Watercress and Tofu Dip

• 2 scallions
• 2 bunches or 2 bags of B&W Watercress (8 ounces)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 12-ounce package silken tofu
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. Serve with crackers, fresh veggies or spread onto pita bread or warm baguette slices.

Watercress facts:  Packed with antioxidants, phytochemicals, iron, folate, calcium and vitamins B and C, watercress is a true superfood.  Recent research has shown that it may also have cancer suppressive properties.

For more watercress chef recipes and green goodness, check out our Watercress Soup Recipe, and Chef John’s mouthwatering version of Julia Child’s Chicken with Watercress.

If you partake in Twitter, you need to follow  Top Chef Master Rick Bayless aka @Rick_Bayless.   Why?  Because unlike several celebrity chefs, Rick actually “gets” social media.   It’s really Rick behind the tweets, not an underpaid PR intern simply spitting out nightly restaurant specials.  Bayless interacts and engages, answers follower questions, and often tweets restaurant recipes, despite the 140 character limitation.  The trouble with Twitter recipes is that they are uber short and can often lead to confusion.   Here are some general tips, 3/2 means one and a half, and a big T means tbsp, while little t in lower case means tsp (usually).  If in doubt, ask the chef, he may just help out.  In this case we’ll save you the trouble of the tricky interpretation and give you our best shot via translation.   Here are a few short and simple  recipes via Rick Bayless recently, and be sure to bookmark this post, as we are updating it monthly.  Enjoy!

Green chile chimichurri:  blend smooth 6 cloves of roasted garlic, 3 roasted serranos, 2 bunches of cilantro, 1/2c oil, 2tsp salt.  Add fresh lime when ready to serve.  Stores for weeks in the fridge with a film of oil in covered container.  Use in dressings, on pasta, pizza, ceviche, soup.  (When asked about the inclusion of cilantro stems, he tweeted that he cuts of the tough lower parts of the stems. )

Raw tomatillo salsa: coarsely puree 4 medium tomatillos, 1 clove of garlic, 2 serranos, a handful of cilantro, 4 tbsp of water, add salt. Use shortly after making.

Chipotle salsa: blend 1/2 # of roasted tomatillos, 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic, 2-3 canned chipotle peppers, and salt, add a little water. Can add onion(raw or roasted), cilantro.

Roasted tomatillo salsa:  coarsely blend 4 medium roasted tomatillos, 2 cloves of roasted garlic, 2 roasted serrano peppers, and a handful of cilantro. Stir in salt, 1/2 of a chopped small onion, and 4 tbsp of water.

Simple Guajillo Salsa:  toast 2 cleaned guajillos in medium heat oil for 20-30 seconds.   Blend with 4 roasted tomatillos, 3 cloves of roasted garlic, and 1/2 cup of water.  Add salt.

Guacamole with almonds and apricots from Topolo restaurant: mash avocados with roasted garlic , chopped cilantro, chopped serrano, lime. Stir in almond butter and chopped apricots.

Guacamole tip:  use white onions rather than red for a crisper, brighter flavor.

Pesto, in the food processor: 1/4 cup of toasted pinenuts, 3 blanched cloves of garlic, 2 cups of basil, 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of fresh goat cheese, 1 Tbsp of lime juice, 1/2 tsp of salt. Add 1/2 cups of the water that you boiled the pasta in, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan. This recipe is for 1 lb pasta portion.

Slow Cooker Black Beans: In slow-cooker: add beans, onion, garlic, bacon if desired, and water; don’t soak the beans beforehand; simmer til tender; add salt at the end.

Hickory House BBQ Sauce: 1 cup Heinz ketchup, 3/4 cup of water, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 2 Tbsp Worchestire sauce, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1-2 tsp of bbq spice, 1/4 tsp of black pepper; simmer for 1 hour.

ChocoFlan: First of all what is this? A classic Mexican dessert with flan and chocolate cake, smothered in caramel.  It took Rick three tweets to broadcast this recipe:

You will need a 10″ cake pan 3″ deep! First cover the bottom of the pan completely with 1 cup of cajeta. Beat 5 oz of butter, 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of sugar, 1 egg + 3 Tbsp of ground espresso; sift 1 and 2/3 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 6 Tbsp of cocoa and add, alternating with 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of buttermilk.  Spread over cajeta. Blend 12 oz of evaporated milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 4 eggs, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Gently pour over cake. Bake in water bath for approximately 50 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Cool and unmold.

Summer Margarita recipe:  muddle 4 thin cucumber slices. Add cilantro sprig, 1 1/2 oz blanco tequilla, 1 oz lime, 1 oz simple syrup.  Add ice and shake.

Sizzling Mojito: First make the simple syrup. Simmer 1 and 1/2 cups of water, 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 Tbsp of lime juice, 1 tsp of chopped ginger, add 1/2 of a habanero (if desired); cool, and strain. Muddle mint sprigs + 2 slices of ginger. Add 3 Tbsp of simple syrup, 3 Tbsp of lime juice, and 2 oz blanco tequila; stir. Add ice and a splash of soda.

New Favorite Michelada:  2 oz yuzu purée (available on line), 1 1/2 oz of lime juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, 12 oz wheat beer,  add ice.

Basic Yucca Recipe: “I always boil, then saute with garlic oil or mash with potatoes.”

Curious as to what Rick Bayless’s favorite knife brands are?  “Santoku, and Shun for high end”. His outdoor grill? It’s from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.

Rick has a favorite Mole sauce, a classic red, from his cookbook “One Plate at a Time“.

And here’s a tasty tip from the Twitterverse: Rick’s favorite Mexican beer available for purchase in the States?  “Bohemia”.

Rick Bayless has many detailed authentic Mexican recipes on his site, we especially love this creamy chicken enchilada recipe, which we just devoured blissfully tonight.

Also be sure to watch Rick discuss his restaurant rooftop garden, as well as his video recipe for Grilled Catfish with Chipotle Salsa.  ¡Buen apetito amigos!

In this video she shows us how to make an easy and affordable roasted red pepper hummus, using chick peas, roasted red peppers, fresh garlic, tahini, lime juice, lemon zest, spanish smoked paprika, salt, and water.   This Middle Eastern snack with a Latin flair is perfect on sandwiches or as a dip for whatever your heart desires.

Feel free to also visit our Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche video and recipe.