I’ll never share a recipe with you that I don’t feel is worth your time. In my opinion, they’re all outstanding. But some are even better than others. Some I get jittery and excited just thinking about (nerdy, right?) and can’t hardly wait to post. Like this one. It is extra outstanding. I’ve concluded that Manchego is going to be good any way you have it. But cut it into little squares and toss it with baby spinach, crispy apple cubes, Marcona almonds (a new treat I discovered), and a honey-lemon vinaigrette, and it’s a tantalizing experience.
About those almonds: “The Marcona variety of almond, which is shorter, rounder, sweeter, and more delicate in texture than other varieties, originated in Spain and is becoming popular in North America and other parts of the world” (Wikipedia). Until I just looked this up I didn’t realize that Marcona almonds came from Spain. It makes sense. Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese and nestled in a bed of greens with its native brother, Marcona, it feels right at home. Perhaps I’ll call this my Spanish Spinach salad.
INGREDIENTS baby spinach Braeburn or Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed Manchego, cubed salted Marcona almonds
Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette: 1 tsp. honey 1 lemon, juiced (I used a small lemon-no more than 2 Tbsp. juice. If you use a larger lemon you will probably need to add more honey to balance the taste.) 1 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper, to taste
I think I’ve finally done it. I’ve perfected the simplest honey balsamic vinaigrette. Sure, there are other ingredients you could add to make it more complex, more intricate. But this dressing hits a note of sweet beautiful balsamic that seems just right.
And then there’s this stunning spinach salad to accompany it. Pomegranate arils make the dark green spinach pop and contrast with the creamy white feta, purple-red onions, and rustic brown walnuts. I promise it’s as pleasing to eat as it is to look at.
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. honey 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS 1. Layer spinach, onion, arils, walnuts, and feta. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss and serve.
2. To make the vinaigrette, combine vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Whisk together while slowly adding the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I’ve committed myself to educating you (and myself in the process) more on the topic of food, and so today I bring you a history lesson (via Wikipedia) on my favorite dip. Guacamole is of Aztec origin (present day Mexico) and was traditionally made with a molcajete (mortal and pestle- which is still the most authentic way to do it). Spanish conquistadors fell in love with it as well and carried the recipe back to Spain. Traditional ingredients include everything I have listed below.
You can make your guacamole unique by adapting it to your own taste. Sometimes I like to leave it full of avocado chunks, and other times I mash it to a pulp. I always include tomatoes… I am fond of the substance and bright red color they add. But never ever leave out the limes (or lemons). Their enzymes prevent the avocado from turning brown before you get it to the table (and will keep it looking green for up to a couple days if not exposed to air).
INGREDIENTS
3 large ripe Hass avocados, pitted and halved
1 large lemon, juiced (or 2 limes)
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (more or less depending on the level of heat you want)
handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (optional- I don’t always include it)
1/4- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (once again, to taste depending on how much heat you want)
DIRECTIONS
1. Scoop the avocados out of their skin, place them in a small bowl, and mash them with a fork (or potato masher) to desired consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
2. Place plastic wrap directly over top of the guacamole so that it doesn’t brown and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Yum, yum, yum! I, excuse me, we (my entire family) love these Mexican “egg rolls”. Family tradition dictates that for our Christmas Eve dinner we serve an array of appetizers and treats. This past 24th of December I debuted this recipe and it was a smashing success! My younger sister Katelyn has been ferociously baking batches of them ever since. You must serve them alongside either avocado dipping sauce (not pictured) or chipotle spiked sour cream (both fabulous).
2/16/09: I suppose these Southwest Egg Rolls are technically an appetizer, but since no human being has ever been known to eat only one, we have turned them into a complete meal! Filled with an assortment of sauteed Southwestern ingredients, held together by oozing Jack cheese, and oven-baked-till-crisp in a butter-brushed tortilla shell, they will tantalize your taste buds and leave your stomach shouting for more. We make huge batches of them and store them in the fridge or freezer. This ensures that there will be leftovers galore-perfect to sneak when that can’t-quite-get-enough feeling overcomes us again. For a seriously greasy snack, try deep frying them.
Southwest Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Southwest Egg Rolls: 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
2/3 cup green onion, sliced
2/3 cup red bell pepper, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup diced jalapeno peppers, seeded and rinsed (1 medium sized)
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder (or 5 cloves fresh minced garlic)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese
20-30 (6-8 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas (depends on the size of your tortillas and how full you stuff them)
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add green onions and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes until tender.
2. Add diced cooked chicken, corn, spinach, black beans, jalapeno, parsley, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cilantro, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese so it melts.
3. Place tortillas between two moist paper towels and microwave 30 seconds-1 minute until hot and pliable.
4. Spoon even amounts of mixture onto each tortilla. Fold in ends of tortilla, then roll tightly around mixture. Arrange in a medium dish, cover, and store in the freezer or refrigerator. Chilling them for several hours before baking helps hold them together, but is not absolutely necessary. They keep well frozen, and can be placed directly in the oven.
5. Butter a baking sheet and place rolls evenly on the pan. Brush them with melted butter.
6. Bake rolls at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the edges begin to crisp, rotating them every 10 minutes.
7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for several minutes before slicing in half. Serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce and garnish with chopped onion and tomato.
8. To prepare sauce combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whip until creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Ukrainian Borscht, a.k.a. beet soup. Doesn’t sound too enticing, does it? My brother recently returned from Ukraine, excited to teach me this authentic recipe. I have to say I am impressed at what living in a foreign country will do to a teenage boy. He now loves vegetables! And I paraphrase: “I’ll eat any vegetable, they’re soooo good!” I think he actually mentioned that he’d eat anything. It’s shocking.
Since I’m the adventurous “foodie” of the family, I couldn’t be outdone by my little brother’s no-longer-picky palate. If he wanted to cook beet soup (he actually missed it!), I would oblige. He came to stay with us for a few days and that’s when our borscht making began. He guided me through the grocery store, picking out the perfect beets and cabbage. Then, following his careful instructions, I scrubbed and chopped, stirred and sauteed, boiled and simmered this bright concoction.
And you know what? It’s down right delicious. And extremely healthy. Who knew. I was even coerced into trying some shredded raw beets. Not bad at all. Tasted like a carrot to me. I liked it. Further proof that pickyness stems partly from ignorance and mostly from fear.
There are NO tomatoes in this soup. The beets turn everything a brilliant red. The potatoes, the chicken, the cabbage, all take on their vibrant hue. My brother insisted that it be served with a large dollop of creamy-as-you-can-get sour cream. Stir it in and your borscht turns a lovely pink color. But I thought it was plenty good without.
This recipe is not exact. Really you just throw odd amounts of your ingredients together in a pot (a very large one) and cook it till it’s done (or leave it on the stove all day). I estimated the amounts we used for ease of repeating the procedure. I think using skin and bone-on chicken (which you would remove and shred later) would impart even more flavor to the broth (especially if you don’t have a rich stock). Serve it with a crusty loaf of bread for soaking up the tidbits.
INGREDIENTS
1-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup butter
2 large beets, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
1/2-1 head of green cabbage, shredded
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 lbs. potatoes, cubed
large handful fresh parsley, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. dried dill, to taste
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream
DIRECTIONS
1. In a very large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for several minutes. Add garlic, beets, carrots, and cabbage. Cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring chicken stock to a boil, adding the bay leaf. Add potatoes and chicken and reduce to a simmer. Partway through cooking add the cooked vegetables. Continue to simmer on low for 20-30 minutes (until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done) or up to several hours. Stir in dill and fresh parsley (saving a small amount for garnish). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with a large dollop of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley.
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