Pasta a la Carmen

Ingredients (single serving):

• Penne Pasta (handful)
• Olive Oil (enough to saute the veggies and coat the pasta)
• Tomato (1, chopped)
• Garlic Clove (1, sliced)
• Onion (1/3, half rings)
• Herbes de Provence* (a couple of shakes)
• Red Pepper Flakes (a couple of shakes)
• Salt (a couple of shakes)
• Pepper (a couple of shakes)

I LOVE pasta! I enjoy trying different sauces, pastas, and recipes. This recipe is a basic "what do I have in my refrigerator" recipe; and can easibly be changed around depending on what veggies and spices you have at hand.

How to: 1st) Boil the pasta, then drain and set aside. 2nd) Saute the veggies with the spices. 3rd) Combine and let flavors come together. 4th) Bon Apetit!

A few other things that would taste great with this if you've got it: fresh parmeasan cheese, zucchini, mushroom, bell pepper, etc.

*Herbes de Provence: Winter Savory, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Tarragon, and Lavender Flowers. Side note: Normally I would have used Italian Seasoning but this is the closet spice I found in my brothers kitchen.

Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Rib Enchiladas, Ensalada de Nopal, & Orange Rice

Since it was Mother's Day in Mexico, I thought it would be nice to surprse my mom with a mexican dinner when she got home from work. Our neighbor had just given us fresh nopales, cactus, and we had left over rice from a party.Dad was thinking on making pork ribs.But after hearing my idea, a new idea formed: pull pork enchiladas (montadas optional). The pork was cooked slowly on the bbq, giving me just enough time to prepare the salad and chop the enchilada ingredients.


Ensalada de Nopal:

• Nopales, chopped and boiled
• Onion, chopped
• Tomato, chopped
• Cilantro
• Lime juice
• Jalapeno or Serano chile

Pulled Pork Enchilada:

• Tortillas
• Cheddar and Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
• Onion, diced
• Black Olives, sliced
• Pork
• Enchilada Sauce

First fry a tortilla, then dip it in the enchilada sauce. Top with cheese, onions, and pork. Fry and dip a second tortilla. Top with cheese and olives. For an enchilada montada, add a fried egg.

Eggplant Tofu

I've always liked Panda Express' Eggplant Tofu, except I didn't always have the $$$ or car to get some. So I found a recipe similar enough, that was definately just as tasty! To complete the asian-themed dinner I was able to recruit Anna and Monica to make the Trader Joe's Orange Chicken and white rice, respectively.
Monica made the white rice with garlic and ginger.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 small eggplants, diced
• 1/3 cup water
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth or wwater
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp hot chili sauce, i use sriracha
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices and press them lightly between towels to get some of the moisture out. Combine the 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Dip each slice of tofu into the mixture and set on a plate.

Heat an oiled, non-stick skillet until hot. Place the tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet and cut into cubes. Set aside.

Heat an oiled, non-stick wok and add the eggplant and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown. Uncover and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except the tomato, sesame seed, and tofu. Simmer uncovered until all the eggplant slices are completely cooked--they will be very soft and start to fall apart. Add the tofu cubes and tomato and cook until heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

papa with chakalaka

This recipe was taken from a Lenten calendar that the girls brought home from school.It was easy to make and was very filling.
For the Papa : 2 1/2 cups corn meal and 4 cups water.
Boil water, then stir in cornmeal. Simmer, stiring often to prevent burning, until mixture is thick and water is absorbed. Shape the mixture into round balls, one for each person.
For the Chakalaka: 3 tbsp. oil; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 green bell pepper, finely diced;1 chili pepper, finely diced; 2 tomatoes, finely diced; 1 carrot, peeled and grated; 1 16oz. can of baked beans; 1 tsp. curry powder; salt to taste.
Saute onion and peppers in pan with oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 15 minutes. Serve warm with papa.
The translation for this recipe is Corn porridge with spicy vegetables. This recipe is great for those meatless Fridays.

Chicken Parmigiana

For chicken Parmigiana you need only 6 simple ingredients: Spaghetti (or Fettucini), Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Eggs, Bread Crumbs, Spaghetti Sauce, and Parmesean Cheese. The day I made this recipe, however, we didn't have any spaghetti sauce; so I made one from scratch.

Home-made Spaghetti Sauce:

6 oz can of tomto paste

15 oz can of tomato sauce

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

3-4 garlic cloves

1/2 a large onion, diced

1 cup mushroom, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

italian seasoning to taste

Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Add cans of tomatoes. Add spices.

To bake chicken:

Dip breasts in whisked eggs. Roll in bread crumbs. Place in lightly grease pan. Place in oven at 350 for 1 hour. During final 15 mins cover with spaghetti sauce and cheese.

Minestrone Soup!

MINESTRONE SOUP

Minestrone soup is an italian soup that when translated means "the big soup." It is the type of recipe that can be made in a variety of ways. It calls for whatever vegetables and pasta or rice you have on hand or that are in season. Since this was my first time making it I did some "google-ing" and in the end my recipe most resembles Emeril's recipe, though I made a few of my own changes.

Ingredients:

• olive oil, for sauteing
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery celery sticks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium zucchinni, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth [the original recipe called for 10 cups broth, but I substituted about half with water (below)]
• 6 cups water
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 small potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 can of navy or white beans
• 1 can of kidney beans
• pasta [I use rotini, and 5 handfuls]

Directions:

heat olive oil. add onions, carrots, clery, and garlic. saute until soft, about 4 mins.

add zucchinni, and cook for another 3-4 mins.

add broth, tomatoes, spices, potatoes, and spinach.

bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer 30 mins.

add pasta and beans. simmer 15 mins.

let cool, and enjoy with a dinner roll.

Asian-style stir fry

Well Chinese New Year is coming up so I was in the mood for some chinese. We did have a couple of boneless chicken breast, leftover from when Carmen made chicken parmesean, but i was a little lazy. And didn't feel like chopping and cooking it. So instead i used the fajita chicken that comes cut and precooked in the bag.

First i sauteed some onion and garlic. Then i added some sliced mushrooms and the chicken and some snap peas, and sizzled it till brown. Usually i add soy sauce and brown sugar to get my basic asian flavour, but this time i decided to get the sweetness from honey and of course the caramalized onions. I chose honey because i thought it would go better with the whole juicy lime i squeezed in. Hmmm a nice soury tang. Plus i added a little soy sauce and a little hot sauce for good measure. And finally i added a few chopped up walnuts for extra crunch. Serve on a bed of white rice. Very nice!

Sorry bout the pic..couldn't find the digital camera had to use my PC cam...Made in China though...

Recommended Music: David Bowie-China Girl

Carrot & orange soup with a side of Sunflower Dinner Muffins

Carrot and Orange Soup
This is a very healthy Vegetarian Meal and it is quite delicious! The soup also has fresh thyme which is an herb with many great benefits! These Dinner muffins work well with this soup too. While you are waiting for the soup to cool down before processing make your muffins and they will be out just in time for the soup!


Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb Carrots
1/8 cup olive oil
½ cup orange juice
4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3-4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
Salt and Pepper
Sour Cream and nutmeg, for serving

Procedure:
1. Peel and Slice carrots.
2. Place carrots and oil in a large heavy based pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the orange juice, stock, and onion, Bring to boil.
4. Add thyme, salt, and pepper, reduce heat and cover.
5. Cook for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender, allow to cool.
6. Process the mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.
7. Return soup to pot and reheat.
8. Serve in bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream sprinkled with nutmeg. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme.

Sunflower Dinner Muffins

Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 cup milk
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup sifted white flour
1 cup unsifted whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sunflower seeds

Procedure:
1. Beat wet ingredients together until well mixed
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the center
3. Pour wet ingredients into the well and stir gently until ingredients are just moistened
4. Fill well greased muffin cups 2/3 full with batter
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until tops are rounded and lightly brown.
6. Serve at once

3 Pumpkin Breads and the Incredible Edible Egg

Finding a can of Pumpkin Puree in my pantry i decided to make some pumpkin bread. As usual i began to round up my ingredients to make sure i had everything, but of course there were no eggs. But instead of waiting to get the eggs i decided to find an egg subtitution online. The First Substitution (Shown Below) i used gave me a wet moist and slightly mushy bread it was not really successful but the whole loaf was eaten at least. Since i still had more pumpkin puree leftover i decided to make another loaf the next day with the real incredible edible eggs and it came out exactly the way it should of and was of course delicious! Two days after that still having leftover pumpkin puree i decided to make another loaf and even though i had eggs this time i still wanted to try another substuttion. So just in case i ever had another incident where i had no eggs i would know the perfect egg substitute. And so for my final loaf i used a banana to replace the eggs and it turned out pretty good too! The Batter felt a lot thicker than the first two but it turned out just as good as the one with the real eggs! So it turned out to be a succesful experiment and i now know what i can use if i ever need to make a vegan bread!

The Egg substitutions:
(1st) 1 egg = 1 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp oil + ¼ cup water
(2nd) 1 egg = ½ banana
See this site below for more information about Egg Substitutions and recipes:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm

The Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

The Gear:
2 mixing bowls
Measuring cups (1, ½, ¼)
Measuring Spoons (1, ½, 1/4 tsp)
9x5x3 inch Loaf pan
Mixing spoon
Sieve
Cutting Board & Knife

The Ingredients:
½ cup chopped nuts
Butter for greasing
Dry ingredients:
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten or Egg Substitutes
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

The Plan:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Gather ingredients
Chop Nuts and put aside
In one measure out and sift together the dry ingredients
In another bowl mix together the wet ingredients
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients but do not mix to thoroughly.
Stir in the nuts
Pour batter into a well buttered loaf pan
Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean
Turn out of pan and let cool on rack.
Enjoy!

Grilled Ham and Chesse.

Every year my Aunt and Uncle bring over a Honey Baked Ham for Christmas, and it's delicious. The next couple of days we usually have some some cold ham sandwiches with the leftover ham and leftover rolls. And finally my Mom gets the ham bone and makes a delicious pot of beans.

This year for some strange reason we still had a lot of leftover ham in the fridge. And since it's been in there for over a week it didn't seem to fresh or appetizing. So I caramalized some onion and sauteed it with garlic and threw in the diced up ham and some pickled jalepeno peppers.

Then I dressed the sourdough bread with spicy brown mustard and grilled it in butter. I also melted some colby cheese on the bread while it browned. And when it was nice and toasty I put it on a plate and added a spoonful of the ham. very, very, very good. :)