Trip to Italy

Every time I go to an Italian restaurant my first glance over the menu is to see if eggplant parmesan is available and my second glance over the menu is to see if there is anything else that could compete with eggplant parm.  I have loved this dish since the first time I tried it and almost always order it at Italian restaurants.  It never occured to me to attempt this dish until a few weeks ago.  The eggplant at the store always seemed to be in good shape but Shea wouldn't let me buy it until I had an official plan/recipe to use with it.  I researched eggplant parmesan and ended up combining a few different recipes into one.  The result was amazing!  The leftovers were pretty good, too.  Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna-Style

Ingredients

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch lengthwise
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups Italian bread crumbs
flour
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Place peeled and sliced eggplant in icy cold water for 10 minutes, making sure the eggplant are completely submerged.  Remove and layer with paper towels to dry. 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. After eggplant are completely dry, dredge each slice through flour until covered.  Dip floured eggplant in egg and then breadcrumbs.  Repeat egg and breadcrumbs until completely covered (probably just twice).

4. Place in single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for a total 20 minutes, 10 minutes on each side.

5. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom.  Layer eggplant slices, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle chopped basil.  Repeat with marinara sauce, eggplant, and cheeses. 

6. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Sujeta a cambios

Hi Everybody!  I have been doing this blog for one month now and absolutely love it!  I know for a fact that people read this because #1) the number ticker on the blog continues to rise,  #2) I have received emails and facebook messages regarding the blog,  #3) because I randomly receive comments from all of you guys on my posts!  After hearing that some people were having troubles posting comments, I finally found the edit section on posting/comment rules and I have successfully changed the settings.  Everybody can post comments, with or without a Google account and the comments can also remain anonymous. 

I have also been adding pictures (everyone say "meow" to my kitty Levi), added a bio page and a recipe page.  I'm trying to use the recipe page has an organized collection of recipes, but I can already see some issues coming up.... so keep checking that page for changes. 

And to quote the favorite line from my work organization....  This blog will always be subject to changes.  I hope you continue to enjoy!!

A Creamy Culinary Creation

I love this recipe so much but can't figure out a good introduction for it.  So.....  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Creamy Mushroom and Chicken Linguine

Ingredients

linguine pasta
2 chicken breasts
EVOO
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful of button mushrooms (maybe around 8-9), sliced
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
green onions, chopped

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Drain. 

2. Season chicken breasts to your own desire (For this recipe, we usually season with pepper, montreal chicken spice, and lawrys seasoning salt).  Heat EVOO in large skillet and cook chicken, approximately 6 minutes each side.  Remove chicken from pan and place aside, covered.  Drain most of the liquid from pan.

3. In the same pan, sautee garlic, mushrooms, and onion for about 3 minutes.

4. Add the chicken bouillon cube and water.  Stir until the bouillon cube is completely dissolved.  Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. 

5. Add the cream and milk.  Heat until sauce warms through and reduces slightly.  After the heat is turned off, add in a handful of chopped green onions for a nice pop of color and added flavor.

6. Combine pasta noodles and sauce.  Serve one portion of noodles onto a plate and add chicken breast on the side. 

Bon appetit!

This sauce is incredible.  I could happily eat this as just a pasta dish, in fact, I often eat only half of my chicken breast.  We add in the chicken breast to beef this recipe up for Shea.  The last few times we went grocery shopping, they didn't have linguine noodles so I substituted penne pasta.  I knew I needed a pasta that could stand up to the heaviness of the sauce.  Shea and I both preferred the penne pasta instead of the linguine noodles, so I will probably be making this with only penne from here on out. 

Fresh Herbs

If you have paid close attention to my previous recipe entries, you might have noticed that I use fresh herbs as opposed to the dried versions.  When I started cooking in the United States I never once bought fresh herbs.  To be honest, I'm not even sure I knew they existed.  I bought all types of the jarred McCormick spices and herbs and never thought twice about how using dried or fresh herbs could affect the flavor.  My good friend and section mate in the orchestra introduced me to the fresh herb world.  It started with the discovery of a small section of the produce department at Walmart: it contained bags of fresh rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley......  I mentioned this discovery to my section mate and she and her husband both commented on how much they enjoy cooking with fresh herbs.  Later that evening I cooked this recipe using my newly bought rosemary... and I haven't gone back to using dried herbs ever since.  I look forward to growing my own basil and rosemary plants so that I can always have these fresh herbs on hand.

Honey Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
EVOO
salt, pepper
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon

1. Heat EVOO in large saucepan.  Season chicken simply with salt and pepper.  Add to pan and cook approximately 6 minutes on each side.

2. After chicken is done cooking, pull out of pan, place on a plate and cover with aluminom foil to keep warm.  Drain most of liquid out of pan.

3. In same pan, sautee shallot, garlic cloves, and rosemary.  If necessary, add more EVOO.  Cook 2-3 minutes until rosemary is fragrant. 

4. Add in honey and mustard.  Stir to create a yummy glaze.

5. Add chicken to pan.  Place glaze all over each chicken breast.

Bon appetit!

We usually pair this chicken dish with a side of vegetable rice pilaf (recipe to be added soon).  The honey glaze is very nice with the chicken and also along with the rice.  A great pairing.

Spice it up

This is where I live.  About two hours north of a major cruise line stop (Mazatlan), just on the other side of the pond of a major vacation destination (Los Cabos), and 12 hours south of the United States border.  Living in Mexico has had both its' perks and dissappointments.  One huge benefit for living quite close to the coast in Mexico is the abundance of fresh seafood in all the markets.  While growing up in Indiana and Tennessee, and also attending graduate school in Ohio, I NEVER had much interest in seafood.  Who could grow an appreciation for seafood when you live in the middle of a huge country with no access to fresh markets?  I remember that whenever my parents said that fish was on the dinner menu I always inwardly groaned and complained.  The only seafood that I could enjoy eating was shrimp, usually in the form of shrimp cocktails.  After living in Mexico for 4 years now, I have eaten dozens of fish filets (salmon, tuna, white fish, etc), peeled and deveined hundreds (if not thousands) of shrimp, swallowed a few whole oysters, and even gotten to enjoy octopus.  All of the fresh seafood is so ridiculously inexpensive that it allows us to enjoy a seafood dish several nights of the week.  Here is a great shrimp dish that provides an extreme twist on the classic shrimp cocktail appetizer.

Spicy Shrimp Appetizer

Ingredients
1/3 cup sriracha hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon white sugar (some prefer to double)
salt, pepper
16-20 shrimps

1. Combine all ingredients together (except for shrimp).  Mix well.

2. Pour marinade into a Ziplock storage bag and add shrimp.  Shake to cover all shrimp in marinade.

3. Let shrimps marinate for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.

4.  Remove shrimps from marinade.  Cook in skillet or put shrimp on skewers and cook over grill until shrimp is pink.

5. Heat the marinade and place in a small bowl for extra dipping.  Sour cream also tastes really good with these shrimps.

Bon appetit!

Secret Ingredients

I love discovering new flavor combinations.  As I learn more about spices and fresh herbs I am fascinated with how the addition of one ingredient can draw out flavors of others.  I searched for a black bean soup, per request of Shea, and eventually settled on this recipe.  I wasn't too sure of some of the ingredients but after the soup was finished, I was amazed at the wonderful flavor of black beans and cumin.  I was so crazy about this soup that I made up a second batch the very same week and probably had black bean soup 7 days in a row for lunch.  And I never grew tired of the flavors.  Every time you make a black bean soup, you MUST include a few teaspoons of cumin!  It is the secret ingredient in this recipe that makes it a five star recipe.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (to be used separately)
1 small can of corn, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups salsa**
2 teaspoons fresh cumin, more if desired

For garnishes:
sour cream
avocado
green onions

**I make my own fresh salsa with mixing these ingredients:
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
fresh cilantro, chopped
pinch of salt, paprika, garlic powder

1. If using your own fresh salsa, prepare it first.  This will give a little extra time for the juices of the tomatoes and onions to combine with the seasonings. 

2. In a food processor or blender, combine 2 of the cans of black beans, corn, chicken broth, salsa, and cumin.  Blend until creamy smooth. 

3. In a large pot add the remaining can of black beans, leaving the beans whole to add texture to the soup.  Add in the black bean mixture from the blender.  Heat until just starting to bubble at the edges, but do not bring to a boil. 

4. Serve immediately with desired garnishes. 

Bon appetit!

Warning!!

After posting two recipes I now realize just how much I cook by "feel."  While I do measure many things, I am realizing how much that I do not measure!  How do you quantify "two turns of the pan" for wine, or a pinch of this, dab of that.....  How on earth do editors and writers specify quantities of food or seasonings in cookbooks?  I am also having difficulty with conversions -- grams to pounds, etc.... 

It is my hope that some of my recipes get tested out in each of your homes, but please don't hold me to my measurements.  Obviously you can adjust each recipe to your own taste.  These are simply offered as guidelines.  And keep in mind that I am cooking for two people but often make enough to have leftovers the next day. 

Classic Scampi

This recipe has become a staple in our repertoire.  If neither Shea or I are craving a particular food, this is an awesome 'fall back' recipe that is simple to make and satisfying.  It was one of the first recipes that Shea and I attempted to make together.  It has such a light and refreshing taste but will fill up your tummy! 

Classic Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients
angel hair pasta
extra virgin olive oil (referred to as EVOO from here on out)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons white wine
juice of 1 lemon
salt
lots of pepper
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
fresh basil, chopped

1. Bring large pot of water to boil.  Add angel hair pasta and cook to al dente.  Drain and place back into pot.

2. In a large skillet, sautee garlic with EVOO over medium heat. 

3. Stir in chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, salt, and a lot of pepper.  Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes. 

4. Add butter into sauce.  Let it melt and then add shrimp and basil.  Cook until shrimps have a nice pink color.  Beware of cooking the shrimps too long -- the longer amount of time shrimp is cooked, the tougher it gets. 

5. After shrimps are done cooking, pour the shrimp sauce over pasta noodles.  Toss to coat all noodles. 

Bon appetit!

After I have served my portion of pasta, I usually squeeze more fresh lemon juice over the top.  Doing so brings out the lemon flavor a little bit more, which I love!  Shea and I have also made this with seasoned chicken breasts or without any meat, just pasta.  Slice a zucchini into thin strips and sautee in the beginning with the garlic and EVOO to add a vegetable to the meal.  The zucchini blends wonderfully.

sauce and shrimp before adding to pasta

One pepper, two pepper, red pepper, green pepper

It's a tradition.  Every year for Christmas all members of my family receive a calendar for the upcoming new year.  After spending my first four months in Mexico, I went home for Christmas and sure enough, I got my calendar.  It had beautiful pictures of peppers for each month.  With the bright colors and a variety of peppers shown, I thought it was the perfect calendar to hang on the wall of my kitchen.  I know my mom got that particular calendar to place emphasis on my new living environment and the abundance of peppers in Mexico, but she could not have known how much I would come to absolutely love that calendar.  I have even saved the calendar to this day with hopes of framing the pictures and using them as wall decorations in my next home.  I think it is most appropriate for the first recipe of this blog to be.... stuffed peppers!

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tablespoon butter
4 bell peppers
1/2 of a small white onion, diced
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 jar of marinara sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Bring stock and butter to a boil.  Add rice, turn down heat, and cover.  Let set until cooked through.  (Approx. 15 min)  Check after about 8 minutes to make sure the rice doesn't need a touch more liquid.

2. While the rice is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add peppers to boiling water for at least 5 minutes, making sure the peppers are fully submerged.  This will soften the peppers.  If you like a more crunchy pepper you can omit this step.  After the 5 minutes are up, place peppers into ice water to stop the cooking process.

3. Stir fry the onions until soft and golden.  Remove from pan. 

4. Brown ground beef.  Drain grease. 

5. Into the pan with the beef, add the cooked rice, onions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.  Stir.  Add in diced tomatoes.  (Salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika or cayenne pepper could also be added.  Whatever you're in the mood for seasoning-wise)

6. Cut the tops of the peppers off and remove all seeds and membranes.  We begin the stuffing process now!

7. Sprinkle a little salt in the bottom of each pepper.  Add a tiny bit of shredded cheese.  Fill the peppers about 1/2 way with the beef mixture.  Now place a thin layer of marinara sauce inside each pepper.  Fill the peppers the rest of the way full with more beef mixture.  Place tops of peppers back on top. 

8. Place peppers in a baking dish (I used a 9x9 glass baking dish).  Cover loosely with aluminom foil. 

9.  Bake for 20 min. 

10. Remove foil and add shredded cheese to the tops of each pepper.  Place back in oven until cheese is melted. 

Bon appetit!

Some people prefer to have marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and also more mixed in with the beef mixture.  The next time I make these I might try this and see how much difference it makes, but I enjoyed tasting each ingredient and not having an overabundance of the marinara sauce.  I added some slices of avocado on the side.  Such a healthy, filling meal!!

Show and Tell

I want to show off my kitchen!  Maybe "show off" isn't the correct word, but I want you to get a sense of where things take place.

The narrow passageway.  Having a kitchen this small requires ALOT of communication and patience if more than one is working in the space.

Check out that counterspace!  I often put a cutting board on top of the burners to utilize more space.  The plus side of having this small of a space is that it is practically impossible to let messes and dishes pile up.  Everything gets cleaned up right away. 



The dial for the oven doesn't have any numbers for reference.  I usually just turn it 3/4 around it hope that is good enough. 



My utensil drawer is the only drawer in the kitchen.  Because there isn't too much space, I can't have as many gadgets as I would like.  Oh yeah, check out that shiny new knife on the right!  Thanks for the gift, Kole and Crowell families!

The iodine that we use to disinfect fruits and vegetables. 

This is the water that we get to drink.  We buy it at the convienient stores called Oxxo for 22 pesos.  It is called a garrafon.  When boiling water I usually use the water that comes from the faucet, but all other water is taken from this garrafon.



Shea and I both dream of having a kitchen with extra wide counter surfaces, a double sink, and stainless steel appliances (including a dishwasher!).  At some point in the future, years from today, we will both look back with warm hearts and smiles on our faces as we remember this kitchen.  The faux marble green countertops, the useless dials on the oven, the leaky sink faucet, the constant bumping into one another while preparing meals together, but above all, the countless hours spent together preparing meals while sharing our hopes and dreams, creating memories, and enjoying life.  The kitchen where much magic has taken place.

Hello everybody

When I think of fond memories from my childhood, I often think of helping my mother out in the kitchen.  I remember begging to bake chocolate chip cookies, whip up a batch of double fudge brownies, or to please! please! be the chosen one to stir, mix, whisk, peel, etc. anything my mom needed help with in daily dinner preparations. 

Even after I pleaded and insisted with my mother to make me a collection of my favorite recipes from home for my going-away-to-college gift, it still took me time to dive into the cooking world.  I often complained throughout my college years that it was too difficult to prepare 'fancy' meals for just one person.  The time committment, the thought of an entire weeks' worth of leftovers, and money were always the troubling and determining facts that inevitably lead to Ramen noodles, cereal, and pizza rolls week after week.

And then, suddenly, I started receiving cookbooks, recipes, and an entire book on herbs and spices from my sister and family.  What glorious gifts!!  My kitchen began collecting all the necessary tools:  pots and pans, a blender, crockpots, a rolling pin, wine glasses and a corkscrew, a knife set, a dutch oven, cooling racks, a mixer, an assortment of spoons, ladles, spatulas........  Just as I was about to really settle into my new world, I took a leap of faith and moved to Mexico for a job.  Sadly, I moved without all of my shiny, new kitchen gadgets.

I reverted back into a lifestyle of bland and simple meals.  After being in Mexico for four years now, I can see how far I have come in my conquests in the kitchen.  Even without all the accessories and often without all the right ingredients, I have made some fabulous dishes.  Every time a recipe is a success, my immediate thought is to share it with my family and friends.  I've started taking more and more pictures of the finished products and finally decided to start a blog.  A blog to share my cooking adventures with all of you.  Enjoy!!