Happy New Year!!!!
I tried variations of two recipes for New Years Eve and they were very good: “Oysters Rockefeller” and “Chili Rellenos”. I had to make variations with the Oysters because, out here on the prairie, they sell wonderful Willapa Bay oysters, but no shells….and Oysters Rockefeller requires shells. What to do?
I made the recipe in a muffin tin, a six cup tin for over-sized muffins. The muffin cups served as my oyster shells. Here’s my variation on the original recipe:
Kathie’s Oysters Rockefeller – A great starter for any meal
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a six-tin oversized muffin tin (even if it has a non-stick surface).
3 or 4 flour tortillas
6 pieces of bacon, fried but not too crisp, cut in 1” pieces
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 ¼ c. heavy cream
2 T. butter
¼ c. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. all purpose flour
2 c. Italian Blend shredded cheese
I jar Willapa Bay oysters (about 4-6 large oysters)
6-12 fresh lemon wedges
Using a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut six circles from the flour tortillas to fit the bottom of the muffin tin cups. Poke them all over with a sharp fork, place on a cookie sheet and bake them until they are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove and place one in the bottom of each cup.
Fry the bacon and drain well on paper towels. Set aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter just until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook about 1 ½ minutes. Add cream and heat through until thickened. Add spinach and heat through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Rinse and drain the oysters and cut them in chunks to fit the tins and so there is enough for each serving.
Place a tablespoon of cheese on top of the tortilla round in each cup. Put a few pieces of bacon atop the cheese, followed by the oysters. Cover the oysters with the spinach sauce, topped with more bacon. Last, put enough cheese on the top to cover all and to kind of “seal” the cup.
Bake about ½ hour until bubbly and slightly browned. Remove and let set about 5 minutes before serving. Using a silicone spatula, free the oysters from the sides of the cups. Then, remove them to a chafing dish or platter for serving. They look nice on a piece of red or butter lettuce. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. You can make these ahead and refrigerate until party time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends know I love Chili Rellenos, sort of. I mean, I love to eat good ones, and good ones are few and far between. Most recipes and restaurants insist on deep frying grotesque whole pablanos in corn meal and serve them in a pool of grease. Yuck. What an ignoble end for a great food idea. I mean, what is more logical than to melt lovely cheese inside a flavorful vegetable and serve it with a lovely sauce?
So, I took to making rellenos with canned whole green chilies, stuffed with Jack Cheese and wrapped in crepes with chili gravy over the top. It’s a wonderful meal, but very time-consuming. On New Year’s Eve day, I didn’t have time for crepes and such, so decided to improvise. Also, I had some medium cooked shrimp I didn’t quite know what to do with. Following is the result:
Kathie’s Muffin Tin Chili Rellenos with Shrimp
and Chipotle Sour Cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, even if it has a non-stick surface.
3 or 4 flour tortillas
2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
12 medium cooked shrimp, tails removed
4 small cans whole green chilies (Ortega or some other brand), or, 12 green chilies, roasted, peeled, and seeded
½ c. medium salsa
Using a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut six circles from the flour tortillas to fit the bottom of the muffin tin cups. Poke them all over with a sharp fork, place on a cookie sheet and bake them until they are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove and place one in the bottom of each cup.
Halve the chilies lengthwise.
Place 1 tablespoon of cheese on the tortilla, then, a chili half, more cheese, a shrimp, then, a chili half. Place a dollop of salsa on top of the chili and seal the cup with cheese.
Bake about ½ hour until bubbly and slightly browned. Remove and let set about 5 minutes before serving. Using a silicone spatula, free the rellenos from the sides of the cups. Then, remove them to a chafing dish or platter for serving. They look nice on a piece of red or butter lettuce. Serve with sour cream on the side. You can make these ahead and refrigerate until party time.
Chipotle Sour Cream
½ c. sour cream
1/8 to 1/2 t. ground chipotle or jalapeno peppers or cayenne pepper
Start with the smaller amount and mix and taste to your own tolerance of heat. This is meant to be spicy so guests with an aversion to the heat should be offered plain sour cream.
I hope you enjoy these recipes.
