Hallie Norvet

Bored of the old standard deviled egg? Well, these two types will certainly spice things up. One afternoon I had an immense craving for deviled eggs, and that is where this platter was born. Two of my favorites of all were the guacamole and Korean versions. The guacamole sounds just what it sounds like, avocado, cilantro, lime and itsurprisingly does play well with the egg. While the Korean egg is seasoned with a bit of gochujang (and/or Sriracha!) and finsihed off with sesame seeds and lightly pickled carrot and scallion.. would be perfect in a bibimbap!

Makes: 12 Deviled Eggs

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

6 Boiled Eggs, Halved, Yolks Moved to Separate Bowl and Whites Kept Yolk Side Up on A Plate or Tray

3 Tbsp Mayonaisse

1/2 Avocado

1 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

1/2 Lime, Juiced

1/2 Tablespoon Gochujang

1/2 Tablespoon Sriacha

1 Carrot, Peeled and Fine Julienned

1/2 tsp Finely Chopped Ginger

4 Bulbs Scallion, Chopped Fine

Salt to Taste

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Sesame Seeds to Garnish

Directions:

Take hardboiled yolks and blend or finely smash with mayonaisse. Separate mixture into two.

Guacamole:

Take your preapared deviled egg filling and mix it with 1/2 avocado, cilantro and juice from one lime. Blend or smash with a fork until all ingredients are smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pipe filling into 6 egg white halves. Garnish with pickled red onion, cilantro or pico de gallo.

Korean:

Take your preapared deviled egg filling and mix it with gochujang and sriracha. Blend or smash with a fork until all ingredients are smooth and integrated.

In a small bowl mix carrot, ginger, scallion, salt, sugar, rice wine vinegar until incorporated. Allow to quick pickle while all eggs are moved to the refrigerator to chill. In about 15 minutes, your pickles will be ready and you can top them on top of the Korean deviled eggs, along with another dash of sriracha and sesame seeds.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! One of my favorite snacks to make in the Summertime when the corn is in season, is elotes, or Mexican street corn. These tasty, savory treats are steamed or grilled corn that is smothered in Lime, Mexican crema, Cotija cheese, chile, and garlic. A simple and decadent side dish that is fun to make and fun to eat. Your kids (and significant other) will be begging you for these..

Makes: 4-5 Servings

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

10 Fresh Ears of Corn, Shucked, Cleaned and Cracked in Half

Salt

2 Limes, Halved

1 Cup Mexican Crema

3/4 Cup Finely Grated Cotija Cheese

1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic

1 Tablespoon California Chile Power (or any chile powder)

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder

3 Tablespoons CIlantro, Chopped Fine

Directions:

Skewer each ear of corn with one wooden skewer as pictured above. Fill and large stock pot half way with hot water, place onto stove top and bring to a boil over high heat. Season water with salt as you would pasta. Drop corn ears into stock pot, cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes until tender and cooked through. Remove corn from pot.

While your corn is cooling down, mix garlic, and chile powders in small dish until mixed evenly.

Using the halved lime, apply lime juice over the outside of the corn. Then with a pastry brush, or bbq mopping brush, apply Mexican crema to the outside of the corn. Sprinkle grated cotija cheese over corn until coated evenly. Sprinkle garlic chile powder mixture over corn until evenly seasoned. Sprinkle lastly with cilantro. Continue until all ears are covered, serve.

This morning I got a late start to the day and decided to spend my afternoon creating my ideal huevos rancheros. This sauce is made from a few simple ingredients and produce you may already have in the house. On a spicy scale of 1-10 this sauce ranks a 7 or so. If you like a little less heat, leave out half of the jalapenos.

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium Brown Onion, Chopped

2 Medium Carrots, Peeled, Trimmed and Chopped

1 Stalk Celery, Chopped

4 Jalapenos, De-seeded and Chopped

5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

1Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Chile Powder

2 Dry California Chiles, De-Seeded and Crushed

1 Can Tomato Paste

11/2 Cup Chicken Broth

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over high heat. Add Onion, Carrot, Celery, Jalapenos, Garlic Cloves, Cumin, Chile Powder and Crushed Chiles. Saute over medium heat for 3 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste,and stir with vegetables for 3 miinutes or so  with a wooden spoon. Add chicken stock, stir and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Then blend mixture with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve under, or over, sunnyside up eggs and a fried tortilla!

Roasted Red Beet and Poblano Pepper Salad with Cotija Cheese and Lime Vinaigrette

The smoky flavor of the fire roasted Poblano peppers in this recipe pairs spectacularly with the earthiness of the beets. You can roast the peppers and the beets ahead of time; just make sure they stay separated. Serve this dish at room temperature, or chilled with lots of fresh cilantro.

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 4

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 Large Red Beets

1 Large Poblano Pepper

½ Cup Crumbled Cotija Cheese

¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro Leaves

Dressing:

1 Lime, Juiced

¼ Tablespoon Honey

Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Cut roots and ends off of beets. Beet juice can dye clothing and surfaces very easily so use caution. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet in oven. Roast beets for one hour and check for doneness. Stick a toothpick or fork into beet, if there is no resistance, your beet is cooked. Allow beets to cool.

Take whole Poblano pepper and roast over open flame or place under broiler in oven until skin is black and blistered. Always use caution when working with an open flame. Put roasted pepper into a plastic bag or a bowl with a lid to “sweat” until soft. Once pepper is soft, remove charred skin by wearing a glove. Remove stem and seeds from pepper with a knife, chop pepper into small chunks and hold in your refrigerator.

Once your beets have cooled, remove their skins by hand by wearing a glove. Once peeled, cut beets into uniform 1 inch cubes. Hold beets in refrigerator until ready for use.

To make your dressing, simply whisk lime juice, honey and salt and pepper together. Remove beets and peppers from fridge and toss with dressing. Toss in ½ of the cilantro leaves and serve in a plate or bowl. Top with crumbled cotija cheese and remaining cilantro leaves.

Mexican Sour Gherkin and Cherry Tomato Salsa

This refreshing salsa is made from miniature Mexican gherkin cucumbers and ripe cherry tomatoes. These little gherkins pack a huge crunch as well as cucumber flavor! This salsa goes great over any grilled fish, pork or chicken, with tacos or paired simply with tortilla chips.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Servings:  4-5

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sliced Mexican Sour Gherkin

1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro

½ Lime, Juiced

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Toss sliced Mexican gherkins with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl. Toss ingredients until thoroughly combined. Season salsa with a dash of kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado Poblano Pepper Puree, Queso Fresca, Shallot Greens and Cilantro

Shallot greens are a lot like a green onion or scallion, except they are much bigger in size and flavor!  Be sure to slice them thin because they are very strong in taste.

Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Servings: 2

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

1 Poblano Pepper

1 Avocado, Chopped

¼ Cup Water

1 Lime, Juiced

Kosher salt and pepper

16 Large Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined

4 Corn Tostadas

¼ Cup Crumbled Queso Fresca

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Shallot Greens

¼ Cup Cilantro Leaves

Directions:

Skewer shrimp and and store in refrigerator for later use.  Start grill. Heat whole Poblano pepper over open flame or under broiler until black and charred. Always use caution when working with an open flame. Put roasted pepper into a plastic bag or a bowl with a lid to “sweat” until soft. Once pepper is soft, remove charred skin by wearing a glove. Remove stem and seeds from pepper with a knife, chop pepper into chunks and place into blender. Add avocado, water and lime juice to blender. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Hold puree in refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your tostada.

Season shrimp skewers with salt and pepper. Grill skewers over open flame, or on cast-iron pan, until shrimp are opaque and pink. Now that your shrimp are cooked, it is time to assemble your tostadas. Add a spoonful of avocado pepper puree over each tostada and spread throughout. Top each tostada with four shrimp, crumbled queso fresca, chopped shallot greens and fresh cilantro. Eat by hand or with a knife a fork!

White Peach Margarita

A twist on the traditional margarita, this white peach margarita is made from fresh peaches, silver tequila and peach schnapps. Blend and serve immediately in a margarita glass lined with sugar and a peach wedge.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Servings: 3

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

2 Part Silver Tequila

1 Part Peach Schnapps

¾ Cup White Peaches, Pureed

Ice

Sugar

3 Peach Slices

Mint Sprig, Garnish

Directions:

Fill Blender 1/4 of the way with ice. Add all ingredients except peach slices and sugar. Blend until smooth and serve in a sugar rimmed glass with a slice of peach and mint sprig.

Cumin Spiced Kabocha Squash Bisque with Toasted Pepitas and Cilantro Oil

This creamy spiced bisque is a great recipe for autumn when the Kabocha squash is in its peak growing season! To save time and clean-up, invest in a small hand immersion blender. This allows you to blend soups, sauces, dressings etc. in almost any vessel.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 5

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

For Soup:

1 Kabocha Squash

½ Tablespoon Cumin

Olive Oil

½ Cup Whipping Cream

½ Tablespoon Honey

1.5 Cups Water

Kosher Salt

For Pepitas:

½ Cup Rinsed and Dried Seeds from Kabocha Squash

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Pinch of Kosher Salt

For Cilantro Oil:

¼ Bunch Cilantro

½ Teaspoon Honey

½ Cup Olive Oil

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Using a pair of tongs, drop cilantro into pot for 5 seconds, remove from water and put into blender with oil, honey and salt. Blend until oil is bright green. Remove from blender and reserve for later use.

With caution, remove stem from squash with a knife. Then with a peeler, remove the skin from the squash. Cut Squash into quarters, remove seeds and reserve for later use. Dust squash with salt and cumin until coated. Individually wrap squash quarters with aluminum foil, place on oven safe baking sheet and roast for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, clean and dry seeds removed from the squash. Coat seeds in olive oil and a dash of salt. Bake seeds in oven for 10 minutes, until they are toasted brown and crispy. I prefer to chop seeds of this size as well. These seeds will be used as a garnish and add texture to your soup once it is finished.

Once your squash is tender enough to slide a fork into, it is done. Remove from oven and place into blender. Add cream, honey, water and a dash of salt. Blend until smooth. If soup’s texture is too thick, add an equal amount of cream and water until desired consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Serve soup in bowl with a drizzle of cilantro oil and toasted Pepitas.

These mini shrimp tostadas are topped with sliced radish, pico de gallo, Mexican crema and tangy chili lime shrimp. This is one bite that is full of fresh Mexican flavor! These are great sophisticated appetizer for a multitude of occasions. All of the components can be made ahead of time, so assembly is super easy. Be forewarned: It is easy to make and eat a lot of these.

Chili Lime Shrimp Tostadas

Makes 30-40 - Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 12 Small Corn Tortillas
• 1/2 LB Uncooked Small Shelled and Deveined Shrimp (51/60 or 41/50)
• 1/2 TB Mexican Chili Powder
• 1/2 TB Cumin
• 1 Lime Zested
  
• 1 Lime Juiced
• 2 Medium Tomatoes Chopped
• 1/4 Red or White Onion Finely Chopped
• 1 TB Cilantro Chopped
• 1/2 Small Jalapeno De-stemmed and Seeded; Finely Chopped
• 5-6 Red Radish Bulbs, Sliced as Thin as Possible.
  
• 30-35 Cilantro Leaves for Garnish
• 1/2 Cup Mexican Crema (Sour Cream)
• 4 TB Olive Oil
  
• Salt + Pepper

Note: Be sure to wash all vegetables and herbs thoroughly before using.

Marinate your shrimp in cumin, chili powder, lime zest and 1 TB Olive Oil. Be sure all shrimp are coated evenly. Store shrimp in a ziploc bag, or bowl in the refrigerator until it is cooking time.

This recipe shows you how to make your own tostadas, however you could just as easily use round tortilla chips as a mini tostada. Here is how to make your own tostadas: Pre-heat oven to 375 and place your oven rack in the lowest position. Take 2 TB Olive oil and brush it onto a baking sheet. In stacks of three, take tortillas and use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to make little rounds. If you to not have a cutter, just use a paring knife. Once you have 30-40 small tortillas, place them onto the cookie sheet. Bake on the lowest rack for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and let cool.

How to make the pico de gallo: Take tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro and combine in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Put to the side.

Add mexican crema to small ziploc bag. Make sure concentration of sour cream is in one corner. Snip a small corner off the bag. You now have a piping bag!

Assembly:

1. Heat large saute pan over high heat. Add 1 TB olive oil to pan. Once your pan is almost at smoke point, add shrimp. Cook on medium heat until shrimp and cooked thoroughly and opaque. Add lime juice, cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Take your cooled sheet of tostadas and add two slices of shaved radish to each one.
3. Then, top each tostada with 1 tsp pico de gallo.
4. Add small dollop or drizzle of crema over tostada.
5. Add one or two cilantro leaves.
6. Finish with one shrimp on each tostada.

This appetizer is fresh, colorful and sophisticated enough for any crowd!

My favorite salsa to make and eat is salsa verde. It's made with fresh tomatillos, a green relative of the tomato. You can find these is any Spanish or Mexican market. This salsa is loaded with green vegetables. Peppers and onions are slow roasted and pureed with fresh cilantro and lime juice. The heat can range from mild to hot depending on how many peppers/chiles you add. This recipe is for a moderate hot salsa. It's acidic from the lime, rich from the avocado and spicy from the chiles. Great with tacos or served warm over a burrito.

Salsa Verde / Tomatillo Sauce

Makes 3 Cups

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium Tomatillos, Husks Removed and Cleaned.
• 2 Medium Fresh Pasilla or Poblano Chiles
• 1 Large Jalapeno
• 1 Bunch Mexican Green Onion
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion
• 1 Ripe Avocado
  
• 1 Bunch Cilantro
• 1 Large Lime
• 1/2 TB Sugar
  
• Salt + Pepper
  

Note: Tomatillos come wrapped in a husk. After removing the husk there will be a sticky sap all over the tomatillo. Rinse under warm water until clean.

Preparation:

Clean yellow onion, remove roots and exterior layer, then cut into quarters. Clean and cut bulbs off of green onions. Remove stems from tomatillos.There are two methods for cooking the tomatillos. Choose whichever is easiest for you.

Method One:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Disperse 2 TB olive oil over a sheet pan. Place yellow onion, green onion bulbs and tomatillo onto sheet tray. Roast vegetables in your oven until they are soft.

Method Two:

Pur 2 TB olive oil in a large skillet. Cook tomatillos and onions on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water to pan and cover to steam. Cook until water is gone, and vegetables are soft.

Cook pasilla chiles and jalapeno over open flame on your stove. Once they are charred put them into a plastic bag to sweat. After 15 minutes or so, remove the chiles and run them under cold water to remove all of the char. Then de-stem and de-seed them with a knife. Make sure you wash your hands thorougly after you handle chiles and peppers, or use gloves.

Once all vegetables are cooked thoroughly, put them into a food processer or blender. Blend thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, juice from one lime, suagr and one ripe avocado. Blend thoroughly. Season with salt to taste.

Yesterday was Taco Tuesday, so it was only fitting for me to make some tacos! These tacos are sweet, salty, zesty and enveloped in Mexican spices. The skirt steak is marinated in a pineapple/soy mixture for over 4 hours and topped with a vibrant slaw made of Napa cabbage, carrot and cilantro. Corn tortillas are a bit better for you than flour, but go with your preference! Even crunchy tacos will do! This recipe is super fresh and a great alternative to your "boring" Taco Tuesday.

Serves 3-5

Ingredients:

Pineapple Marinated Steak Tacos with Napa Cilantro Slaw

Steak + Marinade:

• 3 Pounds Skirt Steak
• 1 Small Can Crushed Pineapple or Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
  
• 3 Limes (Juiced)
• 1 TB Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1 TB Chopped Garlic
• 3 Chopped Scallion
  
• 1 Tsp Lime Zest
• 1 TB Roasted Cumin
• 1 TB Paprika
• 1 TB Chile Powder
• 1/2 TB Dried Mexican Oregano
• Salt + Pepper
• Olive Oil ( For Cooking)
  

Napa Cilantro Slaw:

• 1 Head Napa Cabbage
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1 Large Carrot - Grated
• 1 Lime - Juiced
• 1/2 TB Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 TB Honey
• 1 TB Sour Cream
• 1 TB Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper
  

Additional Toppings:

• Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• Crumbled Queso Fresca
• Chopped Red or White Onion
  

Steak Preparation and Cooking:

Mix all ingredients (except olive oil, salt and pepper) together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add skirt steak to bowl and marinate for 3-5 hours in your refrigerator. You can also transfer all ingredients to a large ziplock bag for easy clean-up. Just make sure to store it properly in your refrigerator and be mindful of cross contamination.

How to cook the steak:

Remove steak from refigerator and let sit for 10 minutes to come up in temperature a bit. If you take a steak right out of the fridge and into the pan, it will take much longer to cook since it is so cold. Allowing the steak to come up to room temperature for a bit allows the steak to be cooked properly in a shorter amount of time. Just be sure to not leave it out very long, 10-15 minutes should be fine.

You can cook the steak on the grill or in a skillet. These instructions are for in a skillet, but apply to the grill as well. Just be sure to not over cook your steaks. These are best cooked to medium.

Take a large skillet and put it on your stove over high heat. Add 1 TB olive oil to the pan. Season your steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Once you start to see little whisps of smoke, your pan is HOT and ready. Slowly place each steak into the pan with a pair of tongs. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes until they show a deep brown sear, then flip them over. Only flip the steaks once. Over flipping or moving the steaks a lot will create the loss of the precious juices that keep your steak moist and tender. Your steaks should be cooked to about medium or medium well.

Remove your steaks from the pan or grill and let them "rest" for at least five minutes. This allows the juices to return. If you cut your steak too soon, all of the juices will be on your cutting board instead of in your steak. As for slicing your steak.. Every steak has a grain, these are bundles of muscle fibers that are laid out parallel to each other. If you cut against the grain your meat will be much more tender, cutting with the grain tends to makes steak tougher. The grain will run left to right, and you will want to slice top to bottom. Just look for the lines, and cut against them.

Slice the steak as thinly as possible with a sharp knife. Finish the steak with a bit of salt to bring out it's flavors. Keep warm with aluminum foil until serving.

Napa Slaw Preparation and Cooking:

1. Cut head of Napa cabbage in half. Chop Napa cabbage very fine, so it looks like shreds. Add to a large bowl, along with carrot and cilantro.
2. Mix lime juice, rice wine vinegar, honey, sour cream, olive oil and salt + pepper to taste.
3. Pour dressing mixture over slaw and toss with tongs.
4. Check seasoning.

Now you're ready to make your tacos! Be sure to have all of your ingredients ready to go ahead of time (slaw, toppings, tortillas) and cook your steak last as it is the star of the show. Don't be overwhelmed by the ingredients or cooking process, it's totally worth it!