Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

It was another steak night. As you know, we eat quite a bit of steak in our house. Larry would eat meat and potatoes every night if I would let him. So since we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new and creative ways to fix it. This time I chose a spicy garlic and chili marinade and then I topped it off with some spinach and mushrooms. With a few roasted potatoes, a tomato tart and a Malbec on the side, dinner was complete.

Garlic-Chili Marinade for Steak

This marinade was so easy. You can use this same marinade for chicken or pork too. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, but gives you just enough kick to get you going.

6 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

1 TBSP chili oil

1 TBSP chipotle peppers with sauce

salt to taste

Put everything into a food processor and process for about 30 seconds or until everything is smooth. Then coat the meat and let it marinate for at least an hour before cooking.

I pan-seared my steak, but you can grill it too. We are in the middle of a very cold and windy winter storm right now, so grilling and being outside was not really a good option at this time. :)

I made spinach, mushrooms, garlic, shallots and tomatoes as both my vegetable option and as a topping for my steak. I sauteed it all in olive oil and butter with salt and pepper, then added some lemon olive oil at the very end, when I added my tomatoes.

After the steak was cooked to a nice medium rare, and the spinach was cooked, I made a little bed of spinach on my plate and added the steak to that, with an extra topping of the spinach mixture on top.

This was a perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. It was full of warmth and goodness.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring good health, happiness and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

Travel, food and scuba diving are some of my greatest passions in life. I try my best to experience all of them as much as possible. I can’t always do them all together, though I try, but I can usually combine travel and food together. I have never been to any of these destinations 9though I have been to Melbourne, Australia many times, and Spain a couple of times), nor have I ever been to any of these restaurants, YET. Yet is the key word. There is still plenty of time. I would love to experience ALL of these exotic and unique places. 

1. Chillout Ice Lounge

WHERE: Dubai

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s most extravagant cities, and it’s no wonder someone had the idea to open a restaurant made entirely of ice. The Chillout Ice Lounge comprises 26,900 square feet of ice, and the average temperature there is -21°F.

When you first enter the restaurant, you are offered a warming hot chocolate to help you get used to the cold (it’s sweltering outside), then are handed a jacket, wool gloves, shoes, and socks. After acclimating to the cold in “the buffer zone,” you can enjoy food such as hot soups, chicken skewers, or red velvet cake while taking in the play between light and ice.

2. Supperclub.Tube

WHERE: London, England

Indulging in piping hot meals while riding the London Underground is usually a big no-no unless you happen to be aboard the Supperclub.tube, a decommissioned 1967 Victoria Line tube carriage at Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum. Often repurposed for video and photoshoots, on three nights a week, the carriage undergoes a remarkable transformation into one of London’s trendiest and most exclusive dining destinations.

Since 2018, passionate tube culture and gastronomy enthusiasts have taken their seats on moquette-covered benches while tucking into a sumptuous six-course Latin American menu curated by the talented Colombian head chef, Beatriz Maldonado Carreño. You’ll find several smaller tables dispersed throughout the subway car, but if you feel like making new friends, join the long group table … it is a supper club, after all.

3. Labassin Waterfall Restaurant

WHERE: Villa Escudero, Philippines

Labassin Waterfall Restaurant, just under two hours south of the capital, Manila, by car, is best visited in swimwear. If you have lunch at the extraordinary waterfall restaurant of the Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort, you will almost certainly not stay dry for long. At the foot of a man-made waterfall, you can enjoy your Kamayan-style Filipino buffet of fish, rice, barbecue chicken, and bananas in the fresh air while water splashes around your feet and the sound of the waterfall roars in your ears.

4. SEA

WHERE: Anantara Kihavah, Maldives

Placed on the ocean floor, the hexagonal SEA underwater restaurant on Kihavah Island in the Maldives serves exquisite delicacies like lobster and oysters while guests marvel at the spectacular underwater views. You don’t just eat underwater but also under observation. In front of the glass panes, rays and colorful fish of all sizes sail by, populating the surrounding coral reef.

5. Treepod Dining

WHERE: Soneva Kiri Eco Resort, Thailand

In this bird’s nest, guests sit in small bamboo bowls above the treetops of the Thai rainforest, sampling Asian delicacies while enjoying the view over the Gulf of Thailand. Treepod Dining seats up to four people in a gondola, with the personal ziplining waiter serving all manner of delicacies and wine with acrobatic skill. The house specialty is baked fish wrapped in a banana sheet. Find this unique experience at the luxury resort Soneva Kiri on the island of Koh Kood.

6. Grotta Palazzese

WHERE: Polignano a Mare, Italy

High up and carved into an Italian mountain side is this ristorante, Grotta Palazzese, in the fishing village of Polignano. The terrace, located in a natural limestone cave, was used for banquets for local nobles as early as 1700. From here, you have an unrestricted view of the Adriatic Sea. The menu changes with the seasons, but the dishes are primarily based on food from Puglia and are reinterpreted with a wide variety of flavors and spices. Thus, the menu includes freshly caught fish and seafood in keeping with the surroundings. The cave restaurant is open from May to October.

I vaguely recall Larry and I eating in some place like this is Spain, the first time we went there.

7. The Rock

WHERE: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Visitors couldn’t be closer to the turquoise sea at the Rock Restaurant. The restaurant was built on a rock that extends directly into the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. The style of the restaurant is reminiscent of the building’s past as a fisherman’s hut, but the furniture is more modern. The menu ranges from lobster to squid to all kinds of exotic fish, and all dishes are complemented with African and Mediterranean flavors. By the way, the restaurant can only be reached on foot at low tide; guests are transported by boat onto the rock at high tide.

8. El Diablo

WHERE: Lanzarote, Spain

One of the biggest attractions on the island of Lanzarote is Timanfaya National Park with Timanfaya Volcano, where you’ll find the fiery El Diablo Restaurant. What makes the restaurant so unique is its cooking method: food is prepared on a grill heated by the geothermal heat of the volcano. Just below the surface, temperatures can reach 752°F degrees. The beautiful restaurant was designed by local architect and environmentalist Cesar Manrique. While you’re waiting for your devilishly good grilled meat, you can take a tour during which the staff will show you the geyser effect, in which some water is poured into the holes that lead underground. If you’re nervous about the forces of nature, rest assured that the volcano has been gurgling peacefully since 1824.

9. Easey’s

WHERE: Melbourne, Australia

Easey’s, located atop a Melbourne building, is an unconventional American burger eatery and bar housed inside graffiti-adorned Hitachi M-Class train cars. A retro soundtrack, graffiti on the walls, and original features enhance the quirky ambiance. Their train schedule-inspired menu showcases a delectable array of options, including gourmet burgers and hot dogs, barbecue wings, milkshake-infused donuts, and incredibly cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese. The best part is that you can hop on board to savor this experience during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Easey’s Restaurant even made it into my big Melbourne cookbook, Flavours of Urban Melbourne, that my niece and nephew gave to me quite a few years ago. 

10. El Avión 

WHERE: Quepos, Costa Rica

If a normal restaurant is too dull for you, then a trip to the jungle of Costa Rica may be worthwhile. Here, about half a mile from the Pacific Ocean, lies an American C-123 Fairchild, a military freighter. The plane has undergone a remarkable transformation, serving as the centerpiece of a multi-level bar and restaurant. El Avión is located at an altitude of 490 feet, so it offers unrivaled panoramic vistas of Manuel Antonio National Park. Enjoy casual dining with fresh fish specials, a vibrant bar scene, and sunset views from the terraces over the ocean.

11. Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant

WHERE: Diani Beach, Kenya

If you love history, crystal clear water, and white sandy beaches, you’ll feel like you’re in seventh heaven here. At Ali Barbour Restaurant, 22 miles south of Mombasa, you can dine in a 180,000-year-old coral grotto surrounded by fascinating stalactites. The natural cave holes open the ceiling upwards, allowing you to experience a magical dinner under the clear starry sky. The ambiance is romantic with soft candlelight and the menu is locally sourced with fresh oysters and fish. Some dishes are prepared tableside, such as a flambe of bananas and ice cream.

If you are the adventurous type, and love good food, these places just might be right up your alley. They are definitely up mine. These are all definitely places to enjoy that are on my one-day list. My only problem is there are too many things to do, and places to go but not nearly enough time, or $$$ to do them all. But I keep telling myself, one day. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time. 

This week so far has been full of adventures, both in and out of the kitchen. The big adventure out of the kitchen was my hot water heater breaking and us being without hot water for 1 day and a 1/2.  We couldn’t take showers and we had to wash dishes the old fashioned way by boiling water on the stove. While the plumbers were replacing the hot water heater, for awhile, we didn’t have any water. There were all these things I was going to do, but they all required having access to water. I couldn’t even fill my flower vases with water or wash my hands or my vegetables, meaning I couldn’t even cook. You don’t realize how much you depend on something until it is no longer there. But fortunately, that has now been resolved. We have hot water once again. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

You already know about my Ciabatta bread adventures Homemade Sourdough Ciabatta – Mistakes And Lessons Learned, but I have learned what changes needed to be made for next time. Maybe it was just because I was flustered from my hot water heater experience, but dinner did NOT go as planned either. Fortunately though, I know how to quickly change gears and make something completely different than what was planned in a instant. :)

I had an idea in mind on what I was going to make, but things just weren’t working out. Have no fear though, I was definitely able to turn it all around and still make something delicious. Had I not said anything, no one would have ever known. :)

I created some delicious Southwestern chicken pitas.

I had some leftover lime vinaigrette that I used as a marinade for my chicken strips. I added some cumin, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic and parsley (I accidentally bought more parsley instead of cilantro). 

I let the chicken marinate for about 45 minutes before cooking it up. It was very tender and full of flavor. 

I made a yogurt and chili spread to cover my warmed pitas, then added the cooked chicken. I topped them with chopped tomatoes, cut lettuce, red onions, sliced very thin, thinly sliced cucumbers and some avocado slices, with a little bit of roasted pepita seeds on top of finish them off. 

I also though I had some chick peas, but didn’t. I was going to make couscous as well, but for whatever reason, it just wasn’t cooperating either. We needed something else to go with dinner, so my go-to – French fries. French fries go well with anything, and they are an easy fix to any problem. Besides, who doesn’t love French fries, right?!  :)

There are days when we all have ups and downs and things just don’t work out the way we planned. It happens to all of us, even the pros. But all you can do is make the most of it, and move on. You have to be willing and able to just go with the flow, and change your plans quickly. Life happens, and sometimes it throws us for a loop. But if you’re prepared, you can always pull it off, and change directions. Maybe this just comes from way too many years in the restaurant and catering business when plans change in an instant, but it is a gift I have, and am very grateful for. You have to be able to think and act quick, and no one will ever know that things are not working according to plan. :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is a filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

Ahhh breads! One of the great loves of my life. I could eat bread, any kind of bread, all the time. All I would need is butter to go with it would be enough butter, and life would be oh so good (although, life is really pretty darn good as it is). :)

I had some sourdough starter that need to be used so I attempted to make some ciabatta with it. It was my first attempt at making ciabatta. It came out good, though not nearly as light or fluffy as I had hoped, but still good. I guess that just means I need to make some more. :)

Ciabatta bread is made with a wheat flour that is slightly less refined than the one used for standard white bread, allowing a higher percentage of water in the dough. The dough is made using a ‘pre-mix’ of water, flour and yeast, which has fermented for long time. It is a very light bread with a high liquid content which gives it is open and porous texture. An authentic ciabatta requires a very wet dough and must be handled wit a very light touch. As you can see, I must have not had the right touch, and was too strong for my own good. My ciabatta was a lot more dense that it should be. But, it still tasted very good, and that’s really all that matters. Mine was more like a typical sourdough bread than a traditional ciabatta, and I did use a sourdough starter, which I think is what made mine so different and so dense. I LOVE sourdough bread, so it was still fine with me. :)

Ciabatta is a white bread that stems from a baker in Rovigo, Veneto, Italy.  Ciabatta is an Italian bread that was first produced back in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari. Cavallari was a miller and baker near Venice. During this time the French baguettes were very popular and bakeries wanted to develop a product that would be able to compete with a baguette. Ciabtta was the Italian answer to the French baguettes. Ciabatta is known as the Italian slipper bread because it is said to resemble a well-worn slipper. 

Ciabatta Bread

You need a starter for this bread. I used a heavier starter than what was called for, since my starter had already been fermenting for about 1 week and I needed to use it. The proper starter is only a quick starter and uses yeast, where mine had no yeast at all. I followed the recipe exactly, but I had a different starter. Lesson learned. The starter makes the difference. I have already made the mistakes. Learn from my mistakes and move on. I have already. My only real “mistake” was that I used the wrong starter. Silly me. I thought a starter was a starter and they were all basically the same. Nope. They’re different. Trust me. :)

The Starter

1/2 tsp dry yeast

2/3 cup water

3 TBSP milk

1/4 tsp sugar or honey

1 cup flour

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the flour to form a loose batter. Cover the dough loosely and let rise for 12 hours or overnight.

Once the starter is ready, it is time to make your bread.

The Dough

1/2 tsp yeast

1 cup water

1/2 tsp olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour and let it stand for 5 minutes, then add the olive oil and the starter and mix everything together well.

Add the flour and salt to form a wet, sticky dough. My first clue that my bread was going to be different should have been that my dough was firm, not wet and sticky.

Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for 3 hours or until it has tripled in size. Do not punch the bread down at all. 

Divide the dough in half. Make sure your hands and the surface are well-floured when you are working with and plumping the dough. Pull and stretch the dough to form a rectangular loaf about 12 inches long. Neaten and plump the dough by running your fingers along the sides and gently tucking the edges under the dough as you go.

Place the dough loaves on well-floured baking sheets and let proof again, uncovered for about 20 minutes, while the oven is coming to temperature. The dough will spread and rise during this proofing period.

Preheat the oven to 425*F or 220*C.

Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown and hollow when tapped at the bottom. You can spray some water into the hot oven a couple of times during the first 10 minutes of the baking if you like. The spray will create steam that will help make the bread crustier on the outside. This is optional though.

Allow the bread to cool for at least about 10 or so minutes before slicing. Then enjoy. Even though my bread did not come out the way I was hoping, it still came out very good and very tasty. I know people that will throw away their “mistakes” in the kitchen if they don’t turn out perfect. NEVER do this. Use them as a learning experience and move on. My idol, Julia Child, said “Never apologize” and “Learn to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun”. I couldn’t agree more. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring happiness, good health and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

Rice pudding is a very old dessert that is loved and appreciated the world over. Rice has played a prominent role in the diet of China, India and Asian countries for millennia, and from there spread to the rest of the world. Rice spread to Europe around the 14th century. Rice is a very versatile dish that is used from everything to sweet to savory dishes. One such sweet dish is a favorite dessert loved by people everywhere, rice pudding. Nearly every culture around the world has their own version of rice pudding. In Latin American countries, rice pudding goes by arroz con leche. In many Asian countries, it is called sweet rice porridge, and it goes by many other names as well. Rice pudding can be enjoyed either hot or cold, but more so than not, it is enjoyed when it is completely cooled, and maybe even at room temperature. I made a Greek-Australian version called risogalo for our progressive dinner party. 

When we had our progressive dinner party, The Progressive Dinner, my house was the last stop. Desserts were my contribution to the event. I already told you about my pine nut and honey tart Progressive Desserts – Part #1 – Pine Nut And Honey Tart. I also offered rice pudding that I topped with a creamy caramel sauce, Greek shortbread cookies and topped it all with some pistachios.

I made my Greek shortbread cookies or kourambiethes first. They can stay in an airtight container for quite awhile and still taste very good. You can eat these delicious shortbread cookies on their own, or as part of something else, as I did for my rice pudding.

Greek Shortbread Cookies – Kourambiethes

As with many dishes, this recipe only requires a few very basic items that most of us have on hand at all times.

Preheat the oven to 325* F or about 165*C.

1 stick +5 TBSP softened butter

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 TBSP water

Toast the almond slivers until they are golden brown. Combine everything together and mix until it resembles soft, wet sand. Spread it on a baking sheet and spread out as much as you can, with the dough being about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until it is lightly golden brown. Cool completely then cut into small fingers. Break these fingers into even smaller pieces when adding them to your rice pudding.

The Rice Pudding

2 cups of cooked rice

2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP cinnamon

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and cinnamon until it forms soft peaks. Them blend in the rice and mix thoroughly.

For my caramel sauce, I melted about 1-1 1/2 cups of my caramels Making Caramels with about 1/2 cup of cream until everything was smooth and creamy.

In a small ramekin or cup, add about 3 TBSP of rice pudding, then add about 1 TBSP of the caramel sauce on top. Add a few pieces of the kourambiethes and top with a few pistachios.

Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them, removing them from the fridge about 1/2 hour before serving. 

These delicious desserts are just sweet enough but not too sweet. They were a huge hit at our party. They will be at your house too. :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 brings happiness, good health and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

Yesterday I mentioned we were doing something fun, called a progressive dinner. We went to 4 different house, with mine being the last stop for desserts. Progressive Desserts – Part #1 – Pine Nut And Honey Tart We spent roughly an hour to an hour and a half at each stop. It was fun seeing other people’s homes and kitchens and getting to know everyone better. 

At the first stop, we started off with an apertif or drinks before dinner. An aperitif is a dry or fizzy alcoholic drink, originating from Italy, usually consumed before food. Aperitif comes from the Italian word “Aperitivo,” which literally translates as “appetiser”. An apéritif is meant to stimulate the appetite, and therefore it’s usually dry and low in alcohol. We had Aperol spritzes. Aperol is a citrusy, herbal, and bittersweet, that was mixed with tonic water and an orange slice. Aperol is a botanical liqueur that’s been made in Italy for over a hundred years. The bright orange beverage was invented by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in 1919 in Padua, Italy. It’s technically considered a type of amaro, which is categorized by its bitterness (the word amaro itself translates to bitter).

Our second stop was for appetizers. It was simple fare comprised of crackers, hummus, olives, beef rolls, and some shrimp dip. 

The Dinner Crowd, with a few exceptions who joined us at my house. I was the one taking all the pictures, so I am NOT in most of them.

However, I was told I had to be in some, whether I wanted to or not.

Stop #3 was for the main course, dinner. Our host prepared a fabulous, and historic dinner that was on the menus for both the Atchison-Topeka Rail Lines and the Titanic. He made Cornish Game Hens roasted with a vegetable mire poix (carrots, celery and onions) and vegetable ragout served over a bed of sauteed spinach with a balsamic reduction sauce. He thoroughly enjoyed showing off his culinary skills, and he did an amazing job too.

There was a little impromptu after dinner jam session for our entertainment.

The final stop – my house for dessert and coffee. We had three desserts offered to everyone. I made my pine nut and honey tart, which I told you about yesterday, Progressive Desserts – Part #1 – Pine Nut And Honey Tart, as well as some some chocolate cake brought to us by Lauren, and some Greek rice pudding complete with a caramel sauce and some Greek shortbread cookies, topped with pistachios. But more on that later. We added a few more guests at my house, including Larry who joined us after his hockey game.

It was a fun night, spent with new friends and old friends, who are really more like family. Most of the guests were friends of Mike and Lauren. I had only met most of them a couple of times prior to this dinner, but we all got along very well and had a lot of fun. At our house, our friend Gabe, two of his girls, Tehvia and Cora (you see me refer to them as our ‘nieces’ all the time), one of our neighbors, and of course, Larry, all joined in for the festivities as well. 

Yes someone, actually brought their dog to all the houses as well. This was awkward because our babies, Dorrie and Juneau, had to be downstairs in the basement until Beans had left and gone home. It’s their home, and they are used to being apart of all the festivities and socializing that take place in our home. But they definitely made up for it and got to socialize with everyone else after. 

It was a very fun evening and all of us are ready to do it all again.

No matter what you do, make the most of it. Have fun as much as you can. Life is short. Enjoy the ride.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 bring happiness, good health and prosperity to all. ’Til next time.

We are doing a progressive dinner tonight, going from house to house to house. I think there will be 5 stops total, ending at my house for dessert. There will be about 15 of us. Each house will offer something different from drinks to appetizers to dinner to dessert. I made a couple of desserts for tonight’s fun event. My first dessert is an Italian pine nut and honey tart. It is also known as a torta della nonna in Italy, or grandmother’s torte.

This is a favorite of mine, but I don’t make it so much anymore because the price of pine nuts has gone completely out of control. 

Pasta Frolla (Sweet Crust)

I started off by making my pate sucre, or sweet crust for my tart. In Italian it is called pasta frolla. This is the crust used for many Italian desserts and pastries.

2 1/3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1-2 tsp orange zest

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cubed

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix the flour, butter, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor until it is all mixed together and resembles coarse sand. Then add the eggs, cream and vanilla and mix again until it all forms into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and let set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it into a 10 inch tart pan. Press the dough firmly into the pan.

Chill the tart in the refrigerator while making the filling.

The Filling

A mild honey will be best for this delicate tart, so not to overpower the delicate flavors of the pine nuts.

Preheat the oven to 325*F or about 163*C.

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups pine nuts

Combine the honey, sugar, salt and butter in a heavy saucepan and cook over a medium heat. bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly.

While the sugar mixture is cooling, mix the eggs, vanilla and cream together, then add to the sugar mixture mix thoroughly.

Add the pine nuts to the mixture, then carefully pour as much as will fit into the prepared tart dough, making sure to spread it out evenly.

Bake between 40-55 minutes, or until golden brown and the custard filling is set. 

Allow the tart to cool completely before removing it from the pan and topping with either whipped cream or ice cream or gelato before serving. I know you are really going to love this delicious Italian treat. It’s sweet, but not to sweet and it will go down very smoothly. Each bite will be a little bit of Heaven. :)

This is just dessert #1 for our progressive dinner part. I have another delicious dessert to share with you as well, made just for this event, but you will just have to wait a little longer for that one. :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is full of happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

When it comes to food, I break the rules all the time (of course, it can be argued I break a lot of rules all the time, and not just food rules). :) I have said many times that I normally am not a fan of salads in the winter. In the cold wintery months, I prefer foods that are heartier and will “stick to my ribs”, keeping slalds for the warmer summer months. That being said, there are plenty of salads I really do enjoy eating in the winter. I know, I am just a rebel, and I love every minute of it. :)

My latest delicious winter salad is full of good things that will warm anyone up at anytime. It is a cabbage salad with oranges and an apricot-lime vinaigrette. I made this as a side salad, but you can easily make it into a main meal by adding chicken, ham, shrimp or crab to it too. 

Cabbage and Green Bean Salad with Apricot-Lime Vinaigrette

12 oz Napa cabbage, shredded

1 lb green beans or haricots vert, blanched and cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

4-5 small oranges, like Clementines or Mandarin oranges

3 cups of lettuce of your choice, chopped

3-4 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup shaved Parmigiano or Romano cheese

1/2 avocado sliced thin, optional

roasted pepita seeds

1/4 cup apricot jam or spicy apricot jam – spicy is better

3 TBSP hot honey

2-3 TBSP lime balsamic vinegar, optional

1/3 cup olive oil

3 TBSP white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Blanch the green beans in boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then place them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut them into small pieces about 1 inch in size.

Shred the cabbage and chop the lettuce. Separate the oranges into segments. Toss everything together, including the green beans and green onions. Reserve some of the orange segments for the topping.

Combine the oil, lime juice, vinegars, apricot jam, and honey together and whisk together well. 

Spread the salad out onto your serving platter. I added some avocado slices on top of mine as well. Add the shaved Roman or Parmigiano cheese on top. Sprinkle the pepita seeds on top, then add the remaining orange segments. 

You can keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Add the dressing right before serving so the cabbage and lettuce don’t wilt. Add just as much of the dressing as needed.

This quick and easy salad was a big hit for our weekly dinner and game night with mike and Lauren. It goes with just about everything and is full of citrusy flavors and goodness. Enjoy.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is full of good health, happiness and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

Quinoa is another very old food hailing from South America, specifically from Peru, Chile and Bolivia. It likes the cooler temperatures and higher altitudes. It is estimated to have been around between 3000-5000 years, for human consumption, but it has been around a lot longer and was fed to animals much earlier. Together with corn (maize) and potatoes, quinoa was a staple to pre-Columbian Inca, Aymara, and Quechua peoples, among others, until the Spaniards came. Quinoa was almost eliminated completely when the Spaniards came to South America, but it has definitely made a come back and is still a staple in South American foods.

Quinoa is a very healthy “grain”. It is a good source of protein and is loaded with fiber. Quinoa is kind of tricky though. Because it has many similarities to grains, people think of it as a grain. I thought it was too, to be honest. However it’s really a member of the same family as spinach and sugar beets, the goosefoot family. It’s not really a grain at all, but is instead a seed. Related to some weeds, the quinoa plant is broad-leafed and grows to be 3 to 9 feet tall. It is an aesthetically unique and pretty plant. The seed heads can be just about any color like red, purple, orange, green, black or yellow and the stalks are a deep magenta.

I like to give us a wide variety of different kinds of foods in our diet. We basically eat just about everything, which I believe is a very good, healthy thing. We don’t eat a lot of quinoa, but every now and I add it to our menu. This time I made it as a salad, similar to tabbouleh.

Quinoa Salad

1 1/4 cups quinoa

1 2/3 cups water

1/2 cup green onions

1/3 cup chopped pistachios

1/4 cup Peruvian peppers, optional

1/4 cup cilantro

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp citrus seasoning or lemon zest or orange zest

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP lemon olive oil, optional

1 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, optional

Add the water and the quinoa together, with a little salt and olive oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Then fluff the quinoa and let rest for about 5 or so minutes.

Make the dressing by combining the oils, seasonings and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.

Toss all the other ingredients together well, then add the dressing and toss together again. 

This delicious and healthy salad is best when eaten either warm or at room temperature. It goes very well with chicken or pork or lamb. We had it a couple of times, once I believe with chicken and once again with lamb. It worked very well with both.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.

Pozole is traditional food was likely created by the Aztecs who used it to celebrate special occasions and religious festivals. Pozole is a pre-colonial dish and it’s one of the oldest dishes in Mexico since experts have found that it became part of the Mexicas’ diet between 1325 and 1524. Pozole gets its name from the Nahuatl word for hominy, pozilli, meaning foam, the delicious kernels of Maize that are central to the dish. Pozole comes in three main varieties: Rojo, Verde and Blanco. Pozole is a thick soup chiefly of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest traditionally made with pork or chicken, hominy, garlic, and chili.  Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs, an indigenous people of modern-day Mexico. Pozole is made with hominy, which is processed corn with the germ removed.

Hominy is a type of corn from yellow or white maize, also known as field corn. Dried hominy kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of lye or slaked lime. This process, called nixtamalization, removes the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind and cook with. Nixtamalization also helps the kernels release more of their nutrients, including niacin (also known as vitamin B3), and makes them easier to digest, too.

Cooked hominy kernels are about three times the size of raw sweet corn kernels. They can be eaten like corn or mixed into corn-based dishes, such as succotash. Additionally, they can be used to fortify a variety of soups, stews and casseroles or to prepare starchy side dishes, such as hash. They can also be used in baking recipes such as cornbread, quick breads and muffins, or formed into flapjack-like hominy cakes.

In Hispanic countries, hominy is ground to make masa, which is then used to make corn tortillas, arepas, pupusas and other dishes found in Latin and Central American cuisine. At the grocery store, you’ll see it labelled as masa harina corn flour; this can be used to make masa cakes, tamales and corn dumplings.

I made a version of verde (green) pozole with turkey, topped with cheddar drop biscuits or dumplings. The version I made was a cross between a Southwestern tamale pie, pozole and turkey and dumplings. I served it alongside rice and beans to complete the meal. You can make this with either turkey or chicken.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 205*C.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

The Filling

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed, diced

1 cup chicken or turkey broth

1 TBSP olive oil

2 cups onion, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 large poblano chili seeded and diced

1 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

2 15-oz cans of hominy, white, yellow or a combination of both, drained and rinsed

2 TBSP cornmeal

3-4 cups shredded turkey

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

cilantro

Place the tomatillos and broth into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Get a skillet very hot, add the olive oil and saute the onions, garlic and poblano peppers for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent. 

Add the hominy and continue to cook for about 3-5 additional minutes, then add the cumin and cook for about 30 more seconds. Add the tomatillo mixture, salt and pepper and the cornmeal. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes. I used a combination of both the yellow and the white hominy.

When the sauce is thickened a bit, add it all to the turkey, tomatoes, cilantro and green onions and mix together well. Then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

The Topping

1 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chilled butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3-4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the flour and dry ingredients together with the cubed butter. Mix together well until it all resembles a coarse sand. Add the cheddar cheese and mix together again. 

Add the buttermilk and mix just until everything is blended together. Do not over mix or the dumplings will become tough and dry. 

Once everything is blended together, spoon it evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dumplings are lightly golden. Serve it up and desfruitas! !Esta rico!

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is a good year for all, filled with happiness, good health and prosperity. ’Til next time.