Happy fourth of July!  I hope you’re enjoying your day of Family fun!  Here is today’s menu.

Breakfast: Fruit and Granola

Lunch: Seafood Salad

Snack: Freezepops!

Dinner: Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

Dessert: White Cake with Berry Toppings

Seafood Salad is a perfect dish for a beach day.  Just make sure to keep it in a well chilled cooler!  Its a nice cool down treat and easy to handle with the kids running in and out of the house, pool or water at the beach.

Seafood Salad

Happy Saturday, everyone.  It’s Sabroso Saturday so today we have a delicious Sancocho recipe that is a favorite among many Hispanic families.  It’s always a treat for me and my family.  The preparation seems scary and long, but it’s just a lot of small steps, I promise!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Breakfast: Eggs and Homefries

Lunch: Garlic Broccoli

Snack: Trail Mix

Dinner: Dominican Snacocho

Dessert: Spiced Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream

Dominican Sancocho

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef with bones
• 1 lb of goat meat
• 1 lb. pork sausage (longaniza)
• 1 lb pork
• 1 1/2 lb chicken
• 2 lbs of pork ribs
• 1 lb of bones from a smoked ham
• 4 lemons cut in halves
• 1 tablespoon of mashed garlic
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• 1/2 lb of cassava cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1/2 lb of yam cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 lb of malanga cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1/2 lb of potatoes cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 3 unripe plantains, 2 cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 2 cubes of beef stock (optional)
• 2 corn cobs cut into 2-inches long pieces (may be omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon of powdered oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of coriander/cilantro
• 2 teaspoons of vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of chili pepper sauce or agrio de naranja
• *10 Bollitos de harina (boiled flour rolls) (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place the beef in a pan and add the celery, coriander, oregano, garlic, vinegar, and salt.
2. Marinate for at least half an hour.
3. In an iron pot heat the oil, add the beef and stir (be careful with hot oil splattering).
4. Cover and and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a few spoons of water if the meat sticks to the pot.
5. Add the pork and let simmer for 15 minutes, adjust water when necessary.
6. Add the rest of the meat to the pot (except for the chicken) and simmer for another 15 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed to prevent it from burning.
7. Add the chicken and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Add 1/4 gallon of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
9. Add the yam, malanga and the two plantains that you had previously cut.
10. Add the bollitos now.
11. Simmer for 15 minutes.
12. Add all remaining ingredients and adjust water when necessary.
13. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking.
14. Simmer until the last ingredients you added are tender.
15. Grate, or scrape with the knife the remaining plantain to make it into a pulp, add to the pot.
16. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
17. Adjust salt to taste.
18. Serve hot with white rice.

Dominican Sancocho

Start the week with a super easy menu. Mondays are hard for everyone. And this week is even harder because we have the kids at home for the holidays. I’ll try to recycle and re-use as many ingredients as possible.

Breakfast: Hand Held Quiche

Snack1: Matcha Shortbread

Lunch: Pear and Walnut Sandwiches

Snack2: Apple Spice Cookie Bar

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Dessert: No-Bake Apple Walnut Tart

Stuffed Peppers
Today’s Recipe is super easy. It will take you 20 minutes in the kitchen but then you’ll be done for the day. The best part is that you can use the risotto for your burrito tomorrow for lunch.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Green peppers (1 per person but you might want to give the little ones half only)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 400 gr ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon Sazon (if you don’t have any left, you can replace with garlic, parsley and onion)
• 1 red pepper shopped
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• For the broth, get 1 bunch of celery, 1 onion and 2 carrots
• 1 cup rice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash the peppers, remove the tops and seeds
2. Place the olive oil in a deep pan, add the sazon (or the chopped onion, parsley and garlic)
3. Once hot, add the meat and move it until the meat is brownish.  At that point add the tomatoes
4. Cook the mix for 3 minutes and add the rice and move it
5. Place a smaller pot with water, a whole onion, celery and carrot to boil
6. Add small amounts of the boiling water you have on the pot until the rice is ready
7. Once the rice is ready, fill the peppers with the rice and place it in the oven (375 degrees) for just 10 minutes

Fun Tip: You can get the kids to draw eyes and mouse on the peppers.  Use the tops and make use as Mexican sombreros.  For the nose, attach an olive with a tooth pin.  The kids will love it.

On Sundays I try to make really easy recipes.  It must be a family day, focused on spending time together and relaxing.  Certainly not a heavy cooking day.  That’s the main reason why we send everyone (if you can) to go out for lunch.  I would love to hear your reviews about good Kid Friendly places to go eat in Northeastern NY.  This post is for Sunday, December 26, 2010 (we publish one week ahead so you can plan your menu one week ahead of time).

Today’s menu:

Breakfast: Tostada Waffles

Snack1: Apple Spice Cookie Bar

Lunch: Go out! we went to “La Fiesta” see my Yelp Review – Go show them some love. They got 5 stars from me (they’re not family/friends nor did they pay me for this review).

Snack2: Whole Grain Toast with Apple Butter

Dinner: Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Dessert: Sweet Pizzas

Now to today’s recipe:  Bucatini all’Amatriciana

This is a super easy and nutricious recipe which can be simply done in 20 minutes and feed a whole army of hungry people.  Typical and traditional Italian pasta.  The secret to this recipe is the pecorino cheese that you put on top (instead of the parmessian cheese).

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 400 gr Bucatini (you can use spaghetti or any other pasta here)
• 100 gr Guanciale cut into small pieces (the Italian bacon made from the pig’s cheek area)
• 400 gr  Ripe tomatoes (or 200 gr pealed tomatoes)
• 4 spoons of grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 spoon of olive oil
• 2 spoons of white wine (dry)

Preparation:

1. Place the tomatoes inside boiling water for 10 seconds (count to 10), then put them in cold water.  Peal them off and cut them in small slices.
2. Put water on a pot to boil.  That way when the sauce is ready, you can put the pasta
3. Clean up the outer part of the guanciale (the bacon), and cut them in small but kind of long pieces.
4. Heat up the oil, put the guanciale.  When this takes a little color, pour the white wine until it evaporates.  Then remove the guanciale from the pan.
5. Now on the same  pan, cook the tomatoes and add the salt. Keep it on high for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the guanciale back to the sauce for another 2 minutes.
7. At this point, put the pasta (100 gr per person) to boil for 7 minutes.
8. Once the pasta is “al dente” you can put it back on the sauce for 2 minutes.
9. Serve hot and put the pecorino romano cheese on top.

Buon Apettito!

October’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros

Morning Snack: Fresh Fruit and String Cheese

Lunch: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (made with last night’s leftovers.)

Afternoon Snack: Banana Bread and Mango Lassi

Dinner: Soba Noodle Bowls

Dessert: Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Recipe of the Day:

Soba Noodle Bowls

It never fails, whenever I’m at any kind of noodle or Asian fusion place, from The Pasta Factory to Pei Wei back in Arizona, I always order a soba noodle bowl. The sugary soy, green onions and lime combine to create this masterful sauce that I could eat forever. Cabbage, tofu and buckwheat soba noodles make this dish as healthy as it is tasty.

Ingredients:

1 Package Buckwheat Soba Noodles, (found in Asian supermarkets or the Ethnic aisle.)
1 Block Extra Firm Tofu
1 Wedge Bok Choy Cabbage, cut into shreds
3-4 Green Onions, whites and light greens sliced
1 qt Beef Stock
1 t Freshly Grated Ginger
1 Garlic Clove, crushed and minced
1/4 C Soy Sauce
2 T Sugar
Several Limes

Directions:

Set a pot of water to boil for the soba noodles and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pat the brick of tofu dry. In a small skillet, sear the brick of tofu on all sides, adding just a touch of oil if necessary to prevent sticking.

Whisk together ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and the juice of one lime. Once tofu is browned, add half of this mixture to the skillet and continue cooking until tofu darkens and takes on those flavors.

Once Soba has finished cooking, drain it of the water and add the beef stock and remaining soy sauce mixture back into the pot of noodles, heating until very hot. Remove tofu from skillet and slice into thin slices, toss with what’s left in the skillet to coat every piece with sauce.

Assemble bowls with a serving of noodles, covered over in broth. Add several tofu slices, cabbage and green onions on top. Serve with an extra wedge of lime.

September ’10 – Week 4 – Saturday Dinner/Entree

This sweet and tangy traditional Cuban dish is known as Pollo con Piña a la Antigua. Serve with white rice or plantains.

Ingredients:

The grated Zest and Juice of one Lime
1 Chicken, cut into parts
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 Hot Pepper of choice, seeded and diced
1/4 t Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 C Chicken Stock
2 C Pineapple, chopped, with juice
4 T Golden Rum

Directions:

Rub entire chicken with the lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for a half an hour (refrigerated.)

Heat a large skillet and brown chicken well. Transfer to a pot.

Back in the skillet, saute the onion and garlic until tender and fragrant. Add tomatoes, hot peppers, oregano, and bay leaf. Cook for about five minutes. Add this mixture and enough stock to cover the chicken into the chicken pot. Allow to simmer for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

In a small saucepan, add rum and pineapple. Cook until reduced by half. Serve overtop of chicken.

September ’10 – Week 4 – Friday Lunch

Spaghetti allo Scoglio (‘reef spaghetti’) is a traditional Italian pasta and shellfish dish that beautifully showcases the delicate flavors of the sea. The picky eaters in the family may simply eat the pasta without the shellfish. The sauce that occurs as a result of the cooking process is truly a thing of beauty.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs Clams, scrubbed
1 1/4 lbs Mussels, scrubbed
1 lb Shrimp, de-tailed & de-veined
3 Plum Tomatoes
1 lb Spaghetti
White Wine
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Basil
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the spaghetti.

In a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Toss in garlic and white wine, then add clams and mussels. Cover and let steam until shells have opened. Remove and set aside all clams and mussels.

Into the white wine broth in the bottom of the skillet, add the tomato, chopped roughly, and some basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add shrimp into the pan, cooking until just done and bright pink, about 3 minutes. Toss in fresh parsley, cooked spaghetti, and arrange the clams and mussels on top. Serve immediately.

September ’10 – Week 4 – Tuesday Dinner/Dessert

If your kids already like pudding, ice cream, and Jell-O, they will naturally like Panna Cotta! This traditional Italian dessert is simply a super creamy gelatin dessert, delicately flavored with vanilla. It’s easy to serve with a drizzle of chocolate, fresh berries, whipped cream, or even something more grown up, like a red wine reduction. If you don’t have individual dishes to mold this in, it’s fine to make it in a large fish and scoop or slice it as you would flan or pudding.

Ingredients:

1 packet Unflavored Gelatin
2 T Cold Water
2 C Heavy Cream
1 C Half and Half
1/3 C Sugar
1 1/2 t Vanilla Extract

September ’10 – Week 3 – Wednesday Dinner/Entree

This recipe reminds me of Swedish food, where salmon is king. This is a delicious winter soup, and if your family enjoys exploring and celebrating different Christmas holidays from different cultures, as mine does, you might serve it on December 13 for St. Lucia’s day.

Ingredients:

1 T Butter
1 C White Mushrooms, sliced
1 T Flour
3 C Milk
1 Slice of Onion
1 Can of Salmon (about 16 oz)

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and mushrooms together until mushrooms are dark, fragrant and tender. Add flour and stir continuously, creating a roux. In a separate saucepan, scald milk with onion tossed in. Once hot and fragrant, remove onion and add hot milk to the roux, whisking continuously.

Open salmon, and look it over, removing any bones. Add salmon to the soup, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook until thick and creamy. Serve hot.

September ’10 – Week 2 – Tuesday Lunch

Pesto. Just say the word, and I’m there. This traditional sauce is from the Genoa region of Italy and the name comes from the Italian word meaning ‘to crush.’ Five simple crushed-up ingredients are all you need to transform simple pasta into something miraculous. For this recipe, we’re using orecchiette, which means ‘little ears‘ for their small curled-up shape. If you can’t find orecchiette, shells are a fine substitute.

Ingredients:

2 C packed Fresh Basil leaves
1/2 C Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/3 C Pine Nuts
1/2 C Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in food processor or blender. Blend into a fine puree. Salt to taste.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with fresh pesto while still hot. Serve immediately, or refrigerate. Pesto pasta makes a delicious cold lunch!