Have you ever tried Kimchi? It’s a Korean pickled cabbage or sort of like a spicy sauerkraut  The principals are the same as both are fermented or “pickled”. While sauerkraut is fermented with salt, kimchi has lots of ingredients added. There are several ways to make it and it’s one of things that varies depending on who makes it but in any case, it’s pretty tasty. If you’re new to kimchi, this recipe would be the perfect thing for you. Kimchi is a huge flavor component, but it’s toned down by brown sugar.
Skirt Steak is quickly becoming my go to steak for when I need BEEF! My family isn’t huge red meat eaters. It tends to be expensive and it’s not the greatest for you health wise. However for skirt steak I make an exception. It’s normally inexpensive and it’s so flavorful! It comes from the abdomen area of a cow, and many consider this cut a tough one which means making it happy in a marinade, lets it loosen up a bit. To make even more tender, we take a fork or a meat tenderizer and doc it all over. This gives the marinade a chance to “soak” into the meat as well.

What You Need:

1/2 c kimchi, plus 1tbs of the liquid
2 tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 to 2 lbs skirt steak

What To Do:

In a food processor, combine the kimchi, it’s liquid and the brown sugar and process it down until it becomes a paste. Take your skirt steak and with either a fork or a meat tenderize, punch several “holes” all over both sides of the steak. The more pokes the better! Once done, place it into a zip top bag along with the marinade. Press the air out and seal the bag, then massage the marinade into the steak. Let sit for at least an hour, but all day is much better. When you’re ready to cook it, preheat your grill on high. Remove the steak from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Place onto the super hot grill and sear on both side, about 2-3 minutes per side depending on the thickness. After the 6 minutes, the steak is done enough for me and my family. We like it on the rare side and because this is such a tough cut, it’s important to not cook this so it’s well done or you’ll be eating shoe leather! If however, you’re looking for more of a medium, transfer the steak to a cool side of the grill and continue to cook to your desired done-ness.

Yummy asparagus is not a favorite of everyone, just ask my daughter, but the rest of my family, can’t get enough of it! There are so many ways to cook asparagus and while I normally like to grill or roast it, these tartines were the bee’s knees. A tartine is nothing more than a fancy french work for an open faced sammie. The french always make things sound so much more interesting! A loaf of peasant bread is sliced and toasted, rubbed down with garlic and topped with some tangy goat cheese, sauteed asparagus, prosciutto and drizzled with a sweet balsamic vinegar. It doesn’t look like it will fill you up, but it does and then some! It’s quick, it’s easy and perfect for a late spring, early summer supper.

What You Need:

Peasant Bread, cut into 1/2 inch slices
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 lb asparagus, trimmed of ends
4 oz goat cheese
8-16 slices of very thinly sliced prosciutto
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degree, (or preheat a grill). Cut 8 slices of bread and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and into the oven for roughly 10 minutes, or until it’s toasty and slightly golden. If doing it on a grill, grill both sides briefly until golden and crispy on the outside. Rub each slice with garlic and set aside. Meanwhile, preheat a skillet over medium heat. Toss the asparagus with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and place in the skillet, cook till crisp/tender. Use a lid to help cook the asparagus a bit faster, without the outsides burning.

Slather each piece of toast with a bit of the goat cheese, then lay 3 or 4 pieces of asparagus on top. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and top with 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto. That’s it! Enjoy.

So, again, I buy bananas and the kids decide they want to eat all the apple, or all the oranges and I’m left with a bunch of bananas that are now covered with black spots. They are still delicious, and I think they’re even sweeter and taste more like bananas once they start to get over-ripe. I’m sure it has something to do with the sugars in the bananas. It can’t just be me right? So banana bread again. I didn’t want just banana bread though. Sure I’ve put in chocolate chips and what’s banana bread with nuts right? But it’s always the same thing. Well then my husband decided that he didn’t want to take granola with his yogurt any more because he would take almost 1/2 c and it was “to many calories”. Fine. So now I have all these bananas, and granola to do something with. Genius  I’ll combine them. And that’s just what I did.

What You Need:

5 bananas (semi over ripe)
1/4 c veg or canola oil
2 eggs
1/4 c honey
1/2 c milk (2%)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c  flour
2 tsp b. powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c granola

What To Do:

In the bottom of a large bowl, mush up three of the bananas. Then whisk in the oil, eggs, honey and milk until well combined. Chop up the remaining two bananas and stir them into the wet mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry mixture and the granola into the wet mixture and fold together until just combined. Divide evenly among two 8.5×4.5 bread pans. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean.

The Cubano has is a blue collar dish. It was first created in cafe’s to feed the workers of Cuba, before showing up in parts of Florida where the Cuban population has grown significantly over the years.  Really, the Cubano is not much more than a ham and cheese sammie with the distinct difference of having roasted pork as well as pickles added on to it. Real Cubano are made on Cuban bread, whose true history is unknown. Several places in Florida have claimed to have the best, but most believe that it was created by Sicilian-born Francisco Ferlita, Cuban-Spanish-Italian immigrant who settled in the Ybor City community of Tampa. Traditional Cuban bread is similar to a loaf of Italian bread, but more square instead of rounded. If you can’t find Cuban bread, using Italian bread is perfectly fine.

What You Need:

1 loaf Cuban Bread
Swiss Cheese
baked ham, thinly sliced
roasted pork (I like to use the pork from Cochinita Pibil)
several slices pickles (I prefer bread and butter, but dill’s are fine too)
Dijon Mustard

What To Do:

Spread a thin layer of mustard on both sides of bread, then layer each side with swiss cheese. Layer the ham, roasted pork and pickles on the bottom. Place the top on and slice it into manageable pieces. Press in a skillet, using a brick to hold it down, or press using a panini press. Enjoy.

Last summer, I spent a great deal of time at the Paradise Bakery in a near by town. I helped out with a program who’s goal it was to raise awareness about childhood hunger, and during the week, I’d sometimes help out in the kitchen. One dish that I could never get enough of was a Greek Sammie. It was feta cheese with spices, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cukes and spinach leaves all piled onto an herbed focaccia bread that was made in house. It was incredible to say the least and I had to start making it at home for the days when I couldn’t get to the bakery. Focaccia isn’t hard to make, and you can find a very easy recipe by clicking here. Instead of pressing it out into a pan, form them into rolls, brush with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and oregano before baking. Or of course, you can buy any sort of roll that you enjoy.

What You Need: (per sammie)

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
about 6 pitted kalamata olive, chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
tomato slices
cucumber slices
fresh baby spinach
1 focaccia roll

What To Do:

Thoroughly mix together the feta cheese, oregano, pepper, and lemon juice. Spread onto the bottom half of the roll. Top with a few slices of cucumber, tomato and some fresh baby spinach leaves. Place the top on, cut in half and devour!

I love, love, love, asparagus. I think it’s one of those things that you either love or hate, though I think those that hate it, just never had it cooked the right way. My dad loves it, but he only loves it when it’s mushy and cooked to death. In my opinion, asparagus should never be mushy. It should be soft, but you want to have to chew it. I love roasting it, or even better, grilling it. Asparagus is a spring time veggie with a short growing seasoning. On the west coast, the season is coming to an end, while on the east coast, it’s just beginning. I keep thing very simple when it comes to asparagus. When I roast it, it gets some love from olive oil, garlic, salt, and sometimes Parmesan cheese. Grilling though, is a whole different ball game. Sure, the basic ingredients are the same, but the flavor is boosted with lemon zest. It adds a depth of flavor and freshness to this delicious, spring time side dish.

What You Need:

1 bunch of asparagus
1-2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Preheat your grill or grill pan. I normally grill asparagus when I’m already grilling something else, less mess that way. I figure since I’m already cleaning the grill, might as well grill my veggies too! Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the stalks to evenly coat and distribute the flavors. On the cool side of the grill (if using coals), or the side of a gas grill with the burners turned to the lowest setting, line up your asparagus in a single layer and close the lid. Check and flip them after 2 to 3 minutes or until the outside has just started to brown. If you have the super thin, tender stalks, they’ll cook very quickly so don’t walk away from them. Once they’ve been browned on both sides, remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with the lemon zest. The heat from the asparagus releases the oils in the zest and adds a slight lemon flavor that brightens up an grilled dish.

Personally, I always make extra because it makes a great breakfast the next morning. Just heat the asparagus back up and top it with a sunny side up egg that was cooked over low heat or you can top it with a poached egg if you so desire. Then drizzle with some hollandaise sauce and enjoy the incredible deliciousness of a special breakfast.

Ah Quinoa. It’s a favorite of mine and has become a very popular source of protein over the last year or so. While most people think that Quinoa is a grain, it’s actually a seed that is prepared in the same way as a lot of whole grains. You can use Qunioa to replace rice in any dish, but unlike non-instant rice, it only takes about 15 minutes to cook. It’s made in a 2:1 ratio, 2 parts liquid to 1 part Quinoa. It gives this Thai inspired dish a huge boost of protein so that it is easily made into a meatless meal by not adding the chicken. There are lots of flavors in the dish, but they all compliment each other. It’s also very colorful which makes it fun for kids to eat. My kids love it because it is a lot like rice or pasta, and I feel good about giving it to them because of it’s healthful properties. The best part about this dish, is that it comes in at 404 calories a serving according to My Fitness Pal’s recipe calculator. There isn’t a ton of heat in this dish so feel free to add a minced Thai red chilie to give it a kick.

What You Need:

1 c uncooked Quinoa
2 c chicken stock
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbs coconut oil (veg or canola oil is fine)
juice from 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs minced fresh ginger
2 tbs Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbs creamy peanut butter
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 large carrots, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 c packed cilantro leaves, chopped
salt

What To Do:

In a small bowl, combine together the juice of one lime, one minced clove of garlic and one tablespoon of the minced ginger with a pinch of salt. Rub this into the chicken breast and let sit aside for 10 minutes. In a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil over high heat. Once melted, add in the dry Quinoa and toast the seeds for just a minute or two, stirring often. Add in the two cups of chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a bowl, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and keep covered for 5 more minutes.
While the Quinoa is cooking, heat a saute pan over medium high heat with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Once hot, add your chicken breast and cook till no longer pink in the middle, turning once. (About 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the breast) Once it’s cooked, let rest on a cutting board while making the sauce and finishing the dish.
To make the sauce, combine the juice of the remaining lime juice, garlic and ginger, along with the peanut butter, soy sauce, thai sweet chili sauce, rice wine vinegar and a pinch of salt, in a small bowl or mixing cup. Pop it into the microwave for 1 minute. This softens the peanut butter and makes it much easier to combine, as well as takes the edge off of the raw ginger and garlic. Once it’s thoroughly mixed together, set it aside until the Quinoa is cooked.
Stir the sauce into the Quinoa until it’s well coated. Stir in the shredded carrots, bell pepper, scallions and cilantro. Divide among 4 bowls and top with a few slices of the chicken breast that has been thinly sliced on a bias. Enjoy!

Right now, this is my all time favorite Latin dish. In the past two months, I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve made this, but every time I do, it’s gobbled up quick as can be.  Cochinita Pibil is a slow cooked pork shoulder from the Yucatán Península. Cochinita means baby pig, so true cochinita pibil is the roasting of a whole suckling pig. Though I do have a place to get such a thing, using a pork shoulder is so much easier and is also found in any super market. The roast is marinated in a citrus recado and you can find the recipe for this paste here.  It is then wrapped up in banana leaves and slow roasted. While the banana leaves do impart some flavor to the final dish, it’s something I do not have access to. Perhaps one day I’ll search the various Latin Grocers on the web, but for now, I am very happy using my slow cooker and enjoying every succulent bite.

What You Need:

3-4lb pork shoulder (boneless is easier to work with but not necessary)
1/2 the recado recipe
pickled red onions (see recipe below)

What To Do:

Rub the recado all over the pork shoulder, making sure to get every nook and cranny of it. If you go with
a boneless pork shoulder, and it’s been rolled and tied with butchers twine, remove the twine and rub every inch of the pork shoulder. Show it the love it deserves! Place the whole thing in a ziptop bag, squeezing out all the air, or in a shallow airtight dish and let sit for 24 hours, or at the very least, overnight. Place it into a slower cooker, along with any liquid that has collected and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. You’ll notice more liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker once it’s done. Remove the shoulder, shred and toss it with the remaining liquid. Server with warm homemade tortillas and pickled  red onions.

To make the pickled red onions, diced and cover with 2 parts red wine to one part water and a pinch of salt. Let sit for at least an hour before serving.

In simplest terms, this is nothing more than a seasoning paste. It is most commonly used for Cochinita Pibil which, in case you were wondering, has quickly become my favorite. Recado and adobo are terms that both mean seasoning and rojo means red. So Recado is a seasoning paste, that is uncooked and typically found in Peurto Rico and the Dominican Republic while an adobo can either refer to a marinade for a liquid that is used to braise meats. Adobo’s are known for being herbaceous  garlicky, sour mixtures often consisting of chilies and vinegar or citrus juices and lots of garlic. Here, the term Adobo Rojo, simply means red marinade, and this particular one, being used for Chochinita Pibil, is more from the Yucatecan region and gets it’s color from Achiote paste. Achiote is a small red seed that is ground down to make a paste that is nutty, smokey and absolutely beautiful in color. While I use this paste mostly for pibil, I often keep some on hand for chicken as well. It’s a great way to impart a ton of flavor.

What You Need:

2 heads of garlic
1 tbs black peppercorns
1 tbs ground allspice
1 tbs spoon cumin seeds
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 ounces achiote paste
upto 1/2 c vinegar (if you’re not using all of the paste right away)
1/2 c orange juice (3ish oranges)
1/2 c lime juice

What To Do:

Please note that this makes enough seasoning to for a 7 to 8 pound roast. I almost never make a roast that size so the instructions I am giving you are how I make the paste in order to store it in my fridge for later use. I will then tell you what to do in order to finish making the paste for when you are going to use it.
Separate the cloves of garlic from one head, peel them, and set them aside. With the other head, you want to char the outsides in a skillet. A cast-iron skillet works best for this. I usually start it in the skillet and end up putting it over a gas flame because I’m impatient. Basically, you just want to start to soften the garlic a bit to bring out some of it’s sweetness. Once it’s cool enough to handle, separate the cloves and peel, setting them aside as well.
In a small skillet, over medium heat, add your whole spices and toast, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, transfer into a spice mill and grind to a powder. Add the rest of the spices and oregano to the skillet and toast them as well, still constantly stirring for about 30 seconds. Place all of the spices, the achiote paste and all of the garlic into a blender or food processor and blend to a thick paste using up to 1/2 c of vinegar, adding in just enough to make the paste. Store in an air tight container and it will last for months.
If you’re using it right away, leave out the vinegar and use all of the citrus juices. To use after it’s been in the fridge, loosen the paste with 1/2 c of equal parts orange and lime juice.

PS: The cochinita pibil I mentioned earlier? Check back on Friday to see how I make it!

I don’t buy tortilla any more. There is no comparison to how fresh and delicious these homemade tortillas are. Normally, flour tortillas are made by combining flour, lard, a leavening agent and water. While I have nothing against pork fat at all, lard is just not something I keep on hand, neither is vegetable shortening which you could also use if you wanted. I wanted to keep this healthier though, more whole foods instead of processed, so vegetable shortening wasn’t an option and again, not something I keep on hand. Now coconut oil is something I almost always have in my pantry. I only buy cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil so that I can make sure to get all the benefits from it. There are several makers of coconut oil but I usually get mine from Amazon because it’s been the cheapest I can find it. The rest of the process is still the same and it’s super easy. You don’t need any special equipment, not even a tortilla press, but if you plan on making your own often like I do, it is something I would consider buying as it saves a lot time.

What You Need:

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 c coconut oil
1 c hot tap water

What To Do:

In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the flour and baking powder with the coconut oil. It’s pretty easy to do, just keep squeezing and smushing the flour and oil between your fingers. After a minute or two, you’ll have something that looks like wet sand.  Make a well in the flour mixture and add in the hot water all at once. Then again, using your hands, start to combine the whole thing. I usually scoop the flour into the water using my hand, then press down. I continue doing this till everything is incorporated nicely, then a few extra times to “knead” the dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes. This lets the gluten develop and gives you the “stretch” in dough making. Divide your dough into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls, cover back up with the kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Again, you want to give the gluten time to do it’s magic and relax a bit so that when you roll them out, or use the press, they won’t shrink. Heat a large, flat bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, you can start rolling our or pressing the tortillas. If you’re rolling them out using a rolling pin, use as little excess flour as possible. Roll each out, one at a time into an 8 inch round. Place it on the dry skillet and cook until the edges look dry. You’ll probably get some air bubbles puffing up. Flip it over and cook again till done. It doesn’t take more than 3ish minutes to cook a tortilla. If you find it’s taken longer, then turn the heat up a bit.
If you are using a tortilla press, follow the manufacturers instructions on pressing them and cook the same way as directed above.