Cooking Colombia

Potato Salad

2012-01-20T18:48:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2 lbs red potatoes , cooked, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes when cool, about 6 cups total
3 large carrots , peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and steamed until crisp-tender, cooled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro , depending on taste
3 large tomatoes , cut into 1-inch chunks

Dressing

1/3 cup wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of oil
1 teaspoon of seasoning salt (may add more to taste)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

Preparation :

Combine potato cubes, carrot pieces, chopped onions and cilantro in large bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad ingredients.

Gently combine tomato chunks with the rest of the salad.

Chill and allow flavors to blend.

Milk rice dessert

2012-01-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

100g/4oz white rice
1 cinnamon stick
240ml/8fl.oz. of water
600ml/20fl.oz. of milk
225g/8oz of sugar
Salt to taste
Ground cinnamon to serve

Preparation :

Place the rice, the water and the cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer for about ten minutes.

Add the milk slowly, add the sugar and salt toi taste, then continue to cook gently for about 20 or 25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the milk and dries slow.

Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving, sprinkled with ground cinnamon.

Chicken with creamy coconut sauce

2012-01-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

3/4 cup finely chopped white onion

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

1 tablespoon flour

Preparation :

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, to make thinner pieces.

Toss the chicken breasts with the oil and vinegar.

Place them in a bowl and sprinkle them with the onion salt, cumin, and ground black pepper.

Let them marinate for about an hour if possible, or overnight.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.

Working in batches, sauté the chicken breasts for several minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic to the skillet.

Stir and sauté vegetables until soft and fragrant.

Whisk flour into coconut milk, then add coconut milk to the skillet.

Add the chicken breasts.

Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender (do not overcook).

Serve warm over rice.

Spicy Salmon with Caramelized Onions

2012-01-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced onion

Preparation :

Combine the black pepper, the paprika, cayenne pepper, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to make a paste.

Spread the paste all over the salmon fillets, and set aside to marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.

Stir in the onion, and cook until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Heat a separate non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook the salmon fillets in the hot skillet until golden brown on each side, and no longer translucent in the center, about 4 minutes per side.

Pour the browned onions and olive oil over the salmon fillets to serve.

Cedar Planked Salmon

2011-12-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed

Preparation :

Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water.

Soak longer if you have time.

In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic.

Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat.

Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.

Place the planks on the grate.

The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.

Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade.

Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes.

Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork.

It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.

Coconut Crustacean Chowder Seafood Soup

2011-12-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup grated red bell pepper (grated on the large holes)
2 pounds raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 pound raw squid rings, cleaned
1 pound piangua or clams, cleaned
1 pound raw conch pieces or oysters
1 fish bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon color or Saz n Goya with Saffron
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 cups coconut milk
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Preparation :

In a large, heavy pot or caldero over medium-low heat, place the oil, onion, red pepper, seafood, bouillon cubes, garlic, color or saffron, salt, and pepper.

Cook for 12 minutes.

Mix the coconut milk, milk and flour together to a smooth consistency.

Add them to the pot; simmer over low heat for 15 minutes more.

Add the wine and simmer for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley and serve.

Ají from Colombia

2011-12-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
1/4 cup of green onion , finely minced (white and light green part only)
1/8 cup of fresh cilantro , minced
1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and finely minced (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon of tomato , finely minced

Preparation :

Combine all the ingredients in a small glass bowl, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour so all the flavors develop real well before serving.

Ideal to add in empanadas, soups, and meats.

This is a special colombian salsa and goes great with many kinds of food.

Big mushrooms with butter, lemon and cream

2011-11-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

4 pounds of big mushrooms
Lemon juice
Best and rich butter you have on hand
Milk cream
Onions

Preparation :

Cut every big bushrooms you have in 4 pieces

After you finished with the cutting put the mushrooms on a big strianer.

Bath them all with the juice of a lemon.

Rinse with water, and put them to cook on a pan in soft heat, with a lot of good butter and half cup of water and a bit of milk cream.

Add some pealed and in small peaces of white onions.

Cook them all together for a while.

Just look them until the heat melt them, put some salt, taste and serve.

You can serve them with rice, diced meat, and patacones covered by sour cream, enjoy.

Mozzarella Tomato Sandwiches

2011-11-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2 lb Pizza dough; thawed
2 tb extra-virgin olive oil
2 lg cloves garlic; minced
1/2 ts rosemary; crushed
1/4 ts Crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 ts freshly ground pepper
1/4 c prepared pesto sauce
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese; sliced
2 tomatoes; thinly sliced

Preparation :

Grease a 13×9 pan; press dough over bottom.

Cover with plastic wrap and kitchen towel; let rise in warm place 40 minutes or until
almost double in bulk.

In pan, heat oil and garlic over low heat 2 mintues.

Add seasonings.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

With floured fingers, poke about 16 holes in dough; brush with oil.

Bake 25 minutes or until browned.

Remove to wire rack to cool.

Cut bread into sixths; halve horizontally.

Brush with pesto and place cheese and tomato on the bottoms and over with tops.

Sweet potatoes

2011-11-17T17:45:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

4 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup frozen orange concentrate
1/2 cup sherry (optional)
1/4 cup butter

Preparation :

Scrub and boil potatoes until tender, about 25-30 minutes, depending on size.

Peel, then cut into 1 1/2-2 inch chunks.

In an ovenproof casserole (or an aluminum foil loaf pan), melt butter with brown sugar and stir in sherry (optional).

Add orange concentrate, stirring to combine well.

Put sweet potatoes in the casserole dish and coat well with the butter/sugar mixture.

Cover dish with aluminum foil to seal.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, turning to baste potatoes with liquid every 10 minutes or so.

Potatoes covered with sauce (papas chorreadas)

2011-11-13T19:15:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

6 large potatoes, cooked & peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cream
1 cup muenster cheese, grated

Preparation :

Saute the onion in oil until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes.

Stir in cream & cheese until cheese begins to melt.

Arrange the potatoes on serving platter and top with sauce.

Mango, watermelon and tomato fresh salad

2011-10-30T17:19:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 cup of diced watermelon
1 mango, diced
1/2 cup of seedless cucumber, diced
1/2 cup of ripe tomato, seeded, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime, or more to taste
Lettuce
Kosher salt, to taste

Preparation :

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Chill until they are ready to use.

Servings : Makes 3 cups, serve over fresh lettuce and season to taste.

Corned Beef Noodle Casserole With Spinach and Cheese

2011-10-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

8 ounces medium egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 to 3 cups diced corned beef, about 12 ounces
16 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 to 1 cup French fried onion rings or buttered bread crumbs, optional

Preparation :

Using a large saucepan or stock pot, cook noodles following package directions; drain well.

Put noodles back in the pot and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat; cook onion for 2 minutes.

Add corned beef and cook until lightly browned.

With a slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to the pot with noodles.

Add the squeezed spinach to the pot and set aside.

In the same medium saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour until well blended and bubbly.

Stir in chicken broth and milk.

Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.

Add pepper and thyme.

Stir in the cheese, cooking until melted.

Add salt to taste.

Pour sauce over the noodle and corned beef mixture; stir until well blended.

Spoon the noodle mixture into prepared baking pan.

If desired, top with crumbled french fried onion rings or buttered bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

Sole Meunière

2011-10-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

4 small soles, skinned
Flour to coat
Salt and black pepper
100g/4oz butter
1 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
The juice of 1 lemon
Lemon slices to garnish

Preparation :

Remove the heads and fins from the sole.

Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and use to coat the fish.

Heat half the butter in a large frying pan, add the fish and fry gently on one side for 5 minutes.

Carefully turn the fish and cook on the other side for a further 5 minutes or until tender and golden.

Drain on kitchen paper and place on a serving platter. Keep warm.

Wipe the pan clean then add the remaining butter and cook until lightly browned.

Stir in the parsley and lemon juice.

To serve : pour the butter and parsley over the fish and serve immediately.

You can substitute plaice or dabs for the sole.

Red Pepper Chimichurri

2011-10-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

3 tablespoons of kosher salt

1 cup warm water

2 bunches of Italian flat leaf parsley

6 cloves of garlic

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

This tasty vegetarian sauce is an extremely versatile condiment.

Great on sandwiches, in place of enchilada sauce, or used as a marinade.

We put this stuff on practically everything!

The recipe may seem rather involved but is really quite simple.

Preparation :

Whisk together the kosher salt and warm water until the salt dissolves, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

This is called the salmuera.

Combine the flat leaf parsley, garlic, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to chop up the parsley.

Add the roasted red peppers, paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper, black pepper, cumin, white vinegar, and red wine vinegar.

Continue to pulse the food processor until the ingredients are well combined, but still chunky.

Transfer the sauce into a large mixing bowl, and slowly stir in the cooled salmuera.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the salt to mellow.

Sauce can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

Chilli with meat

2011-09-27T14:54:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

3 tbsp of olive oil
100 g lardons of bacon
400 g beef, diced
600 g venison steaks, diced
black pepper to taste
1 tbsp of chilli powder
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp of oregano
1 tbsp of cumin
100 g garlic, roasted
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 large red chillies, chopped
50 g celery, diced
440 ml lager
100 g sun dried tomato purée
800 g canned chopped tomatoes
300 ml chicken stock
400 g tinned kidney beans, drained
400 g canned pinto beans, drained
bunch of coriander, chopped
50 g dark chocolate
sour cream and parmesan biscuits, to serve

Preparation :

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and add the bacon.

Stir in the beef and the venison and fry until browned.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir in the chilli powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and roasted garlic and stir well.

When the meat is cooked, add in onions, peppers, chillies and celery.

Stir in the lager.

Add sun dried tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, beans and coriander.

Let simmer for 50 minutes and the sauce is well reduced.

Stir in the chocolate and serve in a large bowl, with sour cream and Parmesan biscuits.

Colombian Chicken Soup

2011-09-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2/3 cup of short-grain brown rice
1 1/3 cup of water
1 whole skinless chicken breast, on the bone about 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup of thinly sliced scallions, about 3
2 clove of garlic, smashed
2 shucked ears of corn, each cut into 6 rounds
1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
8 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound of white potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound of thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 Hass avocado, diced
2 tablespoons of fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon of drained small capers
Salt to taste

Preparation :

In a small saucepan, cover the rice with the water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then season with salt and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the chicken, scallions, garlic, corn, cumin and 1/2 cup of the cilantro with the chicken broth.

Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Simmer the broth over moderately high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool slightly.

Pull the meat off the bones and shred.

Strain the broth and return it to the saucepan.

Return the corn to the broth and discard the remaining solids.

Bring the broth to a boil.

Add the potatoes and simmer over moderately high heat until nearly tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the asparagus and simmer until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and season the soup with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the avocado, yogurt, capers, brown rice and remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro.

Chocolate Cheesecake Frosted Marble

2011-09-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 cup of chocolate cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons of white sugar
1/4 cup of melted butter
3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons oflour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 ounces of chocolate chips
8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cups of sour cream

Preparation :

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Wrap the outside of a 10 inch springform pan with aluminum foil.

Mix the chocolate cracker crumbs, the 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the butter in a bowl until thoroughly combined; press into the bottom of the springform pan.

Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven.

Turn the oven's heat up to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for a few seconds with an electric mixer set on medium speed until fluffy and smooth.

Beat in 3/4 cup sugar and the flour until the mixture is smooth; beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the milk and vanilla extract.

Beat the cream cheese filling until very smooth and well combined, about 3 minutes.

Spoon 2/3 of the cream cheese filling into the springform pan in an even layer over the crust.

Melt the 3 ounces of chocolate chips over low heat in a saucepan, stirring constantly until smooth, and mix in the remaining third of the filling.

Pour the chocolate filling in a swirl pattern over the white filling; use a table knife to cut through the filling and swirl it into a decorative marble design.

Place the springform pan into a roasting pan and add enough water to the roasting pan to reach 1 inch deep.

Place the springform pan with the roasting pan water bath into the oven and bake until the filling is set, 40 to 45 minutes.

When finished baking, remove the springform pan from the water bath and set the pan onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes; remove foil from around the pan.

Loosen the edge of the cheesecake from the pan with a thin, sharp knife.

Release the spring from the pan, remove the ring, and allow the cheesecake to cool for 15 more minutes.

Wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

To make frosting, melt 8 ounces of chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, and mix in the sour cream until smooth and well combined.

Frost the cheesecake with the frosting and refrigerate 10 minutes to set the frosting before serving.

Refrigerate the leftovers.

Lobster Carbonara

2011-09-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2 8-12oz. lobster tails
1/4 cup of prosciutto chopped
1/4 cup of button mushrooms sliced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 bunch of long green onions chopped
1 can of sweet peas
4 eggs
3 tbls of butter
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1 pound of linguini

Preparation :

Remove lobster from the shell and chop into bite size piece.

Refrigerate until your ready to use.

If you choose you could reserve the shells and stuff them with the carbonara mixture and serve with a vegetable side or like I prefer serve over the linguini.

In a large frying pan sauté the onions, garlic, mushrooms and prosciutto in butter for five minutes until vegetables are soft and bacon in crisp.

Stir in lobster meat and peas for another 2 minutes until lobster is white and tender. Do not over cook lobster.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and cook the linguini for about 10 minutes until al dente.

Drain the pasta and toss with the lobster and vegetable mixture.

In a large bowl beat eggs and cream and stir into the hot linguini.

This will prevent the eggs from over cooking.

The heat from the linguini should cook the eggs enough.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and top with parsley.

Red beans with rice

2011-09-11T16:06:00.001-05:00

Ingredients :

4 cups of red beans
3 tbsp of scallions
3 1/2 servings canned tomatos
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of chicken flavor bouillon
3 tbsp of cilantro
1/2 cup of water
3 tbsp of olive oil

Preparation :

Add the chopped tomatoes, the chopped scallions, and the cumin to the pan.

Sauté them in the olive until they are soft, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the beans (including liquid) to the pan, sugar, water, and the chicken bouillon.

Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes more, until most of the water has evaporated and the beans have thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.

Serve with rice.

Colombian Mazamorra

2011-09-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 can (29 oz) Hominy (maiz peto), drained and rinsed
6 cups of water
5 cups of milk
Panela or guava paste for serving

Preparation :

In a large pot place the hominy and add the water.

Cook for about 40 minutes over medium heat.

Add the milk and serve warm or cold with panela on the side.

Mazamorra is a traditional Colombian drink from the Andean zone of the country and very popular as a side dish to foods such as our wonderful bandeja paisa.

It is typically accompanied with panela or guava paste.

Pineapple cracker dessert

2011-09-04T13:07:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 packet of salty saltines and one packet of saltines with sugar if available (if not, two regular salty saltine packs are fine)

1 pineapple

1/2 lb. sugar

1 packet of cloves

raisins

2 egg whites

1 can of condensed milk (100 gr.)

1 jar of cream (50gr)

Preparation :

Chop the pineapple and toss into blender with little water until it’s liquid.

At a medium temperature, cook with the sugar and bag of cloves until it is a syrup.

Once ready, let stand for a bit.

Mix together condensed milk, cream and pineapple in syrup. In a flat pan or container, place a layer of crackers.

Add the pineapple mix and then another layer of crackers and so on until the pineapple mixture is finished.

The last layer should be crackers.

Then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks appear.

Spread over the last layer of crackers and sprinkle some raisins on top.

Leave in the fridge overnight or for at least two hours before serving cold.

Coconut Cake

2011-08-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups of soft sherry wine
8 ounces of raisins
2 cups of white sugar
3 cups of water
2 cinnamon sticks
7 ounces of shredded unsweetened coconut
1 poundcake (the recipe I use provides a 10-inch cake)
10 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Butter, for the pan

Preparation :

Soak the raisins in the sherry.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, the water and the cinnamon sticks and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it forms a thick syrup.

Add the coconut, stir well, and cook another three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and allow to cool; when cooled, remove and discard cinnamon sticks.

Grate the poundcake into a large bowl.

Beat the egg yolks and add them to the pound cake along with the coconut mixture, the raisins and sherry and the ground cinnamon.

Butter a ten inch springform pan.

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Fold them, using a rubber spatula, into the cake mixture, blending well but gently.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack before opening the springform pan.

Even the best springform pans leak sometimes, so wrap the bottom with some foil and place a cookie sheet on the oven shelf beneath the shelf on which you bake the cake.

Avocado and potato soup

2011-08-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

3 leeks white part only, sliced thinly

2 Medium potatoes peeled and sliced

3 Cups of vegetables or chicken stock

1 Cup of heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 avocados - mashed

Garnish :

chopped chives or chopped cilantro

Preparation :

Heat stock in a medium saucepan and add leeks and potatoes.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree in blender, then return to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream.

Puree avocado in blender.

If serving hot, stir in the avocado just as you're ready to serve, as heat embitters the avocado.

If serving cold, allow the stock to cool, then stir in avocado puree and refrigerate.

Serve both with minced chives or cilantro.

Incredibly rich and delicate as a first couse either hot or cold ideally before a fish course.

Serve to 6 people.

Parmesan crusted pork chops

2011-08-15T20:05:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

2 large eggs
1 cup of dried Italian style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation :

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend.

Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate.

Place the cheese in a third pie plate.

Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper.

Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere.

Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.

Add the pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.

Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.