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Pan-Roasted Tomatoes (a great spread for toast!)

The problem with warehouse shopping places like Costco is that when you are just one and a half people (little man being that half because he only eats half the variety that I do so far) the food comes in packages that are far more than you can consume before it goes off. We just can’t eat that many avocados or tomatoes or asparagus before they start looking nasty, no matter how good the price.

Nice char!

But, I was tempted into sins of excess by a quart of bright orange tomatoes in a plastic shell that reminded me irresistably of Sungolds. Why I was buying tomatoes out of season and out of state is a question you can reasonably ask. I hang my head in locavore-gone-wrong shame and go on with my story. I bought them. I did.

Sauteed leeks

They were delicious, ridiculously sweet and kept me on the salad path for days. That is a path I need to be on. But a week, two weeks later, predictably, the cup that was left had passed its prime and I had a locavore-gone-wrong guilt hangover.

Prosecco mimosas – pink grapefruit and orange juice

Solution? Pan-roasting. Our friend, Ashley had stayed over and it was a Saturday, which of course calls for bacon and eggs and Prosecco Mimosas (my new fave is pink grapefruit – 2 parts juice to 1 part prosecco…or 1 parts prosecco to two parts juice…or a glass of prosecco with a splash of juice….)! We added to that a leek saute (that Ashley will have to give me the recipe for; once she started fighting with the leek cleaning process, I backed away and didn’t look again until it was on my plate) and the following recipe that used up the tomatoes in a delicious and satisfying way! So, tomatoes used up, guilt assuaged, breakfast… delish!

On toast with basil (what’s left in the little pot by the kitchen window)

Pan-Roasted Tomato Spread

1 tsp olive oil (optional, especially if you have a nonstick pan)

1 Cup grape tomatoes

1 pinch sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp fresh basil (optional)

Place all ingredients (except optional basil) in a small skillet. Heat at medium, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to split and char. Remove from heat and spread on toast. Top with basil.

Classic Tapas: Champiñones al ajillo (Mushrooms in Garlic)

22 Dec

I have such good memories of Old Madrid, fragmented yellow afternoon light poking into the bar from the narrow street outside; standing at a stainless steel bar focused on stabbing mushrooms with a toothpick as they swam in garlicky sauce in a red clay cazuela, the peasant poetry of light red wine poured into a homely, stemless glass with a thick bottom, crusty rounds of bread crumbling under your elbows. Nothing better to do than spend the summer evening exploring more windy streets and more interesting little appetizers.

Whether you’re preparing a cozy tête à tête with something light to nibble on, looking for a simple vegetable dish to round out your appetizers or accompany a meat, seeking something to serve with the aperitif at your next cocktail party, or just want something a bit more befitting your station than Cheese Doodles to nosh on while you watch T.V. with a glass of something, look to Spain, and specifically to the iconic tapas: Champiñones al ajillo or mushrooms in garlic sauce, Spanish-style. Continue reading →

Tags: cetas al ajillo, champiñones al ajillo; tapas, cocktail mushrooms, cooking, easy buffet recipes, easy party snacks, food, jewelry party food, mushrooms, recipes, Spanish appetizers

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Entertaining, Food, Party Snacks, Recipes, sauce, Side Dishes, Spanish, Tapas, Vegetarian

Three Easy and Elegant Tapas for Your Holiday Table

15 Dec

Continue reading →

Tags: appetizers, buffet dishes, Caribbean white cheese, cheese and fruit ideas, chorizo sausage, cooking, easy party recipes, food, holiday tapas, jewelry party snacks, party snacks, recipes, smoked salmon

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Cocktails, Comida Criolla, Entertaining, Food, Party Snacks, Recipes, Side Dishes, Spanish, Tapas

Yuca Salad Revisited – You May Never Make Potato Salad Again

5 Dec

There is no better big-dinner, buffet, picnic, or other party dish in my arsenal than Yuca Salad (aka ensalada de yuca, yuca en escabeche). None. I kid you not.

Pimiento-stuffed olives

It is easy, has big flavor, is unusual, goes with everything, is portable, and very cheap…it is even vegan, but no one has to know until they’ve tried it. I have served it to pretty much everyone I have ever cooked for (and if I haven’t done it for you yet, it is just a matter of time) and gotten rave reviews every time. Continue reading →

Tags: cassava, comida criolla, easy party dishes, escabeche, manioc, potato salad alternatives, Puerto Rican, vegan, vegetarian, yuca, yuca an vinagreta, yuca salad

Comments 18 Comments
Categories Comida Criolla, Entertaining, Food, Party Snacks, Puerto Rican, Recipes, salad, Side Dishes, Spanish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sauteed Onions and Peppers with Curry (super side dish or turkey burger topper!)

1 Dec

On its own or with rice, these mildly curried vegetables are a worthy side dish!

The post-Thanksgiving self-flagellation and sporadic attempts to lose five pounds (okay, ten) before Christmas have begun. Continue reading →

Tags: cooking, curry, easy curried vegetables, food, recipes, sauteed onions and peppers, turkey burger topper, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Grilled Butternut Squash

28 Nov

This simple recipe for grilled butternut squash is another Padushi special, straight out of his crumbling crazy-ass diet (for new readers, the crazy-ass diet is some sort of vegan-gone-completely-over-the-edge thing that consists primarily of carrots, beets, and potatoes, and doesn’t let you combine veggies that grow above the ground with veggies that grow below the ground in the same meal. Don’t ask.)

Use the seed well to mix the oil and spice

He is, thankfully, no longer strictly on it anymore, although there are still moments of madness.

Much of what he made for the crazy-ass diet was okay eating. Some of it was just this side of edible. But this recipe, which takes the unusual step of grilling the squash, is really delicious in its own right.

Great grill marks!

It was especially handy during the power outages following Hurricane Sandy, as butternut squash, a native American squash in the Cucurbita family, is in season, doesn’t need refrigeration and the grill runs on propane, independent of nationalgrid and LIPA. We have the power back, but grilled butternut squash is delicious any time! It also has loads of vitamins (especially A) and minerals (like potassium)

Creamy inside, smoky outside!

Grilled Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp Adobo powder or salty seasoning of your preference (something curried would be nice!)

Heat the grill to high.

Slice squash in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds. Discard seeds or clean, dry and roast for a separate snack.

Pour half the oil and half the seasoning into the bowls of each squash half. Using hands, mix the oil and seasoning, then spread evenly over the entire squash, including skin.

Put on hot grill, skin side first, and close grill. Cook until a fork will easily pierce all the way through (about 30 minutes), turning onto flesh side about halfway through cooking.

I will NOT screw up the gravy this year; luscious turkey stock in progress

22 Nov

Regular readers will know that I disgraced myself last Thanksgiving by ruining the stock for the gravy; I put the liver in and rendered the stock (and the air in my kitchen) utterly disgusting. My mom triumphantly saved the day with a jar of gravy and I was mortified on many levels.

Leandro shows off as he pounds the turkey spice rub

That is not going to happen this year, thus this real time post to give you my stock recipe and let you know things are progressing fine! Continue reading →

Tags: cooking, easy recipes, food, gravy prep, recipes, thanksgiving, turkey stock

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Food, Recipes, sauce, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts: Pedro’s Latest Variation and Our Choice for Thanksgiving

19 Nov

We’ve been experimenting with Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving dinner. Should we go with an old favorite? Or try something new and potentially disastrous? (which brings to mind some awful lip-puckering lemony thing I did a few years ago which was only just edible. Of course I ate it out of a sense of guilt and starving-children-in-Ethiopia-so-eat-that-you-overprivileged-ingrate virtue, but it has left me a bit gun-shy)

Bubbling Brussels sprouts, Batman!

Then Pedro (the Dad) started experimenting with this recipe (similar to a Spanish one we have done often) and we are all hooked. He has done it enough so we feel confident that on the day either of us could make it delicious! It is easy, tones down any strong Brassica cabbage-y flavors, and can be done on the stovetop, so doesn’t take up valuable turkey and stuffing real estate in the oven.

Onions are the new ingredient in this adaptation of Spanish-style sauteed Brussels sprouts.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving sides? Inquiring minds want to know…

A bit mushier than current fashion, methinks, but keep cooking for that sweetness!

Tangy Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, bottom trimmed (just take off a thin slice) and any ugly outer leaves removed

6 Cups water

1 Tbs coarse salt

1 small onion, peeled and sliced into rings

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 pinches salt (to taste)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 -2 generous Tbs red wine vinegar

In a pot put the Brussels sprouts, 1 Tbs salt, and the water. Bring to a boil, lower to a lively simmer and cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet big enough to eventually hold the Brussels sprouts. Add sliced onions and garlic and saute until wilted at medium low. Allow to caramelize a bit.

Drain Brussels sprouts and when they are cool enough to handle, slice in half and add to skillet along with about 3 pinches of coarse salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Stir to coat and continue cooking at medium low until slightly caramelized. Add red wine vinegar and cook down until evaporated and turning golden brown. Serve hot.

Tags: cooking, food, recipes, sauteed Brussels sprouts, Spanish-style Brussels sprouts, Thanksgiving sides, vegetable side dishes

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Spanish

Arroz con Habichuelas Rosadas (Puerto Rican Rice and Beans – authentic/how to fake them)

15 Nov

Oh the sweet taste of victory!

My victory? My victory garden!

My little baby peppers

I managed to coax a couple of ajies (Capsicum chinense or sweet cooking peppers) from seeds that I saved from a pepper from my mom’s cousin’s kitchen garden in Mayaguez, to go with the recao (Eryngium foetidum or sawtooth coriander) that I grew from a seed packet from Puerto Rico. Next year I will be much more aggressive about how early I plant all my peppers, but for this year, the teeny-tiny-ness of my harvest does not diminish the absolute joy of it. Continue reading →

Tags: arroz con habichuelas, calabaza substitute, Caribbean cookery, comida criolla, cooking, food, habichuelas rosadas, Latin style, pink beans, Puerto Rican herbs, Puerto Rican recipes, recipes, rice and beans, Spanish-style white rice

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Comida Criolla, Food, gardening, Puerto Rican, Recipes, Side Dishes, Spanish

Curried Cauliflower (Aloo Gobi without the aloo, or is it without the gobi? I forget)

29 Oct

(About to lose power! So let me post this quickly and wish us luck during Hurricane Sandy!)

I saw one of those manager’s specials at the local supermarket recently – a styrofoam and plastic wrap missile loaded with a pound cauliflower florets for about 99 cents, so I grabbed it impulsively, intentionally forgetting that cauliflower is not yet on my son’s List of Acceptable Vegetables. I can easily eat a pound of cauliflower on my own, I thought, if I don’t try to do it all in one day.

Cauliflower in the pot with spices

Then, a day or two later, there was the cauliflower, looking at me rather expectantly, mournfully, accusatory-like from its tightly wrapped package, while I prepared other vegetables from Leandro’s List of Acceptable Vegetables. We know the manager doesn’t put vegetables on special if they are at their peak of freshness, so the cauliflower needed doing before it fell off Natalia’s List of Acceptable Vegetables. Continue reading →

Tags: aloo gobi, cooking, curry, easy vegetable dishes, food, Indian-style curried cauliflower, recipes

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Asian, Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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