Oops, I made a masterpiece
It is that time of year again. Claud and I are celebrating another year of marriage. Last year, we hosted a big party at our house in Minnesota. That was such a fun night with cocktails, music, dancing and fajitas. We loved sharing our special day with so many friends. This year, we are enjoying a nice quiet weekend in Los Angeles with my parents our children. This doesn’t sound very romantic, with the kids and the folks, but it really is a weekend filled with love. I remember flying home from London with Claud about thirteen years ago and introducing him to my parents for the first time. It feels like it was last week. I cannot believe how much time has passed since that day. This Sunday, we will have been married for twelve years and without a doubt, these have been the best twelve years of my life. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend. Being with my parents and the kids is an absolutely wonderful way to commemorate the best decision I ever made.
Of course, every celebration has to revolve around food. I gave a lot of thought to what would be a good meal to make. I wanted to come up with a new way to cook salmon. Everyone in my family loves salmon (except Jack). This is not a new idea; but, a way in which I had never before prepared salmon. So, this is new to me. I decided to make salmon cakes. I practiced these at home last week to make sure they would be delicious and they were. I wondered about the origin of the salmon cake. Who thought to throw fish together with bread crumbs and fry it up? I looked into it and I couldn’t find the answer.
I think it was probably a way to work with leftovers. Someone had some extra fish and everyone in the family was sick of eating fish. This family lived in Alaska and had been eating salmon for thirty six days straight. So, whoever did all of the cooking for the family (I’m thinking it was the mom) came up with a way to change it up a bit and create a new dish. Thus, came the invention of salmon cakes. The Alaskan family were amazed and overjoyed at how delicious salmon could taste and they forgot they were sick of it. Then, the cook turned to the family and says, “oops, I made a masterpiece.” Well, this is how the story goes in my imagination.
A lot of very delicious dishes were conjured up as a way to reuse leftovers or to make something (like meat or fish) go a lot further to feed many people. Shepherd’s pie, bolognese, and fish pie, are a few examples of these types of dishes. Originally, these dishes were made by poorer families. Now, people make them or order them at restaurants as a delicious main course without a thought of getting more for your money or using leftover food. They have become culinary masterpieces.
I really wanted these salmon cakes to be flavorful. So, I included cornichons, capers, fresh dill, scallions, chili sauce, and more.
I was surprised to discover how quick and easy these are to make. Then, of course, I had to make a little sauce to go with them. Everything tastes better with a sauce. These salmon cakes would also make a great appetizer. You could make them smaller and place them on a platter surrounding a bowl of the sauce. It think this is how I will make them for our anniversary. Claud absolutely loved the salmon cakes and has no problem having them again. I am sure everyone will enjoy them at my parent’s house.
Salmon cakes:
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
2 cups and 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 6oz. pieces of salmon
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Emmeril’s Essence
1 bell pepper (I used orange), chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce
juice from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cornichons (or one half of a dill pickle), chopped
2 tablespoons capers
Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet on medium high heat. Add the salmon and cook for about four minutes each side (until the salmon turns into an opaque color). Set aside. In a large bowl, add the bread crumbs. In another smaller bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Beat well. Add this mixture to the bread crumbs. Place the cooked salmon into the large bowl. Break the salmon up with a fork and mix it into the bread crumbs mixture. Add Old Bay, Essence, bell peppers, dill, chili sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cornichons, and capers. Mix this all together well. With your hands, form the mixture into four large patties. Heat the rest of the oil in the skillet on high heat. When it gets very hot, not smoking, gently place the patties into the oil. Cook for three minutes each side. Take them out and place on a paper towel until ready to plate. Serve them with a salad or vegetables and place a dolup of sauce on top of each salmon cake.
Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all of the above ingredients and mix well.
Tags: salmon, salmon cake recipe, salmon cakes, salmon recipes
It is incredible how our world is so diversified. It seems as though with each year of my life, the planet is getting smaller. Well, it’s not really getting smaller; but, it’s easier to travel great distances. You hop on a plane and within hours, you can land in Spain, Brazil, or Paris.
My daughter left here a few weeks ago and before I knew it, she was calling us in England. Even as I drive across the United States, I always think about the pioneers who travelled the same distance in their covered wagons. It seems grueling to drive from Los Angeles to New Ulm in three days. I can’t even imagine how long this trek would have taken by wagon, not to mention the dangers.
The best part about the ease of travel is how people are becoming more acquainted with different cultures, traditions, and foods. I have always been fascinated by learning about different cultures. I love to sample new foods from far away places.
This month the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in this country since 1974 when President Ford extended Hispanic Heritage week to last an entire month. This celebration commenced on Sept. 15 and lasts until Oct. 15. Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico gained independence on Sept.16 and Chile on Sept. 18.
Ahh…chile. Now, I am talking about the food, not the country. I am a huge fan of green chile.
Roasted Hatch green chili
To help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to share with you the most delicious sauce I have ever tasted. My grandmother has been making this for as long as I can remember. I wasn’t able to eat it as a child because it was just too spicy. Now, I put it on everything: chips, sandwiches, cheeseburgers, tacos, burritos, fajitas, chicken, and eggs. My absolute favorite way to eat this is on eggs.
Last year, I grew my own Anaheim green chili, roasted them myself and made green chili sauce out of those. I had so many chilies that I made individual packages and froze them. I had chili all year long. It was amazing.
This year, I don’t have a garden. However, I am lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods market. Last weekend, as we walked into the market, a man stood out front roasting the Hatch green chili right there outside the store. I couldn’t believe it. Hatch green chili is the absolute best chili for this dish. It is grown in New Mexico. If your local market doesn’t sell this, you can order it and have it delivered to your door. Go to www.hatchnmgreenchile.com for more information. They send them fresh or already roasted.
Once you have the chili, from your garden or from the store, the green chili recipe is so easy. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare. You just skin the chilies and chop them up. I like to make a big batch and have it all week long to put on everything. I like to roast the tomatoes too. The flavor from the roasted chili and tomatoes is amazing. Then, you cut everything up into chunks, mix it together with chicken stock, garlic, onions, and pork or beef, and seasonings.
I leave out the meat because I like to use it as a topping for chicken or beef or eggs. So, my recipe doesn’t include the pork. If you add beef or pork, it is pretty much a meal in itself. Also, you can prepare these spicy or not because you can choose whatever green chili you desire. If you don’t want the spicy, but want the chili flavor, see what mild chili they sell at the grocery store.
If you just want to sample some Hispanic food and don’t feel like cooking, try some of the tasty snacks from Pepe’s El Original. These are in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store. My favorite is the Chicharrones. These are super spicy, crunchy and so good. My kids love the Churros De Canela. They taste just like the churros you get at the fair, but crunchier.
reen Chili
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
10 Hatch chilies, roasted, skinned, and chopped
5 red tomatoes, roasted and diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon corn starch
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the diced onions and saut for five minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saut for five more minutes. Add the chili, tomatoes and stock. Let this simmer for about ten minutes. Add in the seasoning and mix well. Pour the cornstarch into a small glass of water and mix well. Slowly spoon the mixture into the green chili sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes more to thicken it up.
Tags: green chili, green chili recipes, Hatch green chili, Hispanic Heritage Month
School is back in session. Each morning the big yellow school buses crisscross town, kids are weighed down with their back packs, and before we know it, the fall leaves will blanket the ground. It amazes me how different things are once fall begins. It’s incredible how the temperature drops so suddenly. Yes, soon there will be snow. We won’t think about that just yet. It is nice to get back to a schedule. I have every minute accounted for from 5:30 a.m. until I crawl into bed at about 10 p.m. I will admit that it doesn’t always go exactly as planned; but, I am a list maker and I feel better pretending the whole week is scheduled. I just adjust the list as I go along.
Over the summer, we started a new business. It has been a huge adjustment for me to work full time while still trying to keep the house clean, take care of the kids, and feed everyone the way I like to. Not only is school and homework now in the mix, but so is hockey, dance and choir. I think 24 hours is not enough time in the day. I haven’t figured out a way to change this. I may petition for a 30-hour day. I wonder how that would go down? Due to all of the tasks I have to accomplish in one day, some nights it seems so much easier to order in food or to pick up something ready-made from the store. Sometimes, I give in and do this. I go and pick up dinner or have it delivered. There are times when I am just too tired to deal with cooking a whole meal and then clean the kitchen afterward. That’s fine. I don’t beat myself up over this.
At the same time, I don’t want to give up on our home-cooked dinners. I love cooking. I love sitting around the table all together as a family. I can’t give that up. Cooking and feeding my family is one of the passionate aspects of my life. I can’t give up on passion. No one would ever want to give up on love in order to get all of the things accomplished on a list. So, I will cook. I have decided to think of the cooking as the recess in my day. If my daily schedule was a school day, cooking would be the recess. It’s what I look forward to. It’s the break from the routine. Cooking is the pleasure or the reward for everything else that is a task. When I think of making dinner this way, I approach it with enthusiasm. I look forward to it. Making dinner for my family is a luxury not another to do item on a list.
This week I made a dish that is so easy. It’s almost cheating. The recipe is roasted chicken. There are several reasons why I love to roasted chicken. First, buying a whole chicken is a bit cheaper than buying chicken pieces. One could feed an entire family for less than $10 when the entre is roasted chicken. Second, it takes minutes to prepare the chicken and the oven does everything else, leaving you time to finish whatever you didn’t do on your list. It’s so easy. Third, after I cut the chicken up, I know I will be throwing the leftover bones into a huge pot with all of the cuts of vegetables I have saved in the freezer over the past couple of weeks to make the best chicken stock. I use the chicken stock in many more dishes after the chicken is long gone . So, making a roasted chicken ends up lasting for many meals to come. Finally, roasted chicken tastes so darn good. The crispy, seasoned outer skin envelopes the moist and juicy inner meat. I like to coat the skin in herbs and spices. I place butter and lemon under the skin to give the meat a great citrus flavor. Set this next to some roasted potatoes and vegetables and you have a nutritious delicious meal to serve to the people you love. I was so pleased with this meal the other day that I hopped up after and did the dishes with glee.
Having food and the ability to create a great meal for my family is a luxury. I am not even going to put it on my list. Lists are for things you may forget to do. I would never forget to do this. No one puts smile at everyone you see on the list or love your husband and children. We just do it.
Roasted chicken
Serves: 5
Time: 1 hour
1 whole chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 teaspoon Emeril’s Essence
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely
1 lemon, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Clean the chicken with warm water. Place the whole chicken in an oven safe dish, breasts up. Stick the lemon slices and pats of butter under the chicken’s skin, over the breasts. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, Essence, and parsley. Mix well. Coat the entire chicken with this mixture. Stick it in the oven and let it cook for about 45 minutes. Once the 45 minutes is finished. Cut into the chicken breast to see if it is cooked all the way through. If not, place it back into the oven for another ten minutes and check it again. The chicken meat should not be pink, it should be white. Once it is cooked all of the way through, cut the chicken meat into the sizes you prefer. Serve with potatoes or rice, vegetables or salad. Enjoy.
Tags: baked chicken, chicken, chicken recipes, roasted chicken
It has become a tradition at my house that every Friday night a group of our friends gather around our table to eat whatever dish I am making for this article. It just evolved into this. It was never planned.
Every Thursday, I start getting the calls, “what are you doing tomorrow night?” I tell whoever is on the other end of the line that we are staying home and cooking my meal for the food column. Of course, I invite everyone I speak to over to eat with us. I feel truly blessed to have so many people to share all of this food with. My friends are so appreciative of every meal. At this point, they don’t even bother to ask what I am making. They are open to whatever I put in front of them.
I always feel completely satisfied by the wee hours of Friday night when people are leaving with full bellies and the sweetest compliments. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends who offer me instant feedback on my dishes. It would be sad to love food so much and to have no one to share it with. These Friday evenings get my weekend started on the right track.
This past year, a few of my friends, as well as my own family, have had a difficult year financially. A lot of people I know have struggled to get food on their tables. Somehow, we have managed to feed ourselves pretty well through all of it. I try to remember this every time I eat. I never let food cross my lips without feeling gratitude.
A while back, I thought about the people who have not been as fortunate as we have. Some people have not managed to get food on their tables each day. So, about a month ago, I applied to volunteer at a rescue mission. My absolute favorite thing to do is to cook food and to serve it to people. So, what better place for me to be than in a soup kitchen? I believe everyone should find something they love to do and help others while doing it. You won’t believe the joy it brings into your life.
I have met some amazing people working at the mission. They don’t have me cooking in the kitchen yet. I am the “salt and pepper lady” right now; but, I am hoping to work my way up soon and to get cooking for many more people.
For now, I will keep practicing the cooking at home with my friends. This week, the usual suspects gathered around my kitchen and I made chicken satay as an appetizer. I had never made these before. However, I love satays and we have ordered them several times in Thai restaurants. So, I figured I should give it a shot. Claud and I are huge fans of Thai cuisine. I especially love the really spicy dishes. The ones that make me sweat while I am eating them. It hurts so good.
Don’t worry, this dish is mild. I looked at several different recipes before combining the ingredients into what I thought would be the best. I marinated the chicken on Thursday night, which took only about five minutes to do. I decided to go with a yogurt marinade because I keep reading about recipes which marinade chicken in yogurt. It sounds weird to marinade chicken in yogurt. I had to try it. It turned out so moist and flavorful. It doesn’t taste like yogurt in the end.
I grilled the satays for about ten minutes and placed them in the oven while I whipped up the Thai peanut sauce. This is a very simple dish to prepare. However, your guests won’t know that because it looks very pretty and tastes even better.
I felt gratitude for having so much food to share with my friends and took a bite of the satay. It tasted amazing. Within minutes of setting them out for all to enjoy, there wasn’t a single skewer of chicken left.
Chicken Satay
Serves: 6
Time: 25 minutes
1 C. plain Greek yogurt (you can use regular yogurt if you can’t find Greek)
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ginger, grated
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 lb. chicken thighs
12 skewers (soak the skewers in water for an hour ahead of time)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 head butter lettuce
In a shallow bowl, combine the yogurt, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and curry powder. Mix well. Cut the chicken thighs into strips. Mix the chicken strips into the yogurt marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can do this the day before and let it marinade over night. Take them out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve them. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thread the chicken onto skewers. Coat the grill with canola oil. Heat the grill on high heat. When it is very hot, set the chicken on the grill. Cook about four minutes each side to get nice grill marks on the chicken. Set each skewer of chicken in an oven safe dish and cook in the oven for another ten minutes. Set them on a nice platter or plate on a bed of butter lettuce. Set the peanut sauce in the center (recipe follows)
Thai Peanut Sauce:
1 C. creamy peanut butter
C. soy sauce
2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (a tiny bit more to drizzle on top)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Juice of two lemons
1 C. hot water
1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
In a food processor, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, Srircha, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Blend well. Slowly add in the hot water to thin it out to desired consistency. Scoop into a small bowl. Place into the center of the platter. Top with fresh cilantro and drizzle a little Srirachi sauce on top to make it pretty.
Tags: chicken, chicken satay, chicken satay with peanut sauce, peanut sauce
Summer is coming to an end. Luckily, it will be back before we know it. That’s the funny thing about seasonsthey keep coming back. As I get older, they seem to be rotating much quicker than I remember from my childhood. Businesses seem to want to push us into things even sooner than we are ready. I have already seen Halloween stuff displayed on store shelves. This was a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t even ready to think of the end of summer yet.
I have decided that I am going to savor every minute remaining of this summer. I will take each hot day and soak it all in. I have less than a week with my daughter Ella before she flies home to England and I will probably have to wait another season or two before I can see her again. I have to keep reminding myself about the quickly passing time and how it won’t be long until we are together again. She isn’t even gone yet. I don’t want to be sad about her going while I still have her under my roof. I don’t want even a minute to go by without enjoying her time with us.
One way I know to show how much I love someone is to make them something special to eat. Everyone has their own way of showing love. Mine usually involves food. Ella is a very picky eater. She loves rice and pasta. She is a vegetarian but doesn’t like salads, or tofu, or beans. She loves cucumber and mangos. It’s difficult to make a meal out of cucumbers, mangos, rice and pasta. Although, I am sure it can be done. One time I bought this tiny rice shaped pasta and Ella was over the moon. It was a combination of her two favorite things: rice and pasta.
So, when I asked her what her favorite meal was, she didn’t have an answer. She doesn’t have a favorite meal. I don’t either; but, that is because I love almost everything. How can I choose one to be a favorite? Ella and I started talking about food and I described a few things I thought she might enjoy. I think she would love shrimp scampi served over rice. She didn’t even know she loved shrimp until we went to a Teppanyaki restaurant the other day and the chef tossed a shrimp into her mouth. She knows she likes white fish. She adored the zucchini and squash fritters I made last week. She absolutely loves fries; but, who doesn’t?
My mom made Ella and Daphne the most delicious vegetarian lasagna last weekend which she really liked. My mom is so clever. She knows that Ella doesn’t like many vegetables, so she stuck mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and some other vegetables into the food processor, blended them all up and incorporate this into the sauce. Ella didn’t know what was in there and thought it tasted delicious. I didn’t want to make her lasagna again so soon. However, the lasagna did get me thinking about other baked pasta dishes. We discussed baked ziti, stuffed shells, and then decided on manicotti. My mom always made manicotti when I was growing up. It is so good.
I made the manicotti like I remembered my mom made it. I added in spinach because that is one of the few vegetables Ella enjoys eating. How could she not get pleasure from this dish? It has cheese, pasta, and pasta sauce. She loves all of those ingredients. The meal turned out perfectly and I was right, Ella loved it. There wasn’t a speck of anything left on her plate. Maybe now she has a favorite meal.
Manicotti
Serves: 6
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
(although you can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time)
16 oz. Manicotti noodles
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 C. cooked spinach
1 pint ricotta cheese
1 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 C. parmesan cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
1tsp. Emeril’s Essence
3 15 oz. cans of pasta sauce
Pour yourself a glass of good Italian Chianti. Sip this throughout the cooking processslowly because this will take about an hour and 15 minutes to make. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the manicotti noodles and boil for ten minutes (or per the instructions on the package). Drain, rinse with cool water, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and set aside.
In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add the onions. Saut the onions for about five minutes. Add the garlic and saut another five minutes. Add the spinach and let it wilt for another three minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Mix together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and one cup of the parmesan cheese. Whisk together the two eggs and mix that into the cheese mixture. Mix in the spinach, onion and garlic to the cheese mixture. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and mix well.
Carefully stuff this cheese mixture into the manicotti pasta noodles. Pour about 1/2-inch of the sauce into the bottom of an oven safe dish. Stack the noodles on top of each other if necessary. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed noodles. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, and Essence on the sauce. Sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top of the sauce.
At this point, you can cover this and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it for dinner or cook it straight away. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Tags: manicotti, manicotti recipes, pasta
I have always been interested in different cultures. I love to learn about traditions around the world, religious practices, ceremonies, and especially the foods.
It may stem from the fact that I don’t really know what nationality to call myself. My paternal grandfather was Scottish, my maternal grandfather was Native American from the Navajo tribe. My paternal grandmother was German and my maternal grandmother was Spanish. As a child, I felt very confused about who I was.
My mother was Catholic and my stepfather was Jewish. I didn’t have the sense of place that many of my friends who were obviously Korean, Mexican, or Indian had when they were asked about their heritage. However, I was intrigued about different nationalities and always wanted to know more.
In college, I studied every culture I could read about. I took world religions, Islamic art, Chinese literature (translated, of course), and African American history. Later, I moved to England and learned how the English live. I spent some time in France mostly just eating.
Soon after that, I lived in a predominately Mexican community in Los Angeles. Recently, I have resided for many years in a small Norwegian town in the Midwest.
I have children who are half English and American, and others who are half Indian and half English. I have close friends who are Jewish, Christian, and Hindu. Recently, I came to the conclusion that labeling myself doesn’t matter anymore. Being a part of all of it is who I want to be. I love it all and try to soak it all in.
Learning about the customs, family relationships, and business practices of different societies is interesting; but, learning about the food they eat is fascinating for me. Japanese food is so clean and it doesn’t get any fresher than sushi. Greek food is flavorful and full of delicious seasonings and sauces. Indian food is rich and spicy and garlicky. I love all of it. Whether you are living in a small tribe in West Africa, or in the South of France, food is something that brings people together. No one plans a social gathering without it in any part of the world.
Parties and get-togethers revolve around food. In Hawaii, they have the luau and in the Midwest we grill out. Where I grew up, Southern California, and more particularly in Baja California, they have a Carne Asada.
Carne Asada is the equivalent of a Midwest grill out. This means that thinly sliced beef is going to be marinated in tons of seasoning and lime juice and grilled for a few minutes on a barbecue along with other foods.
Carne Asada as most of us know it is the dish itself. You may order it as a meal served with beans and rice or in a taco or in a burrito. Usually it is still marinated in lime, seasonings, garlic and cilantro. Always, it is delicious.
This weekend my parents have travelled from Southern California to spend some time with us and I decided to make Carne Asada to celebrate their arrival.
I served it with Spanish rice, pinto beans and (oddly enough) an Israeli salad that a friend taught me how to make years ago.
This friend of mine, Al, was from Israel and moved to California where he lived on a ranch and became a cowboy. He also spoke Spanish in order to communicate with his employees.
Yes, he was my Spanish speaking, Jewish, Israeli cowboy friend who lived in Los Angeles. It was inspiring to see one person blend all of these nationalities with such finesse.
He was an amazing guy and boy could he cook. He made us the most delicious grilled food.
We must have spent every weekend for a year enjoying delicious barbecued meals at his house listening to his stories about being raised in Israel.
Always, he prepared this same cucumber and tomato salad which he told me was an Israeli family recipe. This salad is smothered in lime juice and compliments the flavor of the Carne Asada marinade so well.
Why not invite everyone over this weekend to your house for a Carne Asada and mix things up by adding an Israeli salad? Or, make some other combination of national cuisines. Just use your imagination.
You’ll come to find that, like the people who reside in the far reaches of the world with all of their lovely cultural ways and traditions, the foods from these different places harmonize with each other just as well.
Mexican Carne Asada with Al’s Israeli salad
Carne Asada:
2 lb skirt steak
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
C. olive oil
tsp salt
tsp pepper
C. cilantro, chopped finely
tsp. chili powder
Juice from three limes
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro, chili powder and lime juice. Mix well. Lay the skirt steak in the marinade and completely cover the steak. Place this in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Heat a skillet or grill to medium hot. Cook the steak for about three or four minutes on each side. Serve with Spanish rice, pinto beans and a salad.
Al’s Israeli salad
1 large hot house cucumber, skinned and chopped into tiny cubes
3 hot house tomatoes, chopped into tiny cubes
4 spring onions, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
tsp pepper
tsp salt
C. olive oil
Mix well. Set in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Tags: carne asada, carne asada recipes
Now that my daughter, Ella, is here from England for a month, I have two vegetarians in the house. Well, they really are pescatarians since they do eat fish. There are all sorts of catagories of vegetarians: Iacto vegetarian, ovo vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian to name a few. It can be complicated keeping up with all of it. I wonder what a person, like me, who will eat almost everything, is called. Maybe I don’t want to know. Luckily my two girls eat fish. It makes my meal planning easier to have fish as an option.
I like to make sure they are getting enough protein in their diets and serving fish helps. I bought a lot of fish to keep in the freezer to have on hand for my beautiful girls this month. This week, tilapia was on sale. Actually, it seems like tilapia is usually less expensive than most of the other fish in the market. Tilapia is a great fish for kids because it is white and light and flakey. It has no fishy flavor and is quick and easy to cook. I wish my mom knew this when I was a kid. She used to make me swordfish and shark grilled without any sauce. It was tough and fishy. I soon had an extreme distaste for fish. Luckily, I grew out of it.
This time of year, no one wants to stay in the kitchen too long when we can be outside enjoying the sunshine. Who wants to cook in a hot kitchen when there is gardening, swimming, walking, and sunbathing to be done? I definitely don’t. Also, we don’t want to have the oven on for a long time since it heats the whole house up. So, I have been trying to come up with recipes which call for very little oven or stove time. Of course, I am grilling a lot outdoors and avoiding the oven all together. This recipe does call for use of the oven and stove; however, it takes only 20 minutes to make. It can be done without breaking a sweat.
It feels better to eat light when it’s so hot outside. People tend to eat more salads, fruits, and fish. Fish is a great summer choice for dinner. All fish is brain and heart food. It’s important to try to incorporate fish into your diet twice a week. It is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and other necessary nutrients. Fish have omega-3 fatty acids. If you aren’t a huge fan of fish, tilapia might be a good place to start. It is great grilled, baked, or pan seared. It tastes delicious in fish tacos, fish sandwiches, fish pie, or on its own in a light butter and lemon sauce.
Here is a recipe with cilantro, garlic, and butter in the sauce. Everything tastes better with a sauce. The whole meal is quick and easy to prepare. So, if I am making a meat dish for the men in my life, it is no problem to whip this up on the side for my pescatarians. Since I am making a cilantro sauce, I am serving this tilapia with rice to compliment the Spanish flair. I also add a dollop of sour cream, a wedge of lemon and a spoon full of salsa to top it off. This is going to taste fabulous. Grab a glass of wine and get started.
Tilapia with a creamy cilantro sauce
Tilapia with cilantro butter sauce
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
4 tilapia fillets
¼ C. olive oil
¼ red onion, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
¼ C. butter
1 Tbsp. light cream cheese
½ C. cilantro, chopped finely
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. light sour cream
2 Tbsp. of your favorite salsa
1 lemon cut into wedges
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Place fillets on a foil lined baking dish. When oven has reached temperature, place the dish into the oven. The fish should take about 15-20 minutes to bake. You will know they are finished when the fillet is no longer opaque and is white instead. While the fish is baking, heat olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add the onions and cook for five minutes. Then, add the red peppers and cook five minutes more. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the butter and let that melt. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze in the lemon. Mix well. Turn off heat and set aside. Take the fish out of the oven. Place on a plate over the rice. Pour the cilantro butter sauce over the top of the rice and fish. Add some sour cream, salsa and a wedge or two of lemon.
Tags: tilapia, tilapia recipes
Sometimes it is difficult to get the whole family to agree on a restaurant. Especially now when money is tight and we aren’t eating out as much as we may like, we want to pick a place that is special.
As I am sure it is typical with most families, my family has many different tastes. Claud loves meat, Jack loves cheeseburgers and anything at a buffet, Daphne is a vegetarian, and I like almost anything that isn’t a buffet. It may come as a surprise, but everyone in my family agrees on sushi. We all love sushi. Yes, even cheeseburger loving Jack. I don’t know why. I don’t really understand it. I don’t ask any questions. We just go whenever we can.
Traditionally, sushi comes from the Japanese meaning of the word, “it’s sour”. Originally, sushi was fermented fish and rice, preserved with salt. However, here in the west, there have been many variations of sushi. Thank goodness for this because I don’t think sour fish sounds enjoyable. The “California roll” probably wouldn’t be found in Japan. We generally order California rolls which are nori (seaweed) filled with sushi rice, crab meat and avocado. This is a type of sushi that most people can eat and usually will enjoy. It’s like beginner’s sushi or kid’s sushi. I still enjoy California rolls although I really enjoy sashimi too which is just raw fish. Salmon, tuna and yellow tail are my favorites.
I need to back up a little here. My sushi dinner always starts with sake, or Japanese rice wine. I used to order the hot sake because I didn’t realize there was anything else. Then, a few years ago, my cousin introduced me to cold sake and boy, was I impressed. He told me that the hot sake is just cheap table wine and the cold sake is the premium flavorful wine. I haven’t investigated this to see if it is true; but, my experience is that the cold sake tastes much better. Sake is made through a brewing process that is more like beer than wine. The other night I sampled three cold sakes at a restaurant for $10. I was so happy to have the chance to sample different sakes because I still don’t know much about it and want to learn more. I suggest you do this if you are at a restaurant which offers tasting samples. I couldn’t believe the different flavors. One tasted like flowers, one like pure vodka, and one like heaven. It was a lot of fun. After the samples, I ordered a glass of the “heaven” sake and sipped it throughout the rest of my meal.
Some people who are planning a trip to a sushi bar may be pleased to know there are many other foods available. It is not all fish. Most people would enjoy a bowl of edamame which is soy beans usually steamed with a dash of salt. You usually can order teriyaki chicken or salmon. There are lots of cooked meats available at any sushi restaurant I have been to.
One of our favorite appetizers to order at a sushi restaurant is beef tataki. Tataki is a Japanese word meaning “pounded” or “hit into pieces.” I first thought that beef tataki meant that the beef was pounded because it was always served very thinly sliced. I thought the chef pounded it out super thin. No, tataki refers to the ginger which is supposed to be pounded into a paste and used to flavor the beef.
If you don’t have a sushi restaurant nearby, you can make this beef tataki at home. I haven’t been brave enough to try to make sushi at home. I still have to learn how to buy sushi grade fish as well as the incredible skill involved in slicing the fish. It really is an art that probably takes years to learn. For now, I will stick with easier Japanese cuisine, like this beef tataki. Give it a try. You can serve it with the garlic butter dipping sauce, soy sauce with chopped scallions, and some ginger ground up with soy sauce. It’s delicious with three dipping sauces.
Beef Tataki appetizer
Serves: 6
Time: 1 hour (marinate overnight)
2 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 C. white wine vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger pounded into a paste
2 large garlic cloves, flattened
6 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
4 green onions, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub 1 Tbsp oil over beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat in the skillet until brown on all sides. Place skillet with beef into the oven for about 35 minutes. Take it out to cool for 15 minutes. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, onions, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger and garlic into a large bowl. Place the beef into the marinade and roll it around. Refrigerate until beef is cold (overnight). The following day, take the beef out of the marinade. Cut beef into paper thin slices. Serve with garlic butter dipping sauce, soy sauce, and ginger with soy.
Garlic butter dipping sauce:
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, pounded into a paste
1 Tbsp. anchovy paste
Combine butter, garlic and anchovy paste. Stir
Tags: appetizers, beef appetizer, beef tataki, sushi
I have been thinking a lot about lamb and wanting to cook it for dinner. I love leg of lamb, gyro sandwiches, lamb roast, and rack of lamb. One time we split a lamb with our good friends, the Ohland’s, and had a freezer full of different cuts of lamb. I was surprised at how delicious the minced lamb tasted as a substitute for beef in a Bolognese sauce. However, each time I look at it in the market, it is just too expensive. The other day, I found a great deal on leg of lamb steaks for less than $10.00. It was leg of lamb but sliced into two nice steaks. I couldn’t resist. So, I bought them and headed home all the while thinking of ways to cook them. As luck would have it, we ended up being invited out for dinner that night. I guess that is not bad luck, just poor timing since all I could think of was eating this lamb. I decided to marinate the lamb and keep it in the refrigerator for the next evening.
I threw together a marinade of wine (of course), olive oil, garlic, rosemary, chipotle paprika, lemon juice, red onions, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and a dash of love. I knew that leaving this to soak in over night was the way to go. I was happy not to rush this process. I wanted this lamb to be something special. Claud was in for a real treat. I stuck it in the fridge and headed to my friend’s house for dinner. I couldn’t stop day dreaming about lamb. I ended up mentioning it and inviting these friends over to eat it with us the next day.
The next morning, I peaked in the bowl to see how it looked. Not much changed from the looks of things; but, I could tell there was some flavor enhancement going on. I could just feel it. In about nine hours I could unwrap these babies and cook them up. The countdown began. The day passed slowly. Hours were like minutes. At noon, I thought this was some sort of sick joke and asked the kids if they changed the clocks back to mess with me. Of course, they had no idea what I was going on about.
Finally, six o’clock rolled around. The kitchen was spotless. I pulled the bowl with the marinating lamb from the refrigerator and rested it on the counter. I gently peeled off the wrapper and stuck my nose close to take a whiff. The marinade smelled divine. I worried for a second that I wouldn’t get this right and I would be very disappointed. Then, as quickly as the thought came, I threw it out with the wind. Nothing was going to spoil this meal. No doubts, no worries.
Okay, I was going to need rice, green beans, and a sauce. I pulled out the appropriate pots and pans and set them in their designated spots. Onions and garlic were chopped, olive oil and spices were used, and the magic was in full swing. Within thirty minutes the masterpiece was completed. Once I plated the first dish, I could barely wait to take the photograph. Then, I had to make three more plates (we had people over) and take them to the table. Then, I was forced to contain my excitement and to eat the meal like a lady in front of my husband and our friends. I was so pleased once I took the first bite. Yes! I did it! It was absolutely perfect.
Lamb over rice and green beans
I smiled with every bite. I looked around and everyone else was smiling too. At the end of the meal, not a morsel was left on anyone’s plate. Mission accomplished.
Lamb leg steaks
Time: 30 minutes (marinade over night)
Serves: 4
1 ½ lb. lamb leg steaks
½ C. dry white wine
¼ C. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. chipotle paprika
Juice from half of a lemon
1/3 C. red onion, chopped fine
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Combine wine, oil, garlic, rosemary, paprika, lemon juice, onion, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well. Place the lamb into the marinade and roll it around in it until the lamb is completely saturated. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. The following evening, take the lamb from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Either on the grill or in a grill skillet on high heat, sear the lamb for about 4 minutes each side (the lamb will have grill marks and be easy to remove from the grill). While you are searing the lamb, begin making the sauce (recipe below). Place the lamb in the oven for another ten minutes. Then, take the lamb out and place on a chopping board to cool. Take the pan you used to sear the lamb and cook it in the oven and place it on the stove top on medium high heat to use for the sauce. Slice the lamb across the grain. Place it on a bed of rice and pour the sauce over the top. Serve with vegetables. I used green beans here.
Creamy onion and wine sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ C. white wine
½ C. chicken stock
¼ C. heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste.
While the lamb sears, sauté the onions in medium heat in the olive oil. Add the garlic once the onions are translucent. The pan used to cook the lamb is on the stove on medium high heat. Pour in the wine
to deglaze it. Scrape all of the seasonings from the bottom. Pour this into the pan with the onions. Let this reduce for about five minutes. Add the chicken stock and let it cook for ten minutes. Add the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tags: green beans, lamb, lamb recipe
Spring is in full force and the days are getting warmer and longer. Isn’t it beautiful? People are spending more time outside soaking in the sun and appreciating this gorgeous spring. Gardens are being tilled and planted. The fishing season has begun and people are gathering at the lakeside beaches and grilling food outdoors. You know what that means? We have to have snack ideas. I am a serious snacker. I love to eat snacks and I snack all day long. I like to start dinners with an appetizer of chips and guacamole or to go to a picnic with several treats of cheese and crackers, or other munchies. I never make a road trip without a bag of goodies of some sort. When I am going to a picnic at the beach, or to grill at someone’s house or to a potluck, I make one thing that I know people will love…deviled eggs.
I was interested to learn that they are called stuffed eggs, Russian eggs, picnic eggs and deviled eggs depending upon where you eat them. The concept of creating a mixture out of the yolk of an egg and placing it back into the whites originated in ancient Rome. The term “deviled” began in the 18th century and was used to describe food which is dark, rich, zesty, or spicy. I don’t quite get the reference to the devil because dark, rich, zesty and spicy are heavenly to me. In this case, “deviled” means zesty. At least, that is how I like to prepare my eggs. I don’t like them too spicy because I am usually making them for a group of people and there are always some people who can’t handle spicy. I do like to add a touch of Tabasco to liven it up; but, not so much as to overpower them with spiciness. My recipe has developed over the years and I like to add very finely chopped onion and celery to give them a bit of a crunchy bite. I think this adds intensity to the texture of the egg.
Making eggs this time of the year makes sense. The egg is a symbol of the rebirth of earth in celebration of spring and they symbolize all of the new life blossoming around us. Legend has it that you can balance an egg on end during the spring equinox. Apparently, when day and night are close to being equal in length and the tilt of the earth towards the sun is at a certain degree, an egg can be balanced on end. I haven’t tried it yet; but, it sounds interesting.
One thing I know for certain, whenever I make these deviled eggs, there is never an egg left on the plate and they usually disappear very quickly. People devour the deviled eggs every time. Grownups and children seem to enjoy them. So, these are perfect to bring to any gathering. I try not to let my family know when I am making them because they will eat them all before the guests arrive or until we get to our destination. They are too difficult to resist.
Deviled Eggs
7 eggs
½ C. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/3 C. celery, finely chopped
½ C. purple onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp. Tabasco
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. paprika
Fill a pot with enough water to cover all seven of the eggs. Bring water to a boil. Add the eggs and boil for fifteen minutes. While the eggs boil, chop the celery and onions and mince the garlic. Take the boiled eggs and pour out the hot water and fill the pot with cold water. Crack the shell of the eggs and peel the shells off. Cut the eggs in half and scoop the yolk into a bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, celery, onion, Tabasco, salt, pepper and garlic. Blend everything together very well (especially the garlic). You don’t want to get a big chunk of garlic in one egg. Pour the mixture into one corner of a plastic bag and cut the tip of this corner with scissors (creating a pastry bag…or, use a pastry bag if you have one). Squeeze the mixture into the egg halves. It is nice to set the eggs on a bed of lettuce to make it look pretty. Sprinkle the paprika over the eggs. Enjoy.
Tags: appetizers, deviled eggs, eggs
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