Mexican, Tex-Mex, and other South-of-the-Border cuisine is a favorite in the Vanesscipes household.

The Li’l Sis can, and has, subsisted solely on burritos for days at a time, provoking comments like, “I bet your insides are stuffed with rice and beans!” and “OMG, you’re a walking burrito!” and other such highly-polished gems of humor.

Tostadas, however, really are superfun. They’re so crunchy and immalleable you must show restraint when taking a bite as not to send the whole thing crackling down the front of your shirt. And it’s hard to show restraint when something is as tasty as a tostada, so save your fancy shirt for another night.

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes

Avocado and Chard Tostadas

2 bunches chard, preferably rainbow because it’s awesome
4 cloves garlic, minced
corn or vegetable oil
12 or more small corn tortillas
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
1/2 jar or so green tomatillo salsa
3 avocados, cut into moon-shaped slices
queso fresco*, crumbled
1/2 red onion, diced
handful cilantro, chopped
2 limes, sliced

Wash the chard and separate the leafy part from the ribs. Cut the leafy part into ribbons and the ribs into slices. Sauté with the minced garlic for about 20 minutes, or until wilted and soft. Add salt to taste.

Grab a small skillet - one that’s just larger than your corn tortillas. Fill it with a half-inch of oil and heat the oil for few minutes on medium heat. Add one tortilla and deep-fry until golden in spots on one side. Flip with a tongs and fry until golden on the other side. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the other tortillas. You can keep these warm in the oven or serve them room temp and crispy if it’s hot outside.

Heat a can of refried beans (or mash your own pintos) in a small saucepan over low heat.

Assemble the tostadas thusly:
Crispy tortilla on the bottom, slathered with a thin base of refried beans. Spoon over a tablespoon or so of green tomatillo salsa. Next, top with 3 slices of avocado, and a sprinkle of chopped red onion, crumbled queso fresco*, and chopped cilantro.

*I insist on queso fresco - a crumbly, salty, fresh Mexican cheese. But you could use white cheddar if your hunt for queso fresco turns out unsuccessful.

Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Here it is, Midwestern Cuisine as documented from my 2007 family reunion in Keokuk, Iowa.

Much type as been pressed about Cajun food, California Cuisine, Tex-Mex, and Southern-Fried-Anything, but what about food from the belly of our great nation? It might not not be the stuff of Saveur or Gourmet but Midwestern Food is created, above all things, to feed the family. And food ideals can’t get any loftier than that.

Dishes are often in one pot. No fancy knifework, techniques or trendy spices. Ingredients often number less than 10.

Warning! The photos below are not censored for meat content; the Midwest is still a meat-and-potatoes place. But the generous amount of yummy side dishes and some locally-purchased Boca Burgers kept a hungry vegetarian pond-swimming volleyball-champion like me more than satisfied.

Friday’s Dinner featured a Trio of Meats: Ham, Smoked Turkey and Deep Fried Turkey. Please note the Sterzings, (bottom middle) the cultish potato chips only found in Iowa - truly salty, greasy, and fantastic. Sterzings event got a shout out in the Fourth of July issue of the New York Times in an article entitled, The Best Chip? The First One Out of the Bag:

“Jean Fuller is 71 and lives in Dallas with her husband, Dale. Anyone who visits from Iowa, her home state, must arrive with a bag or eight of Sterzing’s, which markets itself as the maker of “the most popular potato chips in southeast Iowa.” Cartons arrive for Christmas. Mr. Fuller got a supply for Father’s Day.”

^{1. BBQ’ed Potatoes, 2. Berry Cobbler, 3. Broccoli Salad, 4. Cheese n Meat Plate, 5. Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes, 6. Cherry Pie, 7. Chocolate Apricot Squares, 8. Corn Souffle, 9. Crudites, 10. Deep Fried Turkey, 11. Garbanzo Zucchini Rice Salad, 12. German Coleslaw, 13. Grandma’s Apple Cake, 14. Ham, 15. Olive-Pasta-Salad, 16. Pickles, 17. Pineapple Souffle, 18. Pork Loin, 19. Salad with Ranch Dressing, 20. Saurkraut, 21. Smoked Turkey, 22. Sterzings!, 23. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, 24. Three Bean Salad}

And then we went to Stock Car Races to see my cousin (who is 15 and does not have a drivers license) race.

^{1. Grandstands, 2. Beautiful Night at the Stock Car Races, 3. Fast Car, 4. Flag Guys, 5. Gatekeepers, 6. Good Luck, 7. Yellow Flag Lap, 8. I think he’s here every week, 9. Seth Drives Fast!, 10. Seth’s Fanclub, 11. Trophies, 12. Wrong Way, 13. Sunset at the Races}

Breakfast was leftover Ham and Potatoes Grilled outdoors, plus Biscuits and Spicy Sausage Gravy (my vegan adaption is here.) I ate fruit and muffins.

^{1. Biscuits, 2. Cream Horns, 3. Blueberries, 4. Grapes, 5. Spicy Sausage Gravy, 6. Ham, Sausages, and Potatoes on the Grill, 7. Mini-Quiches, 8. Muffins!}

I’ll go into a little more detail about Saturday’s lunch because Maid-Rites are an Iowan institution. Basically crumbly ground beef cooked up with onion and served loose (not in a patty) on a bun. My cousin pointed out that the Loose Meat Sandwich Restaurant from the Roseanne show was probably based on Maid-Rites. Fascinating. You can dig up more fun facts - and franchise info! - on Made-Rite Restaurants here.

I myself ate a Loose Veggie sandwiches (crudites stacked carefully on a bun, laced with dill dip.)

^{1. “Maid Rites” - an IIlinois/Iowa Specialty, 2. Beefy Con Queso, 3. Buns, 4. Red Velvet Cake, 5. Cereal Pretzel Mix, 6. Dill Pickle Chips, 7. Fruit Salad, 8. Kettle Pops, 9. Maid-Right Filling, 10. Pasta and Bell Pepper Salad, 11. Pot-o’-Dogs, 12. Saurkraut, 13. Crudites}

Saturday Dinner was Iowan Beef Burger and Wisconsin Brat night. This is when I broke out the veggie burgers.

^{1. A Discriminating Eater, 2. 7-layer Dip, 3. Baked Beans, 4. Burger Patties, 5. Fruit and Nut Salad, 6. Fruit Salad, 7. Grilled Homegrown Zucchini, 8. Pastachio, 9. Spinach Dip, 10. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, 11. Buns, 12. Wisconsin Beer Brats, 13. Saurkraut}

Thank you to my wonderful family for arranging this weekend. It was perfect. I am particularly grateful for the strength and grace of our hosts for putting up with air mattresses, beer cans, and assorted strange requests from 70+ of us relatives. Didn’t mean to scare you by setting up our tent in your garage.

You all have an open invitation to stay in Brooklyn anytime - I’ve got an open kitchen, bathtub, and air mattress that’s all yours.

Stuffed Shirt.

Where did that idiom come from and does it have anything to do with the fact that stuffed foods seem classy and even a little snooty? I suppose that stuffed food takes a little more time and attention than the average dish, and therefore acquire an air of class and distinction and also a rightful place in the middle of the table.

I think that’s why everyone gets a tickle out of a turkducken, which overdoes stuffing to the point of irony, if not hilarity. I was freshly impressed by the folks at SuperVegan’s attempt to make a vegan turducken. Does adding sarcasm to any already overblown concept cancel one another out in some sort of figurative double-negative? Mmmm, no. It’s just cool.

Now, onward to my pablanos. I wouldn’t call these things overblown or even snooty though they taste great, are vegan, and cut a fine profile on a dinner plate. Perfect for a vegan dinner party because it’s not much harder to make 18 of these as it is to make 9 and they should, quite rightfully, claim a place in the middle of the table.

Serves: 5
Time: 1.5 hours

Ancho Corn and Tempeh Stuffed Pablanos

9 pablano peppers
3 large new potatoes
1 8oz package tempeh
2 cups vegetable stock (or a bullion cube)
2 + 3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 ears corn
1 large zucchini
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 3 large cloves)
2 lb fresh tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped, or 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

If you’ve never roasted pablanos before you’re in for a treat - it’s easy and you get such unmistakable results whether you’ve got it right or wrong. Place the pablanos in a single layer on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler. Broil until the heat-facing parts of the pablanos are very black, then use a tongs to turn them so another side faces the heat. Repeat until they are very black all over. Put the pablanos in a plastic bag, twist the top to close the bag and let steam until cool enough to handle.

Slice the potatoes in half and cook them in a saucepan of boiling water until cooked through. You can test with a fork to see when they’re done. Put aside until cool (or rinse with cold water) and then cut into 1/4 inch dice.

In a small saucepan, cover the tempeh with vegetable stock (or a bullion cube and water) and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reserve the liquid.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet and sauté the zucchini for a few minutes then add the corn. Cook until barely soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

To make the sauce, sauté the onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp of olive oil. When they are wilted, add the tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, ancho chili powder and vinegar. Cook until fresh tomatoes have turned to sauce or canned tomatoes have heated through and combined with spices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Once the peppers are relatively cool, peel off the skin but keep the stem intact. Cut a slit longways in each pepper and carefully brush out all the seeds. I run my peppers under a slow stream of water from the faucet to wash the seeds out. Be careful not to break the pepper and to keep the stem and the tip end in tact (resist pulling any ribs, as this slices the pepper.)

Combine the zucchini, corn, diced cooked potatoes, braised tempeh and one half of the tomato sauce. Stir. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

On a large oiled baking sheet or two, lay out the pablanos opening side up. Slip spoonfuls of filling into each pepper - it can overspill the top some for a really “stuffed” look. Top with an additional tablespoon of tomato sauce.

Bake in the oven until just heated through, about 20 minutes.

Serve with brown rice, and maybe a salad too if you’re feeling snooty.

For better or worse, I spent my summer of seventeen slinging eggs and pancakes at a Greek diner for tips that often jingled instead of crumpled. The status of waitresses at this diner could be measured by the singes on their forearms from carrying three or four blistering plates of food on one arm and two or three more on the other. Ouch. Not being a very quick learner in the art of self-mutilation, I wimped out and opted for the “really big tray” method of serving. There was always a moment of panic when I had to find a free space to reasonably rest the Really Big Tray while I passed out plates to the hungry customers, but it beat being branded for life by something as innocent as a plate of silver dollar pancakes.

Human rights violations notwithstanding this restaurant took great pride in their food. The menu was very long though very generic in terms of diner fare: hot meatloaf sandwiches with gravy, tuna melts, and all you can eat fish fry on Fridays. But it probably introduced many a Midwestern meat-and-potatoes eater to some classic Greek-American dishes. Things like saganaki (flaming cheese), gyros, Greek Salad, pastichio and baklava. It was here that I first began to love moussaka.

What I am undertaking in the following recipe is nothing less than a complete bastardization of the moussaka that I was weaned on at this Greek diner. But let’s be honest: that moussaka is lamby and greasy and cries out for a revamp as much as aerosol Aqua Net Hairspray.

I understand that a big baked dish like this might not be the first thing you think about in the heat of summer but it’s a great way to use summer veggies like zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, peppers, etc. The soufflé-like topping and unusual spices transform these summer staples into something unusual and delicious. Serve it with pita bread and olive oil or a fattoush salad for a hearty summer meal.

Serves: 6
Time: 1.5 hours

Vegetarian Summer Vegetable Moussaka

1 large eggplant*
3 large zucchini*
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg plus more to top
3/4 stick of butter
8 Tbsp flour
3 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks, whipped
1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
small bunch of Italian parsley, chopped

*Instead of eggplant and zucchini you can use 3.5 pounds of whatever luscious summer veggie you have. Try yellow squash, bell peppers, potatoes, portabella mushrooms or a combo of all.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and slice the veggies into ¾ inch thicknesses. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil until cooked through, flipping them over once during the process.

In a saucepan, sauté the onions and then add the carrots, celery and garlic. Once they’ve begun to soften add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust the salt and pepper.

In another saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk with the butter for a few minutes before adding the milk. Whisk continuously while you slowly add the milk. Add in ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the whipped yolks.

To assemble the casserole, grease a 13” by 9” baking dish. Arrange half of the broiled vegetables in one layer, pour over half the tomato sauce, then repeat with two more layers. Pour the béchamel sauce over the vegetables and tomato sauce. Then sprinkle over the other ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, the chopped parsley, and finish with a generous sprinkle of nutmeg.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes.

This is a recipe that I feel almost guilty for calling a recipe.  A delicious pesto can be made to order following the below formula; just fill in your favorite herb, greens, nuts, oils and flavorings:

Mix-n-Match Pesto Generator Recipe

• 2 cups or so of herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, arugula, watercress, spinach)
• 1/2 cup nuts (pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia)
• a bit of savory flavor (optional - Parmesan, miso, nutritional yeast)
• a bit of tangy flavor: (lemon juice, vinegar, lime, olives, jalapeños, onions, garlic
• Oil! (olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, thai chile, sesame oil)

Use whatever stuff is growing wildly on your doorstep or appears in abundance in your shopping cart. 

You can mix your fashionable new pesto in with pasta, top a pizza with it, slather it on bruschetta, fold it in with omelets, create a new a salad dressing, etc!

You can also make a pesto with roasted tomatoes, beets, or marinated veggies like olives, artichokes, peppers.  Go crazy.

If you’d like a more specific pesto recipe, try some of the tasty looking ones below, which I’ve culled from very reliable sources:

Yummy-looking Cilantro Pesto and a Classic Basil Pesto from Elise at Simply Recipes
A raw pesto dish - Basil Pesto over Zucchini “Pasta” by the fantastic folks at What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway
Beautiful Asparagus Pesto by 28 Cooks and a proven hit low-fat version by SusanV at FatFree Vegan. 
And here’s 28 Cooks Basil and Habanero recipe.  So pretty! 
Great minds think alike!  Check out the Pistachio Arugula Pesto at VeganYumYum
Mmmm! Beet Pesto from Alanna at Veggie Venture.  What a great way to use your CSA veggies!  And here’s her concurrently-posted Arugula Pesto.

My very own recipe for Cilantro Arugula Pistachio Pesto has a taste reminiscent of guacamole and has proven to be just as addictive.  The tartness of the arugula stands up to the assertiveness of the cilantro, and the heat from the jalapeños and mellowness of the avocado oil round this out into a sauce you want to eat right from the spoon… which is just fine until you have a dozen dirty spoons sitting in your sink.

Time: 20 minutes
Makes over a cup of pesto

Cilantro Arugula Pistachio Pesto

1/2 cup pistachios
1 bunch of arugula, roughly chopped and stems removed
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped and stems removed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 small jalapeño, deseeded and minced
juice of 1 lemon
big pour of avocado oil
big pour of olive oil

In a blender or food processor, pulse the pistachios a few times to break them up into small pieces. Add the arugula, cilantro, onion, lemon, and a pour of avocado oil. Try blending and add olive oil until the pesto is liquid enough to blend smoothly. Depending on your intended use you can add more oil or keep it nice and thick. (If using on bruschetta keep thick, but add more oil if you’d like to mix it in with pasta.)