Archive | July, 2009

Savory Onion Rings

31 Jul

I do not know why, but these past few days I have been craving onion rings like crazy.  I have been eating at Fuddruckers for a few days and my eyes just go after their onion rings…

My friend Rosani and I had to take care of those cravings the other day by making some onions rings at the Yoga Center.   We like to take care of our figure, but the Puerto Rican in us just can’t help to gravitate once in a while to some good fried foods.

Here’s how we did it…

 Onion Rings 1

SAVORY ONION RINGS

2 large white onions, sliced at about ½ inch thick rings and separated
About 2 cups of chickpea and fava flour, plus about 1 cup more to dunk the onions in
About 1 tbs sea salt
2 tbs sofrito
1 tbs garlic and herbs seasoning
Water – about ½ a cup first and more if needed
Canola oil for frying

 

  1. In a large skillet with high sides if possible, heat about 1 inch deep of canola oil over medium-high heat.  Let it come to temperature and test it using the back side of a wooden spoon like I show you here.  Do not fill the skillet with oil unto the top; leave some space on the skillet because the oil will bubble.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the 2 cups of flour, the sofrito, salt, and seasonings.  Mix well with the first 1/2 cup of water. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter.  It should be thick enough to stick to the onions.
  3. In a separate dish place the remainder cup of flour.  Dunk the onion rings into the dry flour before dunking in the wet batter.  From the batter, we go to the hot oil.
  4. Onion Rings - Batter
  5. Fry only a few onion rings at a time to maintain oil temperature as steady as possible.
  6. Drain onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Sprinkle with extra sea salt if you want.

   Onions Rings - Rosani

I like to eat my onion rings with just ketchup… how about you???

Mini Tomatoes

28 Jul

I’ve always thought of eating tomatoes just like eating an apple…  but for some reason I have never done it.

But with these mini tomatoes from my CSA box, I’ve been eating tomatoes just like I eat candy…  they’re so small and so cute, the only thing you really want to do is pop them in your mouth.  It’s nature’s candy…

Mini Tomates - KFC

Goat Cheese Tapa

27 Jul

This was supposed to be part of my Spanish Delicacies series celebrating the Encierros de San Fermín… but I got too busy to write this post.  Unfortunately, my mom fractured her arm last weekend and I have nurse duties on top of all my regular work and blog work.

I LOOOOOVE this tapa… I always order it when I visit my favorite Spanish restaurant in Chicago, Café Ibérico.  When I was in Grad school, we used to go to Café Ibérico after our Latin parties almost once a month.  At the time I was not vegetarian and still this was one of my favorites.  But I have to admit, it was not something I saw frequently during my trip to Spain.  I am not certain what region it originated, but it’s definitely delicious.  Testament that the best dishes are usually the simplest…

 

 Queso de Cabra Tapa - KFC

 GOAT CHEESE TAPA

3oz of goat cheese, keep refrigerated until ready to use
2 peeled plum San Marzano tomatoes from a jar – you could also use a tomato puree or tomato passata for this
A drizzle of Spanish olive oil, plus more for bread
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ French whole-wheat baguette, sliced on a bias

 

  1. Take the bread slices, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper and toast in a toaster oven.  Set aside.
  2. Place the tomato in a food processor and pulse a few times until you get a puree.  If you’re using the puree or passata you can totally skip this step.
  3. Place the tomato puree in a small bowl and season with some sea salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.  Mix well and place in a large ramekin dish.
  4. Cut a 3oz piece of goat cheese and place in the middle of the ramekin on top of the seasoned tomato puree.  You can drizzle a bit more olive oil on top of cheese to help it get a golden brown color.
  5. Place in a 350 – 400F oven for about 15 minutes to cook a bit the tomato and warm up the cheese.

Plate the ramekin along the bread toasts and enjoy.

Caprese Pasta Salad

23 Jul

A while ago, I was shopping in Plaza las Américas with my friend Annie Mariel.  We decided to grab something light to eat at a restaurant there called La Patisserie.  She had her usual salmon fillet over lentils and I decided to have a pasta salad with tomatoes, pesto and fresh mozzarella.  That’s what the menu said – FRESH MOZZARELLA.

When I received my pasta salad… it was nothing like I had expected.  The pasta was overcooked, the mozzarella was certainly not fresh, the pesto tasted from a bottle and the cheese was added when the pasta was hot, so the pieces had melted into a strange goo.  Yuck…  I was not a happy camper.

 When I started making strange faces about my dissatisfaction with my entrée, Annie Mariel said:  “I am sure you can make a 200% better version of that pasta salad.  Go for it.” 

So this is it… my better version of a Caprese Pasta Salad… let me know if you like it too.

 

 Caprese Pasta Salad

CAPRESE PASTA SALAD

½ pound of whole grain pasta – brown rice or whole wheat spirals, macaroni or penne will all do
1 cup of tomatoes, diced
¼ cup of sun dried or oven roasted tomatoes, diced or sliced
About 1/3 cup of olive oil, plus more to dress the salad
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic, smashed once
3-4 large fresh basil leaves
3-4 thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
 
  1. In a large bowl marinate the tomatoes – add the fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Mix well all the ingredients together and let the fresh tomatoes break down and the dried ones plump up with the juices released from the fresh ones.  Let it sit for about 30 minutes mixing it well a few times throughout.
  2. In a medium pot filled with boiling salted water, cook the pasta about 3 minutes shy of what the package directions say.  You want them a bit undercooked from al dente… 
  3. Drain the pasta, rinse a bit with filtered cold water and add to the marinated tomatoes. Mix it all well carefully so you don’t break the pasta.   Make sure you remove the garlic clove before mixing the pasta… nobody will like to bite into a raw piece of garlic.  The pasta will absorb the juices of the tomatoes while it cools off.  Add more olive oil if you feel the pasta is too dry.
  4. After the pasta has cooled off, add the mozzarella cubes and mix well again.  You can serve room temperature or place it in the cooler before serving.

Babaga-hummus

21 Jul

I am not a bean lover, but funny enough I love hummus.  I have shared with you already my basic hummus recipe when I shared my Hummus Sandwich recipe.  I love that it’s lemonier than versions you usually get in a Middle Eastern restaurant.

When we go to these Middle Eastern restaurants people assume that if you like hummus, you must like babaganoush too.  NOT!!!  I like eggplant, but I have given babaganoush many, many, many tries and I just can’t seem to enjoy it.  I have learned with time that I need to be in the mood to eat eggplant and babaganoush is simply not my thing.

So, apparently we are in eggplant season.  I’ve been receiving baby Japanese eggplants in my CSA box for weeks now.  I had 2 great specimens in my fridge before my retreat and I was afraid they would spoil before I would get back… so I decided to mix it in with my traditional (which is really non-traditional in the middle Eastern sense) and see how that played up.

The result??? 

  Babaga-hummus 2

BABAGA-HUMMUS

2 small Japanese eggplants, halved
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp paprika
The juice of 1 lime or criollo lemon – but if it’s not lemony enough I sometimes use 2
About 1 tsp salt – but I really eye-ball it…
About 5 cranks of the pepper mill
About ½ cup of olive oil

 

  1. Brush the eggplant halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in a grill (I use my George Foreman grill) for about 10 minutes until you get nice grilled marks and the eggplants begins to soften.  Take the out of the grill and set aside for a little while.  The eggplant will continue to cook and soften somewhat.
  2. Grilled Eggplants 2
  3. In a large food processor mix the hummus ingredients – the chickpeas, parmesan cheese, paprika, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
  4. Scrape the flesh of the eggplant and add that to the hummus mixture… leave the eggplant skin behind.
  5. Process the whole mix and thru the cover chute, drizzle the olive oil until the mixture gains a creamy consistency.  Check for seasonings and pulse a few times more if you need to add anything else.

 

Serve this with whole grain pita bread or pita chips. 

 

I brought this to a pool party at my friend’s Ana Yolanda and everyone loved it, especially Valerie who’s only 3 years old.  Which proves my point that if you expose kids to different flavors early on, they’ll grow to develop great eating habits.

I’ve been receiving so many eggplants in my CSA box, that this has become my new version of hummus for picnics or get-togethers…  it’s a nice twist on my original recipe, with a tad of smokiness from the grilled eggplants.  I did it recently to participate in the Serious Eats Picnic Food roundup… 

Hope you enjoy it as much as Valerie did…

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

18 Jul

With the plethora of tomatoes I’ve been receiving from my CSA box, I needed a way to use them up in quantities before they went bad – because in a week’s time I would be receiving another huge batch.

Organic Tomatoes

I have been a fan of sun-dried tomatoes for a while now… it was my first “foodie” grocery purchase about 10 yrs ago.  I remember we went to this gourmet store called Domenico’s, which is no longer in operation.  I went to buy sun-dried tomatoes, but left with my first piece of Gruyere cheese too.  It was a good day.

So I decided how it would be if I made my very own version of sun-dried tomatoes… they’ll not completely dry, but the flavor is definitely intensified by roasting them low and slow. 

 

        oven roasted tomatoes 1

OVEN-ROASTED TOMATOES

As many tomatoes as you can fit in a baking sheet – halved and seeded
A drizzle of olive oil – about 1 tbs for the whole thing
A sprinkling of Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
About ½ tbs of balsamic vinegar
A few leaves of thyme – optional

                                      

  1. Place the halved and seeded tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle the salt, pepper and thyme leaves if using.  Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
  2. oven roasted tomatoes - prep
  3. Mix all the tomatoes to make sure they’re evenly coated with all the ingredients we added.  Make sure they’re all cut side up before placing them in the oven.
  4. Roast slowly in a 250F oven for about 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Don’t let the tomatoes burn too much or they’ll taste bitter.

 

Use them in your favorite tomato application… they’ll impart an intense tomato flavor to pastas, salads and sandwiches.

Green Goddess Dressing

16 Jul

This is a dressing I have been making for the Yoga Center Saturday buffets for a while now…  And a new resurgence of retro recipes has made it popular and chic once again…

I make several different version of this dressing, with the pale green color being the common denominator.

 

 Green Godess Dressing

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

½ cup buttermilk
½ cup plain yogurt
3 tbs of white wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
¼ cup fresh spinach leaves
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
2 scallions, chopped
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped a bit
2 tsp mustard – Dijon or grain mustard will do
¼ tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 cup canola or olive oil

 

  1. In a blender, mix all the ingredients except the oil.  Blend well and add the oil thru the blender cap while the blender is still running in a thin stream.

 

Use it to dress your salad or as a dip for crudités…  if you’re using specifically for crudités, I may blend also 4oz of cream cheese to make it thicker.

Tortilla Sandwich

12 Jul

It’s super typical to see on Spain lots of prepared sandwiches or “bocadillos” already made in the windows of bakeries and quick service shops.  They’re prepared daily for people to grab something quick for breakfast or lunch…

One of the most traditional and peculiar ones are the Bocadillos de Tortilla… which is as simple as it sounds – a piece or Spanish Tortilla in between 2 breads and eaten as a sandwich.  Where I first saw this on the menu was in the Spanish sandwich chain Pans & Company…  and carb-phobics might think this is too much carbs in one single bite, but let me tell you, it’s awesome…

 In Barcelona, they serve them with “pan con tomate” and the tortilla inside.  In Madrid, I saw them with just tortilla and a slather of mayonnaise on the bread.  Either way, I had to wait until reaching home to have my very own version.  The wait was well worth it…

 Bocadillo de Tortilla

 

TORTILLA SANDWICH

1 serving of Spanish Tortilla - cut to fit the bread
1 whole grain demi-baguette
Egg-less mayonnaise
2 slices of tomato, optional but highly recommended
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spanish Olive oil
 
  1. Toast the bread as you wish.  Slather both bread halves with eggless mayo.
  2. Place the pieces of tortilla on the bottom half of the sandwich.  Add the tomato slices, if using. 
  3. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper and add a small drizzle of olive oil.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Manchego Cheese

11 Jul

This is as simple as it sounds…   This is inspired by the Made in Spain show from Chef José Andrés, where in one episode was celebrating the cuisine and ingredients of Navarra; and Navarra is where Pamplona is located.

This tapa is made originally by chef Andrés with Roncal cheese.  Unfortunately I was not able to locate Roncal without animal rennet.  So my variation on it uses Manchego cheese, not as traditional to the region, but delicious nonetheless.

The original recipe includes a light vinaigrette dressing which I forgot to make the day I took the photos… but I include the ingredients so you can make it at home if you like.  I have tasted it without the vinaigrette and it is just as delicious.

 

 Piquillos rellenos de Manchego

PIQUILLO PEPPERS STUFFED WITH MANCHEGO CHEESE

4-5 roasted Spanish piquillo peppers
4-5 slices of Manchego cheese
About 3 tbs Spanish olive oil
About 1 tbs sherry vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ scallion, sliced – optional
½ shallot, chopped finely – optional

 

  1. Take the piquillo peppers and blot them dry.  This will help them sear better in the pan.  Place the slices of cheese inside each pepper.  Set aside.
  2. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  Add the scallions and/or shallots, if using.  Set aside.
  3. In a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, place a tiny bit of oil.  Place the peppers filled with cheese on the skillet to sear the outside of the pepper and to warm up the cheese.  Manchego is softer than Roncal and will melt more rapidly. 
  4. Take the peppers out onto a plate and drizzle the vinaigrette on top.  The cheese will harden back slightly after its removed from the heat.

 

Rioja-style Potatoes

10 Jul

This recipe is an adaptation from a recipe presented by chef José Andrés in his PBS show Made in Spain and made by him later on at the Martha Stewart show.

I’ve been fascinated with Spanish cooking all my life, but after my recent trip to Spain 2 years ago, I’ve become a fan of chef Andrés and his cooking.  The thing is that most these recipes are not vegetarian per sé, but we just need to give them a few nudges to make them perfect for us.  Besides, he’s so passionate about Spain and its cuisine it’s contagious.  I TiVo his show every weekend and already know many episodes by heart.

What I liked about this recipe is that it’s simple and hearty.  You can eat it as a tapa, alone or even over rice – very versatile. And the ingredients you probably have already in your pantry.

 

 Papas a la Riojana

RIOJA-STYLE POTATOES

2 medium-sized potatoes, russets work fin here – cut into 1-inch cubes, but cut them haphazardly to get some rough edges on them
½ onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 link of Tofurky kielbasa-style sausage, sliced on a bias into ¼ inch pieces
1 tsp Spanish sweet pimentón – paprika in English
½ tomato, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spanish olive oil
Filtered Water
 
  1. In a medium sized skillet with tall sides over medium heat, heat olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic.  The idea is to cook and soften the onions, not necessarily to get color on them.
  2. Add the pieces of tofu sausage and cook to get a golden brown color on them.
  3. Papas a la Riojana 1
  4. Now we add the potatoes…  stir them into the onions, garlic and sausage pieces and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the pimentón and enough water to almost cover the potatoes. 
  5. papas a la riojana 2
  6. Cover for a few minutes to bring the water to a boil.  After water is boiling, uncover and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the water is reduced in half.

 

Very easy to do and very delicious… Gracias José.

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