Easy Black Beans and with a Kick

My husband has been craving black beans and rice so I decided to come up with my own version filled with my favorite colorful veggies.

Kathy's Easy Black Beans and Rice with a Kick!

1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup orange pepper, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off
2 cups cooked rice
2T ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro
squirt of lime juice

Saute peppers and onions in olive oil in a large saute pan about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Add garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.  Don't let the garlic brown or it takes on a bitterness.  Add the cumin and chili powder and stir.  Stir in tomatoes and beans.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add corn kernels and stir.  Mix in rice thoroughly and add cilantro a squirt of lime juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Can be served as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course.  Enjoy!

Mango Berry Fruit Salad with Mint

One thing I can always get my kids to eat is fruit and this fruit salad is one of their favorite ways to eat it.
This salad is quick and easy to make yet bursts with sophisticated flavors.









2 mangoes cut into cubes
1-2 cups blueberries
1-2 cups raspberries
1-2 cups strawberries, sliced
Handful of fresh mint leaves cut into thin ribbons
1 T sugar
honey
lime juice- optional

Combine all fruit into a bowl and stir in sugar.  Let fruit sit and macerate.  Stir in mint and a splash of lime juice.  Drizzle honey over the top and serve.  This salad is also yummy over vanilla yogurt.        

Enjoy!

Kathy :)

Tomato Basil Soup

I had never like tomato soup.  Then I learned it didn't have to come from a can and I began to love it.  This is one of our family's favorite summertime dishes. I'm hoping that soon I can harvest some of my own tomatoes to make it!

Serve it with some crusty French bread on the side and enjoy!





1 cup chopped onion
About 6 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 carrot, cut into small rounds
1 can vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large bunches basil chopped into fine ribbons
1 T sugar or honey
salt and pepper
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup whipping cream
fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in large stock pot.  Saute onions and carrot until onions become translucent. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute.  Stir in chopped tomatoes.  Simmer until tomatoes have softened and lost their shape.  Stir in basil.
 
Use an immersion blender until there are no more chunks left.  Add vegetable broth and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.  Season with desired amount of salt and pepper.  Stir in either sugar or honey and test the soup's acidity.  Depending on the tomatoes you use, you may need more or less sugar.  Add butter and cream and stir.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a small basil leaf.  Serve with your favorite crusty bread and enjoy!

Kathy:)

Veggie Stew with Couscous

This is a great dish for a meatless night.  It's full of bold flavor and leaves you feeling satisfied.  The recipe is based off one I found in Madhur Jaffrey's wonderful book World Vegetarian.  I made a few changes to suit our taste buds and we were thrilled with the results.


Veggie Stew with Couscous  

1/4 onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1 zucchini or summer squash sliced then quartered
1 1/2 -2 cups butternut squash cubed
1 jalapeno pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can vegetable broth
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick, 1-2 inches
3 T golden raisins
1 T agave nectar or honey
1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
olive oil
salt to taste
1 box instant couscous


In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat.  Saute onions and zucchini until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add tomatoes, broth, butternut squash, jalapeno pepper, chickpeas, raisins and spices.  Simmer about 15-20 minutes or until butternut squash is tender and sauce thickens a little.  Add desired amount of salt.  (I used about 1/2 tsp)  Add agave nectar and parsley.  Let simmer over low until couscous is finished.

In a separate saucepan make instant couscous according to directions on the box.

Serve stew over couscous and enjoy!

Kathy :)  

Spring Herb and Mushroom Pasta

This is a very lightly flavored pasta dish.  Perfect for a warm Spring evening.  Pair with a bottle of white wine and some crusty bread and you have the makings of a great night.

1lb fresh fettucine pasta
1 shallot chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup wild mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tomato chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
salt
pepper
3 T butter
1/2 cup whipping creme
1/2 - 3/4 cup pasta cooking water
handful of fresh chive blossoms to garnish
fresh grated parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of water to boil.  In a saute pan, saute mushrooms in 2 T butter until they just start to brown.  Add shallots and garlic and saute another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Put fresh pasta into boiling water and cook about 3 minutes or according to package (if using dried pasta cook according to package directions).  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the rest. Pour pasta into serving dish.

Pour 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid into the saute with the mushroom-tomato mix.  Cook over medium heat and stir until saucy consistency. Add fresh herbs.  Whisk in cream and 1 T of butter.  Add desired amount of salt and pepper.  Pour sauce over hot pasta and toss until well incorporated.  Break apart several chive blossoms and sprinkle over the top along with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy :)

Kathy 

Asian Medley: Vietnamese Pho and Korean Pachanga

Our family loves Asian food of any kind so I decided to make an Asian Medley last Friday.
My daughter Jess has been begging me to make Korean Pachanga again.  I first made it almost 2 years ago.  I guess it made quite an impact on one of our family's most picky eaters.

Korean Pachanga or Veggie Pancakes

1 leek
3 scallions
1 small zucchini
1/2 sweet potato
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
6-10 button mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 cup Chana dal flour (an Indian flour made from ground chickpeas, if not available use regular flour)
About 3/4 cup water- just enough to make pancake batter-like consistency

3/4 tsp Nanami Togarashi (Japanese pepper blend)
1 tsp salt
oil

Make julienne strips sweet potato and zucchini.  Chop scallions and leek (don't use tough tops of leek only white and light green parts).  Mix all veggies in a bowl.  In another bowl mix flour, salt, pepper and water until you have a pancake batter-like consistency.  Mix the veggies into batter.  Pour enough oil in a saute pan to cover bottom.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Drop spoonfuls of batter into pan.  Cook until nicely browned about 3-5 minutes per side.  Dip in soy sauce to serve.



  
Vietnamese Pho Ga


I love Pho, but I didn't have time to boil bones for the broth.  SO this is my quick and simple pho recipe.  Maybe it's not exactly like they make it in Vietnam, but it had all the right flavors and was delicious.

For soup:
64 oz organic chicken broth
4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
1/4 onion, thinly sliced,
2 T fish sauce
1T brown sugar

5 whole cloves, lightly toasted
5 whole anise stars, lightly toasted
1 package rice noodles
oil

For garnish:
2 limes quartered
1-2 Thai chiles, chopped
bunch cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
bunch basil
2 cups beans sprouts
Sriracha sauce (Asian hot sauce) optional

In large stock pot, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink.  Add ginger and onions.  Cook 1-2 minutes until ginger is fragrant.  Add chicken broth.  In separate bowl, soak rice noodles in cold water about 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.  Add fish sauce and brown sugar to chicken and broth.  Tie toasted cloves and anise in cheesecloth and put in broth.  Let simmer and add the softened noodles.  Serve with fresh garnishes and Sriracha sauce (Unfortunately when I was buying all the ingredients for it I forgot the basil! :(  It's a major flavor in it.  But it was still yummy!)   Make sure broth is very hot as the cool garnishes will lower the temperature.     Enjoy!!

Kathy :)

Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup

My daughter Jess had a cold last week and the only food that sounded good to her was chicken noodle soup.  I decided to kick up the soup's healing power and give it an Asian flair by adding fresh ginger chunks.
I like this soup because it is quick and easy to prepare, full of healthy ingredients and all my kids gobble it up!



Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup


4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 1/2 -32 oz containers organic chicken broth
1/2 cup onions
1 stalk celery , chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup potatoes, diced
Parsley, chopped fresh
1 inch piece of ginger root, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp poultry seasoning (or use fresh thyme and rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste
egg noodles
olive oil

Saute the onions, celery, and carrots in a stock pot, until they begin to soften.  Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. If needed add a little more olive oil.  Then add cubed chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside, and just beginning to brown.  Pour in broth and bring to a simmer.  Add potatoes and desired amount of egg noodles and cook until tender.  Check the salt and add more if desired.  Garnish with chopped parsley.


Hope you enjoy!  Have a great weekend!

Kathy

Nicaraguan Night

Nacatamales with Rice and Beans

We hadn't chosen a Latin American country for a while, so last Friday we set our sights on Nicaragua.  It is the largest country in Central America and is located between Honduras and Costa Rica. According to Nicaragua.com, the country has 78 national parks and many opportunities for outdoor fun including, fishing, golfing, scuba diving, rainforest canopy tours and hiking up a volcano.  There's even a place called the Mombacho Cloud Forest Reserve where you can explore the rainforest in the clouds.  That sounds amazing!
For our menu, I chose Chicken Nacatamales, Red Beans and Rice and a special treat Tres Leches Cake with recipe courtesy of Pati's Mexican Table.

Chicken Nacatamales
Authentic Nacatamales are steamed inside banana leaves, but I was fresh out of those, so instead I used corn husks like a traditional tamale.  Start this dish in advance so you have time to marinate the chicken

1 cup masa harina
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup butter, melted
corn husks soaked in water (or banana leaves if you can find them)
3/4 cup onion divided
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water or broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 chicken breasts cubed
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tomato, diced
2 cups potato, diced
1/2 cup cooked rice
olive oil

Put chicken in a glass dish and marinate at least 1 hour with orange and lime juices, 1/4 cup of the onion and 2 cloves of garlic.  Saute remaining onion and peppers in olive oil until they begin to soften.  Add  remaining garlic, paprika and cumin until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.  Add tomato and chicken.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink, then add chicken broth and potatoes.  Cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender.  Stir in cooked rice, parsley and mint.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix masa harina and cornmeal in medium bowl.  Pour in melted butter and incorporate.  Pour in water/broth a little at a time to make a smooth paste consistency.  It should not be runny or crumbly.

Lay a corn husk flat and spread a spoonful of the masa harina mix onto it.  Then put a spoonful of the chicken mix on top.  Carefully fold in the sides and ends until you have a nice little rectangle.  (I still need more practice doing this.  The first few are always the hardest then I get the hang of it, so be patient with yourself if you've never done it.)

After you've rolled up a few nacatamales, set up your steamer, or make one with a large colander set over a pan of boiling water.  Don't let the water be so high that it touches the nacatamales.  Steam for about 20 minutes.  Serve with rice and beans.

Red Beans and Rice

1/2 onion
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 can of red kidney beans
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped        
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
pepper
olive oil

Saute onion and pepper in olive oil.  Add garlic and saute about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Stir in cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper and saute another minute.  Mix in the rice.  Add the beans and broth.  Simmer until almost all of the broth is absorbed by the rice.  Add the cilantro and serve.  

Tres Leches Cake-- This recipe comes directly from the website, Pati's Mexican Table, she has fabulous Mexican recipes and beautiful photos of every step.   She really knows her Mexican food.  She grew up in Mexico and even has her own program called the Mexican Table.  She was kind enough to let me reuse her recipe here so check out her site and give her some bloggy love.

Tres Leches Cake
Serves 10-12


For the Cake
9 eggs separated

I've never had luck making a meringue, but this time it worked!

1 cup sugar
1 T vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour


Sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1 T vanilla extract


For Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 confectioners' sugar


To Prepare:
Preheat oven to 360.  Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan, lining the bottom with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the pan.


Pour the egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they hold soft peaks.  Slowly stir in the sugar and continue beating until they hold hard or more stiff peaks.  Turn off the mixer and with a spatula, move the egg white mixture onto a large mixing bowl.  

My final product, I added a sprinkle of cinnamon and mint leaf 

Rinse the bowl of the mixer and its whisk.  Now pour the egg yolks into the bowl of the mixer and beat on medium-high speed for about 5-6 minutes, or until the egg yolks become creamy, puffy and their color has toned down to an almost cream color rather than a loud yellow.  Stir in the vanilla and continue beating for another minute.  Turn off the mixer.


Pour the egg yolk mixture onto the egg whites and with a spatula, in evolving motions, combine them into a homogeneous single batter.  Do so gently trying not to lose much volume from the mixture.  When fully combined, fold in the flour, scraping the bowl with the spatula so that all the flour is well mixed.   


Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place into the oven for 22 -25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It can be a bit moist, but not wet.  The top of the cake should be tanned and feel fluffy if you touch it.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool.


Once it cools down, turn it onto a platter.  Remove the parchment paper and cover the top with an upside down platter and invert again.  The platter should be large enough to hold the cake and the vanilla sauce.  Using a fork, or two, poke holes all over the cake so it absorbs the vanilla sauce.  


In a mixing bowl, combine the 3 milks and vanilla extract.  Pour the vanilla sauce over the cake.  


In the bowl of your mixer, whip up the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture holds up stiff peaks, about 1-2 minutes.  Spread the whipped cream all over the already wet cake.  Then yum, eat it all up.    


Thanks so much to Pati for sharing this delicious recipe!!!

I hope you enjoy this yummy Nicaraguan feast!

Kathy

Curried Squash Soup

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted here!  It's not that we haven't been eating, just that I've been too lazy to get a decent photo (I'm not a food photographer!) and write up the recipes!  Well I hope to change that.  I'm hoping to at least post once a week for now.  


This had been one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, but for some reason the last couple years I'd forgotten about it.
I was digging through my recipe file (this sounds organized but in fact it's a big jumble of clippings and printed recipes!), and to my surprise I found it handwritten on yellow legal paper.  

I guess it pays to organize occasionally!

Curried Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz stock, chicken or vegetable
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 T brown sugar
1 can coconut milk, with 1/4 cup reserved
olive oil
About 1 tsp salt or to taste
pepper to taste
cilantro as garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in 6 quart stockpot over medium. Saute shallot and garlic until fragrant.  Add carrots, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly until fragrant.  Add broth and squash.  Bring to a low boil.  Cover and simmer about 25 minutes or until squash and carrots are tender.  Puree until smooth.  Add coconut milk and stir.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle reserved coconut milk on top.  Garnish with cilantro and a dash of cinnamon    

Oh and if anyone has any tips on food photography I'd love to hear them!  Tell me what you've been cooking up recently!

Kathy

Pesto Pizza-- Guest Recipe

Steaming hot Pesto Pizza

This recipe comes straight from the kitchen of my father-in-law.  They recently got a new house and he has thoroughly enjoyed experimenting in his new kitchen.  This is one of the many yummy dishes he has come up with.

Pesto Pizza

1 pizza crust
4 oz pesto sauce
4 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/4 to ½ inch thick slices and 1 to 2 inches square
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 cloves of garlic chopped
8 oz fresh baby spinach
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper
salt
fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup of black olives halved or sliced
1 oz shredded parmesan or other cheese of your choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat oil in large pan.  Add garlic and saute until just slightly browned. Toss spinach in pan.  Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Cover and reduce heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach has wilted.  Drain the liquid and set spinach aside.  Cut red pepper into strips.  Lightly coat pepper and grill with oil. Grill until tender, turning if occasionally.  Sprinkle strips with salt and pepper.  Remove from grill and set aside.

To assemble the pizza, spread pesto sauce evenly over crust leaving a 3/4 inch rim, so oil does not drip while cooking.  Distribute mozzarella, spinach, red peppers and black olives over the pesto.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.  Place pizza directly on oven rack or use a pizza stone.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until center is hot.  Raise oven temperature to broil and brown the cheese for 1-2 minutes.  Remove let cool slightly then serve and slice.

Kathy

Mediterranean Oregano Chicken

Mediterranean Oregano Chicken 

I had a hectic week, but I still wanted to make a special dinner on Friday so I decided to whip up one of my favorite dishes.  I  made a quick run to the store for the feta cheese and olives, but everything else I had on hand.  This flavorful dish is surprisingly simple to prepare and it's both healthy and delicious.
I served it here with a simple side of fresh baby spinach.


Mediterranean Oregano Chicken
6 Chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 tomatoes sliced
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives chopped
8 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt
pepper
1/2 cup red wine (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread a little olive oil in the bottom of a large baking dish.  Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry.  Place in the baking dish and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Lay onions around chicken.  Drizzle chicken with a about 1/4 cup olive oil.  Bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Lay tomato slices on top of chicken.  If using wine, add at this time. Sprinkle with garlic, fresh oregano, parsley and olives.  Then crumble feta cheese over everything.  Raise oven temperature to 375.  Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Kathy

Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Chicken Biryani & Brussel Sprouts with Naan and Channa Masala 

After a couple weeks off to tend to my husband and his reconstructed knee, we officially reinstated our Foreign Food Fest Friday.  Last night we chose Bangladesh for country number 53.  I decided to make a Bangladeshi Chicken Biryani and  Brussel Sprouts.  Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you away.  It is well worth the trip to the store to buy some extra spices.  I've never had too much luck making recipes from the subcontinent taste authentic.  But these two dishes brought back memories of when my husband and I were rafting down the Ganges River.


Chicken Biryani

1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek style)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 saffron threads crushed
1/2 inch piece ginger chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pepper
3-4 T ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1/2 onion sliced
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups Basmati rice rinsed

Place chicken in a glass dish.  Mix turmeric, cardamom, coriander, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper, and saffron in a small bowl.  Stir yogurt into chicken, then add mixed spices.  Mix well.  Cover chicken and marinate overnight.
Cook 2 cups of Basmati rice according to package directions.  In a large frying pan, heat ghee or butter over medium heat.  Add cumin seeds and cook about 2 minutes or until they give off a slight fragrance.  Add chicken and yogurt mix to pan.  Cook until chicken just begins to brown.  Add onion slices, crushed red pepper, and ginger. Add more butter if needed.  Add cooked rice to chicken mixture.  Incorporate rice into mixture so that it absorbs all the sauce and is an even light yellow color.  Add frozen veggies.  Continue cooking until all liquid is absorbed and bits of rice and chicken are browned.        


Bangladeshi Style Brussel Sprouts

15- 20 Brussel Sprouts cleaned and halved
1 cup  baby spinach chopped
1/2 onion sliced
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp mustard seed
1/8 tsp fenugreek seed
1/4 inch ginger chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
olive oil or butter
pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add fennel, cumin, mustard, and fenugreek seeds.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add onions and cook until they start to soften.  Turn heat up to medium high and add brussel sprouts, adding more oil if necessary.  Don't crowd the pan.  If necessary, cook in two batches.  Saute brussel sprouts until they start to brown.  Add ginger, salt, pepper, and chopped spinach.  Turn off heat and let spinach wilt.  Add the lime juice and stir.

Serve Biryani and Brussel sprouts with Dal and Naan bread.  I cheated, and bought Tandoor Chef brand frozen Naan and Channa Masala.     It turned out great, except my son's first reaction was, "Wow that's a little spicy."

Kathy

  

Balsamic Black Bean Salad

Balsamic Black Bean Salad

I love beans.  I never did as a kid, but I guess my palate finally matured.  Now as a mom, I'm always trying to find new ways to infuse fiber into my family's diet. These tasty black beans do the trick.

Fun Fact:  Beans originated in the ancient America's some 8,000 years ago.

Balsamic Black Bean Salad


2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 tomato diced
1/2 cup green pepper diced
1/2 cup red pepper diced (can use orange and yellow too)
1/4 cup red onion diced
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions finely chopped
1/4 good balsamic vinegar
1-1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Put beans, peppers, onions, and garlic in a large mixing bowl.  In a smaller bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until sugar is dissolved.  In a slow stream whisk in olive oil.  Depending on the strength of the vinegar you may need to adjust the amounts of oil and sugar slightly.  Once oil and vinegar are thoroughly mixed (in suspension), pour over beans.  Stir in cilantro and parsley.  The salad can be eaten right away, but it is more flavorful if you let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.    

Kathy

Chicken Enchiladas

We still had a lot of our home made salsa left over, so I decided the best thing to do was to make chicken enchiladas.  They aren't a 5 minute meal but they are so worth the effort!
 Alyssa made the guacamole while I made the enchilada filling.  Then she helped me roll the tortillas.  Her first few turned out a little bit short, but soon she was learning to make them long and skinny.  We also made up some quick Spanish rice (from a box) and refried beans.





Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb chicken diced into small cubes
2 cans enchilada sauce
1/2 pablano pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans drained
about 1-2 cups baby spinach rinsed and chopped
14 tortillas (depending on how full you fill each one)
shredded cheese (I use the Mexican style)
sour cream (I always use plain yogurt instead--the Greek style is especially yummy)
salsa

Fry the chicken in the pan until it starts to brown.  Add the drained beans, pepper, and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add about 1/2 of 1 can of enchilada sauce.  Cook down until sauce is thick, about another 5 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until just wilted.  Add the about a cup of the shredded cheese.  Stir until melted.
Spread a couple tablespoons of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a rectangular baking pan.  Take a scoop of filling and lay it in a line on the tortilla.  Fold in the sides and then roll it tightly so it is long skinny roll.  Place in pan seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, placing them tightly together.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the tops and spread out to cover them.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese. I use about 1 1/2 cups of cheese, use more or less as you like.


Guacamole


2 ripe avocados diced
1 tomato diced
1/4 cup red onion diced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
salt
pepper
jalapeno diced (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Mash avocados until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Kathy  

Fajitas!

My son has been asking me to get out my new food processor.  He's only 6 but he loves to help me in the kitchen especially when it involves a cool appliance.  He loves our juicer too.  So when I decided yesterday to make fajitas, I figured it would be a great time to make some homemade salsa.  He put the processor together for me and locked everything into the right place, while I was still reading the directions.  I had to quarter the tomatoes quickly to keep up with his enthusiasm.  He tossed all the ingredients in, locked the top, and pushed the ON button.  Everything happened so fast....we almost had tomato soup.  I pushed stop and realized we should have used the "Pulse" feature instead of turning it on full.  Oh well I know that now.  Luckily I had a couple more tomatoes that I could throw in to give it a little more chunkiness.  He was happy with the results and then disappeared to go play a video game with his sisters.

Chicken Fajitas with salsa, guacamole, peppers and yogurt

Chicken Fajitas:


1 lb chicken breasts
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1 lime


1/2 onion- thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper- thinly sliced
1/2 green pepper- thinly sliced
salt, pepper, and olive oil
Flour tortillas, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream (I use plain Greek yogurt instead).


Put cilantro, garlic, broth, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil into small bowl of a food processor.  Whirl until smooth.  Rinse chicken, pat dry, and place in a bowl.  Pour cilantro sauce over chicken and let marinate for at least a half hour.   Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Saute peppers and onions in olive oil until soft and browned, about 12 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.  Remove from pan.  Place room temperature chicken in pan.  Cook until a nice golden brown crust forms and chicken is cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes depending on thickness of breasts.  Remove from pan and let rest.  Slice across grain into thin slices.  Warm tortillas wrapped in foil in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.  


Salsa:  

This made a huge amount of salsa.  You might want to cut the recipe in half.

  

Our soupy salsa, still yummy though :)

6 large tomatoes

1/2 onion

1 jalapeno seeded

1 tsp salt

Juice of one lime

1 cup cilantro

pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
Put all ingredients in a food processor and PULSE until chopped but still a chunky texture.


Kathy

     

Burgers with a Kick!

After my husband's knee surgery, he went through a spell where no food sounded good.  It was strange because he has always been the most adventurous eater. (This is also the reason for my lack of posts recently.) Then he began craving tomato basil soup.  Finally, almost 4 weeks later he has moved onto a craving for hamburgers.  So as I was walking through the grocery store trying to figure out how to make a better burger, an idea came to me.  I created Spicy Gruyere Gourmet Burgers. They were a hit with everyone except my son.  He opted for raw sliced button mushrooms and only nibbled at his burger.

Spicy Gruyere Gourmet Burgers

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1/4 cup steak seasoning rub
Hamburger buns
Fresh herb salad
Tomatoes
Onion
Pickles
Preheat grill.  Put the beef in a bowl.  Mix the cheese, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper into the beef with your hands. Form into patties.  Pour steak seasoning into a shallow bowl.  Roll the edge of the burger in the seasoning.  Place on hot grill.  Cook until medium rare or to your liking. I cooked them about 5 minutes on my panini grill which was just a touch too long for me. Add tomatoes, onion, a handful of herb salad and enjoy!

Kathy  

Sri Lankan Curry and Dal

Sri Lankan style Beef Curry and Dal

I got lost in the cookbook section of the library the other day.  There were so many books calling out to me, wanting to be read.  Books with brilliant colors of exotic lands, beautiful people, and their edible works of art.  I wished I could bring them all home, but I thought I better leave some books on the shelf for the next wandering soul.
Mangoes and Curry Leaves, Culinary Travels Through the Great Sub-Continent by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, jumped out at me.  A couple of years ago my husband and I traveled in India and ever since, I have been fascinated with the region.  The book took me back to the gates of the Taj Mahal and I could hardly wait to start cooking.  For our 51st Foreign Food Fest, we chose to travel south from Agra to experience the rich coco-nutty flavors of  Sri Lankan Beef Curry and Dal.

Sri Lankan Beef Curry adapted from Mangoes and Curry Leaves


11/2 pounds beef stew meat sliced across grain into bite size chunks
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 onion chopped
1 green chile
3 cloves garlic chopped
3 cups water
4 chopped prunes--here the original recipe calls for Tamarind pulp
11/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp Demerra sugar
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick-about 1/2 inch
Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
Cilantro chopped

Brown beef in olive oil.  Add onions, salt, and chile.  Cook until onions begin to soften about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add water to cover meat and add chopped prunes.  (I didn't have any tamarind pulp, I chose prunes as a substitute for their sweetness and fibrous texture.  I'm sure it didn't give quite the same flavor but for us it had to do.)  Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down.  Simmer for 1-2 hours or until beef is tender.  While beef is simmering, mix coriander, cumin, and cardamom seeds with cinnamon stick and gently heat in a dry frying pan.  Heat until seeds release their fragrance, only a minute or  two.  At this point I was supposed to grind the seeds into a powder, but the mortar and pestle grinder that I had ordered 2 months ago still had not arrived so I tried smashing them with the back of a spoon.  (That did not work too well, mostly the seeds jumped out of the bowl I had them in.  I just put them into the curry mostly whole).  Add the coconut milk and spices to the beef.  Let simmer uncovered for about another 30 minutes or until the liquid thickens slightly.  Stir in sugar and add more salt if needed.  Add chopped cilantro and serve over hot basmati rice.

Sri Lankan Dal adapted from Mangoes and Curry Leaves


1 cup red lentils
4 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot finely chopped
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp coriander
2 red chiles
11/2 cups coconut milk
red pepper flakes- optional
2 tsp salt
cilantro for garnish

Rinse and drain lentils.  Put in pot with water and 1 tsp of salt.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer about 20 minutes.  Add more water if necessary.  In a separate frying pan, saute shallots in a little olive oil.  Add  garlic, curry powder, coriander, and chiles. I only added 2 chiles here because my son has a low tolerance for spicy foods, but next time I would add 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to give it a little kick.  Cook only for a minute or two until fragrant.  Pour in coconut milk. I love the flavor of coconut milk, so I pour it with a heavy hand.  Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk mixture to the lentils and continue to cook on low until the lentils have lost their shape and have the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Add up to 1 tsp of salt if needed.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serve with rice or naan. *Ryan was rather skeptical of the Dal, but once he could eat it on naan he was ok with it. (He loves bread from any culture!)

Check out Naomi Duguid's website at http://www.immersethrough.com/ and her blog  at http://naomiduguid.blogspot.com/

Kathy

Hometown Russian Adventure

My friend Lily inspired a dinner from Russia this week.  I decided to make Borscht.  She told me I had to go to a nearby Russian grocery store for a special dark bread that is a delicious accompaniment to the hearty soup.  I took the kids with me.  At first they didn't want to come in.  "Can't we stay in the car?" They asked.  I told them they might find some interesting items in there.  Alyssa decided it might be fun and eagerly headed for the door.  Jessica and Ryan dragged their feet, but they came in.  Once inside they perked right up.  I heard, "ooh look at this.  Can we try this mom?"  I told them they could each pick out 1 item to try.  I found the dark bread called Borodynsky and put it in our basket.  The kids immediately found the freezer section displaying different types of filled dumplings.  We picked a package of chicken filled perogies.  We looked through every aisle examining different packages to see the beautiful Russian script and guessing at the contents inside.  We ended our Russian grocery trip in the chocolate area where we grabbed a big bar of dark chocolate for our dessert.

Jessica learning how to chop Borscht veggies 

Borscht

1 celery stick diced
1 carrot diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 large head green cabbage shredded
2 medium sized beets diced
64 oz beef or vegetable broth
About 4 cups water
1/4 red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
olive oil
Parsley chopped
plain yogurt or sour cream

Finished Borscht with dollop of yogurt

Heat olive oil in a pot.  Add celery and carrots and cook for a couple minutes.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  Pour in beef broth, cabbage, beets, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and let simmer until cabbage is very tender 1-2 hours.  Add water as necessary to keep cabbage fully covered.  Add chopped parsley.  Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top and a piece of toasted Borodynsky bread (if you are lucky enough to have a Russian grocery store nearby).






Mushroom, Wheat Berry, and Brussel Sprout Salad


1 cup wheat berries

Brussel Sprouts, Wheat Berries and Mushrooms

 

2 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 shallots chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
10 Brussel sprouts halved
4 oz wild mushrooms chopped
1 tsp sherry
1/4 cup water
 salt and pepper

Prepare wheat berries in salted water according to package directions.  If water is evaporated and they are still tough add more water and continue cooking until they begin to be tender.  Saute shallots in olive oil add wild mushrooms.  Saute mushrooms and Brussel sprouts until they start to brown.  If needed add a little more olive oil.  Add sherry to the 1/4 cup of water and pour into mushroom mixture.  Add cooked wheat berries, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Simmer until liquid is almost all absorbed and serve.

Borodynsky bread, Chicken Perogies, Wheat Berry Salad and Borscht-- a Russian delight! 

Kathy


      

Moroccan Lamb Tagine --Country #49

Lamb Tagine with Sauteed Spinach and Beans.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of slow roasted lamb and dried fruits.  I could hardly wait to have a taste, but I first had to make our side dish of sauteed spinach and white beans and Basbousa cake.  Tonight was all about the rich sun baked flavors of Morocco.  (We would have to ignore the 4 feet of snow outside our door.)









Moroccan Lamb Tagine

2 1/2 lbs lamb cut into chunks

Lamb in olive oil and spices.

1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika
10 saffron threads crushed
1 tsp salt
pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
15 prunes
15 apricots
1 1/2 T butter
5 cloves garlic chopped
1 c chicken broth
4 c water
11/2 cinnamon sticks
Cilantro chopped

Put lamb chunks in medium bowl. Mix ginger, turmeric, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour spice mix over lamb and mix well. Add olive oil to coat lamb.  Cover and let sit for about an hour in the fridge.  Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium high heat.   Brown lamb in pan.  Add onions and cook until they start to soften.  Add water, chicken broth, garlic, and cinnamon stick. (Next time I think I would put in the cinnamon stick half way through the cooking.) Bring to boil.  At this point, I poured it into a crock pot and let it cook on high until I got home from work which was about 7 hours.  Instead of using a crock pot you could simmer for 2 hours.  Add cinnamon stick, and simmer 1 or 2 more hours or until lamb is melt in your mouth tender.
While lamb is cooking, put prunes and apricots in a saucepan.  Pour hot water over them until they are just covered, add 1/2 a cinnamon stick.  Simmer over low heat until fruits have absorbed most of the water.  Remove cinnamon stick.  When lamb is finished, pour fruits into stew and stir gently. Add butter and cook for about 10 more minutes.  Add chopped cilantro and serve over couscous.


Sauteed Spinach with White Beans

2-3 cups baby spinach washed and chopped into ribbons
3 cloves garlic
1 can white beans drained (Cannelini or Great Northern)
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 cup kalamata olives sliced
1/4 cup red onion sliced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup  fresh parsley chopped
2 T chicken broth
olive oil
salt and pepper

Over medium heat, saute onion in pan until it starts to soften.  Add cumin and chicken broth.  Turn down heat to medium low and toss in spinach.  When spinach begins to wilt, add garlic, lemon juice, and beans.  When most of the broth is evaporated add olives and parsley.  Stir until olives are warm and parsley has wilted.  Add salt and pepper to your liking.  Don't overcook spinach or it will lose it's vibrant color.  (I turned away to help the kids with something and returned to find it a little darker than I would have liked--still was yummy though.)


Basbousa    

1 cup semolina

Basbousa before cooking

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup demerara cane sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 T melted butter
1/2 cup French vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tsp orange zest
thinly sliced oranges and yogurt (optional)
* I recommend doubling these amounts.  I ended up making a second batch of this syrup because the cake was not moist enough with just one batch.  I might also add 1/4 cup white sugar as I felt the cake needed just a tiny bit more sweetness.

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9X9 pan and set aside.  Mix semolina, flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add egg and incorporate.  Stir in yogurt and buttermilk.  Pour batter into pan.  Cook for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden.  Prepare syrup.  Put honey and water into small sauce pan and bring to boil.  Simmer a few minutes.  When cake is finished, poke holes all over with a toothpick and pour warm syrup over the top.  Let syrup soak in for about 15 minutes, top with orange slices and yogurt if using and serve.

Basbousa with yogurt and oranges.

We served ours with orange zest and mint tea.

Kathy

Thai Chicken Wings

Thai Chicken Wings, 3 Pepper Stir Fry, and Herb salad

Today my daughter had to do a science project dissecting a chicken wing.  Of course I couldn't find just one wing for her so I bought a whole package.  The trouble was that I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of them.(I had only made wings one other time and they didn't really turn out well... though they had been frozen for a while.)  I was watching her cut off the skin and inspect the tendons and joints when I got an idea.  I had a lot of Thai ingredients left over from an Asian soup I had made so why not use them for Thai Chicken Wings.  Here's what I came up with.
Thai Chicken Wings      
About 15 chicken chicken wings (if whole wing, seperate at joints and save tips for other use)
Juice of 2 limes
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
1" piece galangal root coarsely chopped
1/2" piece ginger root chopped
3 1" pieces of lemongrass
1 T olive oil

 Teriyaki Sauce:
4 T mirin
4 T soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange
1/2 tsp grated ginger
3 T sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 425.
Mix all ingredients except chicken into a flat bottom baking dish until honey is well incorporated.  Add chicken wings and turn to coat.  Marinate 6 hours.  Take chicken out of fridge and bring to room temperature.  Make sauce.  Put all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to slow boil.  Turn down heat and let simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Wings just before sauce is poured on

Lay a sheet of aluminum foil in a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken wings in single layer in pan.  Cook for about 25 minutes or until well browned.  Remove from oven and lower heat to 350. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour 1/2 the sauce over wings.  Return to oven and bake about another 10-15 minutes.

3 Pepper Stir Fry

3 Pepper Stir Fry

1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion chopped
1 tsp salt
pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1 tsp teriyaki sauce from above      
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Saute peppers in olive oil until they begin to soften.  Add onion, salt, and pepper.  Add sesame seeds, sesame oil, and teriyaki sauce.  Simmer until peppers are tender but not mushy.

Serve the wings and peppers with a fresh herb salad and enjoy.  Even my son liked them except when I dipped his morsel in more teriyaki sauce.  He grimaced and asked, "Uhhhh is there some sauce on this?"

Kathy