City Lifestyle

Want to start a publication?

Learn More
Summer Arizona Cucumbers =

Featured Article

The Joy Bus Diner Recipes

Jennifer Caraway's Famous Recipes from the Joy Bus Diner

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