Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog. (Cooking With Corey)

Recipe #58: Tomato, Red Pepper, & Zucchini Soup

2009-10-27T17:16:00.052-04:00

And here's yet another original soup recipe. This one's extremely easy to make; all you have to do is chop up a bunch of veggies, toss 'em in a sauce pot with water & spices, let the whole thing cook for a few hours, & then just forget about it until the timer goes off, et le voilà‎. Good for those nights when you want to drink something hot, soothing, tasty, & fresh, but don't feel like putting in major effort. :) Make it, drink it, & then crash on the sofa & relax -- You're in for the rest of the night. :)

The addition of the zucchini gives the soup its texture, while the red peppers & carrots add sweetness, & the red tomatoes give it some zing.

Tomato, Red Pepper, & Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2-3 large shallots, diced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 red peppers, innards/seeds removed & sliced into 2 inch pieces
3 large zucchinis, unpeeled & diced into rough chunks
5 large carrots, peeled & sliced into small 1 inch thick chunks
4 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes (NOTE: You will be using the entire can's contents, including the juice.)
3 Tbsp. flour
4 c. water
2 Tbsp. paprika
1-2 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
8-10 fresh basil leaves, OR 2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1/2 tsp. parsley
salt, to taste (between 1-2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
15-20 sun-dried tomato halves (about 1 8-oz. container of sun-dried tomatoes)

Directions:
1. In a large sauce pot, sauté garlic & shallots in olive oil on medium heat until translucent, stirring frequently.
2. Next, add red peppers & stir, cooking until tender. About 10-15 minutes.
3. Add zucchini & both the fresh & canned tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.
4. Add flour, stirring until it disappears.
5. Add water, carrots, & all spices.
6. Turn down heat to low & simmer with the lid on for 3 hours. Check on soup occasionally & add water if necessary. Taste for flavor balance & adjust seasonings. Continuing to cook until desired thickness has been reached.
7. In the last 1/2 hour of cooking (i.e., 2 1/2 hrs into cooking), add the sun-dried tomatoes.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Blend mixture in batches, using a hand mixer, potato masher, or food mill. (If you like soup chunky, blend soup only slightly, using the pulse setting.)
10. Serve hot. Reheat if necessary. (Freeze remainder for future lunches & dinners.) Enjoy!

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Serving suggestions: Garnish with thinly sliced/shredded fresh basil. Serve with a dollop of low-fat sour cream or non-fat plain yoghurt, & a slice of sour dough bread.

Recipe #57: "Potatoes in Paradise" Potato Soup

2009-10-27T14:28:00.032-04:00

Yes, I'm on a cooking spree today; I just made Mexican chili & put it in the fridge for Thursday's lunch with friends, chez penguin. :) Chili tastes even better when refrigerated or frozen overnight.

And now, I'm making potato soup for tonight's dinner. Since it's going to be dining for one tonight, leftovers will be frozen for this weekend, when I anticipate a visit from my squeeze & possibly some friends who're planning on stopping into town then.

"Potatoes in Paradise" Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, cut in 1-inch chunks
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. flour
1 c. dry sherry
8 large potatoes, peeled & cubed, cut in 1/2 inch chunks (red or yellow, etc.)
2 large carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 stalk celery, diced
4 small sprigs of fresh dill
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried parsley leaves
2 bay leaves
kosher salt & black pepper, to taste (or 1 tsp. salt + 1/4 tsp. pepper)
4 c. water
2 cup non-fat plain soy milk (buttermilk or skim milk also work well)

Directions:
1. Melt 1 butter in a large skillet; add olive oil & sauté onions, shallots, & garlic until translucent. Sprinkle with flour, & keep stirring until flour is completely absorbed. Deglaze with sherry.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, & celery, & cook for about 30 minutes on medium-high heat. Add spices & water & bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover, & cook on medium-low heat for 3 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Remove from stove, blend mixture in batches, using a hand mixer, potato masher, or food mill. Return to sauce pot for further cooking. IMPORTANT: Do NOT use a blender, or the potato mixture will very likely turn gummy from overprocessing.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning. A half-hour to one-hour before serving, stir in the (soy) milk & season with salt & pepper to taste. If necessary, add more (soy) milk or water until desired consistency is reached. Heat thoroughly. Ladle potato soup into bowls, garnish with fresh chopped chives, & serve.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

Recipe #56: Cyberpenguin's Cincinnati Chili

2009-10-27T11:04:00.047-04:00

The subject of chili is a topic that evokes passionate debate in my family. From the start, my mother put forth some pretty strong opinions about what kind of chili, if any, her family would be consuming, and so, we grew up eating very little of it, & when we did, it was always a vegetarian chili. :)

The irony is that, at university, I won a cooking contest for, you guessed it, my vegetarian chili. :)

And the prize for my efforts? A hardbound copy of Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant. A great reward indeed! This cookbook is virtual goldmine of recipes that I still use to this very day!

It was not until after university, that I ventured forth & tasted the meat version, which was first made using Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili spice mix, in my own kitchen. I don't normally resort to using commercial pre-packaged spice-mixtures; however, for Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili spice mix, it's worth making an exception. :) I'm happy to report that the results of my first meat chili were decent, and since then, I've made several different versions -- both vegetarian & meat versions -- adding different ingredients like green & red peppers, onions, beans, masa (corn) flour, and amazingly, even chocolate (for Cincinnati Chili, which, if you're curious, is similar in concept to a chocolate mole sauce, where the chocolate is more of a subtle accent versus an overriding flavor). (I know the addition of unsweetened chocolate might sound bizarre to some people -- and yes, I was a tad bit skeptical about the concept at first too, but trust me, it adds a really amazing flavor to the dish. Plus, it's fun to be adventurous, try something different every now & then, & expand one's horizons. Especially when that something is really, really good. :) )

I've grown to really enjoy & appreciate homemade chili, in part, due to my continual experimentation with it in the kitchen, & also because of my squeeze, Erik, who often requests it when the weather turns colder. :)

Anyhow, here's my own version of Cincinnati Chili. Frankly, I don't like the idea of chili mixed with pasta, (which, I believe is the traditional way it's served in Cincinnati ;) ), so my version is served with tortilla chips instead, which is more like "Cincinnati Chili by way of Mexico." :)

Also, the nice thing about my version of this recipe is that it calls for 93% fat-free meat (or whatever the highest fat-free version is that you can find) & doesn't require any additional oil; the garlic & onions are cooked in the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes. Just one of the low-fat cooking tactics from my bag o' tricks. :)

This recipe is packed with flavor, so those you serve it to won't even realize that it's lower in fat. Shhhhh! :)

Anyhow, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Cyberpenguin's Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:
2 lbs. 93% fat-free ground beef (or whatever the highest percentage low-fat beef you can find!)
1 large red onion, diced
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes (NOTE: Be sure to reserve juice!)
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
4 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1-2 c. water
2 tsp. paprika
1-2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (Adjust for heat to suit individual preferences: Adding 1 tsp. will add a small kick to your chili; adding 2 tsp. or more will add a bit more; and, adding 2+ tsp. plus some Tabasco sauce will a "Ka-pow!" :) )
1/3 Mexican chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin powder
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice powder
1/4 tsp. ground clove powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon powder
2 Tbsp. (Hershey's) unsweetened cocoa powder
salt, to taste (between 1-2 tsp.)
1 (15.5 or) 16-oz. can kidney or pinto beans
2 Tbsp. masa (corn) flour

Directions:
1. Brown meat in large sauce pot. Drain, transfer meat to bowl, & set aside.
2. Sauté onions & garlic in the tomato juice (from the diced tomatoes can) on medium-high heat using the same sauce pot you used to cook the meat. (Using the same sauce pot will add flavor to the onions & garlic & also save on dishwasher loads; this is a good way to be economical & green. And also, it's great for those of us who hate washing dishes & despise cleaning anything in general. :) )
2. Cook garlic & onion mixture until translucent, stirring frequently.
3. Next, add meat & all other ingredients except for kidney beans & masa. Turn down heat to low & simmer with the lid on for 30 min.
4. Check on chili & add water if necessary. Taste for flavor balance & adjust to suit your personal preferences.
5. Add kidney beans & masa flour. Slow cook with lid on for 60 more minutes. Taste, and continue to cook until desired thickness has been reached, approximately 30-60 additional minutes.

Yield: 8 servings.

Serving suggestions: Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with low-fat/baked tortilla chips. I personally recommend R.W. Garcia Flaxseed Tortilla Chips, which are a tasty, crunchy, & yes, healthy alternative to plain ole' tortilla chips. :) To accompany the chili, I recommend either the Blue Corn w/Flaxseed or Flaxseed w/Soy varieties. The other flavors are probably too busy for this dish; there's enough flavor sensations already going on with the chili itself. Best not to overdo it & keep the focus on the main event, i.e., the chili. :)

Alternate ingredients: Add fresh green & red pepper (cut into small strips), &/or cooked corn kernels.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes......

2009-10-14T21:23:00.017-04:00

If you've visited this blog lately (via the live page versus the feed :) ), you probably will have noticed that there have been a few changes, some more obvious than others.

Firstly & most obviously, there's the new blog header, which was designed & created by yours truly. :) And then there's the addition of various buttons, some of which I nabbed from various places & then customized, and others of which are unique creations.

As the saying goes, "form follows function," so while I enjoy the design process, the ultimate purpose is to streamline content and make it easier for readers to navigate this blog.

I'm honestly nowhere close to being finished with the design & layout of this blog. There's a lot of work still to be done, & I frankly haven't had a whole lot of time to devote to this leisure activity -- So, as a matter of practicality & priorities, the work has been done slowly over time, & will probably continue to be done in such a manner until further notice. :)

At some point, I plan to add tabs and move a lot of the links to these areas to further de-clutter the page while still continuing to provide lots of detailed content. Although you wouldn't know it from looking at this blog's layout (especially in its earliest incarnations, I'm actually quite the design minimalist. I think the new logo reflects that intent/impulse.

Anyhow, thanks for your patience during the on-going face-lift!

Cheers,
Cyberpenguin

Introducing the NEW "Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog." Facebook Fan Page!

2009-10-03T11:27:00.014-04:00

Introducing the NEW Facebook Fan Page for Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog. Drum roll, please. :)

If you click on the above widget, it'll take you directly to the landing page for this blog's Facebook fan page. (Of course, you need to belong to Facebook first, before you can join this fan page. :) )

Alternatively, you can show your support for this blog by adding your own Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog. widget to your website or blog, either on a sidebar or within a blog post. :)

Thank you so much for publicly showing your support for this blog!

Recipe #55: Vegetarian French Onion Soup

2009-10-03T00:08:00.009-04:00

This recipe makes for a great post-exercise fluid/sodium replacement option. I often drink it after workouts on a chilly Fall or Winter’s day. It’s very refreshing & tasty, and so easy to make. Enjoy!

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil (Or, for more flavor, use ½ Tbsp. olive oil + ½ Tbsp. butter)
2 shallots, minced
2 yellow onions, sliced into ¼ inch thick slivers
2 large bay leaves
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. whole wheat or all-purpose unbleached white flour
½ c. sherry
½ c. dry white wine
¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
6-8 c. water (or for more flavor, can use vegetable stock)
2 slices bread (can use whole wheat or sourdough slices, etc.)
4 Tbsp. shredded Asiago cheese
a few sprinkles of a soft, mild-tasting cheese like mozarella (NOTE: While it's more traditional to use Gruyère, I frankly think that low-fat mozarella tastes better & has a more even consistency when mixed with the Asiago. IMHO, melted Gruyère tastes like a rubber band. :) Of course, do what you like best.)

Instructions:
1. In a large nonstick pot, sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat, until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally, watching pot carefully, to make sure garlic doesn’t burn.
2. Add shallots, onions, and bay leaves. Lightly season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. (If you cook the onions too quickly, they’ll taste bitter.)
3. Add flour, stir well, and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Deglaze pot with sherry and white wine. Add water/stock, taste and bring to a slow boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
5. Taste soup for flavor & sodium content/level. If necessary, add soy sauce (to taste), and adjust other seasonings as needed.
6. Place 1 slice of bread at the bottom of each bowl/soup cup and ladle in soup. Sprinkle each full bowl with 2 tsp. Asiago cheese, mixed with a few sprinkles of low-fat mozarella, etc.

Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Recipe #54: Creamy Farfalle with Cremini Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Walnuts

2009-09-18T17:35:00.008-04:00

Boy, is this recipe TASTY! "Heavenly" is actually the word I'd use to describe it. :)

Warning, this recipe isn't exactly low-fat, but the walnuts and veggies have excellent health properties, so one rich-abeit-nutritious meal is certainly OK every now and then. Just not 50 of them. In a row. LOL! Everything in moderation, as the expression goes.

Anyhow, back to the main event: the recipe. Here it is. Enjoy!

Creamy Farfalle with Cremini Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Walnuts

(Source: This recipe is originally from Giada De Laurentiis's show, Everyday Italian, from the episode, "No Sauce Pastas.")

Ingredients:
salt, to taste
1 lb. farfalle pasta
3 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 c. mascarpone cheese
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 c. walnuts, shelled & toasted
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan

Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle & cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 min. Drain, reserving 1 c. of pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms & sauté until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, i.e., about 5 min. Add the farfalle. Stir in the mascarpone & nutmeg, & toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 c. at a time to moisten. Stir in 1/2 c. of walnuts. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt & pepper. Mound the pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the parmesan & remaining 1/4 c. of walnuts. Serve.

Prep time: 15 min.

Cook time: 15 min.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Of Buffets and Big Eyes :)

2009-09-15T21:11:00.013-04:00

Today Erik & I went to an Indian vegetarian buffet for lunch. Neither of us are vegetarian per se, but we both like Indian vegetarian food. :)

It's been a while since we've gone out to eat, & it was nice to go out to lunch to spend some time with him. Plus, the food at this restaurant is DELICIOUS. :)

I had a very rushed morning -- a long story that I won't bother explaining -- & normally make a point of eating breakfast. This morning was just one of those rare days when the only thing I had to eat was a mid-morning snack of a nectarine & a piece of cheese, and then by 12:30 pm was of course more than ready for lunch.

Today -- as a direct result of the uneven spacing of meals/snacks -- my eyes were a bit bigger than my stomach, & I ate two medium-sized plates of food at the buffet. Normally, I'm pretty good about not overeating at buffets and one will do the trick. OK, I don't know what the heck I was thinking. Apparently, my eyes & my stomach were doing the thinking for me. :)

The other thing is that I haven't been running lately due to some recurring soreness in my knees. The reason I mention this is that when I'm "not exercising," I seem to do more things that I regret. ;) Namely, eating with the same kind of wild abandon normally reserved for a tank of Great Whites during a feeding frenzy. LOL! :)

All kidding aside, it's 9:15 pm and I am STILL digesting lunch. Hard to believe, I know. I'm actually scared to find out how many calories I consumed in this one meal, & honestly there's a part of me that'd rather not know (!). However, what's done is done, so now I'm heading off to the gym to do some course-correction & work off some of those extra calories. I would probably need to run 15 miles to make a significant dent (LOL!) in consumed calories from today's lunch. However, since it's late & realistically-speaking, my knees probably can't handle that amount of mileage after several days off from running, I think I'll be running closer to 5-6. :) After all, 500-600 extra calories burned is better than nothing!

Anyhoooooo, as a result of the aforementioned situation & the current time of night, I've decided to hold off on making the chicken until tomorrow night. So you'll just have to wait one more day for the modified recipe. That's just the way things went today. You're welcome to check back after tomorrow night's dinner, & there might be an update with the recipe. (I'm not going to promise an exact time table; however, the recipe will most likely show up here at some point in the near future.) Until then, have a great night!

-C

Bock Bock Bock! The Chicken is Marinating......

2009-09-15T01:45:00.005-04:00

Earlier tonight, I marinated a chicken. Basically, I took the Peruvian Roasted Chicken recipe (that I'd blogged about earlier) and modified it to make it even better. :) Of course, my own version of this recipe will most likely be posted here after it's been taste-tested for dinner (i.e., most likely tomorrow!), provided it passes muster with the "eating brigade" & gets the Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog. seal of approval. :)

Until then, hang in there. The suspense will soon be broken. ;)

Guerilla Kitchen Tactics: Surviving the Recession By Going Grocery Shopping in Your Own Pantry

2009-09-13T18:01:00.063-04:00

What I'd like to know is this: How many other people, besides myself and a few of my friends, have gone into "survival cooking mode"?

Translation: I'm cooking on a budget at the moment. :)

So there you have it. I know it's probably not fashionable or even wise to publicly admit that on a blog (especially one that isn't anonymous!), but it's the bald, honest-to-goodness truth. Of course, I know I'm not exactly unique in this predicament. Due to the tight economy, many people are dealing with similar issues.

However, no worries, I won't be turning into "Frugal Frannie Fussbudget" anytime in the near future. :) To be frank about it, I absolutely despise that sort of downward-spiraling, penny-pinching mentality, where every action is dictated -- or rather, pre-determined -- by money stresses, and motivated by a "dearth" mentality, which usually results in poor choices in both the short- & long-term. Forget it. I refuse to participate in that attitude. I'd rather be thankful for what I have and focus on that, considering the long-term cost benefit analysis in terms of both one's health AND pocketbook.

So instead of stressing out about it, I decided that it was best to view the current situation as an opportunity. You know the old expression about "making lemonade out of lemons," etc., etc.? Yeah, I'm going to make the most of it, and have a d*mned good time doing it. :)

And while I'm currently very cost-conscious at the moment, I still believe that one's long-term health is never worth sacrificing for short-sighted, short-term gains. In other words, I won't be subjecting anyone in my household (including the cats!) to so-called "cheap food," which actually ends up being quite expensive after factoring in the heavy cost of medical bills caused by a lifetime of artery-clogging food choices. Yes, expediency and cost still do matter to some extent, but not at the cost of my family's health: I would rather make quick and simple meals using whole foods before giving up on all counts & just grabbing a Big Mac. :)

I think it's possible to make meals which are both healthy and cost-conscious. And right here, through this blog, I'd like to show you how you can accomplish all that on a budget.

A while back, some of you might recall that I blogged about how you can save money by buying your spices in bulk, either online or at your local ethnic grocery store. And just yesterday, I blogged about how you can find healthy & tasty, creative meal ideas by centering your cooking inspiration around coupons.

And today, I bring you yet another idea for how to cook a healthy meal on a budget: Take inventory of your kitchen pantry and fridge.

Now this isn't as daunting as it sounds. You don't need to lift or examine anything, or reorganize your entire pantry in the process. All you have to do is get a piece of paper and write down a list of items that perhaps haven't gotten a lot of use (or exposure to natural light!) lately but could perhaps be incorporated into a meal of some kind. In other words, try to find food items that you'd like to "use up" but that could still be made into a tasty meal of some sort.

Simply put, this activity is the food equivalent of going clothes-shopping in your own closet to find new outfit combinations you never even knew you had. :)

Before proceeding with this exercise, I have one word of caution: Make sure you're in a solid state of mind when you conduct this little inventorying exercise. What I mean is this: While I'm not about to send my sister, who happens to be a psychiatrist, to visit all of your homes to administer a mental fitness test :), it's of the essence that you do your inventorying when you're in a calm (read, "non-panic-button-pushing-but-still-conscious") state of mind. I cannot stress this enough. Make sure that you are not having one of those "moments," in which whatever ingredients you choose to combine in the kitchen won't be thoroughly regretted later at the dinner table by both you and your family. :)

Please note, this is NOT an exercise in "getting rid of foodstuffs" by way of inflicting them upon unwitting dinner guests. :) Using up items is not necessarily the same thing as getting rid of them!

As my mother & sister like to joke, many a calamitous cooking disaster has begun with five little innocent-sounding words: "What can I use up?" :) There have been many unfortunate tales of woe revolving around such dire kitchen miscalculations, several of which have been comically recounted by the female members of my family. Of course, I'm not at liberty to release any of the details, having been sworn to secrecy on pain of torture by spatula-beating (LOL!). All I will say is that the results weren't pretty.

Every cook, no matter how excellent or experienced, has had their fair share of culinary bombs and bloopers. Such is the sacrificial offering which must be made to the Kitchen Muse in the name of creative experimentation. :) But it is better for one to at least try to stack the cards in one's favor by starting out with a relaxed and natural state of mind, which acts as a primer, nay the foundation, for inspired cooking. Not surprisingly, a steady mind gives way to a steady hand and heart. :)

This reminds me of a certain hilarious incident from my past, one which has no doubt been comically retold by my mother on numerous occasions, in which I decided that I would take all of the leftover lipsticks in my bathroom drawer & combine them into a new shade. Yes, I created my very own shade of lipstick, and it should've been named "Vampira," because it was a not-so-lovely brownish purple color that, when applied, gave the impression that all of the color had been drained from my face. :) See, there was a reason those shades had been left over in the drawer. It would have been so much smarter if I'd have just chucked them in the bin instead of temporarily morphing myself into a cosmetical "Dr. Frankenstein." ;) Attempting to use up all the ingredients in your pantry without paying mind to their expiration date or actual originally-intended purpose is the culinary equivalent of this activity. :-D

Such impulsiveness is generally ill-advised. :) Rather, write down about 20 ingredients on a piece of paper, and then go online & search for a recipe based on a few of these ingredients -- feel free to search this blog if you like :) -- or use a recipe generator like RecipePuppy or CookThing.

That way, the exercise becomes a practical, problem-solving tool, instead of a "Rorschach" experiment. :)

Good luck!
-C

If It Clucks Like A Delicious Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken..... It Must Be El Pollo Rico :)

2009-09-12T17:37:00.011-04:00

Apparently, I'm on a roll & just can't stop writing this week. This time the subject is chicken.

If you are a Facebook friend of mine, & saw my most recent status updates, no doubt you probably saw this post:

"OMG, OMG, OMG. I think I've hit the jackpot of recipes. Is it true?! Does this recipe actually replicate the taste of El Pollo Rico's nationally-famous Peruvian chicken? Now I've just GOT to try it. I know a few people who've since moved away from DC, who will be VERY interested in this recipe. Hopefully it'll help quell a little bit of their homesickness & cravings for this unbelievably delicious chicken. :)"

I took a friend of mine to this restaurant several months ago. As a former DC area resident, she'd somehow missed eating at this place while living here & had been wanting to try it ever since. Of course, I had no problem complying with that request. In fact, I seem to recall that I was fairly insistent about taking her there. :)

She had a similarly ecstatic reaction to this place. It's the same with almost all of my friends I take there. It just can't be helped. All they do at this place is pollo a la brasa -- it's the main event, baby! -- but man, oh man, do they know how to "do it right"!

I even wrote a lengthy Yelp entry on the topic, writing, not one but two, entries on the subject of this place's legendary chicken, which inspires cravings in local area residents like you wouldn't believe.

Bock, bock, bock!!!!!

Some Creative Ways to Generate Easy,Thrifty, & (Shock, Shock! Yes, It's True!) Healthy Meal Ideas

2009-09-12T13:58:00.034-04:00

I wanted to share a very simple but creative way to save money & generate meal ideas in these budget-conscious times: Base your meals around coupons.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm suggesting that you create a dinner based around "Little Debbies." :) Or whatever happens to be on sale at the moment. You don't have to be at the mercy of grocery store flyers, coupon mailers, or the advertising & coupon inserts in your Sunday paper to create healthy meals on a budget. :)

There's been a lot of media coverage about the "high cost of cheap food." But I'm not talking about funnel cakes and fast-food here. I'm talking about fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and other basic food staples which can be used very inexpensively to make healthy, fresh meals.

What I'm suggesting is this: Find some coupons for a food item with high nutritional value, and use them to jumpstart your brainstorming process. Perhaps the meal will center around this ingredient as the "main event" or perhaps it will be used as a background element. The point is that this method is a tool to help you generate ideas and focus in on a solution.

A lot of times I find that it's easier to come with meal ideas if one has something in mind or at least some kind of tool or resource to help narrow down the vast array of selections, as opposed to asking the open-ended question, "What the heck should I make for dinner?!" :) Such questions have been known to strike fear into the hearts of even the most experienced cooks, especially when one is short on time & overwhelmed with the many things one must do in a day.

Most creative souls know that if they wait for inspiration to strike, that there are those days when they might be waiting for quite a while. :) A more proactive approach is to look at the situation like a jigsaw puzzle where one can best solve it by working the outer edges and corners first. :) Either that, or one can start by assembling the pieces with the instantly recognizable images! This is a much better way to go about finding a "solution" versus dumping the entire 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle out onto the table, crossing one's fingers, & hoping for the best. :)

Either way, you get the metaphor. Formulate a strategy. Narrow down the number of variables you have to simultaneously contend with and then take the step-by-step approach, as a means of solving the "problem." [OK, this isn't the same thing as a calculus exam; no one will be grading you on your ability to come up with "creative dinner solutions." :) ]

The reason for why this method is so effective is really quite simple: You don't just pull creative ideas out of a hat. Really, creativity doesn't work like that. Yeah, yeah, I know there are some people who say that they don't have any idea where such-and-such idea came from, but if we really analyze the creative process, there is a lot of evidence to support that creative ideas are actually formed over a long period of time; they come from a long, slow mulling-over of thoughts, both consciously and subconsciously. It is a "percolation" of the mind, if you will. And a lot of that occurs in the unconscious mind -- in both waking & sleep states. There is also a certain "ebb and flow" of the creative process itself, in which the ebb isn't actually an inactive period in the mind; the mind is still processing information, but to the naked eye of the conscious observer, it might just simply look that way. Anyhow, this isn't a discourse in psychology or the biological sciences.

My larger point is this: When it comes to generating ideas, limitations can actually be a good thing. As the expression goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." And nowhere is that more true than in the kitchen. I find that my most creative ideas come from having to work within a limitation of some sort. This is not stifling; it's actually liberating, because it forces a person to "find solutions," often in an unorthodox way that one would not have thought of otherwise (i.e., under "normal" circumstances).

Anyhow, here's an example of how you can put "coupon-based, meal-idea brainstorming" to work for you: The other day I had a coupon for 2 half-gallon cartons of grapefruit juice. Now how the heck can I get a meal idea out of something like this, you might ask?! Well, grapefruit juice can be used in some surprising ways, let me tell you. :)

One of the more obvious ideas would be to use the juice for breakfast or freeze the juice & turn them into juice popsicles & eat them as snacks. But that's not really a meal, now is it? A much more interesting idea would be to use the juice for a smoothie for either breakfast or lunch. This is especially useful for a meal-on-the-go. I even happen to have an original recipe for that. Grapefruit apricot smoothie, anyone? ;)

And then we can get even more creative with ways to incorporate grapefruit juice into recipes. Some ideas: Grapefruit juice can be used as an ingredient in glazed chicken, fish, beets, and various other dishes. It can also be incorporated into a vinaigrette for a salad. And so on & so forth.

This exercise can be rather fun. Just recently, I looked through my coupons and challenged myself to create meal ideas from multiple coupons. Now, THAT can be a real flexing of one's creative muscles. LOL!

Often, I'll look through my fridge and cupboards, and see what I can make from what's lying around the house. Even if my supplies are dwindling, I can usually come up with something. Or, if not, I consult online resources for additional help.

One site that I highly recommend for generating meal ideas is RecipePuppy. This site will search for recipe ideas based on the ingredients you plug into its search engine. I tell you, this site rocks! Not only that, but they are on both Twitter (@RecipePuppy) and Facebook, & even happen to have their very own Twitter search bot, where you can tweet some ingredients to RecipePuppy's @recipebot, and you'll get some recipe ideas tweeted back to you using the ingredients you specified. Pretty cool, eh?!

RecipePuppy also has a site called CookThing, which has a similar function.

So next time you're struggling for meal ideas, try following some of the above suggestions. Hope these ideas help you!

Cheers,
-C

Phew, This Is Hard Work!

2009-09-11T05:50:00.010-04:00

I just added five -- count 'em, five (!) -- posts (including this one & the one I just finished that was backdated from July!), & am just about ready to keel over from all the writing. :)

To boot, I fell asleep on the couch again around 6 pm, and it royally screwed up my sleep schedule. So here I am at 5:54 am, still awake, not having gone to bed since, er, 6 pm. :)

Of course, I enjoy writing, but frankly sometimes the actual documentation process itself, especially for a new recipe creation, can be a bit tedious. Sometimes I'd love to just be able to come up with an original recipe and have all the ingredients and instructions automagically recorded for me. :)

For me, the real fun's in the recipe creation process & the story-telling that goes along with it. :)

Perhaps the other reason the process is so "painful" is that, as you probably have already figured out by this point, I like to put a lot of details into each post. There are a lot of crucial details, and due to my perfectionist and den-mother-like tendencies, I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that when it's time for you to go through the cooking process, that your experience turns out well. :)

[And if that means describing something in carefully detailed, precise language, then so be it, regardless of how much effort or time it takes for me to do so. A recipe blog is one place in which skimping on information could be potentially dangerous. ;) ]

Anyhow, I hope you like these last few posts. Hopefully the enormous amount of time and effort put into the documentation process proves to be worth it in the end -- for both creator and reader alike! :)

Good Night -- er, I mean "Good morning!" ;),
-C

Guess Who's Going to Be the "Featured-Chef-of-the-Month" on CookEatShare.com?! :)

2009-09-10T08:20:00.019-04:00

Just a quick update. I've got some exciting news: The website, CookEatShare.com would like me to be a featured chef there for an entire month. This is so cool!!!! I feel so honored. Wow. Just wow!

Here's how it happened: A company representative by the name of Susan left a comment on my blog roughly a month ago, indicating their interest. Here's an excerpt from that letter. (Certain identifying information has been removed/concealed as a courtesy to the author):

"My name is Susan and I work with a high traffic cooking site called www.cookeatshare.com. I have tried a few recipes of yours and was very impressed. We would like to make you a featured chef on our site in August or September. Our 'featured chef' section, which is at the very top of our home page, gets tremendous exposure to our over 300,000 monthly visitors. You can see it here...www.cookeatshare.com. The featured chef also gets exposure in our monthly newsletter, which goes out to a very broad audience.

We are a cooking social network for professional chefs and foodies. We've grown rapidly over the past year and now reach over 300,000 unique visitors on a monthly basis. We've had great write ups in the Daily Candy, Eater, San Jose Mercury News, Orange County Register, and many other reputable sites.

We really like the recipes and other content you post on Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog., which is why we'd like to make you a featured chef. You can link back to your blog from your profile and from your recipes, so this is truly a win-win. Creating a profile and uploading recipes can be done in just a few minutes, and I can help as much as you need me to.

You can reach me at (email address). Or just sign up on CookEatShare and send me a message through the site. I look forward to working with you!"

Recipe #52: Tilapia a la Veracruzana

2009-09-10T06:06:00.025-04:00

No that's not a misprint. It only looks like I skipped "Recipe #51," but that's because I haven't actually posted it yet. :) (It's sitting in my "drafts" box, while I try to locate my chicken-scratch notes for the recipe. ;) ) -->Update (as of approximately 5 am on 9/10/09): That recipe has now been posted, here.

Anyhow, after last night's 6-mile run, I fell asleep early -- I accidentally dozed off on the couch sometime around 9 pm (?!) & slept there the entire night! Oops! -- & am now up at 5:30 am. So, in other words I now have a bit of time to type up the recipe I made for last night's dinner. :)

The below dish is an original recipe, but it's not mine. It's my mother's preparation, & it's fabulous. In fact, this is a dish that people who don't even normally like fish will actually like. Trust me on this. I have proof. (More on that later!)

Part of the reason for this is that the fish is breaded. So, in other words, it'll even appeal to the 99% of the American population, who, as little kids, have fond memories of growing up on fish sticks and ketchup or "fish 'n' chips" for lunch/dinner as their first "fish-eating" experience. :-D

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While I do love fish, I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of tilapia. Having said that, here is the story of how I came around to the idea of eating tilapia, and how I convinced Erik, my squeeze, to eat it as well. Hint: It has something to do with this recipe. :)

I consider the fact that I was able to get Erik, who's not exactly a big fish-lover in the first place, to eat fish of any sort -- let alone tilapia! -- to be a major triumph. Corey - 1, Erik - 1. Yes, everyone came out a winner here. :)

From a nutritional standpoint, there are several reasons to eat Tilapia. First of all, this fish is high in protein and low in saturated fat, but still contains a decent amount of Omega-3s, the heart-healthy fatty acids whose benefits by now, have very likely been trumpeted to the entire planet and beyond. I've also written a few articles about their benefits, and have probably mentioned them ad naseum on this blog and elsewhere. ;-) In fact, a 3 oz. serving of tilapia provides over 100 mg of Omega-3s, more than hamburger, steak, chicken, turkey, or "oinkety-oink." :)

Anyhow, back to the story: I'd previously told my mother that I wasn't a huge fan of tilapia, having eaten my fair share of it (in it's unbreaded and unadorned form) growing up. However, she'd apparently either forgotten or ignored this small fact, and made it anyhow for dinner one night during my stay there a few weeks ago. ;)

On top of that, there was yet another reason for my dislike of tilapia -- an unpleasant "food memory association." You see, I'd gotten rather sick of eating it while living & working in East Africa many moons ago, (another story for another time), where restaurants there almost always serve it fried and breaded. It's not that it wasn't tasty, but there's only so much fried food & tilapia-eating that one person can take on a weekly basis. :) While I don't normally make a practice of eating fried foods, I didn't have much choice, since there was a limited range of things that I was able to eat (due to a some dietary restrictions, etc.). Long-story short, the reason I'd stuck with the tilapia is that when I tried the chicken, it tasted like fish; upon further inquiry, I discovered that the reason this was so was because their chickens had been fed "fish meal." YUCK! Well, that certainly explained THAT. Thus ended the extent of my chicken-eating while I was staying at this particular hotel. :) (To be fair, I'd also had some amazing culinary experiences while in this very same locale, including my very first Ethiopian meal, but again, these are all stories for another time.)

Anyhow, back to the more recent dining experience I'd had at my mother's house: I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the meal my mother had prepared that night, and -- dare, I say it -- even shocked at how good it was. Well, that certainly changed my mind on the spot about tilapia. It was incredibly delicious. In fact, it was so good that I'd gobbled up every mouthful, probably in record time (!), and then kept raving for about 5 straight minutes to my mother (the cook!) about how amazing it was.

Apparently, my mother had made a lot of notable improvements to the dish since my last tasting experience at their house: Whereas before she'd floured the fish, she now substituted breadcrumbs for the flour, which made it taste markedly better!

This could also possibly explain why the first time I made tilapia back at our household in the city -- using the original, unmodified recipe (i.e., with the flour!) -- was also the last. ;) Frankly, both Erik and I hated the way it had turned out when I used the flour preparation. In fact, the experience had been so unpleasant that both of us had vowed never to eat tilapia again!

So imagine my surprise when the very same recipe with a slightly different preparation turned out to be delicious! Yes, the breadcrumbs do matter THAT much. :)

Truth be told, tilapia is a rather bland, unexciting fish. It really does NEED flavoring, desperately! Having said that, it IS perfect for breading and also for picking up other flavors. When making a breaded fish, you don't want to use a fish that's terribly pungent or overpowering in terms of taste.

Anyhow, when I got back home, I was determined to try the new version of the recipe, even though I knew it would take a fair deal of convincing to get the idea past Erik, especially since we'd both been previously disinclined to try it again due to past experience, and on top of that, he wasn't exactly a big fish lover in the first place. ;)

In fact when I told him I wanted to try making tilapia again, Erik wasted no time in reiterating his thoughts on the matter. :) So, his initial resistance at my request to pick up some tilapia filets at the supermarket didn't exactly come as a surprise. :)

As a person who'd grown up with a number of unpleasant seafood & fish-eating experiences (i.e., eating the devil's food of a crab, strongly fishy-tasting fish, etc.), Erik had already been predisposed to avoid the stuff. So taking all of the above combined factors into account, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, and even if I succeeded in getting him to buy the fish, that I'd be still cooking dinner for a fairly skeptical audience.

In order to convince him, I told him that my mother had made the same dish when I went home a few weeks ago, and that my initial reaction, like his, was hesitancy and uneasiness, and also might've included a bit of eye-rolling. ;) And then I proceeded to describe my shock and amazement at how good it was. At first, he wasn't convinced. So I kept working on him. It was a gradual process of wearing down his resistance. :)

As you now know, I managed to convince him to try it again. I kept raving to him about how good it was, etc., etc., until he couldn't take it any more. It might very well be that the only reason he bought the fish in the first place was to stop hearing me talk about how good it was. :)

Well, it looks like Erik and I have both eaten our words about "vowing to never eat tilapia again." Thankfully, Erik was a good sport about last night's dinner: He acknowledged that "yes, it was good" and even voluntarily admitted that his "previous opinion of the fish had been amended." :)

Anyhow, enough blathering about our "tilapia conversion" story. :) Here's the recipe.

Tilapia a la Veracruzana
(I forgot to take a picture of the dish when it was done, so you'll have to settle for a stock photo for now. :) )

Ingredients:
2 4-6 oz tilapia filets
Jason brand flavored bread crumbs (Jason's simply has the best flavor, no contest.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
about 2 tsp. capers
about 1 oz. julienne-cut sundried tomatoes (NOTE: I use about half of a 3.5 oz. package of Bella Sun Luci julienne-cut sun dried tomatoes. They are extra soft & moist, & perfect for enhancing the flavor of this dish.)
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (NOTE: Do NOT drain juice from can. I like to use Hunt's 100% Natural Diced Tomatoes. Bonus: Has a pop-top lid, so no can-opener required. :) )
1 medium-sized fresh vine riped tomato, diced
10 Greek olives, pitted & sliced into quarters (NOTE: I like to buy olives with pits because they stay fresher longer; in other words, it's best to make the effort to pit the olives yourself. :) Also, I like to use Greek olives instead of the more traditional Kalamata, because they are better suited for this particular dish: They deliver more flavor without overpowering the other flavors of the recipe. Also, Greek olives are less salty than Kalamata; the capers & canned tomatoes already provide plenty of salt! Culinary balance is key.)

Directions:
1. Gently wash fish fillets and put on a plate. Do not dry; the moisture is needed in order for the breadcrumbs to stick to the fish. :) Lightly bread fillets and put aside.
2. In a large (nonstick) skillet, pour olive oil & tilt pan around to evenly distribute. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat & then add breaded fish fillets. Sauté fish for 1 minute on each side & then put fish back on plate. Please NOTE that you should NOT cook the fish all the way through at this point. (That comes later. :) )
3. Add canned diced tomatoes (& their juice) and fresh diced tomatoes to skillet. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by about half. Then add all other ingredients to skillet, making sure that sun-dried tomatoes have been submerged in the tomato juice. Cook for about another minute or so. Be careful that the ingredients at the bottom of the pan don't burn. If necessary, add a small amount of water to pan to keep ingredients from burning.
4. Add breaded fillets back into pan. The easiest thing to do is to first clear a path for them by adding the filets one at a time to each side of the pan, each time covering the fish fillets with the tomato mixture. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Tilapia cooks very quickly, so be sure to watch the fish very carefully, so you don't overcook it. (You want the fish to still be tender & flaky!)
5. Remove from heat & serve. Enjoy!

Yield: Serves 2.

Serving suggestions: This fish is a lot to eat, but if you'd like to add a side, I'd recommend rice or couscous &/or a vegetable like steamed broccoli or spinach.

Cooking For the Time-Challenged :)

2009-09-09T14:16:00.016-04:00

I know that this isn't a very chef-like thing to admit, but lately I haven't felt much like cooking or creating new recipes. GASP! Hahaha.

Part of the reason for this is that I've been really, really busy, particularly with various work-related projects & marathon-training, & so, haven't had much time to cook. In these situations, I usually revert back to making simple & healthy meals which take "2 seconds" to make. That also usually means falling back on "old standbys," many of which happen to be found in this very blog. Yes, it's probably no surprise that I use this blog as my very own online cookbook. :)

Anyhow, I just wanted to say that there's NOTHING wrong with cooking simple meals. The kind that have 3 or 4 ingredients made from fresh whole foods. In fact, sometimes these meals can be the best, most enjoyable kind.

Normally, I like complexity -- in flavors, etc. -- and absolutely love making elaborate, gourmet dishes when & if time allows -- but right now, I just don't have the bandwidth. So simple & fresh is what's for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.

At some point (READ: when I can find the time), I'd like to post a few of these meal suggestions, which hopefully will help make your lives easier, healthier, & happier. New healthy & easy meal ideas seem to be a popular request, so I'd like to give give you a helping hand in that department.

Some of you might recall that a while back I'd posted a series on my running blog called "Simple, Healthy Meals." I'm thinking about reviving that series, transferring over some of the recipes here, & adding a few new ones to the mix.

In the meantime, check out this post.

Recipe # 51: Get Your Omega 3's -- Fresh Basil Pesto, Made with Walnuts & Almonds

2009-07-27T09:31:00.055-04:00

(As promised in a subsequent post, below is "Recipe #51," a backdated recipe post that I finally finished!)

Today I came up with a delicious original recipe as a way of incorporating more Omega-3's & other nutrients into one's diet. By substituting the usual standard "pesto" ingredient of pine nuts with walnuts & almonds, it's possible to create a much healthier pesto, which is lower in fat by almost 4 grams!

As usual, this recipe has been thoroughly taste-tested by some very picky eaters before receiving the "Cook. Eat. Drink. Blog." seal of approval. :) However, before I get into the recipe, I just would like to say a few words about the benefits of walnuts & almonds:

Two excellent sources of Omega 3s are almonds and walnuts. Omega-3 fatty acids play a very important role in our health, as they are able to reduce inflammation in our bodies. They are the "good kind" of fat, which helps to lower the bad kind. The kicker is that since the body can't produce Omega 3s, we have to consume them instead.

Additionally, almonds & walnuts also contain monounsaturated fats, the same kind of heart-healthy fat found in extra virgin olive oil, which also makes an appearance in this recipe. :-D

Both Omega-3's & monounsaturated fats have been shown to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health, & are associated with a reduced risk for heart disease. For example, the Omega-3s found in walnuts prevent irregular heart rhythms and also benefit those suffering from asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis.

While both almonds & walnuts have a high caloric content (i.e., 575.0 calories per 100 g & 618 calories per 100 g, respectively), they are also high-energy, nutrient-rich foods as well. Case in point: Did you know that one small serving of walnuts has more protein than an egg?! [Of course, as common sense would dictate, it's a good idea to consume moderate, balanced portion sizes of these foods during your meal or snack. :) ]

Almonds and walnuts have excellent nutritional value: Both are incredibly rich in manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6, folic acid (B9), and vitamin E. In their pure and unadulterated form, both are low-sodium, high-fiber foods.

Including these nuts in your diet keeps your heart and blood healthy. Both are rich in powerful cholesterol-lowering antioxidants as well as phytochemicals which may help to prevent cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Their high magnesium content positively affects the arteries and veins, and improves the overall flow of nutrients through the body. Almonds are loaded with potassium, a mineral which helps the body maintain a normal blood pressure and protects against hardening of the arteries. Walnuts are high in calcium, which also helps to protect your heart, not to mention its many other benefits.

Studies have shown that both of these nuts may be helpful in preventing gallstones. Regular consumption of these nuts also helps to lower cholesterol levels, control high blood sugar and weight, and improve cardiovascular functions.

Walnuts also contain trace amounts of iodine, which plays a significant role in maintaining efficient metabolism processes and levels, destroying toxins in the body, and ensuring strong and healthy skin, teeth, nails and hair.

Almonds lower the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Their high vitamin E contact might explain the reason why they are associated with a decreased risk for heart disease. Whatever it the reason, there appears to be a correlation between eating almonds and improving one's cholesterol. :)

Some ideas for incorporating more almonds and walnuts into your diet:
--Add a handful of chopped walnuts or almonds to your morning cereal. Use on cold or hot cereal (like oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, etc.).
--Sprinkle nuts on a salad.
--Try substituting almond butter for peanut butter on toast or in a sandwich. Its yummy!
--Take small bags of almonds &/or walnuts with you to keep with you, so you can reach for them as a snack.
--Incorporate these nuts into your meals in alternate forms: Use walnut oil for salads and almond meal in baked goods.
--Substitute almonds and walnuts for other less nutritious nuts. Find walnut & almond-based recipes or modify existing recipes, etc. Or even easier, make the below recipe. :)

Fresh Basil Pesto, Made with Walnuts & Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. whole plain raw almonds
3 Tbsp crushed walnut pieces
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 medium-sized garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 c. fresh basil, destemmed and loosely packed
2 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh) (NOTE: Lemon juice is used for flavoring & also as a preservative; the citric acid in the lemon juice helps to prevent discoloration upon exposure to the air.)
1 c. Asiago cheese, freshly shredded (NOTE: For best results, use block of Asiago and shred using microplane grater/zester.)
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Lightly toast almonds in oven or toaster; watch them carefully so that they don't burn. Then place toasted almonds, walnuts, olive oil, and garlic in food processor, and pulse until the mixture is finely ground.
2. Next, place basil into food processor, adding a small batch at a time (via the feed tube) while pulsing the mixture until it becomes thick and smooth.
3. Stir in the shredded cheese and lemon juice, and blend until desired consistency is obtained. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve atop pasta. Other ideas: Use pesto as topping for chicken, fish, etc.

Alternate recipe ideas: Instead of basil, try using parsley, cilantro, mint, spinach, or kale.

Chef's notes: Pesto will be keep in the refrigerator for about 1-2 weeks. IMPORTANT: If you plan to freeze the pesto, it's best to leave out the cheese and add it after you thaw out the pesto. Cheese doesn't freeze very well.

Recipe #50: Seared Tuna Drizzled with Wasabi Ginger Soy Sauce

2009-05-02T23:05:00.009-04:00

As they say, "When it rains, it pours." And it's pouring posts today. Here's another fun recipe for those days when you'd rather enjoy something a bit more interesting than "tuna salad" sandwiches. ;-)

Seared Tuna Drizzled with Wasabi Ginger Soy Sauce

Ingredients:
2 lbs. very fresh tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
grated zest of 2 limes
6 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 tsp. wasabi paste
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 ripe medium-sized Haas avocados, pitted & diced
1/4 c. scallions (about 2 scallions)
1/4 c. small red onion, diced
2 inches ginger, peeled & grated
1 c. fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
1. Brush tuna steaks with olive oil, & then season lightly with salt & pepper (to taste).
2. Be sure to use a pan that can handle high heat (i.e., wok or stir-fry pan). Set range to high heat & make sure pan is very hot before placing tuna steaks in pan. Place steaks in pan & cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set them aside on a plate to cool.
3. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, ginger, & soy sauce in a bowl. Then added diced avocado.
4. Cut tuna into small chunks & place into a medium-sized bowl. Add the scallions & red onion & mix well. Pour the soy sauce mixture over tuna & mix carefully.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro & serve. Enjoy!

Optional ingredients: Toasted sesame seeds.

Alternate serving suggestions: Use an outdoor grill to sear the tuna, then drizzle with marinade, garnish with chopped cilantro, & serve. Yum!

Alternate fish suggestions: This recipe will also work well with salmon, if you'd like to use this fish as a substitute selection. IMPORTANT: The major difference is that you will need to sear salmon a tad bit longer i.e., 2-4 minutes, especially for thicker "steak" cuts. Searing for 2-3 minutes will produce a medium rare cut, i.e., golden exterior with a warm pink center (i.e., without any fleshiness). Searing for 3-4 minutes will produce a medium well cut, i.e., browned exterior with opaque interior slightly pulling away from bone.

ADDENDUM: If you are concerned about which species of tuna are ecologically safe to eat, please consult the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.

Need Reinforcement Getting Back on Track with Your Eating? Join The "Healthy Eating Initiative"!

2009-05-02T10:16:00.016-04:00

I'd like to invite you to join our "Healthy Eating Initiative" at the motivational fitness site, Just Finish.

Here you will find support, motivation, & tips for eating & preparing healthy, tasty foods which will satisfy your taste buds, fill you full of energy, & make you feel fantastic!

I believe that the best way for people to get back on track with their eating is through constructive reinforcement & positive encouragement. By first focusing on what we're currently doing correctly -- in terms of both nutrition & portion sizes, & then moving onto what we'd like to realistically accomplish, we can then put ourselves in the proper mental state to squarely face what we need to improve upon, leaving behind our past attachments to ineffectual behaviors & unnecessary mental anguish.

The key to success, not only in nutrition & exercise, but as one of life's large philosophical precepts, is learning how to become aware again, reconnecting with our senses & the world around us, getting back to basics, letting go of attitudes & behaviors that no longer serve us, refocusing on what works for us as individuals, & lastly but certainly not least, remembering to live in the present. You must be able to see what's possible for you & believe fully in it and in yourself.

Once you get into the proper headspace, you are half-way there. Then the focus shifts to implementation, which doesn't have to be overly complicated in order to be successful. This is the point at which concepts go from the abstract & the philosophical to the concrete & the specific. Like a pole-vaulter visualizing him- or herself breaking new barriers, first you perceive, then you achieve. :)

To join the group, simply join JustFinish (if you haven't done so already) & then request group membership. After you join & sign in, I encourage you to read the "Welcome Message," because it contains important details about the scope & purpose of this discussion group.

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More details about the group:

The "Cyberpenguin" & the "RunningHoosier" have joined forces to bring you the help & support you need to reach your health & wellness goals!

This is the companion program to Running Hoosier's fitness challenge, "Thirteen Weeks To A Healthier You," which you can join by visiting Thirteen Weeks To A Healthier You (Just Finish challenge group) & its parent site, Running Hoosier.

I encourage you to join both groups on Just Finish, as the two programs will be working hand-in-hand to promote total health & well-being via fitness, nutrition, & overall healthy living.

After all, even if you are currently maintaining a healthy weight, healthy eating & exercise are still important to maintaining good health! :)

Thanks for joining our groups! We look forward to helping you to achieve your fitness/nutrition/health goals! It's going to be a great group dynamic!

Cheers,
-C

Making the Connection: Nature, Gardening, & Fresh Food

2009-05-02T06:53:00.029-04:00

As many of you already know, I'm a huge advocate of using fresh, seasonal ingredients, & staying away from eating/using overly processed, chemical-laden foods.

I believe that it is possible to live healthier lives & make healthier choices, even in the modern world, where time is of the essence, the twin forces of convenience & health seem to be direct opposition to one another.

Or are are they really? Let's take a closer look at these ideas. What are we saying by choosing to blindly accept them as statements of so-called "fact"? Is "convenience" really a matter of perhaps making different choices that are, in fact, completely within our own control? Are we simply accepting the "cult of laziness" as inevitable conclusions because we think it's just a losing battle of "nature vs. nurture," & are convinced that our "convenience culture" has conspired against us & made it almost impossible for us to stand up for the forces of health & wellness?

Where is our sense of personality responsibility in all of this? Where is our indignation in all of us as a society having let it all go to "hell in a handbasket"? And why isn't this a more pressing issue, to be fought for & defended as a "sacred right" in our homes, in our school districts, in our local governments, and beyond?

I ask you: Why should convenience take precedence over health? What good will it do us if we take quicker steps to "make our lives easier," if these steps only lead us to a quicker demise? We owe it not just to ourselves, but to the following generations, to pick up the mantle of personal responsibility, and embody health in all that we do, & to advocate better policies in our communities -- locally, nationally, & globally.

However, it is not enough to fight against soda & junk food machines in schools, etc., or push for sustainable agriculture programs in our educational system. We must embody health -- & be healthy -- in order for our efforts to make any sense to the next generations. And then we must share our experiences with others.

One way to foster nutritional wellness is to start early in the home, educating our children, & teaching the next generation to appreciate the important of fresh foods & healthy eating. This is most effectively done -- NOT by pounding them over the head with "this is healthy, eat it," but rather involving them in the process of putting a meal together -- from gardening to cooking. Or, as it were, from picking to plating. (Grrr, I honestly find the use of the word "plating" to be highly irritating -- it's far over-used by the culinary community-- but there was too much perfect consonance in the expression to avoid its use. ;-) I don't care what other people in the foodie community say, the word "plate" should really only be used as a noun!!!! Anyhow, I digress.... ;-) ) Without preaching, you are literally showing them the value of these activities, by becoming involved in their growth in a fun & highly effective way.

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Growing up in a rural area, I was exposed to fresh food, local farms, & farmers' markets, and -- thanks to the influence of my parents, maternal grandmother, & paternal grandfather -- became involved with gardening from an early age. We had a garden in our backyard growing up, & I have many memories of my grandparents taking me into the garden as a small child, pointing out the names of all the different plants & showing me how to care for them.

I was lucky enough to help take care of gardens as a small child, & it profoundly affected the way I saw nature & the world around me. Becoming involved in gardening & cooking as a child helped connect me to nature, & also to connect it to what I was eating.

However, you don't have to live in a rural area to appreciate the connection between nature & your kitchen table: Even in a city, you can still find a way to connect to nature. You can buy seeds & plant them in a community garden, become involved in taking care of public gardens, &/or grow plants on your window sill.

Likewise, I happen to live in a city, & have still managed to carve out space & a modicum of time for connecting with nature. I hike in the woods, visit the zoo, walk & run in parks & on trails, etc. And, to this day, I am still gardening, growing all sorts of non-edible & edible plants alike (herbs, fresh vegetables, etc.). Gardening is an immensely satisfying activity. I love nurturing plants & watching them grow. It's almost an indescribable pleasure.

Having these kinds of experiences is vital, especially as a child & young adult. Not only does it have a lasting effect on how the next generation will see nature & our planet, but it creates compassion & understanding that go well beyond surface components.

Even simple things like taking your child to feed the ducks at the local pond is certain to leave a lasting impression. I bet there are a lot of you -- who are now fully grown adults -- who still remember going to the zoo with your Mom and Dad, or the time you went hiking in the woods with your grandparents, etc.

These are just some of the ways in which parents & grandparents (as well as other family members, friends, & other mentoring figures!) can have an immediate effect on the way that (their) children perceive nature and health, & their social responsibility in context to both their own family units as well as the larger picture. These activities, while seemingly small or minor in scope, really do matter to children, & stay with them as adults, in unexpected & far-reaching ways. As the famous Mother Teresa quote goes, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

When children become involved with nature & the process of gardening & cooking -- putting their hands in the earth, planting seeds, watching plants grow & picking fruits, vegetables, & herbs with their own hands, & helping assemble these ingredients together for family meals -- they look at food in an entirely different way. The abstract concept of food becomes "tangible." It starts to make sense, because by doing & becoming involved in the process of growing & preparing food, they begin to understand their food in a deeply personal way. This is why children who are involved in growing fruits & vegetables have a much greater chance of appreciating & enjoying the fruits of their labor, in the most literal sense of the word. There's something to be said for becoming involved in this process; the experience changes us irrevocably. We can no longer be distant or uncaring. Once you connect to food in this way, there's no going back. And that is a sublimely beautiful thing.

So pay it forward my friends. And be well!

-C

Recipe #49: SoloRunner's Infamously Addictive Kale Salad :)

2009-04-09T12:01:00.021-04:00

Yes, finally at long last, here it is. This is SoloRunner's legendary kale salad recipe you've been hearing me yammer on & on about on Twitter for the past several months now like some kale-crazed maniac. :)

You see, I've been making so much of this stuff lately, I think my blood probably runs green by now. :)

Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a kale addict. There could be worse vices. ;-)

Thanks A LOT, SoloRunner! LOL! :) No really, thanks a lot. It's an awesome recipe. :)

I won't tell you how many bags of kale I've gone through in the last month; that information would be too shocking to reveal here. LOL! :)

So, if you get addicted to the stuff, don't blame me, blame SoloRunner. I'm just the messenger. Hahahaha. JUST kidding.

SoloRunner, thank you for permitting me to post your awesome recipe here. In doing so, we are probably creating scores of new potential kale addicts, but since kale is really healthy, that'd actually be a good very thing indeed. :)

So what'd'ya say, SoloRunner, is our next mission to unite forces & save the world together, one leafy green stalk at a time?! ;-) I can see it now, SoloRunner & Cyberpenguin become the new breed of crime-fighting superheroes, the Super-Kale Queens, combatting cholesterol & banishing transfats in a single bound! Hahahaha. Presto-chango. No telephone booth needed. :)

And while you're at it, check out SoloRunner & Meechellee's fabulous running blog, Running Chicks in PDX. They are two awesome ladies!!!!!

So, without further ado, I bring you SoloRunner's sublime kale salad recipe. Enjoy!

Please note that, while the below recipe is 100% the creation of SoloRunner, I've added some of my own notes (i.e., to indicate my own personal preferences, etc.), which appear below in italics.

SoloRunner's Kale Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
1 whole head of Russian Kale or Red Kale (Both work, use the kind you like, or you can also mix the two kinds together. To save prep time, I like to use about a third of a 32 oz. bag of triple-washed, prechopped kale instead. The specific produce brand that I use is "Nature's Greens" by Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc.)
sprinkle of sea salt, to taste (SoloRunner prefers Celtic sea salt OR Himalayan crystal salt; kosher salt will also work quite well.)
cracked black pepper, to taste (This is my addition.)
1-2 Tbsp of olive oil (NOTE: I skip this step, because for me, there's more than enough oil in the avocado. ;-) )
1 ripe avocado (NOTE: I use 2 avocados instead.)
2 large (vine-ripened) tomatoes OR a handful of baby plum/cherry tomatoes (I prefer to use Santa Sweet's grape tomatoes.)
1 -2 chopped scallions (I use 3-4 scallions.)
juice of 1 whole fresh lemon juice (I use the juice of 2 lemons.)

Directions:
1. De-stem kale and cut up into strips (or chop). (I don't de-stem kale; I use all parts of the kale, & marinate extra well. ;-) )
2. Add 1-2 Tbsps. of olive oil (if using) plus a small sprinkling of sea salt (or any type of salt you like) & black pepper, to taste to the kale. (Put into large 2-gallon plastic ziploc bag for less mess & easier mixing. ;) You can always remove the salad from the bag & put it into a bowl when you're ready to serve.) Massage well into the leaves until they are soft. If they need more oil, add accordingly.
3. Chop up avocado into small pieces, add to the kale and massage in well, coating the leaves. It is fine to leave pieces of avocado sitting amongst the leaves as well as coating them.
4. Chop tomatoes into small cubes or use cherry/grape tomatoes and cut in halves & add to bowl/ziploc bag. Chop & add scallions & lemon juice. Mix all ingredients well by hand make sure that all ingredients are spread evenly through out the bowl/bag.

Helpful Tip: If you put all of the ingredients into a large (2-gallon) sized ziploc bag, it'll make it a whole lot easier to mix all the ingredients together, while simultaneously saving your hands from getting gooey. :)

Additional Optional Ingredients: Hemp seed, spinach, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes.

Yield: Makes 1-2 servings, depending on how hungry you are, & whether or not you're eating it as a main dish or not. ;-)

Recipe #48: Salsa Rojo

2009-04-08T19:55:00.005-04:00

Here's my original recipe for homemade salsa, which (also) originally appeared on my running blog as the second installment in the "Simple Healthy Meals" series:

Salsa Rojo

Ingredients:
4 medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped into quarter inch pieces
3-4 small red chilis (Adjust for heat preference. If you don't have fresh, you can use dried, but reduce amount to half. Dried red chilis tend to be much more potent & concentrated than fresh. I grow my own miniature red chilis & use these in salsa, as they have medium heat, as opposed to green/serrano peppers, which are larger & typically have more heat. An even milder choice is jalapeño peppers.)
1/4 large sweet yellow onion, diced
cilantro (If using fresh, use about 1/4 of a bunch, chopped. If using dried, use about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
juice of 1 lime (If you don't have limes, you can use a lemon instead.)
1/2 tsp salt (Sea salt or coarse kosher rock salt are best, but table salt will certainly do.)

Optional ingredients:
Cooked corn kernels, tomatillo, cucumber, black beans, avocado, red &/or green bell pepper, radishes, jicama, mango, mint, basil, parsley.

Directions:
After you've chopped up all the produce & seasoned the mixture with lime/lemon juice & salt, mix thoroughly & refrigerate. It's important to let the citrus juice marinate the other ingredients for atleast 5-10 minutes before consuming, so that the onions & chilis don't overpower the salsa. Marinating mellows the stronger flavors, & will even out the flavor balance. Serve with tortilla chips, & "Ta da!", that's it! Now how easy is that?!

Chef's Notes:
If you're serving this as a snack, you can simply serve the salsa with tortilla chips. (My personal favorite are R.W. Garcia Special Recipe Flax (Flaxseed w/Soy) Tortilla Chips, which are not only tasty but are also an Omega-3 powerhouse as well!) If you'd like to make the dish a bit more interesting, you can add sides of chopped olives, low-fat or fat-free sour cream, &/or guacamole, for you & your guests/family members/friends to mix & match as they please. Or, if you plan to eat this dish as a main course, you might want to add some protein: Just melt a sprinkling of low-fat Mexican cheese blend on top of the chips.

Enjoy!
-C

Recipe #47: Corey's Gourmet Greek Salad

2009-04-06T16:46:00.020-04:00

The below recipe was originally posted on my running blog, "See Corey Run" as part of the "Simple Healthy Meals Series" featured there. (That original post can be viewed here.)

I don't normally like to replicate content, but due to multiple requests for my Greek salad recipe from non-runners & runners alike, I figured this blog would be a more logical & obvious repository for this type of content, should people be searching for the recipe. ;-)

BTW, just so you know: This salad certainly isn't "rabbit food." :) It's tasty & filling, & is guaranteed to satisfy even the hungriest of appetites.

It's also one of the most popular recipes in our household/family. :)

Anyhow, hope you enjoy the recipe!

Καλή όρεξη! (Kali órexi!),
-C

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Corey's Gourmet Greek Salad

Ingredients:
mixed greens (I really like Safeway's "Organic Spring Mix")
grape tomatoes ("Santa Sweets" are great!)
green pepper (sliced lengthwise & then cubed)
red pepper (sliced lengthwise & then cubed)
cucumber (sliced into rounds; or, you can cube them into 1/2" pieces if you prefer; my preferred technique is to score the outside peel with a fork all the way around & then slice, unpeeled. Leaving the skin will give you extra fiber & vitamins & will add an extra crunch as well!)
President brand fat-free feta (or any other brand of fat-free feta cheese), crumbled
red onion (diced into 1/2" pieces)
A mix of gourmet olives -- Greek, Kalamata, Manzanillo, Bella di Cerignola, etc. (Preferably pitted, or just remove the pits!)
Greek salad dressing (If you really want to do it right, use something really tasty like "Girard's Greek Feta Vinaigrette"; however, it has 11 g of fat per 2 Tbsp., so use sparingly! Or, if you can't find this, the ubiquitous "Ken's Steakhouse Greek With Imported Olive Oil Salad Dressing" is decent. I typically don't like using the fat-free varieties, because it's hard to do something like a Greek salad dressing without fat & have it taste good! Plus, if you only use 2 Tbsp for an entire salad for 2 people, it's only about 5.5 g of fat per person. ;-) )
freshly ground/cracked pepper (Pepper blends are better & more interesting to use than straight-out black pepper)

Optional ingredients:
sumac, a light sprinkling (Use sparingly; this stuff will definitely kick up the spice & saltiness factors.)
stringless sugar snap peas ("Mann's Sunny Shores" is a great brand; you don't even have to open them & remove the peas inside -- You can simply eat them whole!)

Directions:
Cut up veggies, pour dressing over top, & toss! Now, how easy is that!

Chef's Notes:
I didn't feel like listing amounts of ingredients. After all, it's only salad, & this isn't a 7th grade Home Ec class. ;-)

OK, so I'm an experienced cook, & truth be told, I tend to lose patience when I have to list those sorts of petty details for something so obvious. (If you do happen to visit my official recipe site/blog, you'll see that I do list exact amounts of ingredients for the more complex recipes. ;-) )

If you don't have a sense of how much of something you should put into a salad, then you probably shouldn't be making salads in the first place. ;-) Just use common sense, & don't overdo the onions or the dressing, & you'll probably be fine. The point is to lightly dress the salad, not drench it. ;-) Also, use olives & feta sparingly, & be sure to mix the salad really well. Enjoy!

Recipe #46: Steak Fajitas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2009-02-25T22:07:00.061-05:00

Just made this recipe tonight, from scratch. And boy, was it tasty!

Yes, this is a photo of tonight's dinner. :) We don't normally eat so much steak in a single week, but I needed to do something interesting with the remaining steak from the other night's dinner (of T'ibs We't). Unless absolutely necessary, I'd much rather use fresh steak than frozen.

Steak Fajitas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients (for steak fajitas):
1 Tbsp. (extra virgin) olive oil (used to season pan)
1/2 of a red onion, sliced into tiny crescent slivers
4-6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 sliced rounds of jalapeño pepper (about 1/4 pepper), sliced & then finely diced
6 oz. flank or skirt cut of steak, sliced into 2-3" long vertical strips
salt & pepper to taste (to season the meat)
Mexican-style chili powder
Adobo seasoning (a mix of black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin, & Cayenne pepper)
cumin powder (I like to add extra cumin! ;-) )
dried epazote leaves [Note: If you can't find these, it's OK to leave them out. Several (online) stores also carry this spice, including Penzeys Spices, & The Spice House, Spice It Up, Whole Spice, Gourmet Sleuth, Mountain Valley Growers, & Savory Spice Shop, among others.]
ground Cayenne pepper (Go easy on this spice!)

Tomatillo salsa (i.e., salsa verde):
4 whole tomatillos, husked & washed (to remove stickiness)
1/2 of a red onion, sliced into 2 wedges
2-3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
remainder of jalapeño pepper, whole
lime juice, about 1 tsp.
chopped fresh cilantro, about 1/2 c.
kosher salt, to taste, about 1/2 tsp. or so

Condiments (for steak fajitas):
1 large vine-ripened tomato, diced
1 avocado, sliced into cubes
chopped fresh cilantro, reserve for garnish
flour tortillas

Directions:
1. Chop various ingredients as specified above for main meal, salsa, & condiments, putting each ingredient in a separate area/surface or bowl.
2. Season steak strips lightly with salt & pepper, Mexican-style chili powder, Adobo seasoning, cumin powder, dried epazote leaves, ground Cayenne pepper, & lime juice & put aside. In terms of quantity, be sure to use generous amounts of the Mexican-style chili powder, & cumin, & more moderate amounts of epazote. Be sure to go easy on the ground Cayenne at first; you can always add more later.
3. Turn on stove top range to high heat. Since this is a stir fry, you need to use a wok or a large pan that can withstand/retain high heat.
4. Sauté the red onion slivers (from the 1/2 red onion), the chopped, 4-6 medium-sized garlic cloves, & the 3 sliced-&-then-diced rounds of jalapeño in olive oil until soft. About a minute or two. Watch stove top range carefully to ensure mixture doesn't brown/burn.
5. Add steak strips to skillet, cooking for about a minute on each side (i.e., medium rare). Steak will cook fairly quickly if pan is at optimal temperature. Pan should be very hot & the steak should sizzle when it hits the pan; if you're not hearing that sizzle, then you need to turn up the heat on your stove top range. Otherwise steak will not cook to proper specifications. (IMHO, steak fajitas taste best medium rare. If overcooked, it tastes like shoe leather! ;-) Also, make sure you cook in a large enough pan so ingredients aren't crowded; it's important to allow enough room in the pan so all ingredients cook evenly.
6. For tomatillo sauce, broil/roast whole tomatillos, onion wedges, whole unpeeled garlic, & remainder of whole jalapeño on the rack of a broiler pan, about 1-2 inches from heat, turning until softened & slightly charred. This takes about 8 minutes. (Roasting the main section of a conventional oven takes about twice as long!) (If you have access to a grill, this would be even better!) Purée all salsa ingredients (both roasted & fresh) in a food processor.
7. Heat flour tortillas on high for 1 minute in a microwave. Only heat them if you are ready to serve/eat them immediately; otherwise, they'll harden after sitting around for only a few minutes.
8. Add meat mixture & garnish accordingly with condiments.

Yield: 2 servings.

Alternate Ingredients: You can use chicken instead of steak.

Helpful Tip: It's a lot easier to marinate the meat using a ziploc bag. Keeps your hands clean & saves on the dish-washing. ;-)

Serving suggestions: This dish is rather filling, so if you are only making it for two persons, the main attraction usually suffices as the entire meal. However, if you've got a hearty appetite (or are instead divying this dish up into smaller portions , i.e., for lunch) & would like to include some side dishes, I recommend serving traditional Mexican sides like refried beans (frijoles refritos), quelites (Mexican greens), or perhaps lighter accompaniments like a salad or green vegetable(s). Rice is probably overdoing it, since there are already enough carbs in the flour tortillas.

Chef's Notes: This recipe would be wonderful to make on an outdoor grill. You could toss the marinated steak on the grill & also roast the ingredients for the tomatillo salsa (i.e., whole tomatillos & garlic cloves, onion wedges, & the remainder of jalapeño) there as well.

A word on steak: Flank & skirt cuts of steak are less expensive than tenderloin (which is best used for other dishes anyhow), & works well with stir fry dishes because it has a lot of flavor & won't dry out when cooked under high heat like other cuts of beef. It's not as lean of a cut as London broil (hence its slightly marbled appearance), but the extra little bit of fat in this cut is actually necessary for flavor & moisture. These cuts are often sold in large quantities, 2+ lbs., etc., so just take what you need & either refrigerate or freeze the rest for later.

Adjusting piquancy/heat of the dish: Jalapeños are fairly mild peppers, but if you'd like to decrease their "heat" even further, just scrape out the seeds & discard them. This is where most of the heat from hot peppers originates.

Slicing fruits & veggies: The easiest way to cube an avocado is to halve it, remove pit, then score flesh into crosshatched sections, & remove the cubes.

To peel garlic, gently crush the side of a wide knife on top of the cloves. That should loosen the skin & make removal a lot easier.

Also, be sure to finely dice the cilantro garnish.

Recipe #45: My Own Spin on T'ibs We't (Ethiopian Beef Stir Fry)

2009-02-21T19:31:00.026-05:00

For the uninitiated, T'ibs W'et is a traditional Ethiopian dish made with beef, red onions, red wine, & "Berbere" spices -- a spice mixture typically consisting of ginger, clove, coriander, allspice, chili peppers, ajwain, & rue berries, etc. [Not suprisingly, the exact ingredients (& specific quantities of ingredients) used in "Berbere" can vary quite widely, depending on originating region & one's personal preferences.]

Of course, not being one to do the usual thing & follow the traditional recipe, I've changed it up a bit & made it my own, adding flavor elements inspired by other Ethiopian beef dishes. Also making their appearance in this dish are jalapeño peppers & red onions (which are commonly found in the dish, Zilzil Alecha) & tomatoes (which are also a featured ingredient in dishes like Key W'et). Also to save time & simply the preparation process, the Berbere spices are just tossed in during the cooking process instead of toasting the spices separately in a skillet.

T'ibs We't (Ethiopian Beef Stir Fry)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. (extra virgin) olive oil (used to season pan) (Some people prefer to use butter, but I find that butter typically melts too quickly & then congeals in a very thin layer without really coating the pan very evenly. You could also do a mixture of the two if you like.)
3/4 of a red onion, sliced into tiny crescent slivers
4-5 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
red wine, about 1/4 c. (or just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan)
8 oz. hanger or flank cut of steak, sliced into 1" cubes
salt & pepper to taste (to season the meat)
1 large vine-ripened tomato, diced
1/4-1/2 jalapeño pepper, sliced julienne & then diced (Note: Adjust amount to suit individual preferences. Or, if you prefer even less heat, you can either remove the seeds or omit the pepper altogether.)

Berbere spice mixture:
2 parts ground ginger
2 parts ground cardamom
1 part ground coriander
2 parts ground fenugreek
1/2 part ground nutmeg
1/4 part ground cloves
1/4 part ground cinnamon
1/4 part ground allspice
1 part ground Cayenne pepper
1 part salt
1 part pepper
1 part ajwain seeds (Note: Can be found at an ethnic grocery store. I bought my ajwain seeds at a local Indian grocery store/corner market. If you can't find these seeds, it's perfectly fine to omit them from the recipe.)
lots of paprika, probably 4-5 parts or so

Directions:
1. Chop up all ingredients: Cut steak into cubes & put aside. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Chop up onions, garlic, jalapeño, & tomatoes. Put each ingredient in a separate area/surface or bowl.
2. Turn on stove top range to high heat. Since this is a stir fry, you need to use a wok or a large pan that can withstand/retain high heat.
3. Add olive oil, & then onions & garlic, to pan. Sprinkle Berbere seasonings on top & stir quickly, making sure that ingredients don't burn/brown. Cook onions & garlic until translucent, i.e., about 5 minutes or so. Regarding seasoning measurements: What I did was basically eyeball the seasonings & then lightly sprinkle a light coating on top of the onions & garlic, but if you prefer, you can make up a small batch of spice mixture beforehand, following the precise proportions, & then lightly sprinkle the mixture on top. If you have extra you can always bottle & store it for later use. Please note: It's important to be conservative in adding the spice mixture; you can always taste your food as it cooks & add more later if needed.
5. Add meat to stir fry. If you don't hear a sizzle when the steak hits the pan, your stove top range's heat isn't turned up high enough. Meat will cook fairly quickly. Be sure to allow enough room in pan to cook all ingredients evenly.
6. Deglaze pan with red wine. Only use enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
7. Next add diced tomatoes & jalapeño & keep stirring.
8. Cook steak to suit your personal preference. (I personally prefer my steak to be tender & not taste like shoe leather, so medium rare is just perfect for me. Medium is fine too, but I wouldn't recommend well-done, because even this cut of beef might taste a little tough that way. :) )
9. Remove from heat & serve. Enjoy!

Yield: 2 servings.

Serving suggestions: I recommend serving this dish with injera (a traditional Ethiopian fermented pancake-like bread) or couscous that's been simply seasoned with olive oil & salt. Since there's a lot of flavor in the beef stir fry, you'll want to keep any complementary carbs-based side dishes fairly straightforward & unadorned.

Chef's Notes: Hanger steak is a butcher's cut of meat, & is typically only about a 1-1.5 lb. cut of meat. It's less expensive than tenderloin (which is best used for other dishes anyhow), & works well with stir fry dishes because it has a lot of flavor & won't dry out when cooked under high heat like other cuts of beef. It's not as lean of a cut as London broil (hence its slightly marbled appearance), but the extra little bit of fat in this cut is actually necessary for flavor & moisture. If you don't have access to a butcher, flank &/or skirt cuts, which can usually be found at the grocery store, will also do. The latter of these cuts are often sold in much larger quantities, 2+ lbs., etc., so just take what you need & either refrigerate or freeze the rest for later.

Jalapeños are fairly mild peppers, but if you'd like to decrease their "heat" even further, just scrape out the seeds & discard them. This is where most of the heat from hot peppers originates. If you'd like to make the dish less spicy overall, just cut down the amount of Berbere that's originally called for in this recipe.