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Cooking Tips & Recipes from Chef Mick Rosacci Cooking help is as close as your TV! See Mick with Steve, Christine, and Jessica every weekend on Denver's Channel 7 News TheDenverChannel

The Fifth of May - Sunday 5/1/05

Whether you are of Mexican descent or not, the fifth of May is an important holiday for all of us in the American Southwest. It was on this day in 1862 that 4,000 ill-equipped and outnumbered Mexican soldiers and Zapotec Indians defeated French forces in the Batalla di Puebla – with a little help from their American friends.

Mexican influences are an important part of our local culture, and add a rustic flair to our foods. Here in Colorado, Central American tradition meets North American style in synergistic fusion of flavor that few can resist!
This week’s recipes mesh Mexican tradition with North American flair –the taste of the American Southwest! Goce en buena salud! - Chef Mick Rosacci, Tony’s Meats & Specialty Foods

Guaca-salsa-mole
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Sweet onion, finely minced
1 jalapeno or 2 serrano chilies, seeded and minced
1-2 TBS olive oil
juice of 1-2 lime
2-3 TBS minced cilantro
1/2 tsp sea salt - to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper - to taste
2-3 ripe avocados, cubed

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, mashing in soft avocadoes or gently folding in firm avocado cubes – to create your preferred texture. Adjust seasonings and chiles to taste. Allow at least one hour to rest in refrigerator - if you can wait that long. -Chef Mick Rosacci, Tony’s Meats & Specialty Foods.
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Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
1 pound Gulf White Shrimp, or shrimp and squid
12 oz can Snap-e-Tom seasoned tomato juice
juice of one lime / to taste
hot sauce / to taste
pinches of black pepper
1⁄4 bunch minced cilantro / to taste
1⁄2 sweet onion, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1 tomato, chopped
Avocado, Guacamole, or Guaca-salsa-mole

Add cleaned shrimp and cut squid to a pot of boiling salted water and bring back to a boil, stirring once or twice. Drain and chill uncovered in fridge.

Season tomato juice to taste with limejuice, hot sauce and minced cilantro – add dry seafood and chill. Chop celery, onion and tomato and place in the bottom 1⁄4 of four wine martini or rocks glasses. Divide seafood and tomato juice evenly into glasses and garnish with avocado or guaca-salsa-mole, a lime wedge and a sprinkle of dark chile powder. – Chef Mick Rosacci, Tony’s Meats & Specialty Foods
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Basic Red Chile Sauce
3 oz mixed mild chiles (Anaheim, New Mexico, etc.)
6 cups water
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion, minced
1 TBS olive oil
1 cup rich chicken broth or stock
sea salt and oregano to taste

Toast chiles in a Dutch oven until starting to soften and aromatic (stir regularly, don’t let them burn!). Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low, simmering until tender (about 30 minutes). Drain and cool.
Meanwhile in a heavy skillet, sauté bruised garlic cloves and shallot or onion in oil - very slowly - until golden brown and soft, about 15 minutes.
Remove stems from cooled chiles and discard, add chiles to blender along with garlic & oil, and 1 cup of rich chicken broth / stock -- puree until smooth. Remove and strain into a bowl, seasoning to taste with sea salt and oregano. Serve with anything and everything!
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Carne Adovada
4 lb Pork Steaks or country ribs
2 tsp Sea Salt
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp Whole leaf oregano
1 qt basic red chili sauce

Sprinkle meat with salt. Add garlic and oregano to blended chili. Pour over meat and marinate in refrigerator 6-8 hours or overnight. Cook very slowly on a low indirect grill, or brown in an oven-safe pan, cover and transfer to a slowly on top of stove or in 350 oven until meat is done, about 1 hour. Thick slices of potatoes may be marinated and cooked with the meat.
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Mango Rice
A perfect base for your Carne Adovada
2 cups raw jasmine rice
1 large bunch green onions, trimmed
1⁄4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder
2 mangos, peeled, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 TBS butter (optional)

Heat 3 cups water to boiling in medium saucepan and add rice. Return to boiling. Cover, reduce heat to LOW, and simmer until done, about 10-14 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, at least 5 minutes. Or use a rice cooker (a rice cooker is best!).

Trim, wash and dry onions. Blend olive oil with seasonings to taste and douse onions well with oil.

Preheat grill on medium high, clean with a wire brush and grill onions (directly on grate, or in a shaker basket) until tender, sizzling and starting to blacken. Remove and chop.

Warm mangos until steaming hot in microwave. Fluff rice and toss with mangos, green onions and remaining seasoned oil, seasoning to taste with butter and sea salt. Serve. – Chef Mick Rosacci, Tony’s Meats & Specialty Foods
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Flan Caramelisado

3/4 cup Sugar
14 oz Can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Milk
3 Large eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
pinch salt and cinnamon
In a small stainless saucepan, melt sugar over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is a dark, caramel-colored liquid. Remove from heat and pour into a casserole dish or 8 small ramekins. Quickly turn dish to coat sides with caramel. Heat oven to 325.

Whisk together condensed milk, milk, eggs, egg yolks, extracts and seasoning. Pour into prepared dishes and place in a baking pan. Place in oven and add enough water to cover dish half way, bake for 1 hour. Remove, cool and then refrigerate up to 2 days.

Place dish in hot water for a couple of minutes and loosen the edge with a knife. Cover with a plate and invert to release flan. – Chef Mick Rosacci, Tony’s

Mick's Recipe Database

Recipe Archive

April 24, Sustainable Seafood April 17, Asparagus April 10, Lasagne March 27, Easter Trimmings March 13, Roast Chicken March 13, Corned Beef March 6, Braising is Amazing Feb 27, Oscar Munchies Feb 20, Soup is Good Food! Feb 13, Linguini & Clams Feb 6 - Superbowl Eats Jan 30 - Simple Salmon Jan 23, Carbs are not the enemy! Jan 16, Supercharge your diet Jan 9, Quick Healthy Soups Jan 2 - Skinny Cookin', Chicken

Dec 31 - Fondues Dec 26 - Winter Nose Warmers Dec 18 - Holiday Roasts Dec 11 - Standing Rib Roast Dec 5 - Sweet Treats Nov 27 - Puff Pastry Nov 21 - Sweet Potatoes Nov 14, Tomatoes and Lycopene Nov 7, Pici Pasta Oct 2, Chiles Sept 25, Pancakes Sept 19, Parmigiano-Reggiano September 12 September 4 August 28, Colorful Veggies August 21, Peaches August 14, Salmon August 7, Colorado Corn July 17, Tropical Tastes July 10 French Country Friday / Sat, July 2,3 Better Burgers

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