A personal kitchen diary. I try new recipes and make notes on what works and what doesn't. Sometimes I can things, and sometimes I dry herbs. This is the story of my kitchen.
It’s not quite Happy Teriyaki but it’s close! Seattle Style Teriyaki Sauce (with my changes) 1 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground black …
2 Italian Sweet Sausages 1 10 oz container of cherry or grape tomatoes 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti) Remove the sausage from the links, crumble and brown over medium heat in a non stick pan. Meanwhile, put the …
I’ve enjoyed this summer squash and corn dish before, and I simplified it and made it a smaller serving size since I’m the only one who eats it in my household.
It’s simple: squash, onion, corn, chile, a bit of salt, some cream if you like and some cheese if you like.
I used some peppers from my garden pots, but normally I might use an Anaheim. It’s flexible. Use what you like or what you have.
Start by slicing the squash in thin quarters, and dicing the onion. Sauté in butter and oil over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened, but not browned.
Cut the kernels of the cob (I used one ear of corn, but if you have two, use two if you like) and dice your chiles. Add to the squash and onions, along with 1/2 tsp salt, and cook another 10 minutes, covered, until the vegetables are softened.
Add a small amount of cream or 1/2 and 1/2, up to 1/4 cup. Stir and cook to reduce to 1/2 the amount. Serve immediately.
If you like, top with Monterey Jack or Cotija cheese before serving.
Serve as a side, or do as I did and serve in a hot tortilla topped with cilantro.
Look, I didn’t name it. But if it fits, it fits. A sort of magic does happen by just letting these ingredients slowly simmer together over the course of a morning or afternoon. No one ingredient overwhelms the other. And while fresh tomatoes out of …
Charred Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas Step 1: Marinade Two Large Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts 2 limes 2 Tablespoons Oil 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 1/2 tsp cumin Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a container that will fit …
A couple of weeks ago Eric Ripert did an Instagram post of a seared duck breast with caramelized onions and sautéed pears and apples. I didn’t have everything, but I did have enough ingredients that I thought I could come pretty close. And he made it look so easy!
I had some caramelized onions in the freezer so I just used those, and I didn’t have pears, so only used apples.
I scored my duck breast (not quite as sharply and cleanly as Ripert’s!)
I also melted a bunch of butter (2 tablespoons? 3?) over medium heat and started cooking the apples. They were pretty large wedges of apples. I used Granny Smiths.
Patience is the key for rendering the fat and crisping the skin on the duck breast. I probably could (and should) have let this go a little longer and rendered more fat, but it still was tasty.
I was more patient with the apples and they got nicely browned with crispy edges from the butter.
I didn’t take pictures, but while the duck rested I deglazed the pan with whiskey, then heated the onions in it, cooking off the alcohol. I probably could have had a slightly prettier presentation, but it tasted great!
2 large carrots, in long julienne strands Juice of 1/2 large lemon 1 tsp (or so) sugar, maybe less Generous pour of good olive oil Several grinds of black pepper 1 tablespoon, more or less, of good Dijon mustard Coarsely ground sea salt to taste …
1/2 lb pork Italian Sweet Sausage, rolled into small balls. 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced Olive oil 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups tomato sauce 2 cups white beans 2 or 3 cups roughly chopped sturdy spinach or other …
The Beans
Look specifically for beans labeled Central America red beans or black beans. They are smaller than the usual beans you might find in the US, and they seem to hold their shape better.
I made mine in a slow cooker, followed that airport-purchased cookbook recipe for beans — adding onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro and celery.
The Rice
The airport-purchased cookbook had another long, complicated recipe for white rice to use in gallo pinto, but after all the work for the beans where I didn’t feel it made a difference, I just used my rice cooker to cook up a batch of 4 cups of long grain rice.
Making the Gallo Pinto
Ingredient list:
2 cups cooked Central American beans, red or black
1/2 cup bean broth
4 cups cooked long grain white rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 diced red bell pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
1/2 cup Salsa Lizano (don’t substitute)
1 chicken boullion cube (omit if vegetarian)
1-3 tsp neutral oil, divided
Heat 1 tsp of neutral oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant. Lower to medium and add another 1-2 tsp oil if needed, then add the onion, pepper, and cilantro. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the beans, the broth, the bouillon cube, and the Salsa Lizano.
Bring everything to a boil, and after letting it boil for a minute, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is all absorbed. Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve.
If you want to serve it the way it was often served to us in Costa Rica, pack the Gallo Pinto into a small bowl and overturn in a molded shape onto the plate.
When we were in Costa Rica, the Gallo Pinto was usually served with a fried egg, fried cheese, plantains and fresh fruit. I didn’t have any plantains or fresh fruit this morning, but I had some Halloumi cheese as a good fried cheese substitute.
It was delicious.
Crockpot Ham and Beans 1 lb dry Great Northern Beans, rinsed and sorted Leftover ham, ham hocks, or leftover hambone 2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half 1 stalk celery, cut in thirds 1 onion, peeled and quartered 1 bay leaf 6 cups chicken …