Tagliatelle made with Puttanesca sauce

This sauce is made with a little minced garlic, white onion, a 1/2 teaspoon fresh red chilies and anchovies which are sauteed in olive oil until the anchovies are dissolved. Then add diced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are very soft for 15 to 20 minutes . Then add , olives and some capers. 

Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente, drain and tip the pasta into the tomato sauce. Add some of the pasta water  and toss the pasta with the sauce and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and some grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Zucchini Stuffed with Smoked Mackerel

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini
1/4 cup or more smoked mackerel
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp minced fresh red chili
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp minced parsley

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees .

Halve the zucchini and scoop the flesh from inside the zucchini and set it aside.
Place the zucchini in a baking dish and sprinkle some olive oil, very little salt and pepper.
Chop the scooped flesh finely and set it aside.
Heat some oil in a pan, add the garlic, onion, red chili and saute for a minute or two. Then add the zucchini flesh and cooked for another 3 or 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool before adding the flaked smoked mackerel. Add a little minced parsley, a little black pepper and chopped green onion and combine it well before filling the zucchinis.
Sprinkle some grated Parmesan on the filled zucchinis and Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the zucchini is cooked.

Serve warm.

Ricotta Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

5 apples peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup white or brown sugar
1 little nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese or ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp raisins
2 Tbsp dried cranberries

1/4 cup white wine
3 or 4 Lemon verbena leaves

1 cup flour
8Tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oats

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add white wine, lemon verbena and the apples into a pan and cook until the apples a soft but retain its shape. Then add the cinnamon, raisins, cranberries, nutmeg and 1/4 cup or less sugar. Combine and let it cool.

Make the crumble by adding the cold butter to the flour in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Then remove and add the sugar and the oats.

Place the cooked apples in a baking dish. Break ricotta cheese into little clumps and place it on the apples. I added little cubes of butter. (optional) Then sprinkle the crumble on top to the Gorgonzola or ricotta cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until nicely brown.

Serve warm.

Baked Chicken with Purple Fingerling Potatoes

Chioggia Beet, Beans and Cucumber Salad

Padron Chili Pizza

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 1/4  tsp salt
1 cup warm water

Method:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Mix the oil to the remaining water.

In a mixing bowl fitted with a hook attachment, add 2 1/4 cups flour, salt and the oil water and mix the ingredients on low and slowly increasing the speed to medium high for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Mix until you get a silky, elastic dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl. for about 2 to 3 hours to double.

Punch down the dough and flatten it on a lightly floured board. You can divide the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator until you want to make pizza.

Ingredients for filling:
1 can of San Marzano tomato
8 Chili Padron
1 buffalo mozzarella
chili flakes
grated Parmesan

Method:

Crush the tomatoes finely, add some basil, salt and pepper.

For the chili, saute them in some olive oil until charred. Sprinkle a little salt and set aside.

Place pizza stone in the bottom most shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 500 degree F.

Spread pizza dough with tomato sauce, then add buffalo mozzarella followed by the Padron chilies. Sprinkle with chili flakes and grated Parmesan.

Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until brown.

Serve hot.

Cornets made with puff pastry

These cornet are easy to make. I used puff pastry to make this, using a cornet mold. 

Anchovy Tomato Sauce Over Linguine with Roasted Eggplant

Anchovy provides a distinctive and complex flavor to this tomato sauce. 

Oven Dried Tomatoes mixed with Curly Endive

Roasted garlic, minced red onion, lemon juice, honey, red wine vinegar and olive oil make a delicious vinaigrette to be tossed with curly endive, slice red onions and caramelized oven bake tomatoes. I added some  buratta, which is a fresh Italian cheese  made from mozzarella and cream. This cheese has a rich, buttery flavor. The sweet yet slightly acidity oven dried tomatoes complements well with this cheese. 

Tomato, Celery, Curly Endive Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Curly endive which has a bitter taste lends well to this  anchovies, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. I had to add the heirloom tomatoes from my garden which were so sweet. 

Barley Soup with Vegetable Medley

Carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes make a good addition to this hearty soup made with barley. 

Chipotle Butter Ham and Prosciutto Sandwich

A delicious sandwich made with  Brioche buns. Brushed with chipotle butter and filled with warm ham slices, crispy prosciutto, mozzarella and fresh from the garden heirloom tomato slices. 

Zucchini and Potatoes baked in Charmoula Paste

Slice of Apple Pie

Jalapeno Fried in Besan Batter

Besan Batter:

1 cup besan flour
1/4 rice flour
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp baking soda
cold water

Vegetables for frying:

Green chilies that are meaty and not very spicy
sliced white onions


Method:
Heat oil for frying.

Slit the green chilies but do not cut through into halves.

Mix the above batter into slightly thick consistency. Then add the chilies and the onions to the batter.

When frying, insert some of the onions into the chilies and add to the frying oil. Once nicely golden brown, remove and drain. Serve with chutneys.

Fish Taco

Besan Batter:

1 cup besan flour
1/4 rice flour
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp minced red chilies
cold water

2 slices of cod

Method:

Heat oil for frying.

Salt the fish slightly.

Mix the above  into slightly thick consistency.

Dip the fish and add to the heated oil. Once nicely golden brown, remove and drain. 

Serve on a corn taco with tomato salsa, Mexican crema, and finely shredded cabbage.

Key Lime Pie

Nasi Lemak - Coconut Rice

Arugula, Fennel Salad in Rice Wine Vinaigrette

Grilled Chicken thighs marinated in Moroccan spices

Mixed vegetable stew

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Toor dal
1/4 Masoor dal
1 medium size potatoes into 1 inch sizes
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch
3 zucchini, cut into 1 inch
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup greens beans, cut into 1 inch length
1/2  small cabbage, cut into large pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 or 2 green chili, cut into 1 inch length
3 garlic clove, sliced
1 Tbsp ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 or 2 Tbsp Berbere curry powder

Method:

Soak the dal for 30 minutes. Then cook the dals with enough water. The dal should be soft. Set aside.

In a pan, add some oil and add the onions, ginger, green chili. and the garlic. Saute for 3 or 4 minutes. Then add the Berbere curry powder, turmeric some salt  and the tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the carrots and the potatoes and add some of the water from the dal and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Once the potatoes are slightly cooked, add the other vegetable and 1/2 cup of the cooked dal and 1 cup water.

Let the vegetable cook until soft to touch. Season and serve hot with couscous, rice, Injera, Thosai etc..

Corn bread

I made this corn bread using the Trader's Joe cornbread mix. Came out very moist and tasty. You can add fresh corn and cheddar cheese to the mix.

Sliced zucchini filled with Baba Ghanouj

Ingredients:
2 medium  zucchini, sliced thinly ( I used mandolin)
a large eggplant, roasted

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 Tbsp tahini paste

1/2 cup parsley
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1/2 cup or more feta, crumbled

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper


Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slightly salt the sliced zucchinis in a colander and let them drain about 15 minutes.

Dry the zucchini sliced and set them aside.

Make the baba ghanouj  by scooping the eggplant flesh into a bowl. Set aside. Add the mashed garlic, pine nut, parsley and the tahini, into a food processor and process with 1/8 cup of olive oil for a minute or two. Add eggplant flesh, feta, lemon juice. salt and pepper to taste and process for another minute of so. Do not over process. 

Prepare a baking dish with some prepared tomato sauce. 

Sprinkle some olive oil on the zucchini slices and add a little pepper. Lay them on a board and spread some of the baba ghanouj. Roll and place them in a baking dish. Once all the slices are done, sprinkle the top with some olive oil, breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the top is slightly brown. Serve hot. 

Eggplant Parmigiano

Eggs in Sambal

Ingredients:

3 eggs
3 Tbsp garlic chili paste in oil
1/2 white onion cut in big pieces
3 cherry tomatoes, cut into half
1 Tbsp finely sliced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced finely
1 or 2 tsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp finely minced cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Add little oil in a pan. Add the garlic followed by the onions, the chili paste. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add a little salt and taste the chili paste to make sure the seasonings are to your taste.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Then move the sambal to the side of the pan. Add a little oil and break the three eggs into the pan. Sprinkle  fish sauce and cook the eggs. Mix the chili paste into the eggs and sprinkle the cilantro leaves, the ginger and remove from the heat.

The onions will be still crispy, the tomatoes still should hold their shape and eggs cooked but still soft.
Eat with rice of bread.

Purple Yam Sweet Porridge

Very simple but delicious coconut porridge made with purple yam, taro.

Ingredients:
5 cups cubed taro
1/2 can of coconut milk
1 cup glutinous flour
some soft palm sugar
1/2 durian paste (optional) ( bought from the Asian market)
1/2 cup or more sugar


Method:

Cook the taro in a pan with a little water until soft but still holds its shape. Set aside.

Put the glutinous flour in a bowl. Add a little salt and water to make a dough with can be shape and work with.  Take 1/4 cup of the dough mix with some food coloring. Roll it into tiny worm shape and set it aside.

With the remaining dough, break the dough into  marble size pieces. Roll it, then flatten it. Add a piece of palm sugar and roll into a ball again. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup water and add the durian paste. Let to cook softly. Once soft use a spoon to mash the durian so it in a smooth paste.

To the taro add coconut milk, and sugar. Let it come to slight boil.Also add the cooked durian paste. Then add the worm shaped glutinous dough and the round ones.  Once cooked the dough will float.
Serve warm.

Quick Foccacia

Bitter Melon in Yogurt Sauce

Pear, Tomatoes, Cucumber Salad

Peanut Cookies

Tomato Salad with Ricotta dressing

Celery Soup with parsley garlic paste

Ingredients:

5 cups chopped  celery with leaves
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion , chopped
a sprig of fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp red chili  flakes
6 cups organic chicken stock or vegetable stock cups)
salt and pepper

A parsley garlic paste:
a handfull of parsley pounded with 6 garlic cloves with salt. Make a nice fine paste to add to the soup

Method:

In a pan, heat some olive oil.  Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. Then add the red chili flakes. some salt and thyme and saute for another 2 minutes. Then add celery and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Do not brown it.
Add broth and bring to a boil then let it simmer for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the soup and return to the stock pan. Cook until the desired thickness is achieve. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with bread, topped with some garlic parsley paste.

Fried rice with char siew

Ingredients:

2 cups day old cooked jasmine rice
1/2 cup diced char siew
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup diced carrots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
2 eggs, beaten with a little fish sauce

soy sauce
fish sauce

Method:

Add some oil in a hot wok. Add the minced garlic. Saute for a minute. Do not let it brown. Then add the char siew, the carrots and the chili paste. Cook for a minute or two. Then add the cooked rice. Add some soy sauce and fish sauce. The heat must be on high. Keep stirring the rice.
Lower the heat. Move the rice to the edge to the wok. Add some oil and add the beaten eggs. Slowly start combining the rice to the eggs and cook on high heat. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Adjust the seasonings.
Serve hot.

Silken Tofu with chili black bean