It's my bestie's 24th birthday! Warm breakfast in line! :-) And since she's abstaining from the drinks now, I am supporting her too. I made virgin mimosas for the two of us, along with Bacon and Cheese omelets. Yum and yum!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Happy Birthday Kat!
Happy Birthday Kat!
It's my bestie's 24th birthday! Warm breakfast in line! :-) And since she's abstaining from the drinks now, I am supporting her too. I made virgin mimosas for the two of us, along with Bacon and Cheese omelets. Yum and yum!
It's my bestie's 24th birthday! Warm breakfast in line! :-) And since she's abstaining from the drinks now, I am supporting her too. I made virgin mimosas for the two of us, along with Bacon and Cheese omelets. Yum and yum!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Me Encanta Empanadas! Cheesy Chorizo Empanadas
I do, oh boy, I really do. Last year at my Dad's I was on an empanada craze, making every kind I could think of after dabbling in Daisy Martinez's Morning, Noon and Night Latin cookbook. Basically you can make an empanada with any filling so long as it isn't too wet. What I love about these filled pastries is that they are so versatile. The dough itself varies from culture to culture. There is the flour-based pastellilo, from Puerto Rico, there is the masa-harina based empanada from Colombia, and there are the yeasty Salteñas from Bolivia. And as far as those fillings....they run the gamut! Guava and cheese, chicken, pork, corn, bacon and shrimp, and the list goes on...
Recently I have been doin' a fridge cleanup, so basically, I am trying to create meals with what's leftover in the fridge...and cabinets. I had a frozen link of chorizo mexicano, a half chunk of mozzarella, and wonton wrappers. I felt itty bitty empanadas were in line. According to Mr. Raichlen, one of the easiest ways to cut the fat from an empanada is to change the dough. Using wonton wrappers, you can cut back on the fat (regular dough often has lard or butter in it and ends up being deep fried)--these little babies can be baked instead of fried!
About my inspiration for these empanadas...when I was little, my cousin Nena and her boyfriend worked at a Mexican restaurant that served this amazing appetizer of chorizo topped with rich, melted cheese. You dipped tortilla chips into it--it was wondrous. In honor of this memory I decided to make these Cheesy Chorizo Empanadas. :-)
Recently I have been doin' a fridge cleanup, so basically, I am trying to create meals with what's leftover in the fridge...and cabinets. I had a frozen link of chorizo mexicano, a half chunk of mozzarella, and wonton wrappers. I felt itty bitty empanadas were in line. According to Mr. Raichlen, one of the easiest ways to cut the fat from an empanada is to change the dough. Using wonton wrappers, you can cut back on the fat (regular dough often has lard or butter in it and ends up being deep fried)--these little babies can be baked instead of fried!
About my inspiration for these empanadas...when I was little, my cousin Nena and her boyfriend worked at a Mexican restaurant that served this amazing appetizer of chorizo topped with rich, melted cheese. You dipped tortilla chips into it--it was wondrous. In honor of this memory I decided to make these Cheesy Chorizo Empanadas. :-)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Miscellaneous
Dinner tonight is easy-peasy. I have some hotdogs, so of course we all know what comes of hotdogs, buns, and the random contents of the fridge---culinary artistry! :-p
So instead of going through the usual dinner prep, I will share a couple of my latest culinary adventures. I am sitting in the living room and the patio door is open. I can smell the breeze as it shyly seeps into the room. It really smells like Summer-to-be, even though Winter is still here. So odd. I can only imagine how it will feel in April and March. Ahhhhh. :-)
But... I digress--(said Sophia-style from Golden Girls). Tuesday I had the extraordinary pleasure of making fajitas, Steven Raichlen style. If you've never heard of him, he has a cookbook entitled Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin American Cooking. There are a number of different recipes, from Tres Leches to Tamales to Chimichurri to Arroz con Gandulez to Garlic Plantain Puree to Paella to Lamb Fricasse! I am loving it. I always feel proud when I can add recipes to my arsenal that are exclusively of my Boriquen heritage. And even more than that, I love diversity--in my neighborhoods, my jobs, and in my food, so I appreciate the vast array of regions the recipes are drawn from.
Que Dios te bendiga...que tengan salute buena y bien aprovecho!
:-)
Chicken Fajitas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Mojo marinade or all of the marinade in the recipe that follows:
Marinade:
3 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1 small onion, quartered
1 jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and chopped (or leave the seeds in if you like your food spicy!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Toppings:
1 small avocado, chopped and drizzled with extra lime juice
1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat sour cream
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 11/2 cups salsa of your choice
Roasted Veggies:
2 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, and sliced
2 red or yellow bell peppers, roasted, seeded, and sliced
2 medium onions, sliced thin and roasted
10 scallions, roasted
8 fat-free flour tortillas (we used Mission Artisan Style: Ancient Grains and they were the bomb!)
Place the chicken in a glass dish or bowl large enough to accomodate it. Blend or process the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or overnight, like I did. If you do not want to make your own marinade, you can buy Mojo Criollo, located in the Latin aisle of most supermarkets. This was what I had on hand.
Preheat a grill pan (or skillet) and broiler. The original recipe calls for grilling/broiling the different vegetables at different times, but I found the easiest thing to do was to use the broiler and add all of the vegetables to a baking sheet.
Roast veggies about 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally until the peppers are nicely charred and the scallions are charred and wilted. Carefully slice the peppers, seeding the bells and seeding the poblanos only if you don't want the extra heat. Return sliced peppers to pan.
While the veggies are roasting, cook chicken on hot grill for 3-4 minutes per side til no pink is left in the center and juices run clear. Slice against the grain (in the same direction the fibers of the chicken run in) on cutting board and keep warm.
Serve fajitas with toppings listed above, or get creative and come up with your own.
To get really authentic, heat a cast iron skillet in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Place cooked chicken and vegetables in the skillet (you will hear sizzling), and serve at table. Be careful not to touch the skillet with your hands!
Enjoy!
Smoky Chicken-Tomato Soup
2-4 canned chipotle peppers ( de-seed if you don't like your food spicy)
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp lard or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, finely chopped
1 lb bonless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces ( I always opt for a little larger)
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups chicen stock
2 sprigs epazote
Salt and pepper
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Grill the tomatoes until nicely charred. Carefully remove the burnt skin and quarter the tomatoes. Place chipotle peppers and tomatoes in blender or processor and process until smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot. I used my braiser. Oooooo, I love, love, love my braiser. I am actually disappointed when I can't use it to cook!
Add onions, garlic, and most of scallions to pot. Cook, stirring often, till veggies are soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato mixture. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until thick and fragrant. Stir in chicken, chickpeas, stock, and epazote. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Re-season with salt and pepper if desired.
You can't see too much of the yumminess in the picture, but trust me, it's wonderful.
Garnish with remaining scallions and sip to your heart's content. :-)
So instead of going through the usual dinner prep, I will share a couple of my latest culinary adventures. I am sitting in the living room and the patio door is open. I can smell the breeze as it shyly seeps into the room. It really smells like Summer-to-be, even though Winter is still here. So odd. I can only imagine how it will feel in April and March. Ahhhhh. :-)
But... I digress--(said Sophia-style from Golden Girls). Tuesday I had the extraordinary pleasure of making fajitas, Steven Raichlen style. If you've never heard of him, he has a cookbook entitled Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin American Cooking. There are a number of different recipes, from Tres Leches to Tamales to Chimichurri to Arroz con Gandulez to Garlic Plantain Puree to Paella to Lamb Fricasse! I am loving it. I always feel proud when I can add recipes to my arsenal that are exclusively of my Boriquen heritage. And even more than that, I love diversity--in my neighborhoods, my jobs, and in my food, so I appreciate the vast array of regions the recipes are drawn from.
Que Dios te bendiga...que tengan salute buena y bien aprovecho!
:-)
Chicken Fajitas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Mojo marinade or all of the marinade in the recipe that follows:
Marinade:
3 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1 small onion, quartered
1 jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and chopped (or leave the seeds in if you like your food spicy!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Toppings:
1 small avocado, chopped and drizzled with extra lime juice
1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat sour cream
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 11/2 cups salsa of your choice
Roasted Veggies:
2 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, and sliced
2 red or yellow bell peppers, roasted, seeded, and sliced
2 medium onions, sliced thin and roasted
10 scallions, roasted
8 fat-free flour tortillas (we used Mission Artisan Style: Ancient Grains and they were the bomb!)
Place the chicken in a glass dish or bowl large enough to accomodate it. Blend or process the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or overnight, like I did. If you do not want to make your own marinade, you can buy Mojo Criollo, located in the Latin aisle of most supermarkets. This was what I had on hand.
Preheat a grill pan (or skillet) and broiler. The original recipe calls for grilling/broiling the different vegetables at different times, but I found the easiest thing to do was to use the broiler and add all of the vegetables to a baking sheet.
Roast veggies about 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally until the peppers are nicely charred and the scallions are charred and wilted. Carefully slice the peppers, seeding the bells and seeding the poblanos only if you don't want the extra heat. Return sliced peppers to pan.
While the veggies are roasting, cook chicken on hot grill for 3-4 minutes per side til no pink is left in the center and juices run clear. Slice against the grain (in the same direction the fibers of the chicken run in) on cutting board and keep warm.
Serve fajitas with toppings listed above, or get creative and come up with your own.
To get really authentic, heat a cast iron skillet in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Place cooked chicken and vegetables in the skillet (you will hear sizzling), and serve at table. Be careful not to touch the skillet with your hands!
Enjoy!
Smoky Chicken-Tomato Soup
2-4 canned chipotle peppers ( de-seed if you don't like your food spicy)
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp lard or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, finely chopped
1 lb bonless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces ( I always opt for a little larger)
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups chicen stock
2 sprigs epazote
Salt and pepper
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Grill the tomatoes until nicely charred. Carefully remove the burnt skin and quarter the tomatoes. Place chipotle peppers and tomatoes in blender or processor and process until smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot. I used my braiser. Oooooo, I love, love, love my braiser. I am actually disappointed when I can't use it to cook!
Add onions, garlic, and most of scallions to pot. Cook, stirring often, till veggies are soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato mixture. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until thick and fragrant. Stir in chicken, chickpeas, stock, and epazote. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Re-season with salt and pepper if desired.
You can't see too much of the yumminess in the picture, but trust me, it's wonderful.
Garnish with remaining scallions and sip to your heart's content. :-)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Slide Slide Baby
While the bestie watches Revenge, I'm...blogging, yay! :-)
Dinner tonight...deelish! Made sliders. I was super excited because I had some chipotle peppers leftover from a soup I made Monday, and I wanted to get all creative and just do it. I looked up some tips online, hit the grocery store for other random grocery items...can I say I am addicted to grocery shopping...and came back to make love to my kitchen in the form of spicy sliders. :-p
Anywho, the tips were great as far as shaping goes and the lean and fat content of the ground beef you can use for sliders. As for ingredients, I found it's pretty much to your liking, so I played around with an idea and just added what I thought would taste yummy.
Chipotle-Lime Beef Sliders
~1lb ground beef, 80/20 lean/fat ratio
2-3 canned chipotle peppers, chopped (I left the seeds in and these were slightly spicy, but I have a high tolerance for heat, so you may want to leave the seeds out)
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced, whatever you prefer
~1/8 cup chopped cilantro (I eyeballed it, basically ripped a small bunch of leaves off and chopped those finely)
Juice of half a small lime (actually forgot to add this, but this was what I was gonna do!)
Generous sprinkling onion powder
Sprinkle or two of poultry herb seasoning (optional)
Sprinkle of salt
Sprinkle of pepper
6 slider buns ( I used Pepperidge Farm Wheat Sliders)
Preheat a grill pan on medium heat. I have an electric range and set it on 5. In medium sized bowl, mix together all ingredients (except for buns of course :-) ). Mix with your hands, as this will give you more control over the meat mixture and will prevent over-mixing. Form the meat into six round balls.
When the pan is hot, spray lightly with cooking spray. Place each ball into the pan and press into a patty.
Dinner tonight...deelish! Made sliders. I was super excited because I had some chipotle peppers leftover from a soup I made Monday, and I wanted to get all creative and just do it. I looked up some tips online, hit the grocery store for other random grocery items...can I say I am addicted to grocery shopping...and came back to make love to my kitchen in the form of spicy sliders. :-p
Anywho, the tips were great as far as shaping goes and the lean and fat content of the ground beef you can use for sliders. As for ingredients, I found it's pretty much to your liking, so I played around with an idea and just added what I thought would taste yummy.
Chipotle-Lime Beef Sliders
~1lb ground beef, 80/20 lean/fat ratio
2-3 canned chipotle peppers, chopped (I left the seeds in and these were slightly spicy, but I have a high tolerance for heat, so you may want to leave the seeds out)
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced, whatever you prefer
~1/8 cup chopped cilantro (I eyeballed it, basically ripped a small bunch of leaves off and chopped those finely)
Juice of half a small lime (actually forgot to add this, but this was what I was gonna do!)
Generous sprinkling onion powder
Sprinkle or two of poultry herb seasoning (optional)
Sprinkle of salt
Sprinkle of pepper
6 slider buns ( I used Pepperidge Farm Wheat Sliders)
Preheat a grill pan on medium heat. I have an electric range and set it on 5. In medium sized bowl, mix together all ingredients (except for buns of course :-) ). Mix with your hands, as this will give you more control over the meat mixture and will prevent over-mixing. Form the meat into six round balls.
When the pan is hot, spray lightly with cooking spray. Place each ball into the pan and press into a patty.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until well done (or to your preference).
Serve on toasted slider buns, and top with your fav toppings! We used lettuce, muenster cheese (left-over from sammiches!), diced avocado (left-over from fajitas!), and sliced red onion (also left-over from sammiches, lol). We also had fries on the side, a treat! These were yummy, juicy, slightly sweet, and spicy. Loved 'em!
Bon appetit!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Charting New Terrain
It's funny how this blog started. Some moments ago I was reading Judita Wignall's blog, and I desperately wanted to leave a comment. I could sign in anonymously or create an account. On a whim I decided you know what, I will go ahead and sign in with google and make a blogger account so that I can leave comments. Why not? I have wanted to start a blog for a while, especially as a result of my bestie's urging. "You have great ideas, you can write, and cook! You should blog!" She said. But rarely do I ever dive right into something. Horribly indecisive, I research and research all my options, hoping to make the best decision. I will read and reread a restaurant menu, agonizing over the different choices. "Ooh, I have always wanted to try a Caprese salad, I love tomatoes and mozzarella and especially basil--oh but for the price I pay I could make my own--and since I feel sensually superior after my little foré into cooking and following recipes, I can pretty much imagine how all those ingredients would taste together--and ooooh, doesn't that pasta look good? But I always get pasta--but damnit, the tuscan steak with goat cheese, which I really, really want, is effin expensive--okay, I will just go with the fettucini alfredo. I know it's good... and well, not too pricy..."
We actually talked about this yesterday-- the bestie read something online about learning how not to hesitate. We stopped by chili's after witnessing a hilarious bachelorette auction and ordered from the $20 Dinner for Two Menu. I tried practicing this. I decided to go with my gut, which said, "Mmm, get the Margarita Chicken." I was super happy and very satisfied with my choice...then I looked over the other options and really started poring over them. I literally had to stop my thoughts from going into overdrive. I chose the chicken, and it was incredible.
It seems there are so many right ways to do things. I come across amazing blogs every day. High quality pictures, lyrical descriptions, people living their dreams everyday. I wonder, can I live up to that? I call it my "Pore-over-other-people's-lives-through-blog-and-facebook-and compare-them-to-mine" syndrome. But in reality, we all have specialties. We all want to be special. There's no reason things have to perfect. Messy can be good. Diversion can provide the freshest start.
As the cliché goes, life is short. Why hesitate?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)