Published by mel on January 6, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I am a bad, bad blogger. I haven’t posted a thing in two weeks! Apologies, but I was celebrating Christmas with my family by roasting a whole pig in our backyard on Christmas Eve. Then it was up to Michigan for 10 days of snow, cold weather and a whole lot of cookies and libations. It was great to see the snow and snuggle under a pile of blankets, but I was very happy to don my flip flops the second I got home. Now I’m back and I’m ready to cook up a storm!
Since it’s a new year, I’m sure there’s no shortage of new resolutions to eat better. Since I don’t really do diets, this means eating healthier and hitting the gym more often. But healthier doesn’t mean diet food, and it definitely doesn’t mean boring food. For me, it means Spanish-style tuna salad. More veggies, no mayo.
Start with imported Spanish tuna packed in tomato sauce. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, opt for some sold-pack tuna in olive oil. Saute some onions, add some chopped piquillo peppers (or roasted red peppers if you can’t find piquillo), sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt and you’ve got a tangy and delicious tuna salad. Eat it with whole wheat crackers, on a salad, in a sandwich, or wrapped in some whole wheat flatbread with lots of leafy greens.
Either way, it’s a great alternative to the traditional tuna that will make you feel great about starting the new year right.
Continue reading ‘Spanish-Style Tuna Salad with Piquillos & Onions’
Published by mel on October 7, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez
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Awhile back, the Ile de France cheese company sent me a free wheel of Camembert cheese to blog about. Since one would be insane to turn down free cheese, I accepted and made roasted fig, prosciutto and camembert “sushi” drizzled with honey. Nothing better than creamy cheese, fruit, cured meat and honey. Nothing.
I guess it was a success because Ile de France sent me some more free cheese. This time, a large piece of goat cheese and the chance to submit my recipe for a chance to win $1,000! Free cheese and a chance to win some cash? Yes please. So, I invited my photographer friend and co-worker Augi and his wife Meli (one of my homeys from high school) over for goat cheese tartlets.
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez
I made a simple tart crust, which I stuffed into mini-muffin tins for appetizer-sized tartlets. Because I couldn’t decide on just one filling, I made five. And it can’t hurt my chances in this contest, right? Here were the 5 finalists:
- Cracked Pepper Smoked Salmon & Dill (my favorite, I think) - #4 in photo above
- Dried Apricot, Almond and Honey (Tom’s favorite) - #1 in photo above
- Roasted Fig - #3 in photo above
- Cardamom and Mustard Seed-spiked Butternut Squash - sadly, not pictured
- Caramelized Onion & Pear (my second favorite) - #2 & #5 in photo above
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez
The point here is that you can have fun with the fillings and the possibilities are endless. Each were tasty little bites and my guest photographer snapped away while I cooked and sipped from a Red Hook ESB. A perfectly relaxing Sunday afternoon.
Continue reading ‘Goat Cheese Tartlets, 5 Ways’
Published by mel on October 3, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Ropa Vieja can always make you feel better. Especially if you scoop it straight from the pot with a crisp soda cracker or crusty piece of Cuban bread while no one is looking. It’s warm and meaty and you can sop it up with bread, which places it firmly in the Comfort Food category. Just like her Arroz con Pollo, my mom’s Ropa Vieja is the best I’ve ever tasted. It’s still the dish she makes for my brother when he’s home, and the dish for which I’ll forever steal the leftovers.
Ropa Vieja literally translates out to “Old Clothes”. Doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it? But nothing is better than shredded flank steak stewed with peppers, garlic, tomato, tons of onions and ladled over white rice. Some people add all kinds of spices and seasonings, but I like to err on the side of simplicity. The result is bold, tangy, beefy and super delicious.
Ropa Vieja is perfect for a homey Sunday Supper during the Fall or Winter. But be warned that post-meal naps are pretty much required.
Continue reading ‘Cuban Comfort Food: Ropa Vieja’
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