Thursday, July 29, 2010

Garlic


Is the secret ingredient for this week. We are starting easy here, but garlic is an often used but overlooked ingredient. It is an essential minor part of lots of cuisines, but is also a wonderful ingredient on its own. I don't often use it as a main ingredient, but I have two recipes that really bring out the unique features of this herb. One I have already shared, the other will be linked to this post.

Garlic has many amazingly beneficial properties, amongst these are manganese, Vitamin C, Selenium, Vitamin B6 and on top of all that garlic also acts as a natural Anti-Inflammatory and an antibacterial and antiviral agent. Makes smelling a little garlicky a lot more attractive right??

So, here is what I would like you to do. In a separate post, write out a recipe featuring or just containing garlic. Link up this original post for easy tracking and label it Recipe Roulette. I will post the secret ingredient on thursdays.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Guacamole. Patty's Way.


5 ripe avocados
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 serano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste
A squeeze of lime to taste


Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the fresh ingredients. So just adjust to your taste!

Mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime, tomato, garlic, salt and pepper and mash some more. Depending on how spicy you want your guacamole to be, add half of a pepper at a time. We usually use two, but we like some spice in ours.

Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. That makes for a not so pretty guacamole dip. Refrigerate until ready.

Enjoy!

I usually put our guacamole in a Molcajete (Adobo Grill). It's the way my Mother always served it, and I like the look that it gives. Mine is currently in storage (it won't be out until February...booo)

I can't wait to move to a new place so I can serve my guacamole in it! Doesn't it give it an authentic look?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Green Beans with Pepper & Onion

I'm often looking for a new way to spice up vegetables, although we like them all just steamed too. I made these green beans last night, they were delicious!

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Ingredients:
1 lb fresh Green Beans
1 Tablespoon Butter And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Chopped Onion
1/2 - 3/4 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 - 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt (or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Regular Table Salt)
Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Directions:
1. Snap or cut the stem ends of the green beans.
2. Add oil and melt butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green.
3. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly so3, yet still a bit crisp. (You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but letting it all cook away will help the onions and peppers caramelize.)

YUM!

Cooking...
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We had steak and roasted baby potatoes too. (Also salad, not pictured.)
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(I can't take credit, this recipe is from the amazing PW.)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Avocado & Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite summer lunches. I don't have an exact recipe.

Avocado & Chicken Salad

1 Avocado
1 can of Chicken Breast
Mayo
chopped Celery
Curry Powder
Pepper

Chicken Salad:
Put 1 can of Chicken Breast in a bowl. Mix in a (2-3) of spoons full of Mayo. Mix in Curry Powder to taste. Add chopped Celery to mixture.

Place cut up Avocado on a plate. Top with Chicken Salad mixture. Add pepper to taste.


Friday, July 16, 2010

Pico de Gallo.


Pico de Gallo

1 white onion, finely chopped
4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 serano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Tons of lime juice
Salt to taste

This is the amount I use for dinner. It's pretty easy to make huge batches for pot lucks too. Pico de gallo is very popular in Mexican culture because it goes with so many dishes and because it is so quick and easy to put together. I love to put it on top of quesadillas, carne asada tacos, and just munch on it with tortilla chips. When Anthony gets home from work, he'll ask me to whip up a batch so he can have it pre dinner. It's his favorite appetizer. :)

Enjoy!
Patty

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Recipe Roulette


I want to play a little game. Every week I will post an ingredient and I want all of the lovely ladies contributing a post with a recipe that they know or have created using this secret ingredient. Do you want to play?


Monday, July 5, 2010

Summer Salad

As I was looking in my almost empty fridge today I decided to make a salad. I don't often make salads - Honestly I think they are overrated. But maybe I should make an effort to try. This is what I made today and it was Great! Now, would you please share your favorite salad with me?


1 romaine - washed and roughly chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes halved
Handful sweet peas
Handful frozen corn
1/2 green pepper diced
1 roasted red pepper thinly sliced
Carrot thinly sliced, I do this with my potato peeler
Handful of chopped cilantro
tbsp chopped basil
Handful chopped cashews

Small amount of Katie's recommended
Balsamic and it just turned out amazing.. I even had seconds ;)

Velbekomme!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Massive zucchini.
Throw it together with a little cocoa powder and flour...
a fabulously moist, not-too-sweet chocolate confection.
Oh, yes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan or bundt pan.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!
Mrs. B.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Banana Bread

This recipe is fast, easy and very basic.
  • 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Optional: Walnuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • With a wooden spoon, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add walnuts if you wish. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
  • Bake for 1 hour.
  • As soon as I pull it out of the oven, I add brown sugar to the top just to give it a little extra sweetness.
  • Cool on a rack until you are able to remove from pan for easy slicing.
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~ Kassandra