Pork Mango Picadillo 0 komentar
Updated
Picadillo is a spicy Latin American meat dish often served as a stuffing in chilies, taco filling, or served with rice. I nabbed this recipe from my friend Heidi H's recipe collection one day because it looked intriguing. What a keeper! Lots of flavor and in the time it takes you to cook the rice, the dish will be done.
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Read More..Mom's Chili Beans 0 komentar
Updated. From the recipe archive.
A staple in our home growing up was my mother's chili beans, which she still makes several times a month with either ground beef or turkey. Many chilis I've encountered seem almost designed to give you heartburn. This one isn't. These chili beans are more mild and less fatty than most, especially if you use ground turkey. Yet they are very flavorful, hearty, and filling. My mom learned this method of preparing chili beans years ago, when she was still teaching school, from a fellow teacher from Louisiana.
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Read More..Kahlúa Brownies 0 komentar
Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord and pour yourself a glass of milk; you'll need one with these brownies! ~Elise
So I had a bottle of Kahlúa sitting about collecting dust and figured that it needed to be put to decent use. Now, I'm all for a decent cocktail, but really, I try not to make a habit of breaking out the shaker in the middle of the day.
That being said, one must be creative and incorporate neglected liquor in other ways. Now I prefer my coffee with enough chocolate to kill a racehorse, so is it any surprise that I poured a small amount into a batch of brownies?
I think not.
This brownie is rich and fudgy with plenty of chocolate, butter, and six (!) eggs. The addition of coffee liquor just gives it a nice bit of bitter flavor and really makes this the dessert at any party. If you don't have Kahlúa then using strong coffee or espresso is a perfect alternative.
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Read More..Salmon Teriyaki Skewers with Pineapple 0 komentar
Now that grilling season is officially upon us, I've been experimenting with teriyaki salmon skewers. Last night's version (frozen salmon, canned pineapple) got two thumbs up from the rents, but there were too many leftovers for me to be convinced. Conditioned for politeness, sometimes they are just not willing to be as critical as I'd like. (You can't like everything mom!) Tried again tonight, this time with fresh pineapple and very fresh salmon and as expected the salmon skewers were a thousand times better (mom agreed). The trick to great salmon skewers is high heat (charcoal grill better than gas better than broiler), the freshest salmon available, and watching the grill (or broiler) like a hawk. Fish can go from perfect to overcooked in a minute.
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Read More..Honey Mint Glazed Chicken 0 komentar
Can you tell we are gearing up for grilling season? This has to be one of the simplest chicken recipes for the taste, grilled or otherwise. It's just basic grilled (or oven broiled) chicken with a fresh mint and honey glaze. Nothing to it really, but it tastes fabulous. This recipe is set up for whole chicken parts, but you could easily use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs; just reduce the cooking time.
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Read More..Strawberry Frozen Yogurt 0 komentar
What happened to our spring? It's been over a hundred degrees here for the last 3 days and there's no break in sight. With strawberries in season and abundant, this frozen yogurt is a great way to cool down quickly. Although it feels like you're eating ice cream, this frozen yogurt is actually much lighter than a typical custard and cream-based ice cream, and it's filled with the flavor of the fresh strawberries.
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Read More..Jamaican Jerk Burgers 0 komentar
Looking for a way to spice up a summer barbecue? Try these hamburger patties, seasoned with a homemade Jamaican jerk spice mixture of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, green onions, and garlic. Scotch bonnets, or their habanero cousins, are insanely hot, so you don't really need much, half a 1 1/2-inch long pepper, seeds removed. Some people substitute jalapenos, but the flavor really is different, so I would stick to Scotch bonnets or habaneros if you can get them. Cool off the chili heat with a citrus, mayo-based coleslaw. The oil in the mayo helps to absorb the spicy chili, to take the edge of the heat.
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Read More..Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken Breasts 0 komentar
What I love about this recipe is that with just the barest of preparation, you can have a tasty meal within minutes. The yogurt-based marinade is only mildly acidic, so you can leave the chicken in the marinade all day, while it gently tenderizes the meat and infuses it with the spiciness of cumin and paprika. Just put the chicken in the marinade before leaving for work in the morning, come home, heat the grill, chicken is done in less than 10 minutes. Simple. Easy.
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Read More..Franks and Sauerkraut Paprikash 0 komentar
When my father told me he had made "weenies and sauerkraut", all I could think of was, not another pork and sauerkraut recipe. My dad must have sauerkraut juice running through his veins by this time, given how often he eats it. But this recipe, adapted from a 25-year old McCalls recipe, really is worth reporting. It's sort of a paprikash version (sour cream and paprika) of hot dogs with sauerkraut. It's easy to make, cooks up in little more than half an hour, and wonderfully flavorful. Use your favorite hot dog, frankfurter, mild German sausage, or even tofu-dog if that's your preference. |
Fava Bean Dip with Goat Cheese and Garlic 0 komentar
Fresh fava beans require patience. You have to shuck them twice, once to remove the thick shell, and then again, after cooking the beans, to peel the outer skin. Are they worth the effort? You tell me. Fresh favas, or broad beans, are only available for a short time in spring, so it's not an effort that you have to, or get to, make that often. I kind of like the meditative aspects of plopping out the beans from their pods like mini-green-bean rocket ships. Cooked in salty water, they taste a lot like edamame, and can be just as deliciously addictive. Here is a recipe for a simple fava bean dip with garlic and goat cheese. It's terrific with jicama, and cucumber slices. The cool crunchiness of the jicama or cucumber works well with the creamy beany-ness (for lack of a better word) of the dip. Many thanks to fellow Sacramento food blogger Hank Shaw for supplying me with bunch of fava beans from his garden.
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Read More..Mango Chicken Curry 0 komentar
There's something about the combination of mango and chicken that just works. We eat mango chutney with roast chicken so often that I even started making my own chutney just so we wouldn't run out. Here is a mango chicken curry I whipped up the other day. I love it, but my father thinks it's a little on the sweet side, so feel free to reduce the amount of mango the recipe calls for if you want a little less sweet. Or add a little more vinegar. The amounts are approximate, feel free to experiment. Just don't let the mixture boil after adding the cream or it may end up a curdled mess. |
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Soba Noodle Salad 0 komentar
Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic who prepared this fabulous salad for us the other day. Big, big hit. ~Elise "Very tangy and sweet! With just enough crunch from the peanuts." "It's so colorful and aromatic, you can just smell the mint and garlic!" The compliments Elise and I praised this salad with are plentiful. Really, this is a wonderful spring and summer salad, with Asian inspiration. Soba noodles, if you are not familiar with them, are thin Japanese noodles made with buckwheat flour, and are often served cold. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian aisle of many markets; they have a nice body to them and an earthy, old world taste. In this noodle salad, the mango, mint, and various other flavors contrast and match well with each other, giving the whole salad a good balance. |
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Jicama Salad 0 komentar
Are you familiar with jicama? This tuber looks like a seriously overgrown radish and is the root of a vine native to Mexico and Central America. The flesh is crunchy, mild, and even faintly sweet, and is often served with a little lime juice and chile powder to accompany Mexican dishes. I first encountered jicama years ago in cafeteria salad bars, which is a shame, because on its own (how they typically serve it in those places), jicama is pretty boring. With some seasoning and lime juice, however, it comes alive, and is wonderfully refreshing, especially along side tacos and refried beans. This recipe comes from my friend Arturo who suggested to me the ingredients. (Thanks Arturo!) |
Roasted Asparagus 0 komentar
Have you ever had roasted asparagus turn out tough and stringy? Here's a tip from my friend Alanna: use the fat spears, not the skinny ones, for roasting. This is a quick and easy recipe for beautifully roasted, tender asparagus. |
Lemon Chicken 0 komentar
Overheard at the market, "I'm a breast girl." "Really? I'm definitely a thigh girl," pause..."dark meat, so much more flavor." Had to laugh, I'm so so so much a thigh girl myself. Here is the secret to fabulous lemon chicken - use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or legs, but thighs are easier to eat). Lemon is acidic and greatly benefits from the balance of the stronger flavor of the dark meat in thighs and legs, and the fat from the chicken skin. You don't have to eat the skin (my father doesn't, he gives them to me, score!), but cook with them on for the flavor. What we most love about this recipe is that it is a classic American lemon chicken recipe without being too lemony. In other words, it doesn't make your lips pucker, it has just the right amount of lemon flavor to it. |
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