Arepas, Spaghetti Squash and Basil Chicken with Feta

Arepas

A week or so back, we had a really nice young couple from north of Miami stay at the cabana.    Alessandro and Ana were born in Venezuela, but their parents immigrated here quite some time ago., and they own a boutique hotel up in Hollywood, FL.   Ana likes to cook, and we talked about a signature Venezuelan food – the Arepa. Think of an arepa as a sort of crusty English Muffin made with cornmeal.

Unlike many of the Latin breads, the arepa uses a uniquely different masa flour – one that is pre-cooked. The brand you want to look for is P.A.N., and you want the orange bag version of the flour.

Masa Arepa -- P.A.N. tm  brand

Water

Filling – cheese, scrambled eggs, pulled pork/beef/chicken, you name it.

Mix nearly equal amounts of meal and water – 2 cups of masa arepa to 2-1/2 cups of water (and maybe a bit more – into a soft dough. Let it set for a few minutes. Form the dough into 'cakes' about 3/8” thick and 3-4” in diameter.

Heat some oil on a skillet or on a griddle until it shimmers. Fry the arepas 5 minutes per side until GB&D. Set them on paper towels to drain. When somewhat cool, slice in half with a bread knife, and fill. 

 My first -half- batch came out OK, but just barely. They were tasty enough with a slice of cheese, but the arepas were too thin and too crispy. But filled with a slice of cheese they made a nice appetizer/ snack. I realized I hadn't used enough oil.  Consequently the cakes took very long to brown, and weren't very soft inside.

The second time, I put more than 1/4” of oil in the skillet, and made a full batch of dough with 2 cups of flour and 2-1/2 cups of water, plus a bit.  This gave me eight really nice sized arepas.  You want the dough soft, not stiff, but not sloppy wet either. This time I “pan-deep-fried” things, with the oil coming at least half way up the sides of the cakes. I made sure the oil was really hot (450F in my electric skillet) before adding the cakes.  They came out GB&D cooked 5 minutes per side. Inside they were soft, almost like a steamed bread.

I served mine as a major component of Fiesta Latino dinner Saturday night – fresh hot Venezuelan Arepas filled with Mojo Pulled Pork, and a side of Frijoles Cubano from Bush's Beans Cocina Latinatm series.  That's the photo at the top of the page.

Spaghetti Squash

I learned to make this as “boats” filled with meat sauce.  But Sally likes her squash shredded out of the skin and plated like conventional pasta, so I've taken to doing it "her way". This is more of a technique than a fixed recipe:

1 large Spaghetti Squash

1 batch of “spaghetti sauce” – I generally use a Newman's Owntm jar of sauce doctored with ground beef/chicken/turkey, mushrooms and bell peppers.

Microwave the squash 8-12 minutes until the skin starts to soften. Meanwhile, make your sauce.

When the squash is done, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.   With a pair of forks, shred the flesh from the inside of the squash onto two plates. There may be leftover squash and sauce for lunch the next day. If there is no leftover squash, ladle leftover sauce onto toasted English Muffins or Arepas!

Ladle the finished sauce on top of the squash shreds, and serve. Can be served with a side of crusty garlic bread if you like.

Chicken with Basil & Feta

This is a take-off on the Baked Shrimp with Feta recipe I reported a couple weeks ago. We had a small Brunch party Sunday, with a couple of old friends we hadn't connected with in awhile, plus Sally's Mum. It was Sally who suggested I try a chicken version of the Baked Shrimp recipe and kick up the basil content. So here's what I did.

6 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless

1 large bottle Spicy Italian salad dressing

1 jar of Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

1 really large Sweet White Onion, cut into short strips

1 packet fresh Basil from the Produce department

1 15 oz bag Frozen Peas

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 box Fettucini

8 oz Feta cheese.

Thaw the chicken thoroughly, then marinate it overnight in the Italian dressing, using a large zip-top bag and squeezing out as much air as you can.

The next day, fry the chicken in a splash of oil, 5 minutes per side, which will almost completely cook the breasts. Place the meat “beauty side up” in a 9x13 baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In the same skillet, saute the sliced onions until soft. Add the garlic and cook a couple minutes more. Pour the pasta sauce over the onions, add half a jar of water, the bag of frozen peas and half of the basil cut julienne. Simmer everything for 10-15 minutes to marry the flavors.

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the rest of the basil (also cut julienne) over the top,  then crumble or small-dice the cheese and scatter it on top of the everything. 

 Bake for 30-45 minutes until the cheese starts to melt a bit, and everything is heated through and bubbly. Serve over the fettucini.

For dessert I made strawberry shortcake. The shortcakes are a basic Bisquicktm sweet biscuit. For 6 shortcakes:

2-1/3 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

3-4 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp melted Butter or Margarine

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Combine the ingredients with a fork to form a soft dough. Divide into 6 portions (I used a 1/3 cup measure, and space them out on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until GB&D. 

Split, top with sweetened berries and shipped cream, and serve.

Oh Baloney! Ah! Baked Shrimp & Feta

Baloney Bologna Sandwich

Someone posted a photo of a slice of fried bologna the other day, and it sent me down memory lane. It's been close to 60 years since I had a fried baloney sandwich, with a schmear of mayo and some pickle relish, the way my Mom used to make them! In those days that bologna was maybe 1/8" thick.   I just had to go make an adult Baloney Burger version for my lunch.

1 nice Roll – burger, Kaiser, whatever you prefer

1 slice Bologna – at least 1/2” thick

Condiments - Mayo and pickle relish at least. A slice or two of tomato and some thin rings of raw onion go good too.

Cut in from the edge of the baloney round about 3/4”, five (5) times, not 4, not six. Why? I don't know but that's how it has to be. Fry that slice of boloney until it starts to get some nice black tasty bits.

While that's going on, prepare your bun with condiments. Doctor the burger up any way you like.

Enjoy several bites of childhood memory. Repeat as needed.

Baked Shrimp with Feta over Fettucini

This is my take on a Publix Aprons recipe that I tasted last week at my local store. I've simplified the ingredients list a bit, but keep all the yummy flavors.

1 lb medium Shrimp, peeled & de-veined

3 Tbsp Italian Salad Dressing

1 medium Onion, diced

2 Tbsp fresh minced Parsley

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh juliened Basil

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 cup Pasta Sauce with herbs and spices

4 oz Feta crumbles

Marinate the shrimp in the Italian dressing, with about a quarter of the basil, in a bowl or zip top bag.

Preheat the oven to 400F, and heat a skillet with a splash of EVOO.

Saute the onion for a couple minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the parsley, remaining basil, and the pasta sauce. Last, add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes until everything is heated through. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, and sprinkle the feta crumbles over the top. Bake about 15 minutes until the cheese starts to brown a bit and melt.

Serve over pasta, or with hot crusty garlic bread, and make sure you have a nice glass of wine on the side. Serves 2-4 depending on how many leftovers you want.

Cauliflower Gratin

I found a beautiful head of yellow cauliflower the other day.  Tastes the same as the usual white veg, but it sure is pretty.  So I disassembled the head into two portions.  One portion I continued to break down into florettes, and microwaved until tender.  Then I topped the florettes with shredded Auribella cheese, and broiled it for a few minutes until the cheese started to melt.

Tangerine Salmon Rissoles with Onion

Make (or buy) two large (6 oz) salmon patties about 1/2” thick. I use slabs of salmon, rather than that canned stuff like my Mom did (although that's the best thing you can do with canned salmon).

12 oz fresh Salmon, skinned and minced

1 Egg, beaten

2/3 cup Panko, breadcrumbs, or cracker crumbs

2 Green Onions, chopped

2 tsp Dill weed

½ Lemon, juiced

2 tbsp Black Pepper

+ + +
2 Tangerines, peeled and segmented
2 slices of Onion

Mash the ingredients together and form 2 large patties. Fry the patties in a splash of EVOO about 5 minutes. Then flip them and top with the tangerine segments and rings of onion. Cook covered and additional 5-5 minutes until cooked through (160F).  I served the rissoles with the remaining portion of yellow cauliflower simply steamed  until tender.

Mango Bread and PDQ Chicken

Mango Bread

This came up in the newspaper this week. A tropical version of zucchini or pumpkin bread.   I made it for Sally's homecoming from her trip to Croatia with side trips to Bosnia and Czechoslovakia. Makes two loaves or lot of cupcakes. I made one regular loaf and two of those 3.5” x 6” mini-loaf pans.

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Lemon Juice, fresh is best of course

1/3 cup Raisins

2-1/2 cups chopped Mango with a good amount of juice, not just cubes of flesh

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and oil together then add to the dry mixture. Add the mango, lemon juice, and raisins. Mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This makes a really tasty, sweet breakfast or snack bread. Put a dollop of whipped cream on a slice and you've got a fabulous dessert! For you mango lovers out there, this is a real “keeper” recipe!!

Eggplant Wedges

I came up with this as a second veg for Sally's homecoming dinner – Panko Fish With Two Veg. The other veg was her favorite fried Brussel Sprouts with Green Mango spice.

1 Eggplant

Baingan Bhartaa Marsala (Indian spice blend for roasted eggplant)
EVOO

Slice the eggplant into 1” thick rounds, thenvcut each round into quarters. Lay the wedges out on a baking rack and drizzle them with EVOO. Then dust with the marsala. Broil for about 5 minutes, turn over, dust with more spice, and broil for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve warm. Can be toppped with julienne cut mint leaves if desired.

PDQ – People Dedicated to Quality

PDQ is a mostly Southern regional restaurant chain specializing in chicken. Although “fast food”, this is not your average greasy fast food joint.  Real quality. The location here in Fort Myers is just about a mile from Sally's.  I've eaten there a few times and always had a good and tasty experience.

So when I saw a posting on the Florida Food Bloggers Facebook page, where a marketing agency was helping PDQ promote a new special edition sandwich and charity here in Florida, I inquired if they would like me to help.

I emailed and then spoke to the lady who owns the advertising agency, who passed me on to one of her employees. Another email exchange established that I would go to the local PDQ last Friday at 11 AM for a tour of the facility and a tasting of this new sandwich.

When I showed up at PDQ at 11, the folks here hadn't a clue what I was talking about!  Not her fault.  Regional HQ and the marketing agency messed up somewhere along the line.

 The Store Manager knew that the PDQ stores up in Tampa and central Florida were involved in some sort of new sandwich promotion, but for whatever reasons, the store here in Fort Myers was being left out of the loop. The Manager was very apologetic, and took my printout of the email exchanges, promising to look into things from her side. Then she very graciously offered to buy me lunch. Here's what I got: the 8 piece chicken nugget basket and a basket of Zucchini Fries.

I gotta tell you, I've eaten a pretty good selection of chicken nuggets and other pieces from a variety of local and national chicken places – Kentucky Fried, Popeye's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Zaxby's and more. The nuggets, and other chicken offerings I've had from PDQ, are better tasting and more attractive than any others I've tried. The nuggets are larger, the batter is lighter and tastier, the meat isn't over-cooked, and the made-in-house-daily dipping sauces are fabulous.

PDQ also does chicken tenders, a nice range of salads, and sandwiches on brioche buns. Sides include not only regular French fries and the Zucchini fries that I sampled, but a very tasty Blueberry Coleslaw. There is an extensive beverage selection and desserts as well.

The zucchini fries were a real revelation. Strips of zucchini dipped in something close to a tempura batter. They're then deep-fried at just the right temperature and time to be beautifully brown and crispy, and not the slightest bit soggy.

If there's a PDQ near you, please do give them a visit. I think you'll be as impressed as I am.

Pretty Corny!

Leftover Grits Cakes

A lot of my Southern friends would claim that there's no such thing as leftover grits. Be that as it may, I always end up with some-to-a-lot uneaten when I make a batch. Usually I'll portion it out for Sally to have as go-to-work breakfast. But then I got to thinking..... (dangerous, I know). Cold grits are essentially the same as Italian Polenta. I've had fried polenta before and liked it. What happens if you fry leftover grits? Wonderful bites of tastiness!!

Of course you can make a batch of grits, just to make this recipe, if you want lots of grits cakes for a party appetizer, or half-time snack.

First make a batch of creamy cheesy grits. I use slow-cooked grits, not the five minute kind. For the liquid I use half water and half half&half. Then there's white pepper to taste for seasoning (black pepper looks like bug specks!). At the end I melt in a good sized handful of white cheese (mozzarella and/or Parmesan, and/or provolone).

When the grits are pretty thick, but not stiff, spread them out onto a baking sheet or some other kind of tray, making the layer about 1/2” thick. Set this in the fridge to stiffen and chill for a hour or so.

Use a 2.5” or 3” biscuit cutter to punch out as many disks as you can. Although I didn't, you may be able to heat and re-hydrate the leftovers, and spread them out a second time.

Get a 1/4” of oil heating in a medium hot (350) skillet. Dredge the individual cakes in flour, then slide them into the oil. Cook about 4 minutes per side until GB&D – Golden, Brown, and Delicious. Sprinkle with a bit of Kosher or your favorite sea salt, and serve hot.

Elote

Elote literally means “corn cob” but en la cuchina it means roasted or boiled corn on the cob, a classic Mexican street food, slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, chile powder, lime and cheese. Take note – the plural of elote is elote, not elotes!!!

As a kid growing up in northern Ohio, I remember lots of summer dinners where the five people in my family would each eat 3 ears of corn, and a pork chop for some protein. If Mom had known how to make Elote, we'd have really pigged out!

For two ears of corn, mix together 2-3 Tbsp of Mayo, “some” chile powder, and the zest of a lime. A little lime juice doesn't hurt either, but not enough to make the mixture runny.

Grill or boil your corn. I used the oven broiler – it's an upside down grill -- and broiled my corn 6-8 minutes until some of the kernals were blackening.

Slather the ears with the mayo mixture (use a brush), and sprinkle with grated or crumbled cheese.

Cotija is the traditional Mexican cheese for Elote. I used Auribella cheese, it has the sharp saltiness of Parmesan, which I like here, but is a bit softer. Some folks like feta.

An extra shot of chile powder does not go amiss either,

Biscuit Baked Eggs

Sally found a recipe where someone in Calif was doing something like this. I, of course, had to put my own twist on the recipe, and tested it on a willing Cabana guest. Here's what I did.

2 Eggs

2-1/4 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup Milk

2 Green onions, sliced

1/4 cup Corn kernals

1/4 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/2 tsp each: Caraway seed, Sage, Cumin, Marjoram

Preheat oven to 450F

Mix everything the eggs into a thick batter and divide between two 4” springform pans or giant muffin cups or popover tins.

The original recipe called for you to use a flour coated egg to press a cavity in the batter. Didn't work for me!! So I used an oiled spoon to form the cavity in the center of each biscuit. If you make a big enough cavity, it will hold the yolk plus all the white of each egg. Crack two eggs and separate the yolks and white. Slide a yolk into each cavity, then top off with the yolk.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 

Unmold carefully and serve. A dollop of salsa would not go amiss.

The spices and fillings give the biscuit a really nice savory flavor and texture, and the egg came out perfect for those who like 'sunny side' eggs with runny yolks. Our guest really liked both the presentation and the flavor, and so did I.

Sorta Pastitsio

Not really a formal recipe here, just a process. Cook up shaped pasta (shells, mustaches, corkscrews, whatever). Make a thick meat sauce with ground pork, some tomato, mushrooms, etc., tightened with a few tablespoons of bread crumbs if needed. Layer the meat sauce between layers of pasta and cover the whole thing with Alfredo sauce before baking. I took the concept away from the original Greek, by using a Ro*Teltm tomato product.

2 boxes Shaped Pasta – I used Rotini and Penne – cooked separately to package instructions

1 can Ro*Tel Chile Fixins

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1/2c cup Half & half

4 oz sliced Mushrooms

8 oz Cottage Cheese

8 oz Mexican Cheese Blend (shredded)

Lay down a layer of pasta. I put the Penne on the bottom. Then I put down a thin layer of both cottage cheese and shredded cheese.

Lay the meat sauce on top of that. Cover with a layer of shredded cheese, followed by the rest of the pasta to fill the 9x13 pan.

I heated the Alfredo sauce in a separate pan, and thinned it a bit with the half&half. Then I poured the sauce overall. Finally I topped that with the remaining cottage and shredded cheese. Baked it at 350F for about 45 minutes, until the top was browned and bubbly.

Fiesta Mexicana!!

This week I made some 'real Mexican' dishes, not generic Latin food.

Gorditos

Gordito is the Spanish word for “chubby”, and in the culinary sense a gordito is a thick tortilla. These gorditos include kernal corn for added flavor, and make a great appetizer for for your next Cinco de Mayo or other Mexican themed party; or just for tasty ethic snacking. They have more 'tooth' than tortillas, and don't roll as well as a regular corn tortilla, but they make a good scoop for dips, and salsas.

2 cups Masa Harina

1-1/2 cups Water

1/2 cup Oil (vegetable)

2 Tsp Cumin powder

Pinch of Salt

Combine everything into a non-sticky, firm, dough. 

 Knead together “golf ball” sized spheres and with a tortilla press or a couple of cutting boards and two pieces of parchment paper, press each golf ball into a gordito that is about as thick as the corn kernals. 

Fry them on a dry griddle or non-stick skillet, about 4 minutes per side. Makes 10-12 gorditos about 4” in diameter. Serve warm with butter, or a nice Mexican cheese and a dollop of salsa. I've even eaten these topped with Indian spiced lentils for a real cross-ethnic experience.  Or you can serve them plain alongside the next Mexican dish.

Quick Pozole/Posole

Sally and Holly are vacationing in Croatia for a couple weeks, so I'm making all my favorite green chile dishes which Sally doesn't care for. “While the cat's away...”

Pozole is one of those dishes – everyone has their own version. It's basically a pork, onion, green chile, and hominy stew, with varying levels of spice and heat and optional other ingredients. This is my own stripped down, quick and dirty (but oh so tasty) version.

1 lb ground Pork

1 4oz can diced Green Chiles (Hatch tm brand preferred)

1 10 oz can Hominy

3-4 Fresh Tomatillos, de-papered and chopped

1/2 cup diced Onion

2 teaspoons ground Cumin

1 can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

If you can't find tomatillos, substitute a large green tomato. It's not nearly as good, but it works. 

Saute the first six ingredients together until the onion is translucent, the tomatillo is soft and the pork is brown. 

 Add the green chile enchilada sauce and a couple cans of water, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit. You can also add a couple teaspoons of masa harina to thicken things.  Serve in a bowl with a couple gorditos or ordinary corn tortillas for dipping.  

You can also thicken this stew very tight, and make a filling for enchiladas made with corn tortillas.

Chicken Chiles Rellano Casserole

Notice that the proper term is chiles... rellano. Not chile rellanos. Grammar counts at least as much in Spanish as it does in English! The name refers to multiple chiles being stuffed; not a single chile being repeatedly stuffed!!

This is my “feeds a horde” recipe for the year. A horde, in this case being a couple dozen watermen and waterwomen at the marina where my sailboat ManCave is in residence. It's a crockpot dish rather than individually stuffed chiles, but all the essential flavors are there. Makes a great breakfast dish for a crowd.

4 cups shredded chicken (I tore up a megamart Deli chicken)

1 large onion, diced

2 lbs Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese, shredded or cubed

12-16 Green Chiles (I used 6 Poblanos, 4 Cubanelles, 2 Hungarian Wax, and 3 Jalapeños) 

12 eggs, beaten

3 cups Milk or Half & Half

1/2 cup Masa Harina

1 can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Salt, Pepper and Cumin to taste

Cut the ends off the chiles and de-seed/de-vein them.  Lay them out on a large baking sheet, along with the quartered tomatillos, and broil them for about 5 minutes per side.  Allow everything to cool and then chop into 1/4" square pieces.

Mix the onion with the chicken. Alternate layers of chicken, chilies, and cheese in the crock pot. Beat together eggs, milk, enchilada sauce, flour and seasonings until smooth. Pour over the layers. Cook on low for 5 or so hours until a knife comes out clean.  

Take the ceramic liner out of the pot.  Sprinkle some more cheese on top of the casserole, and put the whole thing under the boiler for a few minutes to get a nice brown cheesy crust.

Asian Glazed Salmon and Avocado Chocolate Pudding????

Asian Salmon and Noodles

I was looking for a different way to prepare salmon, and found this Asian-glazed idea.  Definitely a 'keeper'.

2 servings of wide Rice Noodles for Pad Thai

1/2 lb Salmon Filet, skin on

3 large Green Onions, sliced

2 handfuls Snow Pea Pods, ends trimmed

3 oz sliced Mushrooms

1/2” finger of fresh Ginger, minced

- - - - - - - - - - -

Salmon Glaze, to taste, make a 'shy' 1/4 cup:

Soy Sauce

Toasted Sesame Oil

Honey

Sriracha or other pepper sauce

- - - - - - - - - -

Stir Fry Sauce (to taste, make 1/3 to 1/2 cup:

Sweet-Hot Chili Sauce (Frank's tm)

Soy Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

Rice Wine Vinegar

Rice Wine

Make up the two sauces, using 1-2 Tbsp of each ingredient, to taste. The Salmon Glaze should be relatively thick.

Cook the noodles; keeping them in the water until needed. Stir fry the veggies.

Sear the salmon, skin side up, first. 4 minutes. The flip and sear the skin side for 3 minutes. Drain the noodles.

Turn the broiler on.  Add the drained noodles to the vegetables, toss to combine, and turn that burner on again to cook them through.

Turn the salmon skin side down again, brush with the glaze, and broil for 3 minutes or so (but don't let it burn.

Divide the salmon in two and plate next to the noodle-vegetable stir fry.

Indian-style Lentil Stuffed Mushrooms

Sally needed a dish to take to a colleague's going-away bash, and I wanted to try something different. Lots of her acquaintances like vegetarian dishes and Indian spiced things, and I happened to see two packs of six nice large mushrooms at the megamart.

12 large stuffable Mushrooms (or 3 Portobellos) stemmed

1 dry measure Lentils for your rice cooker (or ½ cup if cooking on the stove top)

1/4 cup diced Red Onion

1-2 teaspoons Arhar Dal Indian spice blend for lentils

Paprika for dusting

Cook the lentils and onion according to package direction. I did mine in the rice cooker, with 1 measure of lentils and 3 measures of water. Came out perfect. Cool the lentil/onion stuffing.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, but leave the gills for taste. Stand the 'shrooms cup-up on a baking tray and drizzle with just a bit of EVOO.

Fill the cups to overflowing with packed down lentil mixture. Dust the tops with paparika and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding?????

Sound weird doesn't it?  This was in the newspaper yesterday, being touted as eating healthier because things are in season and thus fresher. Well.... OK, let's try it.

The taste is surprisingly good, very chocolate-y. The texture is nerly indistinguishable from 'real' chocolate pudding.  But this is not an inexpensive dish unless you can find avocados for less than $1 each (what I paid).

2 Medjool Dates, pitted and soaked to rehydrate for 15 minutes (I substituted Apricots)

2 fresh Avocados, peeled and pitted

1/2ccup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I used Trader Joe's tm Sipping Cocoa)

1/4ccup 'raw' Honey (I used local Seagrape honey)

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Blend everything in a food processor... spoon into bowls and chill.

Hmm.. Medjool Dates aren't in season (neither are the dried apricots I used). I've never seen 'tame' honey, how is it different than 'raw' honey? Vanilla extract isn't in season either.

If you want a really unusual dessert for a dinner party, this is a great recipe.  Top with a dollop of handmade lemon-flavored whipped cream for an elegant finish.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits, Tortilla Española, Cuppa Quiche

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits

We had brunch, instead of lunch with Mum, yesterday; Sally had a baby shower to attend in the early afternoon. So instead of our usual luncheon fare, I decided to make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Grits. This recipe makes a hearty brunch for four.

1 lb 16-20 count Gulf White Shrimp

1 package Bacon (to make at least 20 'half slice' pieces

1-1/3 cups dry Grits

2-1/2 cups Half & Half

3 cups Water

4 oz shredded Mozzarella and/or Parmesan Cheese

White Pepper to taste

Clean and shell the shrimp. Impale them on short skewers so they're nominally straight.

Wrap each shrimp with a half slice of bacon and arrange on a baking sheet.  Broil about 6 minutes per side until bacon is cooked but not crispy.

Combine the grits, water and milk in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high heat and, stirring continuously, reduce heat to low over the next 20 minutes. Add white pepper to taste, so the grits have just a little zing. When the grits are nice and creamy, add the cheese and stir to combine. Some people serve this on a plate, I like my grits in bowl. I made a batch of slightly sweet, milk and sugar-topped three ingredient Soda Biscuits to accompany the grits. Get 'em while they're hot!

Tortilla Española

Also known as Tortilla de patata. Has nothing to do with those thin skillet-bread things from Mexico. This classic Spanish dish can be breakfast, brunch, dinner, or even a sandwich on nice crusty bread.

My recipe is for an individual tortilla in a skillet 8'-9” in diameter. Double the ingredients (or more) for a larger (12” skillet) tortilla

2 Eggs, beaten

1 Potato (red or gold) sliced 3/8” thick (skin on) to cover the bottom on the skillet

1/4 cup diced Red Onion

Salt & Pepper to taste

Beat the eggs and add to them the diced onion.

Lay the potato slices on a plate and pre-cook them for 3 minutes or so in the microwave util they're getting just a bit soft. Heat an Oven Proof skillet to medium-high and add a splash of EVOO. Fry the potatoes on one side until nicely browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn your broiler on High. Turn the potato slices over.  Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and let it cook, undisturbed, for a minute or two while the broiler heats up. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Slide the skillet (top shelf) under your broiler for a minute or three until the surface of the eggs starts to brown and is nice and puffy. Serve hot or cold, with a splash of Salsa Aperitivo (I'm working up my own recipe for this salsa and will report it here soon).

Quiche Inna Cup

Well, quiche in a mug anyway. I saw this on the 'Net and just had to try it as a potential breakfast dish for our guests. Pretty simple really.

2 Eggs, beaten

1 cup fillings (onion, bell pepper, bacon or ham, cheese, tomato, etc.)

1 Mug (mine was 3-3/8” x 4-1/2” and holds 1-1/2 cups of liquid)

Combine the ingredients in a bowl.

Then pour them into a mug.

Microwave in 1 minute intervals (or less) for 4 minutes. The filling will rise (a lot) and to prevent overflow you'll want to work in shorter and shorter nuke intervals until you reach 4 minutes. Five minutes will make your quiche too dry; three might not be cooked enough.

Actually, for this size mug, 1 cup of filling and two eggs was a bit too much, as you can see from the photo. Or maybe not.

Serve in the mug (the fun way); or run a knife around the edge and serve on a plate (the stodgy way).

Paella and a Stir Fry

Only two recipes this week, but they're reallly good!

Paella Mixta

Another in a long list of dishes I haven't made in years. Back in the Dark Ages, I made this the first few times in a stock pot rather than a wide, shallow pan! Then I got a real paella pan and had a blast!  Paella is a great party dish  because it serves quite a few people without a great deal of hassle.  The amounts below serve 6-8 hungry adults.

Paella is an old Spanish dish, originating around the area of Valencia on the east coast. The culinary masters of New Orleans, America's first foodie city, took the concept, changed it up a bit (including the aforesaid deep cooking vessel) and called it Jambalaya – rice cooked up through layers of “anything that swims, crawls, flies or walks”, plus celery, onion and bell pepper.

We had our neighbors over for dinner on Saturday, and it was an excuse for me to break out the paella pan for the first time in ages. There is a huge variety of paella recipes, the one I made would be called Paella Mixta – meat and seafood and vegetables; but you can have all seafood, all veggies and many many more. The common ingredients between varieties are white rice and saffron. Beans of one kind or another are also very common. Here's everything you need:

2 cups Valencia rice (short grain rice is more sticky than long grain; better for paella)

1 Red Bell

1 Green Bell

2 cans cooked Beans (I used Cargamanto or Cranberry beans, but any bean will do)

2 Chicken Breasts

1 lb Shrimp

1 link (9”) Andouille Sausage

1 Red Onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pinch Saffron (Don't have saffron, the ubiquitous Turmeric will do if you must.)

 Sally and I both have paella pans which are 16"-18" in diameter.  If you don't have a paella pan, use the widest, shallowest skillet you have.  If you've only got a 12" skillet, cut the ingredient amounts in half, and make dinner for 3 or 4 rather than 6-8.  FWIW, you can also cook a paella over your grill instead of the stove top.

Triage, or mis en place as the French say is really important to the simple and successful creation of this dish.  Cut up everything and put it in bowls where you can access it quickly and easily.  Here's my mis en place:

 Slice the sausage into coins. Peel the shrimp, or not (I do). Cut the chicken into strips or bite sized pieces. Slice the onion, bell peppers and tomatoes. 

Paella is all about layers – layers of flavors and ingredients. The bottom layer is invariably rice. Rice with that pinch of saffron. Let the rice start to brown just a bit, then add about two cups of water or broth.

Now start  layering the other ingredients.  I like to alternate layers of meat and veg, saving the shrimp (or other delicate seafood) until last.

I put down the chicken first, as it takes longest to cook. That's the only thing you touch after it goes in the pan. After I turned the chicken over, I added the bell peppers and garlic.

After that it's add the sausage, followed by the tomatoes beans and onions.  About now you'll need to add more water or broth, because the rice will have absorbed the first lot.

 By now the rice should be mostly cooked. If not, add more liquid and continue simmering. When the rice is cooked, let the pan go dry but try not to let things burn.  In the last few minutes add the shrimp as they take only a couple minutes to cook.

One of the delights for paella aficianados is the layer of crusty toasted (some say burnt) rice at the bottom of the pan, called socarrat.

Serve with crusty bread and butter, or pa amb tomquet -- toast rubbed with raw garlic and tomato, for sopping up any errant juices.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

 I needed something different to do with broccoli the other night, and remembered this dish -- my first ever stir fry, copied from Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook, the old Saturday morning PBS show that was my introduction to Asian cooking.  Every week, sifu Yan would say  "If Yan Can Cook, you can too!"   Serves two.

I doctor my Beef & Broccoli up with some green onion, snowpea pods, and mushrooms.

1/3 lb Deli Roast Beef sliced 1/8" thin

1 head Broccoli, florettes trimmed off

2 Green Onions, sliced thin

1/2 cup chopped Snow Pea Pods

1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms

Sauce:

1/4 cup low sodium Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

2 Tbsp Rice Wine

2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

While your wok or large skillet is heating as hot as it will go, slice the beef into strips, trim the broccoli, and other ingredients.  In a cup combine the liquids for the sauce.

Toss is a tablespoon or two (no more) of EVOO, and swirl it in the pan.  Add the beef strips and toss them around for a minute or three.  Remove from the pan and reserve.  Now stir fry the veggies for a minute or two.  Add the beef back to the pan, stir, then pour the sauce overall.  Cook another minute or two until the sauce starts to thicken, then serve.   Takes less time to prepare than it takes my rice cooker to make a small pot of rice.

I prefer Deli sliced beef for three reasons.  One, it's already mostly cooked, making my job easier.  Two it's much more tender than that stuff sold in the meat department as Beef For Stir Fry. Three, you can buy as much or little beef as you need, not just a plastic wrapped package of 'trimmings'.