Toronto has a great number of restaurants representing a large number of cuisines. To my disappointment, one cuisine that I find Toronto is lacking in is one of my favorites, Mexican cuisine. There just aren't all that many Mexican restaurants in Toronto so when I noticed a new one opening on my walk home from work I took note. The new restaurant was a Chipotles and it was billing itself as a 'gourmet' burrito joint. I was pretty curious to find out exactly what a 'gourmet' burrito was so I had to stop by. The Chipotles gourmet burrito turned out to be a pretty normal burrito with rice, beans, meat, salsa, sour cream and cheese (they charged extra for the guacamole). The burrito was pretty good but it was also pretty expensive and I figured that I could do better at home and for a lot less. Shortly after visiting Chipotles I came across a z-Teca which was also billing itself as a gourmet burrito joint and their advertising campaign seemed to revolve around the size of their burritos. I tried their burritos as well and they were really big and they were good, but, once again I felt that I could do better at home. Thus, the burrito quest started.A burrito is a tortilla that is wrapped around a filling and with such a simple definition the possibilities are almost endless! The tortilla wrapping makes burritos nice and convenient and portable so you can grab one while on the run. Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with and really enjoying various burritos and fillings. What follows is a list of what I have tried and ideas that I would like to try.
Meat FillingsCarnitas: Slow braised moist and tender pork fried until slightly crispy on the outside.Salsa Verde Carnitas: Carnitas that were braised in salsa verde and then the salsa verde is mixed back in with he pork after frying it until it is crispy.Pork al Pastor Style: Pork marinated in a chili and pineapple sauce and then slow roasted until it is falling apart tender.Tinga: Pork stewed in a tomato and chipotle sauce.7 Chili Chili: Tender beef braised in a spicy chili sauce. (After reheating the pot of chili a few nights in a row, most of the liquid had evaporated and I used it in a burrito and it was really good.)Taco Seasoned Meat: Taco seasoned meats such as Texmex seasoned ground beef or Texmex seasoned shredded chicken.
Seafood FillingsCrab: I have not tried this one yet but I imagine that using the crab from these crab quesadillas would make for a great burrito filling.Shimp: I also want to try using the shrimp from these shrimp quesadillas or these shrimp tacos in a burrito.Fish: The spicy texmex seasoned flaked fish from these fish tacos would also make a great burrito filling.
Other Fillings
Cilantro and Lime Rice: Rice is a pretty standard burrito filling and I like to liven it up a bit with some chopped cilantro, lime juice and zest. I also like to use brown rice rather that white rice whenever possible.
Refried beans: Beans are also a common burrito filling whether plain or seasoned with cumin, chili powder and oregano or even refried.
Pico de Gallo: Fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers and cilantro.
Salsa Verde: A really tasty salsa made from tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and cilantro with just the right amount of heat.
Guacamole: This cool and creamy avocado salsa provides a nice balance to the sources of heat in your burrito.Sour CreamCheeseChopped Cilantro
Examples
Carnitas burrito with cilantro and lime brown rice, seasoned black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese in a whole grain tortilla.
7 chili chili burrito with cilantro and lime brown rice, seasoned black beans, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheddar cheese.
Vegetarian Burritos
Pumpkin and Black Bean Burrito
These sweet potato and black bean enchiladas also make a tasty burrito.
Breakfast Burritos
Ham and Egg BurritoChorizo and Egg Burritos
Meyer Lemon Bars(makes 16+ servings)Printable RecipeIngredients:1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)1/4 cup confectioners sugar1 cup all purpose flour1/8 teaspoon salt2 large eggs (room temperature)1 cup sugar1/3 cup lemon juice1 tablespoon grated lemon zest2 tablespoons all purpose flourconfectioners sugarDirections:1. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.2. Mix in the flour and salt until it comes together.3. Press it down into a greased 8 inch square baking pan.4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.5. Beat the eggs and sugar until smooth.6. Mix in the lemon juice and zest.7. Mix in the flour.8. Pour the mixture onto the crust.9. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until set, about 20 minutes.10. Let cool and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
7 Chili Chili(makes 4+ servings)Printable RecipeIngredients:2 ancho chilis1 pasilla chili1 costena chili1 guajillo chili1 chili de arbol1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce4 slices bacon (cut into 1 inch slices)2 pounds beef (chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)1 onion (chopped)4 cloves garlic (chopped)1 cup coffee1 beer1 tablespoon cumin1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon coriander1/2 teaspoon cayenne1 teaspoon oreganosalt to taste1/4 tablet Mexican chocolate (grated)2 tablespoons masa harinaDirections:1. Toast the ancho, pasilla, costena, guajillo and de arbol chilies in a pan.2. Cover in boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes.3. Cook the bacon in a large pan and set aside retaining the grease in the pan.4. Add the beef and brown on all sides in the bacon grease and set aside.5. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.6. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.7. Add the bacon, beef, coffee, beer, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and oregano.8. Drain the chilies and blend in a half a cup of fresh water and add to the pot.9. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is fork tender, about 5 hours, adding more liquid if required.10. Add the Mexican chocolate.11. Mix the masa harina into 1/2 a cup of the chili broth and add it back to the pot.12. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
Maple and Mustard Glazed Chicken(makes 2 servings)Printable RecipeIngredients:2 chicken breasts (pounded flat)salt and pepper to taste1/2 cup all-purpose flour1 egg (lightly beaten)1 cup bread crumbs (I used a mixture of regular bread crumbs and panko bread crumbs)4 tablespoons maple syrup6 tablespoons Dijon mustard2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard2 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)1 tablespoon olive oilDirections:1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.2. Dredge the chicken in the flour.3. Dip the chicken into the egg.4. Dredge the chicken in the bread crumbs.5. Heat the oil in a pan6. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.7. Mix the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, whole grained mustard, brown sugar and thyme in a bowl.8. Place the chicken in a baking pan and brush the maple mustard mixture onto it heavily.9. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Friday, 7 August 2009
Sandwich til at tage med på tur..
Egg Salad Sandwich
6 store æg
1-2 spsk mayonnaise eler græsk youghurt
Salt og peber
lidt citronsaft
2 stængler bladselleri
1/2 bundt purløg
salat
6 små skiver fuldkorns toastbrød
Lbta:
Ingredients:
8 stykker fuldkornstoastbrød
1 pakke bacon skåret i stykker og stegt
8 stykker salat
1 lag af skivede tomater i hver
salt og peber
2 spsk mayonnaise
1 avocado most
mayonnaise, avokado og salt og peber blandes sammen og smørres på alle brødskiverne læg resten imellem skiverne
Laks og reje og cremefraiche mousse med salat og dild
100 gram laks
140 gram rejer
100 gram cremefraiche
citronsaft
dild
salatblade
plus evt tomat, fennikel eller andet crunch og saftigt
Skinke og ost sandwich
8 skiver toastbrød
8 skiver skinke
4 skiver ost
1 lag tomat i hver
salatblade
honningsennep
mayonnaise
smør 1 skive med honningsennep og 1 skive med mayonnaise, resten lægges imellem
Kyllingesandwich
til 2 sandwich:
1 cup of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise1 small chipotle pepper, plus a bit of extra adobo sauce4 slices of crusty bread, toasted (optional)2 leaves of romaine lettuce hearts2-4 thick slices of roasted chicken breast1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced 1 ripe tomato, sliced
Hvad man ellers kan tage med
Agurkeskiver, gulerodsstave og bananer plus andet frugt
Chokoladekiks
Gulerodskage
6 store æg
1-2 spsk mayonnaise eler græsk youghurt
Salt og peber
lidt citronsaft
2 stængler bladselleri
1/2 bundt purløg
salat
6 små skiver fuldkorns toastbrød
Lbta:
Ingredients:
8 stykker fuldkornstoastbrød
1 pakke bacon skåret i stykker og stegt
8 stykker salat
1 lag af skivede tomater i hver
salt og peber
2 spsk mayonnaise
1 avocado most
mayonnaise, avokado og salt og peber blandes sammen og smørres på alle brødskiverne læg resten imellem skiverne
Laks og reje og cremefraiche mousse med salat og dild
100 gram laks
140 gram rejer
100 gram cremefraiche
citronsaft
dild
salatblade
plus evt tomat, fennikel eller andet crunch og saftigt
Skinke og ost sandwich
8 skiver toastbrød
8 skiver skinke
4 skiver ost
1 lag tomat i hver
salatblade
honningsennep
mayonnaise
smør 1 skive med honningsennep og 1 skive med mayonnaise, resten lægges imellem
Kyllingesandwich
til 2 sandwich:
1 cup of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise1 small chipotle pepper, plus a bit of extra adobo sauce4 slices of crusty bread, toasted (optional)2 leaves of romaine lettuce hearts2-4 thick slices of roasted chicken breast1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced 1 ripe tomato, sliced
Hvad man ellers kan tage med
Agurkeskiver, gulerodsstave og bananer plus andet frugt
Chokoladekiks
Gulerodskage
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Frokost i fryseren
Kog 1 hamburgerryg.... portioner 120 gram : Dertil laves efterhånden italiensk salat
Steg 8 kyllingebryster i ovnen.... Portioner 1 bryst : Dertil laves karry-løg snask af 400 gram løg, 280 gram drænet ananas og karry blendet... blandes med græsk youghurt på dagen dertil tomat agurk og salat evt bacon og andet frugt.
Lav pandekagefyld af 450 gram løg plus evt andet fyld og 450 gram hakket oksekød med tacokrydderi... portionen deles i fire : På dagen tilsættes mere grønt og andet godt snask
Æggemad med rejer
Laksemad evt med hytteost dild eller purløg
Pate med sky og løg og salatblade
Steg 8 kyllingebryster i ovnen.... Portioner 1 bryst : Dertil laves karry-løg snask af 400 gram løg, 280 gram drænet ananas og karry blendet... blandes med græsk youghurt på dagen dertil tomat agurk og salat evt bacon og andet frugt.
Lav pandekagefyld af 450 gram løg plus evt andet fyld og 450 gram hakket oksekød med tacokrydderi... portionen deles i fire : På dagen tilsættes mere grønt og andet godt snask
Æggemad med rejer
Laksemad evt med hytteost dild eller purløg
Pate med sky og løg og salatblade
all wheat frugtkage
Cele's Old-Fashioned Pear Cake Recipe1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons melted
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 firm but ripe small pears such as Seckel, cored and cut lengthwise into quarters
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Brush a 9-inch round springform pan with the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and dust the pan with a thin, even layer of flour, tapping out the excess. Set aside.
Whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the 1/2 cup butter and the sugar on high speed until pale, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat again until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and neatly arrange the peat quarters on top, skin side up. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Note: to prepare the original version with the Italian prune plums, use 12 plums, pitted and halved, in place of the pears.
Serves 10.
Carrot Cake RecipeIf you have a hard time finding whole wheat pastry flour, feel free to substitute unbleached all-purpose flour. Reader Nicole mentions that she made a wheat-free version with good results - substituting one cup oat flour and one cup gluten-free baking mix. Thanks Nicole!
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or lowfat is ok)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste)
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8x8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.
Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.
In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake - it'll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and agave nectar. Taste. If you like your frosting sweeter adjust to your liking. When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.
Makes one carrot cake.
Print Recipe
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 firm but ripe small pears such as Seckel, cored and cut lengthwise into quarters
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Brush a 9-inch round springform pan with the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and dust the pan with a thin, even layer of flour, tapping out the excess. Set aside.
Whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the 1/2 cup butter and the sugar on high speed until pale, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat again until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and neatly arrange the peat quarters on top, skin side up. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Note: to prepare the original version with the Italian prune plums, use 12 plums, pitted and halved, in place of the pears.
Serves 10.
Carrot Cake RecipeIf you have a hard time finding whole wheat pastry flour, feel free to substitute unbleached all-purpose flour. Reader Nicole mentions that she made a wheat-free version with good results - substituting one cup oat flour and one cup gluten-free baking mix. Thanks Nicole!
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or lowfat is ok)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste)
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8x8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.
Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.
In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake - it'll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and agave nectar. Taste. If you like your frosting sweeter adjust to your liking. When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.
Makes one carrot cake.
Print Recipe
Dips jeg vil prøve...
Ingredients:
3 roasted red peppers
3/4 cup walnuts (toasted)
1/4 cup whole grain bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon aleppo pepper (or chipotle pepper)
1 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. Add water to thin if desired.
Hummus is a dip or a spread that is made from chickpeas, lemon, tahini, olive oil and garlic. You can add extras to hummus like spices such as cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, etc. or you can add some herbs or even things like roasted red peppers or sundried tomatoes etc. The possibilities are seemingly endless. Not only is hummus is super easy to make but it is also fairly healthy and it tastes great. I really enjoy the flavour and the creamy texture of hummus and I make it fairly often. I like using hummus as a dip for pitas and vegetables and as a spread on crostini or in sandwiches. This time I made a basic hummus and I served it on whole wheat crostini with some roasted red peppers and balsamic vinegar. I was planning of placing a leaf of basil under the roasted red pepper but I forgot to pick up the basil at the store. How do you use hummus?
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper
After discovering the greatness of roasted garlic I though that I would have to try it in what is one of my favorites snacks, hummus. Hummus is a nice and versatile dip that you can add pretty much any flavour to and I thought that roasted garlic hummus would be a tasty treat. The roasted garlic hummus turned out to be pretty good! The sweetness of the roasted garlic went really well in the creamy hummus. The roasted garlic hummus disappeared quite quickly and I will have to make some more soon.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1 head roasted garlic
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
I have often wondered why refried beans were called refried beans. I guess it is because the dried beans are cooked once to reconstitute them and then cooked a second time, after mashing them, by frying them in lard. It is the frying them in the lard that makes them nice and creamy and full of flavour and good. You don't need to use the lard but it is best if you use some kind of fat. I don't often have lard on hand so I normally use bacon grease and since I am cooking the bacon for the grease anyways I usually throw the the bacon in as well. The source of fat can also be oil for a lighter and healthier or vegetarian version.
Refried beans are normally made with pinto beans but you can use any kind of beans that you want. I often enjoy using black beans instead of pinto beans. Simmering the dried beans to reconstitute them takes a while so I usually use caned beans, which I always have on hand, and that saves a lot of time.
Other than the beans and the fat, refried beans can be as simple or as complex as you like. You could easily leave them there or you can add in extras. For me, it depends on what I am using them for. If I am going to use the refried beans as a side dish or as a filling for burritos I might keep them simple and omit the onions and garlic. If what I am serving them with is already spicy then I might leave out the ground up chilies and cumin. If I am using the refried beans as a dip I would probably use everything in the recipe below and I might even add some tomato and jalapenos. I would also add some water to thin the refried beans out so that they would not break the tortillas chips when scooping. I would also garnish a refried bean dip with some shredded cheese and green onions or maybe some sour cream and cilantro. Refried beans are so versatile!
Refried Beans
(2 as a dip or 4+ as a filling or side)
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lard (or bacon grease or oil etc.)
1 small onion (chopped, optional)
1 clove garlic (chopped, optional)
1 (19 ounce) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed, or black beans, etc.)
1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground, optional)
* water (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat the lard in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, chili powder and cumin and cook until warm.
5. Mash the beans until you get them to the consistency that you want. (If the beans are too thick you can add water to thin them out.)
I am still on my hummus kick. Hummus is such a simple and tasty snack. You can make it plain or you can add whatever extra flavours you want. This time I was inspired by this recipe for olive hummus. I used sun dried olives in mine as they were what I had on hand. This one took a bit more effort as I had to remove the pits from the olives before adding them to the food processor. Add some toasted whole wheat pita triangles for a tasty and fairly healthy snack.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1/4 cup sun dried olives (pitted)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
It seems that I am on a hummus kick and this week it is roasted red pepper hummus. And why not? It is a tasty and super easy snack. Well, in this case you actually have to roast a red pepper in the oven so it takes a bit longer to make... The farmers market is full of red peppers and I am looking for way to use enjoy them. This time I roasted a jalapeno pepper as well to add a bit of heat. Enjoy with toasted pita wedges or as a spread on crostini.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1 roasted red pepper
1 roasted jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
Hummus is a dip that is made from pureed chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. It is great in its base form but you can also add other flavours to it. Normally I would make this version with sun dried tomatoes but this time I made it with the oven dried tomatoes that I had left over. It goes well with toasted pitas and makes a great snack.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
4 sun dried tomatoes (or oven dried tomatoes)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
I could not let eggplant season go by without trying this tasty looking recipe for melitzanosalata or Baba Ghanoush an eggplant salad. The base melitzanosalata recipe calls for mashed grilled aubergine, olive oil and lemon juice. This recipe adds some garlic and feta for flavour and some parsley for colour. Unfortunately I do not have a grill so I was forced to broil the eggplant in the oven. It turned out really good. I ate it as a dip with baked pitas and I ended up finishing it all in one sitting. I now have one more tasty eggplant recipe in my collection. I have really been enjoying eggplants so far this summer!
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup feta (crumbled, optional)
2 tablespoons of parsley (chopped)
Directions:
1. Broil the eggplant until charred on all sides, about 30 minutes.
2. When the eggplant is cool enough to work with cut it in half and scoop out the inside.
3. Blend the eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and feta in a food processor.
4. Mix in the parsley.
When I was at the grocery store I asked for 100 grams of feta cheese from the deli section and what I got was more like 400 grams. I thought, no problem I really like feta I will take it anyways. So I needed a recipe to use up some extra feta cheese and I remembered seeing this recipe for htipiti, a Greek feta cheese dip. It has a lot of flavours that I really like, including feta, sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It also had some things in that I was not so sure about including the green onion and the jalapeno pepper. It was amazing! I finished all of it in one night. The roasted jalapeno pepper left a really nice warmth in the mouth. I think that I might even try increasing the amount of jalapeno the next time that I make this.
Ingredients:
4 ounces feta
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 green onion
2 ounces sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained, reserve)
1 roasted red pepper
1 roasted jalapeno pepper
Directions:
1. Mix everything in a food processor. (Add some oil from the sun dried tomatoes if it is too thick.)
Ingredients:
2 large avocados (halved, stoned, peeled and mashed)
1 lime (juice)
1 roma/plum tomato (seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Mix everything
3 roasted red peppers
3/4 cup walnuts (toasted)
1/4 cup whole grain bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon aleppo pepper (or chipotle pepper)
1 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. Add water to thin if desired.
Hummus is a dip or a spread that is made from chickpeas, lemon, tahini, olive oil and garlic. You can add extras to hummus like spices such as cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, etc. or you can add some herbs or even things like roasted red peppers or sundried tomatoes etc. The possibilities are seemingly endless. Not only is hummus is super easy to make but it is also fairly healthy and it tastes great. I really enjoy the flavour and the creamy texture of hummus and I make it fairly often. I like using hummus as a dip for pitas and vegetables and as a spread on crostini or in sandwiches. This time I made a basic hummus and I served it on whole wheat crostini with some roasted red peppers and balsamic vinegar. I was planning of placing a leaf of basil under the roasted red pepper but I forgot to pick up the basil at the store. How do you use hummus?
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper
After discovering the greatness of roasted garlic I though that I would have to try it in what is one of my favorites snacks, hummus. Hummus is a nice and versatile dip that you can add pretty much any flavour to and I thought that roasted garlic hummus would be a tasty treat. The roasted garlic hummus turned out to be pretty good! The sweetness of the roasted garlic went really well in the creamy hummus. The roasted garlic hummus disappeared quite quickly and I will have to make some more soon.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1 head roasted garlic
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
I have often wondered why refried beans were called refried beans. I guess it is because the dried beans are cooked once to reconstitute them and then cooked a second time, after mashing them, by frying them in lard. It is the frying them in the lard that makes them nice and creamy and full of flavour and good. You don't need to use the lard but it is best if you use some kind of fat. I don't often have lard on hand so I normally use bacon grease and since I am cooking the bacon for the grease anyways I usually throw the the bacon in as well. The source of fat can also be oil for a lighter and healthier or vegetarian version.
Refried beans are normally made with pinto beans but you can use any kind of beans that you want. I often enjoy using black beans instead of pinto beans. Simmering the dried beans to reconstitute them takes a while so I usually use caned beans, which I always have on hand, and that saves a lot of time.
Other than the beans and the fat, refried beans can be as simple or as complex as you like. You could easily leave them there or you can add in extras. For me, it depends on what I am using them for. If I am going to use the refried beans as a side dish or as a filling for burritos I might keep them simple and omit the onions and garlic. If what I am serving them with is already spicy then I might leave out the ground up chilies and cumin. If I am using the refried beans as a dip I would probably use everything in the recipe below and I might even add some tomato and jalapenos. I would also add some water to thin the refried beans out so that they would not break the tortillas chips when scooping. I would also garnish a refried bean dip with some shredded cheese and green onions or maybe some sour cream and cilantro. Refried beans are so versatile!
Refried Beans
(2 as a dip or 4+ as a filling or side)
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lard (or bacon grease or oil etc.)
1 small onion (chopped, optional)
1 clove garlic (chopped, optional)
1 (19 ounce) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed, or black beans, etc.)
1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground, optional)
* water (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat the lard in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, chili powder and cumin and cook until warm.
5. Mash the beans until you get them to the consistency that you want. (If the beans are too thick you can add water to thin them out.)
I am still on my hummus kick. Hummus is such a simple and tasty snack. You can make it plain or you can add whatever extra flavours you want. This time I was inspired by this recipe for olive hummus. I used sun dried olives in mine as they were what I had on hand. This one took a bit more effort as I had to remove the pits from the olives before adding them to the food processor. Add some toasted whole wheat pita triangles for a tasty and fairly healthy snack.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1/4 cup sun dried olives (pitted)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
It seems that I am on a hummus kick and this week it is roasted red pepper hummus. And why not? It is a tasty and super easy snack. Well, in this case you actually have to roast a red pepper in the oven so it takes a bit longer to make... The farmers market is full of red peppers and I am looking for way to use enjoy them. This time I roasted a jalapeno pepper as well to add a bit of heat. Enjoy with toasted pita wedges or as a spread on crostini.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
1 roasted red pepper
1 roasted jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
Hummus is a dip that is made from pureed chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. It is great in its base form but you can also add other flavours to it. Normally I would make this version with sun dried tomatoes but this time I made it with the oven dried tomatoes that I had left over. It goes well with toasted pitas and makes a great snack.
Ingredients:
1/2 19 ounce can chickpeas
4 sun dried tomatoes (or oven dried tomatoes)
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Add some water (or more olive oil) to bring it to the consistency that you like.
I could not let eggplant season go by without trying this tasty looking recipe for melitzanosalata or Baba Ghanoush an eggplant salad. The base melitzanosalata recipe calls for mashed grilled aubergine, olive oil and lemon juice. This recipe adds some garlic and feta for flavour and some parsley for colour. Unfortunately I do not have a grill so I was forced to broil the eggplant in the oven. It turned out really good. I ate it as a dip with baked pitas and I ended up finishing it all in one sitting. I now have one more tasty eggplant recipe in my collection. I have really been enjoying eggplants so far this summer!
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup feta (crumbled, optional)
2 tablespoons of parsley (chopped)
Directions:
1. Broil the eggplant until charred on all sides, about 30 minutes.
2. When the eggplant is cool enough to work with cut it in half and scoop out the inside.
3. Blend the eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and feta in a food processor.
4. Mix in the parsley.
When I was at the grocery store I asked for 100 grams of feta cheese from the deli section and what I got was more like 400 grams. I thought, no problem I really like feta I will take it anyways. So I needed a recipe to use up some extra feta cheese and I remembered seeing this recipe for htipiti, a Greek feta cheese dip. It has a lot of flavours that I really like, including feta, sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It also had some things in that I was not so sure about including the green onion and the jalapeno pepper. It was amazing! I finished all of it in one night. The roasted jalapeno pepper left a really nice warmth in the mouth. I think that I might even try increasing the amount of jalapeno the next time that I make this.
Ingredients:
4 ounces feta
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 green onion
2 ounces sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained, reserve)
1 roasted red pepper
1 roasted jalapeno pepper
Directions:
1. Mix everything in a food processor. (Add some oil from the sun dried tomatoes if it is too thick.)
Ingredients:
2 large avocados (halved, stoned, peeled and mashed)
1 lime (juice)
1 roma/plum tomato (seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Mix everything
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Hurtigboller med variationer
Bruges også til burgerboller
1 plade 12 stk:
3,5 dl væske
25 g gær
2 spsk olivenolie
1 æg
ca.600 gram mel
1 spsk honning
1 tsk salt
variation 1: 1 dl youghurt, 2,5 dl vand, 100 gram havregryn, 100 gram grahamsmel, 300 gram hvedemel
Bare det hele i røremaskinen. Lad hæve i en time. Form til 12 flade boller. Lad efterhæve
225 grader i 12 minutter midt i ovnen
1 plade 12 stk:
3,5 dl væske
25 g gær
2 spsk olivenolie
1 æg
ca.600 gram mel
1 spsk honning
1 tsk salt
variation 1: 1 dl youghurt, 2,5 dl vand, 100 gram havregryn, 100 gram grahamsmel, 300 gram hvedemel
Bare det hele i røremaskinen. Lad hæve i en time. Form til 12 flade boller. Lad efterhæve
225 grader i 12 minutter midt i ovnen
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Mørbradbøffer i gorgonzola
Koteletter kan også bruges
Paner mørbrad bøfferne i lidt mel, salt og peber og steg dem i godt med fedtstof.
tag dem af panden og kog panden af med 5 spsk vermouth eller hvidvin. Tilsæt 100 gram gorgonzola og lad det smelte ved lav varme.
Tørristede champignon.
Salat af rucola og ristede pinjekerner og evt. frugt
Kartofler til
Paner mørbrad bøfferne i lidt mel, salt og peber og steg dem i godt med fedtstof.
tag dem af panden og kog panden af med 5 spsk vermouth eller hvidvin. Tilsæt 100 gram gorgonzola og lad det smelte ved lav varme.
Tørristede champignon.
Salat af rucola og ristede pinjekerner og evt. frugt
Kartofler til
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