minced pork and legume salad

This was a random creation I don't even know how to describe so you'll just have to read it.  All I have to say is a couple people were over and they went for seconds, thirds and FOURTHS.  So yummy and protein PACKED! Get one can of black beans, one of navy beans and two of chick peas, throw them in a pasta strainer and rinse really well.  Let that completely drain then throw it in a big bowl.  Next get a container of ground pork. Sautee it in a pan (if its super lean you might have to add some oil) with salt and pepper (more salt than you would normally think and probably double the black pepper you would normally use). Chop and mix it and when it's completely cooked throw it on top of the beans.  Drain out any fat from the pork pan then chop an onion, 2-3 jalapenos, some ginger, and 2 carrots.  Sautee that in the same pan.  When it's done add to the mix. Then in the same pan throw in two containers of quartered white mushrooms (or that quantity of your favorite mushrooms), about 1/2 a cup of vinegar, and some salt. Cook till they're all tender then throw in the mix. Then SUPER finely chop like 4-5 stalks of celery and throw that on top, raw. Last, toss one huge handful of chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, juice from 2-3 limes, drizzle good quality olive oil and [preferably sea] salt over the top of everything and serve. 

The key is to cook everything separate and add everything as DRY as possible so its a very loose mixable protein and vegetable filled salad.

coconut curry cauliflower

Fantastic for a dreary winter day.  Sautee some green chili, an onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery. Add a bit of salt or a tablespoon of fish sauce (your choice).  When that's all tender add a whole cauliflower, separated in pieces, two tablespoons of Jamaican curry powder, and a cup or so of water.  Stir then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer.  Once the cauliflower is tender, add a can of coconut milk. If you want this more as a side, let that cook down to your preferred consistency OR if you'd like a chunky soup add another cup or two of water and bring to a boil (just recheck for salt).  Dress with thyme if you have it and enjoy!

spicy nuts

• May not sound like an idea Friday night but this is a quick and easy way to dazzle some guests who are waiting for their dinner over the holidays. Also nice to have laying around over a few cocktails.  Get a bag of your favorite mixed nuts and dump them in a warm-to-hot skillet.  Toast them just a bit then move'm to a bowl on the side.  Then in the same skillet over medium-to-low heat combine about 2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil), 1/4 cup of water, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, then about 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, same amount of cumin, same amount of chopped rosemary, same amount of salt.  Stir and let it start to get a little syrupy- add a touch of water if it's too thick. When you're ready, slowly add the mixture over your nuts, toss them gently, and serve.  Try a couple spicy combinations too!  Pull out the rosemary and add cinnamon instead! 
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brussels sprouts and pancetta

Chop some pancetta (use bacon if you have to), and sautee with chili peppers and onion till they just start to cook then drain the fat, and a handful of halved brussels sprouts and cook till the bacon starts to get crispy.  Add a 1-2 cups of white wine to deglaze let that simmer and reduce then remove from heat, cover and store till your ready.  Prepare this well in advance and serve as a side at room temperature so you don't have to worry about steaming up your kitchen in mid-summer heat.  Goes GREAT with steamed corn and your favorite meat on the grill.

easiest "stuffed" zucchini ever

This is so easy, you can prep it way in advance and it basically cooks itself.  Get your zucchini, wash and cut them in half.  Place them on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet or baking pan, season with some olive oil, salt and pepper then spoon on your favorite Italian-style dip or tapanade.  A few spoons of pesto, an olive tapanade from Harris Teeter or even an artichoke bruschetta topping. Make your own or buy it already made.  Toss it in the oven at 275-300 for 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini are tender with your fork.  Serve warm or room temperature.  An awesome vegan, gluten & dairy free and light carb dish! 

tuna citrus salad

Possibly the most refreshing salad you'll ever have.  Prepare some lettuce in your bowl with chopped cucumber, half a peeled and sliced orange and half a peeled and sliced grapefruit.  Add a few bean sprouts or wheat grass and then lay a sliced seared tuna steak. For the dressing mix one part lemon juice one part orange juice, some olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic powder and salt and cracked pepper to taste.

For the tuna, season with salt and pepper and sear for 45seconds to a minute on each side in a hot pan drizzled with canola oil. Set aside so it cools a bit to room temperature, slice and serve.

A perfect summer lunch but look to this now- a February meal packed with lean protein with lots of fresh ingredients that will keeping you balanced and healthy.  Beach season is around the corner!

fried hot peppers and potatoes

I know I've written about this before but it's just so great.  Get some hot peppers, wash and cut them in half removing the stems (leave the seeds if you want it extra hot), drop them in an inch or two of hot frying oil and fry them till they're soft and start to crisp.  Remove them with a slotted spoon or fork, set them on some paper towels to let the remaining oil drain .  Now drop sliced potatoes into that same [now seasoned] hot oil, let them fry till they start to turn golden brown, mix with the hot peppers and you're done.  I will make an entire meal out of this dish but it's also a perfect side for almost anything.  Steaks, roasts, rotisserie chicken... I can't wait to have this with my turkey on Thanksgiving.

broccoli rabe and sausage

My mouth is watering just thinking about the bitter greens with the savory sweet sausage.  YUM! Wash your broccoli rabe (2-3 bunches), with a small knife trim the tips of the stems and slightly split them where they're thickest (just so they cook evenly). Then boil (or steam) with a touch of salt.  When they're tender drain and set aside. In a large pan or a wok, throw in 4-5 links of chopped sausage and garlic and simply cook that over medium to low heat till it's all golden brown.  Mix the sausage with the broccoli and VOILA, just drizzle a bit of raw olive oil over the top and serve with cracked red pepper. This can work as a side or a full meal on its own!

spicy meatball appetizers

Easy to make and can be done a couple hours in advance since these are fine at room temperature. Get about a pound and a half of lean ground beef (I only get beef ground in-store so I don't have mystery meat body parts coming from a far off warehouse), a cup and a half of bread crumbs, 2-3 cloves of chopped or crushed garlic, some ground black pepper, a handful of chopped cilantro, 3/4 cup of Sriracha (or try a full cup to cup and a half if you want them very spicy), quarter cup of white vinegar, one egg and a light sprinkle of salt.  Mix everything together and roll into bite-sized balls (you can do all of this the night before).  If the mixture is too dry and wont stick add a little more vinegar and if its too wet try sprinkling a bit more breadcrumbs into the mix.  When you're ready heat a pot with about an inch and a half of vegetable oil, gently drop in the meatballs and let them fry till they brown -OR- spread them over a cookie sheet and bake @400 degrees for 15-20 till the brown, turning them gently about half way through (I like them better fried- duh). Serve these on platter with an handful of toothpicks and I like to include another small cup or Sriracha sauce and then another 'cooler' sauce like a ranch or blue cheese for extra dipping. 

this stuffing may kill you...

 

...but it'll sure be a good time.  Little late for Thanksgiving recipes but this is what we did:  Bacon, sausage and salami, all chopped in bite size pieces and cooked to perfection, then add chopped asparagus (the thicker kind), and mix in enough eggs till they're "swimming."  Spoon this into your turkey and toss the bird in the oven. The mixture will expand in the cavity and will come out PERFECT (or don't bother with the bird and just make the world's unhealthiest omelet).

palm heart ceviche

Delicious recipe that anyone will love- but even better if you have vegans or or people with gluten issues coming over and you want to please everyone.  Get two cans of palm hearts*-  the ones labeled as tips and ends are fine (they're cheaper too) since you'll be chopping them into bite-sized pieces anyway.  Put them in a container with the juice of 4-6 limes (depending how juicy), one lemon cut in thin slices, two jalapeños, half a red onion very thinly sliced, and salt and pepper to taste.  Let this marinate in the fridge for at least an hour but you can do this well in advance.  Serve the palm heart/onion/jalapeño mixture chilled with only a bit of the marinade (don't let everything be swimming in juice), chopped fresh cilantro, a few wedges of avocado, and if you like with a 1/4 ear of boiled corn.  Any left over juices can get sopped-up with bread, added to a meat or fish marinade or used in a salad dressing.

*Costa Rica has great sustainable palm heart production so aim for that when shopping.

greek bruschetta

Its pronounced broo-ske-ta, just so you know.  But when I was in reading, PA, of all places, I saw this and its a great idea.  Get a bag or mini pitas and throw them on a cookie sheet, put a slice of tomato on top and toss it all in the broiler for only a minute- don't leave it too long or it'll burn- just to toast it a little.  Then drop some cubbed feta cheese on top with some parsley and black pepper and drizzle some olive oil.  Retoast if you want the cheese to melt a little more and serve warm. Yum yum

melon, jalapeño, lime, red onion and cilantro salad (or with chicken)

This is hands down one of the best summer dishes you can have.  

Vegan or with lean chicken, this can please anyone. Cut a whole cantaloupe in bite sized pieces, and mix with a large chopped red onion, a few jalapeños (depending how hot you want it), a handful of cilantro, juice of 4 limes (assuming they're large and juicy) salt and black pepper.  If you want it vegan stop here, otherwise pull the meat from a rotisserie chicken or chop a few grilled chicken breasts and mix it all together. DELICIOUS, healthy, sweet, savory, spicy and tangy all in one. 

cold cavatelli with pesto

I don't know what the temperature is like where you live but this time of year in DC it's about a thousand degrees and ninety-nine percent humidity.  This COULD make dinners and entertaining less tolerable than expected, even if you do have killer AC.  One FOOL PROOF dish you can always count on is just plain pasta and pesto.  Make it the night before and leave it in the fridge or earlier in the day so you there's plenty of time for the food (and your kitchen) to cool off.  Just boil a pound of pasta as per usual.  Pictured above are cavatelli, but feel free to use whole grain pasta or even cheese ravioli. Drain them then gently fold in a 2 or so cups of pesto.  You can find it already made in almost any grocery store but if want to try your own pull out your blender and the basic ingredients are olive oil, basil, garlic and salt.  If you want, use cheese instead of salt or add some pine nuts or walnuts for a variation.  This is as easy as can be and acts as a pasta salad or main dish.  A tupperware of this in the office the day after is pretty off-the-chain too.

HUMMUS with fried chickpeas

So I've blogged about making hummus before but its about time I mention it again- this time we're taking it up a notch.  Ingredients are still the same (Chickpeas- 2 cans, tahini 2/3 of a cup, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt).. throw it all in a blender and voila.  NOW, throw a can of drained chick peas in a pan with a touch of oil and fry them till their golden brown and crispy.  Drain on a paper towel, season with salt and add these chick pea "fries" over your hummus for a welcomed savory CRUNCH (you can try them roasted as well).  It really is great and worth the extra couple minutes.  Prepare a couple hours in advance if need be and leftovers never stay left over for long.

Black bean, mango, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno & lime

Call it a salad, a salsa or a side- it doesn't really matter. This goes great in a taco shell, over broiled tilapia or even to accompany your steak dinner. So good and super healthy. In a large bowl toss together 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, peeled and cubed mango (potato peeler works best), finely chopped red onion, 2 minced jalapenos (depends how spicy you want it), a huge handful of chopped cilantro, juice from 3-4 limes, olive oil and salt to taste. Fantastic and ridiculously healthy too.

patatas bravas

Yeah, I know everything tastes better fried and you do too... so make sure you get to enjoy it every once in a while.  These are just cubed potatoes dropped in hot canola oil, fried till they're golden brown then sprinkled with sea salt and cracked pepper. Try and fry a hot pepper or two in the oil first to spice it up.  Serve them just like this as a side.  Kids love their bite-size. Toss them over a salad or into a beef stir fry.  Alternate them with mozarella, basil and tomatoes on skewers as an appetizer or leave a platter of them out with toothpicks and a fun aioli at a party.  Just be careful, they go a lot faster than you'd expect.

fennel orange and black olive salad

I think this is the best salad I've ever had.  My mom just made it over Easter and it was fantastic.  Thinly slice a bulb of fennel, add a chopped orange, a can of pitted black olives (quartered), juice from two lemons, extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.  I really cannot describe how perfectly all those flavors marry but its amazing.

spinach, leeks and sesame seeds

So coincidentally I had a couple leeks and a bunch of spinach in the fridge.  I needed to figure out a way to use them up and holy &*%$ I think I did.  I don't think  I ever want to eat spinach another way.  I usually keep sesame seeds in my spice cabinet and tossed a small handful in a shallow pan with a touch of oil, two finely sliced shallots and a light sprinkle of salt.  I let that cook a bit to soften the leeks and toast the sesame seeds then I added my spinach (use fresh or frozen.  just use lots cause it cooks down more than you think) (about two prewashed bags worth).  Thats it.  As soon as the spinach cooks buts still aldente remove from heat and set aside till you're ready to serve.  This goes great with meats, can bridge between Asian and more Western meals, its totally vegan and absolutely delicious.

roasted [frozen] corn

I don't THINK I've blogged about roasted corn but either way, SOOO easy for a huge bonus.  Think a toping for taco night or a creative pizza, addition to a salad or a quick side. Grab a bag of frozen corn, throw it in a cookie sheet (do it over aluminum foil if you wanna skip the cleanup), drizzle some olive oil and a bit of salt and throw it in the broiler.  THATS IT.  You really need to watch and open the oven every minute or two to make sure some parts blacken but you don't want bits of charcoal.  Stir it a couple times and as soon as it looks like traditional grilled corn its done.  Mix with salsa, serve as is or use it as an addition from anything between a chicken wrap and a vegetable soup.