Spanish Toast

Spanish Toast is something I learned from my ex roommate's ex boyfriend, Jaume. He was from Catalonia, Spain and showed us this delicious recipe one morning. It is nice to look back on all of the fun things you experience by having roommates. Like the time one of them used my coffee grinder to grind up marijuana for special brownies.

Spanish Toast

Ingredients:

Hearty bread for toasting (sturdy sandwich bread or baguette)
Farmers market quality tomatoes
Nice tasting olive oil
Sea salt

Toast your bread. Drizzle olive oil on top of each slice. Cut your tomato in half and rub one half of a tomato over 2 slices of bread. Get all of the juices on it. Sprinkle with sea salt.

You're going to love it. You can have it with breakfast, as we did this morning with soft-boiled eggs, or you can have it any old time. It might be nice at dinner with a bit of garlic on top.

Bon Appétit!

Surfer's Breakfast

One recent weekend morning in Half Moon Bay, we stopped at a breakfast place on Main St. and for $3.99 I got the "Surfer's Breakfast". It consisted of a plate of rice with green onions, scrambled eggs and chopped bacon. It was good, but Jay and I thought we could finesse it at home. We've since made it about 5 times and it's a winner because it's yummy, cheap, fast and great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Takes you back to the islands! Da kine grinds!

serves 4-6

2 cups white or brown rice (each works very well and brown is better for you)
1 bunch green onions
2 eggs
6 slices bacon
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
sea salt & ground pepper

Cook your rice. (We got this Zojirushi rice cooker as a gift and love it). While the rice is cooking, slice your green onions and set aside. Then, make your bacon and chop it once it's cooled. When your rice is almost done, scramble your eggs.

Take a big bowl and pour in your rice. Sprinkle that 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese into it, along with your sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir. Now add your scrambled eggs, bacon and green onions. Stir and serve with a little green onion on top. Enjoy!

Chicken Lime Soup

Chicken Lime Soup

Serves 6.

4 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
8 limes
2 quarts (2 boxes) chicken stock
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup medium salsa (I love Casa Sanchez - hot)
salt & pepper
1 package tortilla chips (I love Casa Sanchez - Thick & Crispy)
2 cups cooked white long-grain rice

Cut any fat off of the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a glass casserole dish. Squeeze the juice of 3 limes over them. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or so. Grill 5 minutes to a side, or until done. Allow to cool. Shred and reserve.

Bring broth to a simmer. Add garlic, celery and carrots, and simmer 15 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, juice of remaining limes, tomatoes and simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa and cilantro (save a little for garnish). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon into soup bowls. Pass rice and tortilla chips in separate bowls. Garnish with a touch of cilantro. We discovered tonight that Tecate goes really well with this meal.

notes:
*We've made this soup for 4 years now. It is a true winner. The secret is the fresh lime.
*If you prefer, you can add rice to your soup bowl, instead of serving it on the side.
*The easiest way to shred chicken is by placing the chicken on a cutting board and using two forks. Start with the forks close together and pull away in a sort of a criss-cross method.
*I recommend getting a lime squeezer.
*I may hesitate adding salsa at all if it's from a jar. Fresh is always best.

Bon appétit!

Recipe of the Month

I buy Israeli or Pearl couscous in bulk at my local Whole Foods. You can also find it at specialty and international stores. It's larger than regular couscous, about the size of a BB pellet. The first time I had it was at my cousin's wedding in Bolinas, and it was served up family style on a huge platter. I've been a fan ever since. This is how I make it:

Mediterranean Couscous

Makes 4 servings

2 cups couscous
3 cups water
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh apricots
1 c. broccolini
1 cooked chicken breast
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4. c. shredded parmesan cheese
sea salt & ground pepper to taste

- Boil 3 cups water
- Add couscous, cook for 5 minutes. Stir and watch closely so it doesn't boil over.
- Remove from heat, put lid on pot for another 5 minutes.
- Stir and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add olive oil, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Add other ingredients.

You can make a combination of whatever sounds best to you. A lot of times we go vegetarian and just use sun-dried tomatoes and broccolini. Sometimes we add chicken. During summer we add the apricots. It's all delicious.

...And it's fast. Good to bring to BBQ's as a side dish. Goes well with red wine, white wine or Tecate.

Buon Appetito!

Recipe of the month

The most delicious spinach dish you'll ever make

Recently, I discovered this spinach dish at a restaurant in Redwood City. I've shared it there with my Mom, Shari & Jay, before asking the sous chef how to make it. It is the easiest vegetable dish to prepare; elegant, healthy, and quick. Here's what you do.

serves 2:

1 bag of fresh spinach (or one large bunch), washed
1/2 can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup pine nuts
handful of dried, black currants
1/2 of a lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

sidenote: All of these ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's. Last night I marveled that making this meal for two cost about $3 bucks.

In a big saucepan, drizzle olive oil. Once heated, add pine nuts and garbanzo beans. After a few minutes, toss in the dried currants, lift the pan to shake and stir. Add the spinach (which will fill the entire pan, then size down after a few minutes). Drizzle a little olive oil over the spinach. Squeeze the lemon over the leaves. Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Cover the saucepan for a minute at the most, letting the spinach steam. Lift the lid and toss ingredients. Spinach should look fresh and slightly wilted. Serve immediately. An option is to place a piece of fresh fish on top, or add pieces of crisp bacon, as we did last night.

It may take a couple of tries to get it just right, but you will, and you'll be happy! Bon Appétit.

Croutons 1, 2, 3

I had some leftover Beckmann's asiago cheese sourdough bread from New Year's Eve. When suddenly, I remembered that I know how to make croutons! An old friend and former roommate of mine, Michelle, taught me how. In case you've never made them yourself, I'm going to show you because it's as easy as 1, 2, 3. Also, they're delicious. When they're hot out of the oven, they're nearly as delectable as a warm chocolate chip cookie.

Start by heating your oven to 400 degrees. Use any type of bread that you have on hand, about 1/3 or 1/2 of a loaf. Stack your pieces together and use a bread knife to cut into bite-sized pieces.

Then, throw the pieces into a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the bread. Add sea salt and freshly-ground pepper. Stir very well, so the bread is coated.

Grab a cookie sheet, and put a piece of aluminum foil on it (easy clean-up). Spread the bread evenly, then place into the oven.

Set your timer for 10 mins and check to see if it's done. I cooked mine for about 12 mins. I wanted the croutons to be golden brown and crispy!

Find an airtight container like a jar, and store your croutons in there. Be sure to eat some first, while they are toasty warm.

When you are ready for a salad, you'll have a delightful ingredient to add. Oh and how about when you have company over? Sure, they've had lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers before. But how would they like to know they are eating homemade croutons? (A small warning - if someone is talking to you while you're crunching your croutons, you probably won't be able to hear everything they're saying).

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Just the other day, I was enjoying some time on the couch with the TV on. I happened upon The Barefoot Contessa and learned a very easy recipe that I made for New Year's Eve. Everyone liked them, so it's a keeper!

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

* 1 lb and 1/4 cashews (approx.)

* Roast the cashews on a cookie sheet for 10 mins. at 350

* While cashews are roasting, grab a big bowl
* Add to the bowl, 2 tbsp fresh, chopped rosemary

* Add 1 tbsp salt (unless the cashews were already salted)

* Add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adds the nicest little kick!)

* Add 2 tbsp brown sugar

* Pour in 2 tbsp melted butter

* Add the cashews, and toss together well

* Serve in a bowl and enjoy ~ your guests will love them!

My favorite soup recipe

It's the limes that make this one so special and delicious!

From the recipe book:
Sausalito, Cooking with a View
Favorite Recipes from the Sausalito Woman's Club

Chicken Lime Soup
Serves 6

Olive oil cooking spray
8 chicken thighs, boned and skinned (or 2-3 lg. breasts)
6 limes
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth (1 box)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup medium salsa
Salt & pepper
1 package tortilla chips (for bay area, Casa Sanchez is my fave!)
2 cups cooked white long-grain rice

Spray chicken with olive oil and squeeze the juice of 2 limes over them in a glass casserole dish. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or so. Grill 5 minutes to a side, or until done. Allow to cool. Shred (2 forks method) and reserve.

Bring broth to a simmer, add garlic, celery and carrots, and simmer 15 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, juice of remaining limes, tomatoes and simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into soup bowls. Pass rice and tortilla chips in separate bowls.

Enjoy!

Vegetable madness

eggplant and butternut squash cubed
drizzled with olive oil
sprinkled with salt & pepper
roasted in the oven for 45 minutes
scooped into a bowl with fresh tomatoes on top
heaven

Recipe of the month

Mediterranean Pasta

Cook angel hair pasta al dente and strain.
Chop heirloom tomatoes and add them to the warm pot that the pasta came from.
Add a splash of olive oil, capers, sun-dried tomatoes & chopped garlic.
Throw the pasta back in the pot, and toss it all together with fresh parmesan cheese & a touch of salt and pepper.

Pretend you're in Italy.

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Quick & Easy Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup salsa
• Taco seasoning or cumin
  
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained (or pinto if you prefer)
  
• 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese (orange and white)
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• Toppings (see #7 below for ideas)

1. Cook your chicken with a little taco seasoning or cumin, then shred it (the 2 fork method is easy).
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Pour 1/2 of the can of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese (6 oz is actually enough) and salsa. Cook, stirring until melted and well blended. Stir in chicken and black beans. Fill tortillas with the mixture, roll and place into the prepared baking dish.
   
5. Pour remaining 1/2 of enchilada sauce on top of tortillas, then spread cheese all over. Cover with aluminum foil.
   
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
   
7. Garnish with your favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, black olives, jalepeno peppers, sour cream, cilantro...

Tips: There will likely be some of the filling left after rolling the tortillas. Have some tortilla chips on hand for your dude to dip with, while waiting for the enchiladas to cook. Good with beer or red wine and a big salad.

Also, I don't know if any of you were like me and thought, "Weird - cream cheese?" but, very OK.