Gypsy Goddess Guttu's Making Cooking Fun!

Comforting White Beans (and then some)

2011-04-10T18:08:00.002-04:00

We always have dried beans in to pantry ready to make a meal. Usually I will make them vegetarian style but, George and I had a hankering for a pot of beans done with meat to flavor them and I have to say, they came out as quite splendid dish. This is a splurge dish.

Ready?
Here ya go.

Ingredients:

1lb Northern White Beans- rinsed and then soak in water overnight or for at least 4 hours
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper- I used a poblano since it was all I had
1 jalapeno minced (you can seed them first if you like)
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1 small Spanish chorizo- about 3 inches long (these are the cured ones) cut into thin rounds
1 smoked ham hock
You can also add about a cup of cubed slices of pork if you have some around.
2 bay leaves
NO SALT till the beans are cooked.
If you ever want your beans to soften, never put salt in the beans until they have cooked where they have softened or they never will.
Ok so now, you heat your pot and then add your oil. When the oil is hot (medium high) add the onion and green pepper and cook down till soften, then add your garlic.
Once the onions begin to brown, if you are adding the pork, this is the time to brown those pieces, if not, add the beans, water, the rest of the meat, and the bay leaves. Make sure there is enough water to cover everything in the pot (about 1 inch over the top), turn to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 45 minutes. Check the beans and cook longer if needed to make sure they are soft. Once they are soft, add the salt and cook for about 15 minutes longer. Once the beans are done, take out the ham hock and after it is cool enough to touch, you can remover the outer skin and remove any nuggets of meat you find. Cut them into small pieces and add them back into the pot of beans. Now if needed, you can add salt.
Serve as a side dish, as a soup or with rice as the main dish.
How ever you do, please enjoy and take a walk after this meal. It not only helps digestion, it may help with any guilt you may be feeling.
Create a new meal from this dish.
Now after you have this the first day, and you know beans are always better the next, turn this into a nice soup/stew by adding about a pound or two of your favorite greens chopped and cook them down on low to medium low for about 45 minutes. This is the quick form of Caldo Gallego (Galician Style Stew) I like to use kale or Swiss chard.
Enjoy

Five Spice Meat Balls

2011-04-03T23:22:00.000-04:00

I felt like making Chinese. Upon review of what was in the larder, and it the refrigerator, I found we did not have anything defrosted to use. So, I decided to make a trip with George to the newly opened Hale Groves River Market today in Vero Beach. I was told they have, not only citrus fruits but, this location has a complete food market. We agreed it was our duty to check it out to give our opinion of the place for our friends. We also really like poking about in any new place. They not only have citrus fruit. They also have other fresh produce, herbs, and there is a meat counter as well as a seafood counter where I was happy to see they had fresh Wahoo (stay tuned for a fish recipe in the coming days). So upon review of all of the choices, and wanting not to work too hard, I bought some nice looking ground beef ( they identify it as 'steak burger') as well as a few other little goodies here and there. I decided to cook my 'Five Spice Meat Balls'. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. It has been a really long time since I had cooked this one and was hoping it would be as good as I remembered. This recipe is for 4 people or 2 really hungry ones. You can serve it with rice noodles or rice. I have chosen white basmati rice.

Ingredients:

For the meat balls:
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp shredded fresh ginger
3-4 cloves fresh garlic finely chopped
Put the following into the same cup
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (spelled many different ways- Chinese rice wine)
2 tbsp lite soy sauce
1 tsp five spice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp Szechuan pepper (optional)
1/4 cup panko (or your choice of bread crumbs)
1 tbsp of peanut oil

For the sauce:
1/4 cup dried Chinese mushrooms
1 tbsp shredded ginger
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 green pepper sliced into strips
1 red pepper sliced into strips
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1 jalapeño pepper finely diced (optional)
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp tangelo juice (or orange juice)
zest of tangelo (or small orange)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil

To thicken sauce:
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp cold water

Take the Chinese mushrooms and soak in hot water for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Once the mushrooms rehydrate, do not dispose of the water. Set the liquid aside and chop the mushrooms and place them with the peppers.

Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together and let sit for at least 10 minutes before you shape them.
Shape the mixture into small meatballs no larger than 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Heat the pan to medium high and once heated, add the oil.
Once oil is heated, add the meatballs in one layer in the pan and brown on all sides. Once cooked, remove from the pan.
Remove all but 2 tsp of oil. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook stirring quickly until it begins to soften. Add the peppers, onions, and the mushrooms and stir fry till they begin to soften. Once this happens, pour in the liquids and the zest. Scrape all the fond off the bottom of the pan. If you need more liquid, use the mushroom water that was set aside. Pour about 1/8 cup of the liquid, turn down the heat and let it cook down. This will be the sauce for your dish. Once it has cooked down a bit, take the corn starch and add it to the cold water and stir till combined. Slowly pour the mixture into the pan and stir.. It should thicken the sauce. Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice.
Enjoy

Turkish Style Tabouleh or Kisir Salad

2011-03-17T00:59:00.000-04:00

I enjoy eating tabouleh but, the recipes I have used in the past it has too much oil in it and was nice but, just ok. I was reading the Turkish recipe for Kisir (their tabouleh). It was very similar and I used that as my starter to come up with my twist. I know there may be a few exotic ingredients in this dish but, if you do not have them, put it on your grocery list for next time. You may have to go to either an Asian or Gourmet grocery store to find but, you will find yourself using them over and over where your friends will wonder what your secret is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
This salad originated as a parsley and mint salad with bulgar wheat. One recipe calls for pommegranate molassas and although I have many unique ingredients in my pantry, I did not have this so I opted to use tamarind concentrate and it was awesome.

Salad Ingredients:
1/2 cup med-coarse grind bulgar wheat
3/4 cup boiling water
1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley (about 2 cups)
1 small bunch of mint (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
4 green onions (scalions) chopped small
1-2 medium tomatoes chopped small

Dressing:
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 tsp of Harissa sauce*
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper (optional)

Put the bulgar wheat in a bowl and pour the boiling water over and stir well. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
This is all the cooking involved. While the bulgar wheat is sucking up all that water, take all of the other salad ingredients together and put them in a large enough bowl to be able to toss everything together.
mix your dressing together.
After 15 minutes remove the cover from the bulgar wheat and stir it to make sure it is not sticking together.
Pour it into the salad bowl and toss. Take the dressing and mix it one last time and them pour it over the salad. Toss all the ingredients well and taste for salt.
I serve this with my hummus and pita bread.
*Harissa Sauce is a medium hot sauce from Morocco. I get mine in a tube like some tomato paste comes in.
If you cannot find this, you can use your favorite hot sauce. You should not add so much as to notice it is there but just enough to enjoy the flavor it brings to the dish.

Easy Tasty and Frugal Hummus

2011-03-16T20:25:00.002-04:00

When I want hummus I usually just pick up my favorite at the store. I had the epiphany this week that not only is my hummus easy to make, it tastes better and to top it off, it is cheap to make.
A can of chick peas (garbanzos) cost anywhere from .50 to 1.50. Since you add flavor to the beans, you can use a cheaper brand.
When you break down the cost for this tasty treat, it works out like this:
I usually pick up the Sabras brand hummus it costs about $4.50 for 12 oz. The only thing missing when you make your own hummus is the preservatives. What a deal. So, when you make this at home it comes out to about $2.00 for 12 oz and free of all preservatives.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz can chick peas (garbanzos)
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
juice of 1 medium lemon
1 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Drain the can of beans and put all the ingredients into a blender and blend till creamy. You may need to add more olive oil once you have poured the mixture into a bowl. Some top with a little olive oil or sprinkle with a little paprika.
You can serve this with pita bread. I like to serve the hummus with cut up cucumber, cherry tomatoes, good Kalamata olives and then cut some pita bread into 6 triangles and brush a bit of olive oil on top and pop into the oven and broil just till they heat up.
Makes a great fresh lunch or a nice appetizer plate.
Enjoy

Grilled Asparagus Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-03-15T10:07:00.001-04:00

I was trying to get started on dinner and wanted to do something different (wow what a stretch for me) with my asparagus. I came up with this nice little salad/side dish with a vinaigrette that was slightly sweet from using a white balsamic vinegar. I hope you like it too.

Salad Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce
3-5 small tomatoes
1 bunch of asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt (regular salt is ok to use)
fresh ground pepper

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme or marjoram (optional)
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Turn the oven on to broil and make sure you are using the top shelf to broil. Us a cookie sheet or shallow pan to put the vegetables in.
Cut the bottoms off of the asparagus and clean and dry them. Place the in one layer on the pan. Take the tomatoes and cut them open at the top down to just open them into quarters. Lay them open side up on the pan.
Sprinkle the olive oil, salt and pepper over the asparagus and tomatoes.
Put the pan under the broiler until browned. This usually takes 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you do not want burned, just browned. When they are done, take out of the oven and let them cool down before you use them.

Take the head of romaine and cut into shreds to cover the bottom of the plate you are using for your salad.
When the vegetables have cooled, cut the asparagus into smaller pieces as you like and place them on the bed of lettuce. Using a spatula ( I have found this the best way for cooked tomatoes), lift the tomatoes off of the pan and place them on top of the lettuce.

For this salad dressing, it is up to you if you want to add herbs as it works either way.
Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk together. I use a small bottle and shake it all together. Pour over the top of the salad and serve.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Linguini with White Truffle Oil and Orange Zest

2011-03-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

I wanted something to pair with my Pork Saltimbocca and once I looked around the kitchen, I said hmm, there is an orange here that looks like it needs to be zested and I have not used my truffle oil in a while and viola, the following came from it.

Ingredients:
1 lb of liguini cooked al dente
zest of a small orange (use a planer or chop it up fine)
2 tbsp of butter room temp
2 tbsp white truffle oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
1 pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

There is no need to cook the sauce. While your linguine is cooking ( PLEASE do not over cook any pasta it is a sin) take all the ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl. When your pasta is done, drain and put it into the bowl. Mix all this together and make sure all of your pasta is covered. This goes well with my Pork Saltimbocca with Artichoke Hearts.
Enjoy.

Pork Saltimbocca with Artichoke Hearts

2011-03-05T16:08:00.000-05:00

I love pork pretty much any way you make it. It is the other white meat you know. This is a recipe that I love doing when I have a pork tenderloin or loin.

Ingredients:

For the Pork
1 lb pork tenderloin or loin cleaned of any excess fat and cut into 1 inch slices
1/8 lb prosciutto slices

Dredging flour
flour for dredging pork
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
large plastic bag cut open or plastic wrap (I like the thicker plastic bag for pounding the pork)
2 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp butter

For the Sauce
2 shallots diced
1/2 cup of good dry white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup capers
1 can of cut up artichoke hearts
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients for the dredging flower in a bowl or on a plate.
Take the sliced pork and top with a slice of prosciutto to almost cover the pork. Once this is completed take one slice at a time and put them in between the plastic from the cut open bag and pound the piece to flatten it a bit and it also pushes the proscuitto into the pork.
Once you have pounded them out and taken all your frustrations out on them, dredge them in the flour mixture.
Heat a pan and once it is hot add the olive oil and butter till it is hot (medium hot on the dial). Add the dredged pork slices and brown on each side. These cook quickly and you do not want to over cook and get chewey pieces.
Take them out and set aside.
Now add the shallots into the pan till they soften. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook down by half. Add the lemon juice and make sure all the goodies on the bottom of the pan are scraped up. Add the capers and artichoke hearts and stir. Add the butter and stir. This is your sauce. Now you can add back your pork pieces for a minute or two to heat through.
You can plate this by taking out the pork and placing them on a nice platter and pour the sauce over the top,
I serve this with my Linguini with White Truffle Oil and Orange Zest.
Enjoy.

Basil Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad et. al.

2010-12-27T00:56:00.000-05:00

I was asked for this recipe after I made it the other day at my Tapas Party celebrating 'Festivus for the Rest of Us. The salad and dressing nearly make them self.
Many of you know I try to post a photo. I will get one up for this soon as I make this salad often.

Ingredients:
Salad
1/3-1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves- torn into smaller pieces
2 medium ripe Tomatoes chopped in bite sized pieces
1/4 cup red Onion- cut onion in half then in half again, then slice thinly
1/4 cup Calamata or Black Greek Olives- pitted and cut in half
4-6 oz. Fresh Mozzarella cheese- cubed into pieces the size of your olives

Dressing*
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
3-4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Process:
I like to place this salad on a plate instead of a bowl. It is a great salad to start off your favorite Italian meal.
Take your salad ingredients and mix them together in a bowl (just for mixing). Put your dressing ingredients in a jar and shake till all is mixed well or whisk together in a bowl.
Pour your dressing over your salad and toss then arrange on your favorite plate.
Sometimes I will add some shredded romaine lettuce as the base on my plate if I am trying to stretch the salad.

Mangiare bene e godersi la vita!
Eat Well and Enjoy Life!

* I use a small jar with a tight lid to shake together the ingredients for all my dressings. This way if it is chunky it pours out easy, and on the rare occasion there is any left over, it is the best way to store your dressing in the refrigerator.

Mexican Tapas Molletes

2010-08-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

I know I have been remiss about sharing my new finds and creations but, I have a new job during the day and have had my husband, George, taking the spatula and creating amazing meals.
I do still get in the kitchen on the weekends so, her goes.
We wanted a little lunch before heading out to the grocery store so I looked to see what we had to use. I saw some Pinto beans that were left over as well as a French baguette that needed to be used.
We had gone to the Cheese Cave in Vero Beach on Saturday to pick up some glorious cheese. They have not only the best selection but their prices are reasonable. I love a good cheese and saw a little piece of habanero jack I knew I needed to try.

Then I still had some fresh salsa left over so it too needed to be used as to not go bad.
When I was in Mexico back in the 90's George and I went every morning for breakfast to a place called the Paloma Blanca in front of the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico to see what would be jumping out of the Pacific Ocean to greet us today. I ate the Molletes; essentially beans on French bread with cheese on top. Here is my version. Play with it to make it your own.

1 loaf of french bread sliced into 1 inch thick slices
1-2 cups cooked pinto beans (use any type of bean you like) drained, smashed with a fork,
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
4-6 chopped scallions
4 oz your favorite pepper jack cheese shredded (or what ever oozy cheese you like)
your favorite salsa or use my salsa recipe below

Put your oven on broil

First put the slices of bread under the broiler just to slightly brown tuning once.
Take them out and place on cookie sheet and add to cover, the pinto beans and add a little pinch of cumin on top of each slice. Sprinkle the jalapenos and scallions over each piece then cover each piece with cheese.
Put under the broiler till melted and oozing.
Take out and add the salsa.
Enjoy!

Patty's Easy Salsa

Get out what ever type of blender you use for this recipe or you can hand chop.

2 medium tomatoes cut in quarters
1/4 cup white onions cut up large
2 tblsp cilantro
1-2 jalapenos or serrano peppers cut in half
1 tblsp vinegar
1 tblsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Take all ingredients and put in your blender and pulse chop till all is mixed but not too much that it makes juice.

George's Chili con Carne

2010-04-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

This is an easy dish that comes from many years of tweaking to what is has become today. George is always asked for the recipe and I am finally coming around to post it for everyone.

If you do have leftovers, this dish freezes great. Other leftover ideas are listed below.

Ingredients:
5 lb lean chuck cubed in 1inch pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
3/4- 1 cup chili powder- (Badia brand) it is a mild one
1 tbsp cumin ground
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds (slightly ground yourself to bring out the flavor)
1/2 tsp oregano
12-15 cloves garlic finely minced
2 cans Campbell's beef broth (double strength)
2 cans of water (using that broth can)
Salt and pepper to taste

Process:
You will be using a pan to brown the meat and a pot to simmer it.

One thing I have learned is to heat your pan before adding the oil. This will help reduce sticking. Once your pan is heated to Medium High add a few tbsps of oil to the pan. This is a process of about 4 batches in that pan. Once it is hot add about a quarter of the meat to the pan without crowding and brown on all sides. Continue to add oil as needed between batches to make sure you are not graying the meat you are browning the meat. Brown equals flavor.
Heat your pot on low and add the browned meat to it.
After the first batch goes into the pot sprinkle your flour, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic over the meat and stir. Continue to add the rest of the batches as they have browned to the pot and stir each time to disperse the flour and other ingredients around.
After all the meat is in the pot, add the broth and the water and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately lower to a simmer for about 3 hours or till tender.
Serve this over rice and a side of black beans goes great.

Leftovers if there are any ,can be used to make these dishes:
You will reheat the beef and then take it off the heat and add sour cream to your taste. Boil up some egg noodles and voila Beef Stroganoff is born.
Another leftover idea is adding a little Mexican chocolate (we like Ibarra). We use about 1/4 disc per pound of meat. This will make you a quick instant Mole! Serve over rice.
If you still have a little more left, it is a great burrito with shredded cabbage, avocado and your own imagination.
Enjoy.

Moroccan Orange and Black Olive Salad

2010-04-08T17:07:00.000-04:00

I had a request for this recipe. It is my honey George's favorite Summertime salad.
It is also an easy recipe. It is best to buy a small container of Harissa sauce to use with this but I have included the recipe for those who can get the peppers for it. Some recipes call for olive cured black olives. My preference is Kalamata olives.

Ingredients:
3-4 navel orange cut into 1/2 in rounds
1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted cut in half
1/2 of a medium red onion sliced into this rings
2 tsp Harrissa sauce (see recipe below)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Take all the ingredients and mix together in a nonreactive bowl. It is best when you have an hour to let the ingredients to marinate before serving.

Harrissa Sauce:
1-2 tbsp Aleppo chili peppers or your favorite red hot chili

12 large garlic clove
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Grind all the ingredients together. This will last in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Jerk Chicken and Caribbean Flavorful Brown Basmati Rice

2010-04-01T15:52:00.000-04:00

I was hungry for Jerk Chicken and went to my favorite produce market, Young's, and their Scotch Bonnet peppers looked good so I had picked them and the rest of the ingredients up to make my Jerk. The ingredients are simple. Knowing I would need a balance to cool down the heat, I decided on making the Brown Basmati Rice.

If you want to cheat on this you can use Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for your chicken. It is a great product.

Jerk Chicken
Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts on bone with or without skin
Jerk Seasoning: ( use your blender to make a paste)
3-4 scallions chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme
2 tsp allspice berrys
1/2 tsp nutmeg ground
1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
1 tsp black pepper ground
2-3 Scotch Bonnet or Habaner Peppers diced (you may want to put on gloves to chop these)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Cooking:
Mix the seasoning together into a paste and rub over the chicken. Let this marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes till chicken is done.

Caribbean Flavorful Brown Basmati Rice
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 shallots diced
1 cup Brown Basmati Rice
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 tbsp Cocount Milk
1 tbsp Fresh Thyme off of the stem
1 tbsp Jamaican Curry Powder (see below for ingredients)
Cooking:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the shallots to cook till softened. Add the rice and stir until mixed. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for 35 minutes.

Jamaican Curry Powder
5 parts Turmeric
4 parts Coriander Seed
3 parts Cayenne
3 parts Fenugreek Seeds
2 parts Cumin Seeds
2 parts Whole Black Pepper
2 parts Star Anise
2 parts Yellow Mustard Seed
1 part Whole Cloves
Once you have all the ingredients together, put them in a spice blender (coffee grinder used only for spices) and grind to a powder. Put the powder in a sealed container and it will keep a long while. Used to season all kinds of things.

Springtime Avocado and Black Bean Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

2010-03-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

So it finally began to feel like we were going to have a Spring day and I wanted a salad for dinner and I did not want to turn on the stove and actually 'cook'. I had a big bag of Spring Salad Greens and Mexican Avocados that were ready to be used. I wanted this salad to be my dinner so, I went to the pantry and pulled out a can of Black Beans for my protein. The following is the recipe and it was delish. Now, you can add chicken to this as well but, if you are looking for a fresh vegetarian yummy for dinner or even for a lunch, this will hit the spot.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 bag or box of your favorite mixed greens (about 5-6 cups)

2 Mexican avocados cut in cubes

1 small red onion sliced thin

1-2 tomatoes chopped

1 can (12 oz) black beans rinsed

Dressing

1/2 cup cilantro

2 limes juiced

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Take a big bowl and add all the salad ingredients except for the black beans and mix together.

Put the ingredients for the dressing in the blender and mix together. Pour over the black beans and mix together before pouring it all over the salad and mix together.

It is that simple and very good.

Add some cooked chicken breast if you want to add more protein.

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus Tips

2010-03-20T00:55:00.000-04:00

Took a trip to the store and the shrimp were on sale and looked great. George said "Why don't you make risotto?". So I made the following dish. Once he ate it he then said "Now you have killed my dream of eating that great risotto in Punta Este, Uruguay again. Yours was amazing."
I hate it when that happens but, hope you enjoy it too.
This dish is one you should make the commitment to stand in front of the pan and not answer the phone or watch a movie. It can be very theraputic to stir.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp shelled (16-20)
note: keep the shell for the broth
1 bunch of medium asparagus chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 shallots diced
3 cups Aborio risotto
6 cups chicken broth
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup pecorino cheese shredded (you can use parmesan if you wish or none at all)
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt

Cooking:
Begin by taking the shells from the shrimp and add them to a pan with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Strain the broth and put it back into the pan on medium.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the shallots and cook till soft but not brown. Add the risotto and and stir till all is covered with oil. Add about 2 cups of the broth and begin to slowly stir. The broth will begin to be absorbed. When you see this happen, slowly add more. I use a 1/2 cup ladle and add one to two ladles at a time. Continue to stir for another 5 minutes and the add more broth and add the asparagus and lemon zest. Add more broth and after 5 more minutes add more broth and stir. Taste the risotto for texture. It will be soft on the outside and still a little hard inside. Add more broth and when the texture of the risotto is getting softer, add the shrimp. Add the butter and cheese and more broth. You will probably use all of it. The total time will be about 20-25 minutes over the pan.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact me and I will help you out on this. It is really an easy process and worth the commitment.

I served this with a basic salad with a lemon thyme dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
Mix and pour over salad.

Enjoy.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Chorizo

2010-03-07T20:53:00.000-05:00

I was challenged to create a recipe with sweet potatoes for a contest for Sweet Bytes Blog.
I always seem to cook an extra sweet potato or two for a dinner and then I use it for this recipe later in the week so I know it would be fun.
I love quesadillas and am constantaly changing up the ingredients to find something fun for the mouth and good for you too. This recipe is for 4 people or two really hungry people.

Ingredients:
1 Large Cooked Sweet Potato baked (or cooked in your microwave) mashed a bit
2 Chipotle peppers with some of the adobo sauce and blend to a paste.
Note: I usually just blend the whole can as I always have something that needs their smokey goodness.
1 green pepper chopped
Another note: I am currently using Poblanos as they are tasty and with just a bit of spice
2 green onions diced
2 Medium (5oz) Mexican Chorizo cooked and crumbled
1 - 1/12 cups Queso Blanco chopped into small pieces
One more note: You can use Monterey Jack
4 large Flour Tortillas (8-10 inches)
1-2 tsp butter for the pan

Cooking:
Heat your pan to medium heat. Add a little of the butter to the pan.
Begin the process by taking each tortilla and softening it up by placing them one at a time in the pan to heat for a few seconds on each side. Set them aside.

Take a tortilla and spread the chipotle sauce over the entire surface.
Take 1/4 of your sweet potato and spread it over 1/2 of the tortilla surface.
Sprinkle 1/4 of the chorizo crumbles over the sweet potato then continue with the green pepper and green onions, and lastly the cheese. Fold over the tortilla to cover the ingredients.
Carefully put it in the pan and brown on each side adding a little more butter if needed to the pan. Once each side is brown, take out of the pan and let sit for about a minute before cutting into halves or thirds as you wish.
You can serve this with Sour Cream but, it is so good by itself, you really do not need any extra condiments.

Enjoy!

Patty's Garbanzo and Greens Veggie Stew

2010-02-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

This stew I made was quite fabulous. It is even low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates and lean protein.
Note: There can be different sizes for cutting your ingredients. Chopped - larger pieces. Diced- smaller pieces. Minced- tiny pieces.
Ingredients:
1 16oz package of dry garbanzo beans (chick peas) - soak overnight in water to cover
6 water
----
2 tbsp olive oil
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Section 1-
1 cup carrots diced
1/2 cup celery diced
1 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 jalapeno peppers diced
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Section 2-
6 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you like)
1 cup tomatoes diced
1-2 cups zuchini chopped
4-6 cups of turnip or mustard greens chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley minced
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp rosemary

Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the ingredients in Section 1 and cook till the onions are beginning to brown. Set aside.
Take the garbanzos if using dryed beans soaked overnight and pour off the water. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and the reduce to simmer for 1 hour adding more broth or water if needed.
Take the ingredients in Section 2 and add to the pot and simmer for 1 hour. You may need to cook longer depending on the age of your beans.
Before you serve this, take out the bay leaves. I tie a string around them or put them in a cheesecloth pouch to make it easy to retreive them.
This is a stew not a soup so it is thick and hearty. You can add more water or broth to make it more soup like if you need.

For the Weight Watchers out there:
This recipe is worth 8 points a serving at 6 servings.

Chicken Chilaquiles with Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

2010-02-19T02:13:00.000-05:00

I wanted it to be a good comfort food type recipe. Noticing that the Mexican avocados were ripe and I still had a can of tomatillos I wanted to use, off I went to create chilaquiles. Looking in the refrigerator, I had some leftover chicken breast to add to the recipe as well. This is a dish that begins with sauce, tortilla chips, and cheese done in layers and baked. It may remind some of a Mexican lasagna. So off I went on my quest for yum.
I used a 9 inch x 13 nch x 2 inch baking dish.

Prheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of cooked chicken breast boned and chopped into bite sized pieces. (you can usually use any leftover meat you like)

50-60 tortilla chips

5-6 oz cheddar cheese shredded

2-3 tbsp pecorino or parmesean cheese grated

1 recipe of Avocado Tomatillo Sauce
1 recipe of Fresh Tomato Salsa

Avocado Tomatillo Sauce:
2 Mexican avocados seeded and peeled
28oz can of tomatillos or use 2 lbs of fresh tomatillos that you simmer in a cup of water till tender

2 habanero chiles (seeded for a little less heat)

1 onion cut into large pieces

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tsp ground cumin

salt an pepper to taste (start at about 1/2 tsp each)

1/2 cup cilantro

add all the ingredients to a blender and mix till smooth

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

3 ripe medium tomatoes cut into large pieces

1/2 white onion cut into large pieces

1-2 jalapenos cut in half (seeded if you need mild)

2 tbsp cilantro

2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Ad all ingredients to a blender and pulse to make a coarse chop. Pour out into a serving bowl.

Preparation:

Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of chips, next your chicken, then the cheddar cheese. Top it with a good amount of the sauce. Repeat the chip and chicken layers then add the rest of the sauce. Top with the rest of the cheddar cheese and then sprinkle with the pecorino (or parmesean) cheese.

Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and a bit brown.

Removed from oven and let cool.

Add the fresh salsa on the side or poor a little on top of each serving as you like.

Enjoy.

Valentine's Day Shrimp

2010-02-14T11:17:00.000-05:00

The shirmp looked at the store yesterday so I decided to cook the dish that George made for me our first Valentine's day together. This is sensual finger food. You will shell the shrimp and dip good crusty bread in the sauce. It is a fast and easy dish. Keeping the shrimp in the shell enhances the flavor.
You can shell and devein tge shrimp first and it does just fine. Serve this with a nice salad and enjoy with your partner. It is chock full of garlic but worth every clove.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Use a baking dish that you can serve out of.

Ingredients:
1lb Shrimp shell on. (heads off)
2 oranges cut in quarters
1 head of garlic chopped
1 stick of butter cut into pieces
1 tsp of thyme or use your favorite herb
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette
Cooking:
Put the shrimp in the baking dish. Take the oranges and squeeze the juice all over the shrimp and then take the quarters and add them to the pan. Add the garlic, pieces of butter, salt and pepper, and herbs over the top of the shrimp and put the dish in the oven to bake.
They will cook for about 10-15 minutes. Look at them about every 5 minutes and take them out when the shrimp are pink.
You take the bread and dip in this most savory sauce and eat the shrimp with your fingers.
You can experiment with this and use the sauce to toss pasta in but, I have not done that yet.
The flavor of this dish is unforgettable.
Happy Valentine's Day

Grilled Skirt Steak with Mango Habanero Salsa

2010-02-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

I had a skirt steak marinating and went to Young's Market to pick up some veggies. I looked at the perfectly ripe mangos and gorgeous colors of the peppers and bought the ingredients for an amazing salsa.
Recipe:
1lb skirt steak
Marinade:
mix all the following together (I use a plastic bag to marinade my meat)
1/4 cup orange juice or mixture of pineapple orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 inch ginger grated
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Salsa:
mix the following together
1 ripe mango chopped in small cubes
2 habanero pepper seeded and finely minced
1 red pepper chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped
1/8 cup cilantro chopped
1 lime juiced

1-2 tbsp olive oil for pan
Marinade the steak for at least 1 hour.
Make the salsa at least 30 minutes before serving

Remove steak from marinade and pat a bit before cooking. Keep the marinade and cook it down in a separate pan to serve over steak. Heat your grill to high or cook under the broiler. Brown on each side till doneness you llike. I like dark brown on the outside and red in the middle (about 3 minutes each side)
Take off heat and let sit for 6-10 minutes before slicing thin.
Slice and pour just a bit of the sauce over the meat and serve the salsa on the side.

I made rice with this but it would go good with potato or pasta too.
My rice was done with chicken stock, 1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce chopped, 2 tbsp of my favorite tomato salsa with jalapenos, 2 tsp ground cumin and the condiment called BIJOL (It makes the rice a pretty yellow. It is not saffron.).
I also cheated and opened a can of Conchita black beans and just added a little cumin and cilantro to go with it all.
Not only did it taste great, I am sorry I did not take a picture because it was beautiful on the plate.
Now I am done. Enjoy.

Eggplant Parmesan

2010-01-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

This past week I went to Young's Market here in Vero Beach and they had eggplant for .69 cents a pound.
This as well as the cooler weather enspired me to make one of my husband's favorites, eggplant parmesan.

What you will need:
oil for frying - I use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and peanut oil.
3-4 medium sized eggplant sliced in rounds about 1/2 inch thick not too thin.
whole milk mozzarella sliced in small pieces or grated.
freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Breading:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs beaten with a tablespoon of water or milk
1 cup bread crumbs- I use Italian style but have even used panko breading
Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
This sauce is so easy and quick to make. You will never open a jar again.
10-12 ripe tomatoes chopped or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (I use the Pomi brand in a box when I do use fresh)
8 to 10 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste as you go

Begin with the sauce by heating a pan to medium high and adding the oil. Then when it is hot, add the garlic and stir to cook but not brown, just soft. Add the tomatoes and stir. Once it begins to simmer turn the heat down to medium or lower depending on how hot your stove runs just to keep it at a low simmer for about 20 minutes. Once it has reduced a bit, you can turn the sauce off and add salt to taste.

Now to the main player in the dish:
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Put the following in a bowl for each, flour, egg mixture and bread crumbs and add salt and pepper to each one. (Julia Child always said to salt and pepper or season each portion of your dish and it really does work well)
Take the eggplant and dredge in flour then egg mixture, lastly the bread crumbs. lay on a sheet.
Heat the pan with oil on medium high and wait till you can drop a bread crumb in and it sizzles. Add eggplant in one layer in the pan and do not overcrowd. Once they are very brown on one side, turn over and brown on the other side. Once the are done (they will be soft in the middle), take out of the pan and place on paper towels to drain.
Once the eggplant are cooked, the next step is to put this masterpiece together.
Use a baking pan that will hold two layers of your eggplant. Sometimes I split it into two small pans.
Begin by spreading some of the sauce on the bottom.
Take the eggplant and place one layer in the pan. Do not overlap.
Cover the eggplant with sauce then top with the whole milk mozzarella and then sprinle with the parmesean (or pecorino) cheese.
Next layer starts with the eggplant first, sauce, and your mozzarella and parmesan.
Put in the oven for 30 minutes. It should be bubbling at the bottom and the cheese beginning to brown on top.
Take out and let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting into.
Serve with your favorite pasta and use the rest of the sauce if you have any left or take olive oil, garlic, and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, (as always salt and pepper to taste) in a bowl and mix with the pasta. I never cook the pasta over 7 minutes to keep it al dente (to the teeth) not mushy.
Manga!

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Fresh and Tasty Salad

2010-01-17T16:18:00.000-05:00

I went to Young's Market for some ideas for a salad. Got home and made a great lowfat meal for lunch. You can find most of the ingredients in their market.

Salad ingredients:
1 romaine lettuce chopped
1package mixed salad greens
1 Ugly Betty tangerine
1/4 red onion thin sliced
1 cucumber sliced thin
1 tomato chopped
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
Dressing:
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 inch shredded ginger
1 large clove garlic finely diced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper
Put all the ingredients together in a small jar is the best and shake it up or just mix well.
Pour over the salad and toss well.
This is good with slices of chicken breast added for a nice meal as well.

Enjoy with a nice glass of your favorite crisp white wine.

Delicious and Oatmeal Together Again

2009-11-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

I happen to like oatmeal. I do though have to use my magic powers to make it taste great.
This recipe is for one serving of oatmeal. I use instant to make one bowl at a time. It helps in portion control because you will want more once you have tasted this. For this recipe I use Original Quaker Instant Oatmeal. There is no sweetener in this so you are in control.
This is the only thing I actually cook in a mirowave.
I want to note that I do not care for milk so I use Silk Vanilla Soy Milk for this. You can use water, milk or soy milk to cook this.

1 package of instant oatmeal (or 1 serving)
water, milk or soy milk (amount that is on the package to cook)
1/4 tsp vanilla (add this to your milk/water)
pinch= (1/8 tsp) of the following per bowl
nutmeg
cardamom
cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp dried cranberries (try to find unsweetened if you can)

Place the oatmeal, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon together and cook as per directions. When it is ready, add the brown sugar, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries and stir. At this point I may add a little milk to get the consistency I want.

This is good and good for you.

Oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Cinnamon may improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
Walnuts are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.
Recent studies suggest that cranberries help prevent and treat urinary tract infections, promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer.

Pretty cool huh?
Please don't forget to leave your comments and feedback so I can keep making this blog work for everyone.

George's Baked Ziti

2009-11-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

George had not been in the kitchen for a while so when he cooked tonight, I knew he was going to hit one out of the park. This recipe will feed 4-6

1 lb Italian Sausage- use the best you can find
taken out of the casing
3 containers of chopped tomatoes- we always use Pomi brand (in a box). It comes in 26.5 oz. You can use your preference of tomatoes in juice.
6-8 cloves garlic chopped
2 boxes of Rotini pasta
1/2 cup Ricotta
12 oz. shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Cook sausage until brown. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 20-30 minutes on simmer stirring occasionally.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil the pasta about 5-6 minutes so it is al dente and not too cooked as you will be baking this dish. Mix the pasta and sauce in a bowl saving a bit of the sauce for the bottom of the baking dish.
Using a large baking dish add the extra sauce. Put a layer of the pasta and sauce in the pan covering the bottom well.
Spoon out all of the ricotta in tablespoon size on top of the pasta. Add 1/2 of the mozzarella and then sprinkle with some pecorino.
Add the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the pecorino on top and then finish off with the rest of the mozzarella.
Do not cover and bake for about 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Black Beans

2009-10-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

So you want black beans to go with that pork dish? Here ya go.
If you are in a hurry you can 'doctor up' a can of beans. It is quick and easy to do.
So I will give you the short way and the from scratch way.
First the can of beans to table way:
two cans of black beans your choice of brand
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp oregano
one crushed piece of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Take the beans out of the can and rinse them off in water then add the drained beans in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and turn on the heat to med high and bring to a boil. Then turn it down and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. This is the quick fix.

Now for the scratch beans:
1 bag of black beans that have soaked overnight covered in water with 2 bay leaves, 1 green pepper seeded and cut in half, one onion cut in half, 2 garlic cloves crushed.
In the morning, add more water (about 2 -3 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 2 hours.
Check to see if the beans are soft. It they are, add 1 tbsp cumin powder, 1 tsp oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. Some people add a tbsp of sugar and a tbsp of apple vinegar at the end. Your choice.
If you want to add cilantro that is good too but, I would suggest you find culantro to use for your beans as it has a stronger flavor of cilantro that lasts longer.
Enjoy.

Masa de Puerco - pork chunks

2009-10-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

Ok so you need about 2 pounds of pig. I like using boneless country ribs but any piece of pork that has a little fat is good. Cut into 2 inch chunks.
You will also need:
at least half of a head of garlic chopped
juice of 4-5 limes
salt
pepper
Using a pan that will not crowd your chunks of pork.
Add all the ingredients in the pan then add water to just cover the pieces in the pan.
Turn the heat to high and let it boil until you start to hear it sizzle (all the water is gone). Don't let it burn though.
Turn the heat down and let the pieces brown a little. You can add some oil if it is too dry in the pan.
You will end up with soft on the inside and browned on the outside amazingly tasty PIG. mmmm
Serve with some thinly sliced onions and chopped parsley to garnish. To make it an authentic Cuban mean, serve with rice and black beans.

Corned Beef Hash

2009-09-26T16:46:00.000-04:00

As promised weeks ago, here is a nice Corned Beef Hash recipe. The deal is to use your leftovers but as we all get a hankering for something make it when you want.
I liked this basic recipe and the process goes pretty quick.
Ingredients:
-2-3 tbsp peanut oil or butter mixed with a little oil
-1 medium onion, finely chopped
-2-3 cups finely chopped, cooked corned beef - if you are getting it from the deli, just ask for them to slice it in a little thicker pieces than usual. About 1/2 inch would be good.
-2-3 cups chopped cooked potatoes, I like Yukon golds but if you want any will do as long as they are waxy not a lot of water in them.
The goal is to chop the potatoes into small pieces not too much bigger than your corned beef.
-pinch of nutmeg- any time I am using potatoes anymore, the addition of nutmeg seems to rock the dish to awesome.
-pinch of paprika
-salt and pepper
-chopped fresh parsley- if you don't have fresh leave it out as this is totally optional ingredient. If you wanted salad, you would make one, right?
Use a pan with a large surface so your hash gets a nice brown on the bottom.
Heat your pan first before adding your oil or butter to medium high. It helps make any pan less likely to have things stick to it when the pan surface is heated. When the oil is heated, add the onion and cook till they begin to brown. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Once the onion is done, add you potatoes and let them start to brown. Add the corned beef, nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper and stir in the pan to get it all mixed well. Let it get nice and brown an turn once. Serve with eggs and enjoy.
Hope you like this one Dave.

Grilligans for a Sandwich

2009-09-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

Vero Beach has a new place in town for a bite. It is called Grilligans Grilled Cheese. Their menu looks interesting. I have not been there just yet but, give me a break. It just opened yesterday. Many of you know me as the one who gets to a place two days before the doors open. Am looking forward to checking them out. They are in the South VB shopping center at US1 and Oslo. I will give you my feedback soon.
Let me know if you have partaken in their food fare. They are opening just in time for the season.

Pear Fancy Bread Pudding with Carmel Sauce

2009-09-10T22:09:00.000-04:00

I was asked for an idea for a dessert for a party of 12 (14 with the party givers). I asked her, Felicia, what did she like to use. She said pears and caremal sauce.
That was all I needed. It brought back a memory from once when I wanted to make a bread pudding and only had some croissants and brioche to work with. I decided to make a very rich and quite tasty concoction.
Now since this one is for a dinner party, I decided we could make this fancy shmancy using individual ramekins to cook and serve them in.

Use 8oz oven proof ramekins- butter the bottom and sides and place them in a pan with about one inch of water coming up the sides. You will fill them in there.
1 cups cream
3 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of ground cardomon
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
8 cups of bread that include old croissants, brioche and/or challah bread cut in to 1 inch cubes
4 tblsp butter melted
2 cups pears chopped into small cubes
also take about 3 pears and cut in half then slice them into thin pieces ad squeeze lemon on each one to go on top of each ramekin (optional)
2/3 cup thin sliced almonds lightly toasted in the oven (it takes about 3-4 minutes under the broiler so do this in advance and don't go anywhere before you take them out)

prehat oven to 325
Mix the milk, cream, eggs and vanilla together with 1/2 cup of the sugar and set aside
put the bread in a big bowl and pour the butter over it. Add the chopped pears and 1/3 cup of the almonds and mix together. Now take the liquid mixture and pour over the bread and mix well.
Put the mixture in the ramekins and add that pear on top and sprinkle with the left over almonds and the light brown sugar. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil and put them in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you choose to cook this in one pan the time will be more like 1 hour and 15 minutes. Take off the foil at the end and cook for about 10-15 minutes to brown the top. Take out and let cool a bit before serving.
Use your favorite caramel recipe or whipped cream on the side.
Enjoy.
I love this because I like good desserts. I do admit though that I prefer to cook the savory dishes and have someone else do this part.
I hope Felicia is happy with this.

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork

2009-09-01T20:23:00.000-04:00

We promised each other that if we bought a new cookbook (OK so we already have 800 +/-) we had to cook something from it within the next 6 months. So I decided on Chinese. The book was Land of Plenty a cookbook focused on the Sichuan area of China by Fuscia Dunlop
I had just pulled out a pork loin and found the recipe Red Braised Pork. It originally calls for pork with more fat but, I knew it would work for this lean piece of meat as well. I also found the recipe for stir fried green beans. This is a great side dish I have been wanting to recreate for a long time. I also made rice. We only use Basmati rice in our kitchen and it all worked well together. So here are the recipes.
Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork
1-2 lb pork loin cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 tbls. peanut oil
a 2" piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled, crushed slightly
3 scallions, white and green parts, cut into 3 or 4 sections
3 cups chicken stock
3 T dark soy sauce (this is a sweeter soy sauce and can now be found in many grocery stores)
3 T of brown sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 of a star anise (it does look like a wooden star)
1 tblsp corn starch stirred into a 1/8 cup of cold water to make a slurry.

In a deep pot or Dutch over, brown the pork in the peanut oil. Pour off the excess oil and then add the rest of the ingredients. and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours until meat is fork tender. Remove meat from pot.
Take the slurry and add slowly by stirring into the sauce.
Turn heat up and boil sauce for several minutes until it thickens.

Dry Fried Green Beans

10 oz green beans2 scallions, white parts only
peanut oil
8 dried chilies (preferably Sichuanese), snipped in half
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced and an equivalent amount of...ginger, also thinly sliced
soy sauce to taste and/or salt to taste
Remove strings and trim the tops and tails of the beans.
Cut scallions at a steep angle into thin slices ("horse ear" slices) about 1 1/2 inches long.
Heat 2 Tbs oil in a wok over low to medium flame. Add beans and stir-fry over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until they are cooked and tender with slightly puckered skins. Remove and set aside.
Heat 2 Tbs of fresh oil in the wok over a high flame. Add the chilies and stir-fry very briefly until fragrant. Add garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry a few more seconds. Throw in the beans and stir and toss. Add soy sauce a teaspoon at a time to taste.

Serve with rice.

My rice recipe is easy

1 and 1/2 cup of water to 1 cup of rice.
add salt to taste
Put all ingredients in a pan that has a tight cover. Bring to a boil and turn down to medium and let bubble till you see little 'holes' in the rice.
Reduce heat to simmer or just turn off and cover to sit uninterrupted for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and fluff with a fork and serve.

Enjoy.

You Don't Know Beans

2009-07-13T17:49:00.001-04:00

Ok so you want a little protein on your tapas menu but have some vegan friends to contend with. I remember having a nice white bean dish in Mexico at an Argentinian restaurant that was terrific. It only took me 9 years to try to make it.

I began by doing the most important thing one can do when cooking. Using ingredients I like. So here is what I came up with and hope you will enjoy.

The best part is not stove needed. You only have to have a can of white beans of your choice as they need to begin as plain. I take them out of the can and rinse them in water.

I like tomatoes when they are good. I usually just chop and add to what ever I am working on. For this dish I squeeze out the seeds and then chop them into small dice. I then take one shallot and chop in a small dice too. Shallots have a nice balanced flavor. If you don't have them, you can use about 2 tablespoons of red onion. As much as I love garlic, it over runs the rest of the flavors so I say nay nay to it with this dish.
Dress the whole thing with 2-4 of tablespoons of your best olive oil along with a tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Take a pinch of oregano, some salt and pepper and then stir it all together gently to combine. It is an amazing flavor and goes great on a nice toasted sourdough that I have rubbed with garlic.

Easy Tapas for a Quick Tasty Lunch

2009-07-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

So you don't want too much for lunch. It is Saturday and you know that dinner may be very filling. How about tapas for our lunch? This took me just a few minutes to put together and was well worth it. We all have ingredients hanging around our kitchens and pantries that will make amazing tapas (little plates) for a nice lunch or your next friendly get together at home.

So I look in my fridge and see what I have. There are some cheeses I can use. I went to the Cheese Cave in Vero Beach, Fl and picked up some goodies a couple of days ago. Etorki and Tilsit will begin my little plates. Next I see I have some thinly sliced Spanish chorizo and some nice prosciutto cured with juniper berries. I have a little bit of mixed lettuces left over so out that comes. Am using some Publix bakery sliced sourdough bread. A clove of garlic will be ready to scratch upon its surface once I have toasted it. Ah, and there are my olives. Today there are both calamata and big Sicilian green olives I will be using. Oh look I do have a can of whole pimientos I can doctor up by cutting them up and dressing them with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I have been experimenting with different sea salts so I will add a little nicoise infused sea salt my best friend from Seattle sent me for my birthday.

Ok I am ready. I took the lettuce and placed it on the plate and lay the pimientos over it as this way your dressed peppers do not spill onto the plate and wet your bread. Small pieces of both the prosciutto and chorizo slices are presented next. The cheese is sliced into little bite sized pieces next on the plate and the olives are nestled aside them. The bread has been toasted to a medium brown and as I had promised, the garlic is scratched up each slice. Nice finger food for a light lunch.

Now each time I do this it is different as it depends on what I have on hand. Next time hopefully I will have pickled some veggies and have some nice grape tomatoes to use. Lunch isn't just for sandwiches anymore.

A nice red wine would be nice with this. I like a good Rioja 2001.