The Kitchenista Diaries

Angela's Ground Beef Tacos

2013-05-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another #TacoTuesday in my kitchen! As much of a mini-foodie my son Jaden has become over the past year, every now and then he asks for something age appropriate. "Mom, can't we just do 'normal' tacos for a change?" By normal he meant what most of us grew up on - regular old ground beef tacos. I have to admit, a return to a childhood staple wasn't a bad idea for a new recipe either. Of course, I've found a few ways over the years to make these healthier than what we grew up on, and replaced that Old El Paso box kit with more wholesome ingredients. One of the problems with ground beef tacos can be the salt content which usually stems from using a seasoning packet. Enter real spices. Seriously - why even bother with those packets when you can get better, fresher flavor simply by mixing your own blends? I also added chipotle peppers for a nice smoky, spicy kick. The next issue with ground beef tacos can be the fat content. A few ways to lower that - use better quality and leaner ground beef, go easy on the cheese, replace sour cream with Greek yogurt, and bake fresh corn tortillas instead of frying or using the boxed shells. Finally, you can always work some veggies into your system so I used chopped kale & spinach instead of lettuce, as well as fresh tomatoes. Same great taste you grew up with (better actually), with a whole lot less guilt. These changes are so minor they won't even take you that much longer than it would have taken to make the processed version, but you'll definitely notice the difference in flavor. I hope you enjoy this one - I know Jaden definitely did!

Angela's Ground Beef Tacos

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sirloin

1 large onion, diced

2 chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

8 oz. tomato sauce (or 1 can diced tomatoes w/ liquid)

2 tbsp Mexican chile powder

3 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

Juice of 1 lime

8 corn tortillas

1 tbsp olive oil

Suggested garnishes:

Chopped kale & spinach leaves (or lettuce)

Chopped tomatoes

1/2 c. Greek Yogurt mixed w/ a tsp lime juice & pinch of salt

8 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Fresh cilantro

Additional lime wedges

Servings: 8 tacos

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Equipment Needed: Large skillet

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the diced onions in olive oil until translucent.

Add the ground sirloin to the skillet and brown the meat.

Cook the meat until it is no longer pink, breaking up any large chunks. When selecting ground beef, look for lean ground, ground sirloin or ground round. I don't usually get the 93% lean as it tends to dry out faster. You still need to be vigilant about draining excess grease after cooking your beef.

Back in the day, I remember trying to drain grease using a turkey baster. It never really seemed to work that well now that I think about it. It's much easier just to transfer everything from the skillet into a mesh strainer and drain the grease into a bowl.

Return the ground beef to the skillet. Add the chopped garlic, chipotle peppers, Mexican spices, and salt and pepper. Saute the meat for a couple minutes to let the seasonings meld.

Add tomato sauce and/or chopped tomatoes. You'll want about a cup, give or take. What you add here really just depends on the consistency you are looking for. I think tomato sauce is a slightly richer flavor and less runny, whereas chopped tomatoes will be a slightly wetter taco mix with the additional texture from the tomato chunks. Just use what's in your pantry and don't stress the small stuff.

Reduce heat to low and let the taco mix simmer for 5-10 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients and garnishes. Check your seasonings and adjust if needed. Finish with the juice of one lime.

To prepare the baked shells, arrange the corn tortillas on your oven rack so that the sides fall down between the grates. I use two grates for each taco so that they have a base to stand up once baked, and plenty of room to fill! If your tortillas are really thick, you may find that this step is easier to do if you gently warm the tortillas first, either in the microwave or in an ungreased skillet. Bake the taco shells until they are crisp, this should take 5 minutes or so depending on your oven.

Once the shells are baked, it's time to go! To make things easier for serving, I fill up my shells with taco meat and let Jaden dress up his own tacos. Cheese isn't something we eat often anymore so he was ridiculously happy to see it on the counter. One of the ways I've trained myself to cut back when we do eat cheese is by buying blocks of cheese and only grating what I need, in this case one cup. Believe me, if I put out an entire bag of shredded cheese on the counter, it will all be gone. Besides, freshly grated cheese is so much better than the pre-grated stuff.

Don't these look delicious? Yum! So fresh. The chipotle and pinch of cinnamon really added an unexpected edge to these that you don't normally get.

Can't get any easier than this. And Jaden was right...sometimes we do need to just keep it simple around here!

Curry Snapper & Red Lentils

2013-04-16T03:25:00.000-04:00

Two posts in one week?! Yes, this is really happening folks, and there's more to come. Today marks my one year anniversary as a food blogger, so I figured why not celebrate with some extra special new recipes this week! I thought this Curry Snapper & Red Lentils dish was particularly fun and festive. Besides the vivid colors, curry spices are literally a party going on in your mouth...which seemed completely appropriate for this occasion! When I set out to start The Kitchenista Diaries, my goal was to create flavorful, healthy, gourmet style dishes on a budget. Sunday dinners are my favorite way to branch out with recipes that are a bit more special than regular weekday meals. This dish is a great example of how I often make a small splurge on a nice piece of fish or meat and visit my farmer's market for organic fresh produce. The rest of the dish is supplemented with everyday pantry items. In doing that, it's really easy to make an affordable, restaurant quality at home. With snapper on sale for $9/lb, leftover veggies in the fridge, and a portion of red lentils at a measly $1, this dish easily came in well under $20 for four servings.

Y'all know I love my curries and I'm continuing to find new ways to work these intoxicating flavors into new dishes. My experiment for Sunday Dinner this weekend utilized red lentils. Lentils and I have a love/hate relationship. I love that they're relatively good for you, but hate when I have a pot simmering for what seems like forever and end up with boring brown mush or worse, undercooked lentils. Last time I went to the farmer's market, I stopped by one of the organic shops and the owner recommended trying split red (or orange) lentils. He said they cook much faster, are easy to digest, and take on seasonings really well. This sounded intriguing enough that I decided it was worth giving lentils another chance. As soon as I got home that day I tweeted about my farmer's market finds. My followers recommended making an Indian curry lentil dish, otherwise known as "dal." That was the first thing that came to mind as I brainstormed all weekend how to stretch the food I had on hand. I did have some fresh snapper but knew the rest of the dish was going to have to come from pantry items and leftover veggies to stay within my budget, and that ended up being really easy to do. I was even able to work in a small pot of coconut Jasmine rice on the side. While my version of dal isn't traditional, I figured out a way to make things my own and I have to say I'm quite happy with the way this one turned out! Consider me converted...red lentils are an inexpensive and nutritious add to your pantry and I'm sure there are a ton of ways I'll be able to make use of them.

Searing fish fillets is always a fun endeavor, and the other reason why I enjoyed cooking this dish so much. There are few things more satisfying than properly searing your own piece of fish. It's truly one of those moments that you'll feel like you've brought the gourmet dining experience to your home. Just like most other cooks, I fumbled through this process when I first started preparing fish, but over time I'm proud to say I've been pretty consistently successful Here are some tips I've learned along the way:

You need a good, heavy bottomed skillet. I prefer cast iron or enameled cast iron, but stainless steel works well too.

Pat your fish dry prior to seasoning and searing. Wet fish dropped in a hot skillet just leads to steamed fish (for this reason, thawed frozen fish can be tricky.) Not to mention, water coming into contact with hot oil is a bad idea.

The skillet needs to be hot. Use the right size burner for the diameter of your pan. Because cast iron retains heat so well, you will likely just need to set your stove to medium to reach a high searing temperature. For other skillets, use the appropriate heat setting that works for your cookware.

Use an oil with a high smoke point. Grape seed oil and coconut oil can be great, healthy choices. Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, and isn't recommended for the high heat needed in this application.

Don't move the fish after you put it down in the skillet. It will stick to the pan and create a mess. Let it be! After a few minutes the surface of the fish will crisp and sear, and it will naturally release contact w/ the skillet. Then you can easily flip or remove it.

Watch for changes in color and texture to monitor doneness. You can watch as the color along the sides of the fish turn opaque as it cooks; the fish may also become visibly flaky. When in doubt, a thermometer can be a great tool to measure internal temperature. For especially thick fillets, it may be appropriate to sear each side and finish roasting in the oven to avoid overcooking the exterior. Some fish, like salmon and tuna, are best when seared briefly for a rare to medium finish, while other types of fish should be cooked all the way through. Most recipes will indicate these specifics, and with practice and observation, you'll get to know what to expect with your favorite types of fish.

Without further ado, let's get into this dish...Happy Birthday to The Kitchenista Diaries!

Curry Snapper & Red Lentils

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh red snapper fillet, skin on

4 c. water

1 1/2 c. red or orange split lentils

2 c. chopped tomatoes

1 c. chopped sweet white onion

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3" knob ginger, sliced

2 tbsp pureed lemongrass

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

1 lime

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

Grape seed oil or coconut oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Optional:

Additional lime slices, for garnish

Quartered cherry tomatoes, for garnish

Jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions substituting coconut milk for half the water

Servings: 2 (8 oz. fish portions) or 4 (4 oz. fish portions); Lentils serve 4.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Equipment needed: Medium pot, large heavy pot or deep dish skillet, cast iron or stainless steel skillet

The prep work is pretty basic for this one. Chop up some garlic and cilantro, slice your ginger (leave that skin on), dice the onion and bell pepper, prepare your spice blend. You know what you'll never find in my recipes? A generic mention of store-bought "curry powder" in the list of ingredients. Step up your pantry game and keep real spices in stock. Seriously, it takes 5 minutes to make your own curry powder so why rely on mystery spice blends in the back of your cupboard that are probably a couple years old?

To toast cumin and fennel seeds: Place a single layer of seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, approximately 5 minutes until fragrant. Watch for the color of the cumin seeds to darken and remove from heat. Toasted seeds should be used the same day.

You may be surprised that I didn't add any hot peppers or cayenne in the mix for this dish. To be honest, I totally forgot, and didn't think the finished dish was "missing" anything when I was done. It was actually refreshing not to eat something spicy and just enjoy the fresh flavors.

But you better believe I added some jalapenos with my leftovers the next day!

You'll want to get your lentils going first. Rinse them off well in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear and pick out any debris.

This is the part I was nervous about. I've had really bland lentils before so I was skeptical about cooking these in water instead of some kind of stock. You really don't need the stock as it turns out, water is just fine and the lentils will soak up all that goodness from the tomatoes and curry spices later on.

In your medium pot, bring the lentils and 4 c. water to boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until lentils have softened and started to break down. You'll see some yucky foam rise to the top while the lentils cook - don't be scared, just skim that off. I don't know if it's true that it'll give you gas but who really wants to take chances on that?

While the lentils cook, cut your snapper into 4 oz portions if you're feeding 4 people...or bigger pieces if you're greedy. I won't judge you, snapper is pretty damn delicious.

Pat the snapper dry, season with a good pinch of kosher salt and rub in a little bit of the curry spices. Don't skip the step in making sure the fish is dry, that'll be really important in getting a good sear later on.

You should get the main pot or skillet going about ten minutes into starting the lentils, if you're multi-tasking. If you're not pressed for time, no harm in doing everything consecutively either. Over medium heat, in your large pot (or as you can see, I used a deep dish skillet) add a couple tablespoons of oil and cook the onions for a few minutes until softened. I let them start to get a little golden brown around the edges to build flavor. Season with a pinch of salt.

After onions soften, add the ginger, garlic and lemongrass. I didn't plan to use lemongrass when I started cooking, which you may have noticed in the pics. But once I had that ginger and garlic going it dawned on me that lemongrass would actually work really well with these flavors. At this point it didn't really matter whether I was going for Indian or Thai, all I knew is that it was smelling awesome. No worries if you don't have any. It adds some excellent citrus notes that aren't replicated exactly by fresh lemon or lime juice, but you could certainly use lemon zest in a pinch.

Add the toasted cumin and fennel seeds, as well as the other curry spices. Cooking the spices for a minute in the hot oil will help the spices bloom and make a great flavor base for the lentils.

Stir in the diced bell peppers and saute those for another minute. Season with a pinch of salt.

Transfer the cooked lentils and any remaining cooking liquid to the skillet and stir to incorporate the onions, peppers, aromatics and seasonings. Allow this to simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced. Check and adjust your seasonings if necessary.

This is a good time to start cooking your snapper so that everything is ready at once. If you skipped over the tips on searing fish above, you might want to scroll back up and review that. Ready? Let's sear some red snapper. To know if your skillet is hot enough, drop a tiny bit of water into the skillet. If it sits in the skillet for a second then evaporates, the skillet isn't hot enough. If the water disperses into droplets that dance across the surface of the skillet, it's ready! Now you can add the oil, just enough to coat the bottom of your skillet.

When you lay the fish in the hot skillet, place the end of the fish near you into the pan first, letting the fish fall in the direction towards the stove. This helps to prevent hot oil from splashing towards you.

Allow the snapper to sear 3-4 minutes depending on thickness of the fillet. Once seared, the skin will be extremely crispy and it should be easy to flip the fillet over using your spatula or tongs. Continue searing the other side for another couple minutes until the fish has cooked through.

For a larger piece of fish, tilt the skillet and use a spoon in a quick circular motion to baste the fish with hot oil. A pat of butter melted into your skillet at this point is an awesome way to get a little extra flavor in there too. Basting the fish helps it to cook more evenly and allows you to concentrate on browning any spots that didn't quite get seared as well.

Set the cooked fish aside and add the chopped tomatoes to the cooked curried lentils. Check seasoning for the last time, adjusting with salt and pepper if needed.

Stir in half of the cilantro and the juice of a lime. Inhale the delicious aromas.

Ladle a good portion of lentils into your bowl, mound a little coconut rice in the center, and lay a piece of seared fish on top. Garnish as you'd like with extra cilantro, fresh tomatoes and lime slices. You're ready to dive in now. Enjoy!

Mexican Shrimp Tortilla Soup

2013-04-15T14:56:00.001-04:00

What's a girl to do when she's got all the ingredients for tacos in hand but craving something a little different? Tortilla soup, of course. But there's no need to stick to traditional chicken tortilla soup when you can make this delicious version so much faster that's bursting with the flavors of wild caught shrimp. It's also a much cleaner version, using baked tortilla strips and low-fat garnishes. Y'all know that I love my seafood and I've been on this Mexican kick lately, so merging the two was a match made in heaven. I also figured out another way to make use of those dried Guajillo chilies I bought for my last recipe. Don't skimp on the shrimp - while there are some Kitchenista approved shortcuts you can take when it comes to stock (I'll get into that below), you really want to buy the best quality fresh shrimp you can get. There are so many variations you can play around with when it comes to adding veggies and garnishes, so pile them on and have as much fun with soup as you would with tacos!

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. The process moves along quite easily with most of it being thrown into one pot. I started with some notes jotted down to walk through the process as I cooked it...ended up making a few tweaks here and there (forgot to include the garlic in my list, um hello!) but for the most part my plan worked and an hour later I enjoyed a flavorful bowl of soup for dinner. Think through your meals, take your time, and by all means have a beer or two while you cook. You'll find cooking to be a much more enjoyable process when you can relax and find your own natural rhythm in the kitchen!

P.S. It's an indisputable fact that a little Merengue in the background will make any Mexican dish taste better...take my word for this.

Mexican Shrimp Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb large wild shrimp, shells on

1 qt fish stock*

4 large dried Guajillo chilies

1 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano peppers, sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 c. chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp ground oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can organic black beans, rinsed

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

6 corn tortillas

2 limes

Non-stick cooking spray

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

*Substitutions for stock discussed in recipe below.

Optional garnishes:

Cilantro

Lime slices
Greek Yogurt

Avocado slices

Sliced green onions

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Equipment Needed: Large pot, medium pot, baking sheet

Guajillo chilies will add a nice flavor base to the stock. Start by slicing off the stems and discarding the seeds and core. If you can't find Guajillo, look for dried Ancho or Chipotle chilies which have a little more heat.

Heat your pot over medium high and toast the peppers briefly. Do not add any oil to the pan. Within 30 seconds or so you'll smell the chilies and see them start to puff up, flip them over and toast on the other side for a few seconds then remove. Avoid toasting them too much or you'll end up with a bitter tasting flavor in your soup.

Let's talk about stock. There's a few directions you can go here. For maximum flavor and freshness, a homemade shrimp or fish stock is always the way to go. I have a gigantic bag of shrimp shells growing in my fridge for a rainy day. Tonight was not that night. So here's Plan B: shrimp shells steeped in store bought seafood and/or fish stock. I really enjoy Bar Harbor's line of canned stocks for this purpose. If you're absolutely out of luck and can't find seafood stock or don't feel like going out to get it, you can do the same with a vegetable or chicken stock, but I recommend adding a splash of fish sauce or some clam juice.

Peel your shrimp, reserving the shells. Don't buy large shrimp without the shells on. I'm serious. So much flavor is in those shells; you really are wasting your money to buy them peeled, and it takes just a few extra minutes of your time to do it yourself.

In your medium pot, warm the stock, toasted chillies and shrimp shells. Bring to a low boil then simmer for 15 minutes while you finish your prep work for the soup. Always try to use dead time wisely for dicing, chopping, cleaning up, etc.

Once the stock has simmered a bit, the shells will turn pink and the flavor (and some color) from the chillies will release into your stock. Strain, reserving the liquid only.

Preheat your oven to 350°. In the large pot over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and saute the diced onion until translucent.

Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for a couple minutes until fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt.

Stir in the sliced Serrano peppers. Two peppers added quite a bit of heat in my opinion, so if you aren't a fan of spicy foods you may want to just use one pepper, or remove the seeds prior to adding them. My son Jaden was brave on this one...the heat caught him off guard but he survived after a couple glasses of milk, ha. Builds character! I told him if we keep going in this direction he'll be ready for my dad's hot wings in no time!

Add the tomato paste to the onions and peppers, allow that to cook for a minute. I rarely use a whole can of this stuff even though they're pretty small, so I just store leftovers in the fridge. A couple tablespoons is really all you need to boost the richness of tomato based dishes.

Add the spices - oregano, cumin, cinnamon and some cracked black pepper - to create the flavor base for the soup. If you've followed my recipes you'll notice this is very similar to the way I prepare curry dishes. It's all about creating formulas that work, then all you have to do is tweak ingredients.

Let this mixture cook for a couple minutes until fragrant. If the pan is super dry, you can add a small splash of olive oil to moisten it a bit.

Reduce heat to medium low and add the chopped tomatoes. Season with a couple pinches of salt. If you're making this in the summer and have awesome fresh organic tomatoes at your disposal, by all means take advantage! I love Pomi's boxed tomatoes when that's not possible though.

Pour in the warm shrimp stock and simmer at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. You can check the seasonings and adjust here if necessary. Go easy on the salt though, wild shrimp really does taste like it's fresh out of the ocean and will add plenty of salt to your soup towards the end.

While magic brews in your pot, go ahead and get your garnishes ready. To prepare the tortilla strips, simply slice them into 1/4" thick pieces using a knife or pizza slicer. Spray with cooking oil and spread them out on a foil lined baking sheet in one layer. Bake at 350° until crisp and lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Careful, these will burn on you quickly if you forget about them (trust me!)

If you're using Greek yogurt as a garnish, mix 1/2 cup yogurt with the juice of half a lime, season with a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.

To finish the soup, add the rinsed black beans and continue to simmer another minute.

Add the chopped cilantro and juice of two limes.

Add the raw shrimp and simmer until cooked; the shrimp will turn opaque after a few minutes...and then it's time to eat!

To serve, place some of the tortilla strips at the bottom of your bowl. Ladle some soup on top (extra shrimp please!) and then top with additional tortilla strips and the garnishes of your liking.

Now remember what I told you, and don't forget the beer or the Merengue music. Enjoy!

Guajillo Fish Tacos and a @ShortyAwards Win!!

2013-04-13T16:58:00.001-04:00

These fish tacos you're about to make after reading this recipe are amazing. I promise you. But do you know what's even more amazing?

I won a Shorty Award!!!

Sometimes you have to forget humility and bask in your own awesomeness. I'm having one of those weeks. On Monday night I traveled up to New York City to attend the 5th Annual Shorty Awards in Times Square. Halfway through the ceremony, the #Food category was announced. Mind you, I've maintained a positive mentality throughout the campaign over the last few months, determined to give it my all and win this thing. Still, there is nothing more nerve wracking than those last few seconds leading up to the moment you find out the results. When I heard "The Kitchenista" called, a tie with Rosanna Pansino of "Nerdy Nummies," I wasn't prepared for the rush of emotions that hit me. Forgot about my stage fright and everything. Forgot what I was supposed to say. Damn near forgot my own name. I was just so incredibly surprised and amazed to find myself standing on a stage in front of all of those talented people, accepting an award for doing what I love.

The Kitchenista Diaries turns 1 this week! I'm still a rookie at this blogging thing, so to end my first year on such a high note at the Shorty Awards? Let's just say the bar just got set even higher for the coming year. To everybody who voted in the Shorty Awards and helped to promote my campaign, thank you. To all of my readers and subscribers, thank you for supporting me, encouraging me and inspiring me to explore my passion for cooking!

Okay, okay...on to the tacos! Guajillo fish tacos are decidedly simple in execution but the flavor is out of this world. I've been playing around with dried Mexican chilies over the past few weeks, using them in everything from pork roast to bbq sauce. Fish tacos seemed like a great reason to continue my experiment, especially after watching Patricia Jinich whip up some great looking Adobo Fish Tacos on the Create channel. I headed over to the Latino supermarket where I knew they'd have dried chilies in stock, and sure enough I found bags full of Ancho chilies and Guajillo chilies. I went with Guajillo for this recipe for its deep fruity flavor, with a couple Chipotle peppers added for spicy smokiness. You can easily substitute your favorite pepper here. The recipe is a twist on my basic fish tacos recipe, where a soft corn tortilla, crunchy slaw and Greek yogurt play supporting roles. Step away from the boxed taco kits and salty seasoning packets folks. Real flavor lies in real food, so make these healthy and delicious Guajillo Fish Tacos for your next #TacoTuesday...while you're at it, cook up some brown rice & beans too!

Guajillo Fish Tacos

Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh Tilapia (or other firm white fish)
8 dried Guajillo chili peppers
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cinnamon

1 orange

2 limes

2 cups shredded green cabbage

¼ c. chopped cilantro
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ c. Greek yogurt, drained
Corn tortillas, warmed
Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Equipment needed: Food processor or blender, large heavy skillet

Using a knife or kitchen shears, snip off the chili stem ends, remove core and shake out the seeds.

In a dry heavy skillet over medium heat, toast chili peppers for 20-30 seconds per side, being careful not to let them blacken. Burning the peppers yields a bitter taste, so remove as soon as they are fragrant and start to puff up a bit.

Transfer toasted chilies to a small dish and cover with boiling hot water. If necessary, place a bowl on top to ensure peppers are completely submerged. Guajillo chili peppers have a tougher skin than most, so allow them to steep approximately 15 minutes or until softened. Do not discard the liquid.

In a food processor or blender, combine the softened Guajillo peppers, chipotle peppers, juice and zest of one lime and orange, garlic cloves, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Add a good couple pinches of salt and plenty of cracked black pepper.

Puree until smooth, adding some of the liquid used to steep the peppers if necessary; I used about 1/4 cup. You’re looking for a spreadable consistency similar to thick mustard. Season the paste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Press the chili paste through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds or large pieces of pepper skin. If you don't use all of this for one recipe, keep any leftovers in a small jar, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. It’ll keep for a few weeks. I used my leftover chili paste as a marinade for roast pork!

Pat the fish dry and season each side of the filet with a pinch of kosher salt.

Coat the fish fillets with a generous amount of Guajillo chili paste on each side. Allow to marinate at least 15 minutes or overnight.

While the fish marinates, prepare the slaw by combining shredded cabbage, cilantro, juice and zest of half a lime, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle just enough honey to balance any bitterness of the cabbage; approximately two teaspoons.

To make a quick sour cream substitute, mix the juice of about 1/2 lime into 1/2 cup of drained Greek yogurt.

In heavy skillet over medium high heat, add two tablespoons of oil. Carefully place fish into the skillet and sear on one side for a few minutes. You'll know the fish is seared when it can easily be moved by the spatula. If you try to move it too soon you'll run into problems with it sticking to the pan.

Tilapia cooks very quickly so depending on the thickness of the filets this should take no more than a few minutes per side. It's going to smell ridiculous right now and you'll be tempted to eat it straight from the skillet. Wait for the taco.

I brushed some extra chili paste on my fish prior to serving, because...why not?! To serve, spoon some of the crunchy cilantro slaw into a warm tortilla, break up some big chunks of fish and put that on top, then a dollop of yogurt. Prepare to be blown away.

Now that's how you do #TacoTuesday!

Bacon, Fennel & Apple Dressing

2013-03-30T18:34:00.000-04:00

So much has happened over the last couple months on this food blogging journey. First, I'm proud to say I made it as a finalist in the 5th Annual Shorty Awards and will be headed to New York City on April 8th for the ceremony. Fingers crossed that I leave with the 2013 #Food Shorty Award! My Twitter timeline was awesome in rallying up support to get me there and I can't wait to celebrate in Times Square, very exciting! In other news, I was recently featured by PBS in an article discussing the representation of black chefs in the food industry. I'm incredibly honored to be included among some people I truly respect and admire. You can find the article and my interview at PBS' Black Culture Connection.

On the home front, I am still keeping busy cooking daily which seems to be the only relief from an incredibly stressful few months at work and in my personal life. I can't say I've been coming up with the healthiest dishes - your body's natural reaction to stress is to crave comfort foods - but I'm committed to get back in my clean eating groove this spring. I'm also working on putting together my first collection of special recipes to feature in a upcoming e-cookbook, so for now I'll be pulling some favorites from my vault to blog that I'm sure my readers will love. Bacon, Fennel & Apple Dressing was a dish that I made at home in Virginia this Christmas, and after watching a hilariously tragic cooking tutorial on making cornbread stuffing last night, I decided to share it.

My Bacon, Fennel & Apple Dressing was a modified version of the Linquica Stuffing I made for Thanksgiving...and if you recall, the reason I damn near lost a thumb! If you grew up thinking dressing was bland, dense and an ordinary supporting role on your holiday plates, think again. Much like any other home cooking, dressing from a box is just...not worth your time. It's really never that good, but you can put enough pork sausage in it and smother it with gravy to trick yourself into believe it is. But why do that when you can cook a dressing that's delicious enough to stand on its own? Use fresh bread and quality ingredients and you will be amazed at the difference. Even my dad was surprised by this one, and he's hard to impress. It's rich in flavor with warm paprika and herb notes, definitively bacon-y yet the texture is light, fluffy and moist inside with a crusty top. Throw away the box and make your family some proper dressing for your next holiday gathering.

Bacon, Fennel & Apple Dressing

Ingredients:

1 large loaf day-old French bread, approximately 6 - 8 cups cubed

1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp; reserve bacon fat

1 1/2 c. diced sweet onion

1 1/2 c. diced fennel

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 c. diced apples (Honeycrisp used here)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 oz. butter

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp Bell's Poultry Seasoning, or to taste

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 c. chicken stock

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Servings: This makes enough to fill a huge casserole dish and comfortably served a party of 8 with leftovers.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Equipment needed: Large deep skillet (12"), baking sheets for toasting bread and cooking bacon

Try to get the best quality bacon possible when making a recipe that the bacon is used prominently. This is thick cut country bacon which has a lovely bite to it in the finished dressing. Bonus, the rind is delicious when stripped and crisped up in the oven.

I cooked my bacon on a baking sheet starting out in a cold oven, turning the heat up to 425°. I reserved approximately 1/4 c. bacon fat. After it was crisp, I removed from the oven and drained it on paper towels and then crumbled it. You could dice up your bacon and cook it in the skillet instead, which is actually how I usually do it. This stuff was extra thick though so I thought the oven would do it justice. Mmmm....bacon.

The best bread to use for dressing is slightly stale. It will soak up more of the broth and flavors of the vegetables as opposed to using moist fresh bread. If your grocery store sells day old French or Italian bread, that's a great way to get it on the cheap. I like to pump extra flavor in my stuffing by seasoning and toasting my bread cubes first. I laid out the cubes on a large baking sheet, drizzled in olive oil and then dusted with the smoked paprika, about a teaspoon of Bell's Poultry Seasoning, and the garlic powder. Toast that in an oven on low heat (about 300°) until golden brown. Try not to eat them, because essentially you just made croutons!

In your skillet, add a couple tablespoons of bacon fat and two tablespoons of butter, over medium heat.

Add the diced onions, fennel, and garlic. Cook until translucent, 3 - 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.

Add the diced apples and continue to cook another 5 minutes until apples have softened. By the way, as long as you thoroughly clean them (and hopefully bought organic), there's really no need to peel the apples.

Season the apples, onion and fennel with the lemon juice, chopped herbs, black pepper, and a couple pinches of salt.

I added a teaspoon or so of Bell's Seasoning too. This stuff is money. My dad put me on years ago but it had been forever since I'd cooked with it.

Add half of the crumbled bacon to the apples and stir to incorporate. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the toasted bread cubes to a large bowl, add the cooked ingredients from the skillet, and toss gently. This is where things rely on instinct. You want to add just enough stock to moisten the bread cubes, but not enough to turn them into mush. Add a couple cups, toss to incorporate, and then slowly pour in a little bit at a time until you get to the right consistency. Use your hands and learn to "feel" as you cook. Season to taste if needed with a pinch of salt, garlic powder, Bell's, etc. Finally, stir in the beaten eggs.

Gently press the dressing into a large buttered casserole dish. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake on the center rack of a preheated oven, 350°, until the top is toasted and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

In the last few minutes of cooking time, top the dressing with the remaining crumbled bacon. Serve hot and thank me later...

Shrimp Fried Coconut Rice

2013-03-03T01:26:00.001-05:00

One of my followers on Twitter asked for a good shrimp fried rice recipe she could make at home, and with shrimp being a favorite around here, I was happy to take on the challenge. There's plenty of reasons why this is a relatively easy dinner dish. I found a little inspiration from America's Test Kitchen's recipe for Indonesian-Style Fried Rice, which curiously came on TV the night I was brainstorming ideas. I came up with my own version and tried it out for Super Bowl Sunday, along with a couple other Thai-inspired dishes like ginger-soy glazed wings, peanut sauce and a spicy mango chicken slider. This is a delicious shrimp fried rice dish that's easy to do at home and has some unexpected ingredients that really take the flavor to a new place.

The tough part about making fried rice is having cold cooked rice on hand. Have you ever tried to fry hot, moist rice? I have, and trust me it's a mushy mess. Now, while I often have one or two servings of rice leftover from a dinner earlier in the week, it's rare that I have a whole pot of it, at least not when I need to. America's Test Kitchen solved this problem with an ingenious method for the cooking rice the same day and cooling it in no time at all.

For my Shrimp Fried Coconut Rice, I specifically chose items that wouldn't take long to prep. One thing that can be frustrating about stir fried dishes is all the slicing, chopping & dicing you have to do. For this dish, I'm using frozen peas (I hate peas in general but keep a bag in the freezer for easy adds to pastas, rice and curries) and bean sprouts, which require none of that. It's relatively easy to mince ginger, but I found that those little jars of organic minced ginger are perfectly fine short cut in recipes calling for small amounts. Carrots don't take long to shred in a food processor and most grocery stores sell also small bags of shredded carrot. If you probably won't use whole carrots in your kitchen, that's not a bad idea to avoid wasting the rest. Shrimp was the most expensive ingredient but it is one thing we regularly splurge on in this house, and unfortunately I couldn't catch a decent sale that week. Fresh or frozen shrimp that's already been peeled and deveined will save you the most work. And shallots are a new thing for me but I've quickly grown to become a big fan - they pack the flavor of garlic and onions in one punch.

Speaking of America's Test Kitchen, I'm signing up for their new online cooking courses! I've been such a fan of the brand between their website, Cook's Country television show and Cook's Illustrated magazine, that this was a no-brainer. Can't wait to work some of my course assignments into new recipes for my blog, so I'll keep you guys posted on what the classes are like.

Faux Leftover Coconut Rice

adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 c. jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp kosher salt
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 c. chicken stock or water

Servings: Makes 6 cups cooked rice
Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Equipment Needed: Large pot, baking sheet

You could definitely use plain cooked Jasmine rice and this will still be a great recipe. I cooked my rice in coconut milk and turmeric to add another layer of Thai-inspired flavor to my dish though. It's a modified version of my usual recipe that I tweaked to work better for fried rice. I got the idea from America's Test Kitchen's recipe for Faux Leftover Rice, which I turned to because I was making this all the same day. Hot cooked rice does not a good fried rice make, so you really do want to utilize leftover chilled rice or go ahead and follow the steps below to speed up that process if you need to cook it the same day.

In a large pot over medium high heat, toast the rice in coconut oil for a minute or so, long enough to get all the rice grains coated in oil.

Stir in the turmeric powder and kosher salt, stirring to continue toasting the rice until the yellow color of the turmeric is evenly distributed.

Add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low.

Simmer for 15-18 min or until all liquid is absorbed.

Spread rice out onto a baking sheet (I lined mine to prevent any sticking.) Transfer to fridge and chill at least twenty minutes, or until needed.

Shrimp Fried Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

6 c. cooked rice (Faux Leftover Coconut Rice, recipe above)

1 lb small to medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. shredded carrot
2 shallots, diced
2 tsp minced ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. sliced scallions
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)
1 tbsp Sriracha
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut or grape seed oil
2 tsp sesame oil
Handful of chopped cilantro
Lime wedges, for garnish

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 min (if rice is made in advance)
Cook Time: 15 min
Equipment Needed: Large deep skillet or wok, small nonstick skillet

You'll want everything near the stove and ready to add to the skillet as the fried rice is being prepared. Combine the palm sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and Sriracha and set aside once mixed.

I preheated my 12" cast iron skillet over medium high heat, but adjust temperature if using a wok or other type of skillet. Add two tablespoons of coconut oil to the hot skillet and saute the diced shallots until translucent.

In a separate non-stick skillet, scramble the two beaten eggs in a teaspoon or so of oil. Hindsight is 20/20, so I probably would have just done this in my main skillet and then transferred them out. If you're trying to avoid the extra dish, that's the solution.

When the shallots have cooked a couple minutes, add the minced ginger and stir.

Add the bean sprouts and carrots, cook until sprouts start to wilt.

Add your frozen peas, cook just a minute or so until warmed through.

Transfer the cooked veggies to a dish. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and the sesame oil. I've found sesame oil can overwhelm a dish easily, so I like to just add a little towards the end of my recipes now instead of cooking all my veggies in it.

Add the peeled shrimp and cook just until the shrimp turn opaque, just a minute or two. As I warn you with every shrimp dish, please don't overcook it! Push the cooked shrimp towards the sides of the skillet.

Pour the sauce into the center of the skillet and wait for it to bubble up before stirring to toss the shrimp in the sauce.

Add the "leftover" rice to the skillet and reheat, mixing to incorporate the shrimp and sauce, and to prevent sticking.

Fold the cooked veggies and scrambled eggs back into the fried rice. Stir in the scallions (I use kitchen shears to snip these right into my skillet) and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

I really hope you like this one; it's a great dish to add life to any party or festive dinner! What I love about making fried rice at home is that you can do it without being weighed down with tons of oil or soy sauce, and as long as you keep your pantry stocked it's a relatively simple list of ingredients. Make it your own with different veggies, or try it with chicken or even tofu. Leftovers were awesome the next day!

Chipotle Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Bacon Tacos

2013-02-26T18:53:00.000-05:00

What better way to celebrate #TacoTuesday than a new taco recipe? It's been awhile since my last taco post, so I feel like I need to get back on my taco game as far as this blog goes. Confession. This one started out vegan, but you know what happens when you spot that package of bacon in the fridge. So much for that idea. But hey, something amazing almost always happens when bacon is involved. These tacos are no exception. Easy, smoky, spicy, messy...all of which made for some pretty awesome tacos if I do say so myself. So feel free to leave the bacon out if you must, but I enjoyed the extra layer of flavor and texture that it added to my spicy roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, creamy black beans and tangy yogurt sauce. There is a lot of flavor going on in there. Also, this is another recipe that doesn't break the bank; who doesn't need more of those? I don't really feel like a taco this good needs much more of an introduction, so let's just move on to the recipe!

Chipotle Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Bacon Tacos

Ingredients:

8 oz. smoked bacon, diced

2 organic sweet potatoes, peeled & diced (approx 1 1/2 lbs)

1 red onion, diced

1 can organic black beans, drained & rinsed

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 limes

Handful of fresh cilantro

1/2 c. drained Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp honey

Cinnamon, to taste

Smoked paprika,to taste

Cumin, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

8 Corn or flour tortillas

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Equipment Needed: Roasting pan, large heavy skillet (cast-iron recommended), small skillet for tortillas (or microwave)

Preheat oven to 400°. Add the bacon to a cold skillet, heat to medium high and cook until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tbsp bacon fat in the skillet. Save the rest of the bacon fat for the next step.

While my bacon fried up, I diced the sweet potatoes and onions. Always make use of "dead" time while you're cooking. If you don't have prep work to do, you probably have cleaning or plating to get started.

We've talked about these in previous posts, but if you're new to the game, allow me to introduce you to the Chipotle Pepper. They are dried, smoked jalapenos. In my opinion the flavor is more smoky than spicy, but they still pack quite a bit of heat as does the sauce. A small can like this will last me through several recipes, so don't feel like you have to use it all at once (mostly because you'd probably die.) I chopped up two or three. My son isn't quite on board with anything too spicy so that was conservative for my tastes!

In a large bowl, toss the diced sweet potatoes with chopped chipotle peppers, 2 tbsp bacon fat, the juice of one lime, and plenty of cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon - about a teaspoon each if you need a guestimate. I went heavier on the cumin and smoked paprika than the cinnamon. If for some reason you didn't render enough bacon fat, you can use olive or coconut oil.

Spread out the diced potatoes in a roasting pan or baking sheet, lined with parchment paper for the least amount of mess or sticking. If you don't have parchment paper, spray lightly with non-stick cooking oil. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper. Roast at 400° until fork tender, about 30 minutes.

In the skillet you cooked up that delicious bacon should be about 2 tbsp reserved bacon fat. Add the diced red onions, turn down the heat to low, and allow these to caramelize while the sweet potatoes roast.

You'll just need to stir these occasionally making sure they aren't sticking to the skillet. If the pan dries up add a splash of water. Caramelizing onions takes some time over low heat, but the pay off is so worth it. When they are soft and translucent like this, you're about halfway there.

While the onions are going, you can make the yogurt sauce. I haven't been eating a lot of yogurt lately, so these little small cups are perfect when I just need to make something for one dish.

To the Greek yogurt, add a spoonful of adobo sauce, one clove of garlic (minced), the juice and zest of one lime, and salt and pepper to taste.

I thought it needed just a little sweetness to balance the flavors of the taco, so I ended up adding some honey to finish the sauce.

Now it was perfect. Creamy, tangy, slightly spicy and sweet. Greek yogurt makes fantastic sauces that will convert most sour cream fiends!

Meanwhile, these onions are looking pretty good...but not quite there yet!

Ah, there we go. Caramelized onions lose quite a bit of their original volume. They should be dark and crispy around the edges, and super concentrated with sweet onion flavor. The amount of time varies depending on the sweetness of the onion you started with, but expect at least 20-30 minutes of caramelization time (I timed mine to cook while the sweet potatoes were roasting.)

To the onions, add a couple teaspoons of minced garlic. Season the onions with a pinch of kosher salt, a little cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Most of the seasoning went into the potatoes, so you really don't need to add too much here. Half a teaspoon each of cumin and smoked paprika, pinch of cinnamon... try not to think too hard. They're tacos.

Stir in the black beans and allow them to warm up. Season with a little salt and pepper.

You're about ready to plate now, so warm up your tortillas in a small dry skillet or in the microwave.

The sweet potatoes should be ready now...resist the temptation to just make a plate of these piled high with bacon. Ok, maybe that's just me. But you do want to throw in that crispy diced bacon and gently toss to distribute evenly.

You're ready to plate! Scoop some black beans into a warmed tortilla...

Follow with a good portion of roasted sweet potatoes & crispy bacon...

And finish with a dollop of yogurt sauce and a few sprigs of cilantro. I didn't even bother chopping it up, but I love cilantro like that.

Serve with extra lime wedges for garnish. Prepare for a #TacoTuesday party in your mouth, and make sure you have plenty of cold Mexican beer...it's only right!

Seared Cod & Roasted Tomatoes with a Tarragon Vinaigrette

2013-02-11T17:29:00.001-05:00

I am pulling out another gem from the vault that I think you all will like! This recipe was a dish I did for my family when I was home for the holidays recently, so you'll see a change in scenery for this post as far as the photos go. I hesitated in posting this one as I had it in my mind to redo it at home using my new skillets, but that idea was quickly getting buried under a long list of other recipes I'd like to move on and try. I was cooking in my parents' kitchen when I made this, which was an adventure in and of itself. Their kitchen is about 50 times bigger than my little ol' apartment. Two ovens, a gas range, and all of the counter space a kitchenista could dream of, so as far as that goes I was in heaven. But even though I used to live there many moons ago, it is always a bit of a challenge working in a new environment with tools and cookware that aren't yours. I worked it out, but now I fully understand why so many chefs travel with their own knives and equipment! My inspiration for this dish was simply the ingredients that jumped out at me when we got to the grocery store - not just any grocery store, but Wegmans, one of my favorite places to shop when I'm home in Northern Virginia. If you have a Wegmans in your area I highly recommend taking that trip. They have an awesome produce section with an amazing selection of organic food, lots of specialty and gourmet food items, and incredible in-store dining. When I worked in that area, their pizza, sushi and sub stations were always a favorite for lunch. That bread is to die for, let me tell you.

It's funny how your perspective changes over time, so might I say the prices were really high compared to what I'm used to seeing down here in Florida. Especially the seafood. I had a rather embarrassing encounter at the seafood counter that afternoon. I saw all of these beautiful fillets available, so immediately my mind went towards doing some kind of seared fish for dinner. The Rockfish looked great and since it was a local fish I figured it was a good choice. I picked out two pounds of fillets, and as the price displayed on the scale my heart did a deep sea dive. It came out to well over $50. Um, yeah...maybe I should have taken note of the $25/lb price tag clearly displayed on the window! As nothing else really stood out to me once I considered the cost, I sheepishly asked the lady to point me in the direction of the frozen cod fish. Womp womp.

Needless to say I was a little disappointed not to find a suitable fresh fish for the recipe I had in mind, but I did find some frozen fillets that turned out to be just fine. If you can buy fresh local fish I am always an advocate of such, but sometimes you've gotta do the best you can with what's available!

So that said, let's talk about this recipe. It's fairly straight forward so it's another easy one to tweak with your choice of fish, herbs and veggies. I chose to work with cod fish, organic sweet potatoes, Haricots Verts, and cherry tomatoes. My new ingredient in the mix was tarragon, an herb I had never previously used in my dishes. I knew enough from my research that it is a good compliment to seafood dishes, so I went ahead and decided to give it a try here, along with flat leaf parsley. Tarragon has what I could describe as a floral flavor to it with a hint of licorice much like fennel. I thought it was bright, noticeable but not overpowering to the fish, and had an interesting flavor to it that rejuvenated my taste buds a bit. It was a little scary stepping out of my cilantro and mint comfort zone, however tarragon is definitely going to be making more appearances in my kitchen.

I've separated the recipe ingredients into each of the separate components of the dish, to make it easier for you to do all or part of what I cooked (but I hope you try everything, because it really did come together nicely.) If you'll notice in a lot of my dishes, there's a pretty common theme of plating a seared fish (or meat) and accompanying sauce atop some type of mash or puree, along with a simple veggie side. It's a formula that works consistently for me in coming up with composed dishes when I'm not feeling particularly inventive. Occasionally I will replace the mashed root veggie with a rice or pasta, but because we were so close to Christmas dinner (also known as Thanksgiving Part 2), I wanted to keep this dish as low-carb as possible. Many sauces are also laden with butter, so I wanted to avoid that and opted for a vinaigrette instead. The result was a dish that looked and tasted a lot fancier than the ingredients that went into making it, which is always a win in The Kitchenista Diaries.

Seared Cod & Roasted Tomatoes with a Tarragon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless cod fillets, approx. 6 oz. each
2 c. organic cherry tomatoes
2 large sweet onions
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

For the Tarragon Vinaigrette:
2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c. lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Agave nectar
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp black pepper
Sea salt, to taste

For the Sweet Potato Mash:
4 small organic sweet potatoes
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

For the Haricots Verts:
3 c. fresh Haricots Verts (French green beans)
2 yellow bell peppers
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 1 hour, including roasting the potatoes

Equipment Needed: Two large skillets, roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Wash sweet potatoes. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast until tender, approximately 45 minutes to an hour. One thing I did appreciate cooking at my parents' house is having that convection oven back in my life. Goodness gracious, I forgot how much faster it is than standard ovens!

I recommend placing the potatoes in some type of dish or on a baking sheet to avoid drips; the sugary liquid that oozes out of sweet potatoes can be a pain in the ass to clean once it burns. Alternatively, potatoes can be baked in the microwave to speed up your prep time. While the potatoes roast, you can continue on with the rest of your prep work.

Peel and slice onions into wedges and toss with tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. If your tomatoes are particularly large, you may want to halve them first. These will roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tomatoes start to burst and onions are slightly charred. I put them in the oven about 20 minutes after the sweet potatoes so everything was ready around the same time.

To prepare vinaigrette, zest one lemon and juice both. Always be sure to wash your lemons before zesting, especially if they are not organic! Most produce from the grocery store is coated in wax and nobody wants that in their food.

In a small dish, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, agave nectar, tarragon, parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. If you don't have agave, honey is a great substitution.

Whisk briskly while slowly pouring in the olive oil. You can do this step in a food processor or blender if you're so inclined, but I didn't find it to be necessary this time.

When all of the olive oil has been incorporated, you should have a thin vinaigrette with slightly creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Season it to taste with a little sea salt.

To prepare green beans, cut the tops and bottoms off the yellow bell pepper. Remove core and seeds and julienne into thin strips.

Heat a large skillet over medium high. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add yellow peppers and sauté until peppers start to caramelize, approximately 10 minutes.

Stir in minced garlic and green beans; toss well to coat green beans in oil and garlic. Continue to sauté until green beans are crisp tender. Reduce heat to low and cover until ready to serve.

When sweet potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife, remove from oven. Scoop out the cooked flesh and mash thoroughly. Stir in olive oil and parsley; season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Cover and set aside.

The tomatoes should be ready around the same time as well. Remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

The fish should be prepared last as it takes very little time to cook and you’ll want everything else to be ready to plate first. If using frozen cod fish make sure the fillets are thoroughly thawed. Pat fish dry. Rub fillets with one tablespoon of the olive oil and season each side generously with sea salt and black pepper.

Add remaining olive oil to a heavy skillet heated over high heat. You’ll want to lightly coat the skillet to prevent sticking.

When oil is just shy of smoking, place cod fish into skillet, top down. You will most likely only be able to fit one or two fillets at a time, and that’s fine - don’t crowd the pan or the fish will steam and not sear. Allow to sear 2-3 minutes depending on thickness. You should get a nice golden crust on the fish. This would have been spectacular in a cast iron skillet. Sigh. I'm going to have to start dating my posts B.C. for "before cast iron" if I take anything else out of the vault!

Carefully flip fish over to sear the other side, 2-3 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and set aside, covering loosely with foil. Continue cooking remaining fillets. If you have particularly thick fillets, I recommend a quick sear on each side and transferring (in an oven-proof skillet) to the oven to finish cooking until done.

To plate this dish, place a scoop of sweet potato mash off-center. Add some green beans and peppers alongside the potatoes. Place the cod fish filet atop the potatoes & green beans and drizzle with vinaigrette. Spoon tomatoes and onions over the fish; if desired garnish with a lemon slice.

Beautiful isn't it? Proof that you don't need to spend a lot of money to create something fabulous!

If you enjoy my recipes & food related posts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, please cast a vote for me in the 2013 Shorty Awards! I'm going for an award in the #food category, which recognizes excellence and innovation in social media. Nominations close at the end of February, so I'd appreciate your continued support!

Vegan Chipotle Black Bean & Tomato Soup

2013-02-09T21:59:00.001-05:00

It's a blessing that I'm able to cook with mostly fresh foods day to day. But the reality is that just like most everybody else, I find myself low on food from time to time and can't get to the grocery store. When the fridge is on "E", most of us end up grabbing fast food, ordering take out, or skipping meals, none of which tend to be the healthiest choices. However, if you keep your pantry stocked throughout the year with food staples, it's actually pretty easy to come up with some tasty homemade meals using limited ingredients. It can be a challenge for me to cook without meat, let alone having to break out the canned food or other non-perishables. That said, it's still possible to get creative with ingredients I wouldn't typically rely on as focal points in my dishes. Soups lend themselves really easily to that. Everything cooks in one pot and you can throw in odd bits & ends of whatever food you scrounge up. Best part? They're ridiculously cheap & quick to make.

I don't eat a lot of soup, but it's the first thing I turn to when I am sick, when I'm broke, or when there's nasty weather outside, all of which prevent me from getting out to shop or wanting to cook anything complicated. This vegan black bean soup recipe was exactly one of those nights, and I was pretty pleased with the results. It's hearty, spicy, and creamy, and came out as a cross between Cuban-style black beans and a good tomato soup. This couldn't have been easier to make. Using sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes was a particularly successful move, as they imparted a richer tomato flavor into my soup. If you made it a little thicker, it would also make an excellent black bean dip (I know this because I totally binged on fresh tortillas dipped in black bean soup that night.) I've made this soup a few times and each version varied slightly depending on what ingredients I had on hand. I hope you have fun pulling out some of those pantry items and making it your own!

P.S. You know what else you can make with pantry items? Fresh tortillas. I'm still working on churning out the perfect tortillas, but have to say these were pretty delicious.

Vegan Chipotle Black Bean & Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c. vegetable stock (or 1 can)
1 can creamed corn
1 c. sun dried tomato halves
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
½ c. chopped cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp Mexican spice blend, or more to taste (suggestion below):

2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground Chipotle powder
½ tsp cinnamon

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Special Equipment: Small pot, blender.

Make your spice blend if you're doing that with your own spices, which of course I'm going to tell you that you should be doing. This one has the cumin, chili powder & oregano reminiscent of most Mexican blends, but I liked the deep undertones of spicy ground Chipotle and smoked paprika in there too.

Heat a small pot over medium heat and gently fry the sliced garlic in coconut oil. This infuses the oil with all that garlicky deliciousness.

Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Prep work is so much easier with soups because you don't have to be precise with cutting and chopping. The veggies are going to cook down and take a spin in the blender, so a rough chop is just fine.

Next, add the diced bell peppers and chopped Chipotle peppers. Bell peppers, onions and garlic are three things I pretty much always have on hand, even when I'm low on groceries. A small can of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce goes a long way. I just use one or two at a time in most of my recipes, so I store leftovers in a small reclosable container in my fridge.

Add a pinch of kosher salt and cook until the peppers have softened.

I seasoned the peppers and onions with a heaping tablespoon of Mexican spice blend, so use more or less depending on your tastes.

In goes the black beans and a can full of vegetable stock (about a cup and a half.) Remember to rinse and drain the beans first.

The sun dried tomatoes need to be reconstituted to get tender enough for this soup. Instead of doing this in a separate dish, I just dropped them into my soup and let them float on top of the broth for 5 minutes or so to soak up the liquid.

When the tomatoes have softened, use a ladle to transfer them to your blender along with about half the beans and a cup of liquid. Pulse to puree until the tomatoes are broken down, then transfer everything back to your soup pot. This helps to thicken the soup but we left plenty of beans and veggies behind for texture.

Stir in the can of creamed corn, which will add more texture and a little sweetness.

Finally, stir in the lime juice and a handful of chopped cilantro. I abhor dried cilantro, and since it's only $.99 to buy a fresh bunch at my grocery store, I almost always have it on hand. Fresh cilantro would be included on my hurricane preparation list, it's that crucial in my kitchen.

That's it. I told you this was an easy one, right? Add a pinch or two of salt, some black pepper, and then let is simmer for a few minutes. Check and adjust your seasonings as necessary. Serve with warmed soft tortillas and a cold Mexican beer for a special treat!

Moroccan Skillet Chicken with Lemons & Olives

2013-02-03T03:13:00.001-05:00

I've been excited to blog about this dish ever since the night I made it. I wanted to show an example of how you can do an economical one-dish meal that still packs an incredible amount of depth and flavor. I spent about $15 putting this one together, and with 4 - 6 servings that makes it a pretty great alternative to taking your family out to eat these days. I made this with a simple brown rice couscous, which also happened to be gluten free. For an extra special treat, try serving it with Cinnamon Couscous with Golden Raisins & Mint!

My best dishes come about when I've taken the time to plan out what I hope to accomplish and visualize the finished dish in my head. I may write down a simple list of ingredients or go as far as to draft a recipe ahead of time. It's a great idea to keep a small notebook handy in your kitchen. Use it to write reminders, jot down steps to new recipes, or whatever else will help you jog your memory when you want to recreate a successful dish. Even though I take pictures as I'm cooking my dishes, I can't tell you how many times I wished I had taken better notes. The little details are so much easier to remember when you've written them down!

I'm a bit of a nerd, so I have a way of proportioning spice blends in my head that looks a lot like the pyramid food charts. For this dish, cumin and coriander are the first two spices that season my Moroccan sauce. Did you know coriander is the dried seeds of the cilantro plant? I love the combination of cumin and coriander together; they also make the base of many Indian curry spice blends and are great in Mexican chili. Smoked paprika is next in my pyramid and adds a nice layer of smokiness. It is rounded out by cinnamon, which adds a bit of warmth, and turmeric, which brings in an earthy hint of mustard. Finally, a little bit of cayenne adds just the right amount of heat. Make sure you are using fresh spices. If they've been in your cabinet for longer than six months, chances are they have lost much of their flavor. Often times at your grocery store you can find small pouches of spices next to the bottles. If you come across a recipe that has a spice you'd like to try but you don't want to invest in a whole bottle, just buy the smaller portion until you are ready to make use of a full supply!

Chicken skillet dishes are fun to play around with, for the same reason that I like curries and stir fried dishes: it all comes down to a basic formula. Once you have the gist of some very basic techniques, you'll be able to get as creative as you want and make use of any ingredients you happen to have. For this particular dish, I wanted to highlight the Meyer lemons in season, some tasty green olives, and a rich Moroccan flavored tomato sauce. I'm going to walk you through the process of building layer upon layer of flavor, the result of which is a complex but balanced dish with crisp, tender chicken and a beautiful sauce. Let's just jump right into this, shall we?

Moroccan Skillet Chicken with Lemons & Olives

Ingredients:
4 fresh chicken quarters (approximately 4 lbs)

2 sweet onions, sliced

6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced

1" knob ginger, peeled and minced

2 Meyer lemons juiced & zested

2 Meyer lemons, cut into wedges

2 c. unsalted chicken stock

1 large can peeled whole tomatoes

1 1/2 c. pitted green olives

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 tbsp honey

Extra virgin olive oil or grape seed oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Saigon cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Equipment Needed: Large (12") deep oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron

As with any dish, prep ingredients ahead of time and have them close to the skillet.

I like to use chicken quarters when making many of my chicken dishes. Besides being economical (these came in at $0.99/lb!) they stay tender and juicy throughout the cooking process. To fit better in the skillet and to ease serving, I broke my chicken quarters down into thighs and legs.

Our first step is going to be browning the chicken. Pat dry and season liberally with kosher salt and black pepper. Traditionally, most people sear chicken by first dredging in four. This helps to thicken sauces and gravies. I decided to skip that step to avoid adding unnecessary carbs to my dish and to keep it gluten-free. The sauce will thicken up on its own with a little simmer time.

Preheat your oven to 375°. Heat a cast iron skillet to high. With my electric stove, I can accomplish this in about 6 or 7 minutes over medium heat, but get to know what works for your stove top. When the skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

This is a great example of a recipe that made me understand the obsession behind cast iron skillets. To get the perfectly seared piece of meat, you really need high heat. A heavy cast iron skillet conducts heat amazingly well, making it one of the best tools you can use in your kitchen for just that task. As a bonus, it is oven proof, so you can transfer it to the oven to finish cooking when necessary.

When the oil is hot, place the chicken skin side down into the skillet. You only want to put what fits in the skillet without overcrowding, so for me that was four pieces of chicken. We will cook the rest as a second batch. You hear that sizzle? Good. That's your chicken searing against the surface of the skillet and forming a crust which will help seal in moisture and lock in flavor. Don't move it, let that chicken brown!

After several minutes, your chicken will have taken on a beautiful golden brown color. That's when it's okay to turn it over to brown the flesh side for just a few minutes.

When the first batch has browned, remove it from the skillet, transferring to a dish off to the side. Continue cooking the next batch(es) until all of your chicken is browned and set aside. You should have a couple tbsp of fat in the skillet; if you have excess grease just drain some of it off before continuing. If you don't have enough, add olive oil to the skillet.

Do you see all those browned bits at the bottom of the skillet? That's a ton of flavor and a great base to any sauce, as you'll see now.

Toss in the sweet onions to the skillet. If you haven't noticed by now, I almost always use sweet onions - either the white or red varieties. I love their mild flavor as they don't overpower my dishes. They're also really easy to caramelize!

Saute the onions in your skillet until they have softened and started to brown.

Add garlic slices and minced ginger, otherwise known as aromatics. Continue to saute until fragrant. Get these initial steps down, and you're well on your way to making an awesome curry or stir fry dish too!

Now we're going to season the onions. I start with my cumin and coriander. I provided you some approximations in the recipe above, but season as you wish. You may decide you want more or less flavor; you also will need to adjust seasoning to your likening depending on the onions, tomatoes and other ingredients you've used.

Next is a good bit of smoked paprika, the turmeric and cinnamon, and finally the cayenne pepper, all of which will bring a lot of depth to our sauce.

Stir that up real nicely, continuing to cook the onions. The spices are going to bloom as they warm in the hot oil. Add a splash of olive oil if your skillet is too dry.

Next, add the juice and zest of two Meyer lemons. You can use regular lemons for this dish if that's all you can find; you may want to accommodate with a little extra honey later on, as Meyer lemons are significantly sweeter than what you're used to in common lemons. We're using some heavy spices to make a rich tomato sauce, so the citrus brightens it up quite a bit. I'm adding it in two ways - to the base of my sauce, and later with whole lemon wedges cooked with the chicken pieces.

As you stir the lemon juice into the onions, it will start to lift up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. This is good, because all that flavor becomes the base of our sauce. Add in a couple cups of unsalted chicken stock. Notice, there hasn't been a need for any salt yet in making the dish. You can get the best control of sodium content by waiting until your sauce has thickened before salting. That way, when the sauce reduces, it won't be saltier than you expected.

Add tomatoes. Fresh would have been awesome, but this time of year can be difficult. These Italian whole peeled tomatoes work great in a pinch. Just crush them with your hands into the skillet.

Stir and let the sauce simmer over medium heat. Cooking takes time, great sauces being no exception. If you give a sauce time to simmer naturally, it will intensify in flavor and reduce down on its own, becoming thicker without the use of flours or cornstarch.

After 20 minutes or so, my sauce had thickened up nicely. Give it a good couple pinches of kosher salt, some black pepper, then stir and taste it. Keep in mind we will be adding olives later, which will add some saltiness. Adjust seasonings as desired. I added a tablespoon of honey to bring out the sweetness a bit more.

Stir in the green olives. Green olives add a delicious brininess to the sauce, and are a classic ingredient in Moroccan dishes. If I can't find good fresh olives available or want to try something milder, I recommend Lindsay's Green-Ripe Medium-Pitted Olives. My son will devour these, whereas sometimes the strong flavor of other olives turns him off. They have a nice buttery flavor and are packed only in water and sea salt. When you have to buy canned foods, read labels and always go with brands that use little to no preservatives. Always rinse and drain canned foods before adding to your dishes.

Next, stir in about half of the cilantro and parsley. Both herbs will add a freshness to our sauce.

Next return the browned chicken to the skillet. Leave the tops of the chicken exposed so that it can continue to crisp when it's in the oven.

Finally, place Meyer lemon wedges in between the chicken pieces. Because the rind of Meyer lemons is super thin, the entire lemon is edible, especially after cooking.

Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the skillet to the oven preheated to 375°. Cook until the sauce is bubbly and chicken is golden brown and cooked through, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. It's always a good idea to use a meat thermometer to check whether chicken is done. It should reach 165° at the thickest part of the thigh when cooked, so taking the skillet out of the oven at 160° will be fine as it will continue to cook in the hot sauce. If you don't have a meat thermometer, make a small slit in the chicken with your knife. Juices should run clear.

Top with remaining cilantro and parsley to finish. Trust me, this thing is beautiful. You will have amazed yourself if it's the first time you've ever made this sort of thing.

While my chicken was roasting in the oven, I whipped up a quick batch of organic brown rice couscous. First time trying it, and I thought it was okay. It had a nice nuttiness to it and the texture was a lot like rice. It's a great option if you're looking to go gluten-free. Personally, I'm going to stick with my Israeli couscous but this was a fun and nutritious alternative!

I cooked my couscous using the remaining chicken stock I had, and stirred in some lemon juice and kosher salt once it was done. Easy breezy.

Serve chicken pieces over couscous with olives and lemon wedges to garnish. Fragrant, flavorful, tender chicken with bursts of citrus and olives...it's a Moroccan party in a skillet! I do hope you enjoy this one and have picked up a few tips to use in your own skillet dishes!

Simple Sides: Cinnamon Couscous with Golden Raisins & Mint

2013-02-03T00:13:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a side dish! I wanted to share another flavorful dish that is lovely enough to add to your Sunday dinner spread, but easy enough that it works for weeknights too. I dug this one out of my vault, otherwise known as "recipes I meant to blog but ran out of time and moved on to the next thing." That struggle is real. Nonetheless, glad I came across it. It's actually interesting going back to look at some of my older posts & photographs, I can really see the progression over the past year to where I'm at today with my most recent dishes. I'm more than a little excited to think about where I could be in another year if I keep up the hard work. For that reason, it's pretty humbling to receive the praise and recognition I have from the online blogging community in my first year. Check out this awesome mention of the Kitchenista Diaries in Colored Girl's Confidential's review of 23 Fierce Female Bloggers to Follow in 2013!

Couscous is one of my favorite sides and it's a great choice when you want to do something other than rice or pasta. It's quick to prepare and can be seasoned to compliment any main course or jazzed up to stand alone if you'd like, just like rice. There are a few different varieties so try them all to figure out what you like; some work better for certain dishes vs others. The first time I made this dish was to serve alongside Moroccan braised lamp chops. Perfect combo. This lamb chop dish ended up being the inspiration for a skillet chicken dish that I'll be sharing with you guys shortly!

My favorite type of couscous is the Israeli version, which is shaped as tiny pearls. I typically cook couscous in some kind of broth or stock, then season with spices or herbs that go with whatever I'm serving, sometimes adding chopped roasted veggies and a little lemon or lime juice. Cinnamon, golden raisins, lemon and mint are common ingredients in Moroccan dishes, but due to an aversion to raisins in my food I'd been a little scared to try the raisins. Here's the thing. Black raisins gross me out. Long story short, every time I ate Raisin Bran as a kid the black raisins looked like dead bugs to me. Haven't liked 'em ever since. So because of that, I'd never tried raisins in my dishes. Clearly I've been missing out! The golden raisins are a tad bit sweeter than regular raisins, and I find them to be softer. They plump up and add just the right amount of sweetness to this couscous, and the fresh mint and lemon are a bright contrast to the warm cinnamon. And because couscous can be served warm, room temperature or cold, it's a great dish to make ahead of time. Try serving it with a simple seared fish filet, braised chicken or lamb, grilled shrimp, or even by itself as a cold salad! Whatever you do, don't limit yourself to the instructions on the box. Find a way to make it your own and have fun coming up with your own signature side dishes!

Cinnamon Couscous with Golden Raisins & Mint

1 ½ c. Israeli couscous
2 ¼ c. unsalted chicken broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
½ c. golden raisins
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Juice & zest of 1 lemon
¼ c. chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt, to taste (approx 1/2 tsp)
¼ c. raw unsalted sliced almonds (optional)

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Equipment Needed: Medium sized pot, small skillet

To toast almonds: Spread almonds in a dry pan over medium low heat. Toast the almonds, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent burning. Almonds will begin to turn fragrant and golden brown after 3 – 4 min. Remove toasted almonds from pan and set aside.

To prepare couscous: Over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and cinnamon stick. Once oil is hot, add shallots and sauté until softened.

Add couscous, stirring constantly until lightly toasted (2 -3 min.) Add 2 cups broth, bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 8 min.

Add raisins and remaining broth. Allow couscous to finish cooking uncovered for a couple minutes to absorb all liquid. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick.

To finish, stir in ground cinnamon, lemon juice, zest, mint and cilantro. Season the couscous to taste with a pinch or two of kosher salt.

Top with toasted almond slices. Drizzle couscous with remaining olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Bacon, Fennel & Kale Frittata with Sweet Potato Crust

2013-01-25T01:30:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but I am getting hungry just looking at this bacon topped skillet full of deliciousness! My fascination with bacon and cast iron skillets led me to create this recipe. I wanted to revisit the frittata now that I had a better skillet to work with, so I went back to one of my first blog posts. I stuck to a similar technique, but lowered the cooking temperature, eliminated the milk, and used the potatoes to make a crust at the bottom of the skillet. The result was something that reminded me an awful lot like quiche, with none of the associated guilt involved with a buttery crust. As we have learned, frittatas are very similar to omelettes, however there is no flipping, folding or awkwardly sliding a broken pile of cooked eggs onto your plate and trying to cover it up with extra cheese. (I'm not the only one who does that, right?) In my house, breakfast isn't getting cooked unless it can be done without too much thinking. This is one of those dishes, and you'll want to learn how to make it your own. Frittatas are an easy dish for brunches, lunches, last minute dinners and any other occasion that leaves you scratching your head figuring out what to cook. Most importantly, they are a perfect vehicle for crispy bacon. Can you really go wrong with that?

Before we jump into this recipe, I have a favor to ask of all my blog readers. You guys helped me to win the Black Weblog Award for Best Food Blog earlier this year and I couldn't have been happier - thank you! Well, I need your support again. The Shorty Awards recognize the best in social media, and I would love to pick up one of these babies in the #Food category! In the past year I've grown my social media presence from a modest #FoodPorn gallery on Facebook to a successful food blog, interactive Twitter experience and blossoming Instagram account (follow me at 'thekitchenista'.) I've also joined the ranks of Pinterest, Tumblr, and most recently got my feet wet in YouTube. Sharing my home recipes, cooking tips and stories with my social media network has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It's truly a blessing to interact with others who love food as much as I do! So many of my friends and followers are eager to learn how to become better home cooks, and I'm honored they've entrusted me to help them get there.

Nominate The Kitchenista for a social media award in the Shorty Awards

So here's what I need you to do. It only takes a minute, promise. Check out my Shorty Awards interview, and use the designated box to tweet your nomination to @MissAngelaDavis for a Shorty Award in #Food! Easy, right? Thank you, seriously...I sincerely appreciate your nominations. With your continued support, bigger and better things are coming for The Kitchenista Diaries, and I'm thrilled that y'all have decided to come along for the ride!

Now let's get into this Frittata, shall we?

Bacon, Fennel & Kale Frittata with Sweet Potato Crust

Ingredients:
8 eggs
8 oz. bacon
1 sweet potato
1 sweet red onion
1 c. sliced fennel
3 c. chopped kale
4 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
2 tbsp butter (if needed)
1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
Pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Equipment Needed: Medium pot, oven-proof skillet. I recommend cast-iron or a heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Peel and slice your sweet potato into 1/4" thick disks. You'll need enough to overlap and cover the bottom of your skillet. Place the potato slices in the bottom of a pot and add a tablespoon of water. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. When the potatoes are fork tender, they're good. It should only take a few minutes or so. Set the potato slices aside on a paper towel to absorb any excess water.

Alternatively, the microwave can be used to steam the sweet potato slices.

Dice the bacon and drop it into a cold skillet. Heat the skillet to medium heat, stirring the bacon occasionally as it cooks. This is always my favorite part. Sizzling bacon is so damn sexy.

When the bacon is just shy of crisp, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving about a tablespoon of the bacon fat behind. Reserve the rest. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. I'm careful not to overcook my bacon here as it does continue to crisp up later in the oven.

Add the sliced onion, fennel and garlic to the greased skillet.

Saute until the fennel and onion have softened and started to brown.

Add the chopped kale to the skillet, and stir into the onions and fennel. The kale will start to wilt after a couple minutes. I almost called it a day right here and just had sauteed kale, it smelled that good.

Season the mix with a good pinch of salt and pepper. When the kale has softened, transfer everything from the skillet into a dish and set aside.

You'll want to make sure the skillet is adequately greased at this point. Add some additional bacon fat or butter and swirl around the skillet, being sure to coat the sides too.

Arrange the sweet potato slices on the bottom of the skillet, overlapping slightly. Allow to cook for a minute or so, undisturbed, to set.

The bright orange color of cooked sweet potatoes is another thing that makes me swoon. Possibly because I associate it with sweet potato pie. Sweet potato pie thoughts are always happy ones.

Spread the kale, onions and fennel over the sweet potatoes.

Reduce heat to medium low. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add some torn sage leaves, a little freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Carefully pour the eggs into the skillet, covering the sweet potatoes and seeping into the kale mixture. Don't stir. Allow the eggs to start to set.

Sprinkle that bacon all over the surface of the frittata.

When the eggs have set around the edges of the skillet, carefully transfer the skillet to the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle.

Once cooked, remove the skillet from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Gorgeous right? My son was practically up underneath my armpit waiting for a slice at this point.

You can serve the frittata straight from the skillet, just be sure to use plastic utensils that won't scratch. You can also slide the whole thing out onto a big enough serving plate.

See how those sweet potatoes form a crust at the bottom? The very bottom crisps up but the rest of the potato remains creamy. It actually tricked my tongue into believing there was melted cheese in there believe it or not!

That's it folks. Easy breezy. If you happen to have any leftovers, refrigerate them. This was great cold and at room temperature!

Mexican Quinoa Salad & Grilled Shrimp

2013-01-15T17:29:00.001-05:00

I think most of us are feeling a little post-holiday guilt this time of year so let's get back to some guilt-free dishes! This post was inspired by the #SexyShred trend that is spreading on Twitter courtesy of blogger @FeministaJones, who is motivating others to live a healthier lifestyle by way of exercise and clean eating. Those who joined #SexyShred received a few exclusive recipes of mine that I was happy to share in support of such a positive movement. For my Kitchenista Diaries readers, I wanted to share another healthy dish that won't leave you feeling heavy or stuffed, but will fill you up. One of my friends emailed me a few recipes for quinoa awhile back so I've been meaning to try it out. I was surprised at the nutritional value these little seeds pack, and that they are technically not a whole grain as I'd always thought. Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is gluten-free and one of the few plant-based foods known as a "complete protein," ideal for anybody on a low-carb diet as well as vegetarians and vegans needing to maximize their protein intake. You cook quinoa in a way that's similar to rice, but less simmering time. Many of the recipes I've seen reminded me of the way couscous is prepared, so I figured it wouldn't be difficult to come up with something easy and tasty the first time around. I was wrong! First round, I made some chickpea & quinoa veggie burgers, which would have been great had the quinoa not had a slightly bitter after taste. I went back to the drawing board after finding a helpful article about making fluffy quinoa on theKitchn, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites for cooking tips. Immediately I realized my fateful error was not rinsing the quinoa long enough. When you make quinoa, I can't stress the importance enough of not skipping that step (it also can't hurt to soak your quinoa if you have the time, although some say this isn't a necessary step.)

On its own, the Mexican Quinoa Salad is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. I served it for a light dinner with spiced grilled shrimp, mostly for gratuitous use of my new toy, the Le Creuset Cassis Square Grill Pan, which I can recommend with as much enthusiasm as I did the 10" cast iron skillet featured in my last post. I have finally graduated beyond the George Foreman grill, ladies and gentleman! If you live in an apartment or otherwise don't have access to an outdoor grill, a cast-iron grill pan would be a seriously worthy upgrade in your kitchen. Much like a cast-iron skillet, it retains heat incredibly well. This means unlike most indoor electric grills, this grill pan actually gets hot and stays hot throughout the cooking process. Because of that, your food gets cooked properly, enabling you to get the flavor and grill marks reminiscent of outdoor cooking. Our George Foreman grill will probably still get some use around here, but that will be relegated to kid-friendly meals like the grilled sandwiches my son likes to create. For true indoor grilling, a cast-iron grill pan is the way to go.

Don't fret though. For this recipe, a cast-iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet is going to give you great results for seared shrimp, as an alternative to grilling. Because at the end of the day, we're here to make good food. If you see a recipe that you like, but you don't have the right equipment, figure out how you can adjust it to what you do have. Can you season the ingredients per the recipe, but cook it in a different way? Sure, in this case we can. Learn to adapt. You'll find a wider range of recipes out there at your disposal if you learn to tweak them for what you have in your own kitchen. So anyway, you've gotta try this shrimp. I mean just look at them...now imagine the scent of fragrant Mexican spices mingling with the subtle smoke of the skillet and sizzling coconut oil. You're going to want to try this one.

Mexican Quinoa Salad & Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 c. dry organic quinoa, rinsed and drained*
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. veg broth
1 T. coconut oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 can organic black beans, rinsed & drained (or 1 1/2 c. soaked & cooked black beans)
1 c. diced bell peppers, various colors
1 - 2 jalapenos, seeded & diced (for a spicier salad, just thinly slice the jalapenos)
1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro

For the vinaigrette:
4 tbsp coconut oil
Juice & zest of 1 large lime
1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar**
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

For the shrimp:

1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. ground Chipotle or Mexican chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lime

Kosher salt, to taste

*Prior to cooking, dried quinoa should be rinsed extremely well in cold water until the water runs clear. This removes the saponin, a natural chemical extract which protects the quinoa from predators. It can leave a bitter taste if not rinsed. For best results use a fine mesh strainer and use your hand to swish the quinoa around in the water to really get in there. Most packages will say you do not need to soak the quinoa first, but I had better results soaking for 20 minutes before rinsing the water.

**Rice wine vinegar adds a slight sweetness. If gluten-free is a concern you'll want to make sure the rice wine vinegar used is gluten-free. Your preferred vinegar can be substituted.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Equipment Needed: Small pot, skillet or cast-iron grill pan

In a small pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil. Once hot, add minced garlic and half of the diced onions. Cook until onions soften, 2-3 min.

Add quinoa and kosher salt, stirring constantly until lightly toasted, 3-4 min.

Add vegetable broth, bring to boil then cover loosely to allow steam to escape. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 min until liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 min, covered.

Fluff cooked quinoa and transfer to your serving bowl, allowing it to cool while prepping remaining ingredients.

To prepare the vinaigrette, finely mince the 2 garlic cloves then use your knife to smash the garlic into a paste. This will help the vinaigrette to emulsify (a fancy way of saying it will prevent the oil and vinegar from separating.)

In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, garlic paste, cumin and cayenne, then whisk in the coconut oil. Season to taste with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Coconut oil solidifies when it is cool, so it is best to use room temperature ingredients. The vinaigrette can be gently warmed for a few seconds if necessary to soften the oil; just place your bowl in a larger bowl of warm water and whisk.

Add the black beans, peppers, remaining onions, and jalapeno to the quinoa. Toss with the vinaigrette and cilantro. By the way, the salad stores well in the fridge and can be eaten warm at room temperature or cold, so take those leftovers with you to lunch! I like to freshen it up with extra lime the next day.

Since the salad can be eaten warm or cold, you can do the shrimp before or after - if you want hot grilled shrimp, save that for the last thing you do as it only takes a few minutes to cook shrimp. As you heat up your grill pan, toss the peeled shrimp with the coconut oil, spices, and a good pinch or two of kosher salt.

In batches, grill the shrimp 1-2 minutes on the first side depending on the size. When the shrimp has seared on one side and has turned opaque, that's when you know to flip it over and finish grilling another minute on the other side. Nobody wants overcooked shrimp, so don't walk away from these.

Squeeze some fresh lime over the shrimp as you're taking it off the grill. Try to let it get to your plate before eating it.

I served the shrimp & quinoa with ripe plantains, pan fried in coconut oil. I didn't include this as part of the recipe, but if you're interested in adding that to your plate it's pretty easy to do so. Just peel a ripe (blackened) plantain and slice it on a bias.

While you heat a skillet to medium high, sprinkle a little cinnamon over the plantain slices. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to the skillet.

Fry the plantains on each side until golden brown, about 5 minutes or so total. Transfer to plate. I like to sprinkle a small pinch of kosher salt and squeeze some fresh lime juice over my hot plantains.

That's it...serve and enjoy. Make your plate as pretty as you want with some extra cilantro and lime as garnish. To serve the quinoa salad in a molded shape like I did, just pack it into a small cup or bowl so the quinoa is level with the top of the cup. Place your serving plate over the cup, and holding the cup, flip the plate over so the cup is now inverted over your plate. Carefully lift up the cup to reveal the quinoa salad!

Jalapeño-Bacon Skillet Cornbread

2013-01-06T03:40:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I would like to start off by saying that I have six half-finished recipe posts. Six. I'm quite sure that's a sign of some sort of attention-deficit disorder or commitment phobia. Whatever the case may be, I've been on a serious cooking spree in the last week or so, but I get so excited about the next dish that I haven't stopped to blog the ones I've finished! I'm writing this post shortly after midnight after spending most of Saturday evening prepping for tomorrow's dinner - yes, I realize I am young and should be out having fun, but when I get that fire lit under me there's nothing stopping it. There are two things that inspired me to make cornbread, along with many other dishes recently, so this recipe is a great segue into a slew of upcoming related posts. Bacon and cast-iron skillets have damn near changed my life in a matter of a few weeks. First, about this skillet I received for Christmas from my sister, who has incredible gift-giving skills. LeCreuset Enameled Cast-Iron Skillet. You need this in your life. I rarely do product placements here, but when I say this will change the way you cook, I'm serious. I was lucky enough to receive another cast-iron skillet as a gift from my mom (Emeril's cookware), and will write about that one when I try it out! But for now, let's talk about the amazing things LeCreuset has done for my cooking.

I didn't grow up with anybody who cooked on a cast-iron skillet in our house, and we ate well-prepared food, so it just never occurred to me that they were that serious. Wrong. I don't know if it's the placebo effect or what, but there is definitely some magic going on here and it's really inspiring me to step up my cooking game. From perfectly seared fish, to crispy bacon, to quick apple crisps and tender cornbread...we're talking expertly prepared foods at home, done so much more easily than I could in the ~~cheap~~ budget-friendly skillets I was using before. First of all, this skillet is gorgeous and was ready to go when I opened the box...I was skeptical about this after always hearing that cast-iron skillets needed to be seasoned first. To my understanding, this isn't necessary because LeCreuset's skillets are porcelain enameled (definitely a plus when it comes to cleaning as very little food sticks to it.) The skillet conducts heat like no other, and evenly at that. It takes a little longer to heat up than I'm used to, but I only had to turn my electric stove up to medium at most to get a hot, sizzling skillet that's ready for searing. That's really important, because the hardest thing I've experienced using other pans is figuring out how to control my heat for proper browning and searing. The LeCreuset skillet is oven-safe at high temperatures, heavy so it doesn't warp under high heat, and also stays hot long after turning down the heat or removing from the oven, so it'll be nice to use this to take food straight to the dinner table. I'm learning that there are some health benefits to cast-iron as well, like iron absorption. Now, I'm not saying go and throw out everything in your kitchen cabinets. Those non-stick skillets and stainless steel pans are great for everyday cooking, quick sautes and reheating. But when you really need to get down and dirty, the right tools matter. I'm learning this lesson over and over again as I continue to cook more and hone my skills. It is absolutely worth investing in a good skillet or two. I'm so grateful for receiving these as gifts (I have both the skillet and the grill-pan) and definitely plan to start saving up to add to my collection...I've got my eyes on those French Oven Pots next!

On to the second part of my inspiration tonight: bacon. It's actually quite amazing that I stayed away from pork for so long, considering how ridiculously amazing I will now concede that bacon is. I have been chalking it up to a cheap culinary trick at best, a gateway food to clogged arteries at worst...but I stand today, corrected. I started dabbling in pork prior to the holidays - nothing major, a few pork chops here, some Linguica there. But right before Thanksgiving, when my super health-conscious uncle pulled out a tub of bacon grease from his fridge (his choice of fat for the Paleo diet), I knew I had to reconsider my stance. Let's be real, shall we? I don't need to be a board certified doctor to posture that eating half a pound of bacon every day is likely terrible for your health. That said, a serving or two over the course of a week as part of a balanced diet isn't going to kill you, and some would debate that it's actually a better fat and protein than a lot of others out there. But we're not here to get into the science behind that, not at this hour anyway. Just like with desserts, I would rather have the "real thing" in moderation than pretend to enjoy a watered down version. So don't suggest that I try turkey bacon, or give me a lecture about becoming what you eat. I've been cooking with delicious, crispy bacon, and loving every greasy minute of it. So in preparation for a killer Sunday Dinner (more on that tomorrow), we're about to get into this Jalapeño-Bacon cornbread recipe and enjoy a small slice...or two.

Jalapeño-Bacon Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 c. yellow cornmeal

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cake flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 c. half & half or whole milk

3/4 stick butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c. honey

6 strips smoked bacon

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2-3 jalapeño peppers, seeded & diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Equipment Needed: Heavy oven-safe 10" skillet, preferably cast-iron. Note: To do this recipe without a skillet, simply transfer batter to a greased cake pan and bake accordingly.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. I used part cake flour here to impart a lighter texture. I'm sure using a full cup of all-purpose flour would work fine - please let me know if you try it that way.

Dice up the bacon into 1/2" pieces and place in a cold skillet. Yes, cold. You want the bacon to slowly crisp up as the skillet heats, and adding it to a hot skillet will only increase the chances of it burning first. Set your stove top to medium and cook the bacon, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When bacon has browned and edges are crisp, remove from skillet and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb grease. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet.

Add the diced onions and jalapeños to the skillet and saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add the garlic, and cook a minute or so longer. Remove the sauteed veggies from the skillet and set aside. I used a mix of green jalapeños and a red chili, which had a little more heat. If you really want to maximize the heat from your peppers, don't cook them. Instead, add the raw diced peppers to your batter later on.

Add the beaten eggs, cream, melted butter, honey and sauteed veggies to your bowl, mixing just until the batter forms and dry ingredients are incorporated. Just like with pancakes, you don't want to overwork the batter.

At this point you still want the skillet to be hot. If you don't have enough fat left to sufficiently grease the bottom and sides of the skillet, add a pat or two of butter. Swirl it around the pan to coat it well. Carefully pour the cornbread batter into the skillet.

Now sprinkle that crumbled bacon all over the cornbread batter. I also added some thinly sliced jalapeños and chili peppers for garnish, and it's a good way to let your dinner guests know what they're about to taste.

Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of your oven and bake approximately 30 minutes, or until the top of the cornbread is a deep golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. If desired, melt a little butter over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

By the way, if you serve food out of your good skillets, be sure to use plastic or wooden utensils so as not to scratch the bottom of the skillet. Technically I was cooking this the night before dinner, but I just couldn't wait to try a piece of this. Moist, sweet cornbread with spicy jalapeños and smoky crisp bacon. Delicious, fast and easy to make, and it's going to go great with the ribs and greens I'm cooking up for Sunday Dinner!

Smoked Paprika & Saigon Cinnamon Salmon Steaks with Roasted Peppers & Fennel

2012-11-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

Anybody else plunging themselves into a low-carb diet after indulging all Thanksgiving weekend? I can attest that after Stuffingpalooza 2012, I was definitely craving something fresh, clean and tasty that was not swimming in brown sugar or butter! I also still had quite a few more leftover veggies to use up, so I thawed a couple salmon steaks and put my broiler to work for what turned out to be a simple yet rather satisfying dinner. I've had quite a few requests for low-carb and/or Paleo dishes, so I hope to focus even more on those in the future! This recipe will work fine on boneless salmon fillets as well, just adjust the cooking time so as not to overcook your fish.

Smoked paprika and Saigon cinnamon are both unique spices in their own right, but they come together brilliantly with a hint of citrus (I used lemon here; orange would be excellent too!) Anticipating a slew of "can you use regular paprika and regular cinnamon" questions, let me just say this. Sure, you can use "regular" cinnamon (in American stores it's typically Seylon cinnamon) or mildly sweet, standard paprika. But my dear Kitchenista, if you were making cookies from scratch and had the choice of rich, luscious dark chocolate chunks, or a bag of regular old semi-sweet chocolate chips, you'd go for the good stuff right? You can make great dishes with regular ingredients, but we're going for awesome here. That's why I feel strongly about smoked paprika, which I've already featured in a ton of recipes, and Saigon cinnamon, a new addition to my spice collection from Thanksgiving weekend. If there was a word to appropriately describe how Saigon cinnamon tastes more "cinnamon-y" that's what we'd use here. It's a sweeter, spicier version of the "regular" stuff , and a great way to elevate your savory dishes and desserts. Upgrade your spice racks...you're in for a treat.

Smoked Paprika & Saigon Cinnamon Salmon Steaks
with Roasted Peppers & Fennel

Ingredients:

2 salmon steaks, approximately 1" thick

1 red bell pepper, cored & seeds removed

1 fennel bulb, trimmed & cored

Several large white mushrooms

1 sweet onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cloves garlic, minced

A few sprigs fresh thyme

2 lemons

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 - 1 tsp Saigon cinnamon*

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

*If you love cinnamon use a tad more, if you're scared use less. Saigon cinnamon is stronger so if you substitute the "regular" stuff a full teaspoon is fine.

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Equipment Needed: Oven safe dishes (2)

You'll want to get your roasted veggies in the oven first as those take longer to cook than the fish. Preheat the oven to 400°. Quarter the red bell pepper and fennel, slice the onion and halve the mushrooms. Feel free to replace these veggies with what you have on hand.

In a large baking dish, spread out the peppers, fennel, mushrooms and crushed garlic cloves. Top with onion slices and the thyme sprigs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add a good couple pinches of kosher salt and black pepper.

Roast the veggies uncovered, until they have softened and started to crisp around the edges, approximately 30 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, you can prep your salmon steaks. Rinse and pat dry. I know I say this all the time, but isn't salmon just a beautiful piece of fish?

You can combine the marinade in a dish and then spread that on the salmon, or you can just do what I did and drizzle olive oil & lemon juice over the fish, season heavily with paprika, cinnamon and minced garlic, and use your hands to rub it all in.

When both sides of the salmon are coated, transfer to your baking dish and allow to marinate about 10 minutes or so. Add a dash of kosher salt & black pepper, then cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 10 minutes.

In the last 5 minutes of baking, turn the broiler on. Uncover the salmon and transfer to the highest rack in your oven. Broil for a few minutes on each side; the top of the salmon should be nicely browned and skin crisp. Don't overcook your fish; remember that we've already baked it.

I leave my veggies in the oven while the broiler is on and take everything out at the same time.

Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Check your veggies for seasoning (a pinch of salt & pepper may be needed) and drizzle with a little more lemon juice.

Spoon the roasted veggies on top of the broiled salmon and garnish with additional lemon wedges. Resist the urge to serve this over a bed of rice. I promise, you won't need it.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Thanksgiving Meatballs

2012-11-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

Hopefully you've all enjoyed a long weekend at home after a great Thanksgiving dinner with your friends and family! If you didn't get a chance to partake in the madness in somebody's kitchen on Thursday, you can read all about how my day went, in my previous post. I could spend all weekend posting my Thanksgiving recipes (and I will, promise), but I know what's on everybody's mind right now: How to get rid of leftovers! If you're like me, you've probably already made a soup, possibly even a pot pie, and maybe you decided your diet was shot to hell and decided to fry the macaroni & cheese. But what to do with that gigantic casserole dish full of dressing? Whether somebody messed up the stuffing this year and it's sitting in the back of your fridge, never to be spoken of again, or if you just made too much and can't bear the thought of throwing out good food - I have a solution for you. Make some Thanksgiving meatballs out of leftover dressing, turkey and mashed sweet potatoes, stuffed with cheese. I ladled warm gravy over my meatballs and served them with fresh cranberry sauce. This reminded me of the Swedish meatballs & lingonberry sauce from Ikea! No, I'm not counting calories this weekend. Don't judge me. Let's just dive right into this, shall we?

Stuffed Thanksgiving Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 c. leftover stuffing or dressing
1 c. cooked turkey
1 small sweet potato, baked & mashed
1/2 c. cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 egg
Chopped fresh herbs
Splash of milk or cream (if needed)
Dry breadcrumbs (if needed)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c. warmed gravy

Servings: 6 - 8 large meatballs
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Equipment needed: Skillet, oven-proof dish

Notes: It goes without saying that the flavors of your stuffing will dictate how this all comes together. Mine was made with French bread, Linguica sausage, fennel & apples. Rule of thumb - if it went well with the turkey & gravy on your plate, it'll be even more awesome rolled up around a block of cheese and fried in butter. That's basic chemistry. Somebody on Instagram asked if this would work with leftover cornbread. Most likely yes, but you will need to increase the liquid ingredients (essentially turning your cornbread into stuffing.) I chose to add chopped thyme & rosemary, and the cheese I had on hand was Fontina, leftover from my mac & cheese. Any melting cheese like cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or Muenster would work nicely. I liked the distinct nuttiness of the Fontina, especially because I served these with cranberry sauce. If you don't have mashed sweet potatoes then use regular mashed white potatoes. Or just leave it out, these will still taste good! For the turkey, I used breast meat but dark meat is fine, likewise chicken, goose or duck would also work.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Lightly beat the egg. In a large bowl, break up your stuffing into smaller pieces if it had big chunks of bread. Finely chop your turkey meat, and add that to the bowl along with the mashed potatoes.

Add the egg and a good couple pinches of fresh herbs. You're going to get your hands dirty. The best way to incorporate all the ingredients is to squeeze them through your fingers. If you can roll it up into a meatball that stays together and isn't too sticky, you're good. If it cracks or crumbles, you need a splash of cream. If it all sticks to your hand, you need to add some bread crumbs.

Once you've got the right consistency, mash a scoop into the palm of your hand about an inch thick. Place a block of cheese in the center.

Gently squeeze your hand closed to bring the sides of the meatball up and around the cheese. When it's formed into a bowl as seen below, pinch the top closed and roll the meatball between your hands to round out the shape.

Melt the butter in olive oil together over medium heat. Gently pan fry the meatballs, rolling them around so that they are evenly browned on all sides.

Transfer the meatballs to an oven proof baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. You can test one to make sure the cheese is completely melted inside.

You thought that was it, right? Well...my carb feeding frenzy stuck again and this time, I used up some leftover mac & cheese.

This is why you're fat.

Tales from Angela's Kitchen: Thanksgiving Dinner by a Procrastinating Over-Achiever

2012-11-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

I'm laying here on the couch, comatose from the carb & dairy fest that was Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, and decided it is time I get back to blogging. I've been feeling a little uninspired lately. Still cooking regularly regardless, but nothing that I felt was blog worthy. I almost decided not to do Thanksgiving dinner at all, after all it would just be my son and I around to eat it, and it's not like we won't be having a big dinner for Christmas in a few weeks when we go home for the holidays. I casually approached the subject with Jaden in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, hoping to convince him that a nice seafood dinner on the beach was the way to go this year. He cut me off mid-sentence. "Mom, you ARE going to make macaroni and cheese, right?" His eyes were the size of saucers and I could see the impending fear of a sweet potato pie-less Thanksgiving set in. There was no way I was getting away with not cooking, not with this kid. "Of course, J!" I nervously replied, "I was just joking. What else would you like?" He rattled off a long list of traditional holiday foods, and as I saw how excited he was, I started to feel inspired to create something special for him. It dawned on me that I have never actually done Thanksgiving solo. I've always spent the day with my immediate family or as a guest to a friend's' home, neither of which involved making more than a few dishes by myself. I knew I was going to have an insane task ahead of me. I also knew I wasn't going to do shit about it until the day before Thanksgiving.

You see, I'm a habitual procrastinator. I'm writing this blog for the people who hit the grocery store after work on Wednesday and were still working out the final logistics of their menu while others around the country were sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner. But I'm also writing for those Type A, over-achieving perfectionists who wouldn't dare go half-ass on Thanksgiving dinner no matter what the cost. If you identify with either or both personality defects, you'll understand why executing this meal as the sole cook in your kitchen is an epic feat. The holidays are the holy grail of culinary showmanship for home cooks, so without a doubt Thanksgiving is a big f****** deal. I could not let down my son, or the hundreds of blog readers on twitter salivating for food porn. This would not end up being a modest dinner for two with cornish hens and a couple sides. There would be no #StruggleMeal retweeted across the social mediasphere. Nope, if my son wanted a traditional Thanksgiving that's exactly what he was going to get, with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and all. But the problem still remained that I had nary the funds nor time to do any kind of preparation in advance. What followed was perhaps the greatest cooking adventure I'd ever embarked upon, which I'm happy to say was a total success.

Tales from Angela's Kitchen: Thanksgiving Dinner by a Procrastinating Over-Achiever

2:00 PM, Wednesday: Most of the day was spent jotting down ideas for tomorrow's menu. Just about everybody has left the office. I can now unapologetically scour the internet for advice on roasting a turkey breast, which is my only viable option at this point in time.

5:00 PM, Wednesday: I've finalized my shopping list and synced it to my cell phone. Realizing I've lost track of time, I rush out of the office, praying that I don't hit early holiday traffic on the way to pick up my son from karate. I do.

6:30 PM, Wednesday: Finally make it to Grocery Store #1. There are two parking spaces left and I have thirty minutes to shop before it closes. I spend the first 10 minutes trying to maneuver through the produce section, which is jammed by first time cooks trying to figure out the difference between cilantro and flat leaf Italian parsley. Irritated that all of the fresh sage is gone, I spend the next 10 minutes asking where the fresh turkey breasts are and explaining to an exasperated store manager that no, I simply cannot brine a partially thawed turkey breast that was frozen with up to a 15% solution. He tells me this is all that they have, unless I want to do a 17 lb natural whole bird. Frozen turkey breast it is.

7:00 PM, Wednesday I spend my last 10 minutes at Grocery Store #1 deciding between Fontina and Gruyere. The young girl at the deli counter looks like she's the type to be impressed by Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, so I know she'll be no help. I go with Fontina, mostly because it'll be a slightly less expensive experiment. I check out and continue on to finish the rest of my shopping before everything shuts down for the night.

7:30 PM, Wednesday: Liquor store run. I have no business thinking about drinking at a time like this, but I justify it by grabbing a tiny bottle of Grand Marnier that I decide will go in my sweet potato pie.

8:00 PM, Wednesday: We are in Grocery Store #2. They have fresh turkey breasts. I've already spent $15 on a turkey and it's too late to take it back, but I must have a fresh turkey now that I've seen it. The other one will be used for something else, I decide. Clearly we will be eating these turkeys for the next 2 weeks, which is good because I sense that I've blown my budget through the roof.

8:15 PM, Wednesday: This store is also out of sage. Mind you, I have ground sage at home, but it won't do. Has to be fresh for the perfect Thanksgiving. The guy working the produce section fails to understand this when I ask him to check the back. I am becoming more annoyed by the minute as he stays right where he is, telling me that they're definitely out and dried sage will be fine. Clearly he is out of his league and has chosen the wrong career path in life.

8:30 PM, Wednesday: I spend at least 15 minutes deciding between unsalted cream butter, Irish butter and organic butter. My son at this point is tired, hungry and regretting that he asked me to cook, but he's a good sport about the mission I send him on to find apple cider a midst a sea of empty shelves. He brings back store brand cider, swears that it's all they have left, and I have to concede that it is better than frozen apple juice concentrate.

9:30 PM, Wednesday: I've triple checked my grocery list and feel it's safe to check out. I question why God would put me in an aisle with a 105 year old man bagging my groceries at the speed of sloth. Jaden sees the look on my face and runs over to help the poor guy. Certifiable heart palpitations as I look at the final register total and slide my debit card through the scanner. I believe I just spent an entire month's food budget in one evening. Approved. I exhale. With sweaty palms, I grab my receipt and head home, exhausted at the thought of putting all this crap away.

11:00 PM, Wednesday: On second thought, I'm about to get started with cooking so it really doesn't make sense to put everything away. I pull out the stuff that needed to be refrigerated and leave everything else on the counter. My apartment is a mess, the dishwasher is full, the fridge needs to be cleaned out and laundry must happen. Like a true procrastinator however, I take a quick nap to rest up for the late night I'm about to have baking desserts.

6:00 AM, Thursday: Damn. Damn. Damn. Did I really pass out on the couch?

6:30 AM, Thursday: I toss my sweet potatoes into the oven to bake while I get started with cleaning. As I'm moving grocery bags out of the way, I see the carton of organic half & half sitting out. Thanksgiving is not the day to take chances with spoiled dairy products. Not one to be put off by a minor setback, I pour it down the sink, making a mental note to run out later. Good thing because a few minutes later, I discover that I never actually put the butter in my shopping cart. I hop online to check the grocery store hours and make the frightening realization that they're all closed. What idiot decided that was a smart business move?! I shrug it off and put my full faith into the refrigerator at the drug store being properly stocked.

8:00 AM, Thursday: I'm moving slower than the guy who bagged my groceries last night. Not a single dessert has materialized yet, but my kitchen is spotless and I remembered to email my mom the mac and cheese recipe she asked about. Two coffees and an egg sandwich later, it's game time. I still have plenty of time to prep my ingredients. If I can get the turkey brine done by 9, it'll be ready to cook at 3 and we can eat by 6. I got this.

10:00 AM, Thursday: Most of my veggies for the day are scrubbed, peeled, sliced and diced. I'm feeling good about this, but running out of time to get my planned two desserts done. I decide sweet potato pie is enough, and that it can be done later. I move on to getting the bread cubes for the dressing toasted instead. At precisely 10:15 AM, I slice through the tip of my thumb with a serrated knife. I am bleeding profusely and can't find any band-aids. I wake my son up in agony, hoping he'll feel so sorry for me that he'll agree we should just go to the beach. He asks if the pie is done. I make a mental note to research adoption laws in Florida.

10:30 AM, Thursday: We are at the drug store. My throbbing thumb is wrapped in bloody cheesecloth. I find waterproof band-aids before my suspected ADD kicks in, at which point I spend the following 20 minutes looking for the perfect red lipstick. In my mind, life is a romantic comedy in which I answer the door on Thanksgiving Day, perfectly coiffed and fabulously dressed for the moment "he" shows up for dinner. Eventually I remember that I am single, snap out of my fantasy, and woefully put the lipstick back on the shelf. I settle on going home with band aids, regular old salted butter and what was likely the only pint of half & half left in a ten mile radius.

1:00 PM, Thursday: With a gloved left hand, I manage to get the rest of my prep work done and finish my roasted potatoes. I'm still convinced at this point that the side dishes will be a breeze. I've only just begun to start my pie so it's now looking like the turkey will be going into the oven around 4, which pushes dinner out to 7.

3:00 PM, Thursday: The kitchen doesn't look like a disaster area yet. For once in my life I am following the "clean as you go" rule. Trust me, the last thing you want on Thanksgiving is a kitchen full of dirty pots & pans when you need room to cook. My sweet potato pie batter tastes heavenly. I am pretty sure that slow roasted sweet potatoes, Saigon cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg made all the difference. Telling myself that makes me feel better about spending $5 for half a teaspoon of spices. I am feeling like a pro as I grind my nutmeg using a spiffy new micro-grater. These are the things that separate the girls from the women in the kitchen. Saigon cinnamon and micro-graters. You're welcome. My pie crust dough is coming along fantastically. In the past, crusts have always been a problem for me. I will not f*** it up this year. I have graduated today from using an empty wine bottle to an actual rolling pin. My perfect sweet potato pie will not have a soggy bottom, so I blind bake my crust, weighed down with rice over a piece of parchment paper. Jaden sees me do this and asks, "pie weights?" I beam, knowing that he's been learning from watching America's Test Kitchen. I brush my crust with an egg white and pop it back in the oven for a couple minutes. I can't believe it has taken 3 hours to make a pie, but when I finally fill my crust with velvety, luscious sweet potato batter, it looks so freaking perfect that I spend at least another 20 minutes admiring my work before I place it on the center rack of the oven.

4:30 PM, Thursday: The macaroni noodles are boiling and Jaden is shredding cheese for me. At this point I should have been done with the mac & cheese and had the turkey in the oven, but I got sidetracked researching cornbread recipes and finding a live stream for the Redskins game. I scan my Twitter timeline and grow slightly concerned that most of my network is reporting cases of the "Itis" already, meaning they had long since eaten and were starting to feel sleepy. I'll probably never understand why we call it Thanksgiving dinner when everybody seems to expect it to be ready at lunch time. Jaden settles on a peanut butter sandwich as he intently watches me create his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

6:00 PM, Thursday: I'm starving and not sure if I can survive the smell of Linguica frying for my dressing. My back is killing me and my feet are swollen. I remain strong, for if I stop to sit down and eat I will probably never finish this meal. It is finally turkey time. The turkey breast is rubbed down with my specially concocted spice mix, olive oil and brown sugar. I remembered to pour chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan so that pan drippings wouldn't burn. This may very well be the latest dinner to go down in Thanksgiving history, but damn if it won't be the best meal we have ever eaten at home.

7:00 PM, Thursday: My onions are caramelizing, a 45 minute process in and of itself. The dressing I decided could cook on the very top rack, above the roasting turkey breast, so long as it stayed covered with foil so as not to burn. I would jack the heat up and let the top toast a little bit after the turkey was done.

7:30 PM, Thursday: We're nearing the finish line, folks. As Thanksgiving dinner begins to come together before our eyes, I realize I forgot to make the cranberry sauce. I take a swig of Grand Marnier and give myself a pep talk.

8:00 PM, Thursday: The turkey is just about finished roasting. It wasn't as browned as I would have liked to see though, so I rubbed it down with butter. That's the great thing about holidays. You can get your Paula Deen on and everybody will love you more for it. Butter fixes everything on Thanksgiving. There is no debating this. My turkey is now getting all crispy and golden and amazing, but the drippings are incinerated at the bottom of the roasting pan. I may be able to salvage some of the fat, but there was no way I was doing a true pan gravy. I had plenty of chicken stock though, so as my mirepoix sauteed in the pot, I decide on supplementing the flavor with a bit of apple cider instead. When things don't go as planned in the kitchen, you've gotta be able to adjust and forge ahead. On a brighter note, my cranberries are starting to pop and the smell of oranges and cinnamon is wafting through the air. I chuckle at how fond I used to be of the canned stuff. There is not nearly enough time for it to cool and thicken up on its own, so I stick the pot in the freezer and hope for the best.

8:45 PM, Thursday: Jaden has taken matters into his own hands and decides he'll make the cornbread himself. I feel like he's shading me as he glances at an imaginary watch on his wrist. I let this slide, as I really do need his help at this point. I direct him through the process of making cornbread while stirring gravy at the stove.

9:00 PM, Thursday: I am making my final dish of the night. The green beans are blanched, onions are nicely caramelized, and all that is left to do is brown the mushrooms. My roasted turkey breast has reached the perfect threshold of 160° and is tented with foil and resting. My apple cider gravy is simmering. The corn bread crust is a beautiful golden brown, glistening with honey butter. The sweet potatoes, dressing and mac and cheese are reheating in the oven. I am still wearing my pajamas and yesterday's mascara.

9:30 PM, Thursday: I ask Jaden to google "how to carve a turkey breast." Nothing useful pops up that I could see at a glance, so I decide to wing it. Somehow I manage to slice it all up without leaving too much meat behind or tearing away the perfectly browned & crisp skin. Both of us are amazed at how juicy the thickly sliced turkey meat is. I let Jaden have another slice; this holds him over long enough for me to snap photographs of my dishes while he gets our drinks together. I can see him mentally planning out his plate in his head. I used to do the same thing as a kid - I'd figure out how much I could fit on my first plate and what I would come back to for seconds. I wrap up the turkey carcass in foil and stuff it into a freezer bag, visions of turkey stock in my head.

10:00 PM, Thursday: You ever spend so much time cooking that you don't actually have an appetite when you're done? Yeah, well today wasn't one of those days. We devour our meals like savages. Every minute spent in that kitchen, every hiccup along the way, every painstakingly meticulous detail that was put into Thanksgiving dinner, was all laying before me on that plate. By the time I take a few pictures and get my first bite, my son is already halfway finished with his heaping portion of mac & cheese, his chunky frame swaying back and forth to an imaginary beat. When Jaden was little, he used to do this little move at the table that I called his "happy dance." That's when you know the food is good. Dish by dish, Jaden gives me his verdict. "Mmmm, turkey's so good Mom." Happy dance. "Gravy is excellent." Happy dance. "Wow. Sweet potatoes are great." Happy dance. I cringe for just a second as he takes a bite of dressing, something he's never really cared for. "Dressing's good Mom." Happy dance. I smile.

10:30 PM, Thursday: "Time for dessert Mom?" Yes Jaden, it is time for dessert. The moment of truth was upon us. The thing about pies is that it's pretty hard to know if they came out alright until it's time to serve them, and as a cook I'm not sure there's anything more terrifying than a dish you can't taste test. I make the first slice into the creamy center and as my knife slides through the tender, flaky crust, I damn near weep with tears of pride. I scoop a big dollop of cold, creamy whipped coconut cream onto that perfect slice of pie, grind a little nutmeg over the top (okay, I am just showing off at this point) and stand back to revel in the pièce de résistance. We take bites at the same time. I am propelled into memories of visiting my late grandmother in Newport News, freshly baked sweet potato pies waiting for me on her kitchen table. Jaden is doing his happy dance again. When he finishes, he clears the table and comes over to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Mom. Dinner was great." No, this is not part of my vivid imagination in which we are starring in a classic family movie. I actually have one of those kids who puts away his plate, hugs me and thanks me for dinner. Jaden remarks how tired he is, and voluntarily saunters off to bed with his protruding, happy belly.

11:30 PM, Thursday: I manage to upload a few pics to Facebook and Twitter, shoot off a few late text messages, and put all the food and (most of) the dishes away. I finally get a hot shower. I take a look at my unopened bottle of Kraken rum, a gift to myself for all of my hard work today, and sigh, knowing I am too damn tired to muster up the energy for a cocktail. I'm not sure at what point I actually sit back and put my feet up, but I do remember feeling like only the jaws of life would be able to remove me from this couch. As I close my laptop for the night, the day replays in my head. For once, I have no harsh criticism for myself, no self-defeating thoughts about little things I would have done differently. I am not disappointed that we ate six hours later than the rest of the country. I'm not even upset that I probably won't be able to afford groceries for another month. And I surely don't care that I forgot to get dressed and put on lipstick to take an obligatory holiday picture. Thanksgiving happened, my son is happy, and I am pleased.

By the way...we didn't miss the sage.

Eggplant & Sausage Casserole

2012-10-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

What is it about the weather getting cooler that just screams for a good casserole? Wait, before you go running in the opposite direction...this ain't your mama's casserole. No soggy vegetables, canned tuna, dried out cubes of cooked chicken or cream of mushroom soup around here! In fact, this Eggplant & Sausage Casserole reminded me more of a flavorful lasagna then anything else, sans noodles. I've temporarily set aside my love for coconut oil, Latin & Asian cuisine, and southern fare for uncharted territory, as far as this blog goes. I've recently fallen in love with Italian food again. Also, pork (gasp!) but I'll delve into that on another post. The simplicity of using fresh, wholesome ingredients, the rich family traditions intertwined in the dishes, and yes, all that garlic & olive oil...what's not to love? One of my favorite cooking shows to watch lately has been Lidia's Italy which can be found on Create (public broadcasting.) I love Lidia Bastianich's no-frills approach to cooking and the way her dishes tell a story about her family's Italian-American heritage. She also does a great job not just showcasing delicious recipes, but in teaching some basic Italian cooking techniques, which I really appreciate as a viewer.

The other day my friend and I were chatting about my recipes and she asked where I get my ideas from. Literally, everywhere! The shows I watch, the recipes I read online, the commentary I see on social networks, the produce I find at the market, my own family's traditions, my feelings and emotions at the time...it all collides to create recipes, often when I least expect them. This casserole came together rather organically on a regular old work night. Italian sausage, peppers & onions were a no-brainer but I wanted to take that a little further. I was going to make a stuffed eggplant dish but the Japanese eggplants I had were far too skinny to entertain that idea, so the casserole was born. I decided instead of stuffing the eggplant, I'd layer the slices in a dish in between a hearty meat sauce and of course, a little cheese. Since it then started to remind me more of the lasagnas I usually make, I thought the goat cheese would be an interesting replacement for a typical ricotta cheese spread (also, my sister recently emailed me an awesome recipe for goat cheese pizza, which I hope to share soon, so that was on my mind!) Finally, my basil had gone bad in the fridge so I was left with mint leaves - but since mint & eggplant happen to go beautifully together, this was actually a blessing in disguise and I ran with it.

Now, here comes my official apology for all the "purists" out there (I can almost see my Italian friend cringing before I say this, ha.) I cheated and used a jar of prepared tomato sauce. There, I said it. I'm human. I also refused to run out and buy tasteless Publix tomatoes just for the sake of making a recipe from scratch, when I had perfectly good jars of tomato sauce in my pantry. Frankly, Barilla makes an awesome line of tomato sauces made from natural ingredients (pureed tomatoes thank you, no paste) so this is one affordable brand I will gladly endorse. Yes, there are quite a few organic homestyle tomato sauces out there, and if you're willing to shell out $6 or more go right ahead...that's a bit much for one dish in my budget. So when you're stocking your pantry next time, keep Barilla in mind. Now, let's get into this recipe!

Eggplant & Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

4 small Japanese eggplants (or 1-2 Aubergine eggplants)

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 yellow onion

5 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 c. chopped fresh mint leaves, divided

1 jar Barilla Tomato & Basil tomato sauce

8 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened

2 tbsp milk or cream

1 egg yolk

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs + 1 tsp dried Italian herbs)

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Servings: 4 as a side dish; 2 as main course
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Equipment Needed: Large deep skillet, small casserole dish, cookie sheet & parchment paper

Preheat oven 400°. Slice Japanese eggplants 1/2 inch thick and on a bias (at an angle, this increases surface area as opposed to slicing them straight across.) If you are using standard Aubergine eggplants, slice them into rounds and depending on the size of your dish, possibly in half again. Lay out your eggplant slices in a single layer on parchment paper. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. If you have non-stick olive oil spray, it works great for this application too instead of brushing the oil.

*Side Note - I switched to kosher salt (after using sea salt for years) and really like the texture & flavor! I won't say one is better than the other, but I have found that it's a little easier to control salt in my recipes by keeping a small dish of kosher salt nearby to add a pinch here and there, vs. shaking or measuring sea salt into my dishes.

Roast eggplant slices for 15 minutes, remove from oven and flip over the slices. Brush with a little oil, sprinkle with kosher salt & black pepper. Return to oven and continue roasting another 10 min or so until the eggplant is slightly tender and just starting to turn golden brown. Keep in mind the eggplant will continue to cook in the casserole dish later. Turn down heat to 350°.

While the eggplant cooks, take the time to prep remaining ingredients. By the time it comes out the oven the 2nd time, you should be ready to build your casserole. Dice your onions and bell peppers (or have the kids do this!), thinly slice the garlic cloves, and finely chop the mint leaves.

To start the meat sauce, add a tbsp of olive oil to a skillet heated to medium high. Brown the Italian sausage in your skillet until cooked through out, then remove and set aside.

If there is excess oil in the skillet (more than a couple tablespoons), drain it off before proceeding. Gently fry the garlic slices in the oil just until they start to turn golden. If you don't love garlic as much as I do, you can certainly mince or chop up the cloves, but I'll tell you the big, soft pieces of sweet garlic are absolutely delicious this way.

Add the diced onions and bell peppers to the skillet and saute just until they start to soften up, 2 -3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and the crushed red pepper flakes.

Return the sausage to the skillet and stir in half of the chopped mint leaves.

Reduce heat to low and slowly pour in the tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, seasoning to taste with salt & pepper towards the end.

To prepare the goat cheese spread, mix the goat cheese, egg yolk, milk, lemon juice & zest and mint leaves until it is a spreadable consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Make the breadcrumb topping by combining the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt & pepper, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Toss well and set aside. I didn't have seasoned breadcrumbs, so I used plain Panko crumbs and added plenty of Italian herbs.

Time to build the casserole! In the bottom of your dish, drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Ladle in some of the meat sauce to coat the bottom of the dish. Top with the half of the roasted eggplant slices, overlapping as you lay them down.

Gently spread the goat cheese over the eggplant layer, being sure to cover them completely.

Top the goat cheese with plenty of meat sauce, followed by the remaining eggplant slices. Just like building a lasagna right?

Top the eggplant with a light layer of meat sauce, followed by the shredded mozzarella cheese. I buy the small 1/2 c. bags so I'm not tempted to go overboard!

Finally, cover the casserole with a layer of breadcrumbs and a good drizzle of olive oil. Depending on the size of your dish you may have leftovers, which keep well in the fridge. Any leftover meat sauce is great by itself or over bread or pasta!

Bake your casserole on the middle rack at 350° for approximately 20 minutes, or until heated throughout. The cheese should be bubbly and breadcrumbs golden brown. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving.

The flavors here are just incredible. The sweet sauce, fresh mint, tangy goat cheese and hint of spice all complement the thick slices of tender, roasted eggplant. I really hope this recipe warms you up and brings you some comfort as it did in my home! Enjoy!

Spiced Hanger Steak & Wilted Arugula

2012-10-15T00:22:00.001-04:00

I'm inclined to start off with an apology about how long its been since my last post, but you know what? Life happens. Work gets crazy, kids need a little more help after school, friendships and relationships require attention...and the list goes on! Sometimes when I'm stressed it's a little harder to find any motivation at all to make the extra time required to edit photos and write about the very meal I struggled to get on the table that night. But there are other times when blogging is exactly what I need to be doing to take my mind off everything else, and tonight was one of those nights. After a lazy, rainy weekend I wanted to cook something warm, comforting, and hearty that wouldn't keep me in the kitchen all day.

I've been experimenting with different cuts of meat lately, and since I never have eaten a lot of red meat I'm definitely a long ways from knowing my steak. Luckily the guys at Penn Dutch have been pretty helpful whenever I have questions, and I usually scan a few articles online to get an idea of what to look for. This afternoon I picked up an inexpensive pound of hanger steak, which the butcher trimmed and repackaged for me right there at the meat counter. I had no idea they offered that service so I'll definitely be taking advantage of such a time saver. So from what I've learned, this cut of steak is flavorful and benefits from quick cooking over high heat. Since I didn't plan far enough ahead of time to do any real marinating, I wanted to impart high flavor in a short amount of time with rich curry spices. Smoked paprika really helped round out the spices and added a nice smokiness to my curry blend. I liked it so much that I'm adding it to my spice mix from now on.

I served this over long grain brown rice that was subtly spiced with cinnamon and bay leaf, an idea I picked up from watching cooking shows on PBS (my latest guilty pleasure after going without tv for almost a year!) Lemon juice is used throughout the dish to add a touch of brightness and acidity, and the sweet onions and yellow peppers added just the right amount of sweetness to contrast the bitter arugula. From start to finish, including the rice, this took me about an hour to get on the table and cost less than $10 excluding pantry items. That's my idea of a fabulous pick-me-up in the form of Sunday Dinner!

Spiced Hanger Steak & Wilted Arugula

Ingredients:

1 - 2 lb hanger steak, trimmed

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. curry powder (see recipe, below)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. dark brown sugar

2 lemons

1 sweet onion (yellow or red would work)

1 yellow bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 c. arugula
2 T. high smoke point cooking oil (I prefer grape seed)
Sea salt, to taste

For the rice:

2 c. brown rice

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 small bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 c. diced sweet onion (yellow or red would work)

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Squeeze of lemon

(Makes 4 c. cooked rice)

Angela's Curry Spice Blend:

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne powder

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. white pepper

(Makes approx. 4 tbsp curry powder)

Servings: 2 - 4 (1 lb hanger steak is 2 servings)
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr (includes rice)
Equipment Needed: Heavy bottomed skillet, medium pot

The first thing you'll want to do is get your rice going since that takes about 45 min to cook. Rice will stay warm in the pot for quite awhile so there's no harm in making it early. To begin, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and diced onions. This helps to flavor the oil.

Add your rice and stir it for a couple minutes, gently toasting it in the seasoned oil. I used regular brown rice for this but you could use brown basmati rice too. For brown jasmine rice or white rices, it will take slightly less cooking time so follow package directions.

Finally, add 4 cups of water to the pot. Alternatively, you could use a beef broth or vegetable broth for extra flavor, although I thought a very simple rice went well with the rest of the dish. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes until rice is cooked.

Once done, remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick prior to serving.

While the rice cooks, prepare your curry spice blend if making that yourself (and I hope you do, because it's so easy to make great curry powders using spices you probably already keep in the pantry!) Combine all spices. This will make about 4 tablespoons, or enough for 2 or 3 liberally seasoned dishes. I keep leftovers in a tightly sealed container.

Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, curry powder, garlic, brown sugar and juice of 1 lemon. It will make a quick marinade for the steak. The soy sauce and curry spices will really add a ton of flavor in a short amount of time.

As I stated above, my hanger steak was trimmed at the store so there was literally nothing else I had to do after opening the package. If you purchased your steak whole, you will want to trim excess fat. It already comes in fairly thin strips so I didn't cut it any more prior to preparing my dish. Add the steak strips to the marinade and toss to coat well. Allow the steak to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes while prepping the rest of your ingredients. You could certainly refrigerate and marinate your steak for several hours if you have the time.

Slice your yellow bell pepper into thin strips and thinly slice the sweet onion. Chiffonade or roughly chop up some fresh mint leaves, and get a good size lemon ready to squeeze.

Heat your skillet over medium high to high heat, depending on your stove. You want it to be just shy of smoking when the oil is added. It's really important to use a high smoke point oil - do not attempt this with extra virgin olive oil. Trust me, I had a frightening experience this summer when my skillet caught on fire because I accidently grabbed the wrong oil! While the skillet heats up, drain off the marinade from your steak. Sprinkle steak with a pinch of sea salt.

Carefully add the hanger steak to the oiled skillet, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Allow it to sear a couple minutes on one side before flipping over to sear on the other side. You're looking to serve the steak at about medium rare to medium. Since these strips weren't big enough to poke with a thermometer I tested doneness by gently pressing the steak with my finger. It should give a little, and feel similar to the the area where your palm of your hand meets your thumb. If you really need to, you could always take a small piece and slice it to check that way too, but try learning to test doneness by touch for best results!

Once cooked, remove steak from the pan and allow to rest. It will smell amazing and you'll be tempted to eat it all now, but I promise it's worth the wait! Drain off any excess oil from the pan, you only need a tablespoon or so to finish the rest of the dish.

In the same pan over medium high heat, saute the onion slices until soft. The onion will start picking up all the flavors left in the oil from the curry spices, including a beautiful golden yellow color from the turmeric.

Add the bell pepper strips and saute until the peppers are crisp tender.

Deglaze the pan with the juice of a large lemon, approximately 2 tbsp. Be sure to scrape up all the browned bits at the bottom of your skillet where all that good flavor is. Add the chopped mint leaves and cook for a minute or so, then turn off the heat.

Add the arugula to the skillet and toss it with the onions and pepper mixture just until wilted. If you aren't crazy about arugula that's fine, spinach would be a great substitute here for similar results. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

To serve, spoon some rice onto your plate and top with sliced hanger steak. Pile a mound of arugula on top being sure to get lots of onions and peppers in there. Serve with lemon wedges for garnish and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes, Orange Pecan Maple Syrup & Coconut Ginger Whipped Cream

2012-09-23T18:23:00.001-04:00

I'm typing this blog entry as I finish eating my pancakes, that's how excited I am to get this recipe to you! Best pancakes I've ever eaten, hands down. I am beyond ecstatic that fall is finally upon us...not that I get to enjoy the crisp weather or leaves changing color in South Florida, but nonetheless I can experience the food of the season! Pumpkin is the first thing I think about when fall comes to mind, and it's been in my head to make pumpkin pancakes for the longest time. I scoured the internet looking for recipes to try and nothing really jumped out at me, so I decided I would just use my own basic pancake recipe, modified for the ingredients I wanted to use. It was really important to me that the pancakes actually tasted like pumpkin - I know, that sounds like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many things just have a "hint" of pumpkin after other ingredients are added. It was also important to me that the pancakes were thick and moist. Basically I wanted sweet, spiced pumpkin bread in the form of a pancake.

At the time that I posted my Almond Milk & Greek Yogurt Pancakes, I hadn't yet become enlightened by the world of coconut milk and coconut oil. Knowing what I do now, it was clear that the almond milk, yogurt, butter and shortening could all be eliminated from my original recipe. I wasn't too worried about whether the flavor of the coconut came through, because if it did it would work well with the pumpkin - personally I could not detect a coconut flavor in the end result, which was fine too. And of course, since I was using pumpkin as the base of my pancake flavor I needed to add warm spices - yes, I could have just grabbed a jar of pumpkin pie spice, but it's too easy to just make your own spice blend. I did pick up some orange extract though, as I thought it would add the perfect hint of citrus to both the pancakes and my syrup. I will definitely be thinking of more ways to use the orange extract in the future, as I really thought it added some nice orange notes without the texture issue posed by adding a ton of orange zest to recipes. Also, I was curious as to whether it was best to stick with baking soda like I did in my previous recipe, or if I should use baking powder as most of the recipes I read were using. I headed over to Food Lab and got my answer right away - since there was no need to add acid to my recipe, baking powder was the obvious choice as a leavening agent. Finally, I thought it would be fun to kick up the maple syrup and coconut whipped cream to pull the whole dish together, so you'll see that as part of my recipe below too if you'd also like to add some special finishing touches.

Confession. I totally expected to go into sugar shock after eating my pancakes but I had two and was pleasantly satisfied that they weren't overly sweet. The first thing I thought when I took a bite is how they reminded me of the pumpkin loaf at Starbucks, which happens to be a favorite of mine, so I knew I had a winner here. I hope these bring you as much fall joy as they did for my family, so please let me know how yours turn out! By the way, if you haven't already please take a moment to vote for The Kitchenista Diaries in the 2012 Black Weblog Awards! I've also added a new feature to my blog, The Test Kitchen, where you can check out what I'm working on in between posts. And if that isn't enough to satisfy your #foodporn cravings, I am finally on Tumblr and Instagram (thekitchenista)! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes, Orange Pecan Maple Syrup & Coconut Ginger Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1 1/4 c. coconut milk*

1/4 c. melted coconut oil*

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

2 eggs, separated

Up to 1 tbsp coconut oil, if needed for skillet*

* Substitutions: Your preferred milk and/or butter can be used in place of the coconut milk or coconut oil, if dairy-free is not necessary.

For the Orange Pecan Maple Syrup:

3/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 tsp orange extract

For the Whipped Coconut Cream:

1 can coconut milk, refrigerated overnight (recommend Badia or Thai Kitchen brands, not "light")

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp powdered sugar (optional)

Servings: Approximately 12 pancakes

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Equipment Needed: Small sauce pan, pancake griddle or large skillet, electric mixer

If you aren't much of a multi-tasker in the kitchen, go ahead and make the syrup and whipped cream first as they can be set aside. To prepare the syrup, combine the maple syrup, pecans and orange extract in a small sauce pan over low heat. Simmer 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.

To prepare the coconut ginger whipped cream, you will need to open up the can of refrigerated coconut milk and scoop out the thickened cream that floats to the top. I like to have my bowl chilled for this, as well as my electric mixer. I usually get about a cup of cream out of the can. The remaining coconut water (seen to the left, below) can be used in other recipes or added to smoothies!

Add the vanilla extract, nutmeg, ginger (more or less depending on how much cream you have), and powdered sugar if desired. Whip until the coconut cream is nice and stiff, and then transfer to the fridge until needed later.

Time to make pancakes! In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the pureed pumpkin, brown sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract, orange extract, and all spices. I like to taste my batter at this point, before adding raw eggs. I didn't see the need to adjust any spices or the amount of sugar, so do as you see fit. I'm sure there is a slight difference between canned pumpkin brands and pureed fresh pumpkin, which could certainly be used here.

Next, separate your eggs, adding the yolks to your wet ingredients and the whites to a small bowl. Using your electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients until the flour is incorporated. There is no need to use the electric mixer, and you don't want to overwork the batter. It will be slightly thick, but light and foamy. Fold in the egg whites to the batter, again being careful not to work it too hard.

Heat your skillet or griddle over medium heat. I add just a tad bit of coconut oil because I like how it crisps up the edges of my pancakes, but if your pan is nonstick you can probably get away without using any oil if you don't want to. I portioned my pancakes with 1/4 cup batter as seen below. Don't feel that you need to add any more liquid to the batter because it's not runny. Just use your spatula to spread it out a little once you drop it onto your griddle.

I didn't see too many bubbles reach the surface of my pancakes like I usually do, but again the batter is a little thicker here. You will see them start to pop around the edges and see the edges brown, so after about 3 minutes I flipped them over without any issues and allowed them to finish cooking another couple minutes. Transfer to plates or to a warm oven while you finish cooking the rest.

To serve, stack your pancakes (2-3 per person is plenty) and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, and prepare your taste buds for the taste of autumn!

Mojito Shrimp & Coconut Rum Glazed Plantains

2012-09-22T17:25:00.001-04:00

Summer has officially come to an end, so thought I would post a "Summer Season Finale" recipe that fully embraced the fantastic flavors I've enjoyed cooking with over the last few months! Don't be intimidated by the picture - this is an incredibly easy dish to get on the table and you'll swear you spent good money at restaurant instead of making it yourself. This dish was inspired by the gorgeous view of the ocean and refreshing mojitos I enjoyed in the Florida Keys a couple weeks ago! My company is celebrating our 75th anniversary this year, and our South Florida office was treated to a stay at the beautiful Hawk's Cay resort. I had an amazing time relaxing in the sun and of course, partying with some great people. Unfortunately, the fish taco lunch I had at our resort didn't come close to living up to my expectations, but it did get me thinking about the perfect summer meal to match my surroundings.

Hawk's Cay Resort - Florida Keys

As ~~hung over~~ exhausted as I was upon returning home Sunday afternoon from a fun-filled weekend at the resort, I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen. Lately there have been great deals on extra large raw shrimp at the local grocery stores, so I picked up a pound of shrimp, fresh mint, and a couple semi-ripe plantains. Surprisingly I still had a good amount of coconut rum left from the weekend festivities, and everything else needed were things I regularly keep stocked at home. I opted to skewer and cook my shrimp on the good ol' George Foreman grill, but you can easily do this in a skillet for similar results. A pot of coconut rice and black beans were all we needed to complete this delicious, summer-inspired Sunday dinner!

Mojito Shrimp & Coconut Rum Glazed Plantains

Ingredients:

1 c. coconut rum

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (optionally, leave tails on and skewer shrimp)

4 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Zest & juice of 2 limes

1 tsp minced garlic (approximately 2 cloves)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 semi-ripe plantains (skin should be yellow w/ black spots)

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Equipment Needed: Small pot, large non-stick skillet(s), grill (optional)

If you are serving rice, beans, or other sides it's best to start those first as the shrimp and plantains don't take long to cook at all. To make the glaze, dissolve the brown sugar into 3/4 cup of the coconut rum over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, then simmer until the liquid reduces by half.

After 5 - 7 minutes or so, you'll know the glaze is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon. It should be the consistency of maple syrup. Remove from heat and set aside; it will thicken slightly as it cools.

While the coconut glaze was cooking, I used the time to prep my remaining ingredients and heat my grill. Chop your herbs, zest your limes, and skewer your shrimp if you haven't already. My apartment was a little cooler than usual that day so my coconut oil was in solid form - it doesn't take long at all to melt in a warm kitchen though.

To make the mojito marinade, combine 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1/4 cup coconut rum, mint, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and zest in a small bowl. Whisk well, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the marinade over the skewered shrimp, and allow to marinate up to 15 min, turning frequently. If you are not grilling your shrimp, they can simply be added to the bowl of marinade and tossed to coat well. Typically I would advise you to soak your wood skewers in water prior to using (to avoid burning) but with such a quick cooking time on a George Foreman Grill, I skipped that step this time and didn't have any issues.

The plantains can cook while your shrimp marinates. Slice them on a bias, approximately 1" thick. Am I the only person who doesn't use plantains that are so ripe the skin is black? I think when they're just starting to get ripe, they are still sweet, but also firm enough to slice easily and don't have to be deep fried. In a skillet heated to medium high, melt 2 tbsp coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the plantain slices.

Cook about 4 minutes before carefully turning them over to cook on the other side another 2 -3 minutes or until golden brown with crisp edges. The smell of plantains cooking in coconut oil, like most anything else, is amazing! Reduce heat to low and drizzle 2 - 3 tbsp of the coconut rum glaze over the plantains just before serving. That's it! I told you this was an easy one.

If you're cooking in a skillet, heat it to medium high before adding your shrimp. Cook 2 minutes before turning them over to cook on the other side, and add a few tablespoons of coconut rum glaze to the pan in the last minute of cooking.

The first time I made this, I just used my George Foreman Grill. Since there is already coconut oil in the marinade, I didn't brush the grill with any other oil. I just placed my skewers on the grill and cooked 2 minutes on each side, basting with the coconut rum glaze as they cooked. I closed the grill just for 30 seconds or so towards the end to get a little bit of a caramelized sear on the shrimp.

I'm really picky about shrimp being cooked just until done, and not a minute longer, so if the intent is to serve them hot you really should have your plates ready to go before you cook the shrimp. They only take a few minutes to cook and nobody wants overcooked, rubbery shrimp, so serve right away. Not that these aren't great cold too, if you wanted to add them to a nice salad!

I served the Mojito Shrimp over my Coconut Rice & a pot of vegan black beans. The beans were flavored with garlic, ginger, diced onions, red pepper, and a few spices that I'll keep secret until I get a chance to post my recipe! (Gotta keep y'all coming back right?)

How amazing do these plantains look? I didn't think plantains cooked in coconut oil could get any better until trying these with the coconut rum glaze. Candy-coated heaven if you ask me! Yes, it's a lot more sugar, but unless you're eating these all the time there's nothing wrong with indulging once in a blue moon.

Summer, on a plate!

Angela's Fish Tacos

2012-09-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

I debated whether or not to post my "go-to" fish tacos recipe. Then I read this disaster of an article on what constitutes a "real" Baja-style fish taco and decided to weigh in. If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I love to get creative with my tacos. I'm all for it. I even wrote a post on ways to branch out with taco recipes while staying healthy. I disagreed with the author's stance of non-traditional salsas or seasonings (bring on the mangoes), but then I saw that her own ingredient list included Sriracha and had to laugh at the hypocrisy. Whatever. My real issue with the article is that there is also absolutely NO requirement that fish needs to be batter dipped and fried to constitute an authentic baja-style fish taco.I also don't see the point of using mayo, Mexican crema and whole milk to make a white sauce. Not only is that overkill on ingredients, but Greek Yogurt does the job just fine without all the extra fat and chemicals. Nonsense like that is why American diets are tragically unhealthy.

No need to fry fish this fresh!

One thing I think the article did get right is the "Holy Trinity" of the fish taco - white fish, cabbage slaw, and a creamy white sauce. My fish tacos are true to that, without all the grease. This is what I usually have in mind as a boilerplate recipe before I start getting creative with ways to kick things up. And because the Tilapia, cabbage and tortillas are typically the only thing I need to buy fresh, this is easily a meal I can do for $10 or less. Fish tacos are one of those meals I can always throw together without thinking much or a lot of prep time. My son asked me the other day, "Mom can we just have a normal dinner that doesn't take 2 hours to make?" (Mind you this is the same kid who asked for lamb chops for breakfast last week. I can't keep up.) Anyway, he had a point so I obliged. Fish tacos are family-friendly, quick to prepare, and simply delicious without a lot of fuss or effort.

Angela's Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

1 lb white fish fillets, such as Tilapia

1/2 onion, sliced (optional)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of cinnamon

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

2-3 limes (including zest of 1 lime)

1 1/2 c. shredded cabbage (red or green)

1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 -3 tsp honey

1 jalapeno, cored, de-seeded & diced

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 c. Greek Yogurt, drained

1-2 tbsp coconut oil

6 tortillas

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Equipment Needed: Large skillet, small skillet (or microwave)

Tilapia doesn't need a long time to marinate so I usually just start by seasoning my fish and letting it hang out in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it. Slice the fillets into large chunks and season with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and the juice of a lime. Season as lightly or liberally as your taste dictates, it's pretty hard to screw this one up.

I usually make a pot of rice and beans to go with my tacos, but since I had half of a huge sweet potato left from another dinner, I sliced it up, tossed with coconut oil, seasoned with the same spices and popped the pan into the oven to make baked sweet potato fries!

To make a quick slaw, add the diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and zest of one lime to a bowl of shredded cabbage. Red cabbage has been ridiculously cheap lately, so I've been buying a whole head of it and shredding it ahead of time. It can easily stretch two or three meals this way and stays fresh in a Ziploc bag or other sealed container. Now, I didn't shred the cabbage too finely for that reason since I didn't know how I planned to use it but I love how the bigger pieces add a bit more of a crunch to the taco.

I usually make a dressing for my slaw with some variation of lime juice, vinegar, oil, and if necessary a sweetener. For the purposes of writing a recipe I indicated measurements, but as with anything else it's important to taste your own ingredients and make adjustments as you go along. In this case, I mixed together the juice of 1 lime, tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, a couple teaspoons of honey and a splash of coconut oil. The sweetness gave a nice balance to the diced jalapenos and cabbage.

Toss the slaw with the dressing, season to taste with sea salt & pepper, and set aside.

My healthy substitution for sour cream is simply Greek Yogurt mixed with a squeeze of lime juice and a dash of sea salt. How easy is that?

I deviated a tiny bit from my standard recipe and sauteed my onions first in a little bit of coconut oil. Usually I toss them into my slaw raw, or don't use them at all. Whatever works for you. My son said he likes the cooked onions better and I think I agree with him on that!

Over medium high heat using about a tablespoon of coconut oil, sear the fish chunks for 2-3 minutes each side until the fish turns opaque and begins to flake. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and pepper. You'll also want to heat your tortillas in a small ungreased skillet or warm them in the microwave, per package directions.

Spoon some slaw into a warmed tortilla, add a few chunks of fish and onions, top with a dollop of yogurt and garnish with fresh cilantro. Now that's my idea of good eating!

Vegan Minted Strawberry Shortcake

2012-09-04T00:31:00.000-04:00

What better way to celebrate the unofficial end of summer than with this classic Southern dessert? Strawberry Shortcake gets a little bit of an update here with sweet vegan biscuits, whipped coconut cream, and fresh strawberries marinated in lemon & mint. I have made several batches of biscuits lately - buttermilk, sweet potato, pumpkin, and now tonight's batch made with coconut milk and coconut oil. I will admit I've been skeptical about trying veganized biscuit recipes. The idea of giving up butter or shortening in a biscuit quite frankly scared the hell out of me. I know you probably won't believe me until you try them yourself - but I'm shocked to report that these things are better than any biscuits I've made!

Before we get into the biscuit recipe, I must emphasize that technique matters as much as the ingredients here. After giving myself a crash course in making biscuits this month I've learned a thing or two. In much the same way cutting chilled butter into your flour creates fluffy biscuits, so too can the coconut oil - however it must be in solid form. I use organic, virgin unrefined coconut oil, which in my opinion is the only kind you need. I've tried a few different brands and always come back to Nutiva. Great for cooking as well as for skin and hair!

Coconut oil melts at around 76° which means in my Florida apartment, it is almost always in liquid form. I got around that by measuring the 1/2 cup of oil into a small dish and popping it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. Every few minutes, I stirred it so that it wouldn't harden completely. I ended up with a bowl of thick, solidified coconut oil that was the texture of chilled butter. I also used full-fat coconut milk that was slightly chilled, which helped to keep the coconut oil from melting in the biscuit dough. The biscuits came out light, tender, and flaky, with a slight sweetness and coconut aroma. Heavenly. This isn't exactly a guilt-free dessert -- but anytime you can get this much goodness on a plate without dairy or butter, it's a step in the right direction!

Vegan Minted Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 tsp natural cane sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Several mint leaves
6 Coconut Oil Biscuits
1 c. Whipped Coconut Cream

For the Whipped Coconut Cream:
1 can coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
2 tsp powdered sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash nutmeg

For the biscuits (Adapted from Whole Foods' Coconut Oil Biscuits):
2 c. + 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup organic unrefined coconut oil, in solid form

2 tbsp natural cane sugar
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp coconut milk, slightly chilled

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 17 min

Equipment Needed: Electric mixer (optional)

Both the strawberries and the whipped cream can be prepared ahead of time, in fact the strawberries taste better and develop more of a syrup after 10-15 minutes. If you haven't tried making coconut whipped cream, you're in for a treat. You can get the scoop here, from a previous dessert post.

To the sliced strawberries, add some finely chopped mint leaves, the lemon juice and sugar. Toss to dissolve the sugar and use a fork to gently mash some of the strawberries to release their juices a little. Set the strawberries aside until you're ready to serve.

Preheat your oven to 425°. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and vanilla into the coconut milk. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder and sea salt.

Using a fork or pastry blender, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture. I don't recommend using your hands for this as it would melt the coconut oil. What you want to end up with should resemble small crumbs. I actually found the coconut oil to be easier to work with than I do butter or shortening.

Slowly add the sweetened coconut milk to the biscuit mix, using the fork to gently stir the mix until a thick dough forms. You want to avoid overworking the dough, so just bring it together just enough to see that it's sticking and the flour has been incorporated.

Use some of the 1/4 c. remaining flour to lightly flour your working surface. Flip the dough out and gently knead a few times. The dough will feel like pie crust dough, but lighter. Keep your hands floured as you work with the dough, and add just enough flour to make a smooth dough. Again, careful not to overwork it or you'll end up with tough biscuits! Roll out the dough to make a large rectangle, then fold the right and left sides into the center to make a triple layered strip of dough 1/3 the original width. Slightly roll out this strip until the dough is approximately 3/4" thick. This creates flaky layers in your biscuits that will separate slightly inside when rising.

Confession...biscuits are one of the few things I make requiring me to roll out dough so I use a wine bottle instead of buying a rolling pin. Just peel off the label and fill with water. I'm sure that's saving me all of $15, but if it ain't broke don't fix it right?

Use a cup to cut out your biscuits into 3 - 4" rounds. Or you could use a biscuit cutter, if you have such a thing. Once you've cut out all that you can, gather the dough back together and very gently roll it out again to cut the remaining biscuits.

Place the biscuits upside down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I've always wanted to follow the instructions in recipes that called for parchment paper, so I finally picked some up this weekend. It's kind of a pain that the rolls are bigger than the width of my cookie sheet so they have to be cut, as opposed to just lining with aluminum foil like I would have done. I don't know if the parchment paper contributed to the magic of these coconut oil biscuits, but let's just say they did. Yes, I wasted $3 on parchment paper, but I won't purchase a damn rolling pin. Somewhere in my head this all makes sense.

Use a pastry brush to paint the tops of the biscuits with the remaining tablespoon of coconut milk, and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Bake at 425° for 15 - 17 minutes until the biscuits have risen and the tops are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Or, immediately bite into a hot biscuit and scald the roof of your mouth as I did. They're worth it.

To serve, slice the biscuits in half (you probably won't even need a knife, mine separated easily by hand!) Spoon a good portion of strawberries over the biscuit bottom, top with whipped coconut cream and the biscuit top, followed by a dollop more of cream. If desired, garnish with additional mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Sunday Dinner: Summer Seafood Stew

2012-08-27T00:33:00.000-04:00

It's been a rainy weekend here in South Florida as we await Tropical Storm Isaac. We definitely had a lazy day in my house which I thoroughly enjoyed after the rush of the first week back to school! I don't know if it's the cool, wet weather or the feeling that fall is at our doorsteps, but comfort food seemed to be in order tonight for Sunday Dinner. I've had a week full of cooking heavier, meaty dishes - rabbit, beef bacon, turkey and lamb - so the only thing I plan to eat for awhile is seafood and vegetarian meals. Ever since talking to a good friend of mind about the fish stew she prepared last week, it's been on my mind. I love a good fish stew and lean towards those prepared Spanish-style with a tomato base, so I took elements from various stews I've had or wanted to try and made my own version. What I liked about it was that even though it filled us up and packed a ton of flavor, it wasn't a heavy dish at all. I rarely eat soups or stews in the summer, so this was a treat. I purchased cod, shrimp and scallops as those were the best deals at the seafood counter today. You can substitute any meaty white fish or even salmon. If fresh seafood isn't an option, thawing a bag of frozen mixed seafood can be economical. Our grocery stores here sell $5 bags of shrimp, mussels, squid and scallops that would work perfect in any fish stew. To finish off this zesty, healthy Sunday Dinner, my son helped me make sweet potato biscuits, coconut brown rice and sauteed zucchini. Dinner came together nicely and definitely brought us some comfort on this rainy summer evening. For all of my readers in Isaac's path, be safe out there tonight and in the coming days!

Summer Seafood Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs mixed seafood:

--1 lb cod

--1/2 lb shrimp, deveined & shells reserved

--1/2 lb scallops

2 onions, sliced

8 cloves garlic, minced

2" piece fresh ginger, minced

1 red bell pepper, cored & seeds removed

1 green bell pepper, cored & seeds removed

1 large jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 can chopped tomatoes

8 oz. natural clam juice

2 c. organic chicken broth

1 c. dry white wine

Juice of 2 lemons, zest of 1 lemon

Fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp coconut oil

Servings: 6 - 8

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 60 min

Equipment Needed: Large pot or dutch oven

The best way to cook a flavorful stew is by building flavors slowly and allowing the broth plenty of time to simmer. I started this one by cooking sliced onions in coconut oil over medium heat. You want these to get soft and translucent as they start to brown, approximately 10 minutes.

While the onions cooked, I prepped my remaining veggies. The minced garlic and ginger can be added to the onions and cooked a few more minutes until fragrant.

Add the peppers and jalapeno to the pot and continue to cook until peppers are crisp tender, 3 - 4 minutes.

Season with coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.

Add the clam juice, chicken broth, and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate the seasoning into the broth, scraping up any browned bits of garlic and ginger at the bottom of the pot.

Add some chopped cilantro and parsley. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 30 minutes. If you are making the stew ahead of time, now is a good time to stop. The seafood should not be added until just before serving, so the broth can be reheated when you are ready to finish the stew.

Chop up the fish into bite size chunks. Add to a bowl with the scallops and peeled shrimp. Squeeze one of the lemons over the fish and season with a good pinch of coriander, cumin, cilantro and parsley. Toss lightly and set aside.

I almost always buy shrimp with the shells still on because it saves me a couple dollars per pound. Another great thing about that is the shells add a ton of shrimp flavor to your broth. After rinsing them off, place them into a small sieve, and then dip the sieve into your broth so that the shells cook in the liquid. Simmer for a few minutes until the shells are pink, then remove the sieve and discard the shrimp shells.

Increase heat to medium low. Finish the broth by adding the white wine as well as the juice and zest from the remaining lemon. Allow to simmer for a couple minutes. Now is an excellent time to pour yourself a glass of wine if you haven't already! The seafood should now be added by order of what takes longest to cook. In my case, I added the cod fish and allowed that to cook until the fish was opaque, about 5 minutes. Next I added the shrimp and scallops and cooked another 3 - 4 minutes until the shrimp was pink. I seasoned to taste with just a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat, toss in some extra parsley and cilantro, and serve immediately!

The great thing about stews is the ability to finish some simple side dishes while the main dish cooks. I let my son help make a pot of my Coconut Brown Rice, and we also made some delicious sweet potato biscuits using baked organic sweet potatoes. I veganized this biscuit recipe by substituting coconut milk and shortening for the buttermilk and butter. We also added a touch of cinnamon. They were subtly sweet, tender and Jaden devoured them, so I'm going to continue to work on the vegan version to post for The Kitchenista Diaries soon!

At the last minute I decided we needed some green veggies on our plate so I let my son choose. He asked for sauteed zucchini, which was a great addition to the menu. So about 10 minutes before dinner was ready, I quickly sauteed some sliced zucchini in coconut oil, adding lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, sea salt & pepper.

The soup was perfect with a scoop of coconut brown rice! I debated adding coconut milk to my broth for this recipe, and ended up leaving it out. I liked how the rice added a hint of coconut flavor without making the stew too rich as the coconut milk probably would have.

Sesame Crusted Tuna & Orange, Cucumber & Avocado Salsa

2012-08-22T23:32:00.002-04:00

How gorgeous is a fresh piece of raw tuna? The deep red color of the flesh is even more enticing to me than salmon, unfortunately the price is rarely in my budget! Luckily I came across a great sale and scooped up a pound of fresh Yellowfin tuna chunks for $6, making this an affordable light dinner for me and my son. Keep an eye out for the occasional sale at your seafood counter or look for flash frozen tuna steaks that can be thawed at home. Tuna gets a bad rap these days and for good reason when it comes to sustainable fishing or mercury contamination. That said, tuna is an awesome source of Omega-3's and Vitamin B, so don't count it out as part of a healthy diet. This article from SmartyPants has some great tips on what to look for when buying tuna, what types to avoid and how to store it once you get home.

Way before I ever got on board with sushi, I remember the first time I had seared tuna at a restaurant. After the initial fear of dying from eating raw fish, I quickly realized how incredible rare tuna tastes. I also realized that the reason I'd never enjoyed tuna steaks before was because they had all been cooked beyond recognition, resembling a dry, tasteless gray hockey puck. Maybe that's why I used to be a little intimidated by cooking it at home, which is funny because it turned out to be one of the easiest kinds of fish I cook. The trick is just keeping an eye on the time (I find that counting the seconds myself is easier than working with a timer for something this fast.) High heat is essential to get a nice crust on all sides, and removing the tuna immediately from the pan prevents it from continuing to cook before you serve it.

I served my tuna chilled, topped with a fresh citrus summer salsa of oranges, cucumbers and avocados dressed in a simple splash of lime juice and seasoned rice vinegar. From start to finish, the entire dish takes less than 30 minutes to put together and requires virtually no measuring. Have fun with this and enjoy a refreshing summer treat!

Sesame Crusted Tuna & Orange, Cucumber & Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh yellowfin tuna chunks (if buying steaks, you can cut into smaller pieces)

Black Sesame Seeds

White Sesame Seeds

Coriander

Garlic Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar

Soy Sauce

Sesame Oil
Lime

Fresh grated ginger

Minced garlic

Coriander

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Coconut Oil or Grapeseed Oil for cooking

Orange-Cucumber-Avocado Salsa, recipe follows

Orange, Cucumber & Avocado Salsa:

1 large orange, peeled & chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled & seeds removed

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, core & seeds removed
Juice of 1/2 lime

Garlic Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar

Fresh cilantro
Sea Salt

1 ripe but firm avocado

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Equipment Needed: Good quality non-stick skillet

Rinse off the fish and pat dry. Season with a splash of rice wine vinegar, splash of soy sauce, some grated ginger, a little garlic, the juice of one lime and a drizzle of sesame oil. Gently toss to coat fish and return to the fridge until needed.

In your pan, dry toast some sesame seeds for a couple minutes over medium heat. Enough seeds to cover the bottom of the pan is more than enough. As they toast, you'll see the white sesame seeds turn a light golden brown and start to smell the sesame fragrance.

Remove from pan and transfer to a plate. Add a pinch of sea salt, some black pepper and a couple pinches of coriander to season the sesame seed mixture.

To prepare the salsa, you'll need to peel & chop up an orange. The best way to do this is using a knife to slice off the orange peel and trim off any remaining pith.

Combine the onion, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro and oranges in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and a splash of rice wine vinegar. Cucumbers release quite a bit of moisture so 1/2 a lime should be enough.

My tip whenever making an avocado salsa ahead of time is to mix all of the ingredients first, return to the fridge and wait until just before serving to add the diced avocado. Stir gently, trying not to mash the avocado pieces.

Press each side of the tuna chunks into the seasoned sesame seeds to form a crust. Set aside while waiting for your skillet to get hot.

Over high heat, warm some coconut oil. When oil is hot & shimmers, add the tuna chunks to the skillet. Allow each side to sear before rotating to the next side - approximately 1 minute per side for rare tuna. I place tuna into the skillet one by one in a clock-wise circle, this makes it way to monitor cooking time as I rotate around the pan to flip them in the same order.

As soon as all sides have seared, immediately move the tuna from the skillet. The tuna does not need to rest before slicing and you can serve it hot. However, I prefer my tuna chilled so I put it in the freezer for a few minutes while getting my plates ready.

Sliced seared tuna topped with the orange, cucumber & avocado salsa, garnished with cilantro leaves...delicious!