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Entries in Dinner (50)

Sunday
31Jan2010

Ropa Vieja with Mango Salsa

DateSunday, January 31, 2010 at 11:54AM

A Cuban dish of Flank Steak and Peppers, topped with a fruity mango salsa, by contributor, Robin Daumit.

Ropa Vieja with Mango Salsa. Photo: R. DaumitThis recipe is a great example of why I like having company in the kitchen.  After a while, all home cooks could use a boost in the creativity department.  Food ruts abound, and that’s when you need a trusted friend, neighbor or sister to pull you out of your food funk.  A bit of Cuban steak is just what the doctor ordered for this home cook who’s stuck in the snow.  Thanks, Robin!

From Robin:  “A classic Cuban dish that transports you to palm trees swaying in the sun, spicy smells coming from a Latin kitchen, and a good glass of rum on the side.

“Ropa Vieja translates as ‘old clothes’ and is so named because of the way it looks cooking in the pot. But the flavors in this dish will create lasting memories that have nothing to do with old clothes.

“This dish is traditionally served with black beans and white rice. A mango salsa on the side is a wonderfully fresh complement to the warm flavors in the meal.”

Ropa Vieja Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb cut of Flank Steak, cut with the grain into strips
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic pressed
  • 2 large onions chopped into small pieces
  • 4 green peppers, cored/seeded and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, cored/seeded and chopped into small pieces
  • 1 pint of grape tomatoes sliced into quarters
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons crushed cumin
  • 1 tablespoon crushed oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 jar of tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup of dry Vermouth

Directions:

  1. Have these ingredients chopped and ready to cook at once. Place oil in a heated pot on high, add all ingredients but tomato sauce and vermouth and stir to give everything time at the bottom of the pot until the meat has been seared.
  2. Add tomato sauce and vermouth.
  3. Stir, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 1 hour, though 2 hours is best. Remove the lid the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  4. Serve with Mango Salsa


Mango Salsa RecipeMango Salsa. Photo: R. Daumit

Ingredients:

  • 3 mangos, diced
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, cored seeded and diced
  • 1 red pepper, cored seeded and diced
  • handful of cilantro, washed and chopped fine
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Chop all ingredients into small pieces about the same size.
  2. Squeeze in the lime, salt and pepper and toss well to blend.
  3. Best if prepared an hour before eating to marinate the flavors.
AuthorTrevy Thomas | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Thursday
21Jan2010

Leftover Chicken and Pork Enchiladas

DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 7:31PM

A spicy, cheesy, hot dinner that transforms leftover cooked meat into a new meal, by Trevy Thomas.

Leftover Chicken & Pork Enchilada. Photo: T. ThomasLeftover dinner happens.  One night you make this fabulous chicken dish, and the next morning, it greets you from the refrigerator looking awfully yesterday.  What to do with that beast of yore?  My best solutions have been to transform the previous night’s meat into an entirely new creation.  In fact, I want it to be unrecognizable.  My roast chicken and potatoes might’ve been great once, but the re-heated leftovers are not very enthusing.  Like all good leftover dishes, this one is slightly lame, and by that I mean it doesn’t require much effort, or special ingredients or creativity on your part.  After all, one night of brilliance is all that should be expected of a home cook.  The next night is a holiday.  So this dish is both a cooking expedition and a reprieve too.  There is only so much brilliance a girl can produce in one week.

Leftover Chicken and Pork Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients:

  • 1 can enchilada sauce (or substitute tomato sauce with some hot sauce added)
  • 1 jar salsa (or whatever is left)
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • Big splash wine or vermouth
  • Grated cheese (cheddar & asiago is what I used, but go with what you have)
  • Diced leftover cooked meat (chicken, pork, beef or combination about 2 cups will fill 8 tortillas)
  • 2 spring onions, chopped (or white/yellow whatever onion)
  • 8 Tortillas (or as many as you have)
  • Sour cream or yogurt for topping

Directions:

  1. Mix together the enchilada sauce, salsa, garlic & wine in a saucepan over medium heat until just hot.  
  2. Put most of the grated cheese and chopped meat in a bowl, along with the onions
  3. .  Add half the sauce mixture to the meat and stir.  Taste.  It should be good.  If not, season.  
  4. Rub a large baking dish with a tiny bit of oil just to moisten.  
  5. Put one tortilla on a plate and fill with a small handful of meat-sauce filling.  Roll up and place seam down in the baking dish.  Repeat until the pan is full.  
  6. Put any leftover filling along the sides of the pan.  Top with a bit more grated cheese and the rest of the sauce.  
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20  minutes.  
  8. Serve with a dollop of yogurt/sour cream and anything else good you have (like avocado or olives).
AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Sunday
06Dec2009

Sausage & Pepper Rigatoni Recipe

DateSunday, December 6, 2009 at 5:54PM

Bites of spicy sausage tucked between rounds of rigatoni pasta with crisp peppers in a warm tomato sauce, by Trevy Thomas.

Sausage & Rigatoni. Photo: T. ThomasThere’s sausage and peppers, then there’s rigatoni with sausage and peppers.   I think the addition of pasta, cheese and tomato sauce turns this classic dish into a heavenly comfort meal.  You can make all kinds of healthy choices to up the nutrition factor and lower the fat if you want.  I love gourmet chicken sausages, but have to blindfold my husband if I go that route (fun in a whole different way).  Spicy Italian sausages are really good too, and there are organic varieties of those available now.  Whatever you choose, try this dish on a cold winter night, or afternoon, and remember that food can do a lot to feed your soul as well as your belly.  Enjoy.

Sausage & Pepper Rigatoni Recipe

  • 1 pound rigatoni (or other tube-shaped pasta)
  • 1 pound spicy sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 peppers (1 green, 1 red), chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 32-oz. jar tomato sauce
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup grated cheese (your favorite – I like Asiago)

Directions:

  1. Boil pasta in salted water until slightly underdone.
  2. Sauté sausage, casing removed, in olive oil, breaking up into bits with a spoon.
  3. Add chopped peppers, garlic and onion.
  4. Stir and cook about two minutes.
  5. Stir in tomato sauce, and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Drain pasta, and pour half of it into a lightly oiled casserole.
  7. Top with half the tomato-sausage mixture, then 3/4 cup grated cheese.
  8. Finish with pasta, sauce and 1/2 cup grated cheese.
  9. Bake in 375 degree oven 30 minutes.

To go with:

Easy Salad Recipe



 

AuthorTrevy Thomas | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Monday
23Nov2009

Acorn Squash Bowls with Wild Rice

DateMonday, November 23, 2009 at 11:26AM

A taste of autumn using acorn squash halves as (mostly) edible bowls filled with wild rice and other flavors, by Dave Utrata.

This recipe is certainly not completely unique.  In fact, doing a bit of research for this, I found numerous recipes that make use of winter squash as bowls, and lots of variation on how to stuff acron squash halves.  Undeterred, I tried to use my own ideas for flavors I felt went together well.  I tried this out on friends and we all enjoyed it.  Feel free to make variations to suit your own tastes and whims.

 

Ingredients

2 Acorn squash, halved, with seeds and pulp removed

1 cup wild rice blend, cooked

½ cup chopped celery

1 tsp savory leaf

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp allspice

¼ cup chopped pecans

3 thin ham slices

3 pineapple rings

 

Directions

Place acorn squash halves on baking trays; you may need two to fit the squash, depending on their size.  My friends and I used 3 halves that fit on one large pan. The 4th was prepared on the side just to have roasted squash.  Also note that the volume of the squash-stuffing mix can vary depending on the siz and number of acorns you have.  We used 3 rather large halves here.

Mix the spices, nuts and celery together, then blend into the cooked rice.  The above amount of ingredients filled these three squash halves almost to overflowing for us, so you may wish to adjust this to fill the number and size of “bowls” you use.

After your squash halves are filled, fold and arrange a slice of ham on each bowl.  Top this with a pineapple ring.  Cover the squash halves with aluminum foil; you’ll want to keep them moist.  Place in the oven at 375oF and cook for about 40 minutes.  For a lower temperature, use a longer time.  In any case, check the squash so that they’re cooked and tender to taste.

We found this recipe gave a blend of flavors that hinted in a few directions without overpowering a nice earthiness from the pecans, rice and squash.  It also had a nice appearance that made dining together more fun.  Enjoy!

AuthorDave Utrata | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Friday
06Nov2009

Pork Tenderloin with Acorn Squash, Lentils, and Onion

DateFriday, November 6, 2009 at 12:49PM

Juicy pork tenderloin, brined in apple cider and finished in a clay cooker with accompanying squash and lentils, by Dave Utrata.

Apples. Photo: Jason NelsonThis pork tenderloin recipe looks busy, but after a series of simple steps, you’ll have a juicy cut of meat served easily on a bed of the tasty side dish prepared in a clay cooker.  This dish has a striking visual appeal!  It also captures the nicely harmonic tastes of the autumn season, apples and acorn squash.  Be sure to read the preparation steps ahead of time and plan accordingly.  This is possibly not a dish that lends itself to after work rush cooking, but it’s really not that complex. 

 

Ingredients

1 lb. pork tenderloin

Apple cider, about 1 quart

½ cup Kosher salt

1 cup lentils

1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly

¼ stick butter

3-5 cloves of garlic, (to taste)

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried savory leaf

1 cup vegetable broth

1 acorn squash, sliced into ¼” to ½” thick half-rings with seeds and membrane removed

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp hot ground pepper (or to taste)

 

Directions

Begin by soaking the lentils in water overnight.  This presoak assumes you use dried lentils, as I did.  Drain and rinse the lentils and set aside.

The day of the meal, brine the pork tenderloin in the apple cider and salt.   Use enough cider to cover the tenderloin in a stainless steel pot, adding the salt first and mixing.  I got good results by brining for 4 hours; you may adjust the brining time for longer, but that time is about the minimum.

About two hours before dinner time, melt the butter in a large pan under medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and slowly cook, allowing the onion to caramelize.  This should take about 45 minutes or so; don’t rush it, this will be worth it. 

Add the dried herbs after this, add the lentils and broth.  Allow this mixture to boil then simmer for 10 minutes.  Set aside, cool a bit and then spoon this into the base of a clay cooker.  (I assume you know to soak your clay cooker’s top in water for the recommended period of time; the base of mine is glazed and doesn’t require soaking.)

Remove the pork from the brine, rinse and pat dry.  In the now empty pan, lightly brown all sides of the tenderloin.  Set this on the bed of onions and lentils in the cooker bottom.  Settle the half rings of acorn squash across the tenderloin.  Leave enough space between the rings to let the tenderloin show.

Place the top on the clay cooker, put into a cold oven and set to 375oF.   Cook for about 40 minutes.  At that point, carefully remove the top from the cooker and baste the squash rings and tenderloin in a glaze made from the brown sugar, cider and hot pepper.  Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes.

For serving, gently move the acorn squash rings to one side.  Spoon some of the onions and lentils on a plate and then slice out the desired serving of tenderloin.  Top with a ring or two of squash; they’re probably going to be fragile, but the skin will hold them together.

 

This dish was really enjoyable to make for so many reasons: it only looks busy, trust me on that one, and it was ultimately just a one pot dish.  It also allowed me to use the only real harvest that came out of my garden this year, the acorn squash.  My only regret is that I didn’t use a good camera to take a photo; my camera phone didn’t do this dish justice, it looked so good!

 
AuthorDave Utrata | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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