Daisy Cooks

Smores Indoors

2012-01-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but January brings a burning desire to escape to the outdoors and flee the cramped up and drab winter days. Being outdoors where we live isn't much of an option in January, so why not pitch a tent and roast some smores [in the oven]? That's just what we did to rid ourselves of the winter blues.

Ingredients:

6 graham crackers
6 large marshmallows
1 hershey's chocolate bar

Instructions:

Split graham crackers in half (two sections each). Place six (two-section) halves on cookie sheet and place 1 marshmallow on top of each graham-cracker half. Turn oven to broiling and place cookie sheet in the oven. It only takes a minute or less to brown the marshmallows so watch them closely.

Remove from oven.

Place three portions of chocolate bar on warm, melting marshmallow. Top with the other half of the graham cracker and enjoy.

These yummy treats keep nicely if you let cool and place in a air-tight container. Simply warm in the microwave for 10 seconds and enjoy while daydreaming of camping in July.

Classic Caramels for Christmas

2011-12-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed unwrapping these delicious caramels my grandmother made every year as a child just as much as I enjoyed unwrapping the presents under the tree. This is one of those classics that falls under the label "Christmas isn't Christmas without these babies!" So before the season escapes me again, I thought I'd post the recipe. A special thanks to Aunt Tami who answers her phone while she's on the roof fixing Christmas lights. She informed me that the recipe was originally Aunt LaJean's who was Grandpa Lloyd's dad's sister. I hope you have that straight. Cause I almost do. wink. wink.

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup karo syrup

2 cups whipping cream

2 cubes butter

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all together and stir constantly, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush in water very lightly until it boils. Once it boils, don't stir. Continue boiling until it reaches 234F on a candy thermometer.

Add vanilla. Mix slightly and pour into a buttered cookie sheet with sides. When it cools, cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.Try not to devour all in one sitting. These are a perfect addition to your Christmas platter of goodies. Share the joy.

Tamalitos de Frijoles

2011-12-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

On the 11th day of Christmas, my suegra gave to me . . .

Tamalitos de Frijoles

We're counting down the days we get to go to Honduras for the holidays and partake of all of the fun tradiciones navideñas (Christmas Traditions) with Armando's family. One of the yummies that I love are my mother-in-law's Tamalitos de Frijoles. My sister-in-law prepared them for me first here in the states when I was expecting our first daughter. With my second pregnancy, of course I craved them because the closest ones were a time zone and two layovers away. Although I'm not expecting, I still love a good tamal de frijol nice and warm with crema on top.

Although I've never made these on my own, my sister-in-law wrote up some instructions for me to share on the blog. If I can talk them into showing me these while we're there, I'll add proportions in the future. For now, this is a typical "little of this and little of that" type of recipe. ;)

Tamalitos with Frijoles (Beans)

Prepare the corn flour for tortillas and make it a little dry. (I recommend maseca found in your local grocer in the Mexican-food section. Follow the instructions to prepare tortillas and make slightly dry).

Blend garlic, onion, green pepper, celery, and cilantro (enough of these ingredients to flavor the beans and the tamale dough. Add a small tomato to the ingredients and blend it as well.

Add half of the blended condiments to the dough along with salt to taste.

Cook and prepare black beans. Let cool and blend with bean broth. Fry in hot oil along with the remaining blended condiments mentioned above. Add salt to taste. Fry and stir frequently so as not to let them stick. They should be a little liquid-like - not a pasty texture. Let them cool - they should be slightly more liquid-like when hot because they will solidify slightly as they cool.

Form dough into small balls. Flatten with hands on a piece of plastic as if you were going to make a tortilla (not too thick nor too thin). In the middle, drop a large spoonfull of cooled refried beans. Fold the tortilla in half, covering the beans. It should look like a half-moon.

Seal the edges with hands carefully so as not to let any beans leak out and place in the center of a banana-leaf. Place in a pot of boiling water with salt for 45 minutes.

Serve warm with crema centroamericana.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

And for all of you Spanish-speakers, perhaps the original instructions would be easier to follow rather than my translation above.

Preparar la harina de maíz como para hacer tortillas dejarla un poco seca. Licuar ajo, cebolla, chile verde, apio, cilantro todos estos ingredientes en cantidades necesarias (que sea sufiente para los frijoles y la masa) además licuar un tomate pequeño junto con el resto de los ingredientes.
Al agregar los condimentos a la masa también agregar sal la necesaria. Los frijoles cocidos se licuan y se ponen a freír en aceite junto con los condimentos licuados, especies y sal en caso de ser necesario; al freír los frijoles no dejarlos secos estos de beben de quedar más o menos líquidos, dejar enfriar.
Elaborar con la masa pequeñas bolas para luego aplanarlas con las manos sobre un plástico en forma de tortilla (esta no debe de ser ni muy gruesa ni muy delgada). En la mitad de la tortilla colocar una cuchara grande de los frijoles fritos y fríos, doblar la tortilla a la mitad cubriendo los frijoles, quedando la forma de una media luna. Nos cercioramos de cerrar bien los bordes para que nada se salga, luego se envuelven en una hoja de plátano y se ponen a hervir en agua con sal por unos 45min.
Comer calientes con mantequilla.

Crispy and Tangy Fish Tacos

2011-04-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm the kind of person that goes to a restaurant, has a dish I like and I order the same thing again and again and again on subsequent visits. Well, awhile back something strange happened. It wasn't premeditated. I just listed to what my taste buds really wanted and I ordered some shrimp tacos at one of our favorite local restaurants. I couldn't believe how delicious they were. And why hadn't I thought of ordering something different before? So, the very next week I had to try and figure out what the recipe was and this is what I came up with (with fish instead). It was close and VERY DELICIOUS. From here on out shrimp tacos are going to be my regularly ordered dish there . . . at least until I have an urge to try something new.

Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas (2 per taco)
Tilapia or Salmon filets (1/2 filet per taco)
/2 cup flour
salt to taste
1/2 tsp paprika (for color)

Salad:
1/2 head Cabbage
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
15 sprigs, cilantro
2 limes
salt
cumin

Tangy Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 cup onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 jalapeno, finely chopped and seeded

Prepare sauce by mixing all ingredients and set aside.

Prepare salad. Finely shred lettuce. Shred carrot. Dice tomatoes. Chop cilantro. Dash a bit of cumin, salt, and pepper over salad. Mix well. Add the juice of 1-2 limes and mix well again, adding salt to taste.

For filets: Divide them in half and dip them in mixture of flour, salt, and paprika. Drop in hot oil and fry until gold brown and cooked through.

Serve on two warm corn tortillas garnished with cabbage salad and topped off with the tangy sauce. Serve with fresh squeezed lemonade or fruit drink of your choice. I recommend this one.

Tajadas de Minimo Verde - Fried Green Bananas Dinner

2011-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that although I'd like to spend my time doing more things like cooking and taking pictures, the bulk of my life is spent as a school teacher, a wife, and a mom. This one is for my fellow school teacher who has been begging for a new dinner idea. I'll tell you right now, Deb, this isn't your typical mac and cheese or American casserole. But I think you know me well enough by now that you're not expecting something "normal" from me.

This is a dish that is similar to other Honduran dishes we like in our home. I'm not an expert at it, but I can tell you what my husband and I did to make this dish. And you really don't have to stick to the proportions. Judge by how many you want to feed and add or take away ingredients accordingly. I made this dish for four.

Ingredients:

2-3 VERY GREEN bananas
1 lb ground beef
1/2 block/round of queso seco (Mexican dry cheese - I buy Queso Cotija at my local grocer)
1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded
3 roma tomatoes
1/2 green pepper
2 cloves garlic
10 sprigs of cilantro
1 lime
salt
pepper
cumin
achiote
Worcestershire sauce

1) Shred/crumble 1/2 round of queso seco, Set aside.

2) Finely shred 1/2 head of green cabbage. Add the following to the cabbage: tomatoes, diced small; 1/4 green pepper, diced small; cilantro, chopped; juice from 1 lime. Mix and salt to taste.

3) Prepare meat: I like to marinate my meat the night before, but it is not necessary. To a pound or two of ground beef, I dice and add 1/2 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 green pepper, 1 roma tomato, plenty of cumin, salt, and ground black pepper as well as achiote powder (for color - this ingredient is not necessary for flavor, but a true Honduran dish always has color!) I also like to add a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Brown the meat and break it up while cooking so as to have a very fine ground meat mixture. You also want this mixture to be a bit on the juicy side. Don't tell my husband because he would say it's a sin, but I add a bit of water and don't let it cook completely off. Cover and set aside. Keep warm for serving.

4) Finely slice green bananas and fry in hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Add a dash of salt to the bananas as you pull them from the oil.

To serve, layer a handful of fried green bananas on a plate. Top with meat, salad, and cheese. Enjoy with a fork and a yummy blended fruit drink.

Mexican Chicken Salad (Cafe Rio Style)

2011-03-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

I've posted this recipe before, but my food photography has gotten slightly better over the years and I thought I'd re-post with a little more appetizing photo this time. ;) And I've made a couple more notes in the recipe since I've made it a few times since then. This recipe is a favorite in our house. I like to prepare the bulk of it a day ahead and then assemble everything right before I serve it. Armando and I could eat this every day for a week and not get bored of it. So many fresh flavors and textures.

For those of you who don't know what a Cafe Rio Salad is - #1 you're missing out and #2 you probably won't appreciate the value of this recipe until you've tried one #3 try it, you'll love it.

I've decided that the only instructions in this recipe that you really need to follow with exactness (almost) is the dressing. If you have the dressing, you have it all! So experiment, build the salad to your liking and top it off with the creamy tomatillo / cilantro ranch dressing and you'll be in heaven!

Creamy Tomatillo / Cilantro Ranch Dressing
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (or 3 Tbsp dry mix)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 to ½ cup buttermilk
3-4 tomatillos
1 cup fresh cilantro lightly chopped
½ tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno (or less if you don't like spice, but this pepper is what gives the dressing just the right kick)

Take the papery layer off the tomatillos, wash, and chop. Chop the garlic. Wash and cut the cilantro into 1-2” segments. Put all ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate. Best made the day before. Keeps covered for several days. Makes 2 cups.

Shredded Lime Chicken
4-5 boneless chicken breasts (about 2.5 to 3 lbs of chicken)
1 ½ cups of 7-up or Sprite (12 oz. can)
½ to 1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 limes

Cook in crock pot on medium heat for 8 hours or 6 hours on high heat until chicken falls apart and shreds with a fork. Stir in the juice of 2 limes before serving. Serves 10 with ½ cup servings.
**I've been known to skip the whole chicken portion and just pick up a rotisserie chicken. I prefer grilled chicken on my salad.

Cilantro Rice
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 cup Salsa Verde (Green salsa found in Mexican food aisle of grocery store)
2 Tbsp dried minced onion

Wash and chop cilantro. Blend cilantro with 2 cups of water and pour in the pan for cooking the rice. Add two more cups of water, the salt, Salsa Verde and onion. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice in the boiling water. Cover and turn down heat to very low and steam for 30 minutes. Makes about 10 servings. *I personally just used some rice I had cooked for my salad, but looking at the recipe, I think it might need just a little chicken broth to balance out all the other flavors.

Black Beans
Warm canned black beans in a pan on the stove, including all the liquid from the can, until beans are simmering hot. Plan on 1/3 to ½ cup of beans per serving. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain out the liquid from the beans. *I usually make my own black beans in the crock pot with a few cloves a garlic, plenty of cumin and a tablespoon of salt to two cups of dried beans.

To Assemble the Salad
Final Ingredients:
Fresh Flour Tortillas
Chopped romaine lettuce
Fresh Cilantro sprigs
Queso Cotija (Mexican cheese), finely shredded
Corn tortilla strips
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Lime wedges

For each serving warm a flour tortilla in a microwave or on a griddle. (I prefer the griddle!) Melt shredded chees on the tortilla while warming on the grill. Layer on rice, beans, chicken, and about 1 ½ cups chopped romaine lettuce, fresh cilantro sprigs, parmesean cheese (I prefer queso cotija from the Mexican food dairy section of the grocery store), a few fried corn tortilla strips, and creamy tomatillo dressing. Add pico de gallo, guacamole and juice from a lime wedge to taste.I found that I made a much smaller salad than the one from Cafe Rio which made it so that I could actually finish it!

To-Die-For Lime Cupcakes

2011-03-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sometime last summer I had a sudden craving for lime cupcakes. Weird, I know. But I went recipe hunting and found a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s one that I thought I'd share this month since it's green and St. Patrick's Day is coming up. And don't be alarmed by the amount of limes in the bowl . . . I was on a lime kick, you'll really only need 4 limes.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk*

Frosting Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1 tablespoon lime juice

Step 1: Finely grate peel of 4 limes

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 and line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Step 3: Measure your finely grated lime.

Add lime juice, peel, and food coloring to batter. (batter may look curdled).

Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner. And if you have children around, give them the beaters and let them do the "washing."
Frosting Step 1: Measure powdered sugar and dump into bowl.

Frosting Step 2: Measure and add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth and spread over cooled cupcakes.
I was in a festive mood and piped my icing on and used one of my extra limes to make small quarter-slices to place on top.
These cupcakes were super-moist and had a very creamy texture and a perfect sour bite with the lime. I do believe I will have to be whipping up a batch myself come the 17th.

Going Green, Smoothie Style

2011-02-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

The whole world is going green. And so am I . . . in my own way. In an effort to increase our daily greens and hopefully our daughter's ability to absorb nutrients, we've been starting our day off with a [green] smoothie. I have felt so good every day that I drink it that I thought I'd share the goodness. So, here's what you'll need if you decide you'd like to try it too:

2ish cups of almond milk (I prefer vanilla - but we accidentally grabbed "original" either works, but if you prefer sweet, vanilla is what you'll want)
2-3 kale leaves (remove the center)
1 handful of spinach
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)
2 cups frozen fruit (I buy the mixed non-sweetened strawberries, mangoes, pineapple and peaches)
1/2 banana (I add this for my girls cause it really sweetens it, but if you're wanting to keep your sugars down and not have a sugar crash after drinking it, leave the banana out).

*Coconut milk is not necessary as pictured. I just happened to buy it and try it. And . . . it's not my favorite (although I do like coconut milk - it just doesn't seem to have the same effect as the almond). I have been adding a small amount to our smoothies every morning just to not waste the whole container. So, here's what you do:

Pour milk into blender and add greens and nuts. Blend thoroughly so as to diminish the "leafy texture."

2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add fruits and blend again until smooth.
Serve. My mother suggests drinking up to a quart for nutrients and says that will get her through with plenty of physical and mental energy until early to mid-afternoon. I drink two cups and a little more each morning and I'm not hungry at all and feel a little emotional boost to confront my challenges daily. The chlorophyll is just what I've needed on blue winter days when I don't see the sun.
And my girls? Well, they love it too. Shhhh, don't tell them that it's weird to drink green. They are totally into being Popeye girls and love all the talk about being strong and smart.

And my favorite, their green mustaches.
Please share if you try it or have other healthy blending concoctions I could try. If you're not as daring, start with baby steps. Make the fruit smoothie and add only 1 kale leaf or half the spinach. These greens really don't have much flavor when mixed with fruit. And if you're even more daring, you can do what I do when the girls aren't drinking with me, I throw in a handful of parsley too and I love the flavor burst that comes with that. Call me weird, but I've always loved parsley.

Happy Blending!

Quick Veggie Skillet

2011-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

My version of a more healthy mac-n-cheese. Is there such a thing? Well, this one has veggies and my girls devour it, so it's a bit healthier than regular packaged mac-n-cheese.

This is a recipe I found in one of my mom's quick 20-minute meals books I copied down years ago and I love it. So do my girls. When I'm in a rush for dinner, this is an easy go-to meal instead of something like mac-n-cheese.

Ingredients:

6 ounces (2 1/2 cups) uncooked dried pasta (the original recipe calls for bowtie, I use whatever I have on hand and my girls love the colorful veggie pasta so that's usually what I use).
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic (a clove or two)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
4 ounces (1 cup) cheddar cheese (cubed 1/2 inch)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, melt butter until sizzling; stir in garlic. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisply tender (4 to 6 minutes).

Stir in pasta. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mantecaditos con Guayaba / Butter Cookies with Guava

2010-12-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

The Pioneer Woman pointed me to a site the other day that I have fallen in love with: The Noshery. This girl has a Puerto Rican background and lives in the south. So she's got some great culinary background and I'm dying to try so many of her recipes. The one I found her through were these Mantecaditos con Guayaba (Butter Cookies with Guava) - a latin twist on a quite popular Christmas Cookie. I had just happened to buy a whole tub of guava paste and after we'd eaten a quarter of it with saltine crackers, I was wondering what to do with the rest of it. And plop, this recipe just fell into my blog reader. Perfect.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup guava paste, diced

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar, shortening, and butter in a large bowl. Mix in egg yolk and almond extract. Blend in flour a little at a time until well combined and chunky. Shape a tablespoon of dough into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet. Using your thumb, press down on the center of the cookie. Fill the dimple with about 1 teaspoon of guava paste.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack and enjoy a little tropical twist on your Christmas classic.

Orange Cookies

2010-12-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

There's something about Christmas that reminds me of oranges. Perhaps it goes back to the visits from Santa Claus at our annual church Christmas party where he would make an appearance and bring a bag of goodies for all of the children. The contents were the same year after year: an orange, a handful of whole peanuts and old fashioned hard candy. The other day I was in a citrusy Christmas mood and decided to whip up a batch of my grandmother Leann's yummy orange cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons finely grated orange rind
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. Stir in orange juice and rind. Stir dry ingredients together and blend in other mixture. Drop by teaspoon 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until delicately brown.

Orange Butter Icing:

2 1/2 tablespoons soft butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons finely grated orange rind

Mix all ingredients together and beat until well blended. Frost cookies while still warm.

Makes 4 dozen.

Fresco de Piña / Pineapple Horchata

2010-12-16T02:00:00.001-08:00

Remember the very first time I posted on this blog way back in 2007 and I showed you a bag of pineapple skins I was going to freeze to use another day and told you I'd share with you another recipe for it? Well, three and a half years later, here it is. Finally.

This Fresco de Piña is another original of Doña Rina's. She doesn't like to waste any part of the pineapple so instead of throwing away the "pine" she washes it well and makes a delicious rice/pineapple/cinnamon drink with it. I like to call it pineapple horchata. That's just my personal interpretation.

You'll need:

Pineapple skins of one pineapple
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 cup of uncooked rice
sugar to sweeten

1. So, once you've sliced your pineapple and you're tempted to throw the skins away, instead fill a pot with water and throw the skins in there.
2. Add cinnamon sticks. If using cinnamon sticks from the Mexican food section, be generous.
3. Add 1 cup uncooked rice.

4. Cover and boil until rice opens and is soft and cinnamon sticks are completely open. Mixture will be very watery.
5. Blend entire boiled mixture from the pot (including cinnamon sticks) until there are no major chunks.

6. Strain mixture into a pitcher.

7. Using a spoon, press any extra liquid out of the remaining strained ingredients.

8. Fill pitcher with cool water until drink is at required consistency and sweeten to your desired sweetness. (It takes quite a bit of sugar to get this sweet).

Sometimes she prepares this drink thicker than others. I prefer it a little more watery than thick. Make sure to chill before serving.

Enjoy with any meal or as a delicious refresher after a long days work!

Pupusas de Queso

2010-12-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the first time I ever tried a pupusa. It may have been on a trip to California with my friend Christine back in 2002, or was it 2003? Some guy wanted to win her over and so he took us to a restaurant and gave us both gifts and la, la, la. All I remember is that the food was delicious. And pupusas were one of the many things I tried that day.

There are lots of different versions of pupusas. In my own terms, it's like a stuffed corn tortilla topped with a delicious curtido - a lightly fermented cabbage slaw. Lots eat in with their hands folded in half like a street taco. I'm weird and prefer it with a fork with lots of extra curtido on top.

Ingredients

The Dough:
1 bag maseca masa (instant corn masa flour)
water
salt

The rest:
1 lb quesillo or other cheese (mozzarella)
1 head cabbage
1 onion
1-2 or more jalapeños (personal preference)
1-2 carrots
olive oil
vinegar
salt
pepper
oregano

Step 1: Prepare the Cheese / Quesillo

Tear the quesillo into small chunks and set aside in bowl.

Step 2: Prepare the onion and pepper

Olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 jalapeño pepper (or more depending on your "gusto")
Vinegar to taste

Slice the onion and saute with jalapeño in olive oil with a bit of salt and vinegar to taste. Saute the onion just long enough that it still has a crunch to it. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the salad/curtido:

Finely slice a head of cabbage.

See how fast that knife moves . . . that's skills!
Place the cabbage in a strainer in the sink and pour boiling water over it to soften it up. Let water drain and place cabbage back in salad bowl.
Shred carrots, and add to the cabbage in a salad bowl.
Mix cabbage and carrots.
Mix and season with salt, a bit of oregano, and a little vinegar between the fingers in one circular motion around the salad. You can also substitute lime juice for the vinegar, but I prefer the vinegar.
Step 4: The Dough (La Masa)

Purchase a bag of Maseca (Instant corn masa flour) in the Mexican food section of your local grocery store. Follow the instructions to prepare the "masa" (dough) depending on how many pupusas you want to make. Two or three feed the average adult. And this dough is simple. You can't go wrong with it.

After preparing the dough, grab a small ball of it and roll it in your hand. Flatten it from the center out while rotating it in your hand to form a circle. After making the circle, form the edges upward and press the center down to form a pocket to place the hold cheese in the middle.

Place a generous amount of cheese in the middle of the dough.
Use the hand the dough is in to enclose the cheese completely in the dough.

Pinch off any excess dough in the center.

Flatten the dough into a thick tortilla, rotating it constantly and you press it to flatten evenly throughout.

Place the tortilla on a piece of plastic to finish flattening and stretching.
Heat pan or electric frying griddle to high and grease. Place the pupusas in pan and brown on each side.
Serve with the salad (curtido) and the onion mixture.

Vintage Aprons Discount

2010-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Check out these darling vintage aprons . . . even if you don't like to cook much, you'll still look super sexy taking that frozen pot-pie out of the oven! ;) I can't wait to get mine in the mail this week. If you're looking for a last minute Christmas gift, I know she has a few more in stock . . . email me by 5:00 p.m. Friday 12/17 at reyesdm@gmail.com and you will get 10% off your order.

*Photos courtesy Meghan Crews

Broccoli Soup - Honduran Style

2010-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite comfort foods that Rina makes is her broccoli soup. And my girls love it too. There's nothing better than to know your kids are asking for second servings on their green veggies!

Ingredients

2 large slices of onion
1 stalk of celery
2 gloves of garlic, minced
2 heads of broccoli
1 large potato, with skin (or 2 medium potatoes)
water from potato
1/4 tsp cumin
butter
salt & pepper to taste

1. Wash and Dice potato (with skins) and place in water to boil (just enough to cover it).

2. Saute onion, celery, garlic, and broccoli until the onion is clear (broccoli may still be firm).

3. Place broccoli and other sauteed ingredients in a blender with a small portion of the water from the potato and blend until smooth.

4. Pour liquefied ingredients back into the soup pot and do the same with the potato - blend until smooth with remaining water.

5. Add potato liquid to the warming ingredients in the soup pot and bring to a boil on medium heat.
6. Add a tablespoon or two of butter, a 1/4 tsp (or more if you like it) of cumin. Salt and Pepper to taste. Mix final ingredients well.

Serve warm with bread, toast, or a tasty grilled cheese sandwich . . . or a black bean and cheese quesadilla, like I did here.

Enchiladas Hondureñas

2010-12-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

I love visits from my mother-in-law for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that she pretty much takes over the kitchen. Some people might not like this, but for my busy life, it's like she comes to my rescue. Not only does it make Armando happy to have a visit from his mom, but we all benefit from her culinary genius. She loves cooking for others. And we love eating. It's a win-win. She's been gone for a week now and as a way of honoring all she did for us while she was here, I'm dedicating this week as "En la Cocina con Doña Rina" week ("In the Kitchen with Miss Rina"). Stay tuned for something different and delicious!

This recipe is kind of like Thanksgiving dinner: it takes some time to prepare and you might feel tired afterward, but with simple planning and preparation, all of the extra work put into it will be all worth it the moment you sink your teeth into the contrasting layers of deliciousness it has to offer.

I've come to know Hondurans from "Ceiba", Hondurans from "Han Pedro" and Hondurans from "Tegus" and they will all argue with you on how a proper Enchilada should be built, but I have to say of all that I have tried, Doña Rina's make it to the top of my list and it's not just cause I want brownie points from my mother-in-law. There's something about the contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures that just make this something I crave when my mother-in-law is 12 hours and 2 layovers away. So, hopefully after I type all of these instructions out and cheer you all on to take the time to prepare this, I'll do the same some day and surprise Armando with one of his favorites.

If you look at the picture above, you'll see that the Enchiladas are basically like what we would call a "tostada" in the states with the fried corn tortilla bottom, a layer of well flavored ground beef and layers of cabbage and salsa on top, but what you don't know about the Honduran Enchilada is that hidden between the layer of shredded cabbage and the meat are diced boiled potatoes, sliced boiled eggs, and fried sweet plantains. Those three ingredients, flavors, and contrasting textures take this dish to a whole new level.

Step 1: Prepare meat for marinating.

Dice the following and mix well into a pound or more of ground beef:

1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 green pepper
1 roma tomato
Lots of cumin
Sometimes I dump a bit of Worcestershire sauce into the meat.
plenty of salt and pepper
You can add ground achiote for color (also found in the mexican food spice section of your local grocer) Achiote isn't used for flavor, but plenty of it will give the meat a nice color. Color is EVERYTHING in Honduran cooking. Everything.

Cover and let flavors mix. I would even recommend prepping the meat mixture the night before so that the flavors have time to marinate the meat well. While the meat soaks up all the flavor, prep the following:

Step 2: Boil Potatoes and Eggs

Peel 1-2 potatoes and place in pot of water on stove to boil. Place 2 or 3 eggs in with them to hard boil them. While those are on cooking:

Step 3: Shred Dry Cheese

Also known as Queso Seco or Queso Cotijo from your local grocer - fresh Mexican food section. If you can't find any of these cheeses, Parmesan will have to do.

Step 4: Finely shred cabbage.

This step should be a separate post in and of itself. Latins have a way with finely shredding cabbage. It's an art. [Note to self: Hone your skills of finely shredding cabbage and teach the rest of the blogging world how to do it too.] For now, all I can say is find a super-sharp knife (for dicing) and find the most dense head of cabbage and slice it paper thin.

Step 4: The sauce.

Ingredients: Butter or olive oil, finely diced onion and garlic, tomato paste or sauce, chicken broth, salt, pepper, cumin and a bit of brown sugar. I will apologize ahead of time, but this sauce has no specific recipe. Trust me, it will all work out.

Saute onion and garlic in oil or butter until onion is clear. Add tomato paste or sauce and bring to boil. Add salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. A guestimate would be about a tsp of salt or a bit more, a dash of pepper and 1/2 tsp or more of cumin. Add broth to thin the sauce and give it a good flavor. At the end, add a pinch or seven of brown sugar and mix and dissolve in the boiling sauce. Remove from heat and cover until time to serve.

Step 5: Cook the meat.

In a large pan, fry meat mixture until cooked through. Remove from heat and cover until time to serve.

Step 6: Fry the plantains
Again, this might be a topic of another post in an of itself, but lets assume you have been successful in finding non-bruised, ripe, plantains. You've opened the peel (which is much harder to open than a banana - use a knife to slice it open) and you have sliced the plantain in half lengthwise and have heated the oil to fry them. Fry until golden brown. And try to refrain from eating them all before serving the enchiladas.

Step 7: The tortilla

If you're out for real authentic (which is so much better), then heat a pan of vegetable oil and hand-fry the corn tortillas for serving. If you're lazy like I sometimes am, I skip this step and use the ready-made tostadas. Armando hates that part. That's why it's so wonderful to have a mother-in-law that visits and cooks. :)

Finally: Putting it all together

Begin by putting a spoonful or two or three of meat on the tostada. Then add hand-picked potatoes (3 or 4), a slice of boiled egg, and 2 or three pieces of fried plantain.

Add a small amount of finely shredded cabbage on top.

Cover generously with queso seco (dry cheese).

Drizzled the sauce over the top.

And enjoy trying to fit a bite into your mouth. Have a fork on hand to finish off what falls on your plate.
Perhaps we could call it a Honduran Sloppy-Joe.

I'd love to hear if you attempt to make this. And if you live anywhere within driving radius, please call, I'll be over for dinner!

En La Cocina con Doña Rina

2010-12-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

That's "In the Kitchen with Miss Rina" for all of you English speakers out there. This week we're remembering all of the mouth watering recipes Grandma Rina cooked for us while she was here this year. Beginning Monday, there will be a new one each day this week so check back for some delicious Honduran cooking.

Turkey Taquitos

2010-11-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

Our turkey leftovers are now gone and I'm left with a watering mouth for these delicious turkey taquitos that we made. I look forward to these every year almost as much as I look forward to the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal.

So, if you still have some turkey leftover, I highly recommend giving this a try or keeping this recipe in your Thanksgiving idea list for next year.

Here's what you do:

1. Shred or slice leftover turkey into small pieces.
2. Heat corn tortillas in the microwave in a plastic bag for approximately one minute. (I like to sprinkle a bit of water in so they are nice and moist and don't fall apart.) You will know they are ready when you can roll them and they don't break.
3. Place turkey on one side of a tortilla on a plate. Roll it up and place a toothpick in the middle to keep it rolled together.

4. Heat a pan of oil to medium heat.
5. Place taquitos in oil and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.

6. Finely shred green-leaf lettuce.
7. Top taquitos with a bed of lettuce and my favorite spicy tomato-avocado salsa and a generous sprinkly of "queso seco" - basically a mexican dry cheese - I use "queso cotijo" from my local grocer. Any Parmesan-type cheese will work.

Now, try not to eat the whole plate. And refrain from cooking an entire other turkey just to make taquitos. These things aren't light on the calories. :)

[Cheap] Korean Beef from Lizzy Writes

2010-10-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

I look at a lot of recipes online, but there are few that I actually try. In my busy life, time is of the essence. When I happened upon this one over at Lizzy Writes, it seemed simple and that it had some great flavors that my family would like. So I eventually made it and I LOVED IT! The meat has a great flavor and spice to it and the green onion is the perfect texture crunch. I love crunchy anything in my dishes.

Here is the recipe:

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

Liz added some tips that I thought were great. She mentioned that peeling and slicing the ginger root into 1/4 inch slices and freezing it was a great way to keep fresh ginger on hand since it goes bad so easily. That had always been my problem. I would buy a bit and use a few shavings for a dish and end up tossing the rest because it would go bad. Ever since I read her tip, I've had fresh ginger on hand every time I need it and it's much easier to grate when it's frozen.

Thanks, Liz, for the recipe and letting me share it here too.

Next time I make it, I'm going to try the flank steak she mentioned . . . I think Armando will LOVE it with steak.

Creamy Coconut Lemongrass Tilapia

2010-10-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I love about visiting Honduras is the variety of foods and flavors. One day after running errands with Armando, we came home to the most delicious meal I ate while I was there. My sister-in-law, Ana had made her own concoction of Coconut Lemongrass Tilapia. Lemongrass was the new flavor I fell in love with while we were there. I couldn't get enough of the tea or this delicious dish Ana made. I had to have the recipe. As soon as we got back, I began the hunt for lemongrass and luckily found a grocer nearby that sells 4-5 little stems for a pretty penny (not like the bundle of huge grass stems you can get for pennies at the market down there . . . ) [sigh].

This is actually a quite simple and delicious recipe. I like it because it is quick, yet still has a flare of uniqueness that's not just your everyday dinner flavor . . . at least not at our house. ;)

Like any Latin-American "recipe" I get from our family or friends, there aren't exact measurements, but this is what I did:

Rinse 6-8 tilapia filets and let dry. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Saute in coconut oil (or oil of your preference):
1/4 onion (diced)
2-3 garlic cloves

until onions are translucent and garlic starts to brown.

Add tilapia filets and cook until golden brown on one side. Turn the filets to cook on the other side. When they are just about cooked, add a can (15 oz) of coconut milk. Add 2-3 stems of lemongrass (I folded mine in half so that the stem broke and the aroma/juices would flavor the dish quicker). Bring just to a boil over med-high heat.

Serve over a bed of warm rice with a green salad or steamed vegetables.

Parsley Lemonade / Fresco de Perejil

2010-08-20T03:46:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Paraguay in a little tiny pueblo called Capitán Miranda, there was a dear woman who invited us to lunch weekly. Lunch was simple and often included this refreshing drink made of parsley. It may sound a little crazy, but since I walked everywhere I went and it was quite warm there, this drink was something I looked forward to every time I was able to drink it. It must have been awfully hot last week cause when I saw a bunch of parsley in my refrigerator I immediately thought of the drink and my taste buds started working. So, this is what I did:

Wash and blend 1 bunch of parsley in a blender full of cold water.
Strain parsley mixture, letting the parsley water drip into a large pitcher and removing any larger bits of parsley.
Add sugar to desired sweetness and blend again to get it mixed up well. Or, you can make a syrup by boiling 1 part water and 1 part sugar and adding to the parsley juice. But, as I mentioned before, I'm too lazy for that.
Add the juice of 1/2 lemon if desired*

I was actually experimenting with the lemon in this one - I had only ever had just the parsley and actually prefer just the parsley. I felt like the lemon was a little too much on the "refreshing" side since parsley is such a strong "refresher."

Watermelon Lemonade

2010-08-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Prepare Fresca de Sandia as mentioned in the previous recipe and add fresh squeezed lemon to taste. If you're entertaining, it's fun to garnish with a slice of lemon and a wedge of watermelon. If not, you probably won't have enough time to garnish before you chug this down and make another glass.

Fresca de Sandia / Watermelon Juice

2010-08-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

Depending on where you're from, this summery delight could be called Agua de Sandia, Fresca de Sandia, Jugo de Sandia. And in the end, it's all the same . . . delicious, refreshing, summer in a cup. I love summer's fruits that fill our pitchers with delicious, fresh "frescas" on a regular basis. My favorite is probably watermelon because I can make the most with it.

Slice Watermelon in half. Place the open side down (flat) and slice in half again. Now slice that half in half so you have a fourth. I like to slice that in half again and then cut the watermelon right along the curved line of seeds so that I can easily remove them. Place the large chunks of watermelon in the blender. Blend with sugar and water to taste.

1/2 Watermelon
Sugar to taste
Water

Most official recipes I've read online direct you to make a "syrup" out of the sugar and water because sugar granules don't dissolve well in cold water. In all my time amongst Latin-Americans (where this drink is like OJ on their breakfast table) I have never seen them do this. And quite frankly, I'm lazy.

Another tip I have learned from my in-laws is that they go to the market and buy all their fruit once a week. So, when they don't get around to eating it right away, they slice it up and freeze it to make "frescas" later. Sometimes they even slice it and freeze it right away if they know they will be making the fruit into juice. I'm following suit and right now I have strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, and cucumber in my freezer just waiting to be turned into some delicious juice concoctions. More on that to come.

Vegetable Wheat Soup

2010-06-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

We had this soup at a church activity a few weeks ago and my girls devoured it. I loved that it was packed with vegetables and was healthy and have made variations of it a couple times since then. Here's some general instructions to the best of my memory:

Cook 1-2 cups of wheat grains in a crockpot with plenty of water overnight.

In a large soup pot saute:

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 roma tomatoes, diced

Add:
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped

Turn up heat and add:
Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil.
Add cooked wheat.

Just before all other vegetables are finished, add veggies that cook quickly and that you don't want to turn soggy:

I added 1-2 small zucchini, chopped.
a handful of chopped cilantro

On the second go-around, I didn't have zucchini, so I added broccoli instead. And it was delicious. I was also hesitant to add cilantro as I was taking some to a friend who I wasn't sure liked cilantro, so I substituted with parsley.

This soup can be so versatile. Add any veggie you prefer and it's delicious. And hearty. And healthy. And it's so light, I wouldn't even mind having it in the summer with a salad.

One last suggestion. The first time I made the wheat, I had plenty, so I put half in the soup and froze half of it. The next time I wanted to make it, I just threw in the frozen wheat and it thawed very quickly in the boiling water. It took a whole long step right out of the process.

Salsa Mexicana con Aguacate: Mexican Hot Salsa with Avocado

2010-05-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have always loved me a good batch of fresh salsa on . . . anything. And generally would make a "pico-de-gallo" mild version. But since we've moved west, I have made friends who would laugh at the thought of eating something like my "fresh salsa." They say "sin chiles, no tiene sabor!" (without hot peppers, there's no flavor!) I do still appreciate the flavor blends of pico de gallo, but I think I am finally beginning to understand that hot peppers really do give flavor . . . they're not just meant to burn your lips and throat.

A neighbor taught me how to make this delicious salsa a few days ago and Armando and I are both hooked. The first [huge] batch only lasted about 3 days and I've made about 3 batches since then.

So, this is what you'll need:

About 10 roma tomatoes
10 dried chile de arbol (you can find this in the Mexican spice section of your local grocery store)
a bunch of cilantro
1-3 cloves of garlic
a thick slice of onion
3-4 avocados
Salt (to taste)

Place about 10 Roma tomatoes in a large pot with water.

Remove the stems from the dried chiles de arbol (my neighbor explained that if you leave these on, they leave a bitter taste).

Drop the tomatoes and chiles into a pot of boiling water and leave them in just long enough so that the skins break on the tomatoes.

Put a little cold water in the blender (around a cup). Then add all of the ingredients and chop/blend until you don't see big chunks of the chile pepper.

(Note that my pictures are of me blending two tomatoes and 1 chile at first . . . I was so chicken . . . so I blended the chiles separately and added them little by little until I realized that the expert that was teaching, indeed was right. The more chile pepper, the better. We ended up putting the rest in! That's right . . . 10 peppers with 10 tomatoes!)

The consistency should be about like this...quite watery I think with just a little tomato that remains on the spoon.

Now for some flavor boost: Cilantro. My friend instructed me on choosing quality cilantro - she said "the smaller, the better!" You don't want the larger, overgrown leaves because they are so much more bitter.
Chop a bunch. Leave out the stems.

Dice the avocado to your liking. I like chunkier. Armando likes smaller. It's all up to you. The second time around, I didn't have avocados, but I still made the salsa and we ate it all up.

Dump it all in.

Stir slightly.

Serve on just about anything.

I made some for my mom and she said, she'd just like to eat it as a cold soup. I like it with chips, tostadas, jicama, tacos, enchiladas hondureñas, you name it. No matter what you eat it with, it's delicious!