Masala Spiced Shrimp

Masala is an Indian spice blend that is warm, bold, and often spicy. The avocado is silky and pairs well with the heat from the spice rub. Enjoy as an appetizer or as an entree over rice.

Ingredients:

1 t cayenne pepper
1 t turmeric
1 t sea salt
1 1/2 # shrimp
1 T vegetable oil
1 lime, cut into eighths
cilantro
1 avocado (small diced)

Combine the cayenne, turmeric, and salt. Rub the spice mixture onto the shrimp and set aside for 15-20 minutes. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Fry the shrimp in the oil until they loose translucency, about 1-2 minutes per side. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro. Serve the limes on the side.

Pineapple and ginger cooler

This is a very refreshing beverage that derives from Ethiopia from the Mariam Kruss. I enjoy them especially on a picnic. Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 oz fresh ginger
1 large pineapple
2 lemons juiced
2 oranges juiced
2/3 cup sugar

Peel and slice the ginger thinly. Peel the pineapple and slice thinly removing the eyes and the core. Blend the ginger and pineapple with the citrus juices. Add sugar to taste and blend mixture. Strain and chill. Serve diluted with water if too thick. Enjoy!

Fire-Roasted Veal Chops with Maple Horseradish Glaze

The spicy aromatics from the ancho chile powder and the bite from the horseradish blend well with the maple syrup. This maple glaze will knock your socks off. Serve the veal chops with your favorite side item and vegetable.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup maple syrup
2 T dijon mustard
2 T horseradish
1 T ancho chile powder
4 (14oz) veal chops
2 T canola oil
salt/pepper

Whisk together the maple syrup, horseradish, dijon, and ancho chile powder in a medium bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. This can be made up to two days in advance. Take out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Preheat the grill to high. Brush the chops with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until golden brown. About 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and flip the chops. Close the lid or tent with aluminum foil and continue to cook until medium, 7-9 minutes more. Brush with the glaze during the last couple minutes of grilling. Remove the chops and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the remaining glaze on the side.

Couscous with seven Vegetables

In this traditional dish the vegetables could be varied: pumpkin, artichokes, peas, potatoes, or other vegetables in season can be used to substitute the ones below. Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
1 t black pepper
1 T paprika
1 T cumin
2 onions, medium diced
3 tomatoes, peeled and medium diced
1/3 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and rinsed
3 2/3 cup water
2 carrots, medium diced
2 zucchini, medium diced
3 white turnips, quartered
1 1/4 cup frozen fava beans
7 oz cabbage hearts, chopped
2 red sweet peppers, medium diced
handful fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
1 2/3 cup couscous

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Put in the spices and onions and fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes.
Drain the soaked chickpeas and add them to the pan with the unsalted water. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to boil for 4l0 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, cilantro, and salt to taste and water. Bring to a boil and cook another 20 minutes.
When the stew is almost ready prepare the couscous according to the directions on the package. Serve the couscous in the middle and the vegetables around it. Ladle some of the broth over each dish. Enjoy!

Cajun Seasoning

This is great for the gumbos, jambalayas, blackened fish and grilled meats. The spices truly impart that creole and Cajun flavor. I like to mix all of the dry ingredients and then when you are ready to use the spice mixture remove however much you intend to use and add fresh garlic and onion.

Ingredients:

1 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
1 t ground fennel seed
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t mustard powder
1 t dried oregano
1 t cayenne
1 t thyme
1/2 t sage
1/2 tsp salt
garlic
onion

Combine all of the dry ingredients. Add thee onion and fresh garlic to however much you intend to use. A good amount for this recipe would be 1/2 onion, minced and 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Rub the spice mixture into the meat or fish and let it marinate for one hour. Alternatively, stir some of the mixture into rice dishes or gumbos.

Tangy Tomato Jam

This chutney-like condiment is great as a spread or just on its own. It's a great way to preserve slightly overripe tomatoes. The jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 # tomatoes
2 granny smith apples, grated
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 T lemon
2 t lemon zest
1 1/2 t jalapeno, minced

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut an x on the ends of the tomatoes and blanch for ten seconds. Remove from the boiling water and place in a bowl of ice water. Peel and quarter the tomatoes. Combine the tomatoes, apples, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and jalapeno in a saucepan and bring to a boil for thirty minutes. Stir occasionally to break down the tomatoes and skim off any foam. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 more minutes. Transfer to a mason jar for storage. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

Ginger-Lime Dipping Sauce

This sauce is very versatile and enhances almost every dish, from grilled meats to seafood. You can enjoy this as an accompaniment to kebabs or as the fore front of the dish.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1 serrano chile, chopped
3 T ginger, minced
3 T sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 T lime juice
2 T water

Place the garlic, chile, ginger, and sugar in a mortar and grind to a paste. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and water. Let set for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy

Mediterranean Vegetarian Sandwich

When you want to go out for a picnic, you always look for items that are going to hold up and not get soggy. The ciabatta bread provides stability and the sandwich is packed full of flavors. For all of you vegetarians out there, this is a sandwich for you. Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 in. slices
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4 in. slices
1 eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4 in. slices
3 T olive oil
1 large loaf ciabatta bread, halved
1/3 cup prepared pesto
1/3 cup prepared tapenade
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
1 8 oz. pkg. fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced
2 T balsamic vinegar

Heat the grill to medium high heat. Brush the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash with 2 T of olive oil. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until charred and softened. Hollow the inside of the bread to make room for the vegetables. Brush the pesto on one half and the tapenade on the other half. Layer the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella on one side of the bread. Drizzle with balsalmic vinegar and the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. You can eat it the way it is or you have an option of wrapping the sandwich in pastic wrap and weighting it down with a pan or large cans. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Unwrap before slicing and serving.

Mango and Black Bean Salsa

This salsa is very versatile and compliments so many dishes. Use this salsa with grilled shrimp, chicken or any seafood. It also goes well with pork. Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients:

1 Mango, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2-3 limes, juiced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 T honey
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate, covered until ready to use. This can be prepared 1 day in advance. Bring to room temperature for service. Enjoy!

Muhammara

Muhammara is a middle eastern dip made with red peppers, roasted walnuts and pomegranate syrup. This goes very well with pita chips or flat bread. It is very easy to make and people enjoy it very much.

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts
3 red bell peppers
4 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 t salt
2 T pomegranate syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 and toast the walnuts for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, place the bell peppers on a sheet pan and put in the oven for about an hour or until they are black. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool peppers and then remove the blackened skin. Heat 2 T of oil in a saute pan and add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Let cool. Puree the walnuts, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, salt and pomegranate syrup for about 1 minute or until smooth. Serve with pita chips or flat bread.

Tropicle Popsicles

Living down in Florida we experience a lot of humidity and intense heat. These will cool you off in a heartbeat and they are packed with flavor. The coconut milk and the banana gice these popsicles a smooth creamy consistency with out using any dairy products. Be sure to blend the mixture to a smooth consistency.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1 banana, sliced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup agave nectar

Puree all of the ingredients in a blender for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Ladle into ice pop molds or an ice cube tray, and freeze at least 4 hours. Run molds under warm water to unmold. Enjoy!

Chimichurri

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial day weekend. I had a great time eating and celebrating with friends. Here is an Argentinian sauce that goes well on shrimp, grilled meats, chicken, vegetables, and fish. You can use it as a marinade or just as an accompaniment.

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t black pepper
1/2 t chili flakes
1 t paprika
2 t fresh oregano, finely chopped
large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
7 T olive oil
5 T red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a jar. Shake well and let the sauce rest for 3-4 hours before using.

Watermelon with Mint and Lime

When it is so darn hot outside and you need something to just sooth your soul, reach to this recipe for comfort and great flavors.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
2 T water
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/2 watermelon

In a sauce pan over high heat, stir together the sugar, water, zest, and lime juice until it all dissolves. Let the syrup cool.

Cut the watermelon in half and remove all of the rind. Cut the watermelon into 2 inch thick pieces. Transfer watermelon to a serving platter and drizzle the syrup on top and serve. enjoy on a hot summer day!

Shrimp skewers with Mango Sauce

Here is a very easy dinner dish that packs a lot of flavor. If you don't enjoy shrimp feel free to substitute chicken or pork.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
1 medium red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t salt
1/2 cup mango chutney
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 T soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
skewers

Fire up the grill to medium high heat. Cut the red onion and pepper to about a 1/2 inch dice. Skewer the tomatoes, shrimp, onion and peppers alternately. Drizzle the skewers with olive oil and about 2 T of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Place skewers on the grill and cook until the shrimp are opaque. (about 4-5 minutes) In a bowl mix together the remaining lime juice, salt, black pepper, mango chutney, soy sauce, garlic, and chopped green onions. Reserve sauce in the refrigerator until use. Serve skewers over rice with the mango sauce.

Bon Appetit

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo and white wine

For all of the seafood lovers out there, this is a dish for you. This dish is full of flavors and is great for an appetizer or a main course. Try to buy the Mussels the same day that you are preparing them so they are fresh. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 # chorizo, cut into small pieces
4 shallots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
4 # mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 cup dry white wine
3 T cilantro, fresh finely diced
6 T butter, cut into pieces
1 Baguette, cut into 1 inch pieces

Place a pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo and saute until golden brown. Add the shallots and the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and and toss to coat. Add the white wine. Cover the pot and cook until the mussels have opened. (about 3 minutes) Add the cilantro and toss till coated.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the mussels to another bowl and cover to keep warm. Boil the remaining liquid for 1 minute. Whisk in the butter and sprinkle in the remaining cilantro. Pour juices over top of the mussels and serve with the baguette pieces for dipping.

Creamy Summer Potato Salad

While out on the beach or just grilling with some friends, this potato salad will knock your socks off. It goes well with any BBQ chicken, steak or burgers. I like it with gumbo though. Give it a try and I know you will fall in love.

Ingredients:

4 #s Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mayo
3 T whole grain mustard
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T salt plus 1 t
1 1/2 t paprika
1 t black pepper
2 T fresh chopped parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut into medium dice. Transfer the potatoes to a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil until fork tender. About 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cool to room temp. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and partially smash so they are still a little chunky. Add the scallions, celery, onion, mayo, mustard, vinegar, and all the spices. Mix together well. Taster for seasonings. Add salt as desired.

Kickin Hot Sauce

I am the type of person that lives a little on the wild side. That is why my homemade hot sauce will kick everything up from eggs early in the morning to burritos and burgers. You can use a variety of peppers with this from red and green jalapenos, criolla sellas, to habeneros if you truly like it hot.

Ingredients:

3 cups jalapenos (or other hot chiles)
1 cup salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup sugar

Combine the chiles and the salt in an airtight container and set aside at room temperature for 4 days. rinse the salt off the chiles and drain. Heat the chiles, garlic, sugar, vinegars, and bay leaves over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and place in a blender to puree. Store tthe suace in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed steralized container.
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Remoulade

Crab cakes are one of my favorite things to order when I go out to a restaurant. It seems that there is always way to many bread crumbs added and never enough crab meat. These crab cakes are full of flavor and zip. The jalapeno remoulade really makes these stand apart from the rest. The most important thing to remember is not to overwork the mixture.

Ingredients:

1 # lump crab meat
1 T butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
! t salt
1/4 t ancho chile powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mayo
1 t whole grain mustard
several dashes of hot sauce
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 T vegetable oil, plus more if needed

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, pablano, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook until softened. 3-4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and let cool for 15 minutes. Add the crab, egg, mayo, mustard, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to the vegetable mixture. Combine genltly.

Using a 1 cup measuring cup, form the mixture into cakes, packing lightly. They should be like hockey pucks. About 2 inches thick with straight sides. Cover and cool for 20 minutes or overnight.

When you are ready to cook tthe crab cakes, placethe remaing bread crumbs in a pie tin. Dredge both sides and shake off the excess. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with jalapeno remoulade and enjoy.

Jalapeno Remoulade

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 bucn of scallions(white part only) thinly sliced
1 cup mayo
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 t red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced

Whisk all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Spiced Pork Ribs with Guava Glaze

Now that spring and summer are here we tend to use the grill a little more often. Here is an excellent flavorful way to serve up ribs on the grill.

Ingredients:

4 T ground cumin
4 T ancho chile powder
3 T kosher salt
1 T ground black pepper
2 racks pork ribs (fat trimmed)
canola oil
steaming liquid, recipe follows
guava glaze, recipe follows

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Heat grill to medium. Rub ribs with a few tablespoons of the spice mixture and drizzle with canola oil and place on the grill until you have reached a golden brown crust. remove ribs and place on a platter. Remove the grate from the grill and place the steaming liquid on the coals or heating element. Place the grate back on the grill and put the ribs spice side down. Baste with the guava glaze every 10 minutes until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. If you run out of liquid add more soy and water. Remove ribs from the grill when done and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Steaming liquid:

3 cups water
1 cup soy
3 inch piece fresh ginger sliced

Guava Glaze:

2 cups guava jelly
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and baste ribs as needed.

Mint Juleps

The Mint Julep has been associated with the Kentucky Derby for over a century. This simple cocktail is easy to make yet enjoyed by so many during this weekend.
Mix up a simple syrup with equal parts water and sugar. Boil until the sugar has dissolved and let cool. Add mint sprigs to the mixture and let sit over night. Fill a cup with crushed ice and add one tablespoon of mint syrup and 2 ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey. Garnish with a mint and enjoy.

Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp

Everyone seems to love this dish whenever I make it. Try it out and let me know what you think. It would be great for Cinco de Mayo or any other occasion.
Marinate one pound of peeled and deviened shrimp in 1/2 cup grapeseed oil, 3 limes zested and juiced, 1/2 red onion small diced, 4 garlic cloves diced and 1 cup of fresh cilantro fine diced. Marinate for one hour. Grill and serve. Squeeze fresh lime juice over shrimp for extra flavor and enjoy.

New to blogging

I am just getting started with this blogging concept. My intentions are to share my passion and love for cuisine with everyone. I hope to be able to meet others who share the same love that I do and inform others of events in the near future.