Winter in Buenos Aires

My husband and I traveled to several countries in South America in the summer of 07 and one of the places we had the pleasure of visiting was Buenos Aires. We stayed in Palermo Viejo and ate like royalty. Our meals included amazing pasta, pizza and of course wonderful asados. I felt like recreating a diner we had at a parillada there. Though this steak brings back memories, it is NOTHING like the diner we had in Palermo at a Parillada down the street from our BNB (Estilo Criollo). This is a pic of my steak with chimichuri salad and scalloped potatoes with smoked gouda. The steak (sirloin) was pan fried then finished in the toaster oven (see the steaking my claim post for the recipe) and the salad was very easy and a perfect accompaniment to the juicy steak and the rich potatoes. I used smoked gouda to invoke the smokiness of the wood grilled meat. The final result was delicious and the recipe took me back to a wonderful evening and an amazing meal I had with my boy.

Chimichuri salad

1/2 English cucumber sliced then halved

1 ripe red tomato

1/4 c parsley chopped

1/2 sweet onion chopped

olive oil (extra virgin)

red wine vinegar

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. I didn't give exact measurements for the oil and vinegar because the quantities really are a matter of taste. I like my dressing really sharp and salty so I add a lot of vinegar and salt to most every dressing I make. Taste your dressing as you go it and make it how you like it.

Below is a pic of the asado we had including lamb, suckling pig, chorizo (Argentine, not Mexican), morsilla (blood sausage...delicious!), molleja (sweetbreds), rinones (kidney) and chinchulin (intestine...see saltshaker for a description, website below.) To accompany the meal we had papas a la casulette (scalloped potatoes), chimichuri and eggplant tepenade (I hate eggplant but have heard this preparation is good.)

In case you couldn't tell, I love red meat. I love organ meat. I love chimichuri and I love parilla! If this isn't a beautiful sight, I don't know what is....the best meat in the world comes from Uruguay and Argentina (and the south of Brazil.) It is true that I may be a bit biased having grown up in the region, but don't take my word for it; go there, eat there and come back with your feedback, Id love to hear it. In this pic you can see the parillero cutting up sections of perfectly grilled meet. I'd like to think he's cutting pamplona (a beautiful rolled and stuffed meat) or molleja (sweetbreads.) Notice the cooking method...only wood fire here with sizzling embers to capture that smokey flavor throughout the meat. The final result is a lot like bbq but in my opinion, better!

In this, the second photo you can see the cooking method better. On can see what looks like a suckling pig (my favorite thing in the whole world) or perhaps a young lamb roasting over the flames along side delicious hunks of asado de tira (shortribs cut thin), the cut of choice in Uruguay. On the right hand side is a rotisserie with chicken breasts and pieces, pamplona and any other meats needing to be slowly basted in their own juices until the moment they are perfectly tender, juicy and succulent MMMMMMMMMM! For more info on food from Argentina and Uruguay check out http://www.saltshaker.net/20060218/chotos-pamplonas-chaja
This is a pic of the meal we ordered before it was consumed and savored. Ps. J had no idea what I had ordered for him to eat and was so happy to try all the wonderful "sausages", etc :-) the first thing he tried was the kidney....said it tasted like a urinal cake and wondered why you squeeze yellow lemon juice over it...guess kidneys aren't for everyone!

Final photo of the steak with chimichurri salad. Hope you try it and love it!

besos!

Julia

pps. as per wonderful father's request, I am adding this comment "I WANT TO THANK MY DAD THE ADVENTUROUS MISSY THAT HE WAS/IS, FOR INTRUDUCING ME TO THESE CUISIONARY DELIGHTS. " DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MISSIONARIES THAT HAVE LIVED FOR 40+ YEARS IN THESE COUNTRIES, ETC, THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN TRIED THESE FOODS??? ? I TOO, COULD HAVE GROWN UP DEPRIVED ETC, IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM, ETC ETC" Love you dad!

To add bacon or not to add bacon, that is the question

And as you can see, the answer to this eternal and existential question is always YES! Bacon makes everything better and I prove this point with my bacon mac and cheese. This creamy artery clogging concoction was perfect! Got the recipe from the food network website (Tyler Florence's ultimate mac and cheese) but modified it to make it mine. My recipe included De Cecco casareccia pasta, Mexican cheese blend, bacon and garlic. Here's the full monty just for you :)

Julia's Bacon Mac and Cheese

1/2 lb pasta of choice, cooked slightly under al dente drained

2 c milk

2 tbl flour

1/2 stick butter

1 pkg shredded Mexican cheese blend (not taco cheese!)

1 clove garlic

3 rashers bacon cooked and crisped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 then cook pasta. In a separate pot (medium to large) make a roux from the flour and butter. Allow mixture to cook for about 1 min. Heat milk in the micro w. the clove of garlic, discard garlic then add milk slowly into the roux stirring constantly. Season to taste then add in 3/4 of the cheese to make the sauce. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, mix to combine then place in a casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Let casserole cook for about 15-25 min until cheese is melted and everything is hot and delish. Take out of oven, top with crisped bacon and let cool for 5-10 min then enjoy!

With the mac and cheese, I served oven roasted tomatoes, basil pesto tilapia and a delish salad with the same baby yellow tomatoes and organic romaine lettuce...truly and indulgent diner!

Perfect braised shortribs....

A very good friend gave me the perfect gift for my birthday, a gift card for William Sonoma. From the moment I opened the card, I knew what I wanted, my own Le Creuset dutch oven...the hard part was settling on a color. I really wanted steel but they didn't have the size I wanted in stock so I ended up with a beautiful red oven and decided to make my first dinner in in it that night. I went to my grocery store and found great looking short ribs. I had my butcher cut the ribs I'd picked out from the case in half to make them smaller and easier to eat then brought them home and made Tyler Florence's Bistro style short ribs recipe from Foodnetwork.com. I served these with golden mashed potatoes. This recipe is definitely a keeper and will remain a favorite in our house.

Ingredients

Short ribs:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds short ribs, in 1 long piece or at least in pairs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large tomato, quartered
3 ribs celery
1/2 head garlic, peeled
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium, organic beef stock
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Preheat a cast iron grill or outdoor grill.
Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and brown on all sides.
Place the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and tomato into a food processor and blend until you reach a consistent, smooth pulp.
Take a large Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil and add the thyme to infuse the oil. Next add the vegetable pulp, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and stock and bring it to a boil. Using tongs take the ribs and nestle them into the braising mix; the liquid should just about cover the meat. Place the lid loosely on top, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
When the ribs are about finished, remove about 1 to 2 cups of liquid and strain into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
braised shrot ribs with orzo risotto







The next day I put the leftovers over polenta (me) and orzo "risotto" (J) then baked them in the oven with a little parm. They were amazing! If you have a dutch oven and a couple hours to kill I definitely recommend this recipe!


Ps. I LOVE my Le Creuset!

short ribs with polenta

The perfect root beer float

Root beer is one of my favorite things. I love the complexity of flavors, the fizzyness and how it goes well with cheesesteaks, Thai food and of course, ice cream. We have a local restaurant (Doumar's) that makes the best root beer shakes...I literally have dreams about these shakes and now I have the tools to make the
best root beer float at home. It all starts with the best root beer. In my opinion, Weeping Radish Brewery makes the best root beer I have ever tasted. They actually brew the beer and the flavor is so clean and crisp it could almost make you weep. though this libation is wonderful on its own, a little vanilla ice cream makes it sing. Here are the pics to prove it. If you are ever in the Outer Banks of NC or in the Hampton Roads area, try and find this delicacy and you will understand what I mean. If your not in the area, hopefully these pics will make you salivate and remember hot summer days, being a kid and having one of the easiest and tastiest deserts on earth, the root beer float.

A hurricane breakfast

Hanna came and went, and I am glad to say that we were lucky. Our house had no wind damage and I was able to take my first nap in years, due to the wind! Because we were sequestered indoors due to the weather, I decided to make us a hearty breakfast with items on hand (sourdough bread, eggs and milk from the farmer's market, maple syrup and smoked cheddar from Vermont and local nitrate free bacon). Breakfast was delish and I really was happy with the sourdough french toast. Sorry there are shells in the pic (took this on the dining room glass-top table.) Since I am sure most of you know how to make scrambled eggs and bacon, I am only including the french toast recipe. Hope you like it!

XO J

Sourdough french toast

1 egg

1/2 c milk or half n half

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5-6 slices sourdough bread (preferably 1-2 days old)

mix all ingredients together reserving 1 tsp of sugar, until well blended then let bread soak in wet mixture for about 10-15 min. (I use this time to begin and complete prep on the other meal components). When bread is moist, top with remaining sugar then place slices on a hot buttered griddle and allow to cook for about 2-3 min per side. Butter the bread then serve with sliced bananas and warm Vermont maple syrup.

Tales of a bad, bad blogger

I have been a bad, bad blogger...my job started again this week and because of this and other odd occurrences in my life, I have not had time to write....I apologize and promise to do better! I am posting pics of a diner I made last week for my wonderful husband, J. He and I went to our local 5 points farmer's market and picked up some really great purple and gold oyster mushrooms from a local grower, some wonderful nitrate-free bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. I am sad to say that the market is still quite small and I really wish they would add some local seafood but all in all, they had a decent variety of fresh ingredients. Here are a few of the dishes I made.... an oyster mushroom chicken marsala over rustic root veggies (yellow potatoes, scallions and carrots with Yoder milk and garlic butter). The addition of Yoder Dairy garlic butter really made the dish....here are the pics, enjoy!

I also found some really fresh hothouse cukes and organic carrots and made them into a salad w. sesame vinaigrette with our standby quick dinner favorite, sashimi tuna w. sesame coating. To jazz the dish up, I also added sesame shrimp with a sour apricot sauce. Loved the sauce and the fish was wonderful...if anyone has ideas on how to jazz up the rice, I am all ears...I have tried fried rice but am in a bit of a creative slump when it comes to asian rice dishes. The apricot sauce for the shrimp was a mixture of rice wine vinegar, dijon mustard and apricot preserves....delish!

An attempt and non-baked baking :)
I am not a baker. I burn toast, I overcook pie crust, I have actually had things blow up in the oven, therefor I choose to make non-baked deserts...here is my attempt at a cheesecake (that turned out really good, surprisingly!) For desert, I made an almost sugar-free strawberry cheesecake. This recipe was super fatty, super easy and super good! I did cheat by using a pre-made graham cracker crust (the almost part).

Almost sugar-free strawberry cheesecake

1 block cream cheese softened

1 small container sour cream

1/4c organic milk (the other stuff freaks me out a bit but can use whatever you like)

1/4 tsp vanilla (or any flavor you like)

1/3 c splenda (or to taste)

8-10 strawberries sliced

1/2 c fruit spread melted in the micro (no sugar any flavor you like)

1 graham crust

mix together cream cheese and sour cream with milk to soften the mixture. Add milk a little at a time to incorporate. Add splenda and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Pour mixture into the crust and top with sliced strawberries. Paint fruit spread (jam, etc) over the top of the berries and the pie to completely seal and coat. Chill for at least an hour then serve cold....MMMMMMM!

Gino's or Pats, That is the question....

Ah Philly, city of great history, beautiful buildings, home of the liberty bell, the Italian market and who are we kidding? CHEESESTEAKS!!!! I don't think there is a more perfect food and to prove my point, I will be adding some pics from the taste test J and I did this week (just got bk from vacation.) On Sunday (11th?) pm J and I had reservations at Little Fish, but due to a miscalculation on the Philadelphia turnpike (sad and long story) we didn't make our reservations....what was a girl to do, starve? Not this girl....We headed straight for the meccas for cheesesteaks Pat's and Gino's. These two establishments have been feuding for years for rights to the best cheesesteak in Philly, and both have die-hard fans so we decided to try them both and to make sure our test was fair, we ordered the "wiz-wit" and a root beer (seemed to also be the locals drink of choice) to accompany at both locations . Both steaks were great, though Pat's bread (in my opinion) and amount of "wiz" were better, the meat at Gino's was far superior and made for a better dinning experience. Jason liked the bread at Gino's because it was crustier and I liked the soft bread better but think this is really a matter of personal taste. Both had delish, well caramelized onions. Final results...order a cheesesteak at Gino's with extra wiz.


ps. Was told that the cheese fries are good and a quick locals tip: the heart-attack also sounded great (cheesesteak w/ all the cheeses!)...think I'll order that next time, but with a diet coke ;-)

cheesesteak at Gino's (J liked this bread texture more)

cheesesteak at Pat's (see the wiz? it's a beautiful sight!)

leaving you "clam-ering" for more

Linguini with clam sauce

I have been, for quite a while now, afraid of preparing clams in their shells at home. They seem so finicky and a bit frightening, to tell you the truth. From what Ive heard, they only have about a 2 second window from being perfectly done to a chewy, bubble gum like mess. So I was quite pleased when these clams came out a-ok! I did my research by looking at other food blogs, referencing cookbooks (Gourmet and The Pasta Book) but finally came up with my own recipe that I found to be not only good but really good!
Here it is~

Linguine with clams a la Julia :)
12 clams (little necks)
1/2 very ripe and fresh tomato
1/2 med sweet onion diced thinly
zest of 1 lemon and 1/4 c chopped parsley
1 c saffron broth (from the paella, see post for broth recipe though chicken stock or clam juice could work in a snap)
1/4 c heavy cream
2 slices or rashers bacon (I used center cut lean but panchetta would prob work even better)
1 large clove garlic sliced thin
1/2 yellow pepper diced
1/2 box of good linguine cooked al dente
1/3 c white wine (used orvieto)

Cook pasta with plenty of water and salt. In a large pot, add bacon, onion and peppers until translucent and beginning to brown then add garlic. Let cook for about 1 min but don't let it burn! Add the white wine, clams, saffron broth and tomatoes. Cover pot and let cook for about 5 min until the clams open. Take the clams out of the liquid and keep warm on a plate w/ foil or a kitchen towel over them. Reduce liquid in the pan by 1/2 then add in cream. allow this to reduce until thick. When linguine is al dente, put the clams bk in the liquid and add the linguine to the sauce pot. Add about 1/2 c of linguine cooking liquid and continue to cook the pasta in the sauce. Once the sauce had adhered to the pasta and is rich but not too wet, taste for seasoning and add in the zest and parsley. Serve in hot bowls immediately with bread and salad.
xo J
linguini with clam cream sauce





+ This recipe may sound complicated but was supper quick and easy to make. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand and make it yours! Hope you love it also:)

The remains of the dip

crab dip

This sad pic demonstrates the remainder of the crab dip I made for a party at my husband's grandmother's house. She had guest in from Wa state and put me in charge of the app. All the food at the party was AMAZING (she made fried chicken, butter beans, fresh sliced tomatoes from her garden, rolls, coleslaw w/ apples and walnuts and corn on the cob. For desert, blondies, brownies, pound cake w/ peaches and watermelon) and showed true Virginia hospitality. Keeping with the Va and esp Chesapeake bay theme, I decided to make blue crab dip. I asked folks on chowhound to submit their fav. recipes and said that I would post the winner here so here is the recipe that I liked the most....I made it, but wasn't really happy with the end result so after this recipe I am posting the recipe I made for the party.

Crab dip recipe from chowhound.com

8oz cream cheese, softened approx. 8 oz. lump crab meat (varies depending on the type of meat available- lump, claw, "special"- I use more if the pieces are small)

1 small or 1/2 medium onion minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp old bay seasoning

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp lemon juices

s &p to taste

This recipe was good but not what I had in mind, I wanted something less tangy and smoother. The recipe I served came for a local cook book called Culinary Artists (hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, but think the book is out of print so shouldn't matter) and is from Toques creative catering in Va. Beach

Warm Artichoke-crab cheese dip

*1 lb softened cream cheese

1 c mayo (Hellman's)

1/2 c grated parm

1/2 c grated Gruyere or Swiss (I used and Italian cheese blend because I had it on hand)

1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbl lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

dash Tabasco

1 (13 0z) can artichoke hearts (I used 1/2 pkg frozen and chopped hearts instead)

1 bunch green onions (I used grated onion juice instead)

1 lb lump crab meat (I used backfin)

crackers or bagel chips

*preheat oven to 350

in a mixing bowl whip cream cheese until smooth. add mayo and blend. Add cheese, Worcestershire, lemon, garlic and Tabasco. blend all ingredients until incorporated. Fold in artichokes, crab meat and green onion. Place all ingredients into an ovenproof casserole dish. Bake in oven until bubbly and golden brown. (i topped w/ a little extra parm, some parsley and a little old bay seasoning)

This was hands down the best crab dip I have ever had...people that tried it that didn't like crab loved it and asked for the recipe! Very fatty but def worth the calories!

Not food, just art

custom iron headboard

I am a lucky girl! My husband does ornamental iron work and for my birthday (8/18 so this was an early bday present), he decided to make me a headboard (I have always wanted and iron bed like the one's you see in the anthropologie catalogs and I this year I got my wish!) He really is an artist and I am so happy and proud to have a new family heirloom to pass down through the generations. Baby, I love you and thank you so much for my beautiful gift. Ok...sorry folks this post isn't about food but def is about art. Enjoy!

ps. He might make you one too, for a fee :)

Polynesian BBQ in Va?

polynesian bbq

I have never had Hawaiian bbq so I thought Id try it for lunch today. The restaurant is new in our area and is located on Va. Beach blvd near Military hwy. I chose a sampler plate ($7.50) for lunch that included grilled chicken, beef and spareribs. The chicken was well marinated and slightly sweet though meat was a bit fatty as it was a thigh complete with skin. The beef was sliced very thin (both spareribs and a piece of thin steak?) and was very fatty. It also had a sweet marinade similar in taste to the chicken. All items were served on a bed of cabbage with a scoop of rice and of mac salad. The mac salad was full of mayo and didn't have much flavor. The rice was simply steamed but had some crunchy bits? in it. My fav. item on the plate was actually the uncooked cabbage! It began to wilt under the heat of the meat and once the fat and juices dripped onto it, it was actually quite good (sad, I know.) I chose a Hawaiian punch for my drink (seemed appropriate) and this was good but was from the drink fountain so this was to be expected. All in all the food was decent, but not great. The portions were huge and the price was good, but because this meal didn't "wow" me nor was it remotely healthy, I don't plan on going back. If you like this sort of thing, check it out! On a side note, all the employees were attentive and nice :).

"steak-ing" my claim :)

perfect steak

Ah, steak...is there a more perfect food, or a food that has been more ruined by the masses? cooking a perfect steak is not only a talent, but in my opinion, an art that takes years to master! I have tried to make the perfect pan-fried steak for years only to end up with overcooked, dry meat or meat that is too rare, even for me, with a burnt outer crust!



On this night, things were different. I did it...made the perfect rare (for me) and medium (for Jason) steaks.... the secret was to cook the steaks in a little canola in a screaming hot pan for 2 min on each side then to finish them in of all places, the toaster oven for 2 min (me) and 5 min (Jason). I also let the steaks rest for about 10 min before serving them. To accompany I made a horseradish cream, a basmati and onion pilaf and my favorite salad (recipe to follow).

This recipe doesn't have a name that I am aware of, so I am naming it myself....

JJ salad :)

1 tomato (best you can get)

1 avocado (must be ripe)

1 small to med sweet onion sliced thin

1/2 sliced cucumber (I like English or 1 whole seeded and peeled regular cuke)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbl red wine vinegar

2 tbl evoo

1 tbl mayo (helmans is my fav)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

plenty of salt and fresh pepper

**put all veggies in a large salad bowl. In a small bowl mix all other ingredients to make a dressing. Pour over veggies and stir together (make sure to get the avocados coated so they don't turn brown). Refrigerate for up to 3 hrs (the salt will begin to leach the water out of the veggies so you don't want to let this salad hang out for too long). This salad is great with any grilled meats and I love it with seafood also.

Ps. The sandwich I made the next day with the leftovers was also amazing! Thanks Gmom J for the organic tomatoes from you garden...they were great!




steak sandwich

Some sockeye...for your viewing pleasure :)

poached sockeye salmon with sauce

My local grocery store had some incredibly fresh sockeye salmon on sale for $9.99/lb and I couldn't resist buying some to make for dinner. I love salmon and this salmon was so perfect I decided to keep the preparation fairly simple. I poached it in a stock/wine mixture with a few aromatics (lemon, parsley, tarragon, dill and 2 bay leaves). I made a reduced cream and wine sauce with herbs for the finishing sauce. The fish was super moist, tender and flavorful. I also made sauteed haricots vert with onions and a little butter and we had baked yellow potatoes (I perfer these to russets because of their soft and almost creamy texture...they aren't as dry and flaky). The meal was easy, delicious and best of all, it didn't leave my house with a fishy smell. A winner all around! Here are the pics...

An odd moment and paella

paella with sausage and chicken

Something very odd and perhaps a bit surreal happened tonight...I decided to make paella. That in itself isn't so odd, but what was odd was that on the foodnetwork, Bobby had a paella throwdown...I, having no prior knowledge of this, made my first paella. This, to me was a pretty cool and very odd. Whatever, weird moment but here's my masterpiece. Though good, I am sure not nearly as good as Bobby's. In this paella I included chicken, shrimp and some delicious garlic/pepper sausage I found at my local grocery store.

The recipe turned out pretty good for a first attempt, especially considering thatI watched the darned pot the entire time it was cooking (from start to finish about 1hr) because I was afraid of overcooking or under cooking the rice! I used jasmine instead of arborio because that's what I had on hand. I wish I had also included mussels, clams, the arborio and that I had a real paella pot on hand, but this turned out pretty good considering it was cooked in a dutch oven. I would make this again, but would use arborio next time.

Saffron broth:

chicken stock (1 small box)

1 stalk celery sliced

1/4 tsp saffron

1/2 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 lemon

shells from a 1/2 lb shrimp

2 chicken breast carcases

1/2 onion (sweet and small)

2 c water

2 cloves garlic crushed.

Let all ingredients simmer for about 1 hour over med to low heat. If stock gets to dry add more water. Season to taste. Reserve any stock in the freezer (freezes beautifully) for another dish.

Ps. I also found some really nice plates and bowls at the thrift store today (thrift store shopping is my other hobby and passion:) and thought they displayed the meal beautifully.

besos

Julia

FYI...Here are some pics of an authentic paella Jason, my family and I had in Paraguay at a Spanish friend of my father's house, Don Pedro's.He served his Paella with mayo in lieu of aioli...another component I didn't add to my paella.

Sausishas Brasileiras and refrigerator pickles

refrigerator pickles

On this bun is a simple but delicious treat my mother used to make...for some background on my mother, she is a health nut! She does not, by rule, prepare processed pork products nor does she endorse the use of white bread or hot dog buns, but she did occasionally slip and would make us this treat. Sausicha in Portuguese simply means sausage and these are Vienna sausages from a can. She would saute garlic, onions and green peppers and add this to tomato sauce (homemade since we are using canned sausages). I suppose this is kind of like Italian sausages with peppers and onions but the texture is completely different since these sausages are wonderfully soft and smooth. This dish may not be for everyone, but it is one of my comfort food staples and about once a year, I indulge in this canned, delicious treat. Try them and you too may also decide to add them to your super easy comfort food recipe box.

ps. I had these with homemade refrigerator pickles...

*************************************************************************************

Refrigerator pickles

6 cups sliced cucumbers (I had a ton from a friends garden so I used these)

1 sweet onion sliced in thin circles

1 bell pepper (I used green, but red would work as well)

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups sugar (this makes them pretty sweet...next time I make them I'm only going to add 1 1/2 cups)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbl pickling spice

Heat vinegar and sugar in a pot. Cook until sugar dissolves. Take off heat and add spices. Put all veggies in a jar (I used a large old pickle jar), layering them (cucumber, onion, cucumber, peppers, cucumber). Allow vinegar mixture to cool for about 10 min then pour over veggies. Put in fridge and let sit 24 hrs then you can enjoy...I have been told that these keep indefinitely, but in my house pickles go quick so I doubt I will have this batch for more than a month. These are delish and I especially recommend them if you have a garden and need something to do with all your left over cucumbers. Dad, This may also be a great recipe for you since you can't get sweet pickles in Paraguay.

Arroz con Pollo...a tastebud trip to Puerto Rico

arroz con pollo

Tonight we took a culinary journey to Puerto Rico :)

I made arroz con pollo and it was delicious! I was tired of pasta and decided that I wanted to spice things up with some latin flavors...this really hit the spot.

Arroz con Pollo

2-3 chicken breasts cubed

1/2 an onion and yellow pepper chopped

2 cloves garlic finely diced

1 tsp white pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

5 threads saffron

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (peperonchino) or more if you like it spicy

1 1/2 cups rice (I used jasmine)

3 cups stock

1 c frozen peas

salt to taste (stock already has some but I like to add more)

1 lemon sliced (to finish at the end if desired

**saute chicken and veggies in a pan w/ some olive oil. Add in veggies with the exception of the peas then add in all spices except saffron and cook in the oil with the chicken and veggies to develop their flavor. Once veggies are soft and the chicken is opaque, add in the rice and let toast for about 2 minutes. Add in the broth and the saffron and let boil uncovered on med high heat for about 10 min or until the water is almost absorbed and the rice is just al dente (may take longer depending on your rice.) Once the rice reaches this point, add in the peas and cover and take off the heat. Let it rest for about 10 min. Open and serve with a lemon spritz over the top. Would also be wonderful with some chopped cilantro or parsley over the top.

This was an original recipe I came up with after looking over several recipes online and seeing what I had available in my kitchen. Please feel free to modify it to your specific tastes, etc. This would prob also be great with beef instead or with bacon added for extra flavor! Hope you like and try it :)
J

Another trip to Italy, via Oceanview :)

chicken artichoke pasta Marsala sauce

Wednesday night dinner was chicken in a marsala sauce with tarragon and artichokes. I recently discovered frozen artichokes and they are my new favorite frozen ingredient! Frozen artichokes have a much cleaner and fresher flavor then their canned or jarred cousins and though fresh artichokes are probably ideal, I personally find them to be too much of a pain to boil and prep! Also, at $2+ apiece, they are not affordable for my budget. Frozen artichoke hearts are only about $3.5 a box at my grocery store and have the equivalent of about 5 artichokes so I consider them to be a great purchase for the money.

The sauce was super easy to prepare...just seasoned the chicken breasts with granulated garlic, salt and pepper then sauteed them in a pan with some olive oil. I took the chicken out when it was almost done and added about 3/4 c of chicken stock and 1/2 c marsala to the pan. I let these reduce for about 5 minutes then added the artichokes and some fresh tarragon (parsley would have also worked great) and covered the pan so that the artichokes would heat through. To finish the sauce I added in the chicken to help it finish cooking then took the chicken and the artichokes out of the sauce, added a little butter and put the cooked linguine into the sauce (add some pasta water if the sauce gets too dry). I topped each plate with chicken, artichokes and a little fresh tarragon then finished the plates with grated parm.

ENJOY!

Pasta, salmon and salad....yum!

salmon salad pasta bechamel prosciutto

Tuesday night dinner was prob enough for 2 meals but since I wanted to make pasta and had some salmon I needed to use, I decided to make it one meal in 2 parts. Part 1: wild salmon marinated with tarragon and dijon over a tomato, feta and cucumber salad (tomatoes and cucumbers courtesy of T and D). The dressing was a simple evoo and red wine vinegar dressing with a little salt; simple but delicious

Part 2: Pesto ravioli with a prosciutto bechamel and a homemade tomato sauce. The ravioli I bought at FarmFresh and was really good. I especially loved the big chunks of pine nuts studded throughout the pasta. To the bechamel I added a little prosciutto I had sauteed in a little butter then deglazed the saute pan with chicken stock. I let this reduce then added the prosciutto and fond liquid to the bechamel...the fond liquid added a great flavor to the sauce and reminded me of a Caruso sauce without the mushrooms. This sauce is a classic in Uruguay (and perhaps Argentina) and was really delish. The tomato sauce was a classic tomato, garlic and basil sauce (recipe courtesy of my Italian friend LL). Finished the pasta with some fresh grated parmesiano regiano (the undisputed king of cheeses :) and since the meal was already so substantial, we didn't have bread to accompany. Hope you like the pics and that they inspire you to cook Italian tonight

J

Fresh veggies and fish on a hot summer day

T and D, two friends of ours have an amazing garden (that just happens to be in the middle of the city) and during the summer months they are gracious enough to give me fresh veggies! This week, D gave me butter beans, fresh tomatoes and red potatoes from his garden. J and I shelled the butter beans (here's a photo of him helping me) then I cooked them in a little water, half and half and salt and pepper (they needed around 30 minutes to cook down). Once they were cooked through, I strained them and put them back in the pot with more half and half and a little butter and pepper. They were delish and J said they were very similar to his grandmother's recipe (mind you, he didn't say better :). I also boiled then pan sauteed the potatoes with a little butter, evoo, lemon zest and fresh tarragon. The salmon preparation was from Giada from foodnewtork and I didn't really like it :( I am including the recipe in the link section so you can try it out for yourself. I think I cooked the salmon for too long and that's why it didn't turn out correctly, but decided to include the pics anyway because everyone messes up a meal now and then. As always, if you want a recipe, just ask. I also love comments so please leave one if you feel inclined.
xoxo
J
shelling butter beans

J shelling the butter beans and the finished product....forgot to mention that I also made Grandmom J's celery, tomato and cottage cheese salad with the fresh tomatoes from T and D's garden. Thanks SO much for the veggies!!!

The finished plate...salmon wad dry but all other items were delish!

Cogan's Pizza

cogan's pizza norfolk

I went out for dinner with 2 girlfriends last Thursday night. We decided to go to Cogan's in Norfolk because they have good pizza, great happy hour specials and an outdoor patio. The wait was a bit long for the patio (it was a beautiful evening so we were kind of expecting that) but the drink specials and the promise of good pizza were enough to keep us occupied until a table opened. Once we were seated, we ordered a tomato, mushroom, artichoke, prosciutto and gouda pie (I bit of a clash of flavors, I know, but the pizza was really good!) The cheese was gooey, the crust crispy and the toppings all tasted really fresh. Cogan's has never let me down so I give it a hearty 2 thumbs up.

(Ps. their veggie sub and the portobello mushroom sandwich w/ artichokes and fresh mozzarella are also killer!)