Recipes the grackles are named after

Thanks to Zara for the great idea to make a bunch of the dessert recipes on our staycation! It then turned into a post for all of the recipes the grackles are named after. It will take a long time to make all of them, so this is a work in progress.

DRINKS (Santa Barbara, CA grackles) - no blog entries yet :)

DESSERTS (Sacramento, CA grackles)

• Xangos - a Mexican dessert consisting of deep fried tortillas filled with cream cheese (and other things) and topped with ice cream, cocoa sugar, strawberries, and more. They also seem to be called Chimichangas, but the dessert version. Maybe Xango is short for Chimichangas? 2 varieties: plain cheesecake filling or strawberry cheesecake filling
• Churros - deep fried dough sticks dipped in cinnamon and sugar
• Polvorones - similar to butter cookies / shortbread and with toppings (sweet and salty toppings are a nice complement)
• Carlota (lemon) - lemon cream poured around biscuits and refrigerated to harden

APPETIZERS & MAINS (Tempe, AZ grackles)

• Tortilla (chips) - make your own from scratch!
• Nachos - tortilla chips topped with beans, olives, pepperoncinis, and cheese
• Tostadas - a modified version based on nachos with pico de gallo and guacamole and lettuce piled on top
• Pico (de gallo) - a topping made of tomatoes, onions, coriander, lime, and salt
• Guacamole - a topping made of avocados, lime, and salt
• Fajita (salad) - it's all about the seasoning!
• Quesadillas - beans and cheese in a tortilla and baked until gooey :-)

Cauliflower Taco Filling / Phad Thai hack

 By Dieter

1 cup of cauliflower (small head) / 1 Tasse Blumenkohl (kleiner Kopf)
1/2 cup of soy crumbs / 1/2 Tasse Soja-Hack
2 table spoons water / 2 Esslöffel Wasser
3 table spoons sunflower oil / 3 Esslöffel Sonnenblumenöl
3 table spoons ketchup / 3 Esslöffel Ketchup
2 table spoons smoked paprika powder / 2 Esslöffel geräuchertes Paprikapulver
2 table spoons smoked salt / 2 Esslöffel Salz
1 table spoons smoked chili powder / 1 Esslöffel geräuchertes Chilipulver
1 tea spoon cumin / 1 Teelöffel Kreuzkümmel

Blend the cauliflower into small shreds. Heat up a large pan on the oven at high heat. Add the soy crumbs, pour over boiling water, and stir. Briefly wait until the water is absorbed, and add the cauliflower to the pan. Stir in the sunflower oil. Fry the mixture, occasionally stirring it, until it starts to brown. Turn off the heat, add the ketchup and spices, and stir well. Fill into taco shells with tomatoes and lettuce.

Pürier den Blumenkohl im Mixer. Erhitze ein grosse Pfanne auf hoher Hitze. Füge das Sojahack hinzu, giess das kochende Wasser drüber, und vermixe alles bis das Wasser aufgesaugt ist. Füge den Blumenkohl hinzu, giess das Sonnenblumenöl darüber, und vermische alles gut. Fritier es, mit mehrmaligen Umrühren, bis es anfängt braun zu werden. Stelle den Ofen ab und füge den Ketchup und die Gewürze hinzu. Vermisch alles gut miteinander. Füll es in die Taco-Schale mit Tomaten und Salat.

Quesadillas & Tacos

Quesadillas by Dieter

Per Quesadilla:

1 tablespoon red kidney beans (ideally the type that is in a spicy sauce)
1/2 tablespoon vegan cream cheese
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
salt
chili flakes

• Mix these ingredients using a fork, smashing the beans, to create a smooth texture.
• Fill into a tortilla together with olives and vegan cheese. Place in sandwich maker to grill.

Für jeden Quesadilla:

1 Esslöffel rote Kidney Bohnen (idealerweise Chili Bohnen in Sosse)
1/2 Esslöfel veganer Schierkäse
1 Teelöfel Hefeflocken
Salz
Chili Flocken

• Vermische die Zutaten mit einer Gabel, dabei die Bohnen zerdrücken um eine gleichmässige Masse zu erstellen.
• Diese Masse wird in einen Torvilla-Fladen gefüllt, mit ein paar Oliven und veganem Käse, und dann in einem Sandwich-Maker gegrillt.

Try sweet potato quesadillas https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-burgers-wraps/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-quesadillas/

Tacos by Corina

Corn tortillas

Chili beans

Cheese

Jalapeños

Broad beans

• Place small corn tortillas in a baking pan and top with everything in the list above and bake for 25 min (or until the tortilla is almost crispy and the cheese is melted).
• Top with slaw and serve

Try sweet potato tacos https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-burgers-wraps/spiced-sweet-potato-tacos/

Guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa

Santa Barbara Guacamole

Mango Pico de Gallo

By Corina

2 avocados
1 heirloom tomato
1/2 meyer lemon
Salt
Olive oil (when using Hass avocados, if they are dry)

Chop and mix together.

Additions suggested by Margaret: grapes, pears

Additions suggested by Charissa: black pepper, onion, jalapeño, lime

Mango Pico de Gallo

A recipe by https://melitastable.com/2020/05/10/top-10-ways-to-eat-pico-de-gallo/ and modified by Corina

Tomatoes

Avocado

Lime

Mango

Jalapeño or bell pepper 

Sweet corn

Chili powder

Salt

Pico de Gallo Traditional

modified by Corina from https://cookieandkate.com/classic-pico-de-gallo-recipe/

Tomatoes / Tomaten
Coriander
Onion / Zweibel
Lime / Limette
Salt / Salz

Cut into small pieces, mix in a bowl.

Schneiden alles in kleine stücke, in einem schussel alles mischen.

Restaurant Style Salsa 

modified by Corina from Iowa Girl Eats

Put the following into a blender cup:

1 can diced tomatoes

1t sugar if the canned tomatoes don't have sugar

1 tiny tiny onion

1 jalapeño fresh (or use some that come in a jar)

1 lime (the juice)

1t salt

Optional: handful cilantro

Blend on low for 5-10 seconds until it looks the way you want it. Taste it and add more of any of the above to get the taste you want. Put in the fridge for 24 hours and it will taste even better.

Nachos

By Corina

Red Hot Blues blue corn chips
Refried beans spicy (Bearitos are the best)
Mexican rice (by Margaret, see below)
Black olives
Pepperoncinis
Daiya Mozzarella

Layer on a baking tray in the above order and cook until the beans are hot and the cheese is melted (yes, this vegan cheese melts).

Spread Santa Barbara guacamole (pictured above) over the top of the cooked nachos. Done.

(Thanks Margaret for the pear/grape guacamole inspiration!)

Burrito option:
Instead of chips, put all of these toppings inside a tortilla.

Mexican Rice by Margaret

2 T oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 C rice
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 1/2 C broth (hot water poured over a vegan vegetable stock cube)
1 C diced tomatoes (including the juice)
Cilantro

• In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softened. 

• Add dry rice and cook with the onions for about 5 minutes or until rice becomes a golden brown color. Add in the garlic to the rice and saute for one more minute.

• Add in broth and diced tomato sauce (add slowly into the rice, not directly onto hot pan!) And then add in the cilantro if you're using it. 
• Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.