well... I dunno, but I spent about 2 hours chopping & freezing them yesterday, and I'm finally down to only 4 left on my counter tops... 2 reasonably sized and 2 the size of my thigh! And who knows how many more are lurking out in the garden! OY!

      Delete
  5. My squash plants didn't fare too well this summer, so I have the opposite problem of not enough zucchini. This recipe sounds yummy enough to buy some zucchini! Though you're right that we don't have much in the way of chills around here. I've only seen them canned in the international food aisle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosh... zucchini is the one plant that I've never been able to kill - I think it's very well suited to our hot climate. The canned ones aren't nearly as good as fresh or frozen - but if you can find some in a jar those are usually better. Good luck with it!

      Delete
  6. This is the first year we've had luck with growing more than one or two zucchini! Usually we're the ones begging for freebies. I have a lemon zucchini bread recipe which is tasty ... chocolate zucchini bread ... I haven't made zucchini chocolate cake yet this year but it is to die for ... like you, I'm trying to be careful of high calorie treats, but sometimes my baking gene kicks in and it's gotta be done.

    My husband makes a sauteed zucchini recipe which we love. You use a little olive oil and basil, and can either add orange juice or lemon and lime juice. Oh.my.goodness. My daughter and I fight over it. The citrus juice makes it taste soooooooooooooo good. Your recipe looks good as well, but maybe a bit too spicy for my kids ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooooo... basil and citrus - that's a combination I never would have thought of. I'll have to give it a try! :-)

      Delete
  7. It's funny seeing the things that grow really well in different places. Zucchini grow ok here but they don't get that big and they take a bit of TLC. We have a Zucchini Slice recipe that takes 3 x zucchinis with cheese, bacon, onions etc. It comes out like a pie and is delish!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's amazing. I always just assumed they were the un-killable plant. I mean, even the year when my next door neighbor sprayed for weeds and the wind took the weed killer onto my garden - it wiped them out for a few weeks, but then they came roaring back.

      This year they were a complete afterthought - I had extra room so I just tossed a few seeds in the ground. And I pulled dozens upon dozens of volunteer squash plants - even so the garden is totally overrun with them and I'll probably have another bumper crop of pumpkins - I guess squash like the hot dry weather.

      On the other hand... broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc - I can't grow it to save my life! It just gets too hot and it all gets hopelessly infested with aphids. So what grows like crazy in your neck of the woods?

      Anyhow that recipe sounds yummy! I may have to make something similar!

      Delete
    2. It's coming into spring here so now I'm curious: maybe I'll get some seeds this weekend and just see how we go. At the moment parsley is out-of-control here - growing like triffids! But nowhere near as useful as Zukes!

      Delete
    3. OK... I had to go look up "triffid" - my oh my... I certainly hope your parsley is kinder than those triffids were! I've never actually grown parsley because I am deathly allergic to the stuff, but maybe you could make some tabouli salad?

      Delete
  8. My new favorite recipe is the Barefoot Contessa's zucchini gratin:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/zucchini-gratin-recipe2.html

    You really can't go wrong with all the cheesy goodness. I substitute corn starch for the flour -- just because I like the texture better.

    I've found this recipe to be a good base for other things, like baked onions, onions with mushrooms, etc.

    What isn't good with cheese and buttery breadcrumbs on top?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Holy Moly... that sounds delicious! It also sounds like it might be easier to simply adhere them to my hips! :-) Seriously, that's a hefty dose of butter, not that I'm complaining, since I am a butter fanatic - maybe the health effects of the zucchini and the butter cancel each other out? :-)

      Delete
  9. Two ways I cook zukes is by pan frying them with onions and some garlic salt or julienne them and put them in an omelet. I kind of wish I had a neighbor like you, the only thing doing any good in my garden right now are cherry tomatoes, a lot of things just died this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a bummer... doesn't it suck when the garden gods don't smile on you? I didn't plant a lot this year, so it's mostly tomatoes & zucchini this year, both of which I've gotten pretty good at using up. But I will have a surplus of mystery squash in the very near future! :-)

      Delete

I welcome your thoughts so please leave me a comment and I promise I will respond.

On older posts I've had to enable comment moderation to prevent spammers, so don't worry if your comment doesn't show up right away - unless you're just commenting for the sake of embedding a link, in which case I really wish you wouldn't waste your time or mine because I'll just delete it.

Thanks, and have a fabulous day!