If a hot meal and a little compassion can brighten a persons day, then it's the least we can all do as humans and as a part of the community. This simple belief is the heart behind the Joy Bus. Millions of cancer patients are left to fend for themselves during this turning point in their lives. The Joy Bus strives to relieve this burden by providing locally sourced healthy meals to families across the valley. We are happy to share a couple of the famous recipes from the new cookbook. Please consider purchasing a cookbook either directly from their website or at AJ's fine foods as all profits directly help the Joy Bus Mission.
Chilaquila
Jennifer Caraway, The Joy Bus Diner
makes 6 quarts
Ingredients
100 Guajillo chiles, toasted
20 Pasilla, chiles, toasted
12 1/2 chicken stock
3 small white onions diced
4 small cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons salt
Directions
Notes 2 cups reserved chile water (step 5)
To toast chiles, place pods on a sheet pan. Roast a few minutes at 350 degrees. approximately 5 minutes
Once cool enough to touch chiles, break open and remove seeds
Place seeded chilis in a pot with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat until chilies are soft. Strain, chiles saving 2 cups of chilie water and place chiles in a blender. While Chiles are simmering in a second pot add chicken stock, diced onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until garlic is soft, When onions and garlic are soft set aside to cool.
When cooled place in blender with chilis. Add salt,reserved water, and puree until smooth. Run through a strainer once more. You may have to blend in batches.
Additional ingredients
Corn tortillas for chips ( quarter and deep fry to make chips)
1 egg
1 thinly diced white onion
2 tablespoons crema
1 tablespoons queso fresco
Optional: Shredded Chicken
Plating
Add 1 1/2 cups of sauce to a large handful of chips in a saute pan, Quickly toss chips and sauce together until the chips are coated in sauce, and the chips and sauce are warm. Top with over medium egg, thinly diced white onion, crema, and queso fesco on a rectangular plate. Add shredded chicken if desired.
Summer Arizona Cucumber Salad
This dish is one of my favorites on a hot summer day and it is served ice cold and the spicy chiles mixed with the cold cucumbers and yogurt give a great flavor
History
We take local cucumbers of all varieties and cut them into oblique cuts. We dress them with pickled red onions, shaved local radishes, olive oil, sea salt, lime juice, and black pepper. This sits on a yogurt sauce made with greek yogurt, thai basil, mint, and honey. Finish the dish with a crunchy topping made with fried garlic, zuzu spice, roasted peanuts and chili oil. Then garnish with some lime, mint, and basil.
Ingredients
1pound mixed AZ cucumbers (cut into chunks)
2 shaved watermelon radishes
4 tablespoons pickled red onion
juice of 1 lime
olive oil to taste
sea salt to taste
black pepper to tasted
Directions
mix all ingredients together. set aside
Thai Basil Yogurt
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
pinch togarashi ( togarashi is a Japanese spice comparable to red chili pepper)
Directions
Mix all together and set aside
Chili Peanut Crunch Ingredients
2 tablespoons crispy garlic
2 tablespoons ZuZu spice
4 tablespoons toasted peanuts chopped
4 tablespoons chili oil
Directions
In a bowl, mix all together
Zuzu Spice
2 tables spoons fried garlic
1 tablespoon chile flakes
5 tablespoons tagarashi
5 tablespoons canola oil
Garnish
lime, mint, sea salt, petite basil
