Clausen’s Baja Bowls offer a memorable taste of Mexico
Jeff Clausen has traveled to Mexico many times.
He used to have a time-share there, heading south of the border on some 15 or more occasions. Cabo San Lucas. Puerta Vallerta. Mazatlan. Cancun. The Yucatán Peninsula. Isla Mujeres.
He says he loves “the people, the food, the culture, the beauty of it, the simplicity.”
“Have you seen ‘Shawshank Redemption?’ ” he asked before summarizing one of the 1994 film’s quotes: “You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific? They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory.”
Clausen lives in Spokane’s Audubon neighborhood. Baja Bowls bring him back to Mexico and the flavors of one of his most beloved vacation spots. Fast, unfussy and filling, the dish features staples of Mexican cooking – black beans, rice, corn salsa, avocado – and can be served hot or cold.
Clausen likes to make Baja Bowls on weeknights when he’s short on time.
“It’s a real quick, easy and healthy meal,” he said. “And it’s kind of fun.”
His Baja Bowl is a one-pot meal, served without side dishes. For serving, he prefers deep ceramic bowls. If he’s having the dish hot, he usually also heats up the bowls in the oven.
Because the idea is to make something quickly and easily, Clausen typically uses prepared coleslaw and salsa.
He also prefers pre-shredded Tillamook sharp cheddar, frozen corn instead of canned and quick-cooking brown Minute rice versus white rice.
“The whole idea is the speed of it. Essentially, it’s a 15-minute meal,” said Clausen, who precooks the boneless, skinless chicken breast, cutting it into cubes and pan-frying them with olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning. (He realizes that’s not Mexican-inspired, but he also favors the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.)
“My concept of cooking is I like to experiment and have fun,” he said. “I’ll ask, ‘What sounds good tonight?’ And I’ll throw something together.”
Usually, that something revolves around a few of his favorite, stand-by ingredients: olive oil, garlic, chicken or fish, preferably salmon. He makes his Baja Bowls every three or four weeks, if not more frequently.
“It’s part of the routine,” said Clausen, a self-proclaimed “farm boy” from Spangle who grew up in and around Spokane.
After studying journalism in Pullman and Eugene, he moved to Portland, where he worked in marketing and advertising. He returned to the Inland Northwest a dozen years ago to start his own marketing firm and enjoy a slower pace.
“I came back for the lifestyle,” he said, citing the “traffic, too many people, rain” in Portland. “It’s like Seattle. I decided I wanted to come back home. My family’s here.”
In his submission for “In the Kitchen with … ” Clausen wrote: “I like the dish’s ease of making, its healthiness and taste, and easy cleanup.”
Sometimes, Clausen uses Cuban black beans with onions and peppers instead of plain. “They just add a little spicy kick,” he said.
He also uses one pot to heat the beans and corn and cook the rice, rinsing it out in between ingredients and straining each through a fine-mesh sieve. He builds the bowl in layers, then stirs ingredients together, thoroughly mixing them and – if he’s serving it hot – helping to melt the cheese. Finally, he tops the mixture with sliced avocado, salsa and Greek yogurt or sour cream. He prefers the taste of Greek yogurt and likes to see the entire dish come together in a brightly colored bowl.
“That’s one of the reasons I like it, too,” he said. “It’s a colorful dish.”
Baja Bowl
From Jeff Clausen of Spokane
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, strained
1 (10-ounce) can yellow or white corn, strained
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes
8 ounces coleslaw (Clausen buys his at the Fred Meyer deli)
1 cup shredded cheddar (sharp or medium)
1 avocado, sliced
Salsa, to taste
Plain yogurt or sour cream, to taste
Heat beans, corn and rice, if desired.
Divide beans, corn, rice, chicken, coleslaw and cheese between four deep bowls. Stir each with a fork until all ingredients are well mixed. Top each with avocado slices, salsa and yogurt or sour cream, as desired.
Yield: 4 servings