Monthly Archives: February 2011

Random Friday Night Dinner: Cauliflower, Chorizo and Cojita Cheese

28 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by in Cauliflower, Cheese, Cooking, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

I feel like a contestant on Chopped, staring at the mystery basket in front of me, scratching my head, thinking: “How am I going to put these ingredients together in an edible matter?”  Except I am not on Chopped and Ted Allen is not here to count me down to the last second.  I’m in my kitchen, looking inside my refrigerator which happens to be quite empty, as embarrassing as it is to admit – but that’s another story.

It’s after 7pm and I’m starving.  This is not the time for grocery shopping, it’s time for mad magic in the kitchen.  And so it happens.  I pull out beef chorizo and a head of cauliflower. In just minutes a pot of water (salted) is coming to a boil, and chorizo (beef) is out of its casing, hitting the cast iron skillet.  What’s next?  I chop an onion and add it to chorizo, gently giving the two a stir with a wooden spoon.

Next, I break down the head of cauliflower into florets and submerge them into boiling water.  The lid follows to speed up the cooking and in less than 5 minutes the cauliflower florets are ready.  They look lonely and sad.  That’s when the unlikely friendship takes place.  The florets make their way into the skillet, joining the chorizo and onions.  The florets snuggle in, soaking up all the goodness and flavors that chorizo so generously gave out.  The dish is almost ready but it’s begging for one more thing – Cojita cheese.  Slightly salty, and resembling a gentler cousin of feta, Cojita is a perfect accompaniment.

Will you give this a try?  I’m not so sure, but I do encourage you to do so!

Mexican Taco Pizza on a Tortilla

25 Friday Feb 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Mexican, Pizza, Recipe

≈ 3 Comments

Pizza without pizza crust?  Say it ain’t so!  Well, I can’t.  Who says pizza needs to have a traditional crust, tomato sauce and mozzarella?  Not met!  For this global pizza creation, I introduce you to a Mexican Taco Pizza on a Tortilla!  Think of it as an open-faced quesadilla.  It’s beyond delicious and flavorful and is really easy to put together.  Feel free to play with the flavors and ingredient substitutions to create your own variation – let me know what you come up with!

Makes 4 tortilla pizzas

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup tomatillo salsa, plus more for serving
1/2 pound Pepper Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup canned yellow corn (use fresh in the summer)
8 ounces ground beef, cooked with a tablespoon of taco seasoning and cooled
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange tortillas on a pizza stone or a large baking sheet. Evenly spread salsa over tortillas and sprinkle with half the cheese.

2. Combine beans, corn, beef and cilantro and evenly spread on top of tortillas.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

3. Place the tortilla pizzas in the oven and bake until the cheese bubbles and the tortillas are crisp, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.  Cut into quarters and serve.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Feast at Gorgeous George’s in Seattle

23 Wednesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Mediterranean, Restaurant Review, Seattle

≈ 4 Comments

Sometime ago I was in search of a dining experience in Seattle. Granted, Seattle has quite a few of dining experience, I was having a hard time picking one (indecision on my part should not be so surprising).  I turned to the few experts (friends and twitter and facebook) and solicited advice.  A bunch followed, but I was still not convinced.  
That’s when my friend Keren (aka the Frantic Foodie) came to the rescue.  In a rush, I rattled off the list of wants (aka demands) to her and somehow she nailed it!  She suggested Gorgeous George’s.  Alright, so the name itself had me curious.  But when she mentioned that it was the best Mediterranean in Seattle and just minutes away from me, I knew I couldn’t resist.  And so we went and dined.

(Thank you for having fresh flowers on the table.  Even a bigger thank you for the fresh flower not being a carnation.)

Quick write up from the restaurant’s site: Come enjoy the hospitality and fine Mediterranean cuisine prepared with a touch of perfection by Chef George.  Whether a quick lunch or a special night out, everyone is welcomed with open arms. On the menu you will find a blend of family recipes, and dishes made with George’s special flare, with spices direct from the Holy Land.

(Is the table too small or are there too many plates on the table?)
You might be curious what the picture above depicts.  Or perhaps you are too hungry to wonder.  Either way, let me tell you – the above is the appetizer platter.  That’s right – ONE appetizer platter.  It could easily be shared by two people for lunch.  For the most part, I enjoyed every little plate, but there were definite highlights and sadly a few misses.  
My favorites by far were a plate of olives (surprise, surprise) and eggplant dip (which was smoky and spicy and blended just enough – in other words the texture did not remind me of baby food).  The fallafel balls were quite light and brightly flavored with fresh herbs.  I didn’t even mind that the crispy outside was somewhat destroyed by the tahini sauce.
To be improved were the tabbouleh – perhaps a touch of salt and lemon juice could do wonders for this bulgur and herb salad.  To enjoy each dish I was hoping for warm, light-as-a-cloud disks of pita bread.  And while the pita bread was served, it was hardly warm or fresh-out-of-the-oven.  Better luck next time?  
With great food comes great service and both of our servers were attentive and friendly.  By the end of dinner there was no room for dessert, as tempting as it was to get a piece of baklava.  I look forward to my next visit to try Chef George’s other dishes.  Bon Appetit

Mango, Avocado & Shrimp Salad with Quinoa

10 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Mango, Quinoa, Recipe, Shrimp

≈ 2 Comments

I am a big fan of going out to eat.  But sometimes this hobby can be quite damaging to the wallet – can you relate?  So for this get together with friends, I proposed cooking together!  Nothing fancy, just using something that I already had in the refrigerator.  I read off the list to Kellie – mango, shrimp, avocado, quinoa.  That was a pretty good start.  Kellie came over with the rest of the ingredients, and the salad came alive!  Enjoy.  Scroll all the way down to see what we had for dessert – thanks, Anna!

Ingredients

1.5 cups cooked quinoa
12 ounces cooked shrimp, chopped
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

Directions


1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the salad.  Gentle toss to combine.
3. Serve with a dollop of sou cream.

Here’s our decadent dessert 🙂

Chocolate Coconut Banana Cake

08 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Baking, Cooking, Recipe

≈ 2 Comments

If you are watching your sugar and fat intake, you might want to try this cake.  I adjusted a recipe from Whole Foods Market.  The sweetness of this cake comes from bananas and dates.  There is a very dominant banana flavor, and as someone who is not a big fan of bananas, I found it slightly bothersome.  Because the cake is quite dense, serve it with some fresh fruit – I chose sliced strawberries.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 very ripe medium bananas
4 ounces dates (about 8 large), pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly to eliminate any lumps. Set aside.

3. Add bananas, dates, milk, water and vanilla to a blender. Blend until dates are chopped very small and the mixture is thick and smooth, at least 1 full minute or more.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the banana mixture, and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, taking care not to overwork the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Watch out for the coconut flakes!  If you notice the coconut getting a bit too dark, cover the cake with foil.

5. Let the cake cool in the baking pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and cool completely. Peel the parchment paper off the cake and cut cake into squares for serving. Serve with strawberries.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

03 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Grains, Quinoa, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

Healthy and delicious dinner or lunch dish inspired by the recipe from Whole Foods Market. Following the Health Starts Here program, the recipe does not include any oil or salt.  I increased the amount and variety of the vegetables and added spices.  I hope you will try and enjoy the recipe.  Depending on the size of your peppers, you might have some filling leftover after stuffing the peppers, but not to worry, I was happy to eat the filling on its own.

If you choose, feel free to saute the vegetables in olive oil and season the quinoa filling with sea or kosher salt.

Serves 5 (1 pepper per person)

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 vegetable stock or water
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, dill or parsley
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, then cored and seeded

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Put quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until liquid is gone and grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes; fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

2.  Heat vegetable broth in a pan. Add carrots, celery, edamame, garlic and spices. Cook 5-7 minutes until vegetables soften . Add vegetables, green onions, herbs and vinegar to quinoa and mix.

3.  Stuff peppers with mixture and arrange in a baking dish; pour 1/4 cup water into dish. Place tops on peppers, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.

How did I forget to take the photo of the final product?  Perhaps, I was too hungry to eat the pepper.  Regardless, it taste delicious!  I would recommend serving it with some tomato sauce.  Remember, if you’re following the Health Starts Here program, choose the sauce that doesn’t have any added fat or salt.  Garnish with green onions and enjoy!  Dinner leftovers will be great for lunch the next day.