Published by mel on July 17, 2009 in recipe and sides & bites.
Is there anything more refreshing than a cold, crisp Mojito when it it’s 200 degrees outside? I don’t think so. Nothing says summer like lime and ice and mint leaves. Roasted potatoes? Those are more like fall and winter. A summer potato is usually smothered in mayo and plopped on a picnic table. Delicious yes, but sometimes cold potato salad isn’t what I’m craving.
So, here’s my attempt to bring the refreshing summery-ness of a Mojito to the lowly potato. I roasted them with garlic, olive oil, lime zest and salt, then tossed them with lime juice and fresh mint. The caramelized potatoes and garlic added just the right amount of sweetness so that it really reminded me of a Mojito. The lime and mint brightened them up and added a good bite. They were really good and kind of addicting in that way that only roasted potatoes can be.
Although I loved them this way, I think I’ll try a cold, salad version of this recipe next time. Just boil the potatoes instead of roasting them and toss them with the rest of the ingredients once they’re cool. I bet that salad would be a big hit at my next BBQ!
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Published by mel on May 12, 2009 in entree and recipe.
I think I’m forgetting how to write a blog post. I’ve been away from my kitchen the past two weekends, first to New York for a wedding, then to St. Augustine for a relaxing weekend. I hadn’t even been to the grocery store in a month! Sacrilege.
In New York, I ate and ate – things like delicious Cambodian sandwiches from Num Pang and outstanding brussel sprouts and assorted goodies at Momofuku Ssam Bar. (Not to mention the warm cookies and milk at the Milk Bar next door – awesome on a plate!) In St. Augustine, we found the perfect gelato handmade daily by their gelato maker at Cafe del Hidalgo.
But as good as all that food was, I still missed my kitchen. And I’m pretty sure it missed me, too. So, what better way to kick off a week of cooking than with a pork loin roasted with orange and lime juices, garlic and onions? I seared the roast on all sides, then added the other goodies. After about an hour in the dutch oven, the onions and garlic caramelize with the juices and become a citusy, garlicky sauce that’s like pork’s best friend.
If anyone out there has a slow cooker, I think this is the perfect recipe for you. Just make sure to sear the meat before you slow cook to release the meaty goodness.
ps. You should stuff tacos with these. You just should!
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Published by mel on February 2, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
When Tom, a born and bred Michigander, moved to NYC for grad school he gawked at the piles of black, “rotten” bananas sold at the bodega around the corner from his itty-bitty studio. Who would buy these? Why didn’t the bodega just throw them out? Why is produce in NYC so gross?
It wasn’t until he met me and received his education on Cuban food that he realized those black, rotting bananas were actually plantains. And plantains are quite delicious. Today’s plantains are great for a simple weeknight side dish. They’re boiled until tender, then mashed with garlic, orange juice, lime juice and drizzled with olive oil. Super easy, but super flavorful. The plantains are sweet, but not too sweet, and the citrus and garlic add just the right about of bite.
We ate ours with Parmesan-breaded tilapia and a simple side salad. A yummy and economical Recession meal.
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Published by mel on January 16, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Vaca Frita is one of my absolute favorite Cuban meals. It’s simple, but super flavorful and everyone usually loves it. Especially my college roommate. She really loved it. Vaca Frita literally translates to “Fried Cow”. Sounds appetizing, no? Well, no. But I promise you, it is mouth-watering, addictive and delicious.
So, what exactly is this fried cow? It’s flank steak, chopped into squares and boiled with an onion and a bay leaf until tender, then shredded and sauteed with onions, lime juice and orange juice. Traditionally, the beef is sauteed in a skillet with lots of oil until crisp and brown. This method is a little greasy for me, so I saute everything in a pan, then spread it onto a cookie sheet and pop it under the broiler to get the same browned and crispy results.
It’s a tangy, beefy meal that’s great on rice, with salads and definitely in sandwiches! As a bonus, you get some deeply flavorful stock for soups. If you’re looking for a unique and tropical way to prepare flank steak, this dish is for you.
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Published by mel on December 5, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Whew! It’s been such a hectic few days, I’m so relieved that I decided to keep the menu simple this week! Today’s recipe is another tasty 5-ingredient meal. Some might call this an easy recipe, others may call it lazy, but either way, its flavors are bold and delicious. You’d never guess it was so easy to make.
The secret here is the perfect baked potato. This method works better with russet potatoes, but still makes a tasty baked sweet one. Basically, the potato needs to go directly on the rack in a hot oven. If you cover it in foil, the potato steams, not bakes. While still tasty, you don’t get that crisp, baked skin that’s so very delicious.
Once you’ve got the perfect baked potato, the filling is easy. To cut some of the sweetness from the potato, I added some smoked sausage (kielbasa would be great here), salty cotija cheese (like feta), cilantro and a big squeeze of lime. An easy meal for a lazy weeknight.
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Published by mel on August 27, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Wikipedia says that Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew made from hominy that’s been cooked with meat and seasonings and topped with garnishes, such as avocado, cabbage, radishes and lime juice. It’s like a hearty, Mexican corn chowder. I actually spotted a recipe on Elise’s site awhile ago and knew I had to make it for Tom. He has an unnatural attachment to Mexican cuisine. Since I always lose them, I never printed out the recipe, but saw some dried pozole at the market and decided to wing it.
While you can use canned hominy, it has a much softer texture than the dried pozole kernels. You can get these online or at Hispanic markets, some grocery stores and Whole Foods. They’re like beans in that you have to soak them overnight, but their texture is much meatier and provides a nice chewiness to the dish.
They soak overnight and then stewed with dried chile de arbol and ancho peppers, making a nice, spicy broth. Just add a bit of cream to thicken it up, then top with your favorite garnishes. I used what I had on hand — avocado, red onion, thinly sliced skirt steak (leftovers!), sour cream, lime juice and cilantro. The garnishes are really the fun part. You can set them all up on the kitchen counter and have everyone assemble their own pozole the way they like it. It’s kind of like taco night with a spoon.
And it was delicious with all of the different textures and flavor contrasts. I think someone will be begging me to make it again quite soon.
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Published by mel on July 24, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
You know that grilled Mexican-style corn that’s slathered in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, lime and chili powder? It’s just delicious. All tangy, sweet and spicy. But have you ever tried to eat it in front of other people? Mayonnaise on your chin, mayonnaise on your lips, and sometimes, mayonnaise on your forehead. At times, this is just fine. Other times, you’d prefer to eat a bit more civilly.
This grilled corn salad has all of the flavor of your mayo/parm/lime/chili corn on the cob without all the napkins, furious face-wiping and embarrassing teeth picking. This is a salad you could safely eat on a date, in front of co-workers, and even in front of Flickr-loving food bloggers.
There are so many reasons why this is my favorite corn salad. Grilling the corn lets you cook with one hand on the tongs, one hand on your beer. It goes with pretty much anything, and especially with grilled burgers or sausages. The ingredients are easy to find and I usually have them in my fridge. But really, it just tastes so good. Corn’s beautiful and plentiful right now and this salad is a perfect way to eat it.
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Published by mel on March 19, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I love plantains. They can be prepared both green (startchy) or over-ripe (sweet). They’re rich in fiber and potassium which makes them a nutritious vegetable, but the sweet ones taste like an indulgent carb.
For dinner last night, I simply peeled and halved a few over-ripe plantains and baked them. I also made a quick sautee of shrimp, lime juice, Thai red curry paste and basil. The spicy and tangy shrimp were a nice contrast to the sweet basil and plantains and the whole meal came together in under 25 minutes.
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