Playing with Plantains!

I never tried plantains until this time last year. It's a huge Latin American delicacy but it was never used in any of the Mexican dishes I grew up with. In fact, it's not even really a Mexican thing. Anywho, I was out to dinner one night and it was ordered for me. They were good, a bit greasy though.

At the luncheon I went to Tuesday they had some thin strips of fried plantains in the bread basket. I decided to try one since I'm sure plantains are ok for SB. It was yummy! I detected some cinnamon on it, so reminded me of a dessert instead of a side.

Anywho, out shopping Wednesday (which was FABULOUS because that meant I didn't have to food shop this weekend!) I decided to buy two plantains. I searched different recipes online but then decided to do my own thing in the end 'cause everything I came along looked extremely greasy and slimy.

I wanted to make them crispy like the ones I had Tuesday, so I used a potato peeler (my Venezuelan friend who was at the luncheon told me that's how they made them). It was slimy and slippery and I didn't feel like fiddling with it so after a few strips I gave up and then thinly sliced the rest of the plantain.

I heated some oil and just minutes later, viola! Fried plantains:



Now I know fried anything is not completely SB acceptable, but I figured it's a nice treat every once and a while. And salted, they taste exactly like potatoes! So dinner tonight will be burgers and plantains! Yay!

Carne Guisada

I told you it looked vastly different from the pic in this link! It was delish, though! A bit tough, so I'll have to simmer it a bit longer next time. I used fresh garlic instead of the powder -- about 5 or 6 cloves! And I used closer to a tablespoon of cumin instead of a teaspoon. And nearly a half a cup of [whole wheat] flour and 1 1/2 cups of water to make it more gravy-e (less water because as the meat cook a lot of broth accumulated in the pan). I cooked a family pack of stew meat, so I had closer to 2 3/4 pounds as opposed to only 2 pounds.

I served it up with refried beans (canned, of course!) and my special zucchini & squash side. Hmm...I'll have to post that recipe sometime. My brother, who hates squash with a passion, would eat it . . . if he HAD to eat squash, of course!

As I was eating I couldn't help but dream about homemade flour tortillas. Mmmm . . . I still haven't perfected that recipe yet . . . but I can't try until March, anyway. *sigh*



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Ok, since I'm typing this post and watching the end of Lost, simultaneously, I just have to comment that I SO CALLED IT!!! I won't say what, in case someone's reading this who hasn't seen it yet, but halfway through the show I told my mom how it was strange how they kept just saying, "him," and not his name. So I said, "Ya know, it would be too obvious for him to be ______'s ____, so he must be ______'s ____." And I was right!

Sunday Cookin'

So this Sunday I tried out Jana's Turkey Meatloaf. I only tasted a bit and LOVE IT! I'm saving it for lunch tomorrow. The only variations I made in the recipe was I added half a diced green onion, used the whole egg, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, and I also substituted butter for the Smart Balance (only because the container was almost empty). I made Brussels Sprouts with Garlic to go along (trust me, they're much yummier than they sound!). Here a portion dished out in my Gladware:


Hmm . . . it does look a bit bland dished out like that, but believe me when I say it's DELISH and not as heavy as a traditional meatloaf.

I also made the usual, easy meal: chili. I have no recipe. I just throw it all together and it usually turns out great. This time I put only one type of bean and I added chopped zucchini. It's still rather meaty and spicy, though, and it tastes great!



I wanted to make chicken salad (a recipe I learned from an old college roommate) but I ran out of time. It's already 9:45 and I still have papers to grade. What the heck happened to this weekend?!

It should be a rather easy week, so hopefully I'll have time to make the chicken salad and chicken and black bean soup. Yay!

I'm stuffed!

I bought the ingredients to make this last week. Thankfully the italian sausage lasted uncooked until this evening!



It's my version of a restaurant quality pasta dish recipe Brandi has. Don't get me wrong, she'd happily give me the recipe; I just couldn't be bothered to call and transcribe it!

The main ingredients consist of italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, garlic, spinach and angel hair pasta. I basically threw it all together with some spices and I think it turned out rather close to the original. I'll have to get the real recipe one of these days and see how it compares.

Our family could DEFINITELY open a restaurant. Between Brandi and I we could cook or bake anything! And Bird will be the grill master. My dad and brother, Sha, will be the taste testers. Mom will keep the kitchen tidy, and the kids will bus the tables. Sounds like a plan to me!

Sunday Cookin'

Every Sunday afternoon/evening I cook food for the upcoming week. Today I tried out two new recipes: Jana's Chicken Chili and my own invented Baked Ziti. Both turned out fabulous!

Here's the ziti:

I know it's not a pretty presentation, but it was a yummy dish! All I did was cook a box of ziti (I actually think it was penne; and I used whole wheat pasta), and mixed it with a container of ricotta, about 4 cups of mozzarella, an egg, and 2/3 of a can of spaghetti sauce. Then I dumped it in a 9x13 inch pan, poured the rest of the spaghetti sauce over top and sprinkled it with grated parmesan cheese. I baked it for about 30 min at 375.

I followed Jana's chili recipe rather closely. I don't use taco seasoning packets, so I just added my own usual spices -- salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and whatever else catches my fancy. I also added a diced fresh jalapeno. It probably could have used two. It was very tomato-y but still tasted great. Here's the final product:


I had hoped to make another invented past dish, but ran out of time. Maybe later in the week.

Anywho, just thought I'd share what's cookin.'

Turnip Soup

As I speak, there's a large pot of Jana's Hearty Minestrone simmering that contains an obscenely large amount of veggies, particularly turnips.

I'm worried. Sure it smells good, but it's a whole lotta soup with a whole lotta veggies. This is what the big pot looked like before I added the 6+ cups of chicken broth:



I love veggies, but still! However, it's received positive reviews, so I'll just have to wait and see. I'll let ya know how it turns out!

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Update:



It was yummy! Different from what I'm used to, but yummy, nonetheless. I'll definitely make it again. But not anytime soon 'cause there's TONS of leftovers!

Tonight's Dish

Easy Fried Rice



This recipe is a variation of one I found at All Recipes. It's hard for me to write up a recipe since I throw things together and season as I see fit, never measuring. But I'll give it a try!

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 2 T vegetable oil
* 2 T soy sauce
* 3 green onions and tops, chopped
* 1 carrot, julienned (I left this out)
* 1/2-1 cup frozen peas or snap peas
* 1/2-1 cup fresh cut string beans (I usually boil these a bit first)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 4 cups cold cooked rice (I used brown rice)
* 3 tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce (I used an organic one w/ garlic & ginger)
* Salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut chicken into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in hot wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, green onions , carrot (again, I didn't do carrot), and soy sauce. Stir-fry 3 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked. (I always add seasonings in this step and may had more later, after the rice has been added to the meat.)
3. Add veggies (I use peas and/or string beans). Cook 3-5 minutes more.
4. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until firm. Stir in rice and cook until heated through.
5. Add teriyaki sauce; remove pan from heat. Stir mixture until well mixed. Serve immediately.

I know it's not true fried rice, but it's still yummy. Hope you enjoy!

It's a Double Feature!

I made this for dinner.



Mexican [Brown] Rice with Chili, topped w/ shredded cheese. Dang, I'm good!