Sweet Potato Latkes with Pear "Sauce"

Recipe makes 4 servings (2 latkes per person)

Ingredients
Sweet Potato Latkes

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 1/2 medium onion,  grated
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

Pear "Sauce"

• 1 large pear, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• splash of white wine (I used chardonnay)

 In a medium bowl, combine grated sweet potatoes and onion. Add thyme leaves (removed from stems). Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir ingredient together and then add 2 eggs and 2 tbsp of flour. Stir until evenly mixed together. Cover and place in fridge until ready to cook.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. When butter is melted add the pear cubes making sure to evenly coat them with the butter. Add the dark brown sugar and stir to dissolve in the butter. Add a splash of wine. Toss pears in the sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until pears are tender.

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium to medium high heat. When the oil is ready add two heaping spoonfuls of the latke mix to the pan. Use a spatula to flatten into small pancake shapes. When you see the edges start to crisp, flip the latkes. Remove from oil when both sides are a nice brown color. Repeat process with remaining mixture.

Serve hot topped with the pear sauce. I served mine as a side dish to a stuffed chicken breast (recipe to follow). Enjoy!

Seared Tuna with Olive-Tapenade Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped mixed-olive tapenade
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for cooking and dressing
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 2 six ounce ahi tuna steaks
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning herb
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, grilled
• 1/2 lemon

In a bowl mix tapenade, onion, basil, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper.

Season each steak with 1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable over medium-high heat. Cook tuna until desired doneness. I prefer mine rare to medium rare (1-2 minutes each side).

In a large bowl combine arugula and grilled asparagus (cute into bite sized pieces). Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables. Divide among 2 plates. Cut tuna (across the grain) into slices and place on top of arugula and asparagus. Spoon tapenade vinaigrette over tuna.  

Original recipe from Epicurious

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place brussel sprouts in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and outer leaves are crispy. Remove from oven and toss with pomegranate seeds. Dress with the juice of half a lime.

For little bit of a kick, you can add about a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the salt and pepper before baking.

Chicken Arroz Caldo

Yesterday the weather in Atlanta made a change for the better. We went from sticky, hot 90 degree weather to cool, rainy 70 degree weather. This change in climate made me crave something my mom would make often when I was younger- Chicken Arroz Caldo (or as we called it Chicken and Rice). This is a Filipino rice "porridge" dish that is so comforting and delicious on a day like yesterday and today.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 6 chicken wings, cut to separate drumettes, flats and tips
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup short grain rice
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• hard boiled eggs, for garnish (optional)
• green onion, sliced for garnish
• lemon wedges (calamansi if it's available to you)

In a large pot heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent (approx. 3 minutes).

Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes. They should start to turn a light golden brown.

Add the stock, rice and fish sauce. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Make sure to stir often- you want to release the starches from the rice so that it thickens the stock.

If you prefer the end product to be thinner, just ass more stock. While your arroz caldo is cooking, heat up the last 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat in a separate pan. Saute the garlic until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Serve the chicken arroz caldo in bowls topped with fried garlic, green onions, a lemon wedge, a boiled egg and a dash or 2 of fish sauce. When my mom made this for me growing up she never used boiled eggs but I have seen many photos with the egg that I decided to give it a try. I really liked the addition of it to the meal.

Masarap! Definitely satisfied my craving.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pound shrimp
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1 cup 1-inch chunks green bell peppers
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• Hot rice (white or brown) accompaniment

To make the sauce, in a bowl, combine 1/4 cup of stock, the ketchup, sugar, juice, vinegar, soy, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons of stock and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the ginger, garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the shrimp, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan. 

Add the onions and peppers and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. 

Add the sauce and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Return the shrimp to the pan and add the pineapples. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and serve over rice.

Modified version of Emeril Lagasse's Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Chicken Italian Sausage Calzone

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2

• 1 package of pre-made pizza dough
•  whole milk mozzarella cheese
• Italian blend shredded cheese
• chicken Italian style sausages (or sausage of your choice)
• basil leaves
• garlic cloves
• vine tomatoes
• spinach leaves
• sliced mushrooms
• olive oil
• your favorite store bought or homemade marinara
• grated Romano cheese (optional)

The beauty of this is that you can use as much or as little filling as you'd like. Start by taking your pre-made pizza dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. While the dough sits, slice your sausage. Saute the sausage in a pan along with your mushrooms. Set aside. After the hour passes, lightly flour your working space and cut the dough into 2 even pieces. Lightly flour your work space and roll out each piece of dough into a circular (I used rectangular) shape.

 

The next step is to fill half of your pizza dough. Again, you can use as much or as little as you'd like. I layered mine with mozzarella, Italian shredded cheese, sausage and mushrooms, minced garlic, tomato slices, spinach and more mozzarella.

Fold over the other half of the dough to cover the filling. Make sure that the edges are secure and sealed so that the filling does not ooze out during baking (I used a fork to seal the edges of each calzon). Place the calzones on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle more olive oil on top of each calzone. Bake them in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

While the calzones are baking, heat up your favorite marinara or prepare your own. I quickly put together a marinara consisting of crushed tomatoes, a freshly diced tomato, chopped basil, minced garlic, diced red onion, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. 

When your calzones are done baking, let them rest for a few minutes. Top it with your marinara and some grated Romano cheese. Or if you prefer, have your marinara on the side or none at all. Afterall, it's about what YOU like. Make it your own!

Coconut Lime Shrimp Dinner

I finally got around to trying out the Coconut Lime Shrimp recipe I posted a couple of days ago. The recipe says to let the shrimp marinate for 4 hours but I let mine marinate while I was at work so it was more like 8-10 hours. I paired it with cilantro lime rice and a spicy mango & roasted eggplant salsa.
Cilantro Lime Rice

• 2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• juice of 1/2 large lime
• salt & pepper

1. Prepare Jasmine rice according to package directions. I prefer Jamine rice because it’s fragrant but you can substitute for your favorite white rice.
2. Roughly chop 1/4 of cilantro leaves.
3. In a large bowl combine the jasmine rice, cilantro and juice of half a large lime.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 Spicy Mango & Roasted Eggplant Salsa

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 1 small eggplant or 1/2 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 small yellow or red onion, diced
• juice of 1/2 large lime
• 1/2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• salt & pepper

1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4” thick pieces. Brush both sides with vegetable oil. Cook on grill for about 3-4 minutes each side. Side aside to cool.
2. In a bowl combine mango, cilantro, tomatoes, onion and cilantro. When eggplant has cooled, cut into small cubes and add to bowl.
3. Add juice of 1/2 a large lime, seasoned rice vinegar (optional), cayenne pepper, chipotle powder.
4. Toss ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Eggplant and Zucchini Lasagna

I started by making my cheesey filling. I rarely use measurements when cooking so please forgive me. In a bowl, I mixed ricotta cheese and sauteed mushrooms, onions & garlic. I added a bit of fresh thyme & rosemary and salt & pepper to taste.

I then sliced 1 zucchini  and half of a large eggplant into slice lengthwise. I wanted this lasagna to be a bit heart so my slices were close to 1/4” thick.

For my tomato sauce, I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and a can of plain tomato sauce. I added roughly chopped garlic, rosemary, pepper, garlic salt, pepper and dried Italian seasonings. I topped it all off with some good extra virgin olive oil.

I took out a medium glass baking dish and began to make my layers. To save time I used no boil lasagna pasta. I started with a bit of sauce in the bottom of the dish and placed a layer of pasta on top. I then began alternating between zucchini, riccota mixture, shredded mozzarella, grated romano cheese, eggplant and sauce. The use of zucchini and eggplant also cuts down on the amount of carbs in the dish because you use less of the lasagna pasta.

You want to top everything off with the last of your sauce, mozarella and romano cheese. I placed it in an oven I preheated to 375 degrees and baked it for about 45-50 mins. During the last 5 minutes of cook time, I switched the oven setting to boil so that the cheese on top could get a nice golden brown.

The end result is an ooey, gooey cheesy lasagna. Let is sit for about 5-10 minutes before cutting. With the eggplant and zucchini you really wont miss the meat. Eat it solo topped with extra romano chese or with a nice salad of mixed greens with a vinaigrette.