My friend Aaron doesn't cook, but decided it was time to learn how to make at least a few simple meals. So he asked if I'd give him some lessons. So far he has mastered breaded chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes. He recently asked if I'd teach him how to make baked fish fillets and roasted potato wedges. Tonight was the night we did it! The meal turned out perfect and I gave my student an A+! Here is how we did it.
Roasted potatoes and onions:
1 baking potato for each person, scrubbed and cut into quarters the long way
1 medium red onion for every two people, peeled and quartered
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take a baking dish large enough to hold the potato and onion quarters in a single layer and grease with olive oil or butter or cooking spray. Place the potato and onion quarters on the baking dish and either brush with your butter or olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle whatever kind of seasoning you happen to like (garlic powder, Italian herbs, favorite spice mixes, etc. I used some Mrs. Dash) and place in the oven. Roast about 20 minutes, then turn the wedges over and continue roasting another 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and nicely browned.
Baked Fish:
4 white fish fillets, I like tilapia, about 1 1/2-2 pounds
Place the fillets on a greased baking sheet with edges. Brush the tops of the fillets with milk, sprinkle some seasoning lightly on that (I used Mrs. Dash again) and sprinkle a couple tablespoons of dry bread crumbs on top. Either dribble some oil or melted butter over the crumbs or spray with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees if using a gas oven and to broil if using an electric. Cook the fish approximately 10 minutes or until it flakes. If using a gas oven you can then run the fish under the broiler for no more than a minute to crisp the top a bit. Serve immediately. Lime or lemon slices on the side is quite nice. This amount of fish will serve 4 people.
With a salad or some steamed vegetables, this fish and roasted potatoes makes a very quick, light and healthy meal. Aaron loved it!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Snickerdoodles--Another Childhood Favorite
As I mentioned before, we always had sweet stuff around when I was a child. Mama was known for her pies, cookies, cakes and homemade candies. We all had our favorites growing up. My little sister liked chocolate chip cookies, my brother liked German chocolate cake and my older sister loved snickerdoodle cookies. Snickerdoodles are also the favorite of my friend Sharon from work. When I want to put a smile on her face I just bake her a batch. Here is my recipe for snickerdoodle cookies:
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Mix together the dry ingredients well and then fold into the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Form into balls (I use a 2 tbsp. scoop to make the balls the same size) and then roll in a mixture of 1 tbsp. cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar (I like to use a coarse crystal sugar, like turbanado.). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake about 10 minutes or so, the cookies will be puffed, cracked and dry looking on top and just barely beginning to color around the edges. Allow to cool partially on the cookie sheet before removing to finish cooling on a rack. Using the large scoop, this batch will make about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Mix together the dry ingredients well and then fold into the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Form into balls (I use a 2 tbsp. scoop to make the balls the same size) and then roll in a mixture of 1 tbsp. cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar (I like to use a coarse crystal sugar, like turbanado.). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake about 10 minutes or so, the cookies will be puffed, cracked and dry looking on top and just barely beginning to color around the edges. Allow to cool partially on the cookie sheet before removing to finish cooling on a rack. Using the large scoop, this batch will make about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Another Online Food Encylopedia
Practically Edible Food Encylopedia bills itself as the largest online food encyclopedia and it just might be. I find it a go to site when I have any problem identifying a food item or term. It is another site that I can spend hours reading on. I would advise any good foodie to check it out.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Childhood treats---Blonde Brownies
My mom was a really good cook and good food was always expected in my family. My dad had a sweet tooth and liked to end his meals with some kind of baked goodie. Something that was a favorite with all of us was blonde brownies. Sometimes with nuts, sometimes not. I personally prefer mine without nuts. I'm tweaked Mama's recipe a bit and came up with a couple of variations on the standard recipe.
I dedicate this recipe to my mom, Berniece and also to my good friend Father Melvin. Father Melvin is a priest in Puerto Rico who is addicted to these brownies. Any time I want to put a smile on his face (as well as that of all his friends), I send him a batch of these brownies.
1 cup melted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat these together until smooth.
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix together and then fold into the butter/brown sugar/eggs mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon into a buttered 9x13 inch cake pan. Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. It will probably fall as it cools, so don't worry about that.
Variation #1: Before putting in the oven sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.
Variation #2: Before putting in the oven sprinkle heavily with chopped nuts, pecans are especially
good with this.
Variation#3: Before putting in the oven sprinkle with both chocolate chips and nuts.
Variation#4: For the ultimate blonde brownie, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, nuts and
toffee chips.
I dedicate this recipe to my mom, Berniece and also to my good friend Father Melvin. Father Melvin is a priest in Puerto Rico who is addicted to these brownies. Any time I want to put a smile on his face (as well as that of all his friends), I send him a batch of these brownies.
1 cup melted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat these together until smooth.
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix together and then fold into the butter/brown sugar/eggs mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon into a buttered 9x13 inch cake pan. Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. It will probably fall as it cools, so don't worry about that.
Variation #1: Before putting in the oven sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.
Variation #2: Before putting in the oven sprinkle heavily with chopped nuts, pecans are especially
good with this.
Variation#3: Before putting in the oven sprinkle with both chocolate chips and nuts.
Variation#4: For the ultimate blonde brownie, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, nuts and
toffee chips.
Pico de gallo
As mentioned before, I love good Mexican food. One of my favorite and simplest side dishes is pico de gallo. A relish/sauce that is eaten with tacos or chips or as a bit of something on the side with other foods. I have also found that pico de gallo is also good served with Indian or Thai food as well.
Basic Pico de Gallo:
2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
the juice of a lime
sprinkle of salt
Mix all together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo
about 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple with juice
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
if the pineapple is very sweet, the juice of a lime (optional)
Mix together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
Basic Pico de Gallo:
2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
the juice of a lime
sprinkle of salt
Mix all together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo
about 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple with juice
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
if the pineapple is very sweet, the juice of a lime (optional)
Mix together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
Pork in green sauce
I love meat cooked in sauces and pork is especially good at absorbing bold flavors. This is one of my favorite dishes to fix when I'm cooking a Mexican meal. And most who try it fall in love with it. It can also be a good dish to fix in a slow cooker. Beef can be substituted for the pork if you prefer that.
3 pounds boneless country style ribs or shoulder cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste (or 1 tbsp. of the chorizo spice mix from yesterday's post)
1/4 cider vinegar
Place the pork cubes in a large roaster or other baking dish, sprinkle with the salt and pepper (or optional spices), then sprinkle the vinegar over the meat as well and bake uncovered at 400 degrees about an hour or until the meat is beginning to brown. Meanwhile, prepare the green sauce.
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, dehusked
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
1-3 hot green chiles, halved and seeded
1 bunch cilantro
Place everything except the cilantro into a baking dish and either dribble some vegetable oil over them or spray with cooking spray. Place in the oven and allow to roast until everything is browned, about 20 minutes or so. Remove from oven, spoon into a blender and add the cilantro. Blend until well chopped, but not quite smooth.
Pour the green sauce over the browned pork cubes, stir well and continue to cook another hour or hour and a half or until the pork is falling apart tender and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit of water every so often to keep it from getting too dry.
Serve with tortillas, beans and rice. This makes delicious burritos.
If you want to cook it in a slow cooker, flour the meat and brown in oil, place in slow cooker and then add the prepared green sauce. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
3 pounds boneless country style ribs or shoulder cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste (or 1 tbsp. of the chorizo spice mix from yesterday's post)
1/4 cider vinegar
Place the pork cubes in a large roaster or other baking dish, sprinkle with the salt and pepper (or optional spices), then sprinkle the vinegar over the meat as well and bake uncovered at 400 degrees about an hour or until the meat is beginning to brown. Meanwhile, prepare the green sauce.
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, dehusked
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
1-3 hot green chiles, halved and seeded
1 bunch cilantro
Place everything except the cilantro into a baking dish and either dribble some vegetable oil over them or spray with cooking spray. Place in the oven and allow to roast until everything is browned, about 20 minutes or so. Remove from oven, spoon into a blender and add the cilantro. Blend until well chopped, but not quite smooth.
Pour the green sauce over the browned pork cubes, stir well and continue to cook another hour or hour and a half or until the pork is falling apart tender and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit of water every so often to keep it from getting too dry.
Serve with tortillas, beans and rice. This makes delicious burritos.
If you want to cook it in a slow cooker, flour the meat and brown in oil, place in slow cooker and then add the prepared green sauce. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Homemade Mexican-style Chorizo
I love good Mexican food and have either learned or developed a few good recipes of my own. One of these recipes is for chorizo. Mexican-style chorizo is a very spicy fresh sausage and can be made from different kinds of meats. Usually it is made from pork, but beef, turkey, venison or a mixture of any of these is also good. Chorizo, unlike most other sausages, is traditionally made with lean meat, making it a healthier choice for eating. The spice mix I have here is one I came up with after lengthy study and experimentation. I have also discovered that this mix makes a killer spice rub for grilling meats, as well as spices for cooking meat for other dishes.
Dry Spice Mix:
7 tsp. of salt
6 tbsp. ground ancho chiles
6 tbsp. ground chipotle chiles
4 tbsp. paprika
6-10 tsp. crushed red pepper (depending on how hot you like it!)
4 tbsp, crushed oregano
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. each ginger and cloves
4 tsp. brown sugar
Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Mexican-style Chorizo
2 pounds ground meat
1/2 recipe of the dry spice mix
5-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup hot water
Mix the dry spice mix with the garlic, vinegar and hot water. Set aside to soak about 10 minutes or so. It should make a slightly thin paste, add more hot water if needed. Stir the paste into the ground meat and mix well. Usually you can do it with a very stout spoon, but sometimes you may need to use your hands. Divide the meat up into 4-5 small containers and allow to set overnight in the refrigerator. After that it can be frozen and taken out as needed.
When I use chorizo I often start out cooking it the same way. I add a small amount of vegetable oil to a skillet, then the chorizo and fry gently for a few minutes, breaking up the chorizo as it fries. Then I add about 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, a finely chopped green chile or two and about a cup of chopped tomato. I continue frying until the mixture is almost dry. This by itself makes a great filling for tacos. If I am cooking this at breakfast time, I'll beat 5-6 eggs and add to the skillet, cooking as for scrambled eggs. Taking care not to cook the eggs too dry. This with beans and tortillas makes a good breakfast for 3-4 people.
The next recipe I have using chorizo is one given me by my good friend Padre Javier who lives in Monterrey, Mexico. I have friends who hate beans, but who beg me to make these.
Padre Javier's refried beans
Heat a couple tablespoons of oil it a deep skillet. Fry the chorizo, along with a finely chopped peeled onion and 1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers and 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes. When mixture begins to get a bit dry, puree 2-3 cups cooked black or pinto beans with ½ cup milk or half and half. Add to the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently, until the beans are fairly thick. Spoon into a serving dish and top with grated monterey jack cheese. Eat as a side dish with Mexican food or leave a bit soupy and use as a dip for chips. Guaranteed to please!
Dry Spice Mix:
7 tsp. of salt
6 tbsp. ground ancho chiles
6 tbsp. ground chipotle chiles
4 tbsp. paprika
6-10 tsp. crushed red pepper (depending on how hot you like it!)
4 tbsp, crushed oregano
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. each ginger and cloves
4 tsp. brown sugar
Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Mexican-style Chorizo
2 pounds ground meat
1/2 recipe of the dry spice mix
5-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup hot water
Mix the dry spice mix with the garlic, vinegar and hot water. Set aside to soak about 10 minutes or so. It should make a slightly thin paste, add more hot water if needed. Stir the paste into the ground meat and mix well. Usually you can do it with a very stout spoon, but sometimes you may need to use your hands. Divide the meat up into 4-5 small containers and allow to set overnight in the refrigerator. After that it can be frozen and taken out as needed.
When I use chorizo I often start out cooking it the same way. I add a small amount of vegetable oil to a skillet, then the chorizo and fry gently for a few minutes, breaking up the chorizo as it fries. Then I add about 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, a finely chopped green chile or two and about a cup of chopped tomato. I continue frying until the mixture is almost dry. This by itself makes a great filling for tacos. If I am cooking this at breakfast time, I'll beat 5-6 eggs and add to the skillet, cooking as for scrambled eggs. Taking care not to cook the eggs too dry. This with beans and tortillas makes a good breakfast for 3-4 people.
The next recipe I have using chorizo is one given me by my good friend Padre Javier who lives in Monterrey, Mexico. I have friends who hate beans, but who beg me to make these.
Padre Javier's refried beans
Heat a couple tablespoons of oil it a deep skillet. Fry the chorizo, along with a finely chopped peeled onion and 1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers and 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes. When mixture begins to get a bit dry, puree 2-3 cups cooked black or pinto beans with ½ cup milk or half and half. Add to the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently, until the beans are fairly thick. Spoon into a serving dish and top with grated monterey jack cheese. Eat as a side dish with Mexican food or leave a bit soupy and use as a dip for chips. Guaranteed to please!
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