Bloggers Bake Sale Comes to an End

April 29, 2012 by fabiola

I must say that was quite an adventure.  The end is bitter sweet but the end result is nothing but good.  I learned some things about myself but more importantly they were friendly reminders of things I already knew about myself.  If I want something done, It will be done, one way or another.  But I also tend to put all of my resources into one thing at a time.  I like to do things the right way, and close to as perfect and I can get them done, without having to ask for too much.  Kinda weird huh?  I put a lot of effort into getting funded for ingredients, raffles, and general support from my school, and local businesses.  I gotta say, it was quite successful.  I had a good support system around and when it came down to it the sale was awesome for being little me there selling out those baked goodies.  I pretty much sold out of everything, except the healthy muffins, which was weird to me.  I sold a lot, but not all of them.  The generosity of people does not surprise me.   There were quite a lot of people that stopped just to put money in the cash donation jar.  They did not want anything, only to help.  I found support in my friends, family, and complete strangers.  I wanted to sell out, or at least do my best to sell out, so I started at 10am, and began packing up at about 6:15, it was quite the long day.  But worth every moment.  In the morning I went to school to grab the things I needed to set up, tables, chairs, and what not.  I did not find the person that was going to help me, but I did come across a very helpful individual, that happened to read my blog!  Small world to me.  It was awesome, and that bit of help just to get set up for the sale was amazing.  What a great start to the day, so thank you kind sir.  On a random note, the music playing on my way to school was also perfect, way to go music!  Pumped me up, made me smile and dance.  Perfect.

A bulk rise on my 12lb croissant dough for the sale is so super sexy to me…

So the end of the day nearing, I was for sure getting a tad tired and Brian had class upstairs at 6, so he helped pack up as much as he could before going to class, but I am stubborn and wanted to stay a bit longer.  Once I decided it was time to pack up, a nice gentlemen was there and insisted on helping me, and would not take muffins as a thank you.  He was great!  He helped me pack up my car, take tables, chairs, and the super heavy signs inside the school.  I am blessed, I always have help when I need it the most.  It is the kindness in the smallest gestures that seem grand to me, but so small to others, those are the ones that warm my heart the most.  Kind of like my closest friends donating online because we don’t live near one another so they couldn’t come to the bake sale.  It is those things that I cherish, and am grateful for.  It is almost always the small stuff.  It may seem like nothing to the person that is helping, but it means the world to the person you helped.  That is what I took away from this.  Children need our help, and to give just one a meal that he or she may not have had is what this was all about.  I am happy I did it, and I happy for all of the support I had.  This whole event warmed my heart, filled it with more gratitude of things in my life, and made me realize how just a little can help a lot.  It can be the smile you give someone, a nod hello, a hot meal, or extra time to set up something like this.  Every bit counts, and it is those things that make me happy and hopeful in life.

Thank you, again, to my friends, The Art Institute of Portland individuals who helped me, Tana’s Treats,  Cheri at Dragonfly Cakes, Whole Foods Pearl District, Costco, and Ben and Jerry’s.  And thank you to all of you who waited so patiently until 10am to come buy goodies, you make me smile, that was cool.  It was very successful for such a small sale, and I could not be more proud.  The sale and online donations raised over $600 by the way! Super awesome.

As a friendly reminder…

I am keeping my donation site open for a few more months so I can generate more for the charity.  If you would like to make a cash donation online for No Kid Hungry click on the link and it will take you to my donation site. Not Just Baked Donations.

Thank you.

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SHARE OUR STRENGTH GREAT AMERICAN BAKE SALE

April 3, 2012 by fabiola

When:  Thursday, April 26 2012 at 10am-sold out

Where:  The Art Institute of Portland Main Building

Address:  1122 NW Davis St  Portland, OR 97209

I would like everyone to get involved in this great opportunity!  Bloggers without Borders and Share Our Strength, no kid hungry campaign is going national people! Across the nation fellow bloggers, and myself are signing up to host a bake sale in our communities to raise funds to help this wonderful organization.  This is The Great American Bake Sale. As a student at the International Culinary Institute at The Art Institute of Portland and a food blogger I could not think of a better way to get involved in my community and give to those who need us the most, the children here in the U.S.  Giving back is the simple part, but we cannot do it without the support of our friends, family, neighbors, and community.  I have asked Whole Foods in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon to generously donate supplies for my fellow students to bake goodies for the bake sale. I have asked local bloggers to get involved, and treat makers as well.  Tana’s Treats organic doggie treats has donated items for our doggy friends at the bake sale.  You can buy her treats online at her Etsy store, or go to the bake sale and find her treats there.  The Art Institute of Portland has donated the use of their kitchen, cash to buy supplies for us to bake, signs, funds, tables, a location on campus, and have supported me through this from the beginning.  Ben and Jerry’s Pearl District has kindly donated an ice cream cake gift certificate that serves 10 people! I will be raffling this certificate off at the bake sale.  Costco of Vancouver donated supplies for baking as well!  I am humbled, and grateful for all of the help and support.

Our friends, John and Amy, were the first to make a cash donation to the site directly.   I am so happy to have such great people in our lives! Thank you, Amy and John.

I am surrounded by people who want to help.

You can help too, even if you do not live in the Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington area.  You can go to my bake sale donation website directly linked to Share Our Strength to make a donation, any bit counts. Click on this link to be redirected to my donation site, Not Just Bake Donations.

I am grateful to be in a position that I am to put something like this together to help the children of our communities.  They need us, and I am happy to help.  If you have any questions, would like to donate product, your time, or would like to know more about this please do not hesitate to contact me at fabiola@notjustbaked.com, or leave a comment below.  I am here to help.  Thank you for you support!  For more information visit any of these sites, they are greatly informative.

Share Our Strength

Donation site for Not Just Baked

Bloggers Without Borders

For even more information be sure to watch Hunger Hits Home on The Food Network Saturday April 14.  Look for local listings for times, and make sure to set your DVR!

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How to Caramelize Onions

March 30, 2012 by fabiola

Once again I am sharing the simple tricks to a better meal. The sweetness of an onion is already one of the most perfect things in the world, but when a little time, a pan, and oil is involved, the sweetness and reward is priceless. I was making pizza a couple of weeks ago, and in keeping them simple but flavorful, I thought I would make these onions. Brian and I just about fell out of our chairs. This is simple, but divine. The sweet caramelized onions with some goat cheese on a pizza, come on now! And like so many other things I love, you can add these to any dish that need a kick, or sprucing up, if you will. You will not regret it. It does take a tiny bit of finesse not to dry them out, or burn them, but I mean it, a tiny bit. Just keep an eye on them while your in the kitchen. Do not stir them too often or they will not caramelize, and the most important part is… And I mean it people! Use the best knife skills you have ever used. For this simple little onion, it needs you to be perfect. It is the most simple request I have of you here. Do your best to cut the onions the same width, trust me, then end product will not cook evenly if your cuts are not as close to identical as possible. Trust me, I have picked out a few larger sized pieces that did not cook :) . Other than that, this is super easy and so good.

Note: This is also a tutorial on how to cut an onion!

Ingredients:

3 onions any color you want, I used white

good olive oil

salt

perfect knife cuts :)

How to cut the onion first…

1. a. Take the onions, and a sharp chefs knife. Cut the”knob butt” end off the onion (like the first part below). b. Turn the onion, cut side down, then cut it in half, fuzzy hair side up. c. Then follow the contour of the onion and cut into 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices. Cut the fuzz off the other end, and you got your onion ready to cook!

a b c

2. Heat a large pan with 1 tbsp of good olive oil for the three onions, over med heat. Add the onions, and stir to coat with the oil. My stove runs a bit hot so I had to keep my burner on med low. Enough to caramelize but not to burn the bottom of the pan.

10 minutes in… stir.

3. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes. You will be tempted to stir, but do not. Leave them alone! After about 10 minutes stir the onions, add a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally at this point, about every 5-10 minutes or so, just to “un-stick” any from the pan. Add a bit more oil if you need to, 1 tsp or so.

4. Cook until deep brown color, lower the heat if you need to so the onions do not burn. I purposely kept the photos of the onions that are not cut the same size to show you, if the cuts are not the same they will not cook evenly. So I did have to pick out the onions that were on the larger size. The next time I made them, they were the same size and cooked perfectly. So it does pay to be precise here.

 

 

 

Posted in Tips and Tricks, Veggies | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Simple Tomato Sauce

March 25, 2012 by fabiola

I believe we all need simplicity in our lives more often than not. Be it in the kitchen, an outfit we throw together, a recipe, or a good book. Simple can be magical in its own way. I lavish in simplicity of all things. I am not joking. I enjoy the complex nature of a good gluten structure, but I equally enjoy the simple nature of the end product of a properly made loaf or baguette. I think sometimes we take these things for granted because of their simplicity, but I think it important to stop and be grateful for all simple little treasure in life, including a basic tomato sauce. Now if you do not know me very well you maybe laughing at me right now, and that is ok. For those of you who know me, you will smirk because you know how I enjoy the simple pleasure in all things in life. We can eat pasta anytime we want, open the jar, pour over pasta, and dinner is done. But when you take the time to make a very simple tomato sauce from scratch, you know what I am talking about. Just a few ingredients, and a pot is transformed into such a delightful treat. It can be used for pizza, pasta, meatball sandwiches, lasagna, or dipping sauce for bread sticks. It is a magical little sauce that is so simple, versatile, and simply delicious. I am serious. It tastes fresh, but has a good depth to it. It is so nice you can even freeze it for later, leftovers, a quick dinner night, it is that nice to you. So be nice to yourself, you deserve it, make this for you or your family. You can thank me later, but seriously, ditch the store bought jar for a night, and make this. You can even jar it up for you jar food stash, and never have to buy jar sauce again. I dare you :) …

This sauce is truly basic. When you make it, you can play with the consistency if you want it thinner, add tomato juice or stock to it. If you want it thicker, reduce it in a pot over medium heat uncovered until you reach the consistency you like. If you want a roasted tomato version, roast the tomatoes first, then follow the recipe. Amp up the garlic flavor, roast some garlic and add it to the sauce. More basil flavor, add more fresh basil in the end. If you have any questions on how to adjust this sauce, feel free to ask! Comment below, email, tweet, face book, whatever floats your boat. But don’t be shy, that is what I am here!

Note: I made this with canned diced organic tomatoes because tomatoes are not in season, their flavor is not as delicious right now as they are when in season. If you are making this when they are in season, you will want to use skinned, seeded, chopped fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients:

3- 14 oz canned diced tomato

1 cup small dice onion

1/2 cup small dice carrot

1/2 cup small dice celery

1 tbsp minced garlic

3/4 tbsp fresh oregano

2 tsp minced fresh thyme

1/3 chopped cup fresh basil

good olive oil

salt and pepper

How To Do:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven heat 1 tbsp good olive oil over med low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, sweat for 10-15 minutes over medium low heat, adding no color. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir occasionally.

2. Add the tomatoes and all of the juice, the thyme, oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Stir to combine all of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer covered on low heat for 1 1/2 hour, stir occasionally. Check the seasoning at 1 hour, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the fresh basil.

4. Turn the heat off, set sauce aside for a few minutes. Grab a blender, food mill, or food processor. I used a blender. Ladle the sauce into the blender a few scoops at a time. You do not want to blend too much sauce at a time, it is hot, so be careful. Blend a few batches to desired consistency.

5. You can either strain the sauce with a fine mesh strainer at this point or not. I like a rustic type sauce, so I did not strain.

 

Posted in Entrees, Gluten Free, One pot, Pasta, Sauce, Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quinoa with Dried Figs, Goat Cheese, and Asparagus

March 20, 2012 by fabiola

Happy Spring my friends! Bring the new season in with fresh, easy, healthy, seasonal veggies!  I am a fan of quinoa.  I have always been a fan of grains and things of the grainy nature.  I love brown rice, barley, and quinoa!  I also like the word, and how versatile of food it is.  Not to mention it is the only complete protein of its kind out in the world, and it has been around for a long time, like ancient people ate it.  And they kind of knew stuff about stuff, so I am a fan of that.  Like chocolate, ya, they knew about that, and look where chocolate is now folks.  So if they liked it, it is most likely good for us, and we should eat it.  I eat it cold, hot, for lunch, dinner, breakfast, and with all sorts of things in it.  You can make it as light or hearty as you want, that part is up to you.  So lets see what I came up with today!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cup stock or water

1 bunch asparagus (snap off the ends with you hands, then snap the whole thing in half)

1 tbsp good olive oil

1/2 lemon zested and juiced

1/2 cup chopped dried figs or any other dried fruit you like or have around

1/2 cup goat cheese

1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

salt and pepper to taste

To Do:

1.  In medium pot place the quinoa and stock/water, and 1 tsp of salt, stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, turn off heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Taste to see if it needs more salt.  If so, adjust seasoning by adding more salt now.

2.  While your quinoa is cooking get a separate saute pan add 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Once the pan is warm, add the asparagus, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss to coat with the olive oil.  Cook for 1o-15 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add the figs, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tsp pepper, and 2 tsp olive oil to the quinoa and fluff it up with a fork.

4.  Serve the quinoa with sprinkles of goat cheese, cilantro or parsley, and top off with the asparagus.

BON APPETIT!

Posted in Entrees, Gluten Free, Grains, Light fare, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chiffonade Basil

March 18, 2012 by fabiola

Chiffonade-ing basil, I am not sure that is a word but it will be my adjective for the moment.  Little tips and tricks for ease in the kitchen have always been helpful to me, so I figured it would be helpful for you as well.  I have learned so much watching cooking shows, others cook for years, but most of all in school.  The most simple tasks can be made so useful, time saving, and dish friendly.  Chiffonade-ing things is one of those.  It makes a nice garnish, a more even chop on basil and other leafy greens, and it make stuff pretty, it is little ribbon curls.  Who doesn’t like ribbon curls?  So grab some basil leaves, a super sharp chefs knife and lets get chopping.

Stack you basil leaves on top of one another. Roll them into a “cigar” shape.

Place them face down on the cutting board

Take you knife and cut across the “cigar” basil in thin strips

 Voila, chiffonade Basil!

 

Need chopped Basil, just turn it and chop away!

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Oatmeal, Apricot, Walnut Cookies, some with chocolate chips…

March 12, 2012 by fabiola

I am not sure if you caught a few posts ago, but they were tasty protein bars with, you guessed it…apricot and walnuts.  So what does one do when they have that stuff laying around and are in need of something sweet?  The answer is always cookies! Always.  I actually made these about ten years ago, and they kinda just stuck around.  I love the combination.  It was one of those things where I was making oatmeal cookies in my Mamas kitchen, but I wanted to spruce them up a bit, and we had walnuts and apricots in the cupboard.  That is how this recipe was born, ten or so years ago.  Oh and I added dark chocolate chips to half of the batch, oops.  They are very easy to make and you can make them sweeter by using regular sugar, but I always use organic turbindo sugar, its what we buy, what we have, and what I use.  So if you like a sweet cookie add a tad more turbindo sugar or use white granulated.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter room temperature (about 68 degrees)

1 egg room temperature (tip: place egg in a cup of lukewarm water to bring it to RT)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4  cup rolled oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

How To:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer cream the butter for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, then add the sugars, cream for 5 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla, mix until well combined.

2.  In another bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  Get the walnuts, and apricots in a bow, set aside.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until combined, then on medium for 1-2 minutes, or until fairly smooth.

3.  Add the rolled oats and mix for 1 minute.  Fold in the apricots and walnuts with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Add the chocolate chips to all or half of the batter, it is up to you!

4.  Line a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper start scooping the batter out into 2 inch balls, place about 2-3 inches apart.  Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.  Repeat until all the dough is baked and eaten.

 

Posted in Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Snack | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Freezing Bananas

March 7, 2012 by fabiola

Frozen banana makings…

Simple, easy way to not not waste, and make yummy smoothies and treats for you and your family!  A tip to make your life a wee bit easier, and friendly to our lovely Earth, yup I said it!  So when you think your bananas are not going to get used for banana bread and you are considering tossing them out, DON’T!!!  Take 10 minutes and freeze them!  You can grab a few for a frozen snack for you or the kids, top a bowl of oatmeal, top a bowl of yogurt, make banana milkshakes, or make a bowl of granola and yogurt.  The possibilities are endless, and the end is result is saving money and being nice, which is always good.

To Do:

1.  Slice your bananas, place them on a sheet pan in a single row, and place in the freezer for about an hour.

2.  Remove from freezer, and place into a freezer friendly container, or zip lock baggy.  That is it, and when you want a smoothie, take out as much as you need.  Because you took the time to freeze them in a single row, they won’t be stuck together.

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Fruit, Light fare, Snack, Tips and Tricks | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast

March 5, 2012 by fabiola

We have been making tons of great breads in my class this quarter, and as I have said before I have issues with wasting anything.  I give away a lot of bread, our freezer is a bakery, and I am getting fairly creative beyond bread crumbs on re purposing the bread I bring home.  So when I made this Portuguese sweet bread it screamed French toast.  It has citrus zest in it, so it smells light, fresh, and sweet.  Perfect for a cream based, pan then oven morning treat, with bacon, of course!  I have used brioche, challah, or a thick sweet toast for this recipe in the past, and they all work.  So use what you have, what you love, or both, it is that simple!  This could be a great brunch for family and friends, or a weeknight breakfast for dinner! I like breakfast for dinner from time to time.

Serves: This is enough cream mixture for 6 thick cut slices of bread.

Ingredients:

1 loaf or 6 slices of bread  (challah, sweet bread, brioche)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

2 tsp vanilla

2 egg

1/4 tsp salt

cinnamon

butter

How To:

1.  Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Whisk the eggs, salt, cream, milk, and vanilla in a bowl large enough to dip the bread into, set aside.  Set up your dipping station.  First- cream mixture, Second- cooling rack over plate to drain excess cream, Third- baking vessel, pyrex 9 x 13 works.

2.  Dip each slice of bread into the cream mixture and let it soak for up to one minute turning once to get both sides, then remove and place on the cooling rack over a plate to allow excess cream to drip off.  Get all pieces soaked, drained, and ready to cook.

3.  Heat one tsp of  butter in a large skillet over medium heat, once the pan is hot, place the toast in the pan, I fit 2 at a time.  Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Once you turn the toast the first time, sprinkle a little cinnamon on it. Remove and place in the baking pan, and place in the oven.  Repeat with all of the slices until you are finished.  Add more butter between each batch.  While you cook all of the slices, your first batch is staying toasty in the oven.  Allow the last batch to rest in the oven with the other slices for 5 minutes while you heat up some tasty maple syrup.

4.  Serve with warm maple syrup, seasonal fruit, bacon, and a smile, because it is good!

Note:  You can make the cream mixture the night before if you are having guests over for brunch/breakfast.  In the morning just lower the temperature of the oven to it’s lowest setting instead of 250 so the toast does not dry out.  You can make this up to 30 minutes before they arrive, or while you prepare any other dishes you may be serving.

 

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Barley, Cabbage, Carrot, and Pea Soup!

March 2, 2012 by fabiola

I was hanging out yesterday, doing my daily writing, brainstorming, day dreaming, and what not, thinking to myself, I want barley.  I even tweeted it.  I was conjuring up ways to be creative with the barley I stash in our pantry, and well the day went on to other things, no barley.  But I did come up with this soup in my long thoughts of barley.  It has been pretty cold in Vancouver for a few days, even snow flakes soaring in the sky, just not cold enough to cover the ground all the way, but cold enough for soup it most certainly is that cold.  I love soup, my Mama hates it, my Dad loves it, I find this amusing.  I feel it is nourishing for your health and soul, she thinks it is old people food, she is funny that way.  I will get to the bottom of that one day, I will.  Back to me loving it, I really do.  I suppose it can get old, but if you get creative, or make this recipe, it won’t get old.  Plus an awesome way to keep the soups creative and tasty is to visit the Soupapalooza to find great ideas for soups!  You will find this recipe, and my black bean chili recipe on the list, plus many more.  Check it out…

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset!

Serves: 6

This is a quick recipe, which is a bonus for mid week dinners or meatless Mondays!

Ingredients: 

1 cup barley

1 cup onions small dice

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup carrot medium chop

1/2 red cabbage sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick (how to cut cabbage)

1/2 cup frozen peas

6 cups stock (veggie, chicken, beef, whatever you have on hand, or use water)

1/2 tsp fresh or dry thyme

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

How To:

1.  In a Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot add the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onions.  Cook for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add the garlic, cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stir.  Add the stock and barley, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat.  Add 1 tsp of salt, the thyme and oregano.  Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes.

2.  Add the cabbage, and carrots, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.  Check the seasoning!  Add 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, and check the salt, does it need more?  I added about 1/2 tsp now.  Stir and you are done and ready to serve!

3.  Serve with some yummy bread.  If you want some meat in it, add some shredded chicken, or chicken meatballs, or whatever you may like!

oh and fyi… leftovers are ahhh mazing!

ENJOY!

 

 

 

Posted in Entrees, One pot, Soup, Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bolognese Sauce

February 29, 2012 by fabiola

Pasta a la Bolognese! I have been loving saying this repeatedly over the last few days.  I get to say it loud and proud with an Italian accent, because I want to, that is all there is to it.  I am looking for the right meat sauce, meat to tomato sauce ratio perfection.  This is it, I am done.  Now do not get me wrong, this is not a tomato meat sauce, this is a meat tomato sauce.  There is a difference, trust me, we talked about it, and figured it all out.  But for reals, the flavor of this slow simmer crock pot loving sauce is bread slopping up sauce goodness.  Yes, it is that good.  So go buy good bread, or make it, or whatever, and cook a bit but not too much because this is in fact a slow cooker recipe.  It most certainly does not have to be, it can be done in a pot, but slow cooker I did. Do try, it is worth every bite with leftovers, unless you have a big family, or friends over to eat it.  Either way, enjoy.

Note:  Bolognese can be made with a variety of meats, usually a mix of a couple.  You can use ground veal, ground pork, pancetta, or ground beef, it is up to you and what you like.  I had beef and bacon, so that is what I used.

Serves about 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

1 cup chopped cooked bacon (about 6 pieces)

1 cup small dice onion

1/2 cup small dice carrot

1/2 cup small dice celery

6 garlic cloves minced

3- 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cup cup tomato liquid reserved from the diced tomato can

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup white wine (if you have it, if not it’s all good)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

How To Do:

1.  In a 12 inch cast iron skillet or regular large skillet…Get it nice and hot, add the bacon, cook until almost crispy.  Remove onto a paper towel.  Chop it up when it cools.  Leave the bacon fat in the pan.  Lower the heat to medium, add the onions, cook for 10 minutes.  Add a little olive oil if you need it, about 1 tbsp.  Add the carrots, cook for 5 minutes.  Add the celery, and garlic, cook until fragrant.  Set aside in a bowl.

2.  Get the pan over medium high heat to brown the ground beef.  Brown for about 10 minutes, add a pinch of salt, then add the onions mixture back to the pan with the meat.  Season with 1 tsp salt, a pinch of black pepper, and the nutmeg.  Add the milk.  You are looking to reduce the milk to pretty much nothing, so let this cook over medium high heat (without burning the meat) until the milk has evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add the wine and do the same, reduce until it has evaporated. Add the bacon.  Add the tomatoes, and tomato juice, stir to combine, then add all of it to a slow cooker.


3.  Cook for 5 hours on high, remove the lid for the last 1 1/2 to reduce/evaporate most of the liquid.  Skim any fat off the top if necessary.  Or cook on low for 8 hours, the last 1 1/2 take the lid off to reduce the liquid.  You want a very thick meaty tomato sauce.  Stir it once in a while, if you are home.  Check the seasoning when it has reduced to almost the right consistency.  If you add too much salt in the beginning, it will be too salty once it has reduced.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

4.  Serve with your pasta of choice, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, yummy bread, and a nice salad.

If you are going to cook it on the stove:  Cook it over low heat for about 4 hour with the lid on.  Remove the lid for the last hour to reduce the liquid.  Stir frequently.

BUON APPETITO!

Posted in Beef, Entrees, Pasta | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apricot Walnut Energy Bars

February 25, 2012 by fabiola

I am always looking for good ideas for snack time that are healthy and tasty.  I need snacks in my life, I like em, and I enjoy having them around, we are friends snacks and I.  Midday usually, the long wait from my lunch and dinner, I find myself wanting a little something, and it needs to be balanced and healthy.  Proteins, grains, a little good fat, and I am set.  So when I came across these bars from a fellow blogger I follow, I was happy happy.  And let me tell something to you (insert accent), they are tasty treats full of nutritious happy stuff that will fill your belly, and keep you full until dinner, with a boost of energy.  After all they are energy bars!  Added bonus… another easy breezy recipe to make.  If you are super busy in the morning, you can grab one and go too!

Adapted from Shutterbean! Super Cool blog…

Ingredients:

2 cups dried apricots

1 cup walnuts

5 tbsp hemp seeds

1/2 cup rolled oats

3 tbsp honey

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut (if you use sweetened coconut, 1/2 the amount of honey)

3 tbsp melted coconut oil ( I got some at Trader Joes)

1/2 tsp salt

9 x 13 pyrex and parchment paper

To Do:

1.  Melt the coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals until you can get the amount you need.  Line the pyrex with the parchment paper, set aside.

2.  In a food processor, add the nuts and pulse until chunky, set aside.  Add the apricots and pulse until bits and pieces.  Add the coconut, oats, salt, hemp seeds, honey, and coconut oil.  Pulse until it all comes together, then add the nuts, and pulse until it all comes together again.

3.  Plop all the mixture into the pyrex, and flatten down with the back of a measuring cup, or spatula, cup probably works best.  I forget to do this, it was fine, but totally do it, it will make it better.  Cover and put in the freezer for an hour or so.

plop mixture and flatten…

4.  Remove from freezer, take the parchment out of the pyrex, and place the whole thing on a cutting board.  Take a bench scraper or knife and cut the edges of to make smooth lines. Cut into whatever sizes you want.  I did 2 x 4 ish, so I got 12 bars plus the end pieces for smaller snacks.

5.  Place in an airtight container, and they hold for up to a month in the fridge!

Side Note:  The original recipe called for cashews, agave syrup, and ginger.  So you can imagine how you can make this from so many different nuts, and sweeteners.  Try your favorite nuts, dried fruits, spices, sugars, and seeds.  You could do chia seeds which are also super healthy.  Just use the measurements as a general guideline if you need to.  And leave a comment about what you made, I would love to hear about it!  I want to try dried figs next time!

ENJOY!

 

 

Posted in Breakfast, Fruit, Light fare, Snack, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto Heaven

February 22, 2012 by fabiola

So I am totally aware of my obsession with food, and how when I take a bite I am saying something out loud as to how good it or some version of a tasty food phrase.  But I really just think it’s true, it is good.  Most of the food that goes into my mouth is good.  I don’t eat crappy food, nor do I eat super fancy food either, just on occasion in both cases.  But it is rare that I taste something and don’t find the good in it.  I suppose, and don’t take this the wrong way, I make most of the food  I eat, and it is food I grew up eating, or fabulous recipes from other awesome food blogs, magazines, cookbooks, so it’s destiny is good from the start.  This is not to say that I don’t screw up and burn food, over or under season, but for the most part, it is good food.   And because of my love for food, and apparently my culinary skill (smile now), I get to make and eat good food, in my opinion, most of the time.  This dish is one of the many things I eat, that I really, really enjoyed making and eating.  Yup, another one of those… I hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice

2 cups medium diced butternut squash ( half to make a puree and half to put pieces in)

1/2 medium onion small dice

1 tbsp olive oil

8-12 cups stock (any kind you have on hand)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup shredded parmigiano reggiano (little extra for garnish)

fresh chopped parsley for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Risotto is one of those things you can make by following the instructions on the box or bag, or do it the Italian way.  This is the Italian way, or so I was told.  It is also a dish you season, as in salt and pepper, as you go.  It builds depth of flavor (I totally just said that), so the risotto is not flat at the end.

How:

1.  Start by warming your stock in a saucepan, simmer, not boil.  Keep it over low heat while making the risotto.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place diced butternut squash on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes while cooking rice.

2.  In a large saute pan, add the oil over medium heat.  Once the oil is warmed, add the onion, and sweat (no color) for 10 minutes.  Add the arborio rice and stir for about 2 minutes to coat the rice.  Add the wine.  Keep the heat at low medium for the whole process.

3.  Once the wine has been almost all absorbed by the rice, add about 2 cups of stock.  This is how we will be cooking the rice, little by little adding more stock until absorbed.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir frequently.

4.  Once that liquid is almost absorbed, add 2 more cups of stock.  Absorbed, add 2 more cups, and a pinch of salt.  Stir frequently.  Absorbed?  Add 2 more cups.  Stir.

5.  I used about 8-10 cups of stock.  It just depends on the day how much liquid you will need.  A well cooked arborio rice is tender but not mushy.  Taste it: if it needs more stock, add 1 cup at a time, stir, absorb, add more if needed.

6.  Final taste, check seasoning.  Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.  Keep heat low to finish.  Stir in 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese. Remove squash for the oven.  Take half of it and put it in a bowl, mash with potato masher, or a fork. until mostly smooth.

7.  Take the puree and stir it into the risotto, then add the other half of the diced squash, stir, and serve with parm reg and fresh parsley.

P.S.  The next day leftovers… I sauteed asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper for 6 minutes, and served it over my risotto.

BON APPETIT!

 

Posted in Entrees, Light fare, One pot, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Split Pea and Ham Hock Soup

February 20, 2012 by fabiola

I had never had this soup until last year when Brian and I moved and a lot changed in our lives, food was one of those things.  We (me) no offense to Brian, he is super duper busy with school, needed to organize and plan a little better how our meals would be during the week.  He is at school all day many days of the week, with little break time to eat between five classes, and a mountain of the homework he has to do, I had to get more creative so he could take food to school more often and never have to eat out.  It is expensive and not as nutritious and delicious as what I can make at home.  We started brainstorming for tasty, portable, friendly on the wallet meals.  This is when I learned split pea and ham soup is his favorite.  Now we have been together for four years coming up soon, you would think I would know this, but I did not.  I have learned a lot about being in a long term relationship over the years with Brian, you will never stop learning about each other, if you do, well lets just say boring or communicate better.  I know a lot about him, and I love those little things I do know, that is what can make a relationship special , but on the other hand it fun to learn more tid bits along the way.  Keep it fresh, so split pea and ham soup is keepin it fresh for us right now, you can laugh out loud now, I totally just did, it is funny.  No, really, not just soup, but for that day it was indeed soup.  Over a few weeks I made it a few times to get the consistency right, and this is what I came up with.  I hope you like it!

Note:  I found a butcher that smokes his own meat, I would recommend either finding one for you and you family, or go to a reputable store that would use the most natural ways of smoking.  There is a lot of talk on nitrites out there, and from what I gather, going the most natural nitrite way is the best, also moderation, like with anything.  Keep in mind there are nitrites in our veggies, so they are not all bad for us.  For more on this subject if you interested, here is a brief article that Michael Ruhlman wrote called, The “No Nitrites Added” Hoax.  The reason I mention these things is to broaden our awareness of the food we eat, and if I can point people in the right direction, I will.  So back to the butcher, that is where I picked up a ham hock, at a great price, and smoked by him.  I use the meat off the bone, so make sure to ask for one that has about 2-3 cups of meat you can get off of the bone.  If not buy 1/2 lb. of extra ham.

HAM HOCK SHOT…

Up close and personal.

Ingredients:

1 ham hock hock, have the butcher cut it in half for you, it is easier to manage

1 medium onion small dice about 1 cup

2-3 carrots peeled and small dice about 1/2 cup

2-3 celery small dice about 1/2 cup

4 garlic cloves minced about 1 tbsp

8 cups stock any kind you have on hand, I used chicken

1 lb split peas

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp oregano (crumble in fingers as you add)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive or veg oil

 How to do:

Super Easy!

1.  In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the onion.  Sweat the onions for a five minutes over medium low heat ( no color), then add the carrots, cook for five minutes.  Add the celery and cook for five minutes, then add the garlic and cook for three minutes.

2.  Add the ham hock whole, stock, and peas.  Bring to almost a boil, no boil though, then reduce to a simmer.  Boiling peas will break them open and they become mushy.  Add a large pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  We are seasoning as we go, as always.  Cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the peas are cooked.

3.  After about 45 minutes, take the ham hock out, let it cool for a minute.  As it cools, taste the soup for seasoning, does it need salt and pepper?  If so, add now.  Take a meat fork, or tongs, and start cutting the meat off the bone.  Dice it up and return the meat and bones to the soup.  Cook for 10 minutes, and it is ready to serve.  You can finish it with cream, as many recipes do, but I like mine without.

 

 

Posted in Beans, Entrees, One pot, Pork, Soup | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Baked Apple Chips…Warning: HIGHLY ADDICTIVE

February 15, 2012 by fabiola

Put the apple chips down, walk away, I am serious. You have a problem you didn’t even know about and you are 32, it’s apple chips. WOw, it feels good to be able to get that off my chest, seriously. So I made these on Monday, a casual, “oh I think I will make a healthy snack for the week kind of a thing.” Um, ya… they are healthy, filling, delightful little treats. But behind it all, it something you cannot put down, it is a trick of sorts. But it’s all good, you should totally still make em, because you need to see for yourself. The baking brings out the sweetness in the apples and they brighten up your day even if your day is the best you have ever had. They are that tasty, so go now, like now, and bake them apples. You have apples, right? Do not waste anymore time, go, cut, bake, and enjoy. I did. Use up all the apples. don’t throw them away, make chips!

Side note: I think I need an apple tree though, because I had four apples, and I needed like ten minimum. Especially if you are going to share with your friends, hubbie, boyfriend, girlfriend, or kids. Which I highly recommend, they may like you more after. Which could be cool.

Adapted from Simple Bites

Super easy…

Ingredients:

4 Apples or as many as you want- 4 made 30 chips, small chips, you want more, trust me

cinnamon and raw sugar

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper, or a silpat. You’ll need at least two.

2. Wash apples, core apples, and either use a mandolin slicer at the 1/8 inch setting, or do what I did… Use your super duper chef knife and slice the apples 1/8- 1/4 inch thick. And don’t bother getting all the sides perfect, still bake them, they are worth it.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon, and sugar (optional) on the sliced apples. I did one sheet pan with sugar/cinnamon and one with only cinnamon. I like both, but to reduce sugar intake I would do all without sugar, only cinnamon next time. I didn’t find the sugar necessary.

4. Bake for 2-3 hours, turning once. Check them at 2 hours. Mine took 2 1/2 hours.

5. Remove from oven, cool, and eat. Store in an airtight container. I am not sure how long they keep, but I don’t think it matters, they won’t last that long to matter. Just my opinion.

ENJOY!

Posted in Dessert, Fruit, Light fare, Snack | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Peanut Butter Hummus, the other half of the story…

February 13, 2012 by fabiola

You know we all love a good hummus as a great snack for the kids, us, and anyone who may stop by.  It’s a great source of protein, good fats, and just plain good.  I hardly ever have tahini on hand so a few years ago when I saw you could sub with peanut butter, I was sold.  I always have peanut butter on hand, and so do most people.  Of course I still enjoy a good hummus with the traditional tahini, this recipe is what I use most often, and it is very tasty.  And I love to pair it with a homemade pita, there is nothing like it.  But that is a little more work, so for no we will stick with the hummus.  We just happen to have made homemade pitas, so I happened to have made some hummus to accompany, it worked out for everyone involved.

I used dry chickpeas, soaked over night covered with 2 inches of water, then cooked in a pot covered with water, never boiling but simmer for 30-40 minutes, no salt added. But you are welcome to use canned chickpeas, same amount as the recipe calls for.

Adapted from Alton Brown’s Turbo Hummus

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 2 cans chickpeas, reserve liquid

4 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp fresh parsley

1 lemon zested and juiced, or 1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

4-5 garlic cloves

How To Do:

If using dry, cooked chick peas…

After cooking, drain them, and then place them in a bowl of water.  Let sit for 10 minutes or so.  Rub them with your fingers to get the outer coating off, it will float to the top, and you can pick it out.  Reserve part of the liquid.

1.  Place canned or cooked chickpeas and 1/3 cup of the liquid, turn on processor, and get to the desired consistency.  I let it go for a minute or two because I like creamy hummus, not chunky.

2.  Add the peanut butter, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, pinch salt and pinch pepper, turn on to combine all ingredients.  Also leave on for a minute or two until it all comes together.

3.  Drizzle olive oil while on until you get the consistency and flavor you like. I used about 1/4 cup of oil.  You can add a little more lemon juice or chickpea water if you wan to change the consistency a bit at this point.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 BON APPETIT!

Posted in Beans, Light fare, Side Dishes, Snack, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Salsa Verde, Green Salsa, or Tomatillo Salsa

February 10, 2012 by fabiola

I love salsa. I warned you in my “about me” that you’d be hearing me say this often. I don’t lie. I told you so. Any how… I love salsa. I like to keep some in the fridge or freezer at all times for impromptu quesadilla, taco, huevos ranchero making days. Those are like the sandwiches of the U.S. Ha just kidding, kinda. Well at least the quesadillas. When I don’t have a lot of time, energy, or the want to be in the kitchen all night after being there all day, I make quesadillas. To be even more honest, I crave them often because I grew up eating them in every way possible. Like anything else in the world, especially the culinary world, there are variations on these kinda things, ya know? Especially in Mexican cuisine, which happens to be one of the most complicated and sophisticated cuisines of the world. That is right, I said it, and it is true. Look it up. I know what you are thinking. She said this was a salsa recipe, it is, be patient, it will be here in a moment. In every cuisine there are the simple versions of cooking, the quesadilla is one of the many Mexican easy, snack type foods. You can use any melting cheese you heart desires, any salsa, any condiments, or none at all. Traditionally in our house we use flour and corn tortillas, when we were growing up they were down the street hand made, but nowadays store bought. If you are in a frisky tortilla making mood head on over to this link of mine and you can make you own flour tortillas. So this has been fun talking quesadillas which reminds me I love salsa, and here is one of my favorite kinds, tomatillo green salsa. And I make quesadillas and put the salsa on it. There, it all came together for us, now you can go make some salsa!

Tomatillos are like little green tomatoes, except they are not little green tomatoes. They are from the gooseberry family, and are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Whenever you see a green sauce or salsa, it most likely came from a tomatillo, among other ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 lbs tomatillos

1 white onions rough chopped

2 garlic cloves

1-2 chile serrano

1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped (about 3/4 cup)

salt and fresh ground black pepper

How:

There are two ways here folks, so pick one and go with it, they are both equally delish. It just depends on what you are in the mood for, to roast or not to roast, that is up to you! It starts out the same though, de husk the little tomatillos.

1. Start by de husking the tomatillos. One by one take the outer husk off and discard. Chop up the onion, set aside. Cut the stem off the chile, set aside.

You have the choice to roast or boil…

Roast: Grab a sheet pan and place the de husked tomatillos, chopped onions, garlic, and chile serrano, drizzle some oil over them, about 1 tbsp of drizzle. Place in an oven on broil and roast for about 10 minutes, check on them after 10 and if they need more toasting leave them in until roasted to your liking. Or go outside and roast them on your grill for about 15 minutes. Up to you…

Boil: Place the de husked tomatillos, chopped onions, chile serrano, and garlic in a pot. Cover with water and bring to an almost boil, rolling simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove tomatillos, onions, garlic, and chile with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Grab a blender, or food processor. Put the of the ingredients, except the cilantro in the blender or food processor and blend until somewhat smooth. Add a bunch of the cilanrto and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until combined. Taste, does it have enough salt and pepper? Add until you are happy with the seasoning.

Serve with quesadillas, tacos, chips, enchiladas, on a sandwich, or just about anything, it would be good. I also like it as my salad dressing.

Hey look, I made quesadillas, this time with cheddar, queso fresco, and salsa de tomatillo!

PROVECHO!

Posted in Light fare, Mexican, Salad, Tortillas, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Interest of Valentines Day I will make Pink stuff like Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Almond Scones

February 8, 2012 by fabiola

In the interest of Valentines Day I will make pink stuff like Strawberry chocolate coconut almond scones.  Ok so I am going to be totally honest with you here, I really don’t DO Valentines Day, never really have, never really will.  It’s not that I hate it, I don’t hate, I am not a hater.  But I don’t hate it, nor do I like it either.  I’m not into it, I’m not sure of all of the reasons why I’m not into it, but I am not.  But I know you are, and many others are as well, so in that interest, because I have you in my best interest, I will make Valentines Day ideas for you to make this weekend for your loves ones.  See here’s the thing.  I have spent the last 10 or so years doing Valentines Day with my best friends.  We watch movies, like any other night we hang out, eat, and that’s it.  No bigs.  So it’s a non holiday for me.  I may buy  my mom flowers, because I love her and it’s nice.  But I do on the other hand like making people food and feel good stuff, so this is that.  Feel good, pink, tasty Valentines Day recipes for you to make for someone you love and want to share stuff with.  I am going with this Strawberry chocolate coconut almond scones because of it’s versatility.  You can enjoy it in the morning with a cup of tea or coffee, perhaps in the afternoon with said tea or coffee, or in the evening for dessert.  Make it into a dessert, simple on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream.  That would be so cool, so I will do that, well I will do all of them, as to give you plenty of ideas in the interest of Valentines Day.  I am so excited to do this because I know you like it, and that makes me happy.  I am however a hopeful romantic, so I would or might love a scone, some tea, or coffee, perhaps a dollop of whipped cream, or jam for breakfast in bed anytime of the year.  And if I were into Valentines day, that is what I would like.  Keep the cheap chocolate, roses, and any form of red velvet far far away please.  And thank you.  To hopeful romantics all around the world who love breakfast in bed or something like that, this is for you.  Not to mention, I am kinda still sick with a cold type thing, so my energy was not like usual, and these didn’t make me wanna go sleep. so they are easy breezy to make!

This is adapted from Joy the Baker.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups strawberries fresh or frozen chopped

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) toasted

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers or chopped almonds

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or whatever you have on hand

1 1/2 sticks butter or 3/4 cup unsalted, very cold, cut into small pieces

egg wash:  beat an egg with a tsp of milk, or buttermilk, set aside.

How to:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 to toast the almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan for about 10 minutes.  But keep an eye on them, the coconut can go from golden brown to burnt in minutes.  After they are toasty, remove, set aside, and turn the oven up to 400 degrees.

2.  While the almonds and coconut are toasting, cut the butter into small pieces, and put in the fridge to keep very cold.  Get the 3/4 cup of buttermilk and the egg whisked together and put that in the fridge to keep very cold too.

3.  Put the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a big bowl.  Set aside.  Chop up the strawberries, put in a bowl with the coconut, almonds, and chocolate chips.  Mix it up.

by the way, I didn’t, and now regret not taking a spoon and feeding myself this mixture…

4.  Get your sheet pan ready lined with parchment paper or sil pat.  Take the butter and buttermilk out of the fridge.

5.  Put the butter in the bowl of flour and “cut” in using your fancy schmacy finger tools.  Just get you fingers in there, work quickly, and crumble the butter into the flour.  It will be perfect, it should have different sizes, but mostly pea size pieces.  Set in fridge for a minute or two to keep cold.  Take out and fold in the strawberry, coconut, almond chocolate chip mixture.

6.  Now make a well in the center of your mixture and add the buttermilk.  Use a fork to bring the wet to the dry ingredients, working somewhat quickly.  But the super duper key thing here is… do not over mix.  It does not need to be perfect.  Over mixed scone dough turns into cakey muffin type thing, and that is not a scone, and it is not as good. ok.

7.  Lightly flour your counter and turn the dough out onto the counter.  Put some flour on you hands, make a large disc with the dough about 1-1 1/2 inch thick.  Take a biscuit cutter, a cup, a bowl, or anything that is about 2 inches in diameter, dust with flour and cut.

this is not the prettiest of pictures if you like conventional pretty, but look at the pink one on the left, so pretty…

8.  Place on your sheet pan an inch apart, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle sugar on top.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and delicious.  Serve any which way you like.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY SCONES! 

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Bean Chili, big ol’ pot of it

February 6, 2012 by fabiola

 Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset!

I often like to make a one pot dish on Sundays to get us through the first few days of the week in case I find I do not have time to make anything else until Tuesday or Wednesday.  At the moment, it just depends on homework, up coming tests, projects, to do lists, and the usual house work type stuff, and who knows what else.  And chili is a good answer to all of my problems, right?  Not that my problems are all that bad.  But it is a one pot stop, wallet friendly addition to anyone’s recipe repetoir.  And of course like so many things in my life, and in our kitchen, use what you have, don’t fuss if you don’t have all the exact ingredients, go with the flow and add your own flare if you like.  I think chili is a good place to that, no?  Ground beef, chuck, ground turkey or chicken, meatless, bean less, the possibilities are endless.  This is one of my faves though.  Again, it has changed over the years to perfect it, and this time I got it.  That is why it is here to share with you, it is now to my liking.

On a side note, I like side notes.  You could totally make this any day of the week in a crock pot.  Follow the same steps, but let it simmer on low while at work or away for the day.  And add the masa slurry when you get home, no biggie.  That would totally work, like totally! You could make this tonight even!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey (omit if you want vegetarian, obviously)

1 medium onion medium dice (about 2 cups)

1 lb dry black beans (soaked over night), cover with 2 inches of water in a bowl, and soak.

2 cups fresh or frozen kernels

1 16 oz can organic diced tomatoes (if tomatoes are in season, use fresh, about 3 cups chopped) juice and all

6 cups stock veggie, chicken, turkey, or whatever you have on hand (add more or less for your desired consistency)

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp tomato paste

6-8  garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp Mexican oregano, crumble with your fingers as you add it

1 tsp fresh ground cinnamon

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp Cayenne pepper

A few tbsp of oil to brown the turkey, and sweat onion

To thicken: 4 tbsp masa harina with 4 tbsp of warm water from faucet, whisk until dissolved, add to the chili for last 30 minutes of cooking.

salt and pepper to taste as you cook

Serve with fresh cilantro or parsley chopped, lime wedges, sour cream, and cheese (optional)

I served mine with cilantro, lime, and sour cream.

It was tasty.  Really tasty.

Serves: 8

Prep: 15 minutes

Cooks: 2-3 hours

How to do:

1.  In a Dutch oven, or large pot, add a couple of tbsp of oil over medium high heat to brown turkey.  When the oil is very hot, but before it starts smoking, add the ground turkey and break apart.  Brown thoroughly, about 7-10 minutes.  Sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt on the turkey, and 1 tsp ground pepper.  Stir.  We will be seasoning this dish as we go to build flavor.   Remove turkey from the pan, set aside in a bowl, or on a plate. Drain beans, set aside.

2.  Add a little more oil if you need it, then add the onion over medium to low heat, and sweat the onions, about 10 minutes.  This bring out the sweetness of the onion  Do not brown the onions, but a little color from cooking the turkey is ok.  Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.  Do not burn or brown.

onions sweating…

3.   Add the turkey back to the pot.  Add the other spices now.  Cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano (crumble with fingers as you add it), cinnamon, Cayenne, and brown sugar, stir.  Add tomato paste, and stir.  Add the tomatoes.

4.  Add a little bit of the stock, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (deglaze) to get the good bits loose to add flavor goodness.  Add the rest of the stock, drained beans, and a big pinch of salt, black pepper.  Do not boil, but get to the point right before a boil.  Rolling simmer.  Then turn heat down to low, cook covered for about 1 1/2 hours.  You want a low simmer here.

5.  It’s been about an hour… Check the seasoning, does it need salt or pepper?  I would imagine it does, mine did, another pinch of both, but this is your chili, you decide!  I learned to taste as I go… Seasoning should be good to go now, more or less.  Add the corn kernels.

6.  Add the masa slurry, stir.  Cover and let simmer for another 3o minutes.  If you would like it thicker, add more slurry, but I would not add more than a couple more tbsp, it can get gritty if you use too much.  So 6 tbsp of masa total for this recipe.

7.  Last seasoning check, add more salt if you would like, and you are ready serve!

PROVECHO!

 

 

Posted in Beans, One pot, Soup, Turkey, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

February 3, 2012 by fabiola

Perfect for the game day wings, veggies, pizza, salad (right), or pretty much anything you can think of for ranch. This is a super easy, flexible recipe from Simply Recipes. It is so versatile I thought someone may need it for this weekend. I made it for our pizza night, and it was a hit! You can adapt your recipe for your taste buds by adding or subtracting a few ingredients, time for you to get creative with ranch! You can also add some chipotle peppers or chipotle powder to make chipotle ranch.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1/2 tsp dry dill or 3/4 fresh dill

2 tsp spicy brown mustard or 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp chipotle powder or 1 chipotle chile chopped if desired

How to:

1. In a small bowl add the buttermilk and mayonnaise, whisk together until well combined.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Or put all of the ingredients in a mason jar and shake it!

ENJOY!

Posted in Salad | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Peanut Butter Cookies

February 3, 2012 by fabiola

Brian, the boyfriend, loves, seriously loves peanut butter cookies.  They are his absolute favorite in the whole wide world.  Add dark chocolate chips, and he is a gonner.  He prefers them to have the choco chips, but sometimes I want them without, so compromise begins. Half with, half without.  This recipe is super easy, and has come a long way over the years to be honest.  I have tried a billion recipes from blogs, cookbooks, magazines, you name it.  I tried using peanuts mashed, chopped, roasted, and all.  But his favorite were these, good ol fashioned old school recipe.  Slightly adapted from the holy grail of cookbooks.  Sorry to Mrs. Rombauer, but it had to be done, he needed more peanut not butter.  So I omitted a bit of butter and subbed peanut butter.  It worked.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking 1962, by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker

Pre heat oven to 325 for softer, chewy cookies, and 350 for crumbly.

Makes about 2-3 dozen, depending on how much raw dough you eat and the size.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips, at least 60%

How to:

1.  In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, cream butter until light color for 3 minutes.  Add the sugars and cream for 3 minutes.  Add the peanut butter, combine well, about 2 minutes.

2.  Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine.  About 1 minute.

3.  In a seperate bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add to wet ingredients (peanut butter mixture), and mix until combined.

4.  Fold in chocolate chips if desired.  You know you desire, so ya…

5.  Shape dough in 1 1/2- 2 inch balls, and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or silpat.  Flatten with a fork in the traditional peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern.  Bake until yummy golden brown.

go this way…

then this way…

voila!

325 about 13-15 minutes

350 about 10 minutes

ENJOY with a glass of milk, tea, or coffee.  To each their own.

Posted in Cookies, Dessert | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Freeze Citrus Zest

January 31, 2012 by fabiola

Tip of the week, day, whatever you wanna call it.  I have doing this for years now, and it just occurred to me to share it with you when I read other people are doing this too!  Zest all of your citrus, anytime you use it, so it does not go to waste.  I cannot waste, I do not waste anything, I am not exaggerating, I will make use of it all at some point, wasting is very bad.  Seriously.  Ok back to the tip… Just zest your citrus before you slice into it to use the juice, put it in a zip lock bag, and throw it in the freezer.

Same goes for juicing your citrus.  If you know you are unable to use your fruits, juice them, put them in a zip lock bag, or freezer friendly container, and throw them in the freezer.  When you are craving, lets say, lemon poppy seed muffins, take out the container, let thaw all of the way, use what you need, and put it back in the freezer.  Voila, you saved money, time, and did not waste a perfectly good item.

That is all…

Have a great day!

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Spicy Cabbage, Brown Rice, Turkey Meatball Soup

January 28, 2012 by fabiola

I make soup all fall and winter long. I am often inspired by other blogs, cookbook, and family recipes to change things up in the soup department.  I do love traditional tomato, butternut, and chicken, but sometimes I want more.  This is the definition of that soup.  It is balanced, filling, nutritious, and delicious.  I did not rhyme on purpose, that just happened.  No, serious, this is mmm good.  You can add, and delete items you may or may not want, but the base is good enough for any ingredients.  I adapted this soup from, TheKitchn, the adaptation has come far from its original, but I like to go back to that recipe from time to time as well.  Like I said though, use what you have and it will be super good too! I do tend to have homemade stocks on hand, or in the freezer, so I recommend homemade stocks, they make a significant difference in any recipe.

I make the teriyaki, pineapple meatballs from scratch as well.  But I have to admit something here.  Confessions of earlier times… When I saw this recipe years ago, I wanted some form of meat in it, so I began pondering.  I saw that Aidells made a super processed, cannot pronounce ingredient free teriyaki meatball.  I decided to try them in the soup.  Although I did enjoy the idea, and it was pretty tasty, I knew the homemade version would be better.  But for those of you who do not want to, or just plain do not have the time, these are an ok substitution.  I also make sure to make an extra large batch of the meatballs because I like to freeze them for future soup usage. Or toss em in a stir fry, whatever floats your boat, I’m good with it.

And by the way if you want to skip the Meatballs altogether, that’s all good too, just skip to the soup making below.

Ingredients:

Teriyaki Pineapple Turkey Meatballs

1 lb Ground Turkey

2 cups pineapple small dice

1 medium white onion small dice canned or fresh, whatever

1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs

For the bread crumbs:

Put some bread in the food processor, grind it up, spread on a baking sheet, and dry out in the oven at 325 degrees for a few minutes.  Never have to buy those things again!

Tip:  When your bread is not so good, freeze it for later grinding of bread crumbs.

1.  In a 6 qt. dutch oven, or large skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil on low to medium heat for a few minutes, then add pineapple for 5 minutes.  This helps release the sweetness in the onions, and pineapple.  Remove from heat.  They should be between sweated and lightly browned.

2.  While the onions and pineapple are cooking, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper, ginger, bread crumbs, and lighlty beaten eggs.  Mix until combined well.  Add the onions and pineapple when they have cooled off a bit so y0u can handle them to form the meatballs.  Fold in the onions and pineapple with your hands or a spatula.  I usually use my hands.  I like it.

3.  Make 2 inch balls of meat and set them aside on a plate or sheet pan.

4.  Heat a few tbsp of oil, bacon fat, or a combination of the two in the same dutch oven or large skillet you used to brown the onions.  Over medium heat place the meatballs in the pan one at a time, carefully, do not over crowd.  Make sure you pan is HOT, or you will steam the balls, not tasty.  You have to work in batches here to optimize the heat and browning.  Turn the balls, browning each side.  Each side about 3-4 minutes.  Remove and place on a cooling rack over a sheet pan, plate, or whatever you have to hold the balls.

5.  Set aside for soup making.  Allow the extras to cool before you place them in the freezer, if you made extras, that is.

Soup Making

1/2 head red cabbage (about 1 lb)

1/2 head green cabbage (about 1 lb)

1 cup brown rice

2 limes zested and juiced

1 lime cut into wedges for table

1-2  jalapenos minced

1/2 white onion small dice

6 garlic cloves minced

salt and pepper to taste

8 cups chicken, turkey, or veggie stock

2 tbsp soy sauce plus more for table

1.  Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a 6 qt dutch oven over low medium heat.  Put the onions in and sweat (no color) for about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Keep the heat low, and do not brown the onions.  Add the garlic and jalapeno after 10 minutes, and sweat for about 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

2.  Add the broth, bring to a soft boil, then add the rice.  Return to a soft boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Add the lime zest, juice, and soy sauce.  If you are adding meatballs, add them now.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

3.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cabbage, cover, and cook  until tender.  About 10 minutes.

4.  Serve with lime wedges, soy sauce, and a smile.

ENJOY

Posted in Soup, Turkey, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

mexican sopes

September 19, 2011 by fabiola

Sopes are traditionally a thicker version of a tortilla cooked on a comal, a Mexican flat cast iron pan of sorts.  I ate a sope, here in Vancouver at a food truck called, El Grullo, located in the Gateway Produce parking lot.  The genius little Mexican lady cooked hers in a cast iron pan with some oil in it, to par fry it instead of just cooking it on a comal.  So that is what I did, and it is so good!

I have mentioned before to you all that you may find an abundance of Mexican and Spanish influence in my recipes.  This is no joke one of my favorites, I say this lightly I suppose, because really all Mexican foods are my favorite.  I do love all foods a lot, but Mexican food, the real Mexican food I will swim in, eat all, use as hair dressing, I do not care, it is good and I want to eat it seriously.  I sound like I am joking but I am not.  Whenever I am craving something, it is usually a taco.  A street taco at that, or a carne asada plate, which I can make into a taco, it really does not matter, again, I will eat it.  I LOVE IT!  As for these, it is no different.  Sopes, pronounced… so-pez, are amazing delightful little treats.  They are easy to make with a little prep, and you can use any meat you like, or no meat at all.  That is not sac-relig, to each their own.  You can make each of the ingredients days ahead, or all on the same day, it just depends on how much time you have got on your hands.  I made each of these separate items on a cool Sunday morning, and our house smelled like a Mexican street filled with little Mexican food goodies, or someones house.  Wherever you imagination wants to take you for the ride, that is up to you, I went to Mexico this morning, and it was fabulous!

Again, use what you got, and what you like…

This is my version, this time.  And check the recipes I have, they are all there for this complete recipe.  Just substitute wherever you like.  Each individual recipe is enough for this whole recipe.  You can purchase harina masa at pretty much any grocer nowadays, but I get mine at the Mexican markets.

servings: 4, 2 sopes each

the list:

pico de gallo(omit the peach if you like)

lime chicken

pinto beans

ingredients: 

pico de gallo

lime chicken

pinto beans

3 cups chopped lettuce

lime wedges

masa harina

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup grated  pepper jack cheese or queso fresco

1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

how to(for sopes)

1.  Prepare your masa by following the instruction on the back of the bag.  I say this because my harina may be different than you harina.  I made enough for 8 sopes.

2.  Take a piece of masa a little bigger than the size of a golf ball, and flatten it to 1/4 inch in the palm of your hand.  Repeat until you have used all of your dough.

You can choose to do the next step, or not, it is up to you.

Place the flattened golf ball on the counter and take a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make a divot in your sope.  That is what helps your ingredients not fall off when eating.

3.  Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet, at least a 10 inch pan.  You want the oil to come up the sides about 1/2 inch, but no more.  So you may need more or less oil than a 1/2 cup.  It took about 4 minutes for my oil to be hot enough to fry.

4.  Gently place disc into the oil, cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet, so I could fit 3 sope at a time.  Just be careful not to crowd the pan too much, this lowers the temp of the oil and your sopes will not cook properly.

5.  Place finished sopes on a plate lined with paper towels and cover with a tea towel or paper towel.  Keep at room temperature until you are ready to serve or serve immediately.

6.  Store in an air tight container if you are using the next day.  Refrigerate for up to a week.  Reheat on a dry comal, cast iron pan, or in a toaster over on low.

instructions on how to build:

Place sope on plate.  Add beans with a little juice, not too much.  Follow with the meat, pico de gallo, Mexican crema, lettuce, and cheese.

instructions on how to eat:

Pick up with your hands, insert in mouth, do not attempt to use a fork, it will not taste the same, trust me.

PROVECHO!!!!

 

Posted in Chicken, Entrees, Mexican, Tortillas | Leave a comment

grilled lime chicken

September 10, 2011 by fabiola

Time for some grilling my friends!  Grilling is an all year long event in our home, no weather can stop us, but some for some it only happen in the summer.  So why not take advantage of our wonderful citrus friends and grill on with it?  Brian says I will put lime on anything, really anything, and he is probably right.  I LOVE lime a lot.  I drench my tacos, salads, fruit, desserts, chicken, beef, you name it, if it sounds good with lime, it probably IS good with lime.  So squeeze on people, it is good for you too!  Lime is said to have many good traits and health treats in them too!  Lets face it lime chicken just sounds refreshing, healthy, and delicious, especially if you add some olive oil to the mix, you are good to go.  And grilling can be fun, relaxing, and a good time to include your family and friends in the cooking mix.  Easy, breezy lime chicken, a citrus change to your normal grilled chicken.   I used thighs, they are my favorite, a little white meat and a little dark, good balance of the two.  Plus you cannot beat the price of these tasty little treats at the market.  But you are welcome to use any cut of the chicken, you can even use a whole chicken.  But I think the lime has a better chance to shine if it is a smaller cut.  And another thing, I use Mexican limes.  I like the flavor of them, they pack more of a punch, and lets face it, the smell is like home to me.  But any limes will work here, just adjust the amount of lime for the amount of juice needed.

 Lets cook!

servings: 4-5

ingredients:

10 chicken thighs skin on

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

lime zest- just zest all the lime you have!

1/4 cup salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 cups water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 garlic cloves sliced

1/8 tsp cumin (optional)

a ziplock bag

how to:

1.  Prepare the brine-  Add the lime juice, garlic, sugar, water, salt, pepper, cumin, and chicken in a plastic bag, or covered container.  Make sure the chicken is submerged all of the way.  Depending on the size of the pieces, you may need to add more water to cover them.

2.  Brine for 4 hours minimum and 24 maximum.

3.  Prepare you grill or BBQ by brushing the grates with olive oil.  I do this with a brush, but you can also use a paper towel and tongs.  Do this to ensure your chicken will not stick to the grates.

4.  When your grill is HOT place the chicken on the hottest part of the grill skin side down to ensure crispy yummy skin.  Cook for about 10 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill, until the skin is crispy and brown, not burnt.  Lower the heat to medium, close the grill and cook for 30 minutes.  If you are using a charcoal grill place the chicken on the outer edges where it will get heat but not burn to a crisp.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

5.  Turn the chicken and cook for about 15-30, again it depends on the grill.  Cook until the internal temp is 170, but 165 if you did not use thighs.

6.  Feel free to re-sear the skin side at this point.  I usually do just to get the crispy skin right before I eat it!

7.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before hacking away at it to ensure the juices stay in the meat.

BON APPETIT!!!

Posted in Chicken, Entrees, Light fare, Mexican | Leave a comment

black beans

August 26, 2011 by fabiola

Who doesn’t love fresh homemade beans, black, pinto, chick, you name it, I love it.  There is something to be said for a food that low simmers all day or even just a few hours filling your home with the aroma of goodness.  Beans cooking reminds me of Mexico.  There are many different foods that remind me of my childhood, Mexico, and home cooking, each have a distinct trigger in my recollections of that childhood, but a pot of beans is definitely top 10.  Oh it is so good, and so easy it is ridiculous.  You can add whatever you love to your pot but these are simple, straight foward goodness.  I usually make them on the weekend, preferably Sunday, and eat them all week.  I heat up a bowl and have it for lunch, add a couple of handfuls to some scrambled eggs with salsa, top my sunny side up eggs with a few spoon fulls, add it to a quesadilla, and eat them cold or hot .  If you are sick of them after a few days, mash them up with some oil, and voila, you have re fried beans.  I could go on forever with suggestions on what you can do with this vitamin filled, high fiber source yummy food, just tap into your imagination and get the ideas flowing.  I am sure you will come up with thing I have never even dreamed of…

ingredients:

1 lb black beans

3 tbsp veg oil

1/2 yellow or white onion diced

3 cloves garlic diced

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

cilantro or parsley for garnish

2 qt water

how to:

1. Start by soaking the beans overnight in a bowl with about two inches of water to cover the beans.  If it is hot, place the bowl in the refrigerator to prevent any fermentation.

2. In the morning drain the beans, and rinse with cold water.

3. In the pot that you are cooking the beans, heat up the oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions.  Once the garlic and onions are fragrant, and the onions are translucent, add the water.

Boil the quart of water, DO NOT add the salt.  Salt, and any acids can toughen beans, so do not add them until the end.

4. Once the water is boiling, add the beans.  Return to a slow boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for at least 2 hours.  Each batch will be different, so be sure to check the doneness of the beans before you remove from the heat, add water if needed during the cooking.

5. Once the beans are done, add the pepper and salt.  Once ready to serve, garnish with fresh cilantro, or parsley.

ENJOY!!!

Posted in Beans, Light fare, Mexican, Side Dishes | Leave a comment

time flies, how bout some tips?

August 20, 2011 by fabiola

Time flies when you are busy having some fun!  My family visited earlier this month and we went to the mountains, on a scenic train ride, and to the famous Seaside Beach where Goonies was filmed.  Brian and I went to a  concert at the Gorge Amphitheater and camped out for a night thanks to my wonderful generous friend, Nicole, saw Phish, hippies, and beautiful scenery.  Also going to school, plus a little food poisoning in there at the beginning of it all has made for an interesting summer.  It has mostly all been nice, albeit busy summer.  I would like to think I had enough time to write ahead of time and post when thing were a little too hectic, but it is obvious that did not work.  I hope you did not miss me too much:).  I think I can make it up to all of you with some awesome recipes, savory and sweet!  Today some tips and tricks will do to stat thing off again.

I have been in my baking and pastry class for seven weeks now, I have learned quite a few wonderful things.  It has taught me the how to’s, do’s and don’t, tips and tricks of the basic pastry world.

So far my favorite has been the croissants.  And to be quite honest, they are as hard to make as they seem to be.  One mistake and your toast, they will not come out right.  It took two days of class, which is $350, to learn the perfect way to croissant making, if that tells you anything.  I have been brainstorming a way to do an online tutorial, but we will have to see how that goes.  Before I started school, I tried making them at home by myself, and was not as successful as I would like to have been.  There is a learning curve and a few hands on tricks to help smooth out the process.  I would never discourage people to try them though, so good luck!  We will have to see if it makes it online.  Maybe a hands on class might be the ticket.  It would be a lot easier, and only a plane flight away for some of you!

I cannot really say what my next favorite would be, because I have loved everything I have made and eaten.  My favorite aspect of the class is all of the knowledge, information, and science behind the ingredients.  It takes time to teach yourself the things you pay these chefs to teach you.  Their knowledge and experience is what I am paying for, and this chef is giving me my monies worth.  Some of this knowledge would come in time, but the tips he gives me are priceless and will save me a lot of grief in the years to come should I choose to work in the industry.

A few tips…

1.  You can reheat stale bread ONCE, and only ONCE.  Heat it to 140 in your oven for ten minutes, or toaster oven, and it will seem like fresh baked bread one more time.

2.  If you are using baking soda in a recipe, bake it as soon as you are finished with the recipe batch.  Once baking soda is moistened it begins to release gasses.  So get it in the appropriate baking vessel and bake it asap.  Or you will end up with flat muffins, flat scones, or flat bread.  And that is not “good eats” as Alton Brown would say.

3.  If the recipe calls for room temp ingredients, do not ignore it, it is there for a reason.  An do not try to warm you butter in the microwave, it does not work.  A proofing box does work, but who has one of those at home?  I know I don’t.

4.  For room temp eggs, place in a luke warm water bath.

5.  Don’t skip the salt in your sweet recipes, it is there for a reason.  Trust me.

Posted in My Stories, Tips and Tricks | Leave a comment

ground turkey lettuce wraps

July 24, 2011 by fabiola

This was mostly Brian’s idea, and it turned out so great.  He is an amazing cook, has been since the day we met.  He is also very creative and can come up with some great ideas for our next meal, if I am drawing a blank.  Although I do most of the cooking, because I love it, and well I am home more than he is, he has never let me down when he takes the reigns and gets cooking.  I was rummaging through our fridge to see what we could make for dinner, and I really did not feel like going to the store, plus we had plenty of food to make something, I just did not know what to make!  I told B we had ground turkey, broccoli, mushrooms, and lettuce, so start thinking.  He quickly responded, lettuce wraps, I thought brilliant!  Let’s do this.  I have always loved lettuce wraps, as long as the meat filling is delicious of course.  They are filling, and most of the time healthy.  You can use any kind of meat you  may have, any veggies, spices, dipping sauces, and the possibilities are truly endless.  We went to the Orient, and Middle East for these, and they turned out absolutely wonderful, full of flavor, and juice.  It is great when you can come together in a kitchen with your significant other, siblings, friends, and or family to get cooking.  It brings enjoyment, laughter to my life, and brightens my day, I love it.  A bit of advice from time to time, I suppose.  Do not always cook alone, it may seem like a good idea because yo have full control of your kitchen, but you don’t.  Share this time with your children, and anyone else who you think may enjoy it.  For some reason food has always been what brings people together in good times, no times, bad times, and just any old time.  So share your time, recipes, and love for the kitchen with your loved ones, you will not regret it, I assure you.  Remember for this you can get creative and use whatever you have in your fridge.  I served this with fresh romaine lettuce, and a sesame orange soy dipping sauce.  You can make any sauce you like, and serve with iceberg lettuce, even butter lettuce, even serve it as an appetizer for your guests.  Or follow this recipe to lettuce wrap heaven.

Let’s get cooking!

servings: 4-6

ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 bunch broccoli chopped

8 mushrooms sliced medium thin

1/2 red onion diced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

the how to:

1. Heat up the oil and butter in a large skillet.  Tip: oil helps prevent the butter from burning.  Make sure your pan is nice and hot before you put your meat in, otherwise you will steam the meat, not brown it.  So hot pan=add turkey.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Cook meat until it is brown and 3/4 cooked.

2. Add the broccoli, onions, and mushroom.  Add the paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cumin.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until broccoli is al dente and meat is fully cooked.

3. Super easy, delish, and healthy.

Dipping sauce recipe:

2 large oranges freshly squeezed or 1/3 cup orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest if you use fresh oranges

2 cloves garlic diced finely

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together well, and serve at room temperature.

Posted in Entrees, Light fare, Turkey, Veggies | Leave a comment

rasberries milk and sugar

July 14, 2011 by fabiola

Such a sweet, tart, creamy discovery.  It wasn’t until my late twenties when I came upon this little treasure of simple goodness, and I will never look back.  Brian and I had just finished dinner, and we were talking dessert, checking out what we could make from what was in the fridge.  He saw the raspberries, and said the words… milk, sugar, and raspberries.  I looked puzzled, I am sure of that one.  He reassured me that it is one of the best treats, snacks, breakfast, whatever you want to call it, but it is good.  He grew up In Washington on a farm covered in berry bushes, so walking around with his dog picking berries was not unusual.  I had to trust him on this, because in Mexico where I am from, or really even where I grew up in Sacramento, I have never heard of such a dish.  So I trusted, and I tried, and I am happy I did.  It is just sweet enough to call it dessert, light, and healthier than a bowl of ice cream.  I have since then tried it with strawberries, and blackberries, and I think the raspberries are my favorite.  And in our new home we have just discovered a large raspberry bush growing thanks to our neighbors who planted on the fence on their side and it has overgrown to our side yard.  It does not bother me one bit, I thanked them for it instead.  So last night we gathered our berries and treated ourselves to a sweet delight.

It is simple…

Grab a handful of berries, or as many as you would like.  Place in bowl, cover with milk, and dash as much or as little sugar as you like.  I have mentioned before, but will say again, and again.  I use organic pure can sugar, not white processed sugar.  It is not as sweet, but better for you, and delicious.

ENJOY!!!!!

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Light fare | Leave a comment

shredded Mexican style chicken taco

July 12, 2011 by fabiola

I thought I would make this taco recipe for a change from last weekends fourth celebrations of grilling  burgers, and hot dogs, albeit tasty, I wanted something refreshing.  I love grilling and spending the day outside smelling the aromas of great food in the air.  But sometime I want to bring it inside on a day that is not too hot to make a favorite summertime dish of mine.  Chicken tacos can be so versatile from how you prepare the chicken, to the condiments, and salsa you use.  I wanted something light and refreshing to go with the old school traditional boiled chicken taco.  It reminds me of a taco I love from Sacramento where I grew up.  Yes, I am from Mexico, and I love tacos from there too, but they are different.  This particular type of boiled chicken, with garlic, and fresh tomatoes brings me back to Garibaldi on Howe Ave.  I love so many things from that restaurant, each for different reasons.  And their chicken is amazing, seasoned to perfection.  So this on is a take on that.  If you live in Sacramento, I suggest yo go try Garibaldi.  It is a wine, but if you this recipe will be like you are sitting on the patio at their restaurant enjoying the evening sun in a hot city, but always with a breeze to cool you off,if for just a moment.

servings: 6 people, 2 tacos each

ingredients:

6 chicken thighs or one whole chicken

10 tomatoes chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 medium onion chopped

1 quart water or enough to cover the chicken

3 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

how to:

1. Put the water in a large stock pot, bring to a boil.  Add the bay leaves, paprika, salt, chili powder, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and chicken last.

2. Cover, and let simmer on medium heat for about an hour.

3. Strain the broth, and remove the bay leaves.  Let the chicken cool off, then shred.

We made chicken tacos like this…

Flour tortilla, chicken, peach salsa, cabbage, and that is it!  Just look at the recipes for the tortillas, and salsa to make you meal complete!

Any kind of tortilla and salsa would be great too!

PROVECHO!!!!!

Posted in Chicken, Entrees, Light fare, Mexican | Leave a comment