Amazing Curry Chicken Salad!

You guys are going to LOVE this recipe!! .... My boyfriend and I went the Keys a few months ago and on our last day we went on this day-long sailboat trip complete with snorkeling, kayaking, and a delicious lunch with a chicken salad that was to die for! After that, I set out on a mission to find a chicken salad recipe that came close to resembling the one we had on that gorgeous, sun-filled day.

It took some mixing and matching but I think I've come really close!

Whether it's on a bagel, a whole wheat wrap, or by itself, I really think you, your family and friends are going to make this recipe one of your favorites!

Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, cooked
• 1 cup of mayo* (Hellman's is pretty tasty)
• 1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay I had opened the day before)
• 1/4 cup Major Grey's chutney (in the bbq sauce area of grocery store)
• 3 tbsp curry powder
• 2 large celery stalks, medium-diced
• 2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts
• 1 to 2 tbsp of fresh dill, chopped (I love dill! I think I put close to 3 tbsp)
• handful of grapes, green or red, cut in halves
• 1 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped

*Although regular mayo is higher in fat, most of it is unsaturated fat and the ingredients are a lot more straight-foward and simple compared to low or fat free mayo which has things like cellulose gel and modified corn starch. Not my cup of tea.

Instructions:

1. Grab the chicken. Remove and discard the skin. Then remove the meat from the bones and cut into large bite-size pieces. Place the pieces in a large bowl and lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and fresh dill and give it a stir to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, wine, chutney, curry powder, and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Blend well.

3. Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Then add the celery, walnuts, grapes, and scallions and mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!!! :)

Thanksgiving Recipe Series

Hello peoples!! Are you as excited as I am that the most delicious holiday of the year is right around the corner??!! I thought that it would be a good idea to do a Thanksgiving Recipe Series for the next couple of weeks leading up to the BIG day. I know lots of people are scrambling trying to find those crowd-pleaser recipes guaranteed to impress the fam, so I'm gonna try to help you out.

Since 2004 when I moved to DC and my friends and I were forced to make our own Thanksgiving together, I've been trying out all sorts of different recipes, some that I've liked, others that I (and my dinner guests) could've done without. So follow me these next couple of weeks as I share my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including my mom's bacon-wrapped oven-roasted turkey recipe. Yes, I said BACON-wrapped!

For today, we're going to start off with probably the easiest soup you've ever made. It's Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup. You can serve it as an appetizer or as part of the main course. You can even substitute the sweet potatoes for butternut squash, which I've done on numerous occasions. Best thing about this soup... ZERO fat! Kinda helps make up for the other, not so health-conscious recipes. :)

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable stock (I used Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock b/c it's lower in sodium than many other stocks)
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup sherry wine (if you don't have sherry, just add 1 more cup of veggie stock instead)
• hot sauce, to taste
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Put the sweet potatoes, red peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, veggie stock, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies get soft.

3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and a generous dash of hot sauce (if you like a little kick). Serve warm.

More to come!!! Stay tuned...

It's Flu and Cold Season...

...And I've got just the thing!

After an entire year of being in a hospital around all sorts of illnesses thinking I might get through it without getting sick, ... I got sick. :P It was like a domino effect. One day one of my classmates had it, the next day two did, and so on until I got it. It's all over Miami! This morning I went to CVS and found myself in the cold & flu aisle along with four other people (it's 8 am on a Saturday morning). We all looked at each other like "yep, I feel ya". Whatever this flu/cold/sinus thing is, I've decided I'm going to nip it in the bud today. Which leads me to today's recipe: a shmishmorshen of caribbean veggies made into a delicious and hearty soup.

I give you ajiaco [ah-hee-ah-ko]. It's the kind of food mom used to make when you were young that somehow magically cured all and made you feel better instantly! Traditionally, ajiaco is made with tasajo (cured, dry beef) and pork. For today, I decided to ix-nay both. I made it with yuca (cassava), malanga, boniato, corn on the cob, platanos (plantains), calabaza (West Indian squash), potatoes, and carrots. You can find all of these vegetables at a latin grocery store or in the latin produce section of your supermarket.

*I used a pressure cooker to make the ajiaco. If you have one, great! If not, just use a large pot, it'll just take longer to cook.

Ajiaco (vegetarian)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 10 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Sazón Completa seasoning
• 2 corn cobs, cut into smaller pieces
• 1 malanga, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 small yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 yellowish-green platanos, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 boniato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1-2 cups of calabaza, peeled and cubed
• 3 carrots, chopped
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Fill the pressure cooker half way up with water and add the corn cobs, green pepper, onion, garlic, 2 bay leaves, and a few dashes of Sazón Completa . Bring the heat to medium-high, secure the lid on the pressure cooker, and cook for 10-15 minutes. This will give the corn the extra time it needs to cook.

2. Let the pressure out of the pressure cooker and open the top. Add the rest of the vegetables to the broth and add a little more water if the water level is too low. (*Do NOT fill the pressure cooker past the maximum level line) You may also want to add a few more dashes of Sazón Completa to maintain the seasoning level for the added water.

3. Secure the lid back on and cook for another 5 mins. on medium-high heat. Let the pressure out once more, open the top, and check to see that all the veggies have cooked through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve. Squeeze some lime on top and you'll be feeling great in no time!

Enjoy! :)

Good Eats

One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Good Eats with Alton Brown. He's great at explaining food concepts and giving information that is interesting and very easy to comprehend. He's kind of like the culinary version of Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Here is one of Alton's recipes. I like snapper but you can use another fish if you like. I've made it twice already and trust me, this is a complete meal! If you had to add anything, I'd say pair it with a nice white wine. Besides being delicious, it's a very visually-pleasing meal. It's perfect if you're trying to impress a special someone with your culinary skills. ;)

Red Snapper en Papillote

It's A Soup Kinda Day

I know it's 100 degrees outside and the last thing I should be thinking about is a nice, warm bowl of soup, but guess what? I am! Now that I'm in Miami, I never really have the reason of cold weather for making soup like I did during the harsh DC winters. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped me from making one of my favorite foods.

Today I got my trusty soup book out and decided to make Chicken and Almond Soup. It sounded interesting and I was curious to see what it would taste like. As I found out, the smell alone was worth making this soup!! The poblano chili packed immense flavor throughout and made my kitchen smell deeeelicious.

Chicken and Almond Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh, shredded ginger
• 3/4 cup almonds, finely ground (use food processor)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
• 1 poblano chili, chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 1 cup light cream

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a deep skillet or wok. Add the chopped leek and the ginger root and sauté until soft but only just turning brown.

2. Lower the heat and add the ground almonds, salt, peppercorns, chili, carrots, peas, and chicken. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring constantly. Add the cilantro.

3. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Put the mixture in the food processor or blender and process for about 90 seconds. Pour in the water and blend for another 30 seconds.

4. Pour back into the rinsed pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the cream gradually while stirring. Simmer for 2 more minutes and you're done.

5. If you'd like, serve soup with a sprig of cilantro and a few thin slices of avocado to complete the dish.

Beans, Beans, They're Good For Your Heart

... the more you eat, the more you increase your dietary fiber intake. What? ;) But seriously, this fresh summer recipe is packed full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C! Enjoy!

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

• 4 tbs white wine vinegar
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the beans, red pepper, celery, and red onions.

2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. Add the vinaigrette to the bean salad and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour to let all the flavors mingle.

Who Loves Meatloaf?!

I DO! Who doesn't enjoy a good loaf of meat? Yuuuummy. ;) But for those of you who are trying to find healthier options to your favorite foods, here's one I tried this weekend for Father's Day. I was a little skeptical because I'm a little funny when it comes to ground turkey, but it actually came out really, really good!

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbs olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup skim or non-fat milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp dried ground sage
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• ketchup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease an aluminum or glass loaf pan with PAM olive oil spray and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the celery and garlic and continue to sauté until vegetables are very tender. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the ketchup, to the large bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer mix to the pan and put it in the oven for 1 hour. Then take it out and spread ketchup on top and place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so. The temperature in the center of the loaf should be 165˚F.

4. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes, and serve!

Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantain Fritters)

Here's a Cuban favorite of mine that's great to serve as an appetizer or with a meal. It's not a low-fat recipe (as implied by the "twice-fried"!) but it's definitely delicious and the Mojo Criollo dipping sauce that goes with it is the perfect compliment to these crunchy treats!

Tostones

Ingredients:

• 3-4 green plantains (yellow plantains are sweet and we don't want that for this recipe)
  
• canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• salt
• Tostonera (plantain press)

Instructions:

1. Take one plantain and with a sharp knife, cut the ends off. Then make a shallow slit lengthwise from the top of the plantain peel to the bottom, being careful not to cut into the plantain itself. Then take your fingers and separate the peel from the plantain. Remove the peel and discard. Do this for each plantain.

2. Cut the plantains into small slices, about 2 to 3 fingers thick.

3. In a large frying pan, pour enough canola oil to almost cover the slices of plantain (about 2 or 3 cups depending on the size of your pan). Heat the oil on Medium heat. Once the oil is heated, gently place the plantain slices in the pan and allow them to cook on each side until each side is golden (maybe a little brown, very little though!). *Cooking over Medium heat is very important because if you put the heat too high, the outside will cook too quickly while the inside won't cook through enough.

4. For this next step, you'll want to create a little assembly line to make the process more fluid. Grab a bowl filled with water and pour salt in it liberally. Make sure the salt is mixed into the water well. Place a thick layer of paper towels on your prep counter. Next to it place the Tostonera, next to that place the bowl of salt water, and next to that place another paper towel. Got that? ;) *If you don't have a Tostonera, you can use the flat bottom of a bowl.

5. One by one, remove the plantain slices from the oil and quickly place it on the thick layer of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Then place the slice in the Tostonera and flatten. Dip the flattened plantain (tostones) in the salt water and then set it aside on the last paper towel. Do this for each slice.

6. Turn the heat up on the oil to Medium/High. Place the tostones back in the oil and fry until crispy and lightly browned.

7. Put a paper towel on the serving dish. Remove the tostones from the oil, place on the serving dish, and sprinkle salt on top. Serve with Mojo dipping sauce.

Mojo Criollo (Creole Garlic Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced (almost translucent)
• 1/2 cup GOYA sour orange juice OR 1/4 cup sweet orange juice
• juice of 1/2 a lime and 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Use a mortar & pestle or a food processor to crush the garlic with the salt to make a thick paste.

2. In a bowl, combine the garlic paste, onion, and citric juices and let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

3. Right before serving, heat the olive oil over Medium/High heat in a saucepan until it's really hot. Add the garlic mixture (careful it might splatter), stir, and serve immediately. (Any extra sauce can be refrigerated and used later.)

ENJOY!!!!

Olives and Capers

If you like olives and capers, you're definitely going to like this one. The recipe is simple, quick, and doesn't require many ingredients. It's also a nice change from your regular spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Spaghetti with Olives and Capers

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I heart garlic, so I used 5 cloves)

1 small dried red chili, crumbled

12 oz tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped (I like to use grape tomatoes)

2/3 cups pitted black olives

3 tbsp capers, rinsed

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 lb spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, and add salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and dried chili, and cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is just golden.
3. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and tomato paste. Stir well and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes letting all the flavors seep into the sauce.
4. Pour the spaghetti into the sauce and cook for 1-2 more minutes, turning pasta constantly making sure pasta is well coated.
5. Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve!

(Crispy garlic bread goes great on the side.)

Bon appetit!!

Yumm-O!!

So yesterday I told you my sister and I tried out this new recipe we found for my mom's Mother's Day dinner and I gotta say it was GOOOOD!! I mean, really good (and healthy)! We made Couscous-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Feta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, & Kalamata Olives... how can you go wrong with that!?? Side dishes included Roasted Asparagus & Rosemary Potatoes. The meal is extremely tasty and all the flavors really compliment each other well. Pair it up with a nice bottle of white wine and you have the makings of an unforgettable, "wish I had more room in my stomach" meal. ;) I recommend it for your next dinner party or a nice romantic dinner night with your significant other. 

Here's mami and papi getting ready to chow down while watching the Marlins game. Aren't they cute? :)