simple moroccan beet salad

6 beets
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1/4 lime
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp. cumin
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

fill a large pot with cold water and add in the beets. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. simmer the beets in the water for about 1 hour, or until they are fork tender.

in a medium size bowl whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and olive oil and set aside.

when beets are tender. cool a bit, and then peal. cut into bit size pieces and mix with the dressing and the red inion . place into the fridge for about 3 hours to serve cold. if chilled over night the olive oil may solidify a bit. if so, then just pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds, and mix around.

enjoy :)

justin

simple hush puppies

3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cork kernels
1 jalapeno (finely diced)
3 scallions (finely diced)
dash of pepper
vegetable oil (for frying)

whisk all of the above ingredients together, except for the vegetable oil. spoon 1 tbsp. balls of the mixture into the heated oil. fry until golden brown. about 3-4 mins. serve warm.

enjoy :)

justin

shredded chicken verde tamales

RECIPE COMING SOON :)

italian wedding soup

meatballs:
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/3 cup fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
1 egg
2 tsp. garlic (minced)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 slice multigrain bread (crust removed, and cut into tiny pieces)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

mix all the above ingredients together in a large bowl. start forming the meatballs by taking 1 tbsp. of the mixture and forming small balls with them. continue this until all of the mixture is made into meatballs. set aside.

soup broth:
8 cups chicken broth (recipe below)
1 pound escarole (washed and coarsely chopped)
3 eggs
3 tbsp. parmesan cheese (grated)
salt and pepper to taste

chicken broth:
4 1/2 pound whole chicken

place the chicken into a large pot. fill the pot with cold water (about 15 cups), and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to a simmer. cover and simmer for 2 hours.

remove the chicken from the pot and reserve the broth. the meat can be used for a number of other things.

making the soup:
bring the 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil in a large pot over medium high heat. add in the meatballs and half of the escarole to the broth and simmer for 8 mins. or until the meatballs are cooked. half way through cooking the meatballs, add in the remaining escarole and continue to simmer.

in a separate bowl. whisk the eggs with the parmesan cheese. gently stir the soup while slowly drizzling in the egg mixture, and cook for an additional 1 min. season with salt and pepper to taste.

ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm, garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

serves about 6.

enjoy :)

justin

simple ground beef fried rice

RECIPE COMING SOON :)

ground beef and corn croquettes with tonkatsu sauce

RECIPE COMING SOON :)

chicken enchiladas with roasted salsa verde

shredded chicken (recipe below)
chicken broth (recipe below)
roasted salsa verde (recipe below)
7" flour tortillas
refried beans
shredded mexican cheese
cilantro for garnish

shredded chicken and chicken broth:
4 1/2 pound whole chicken

place the chicken into a large pot. fill the pot with cold water, and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to a simmer. cover and simmer for 2 hours.

remove the chicken from the liquid and reserve the chicken broth for later. when the chicken cools, or is easy to handle then shred the chicken. removing the meat from the bones.

roasted salsa verde:
1 pound roasted tomatillos (cleaned)
2 roasted jalapenos
3 cloves roasted garlic
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth (recipe above)
1 onion (chopped)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup cilantro (packed)

to roast the tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic preheat the oven the 350 degrees. cut the tomatillos and jalapenos in half, and lay them in a non stick 5"x9" loaf pan with the garlic. drizzle the vegetable oil and mix the veggies well. season with salt and pepper. cook for 1 hour.

after 1 hour pour the veggies and garlic, with all the juices, into a blender or food processor. also add the chicken broth, chopped onion, lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. pure just to mix everything, but still leaving the verde a bit chunky.

pour the verde salsa into a medium size dutch oven, and also add in the shredded chicken. simmer on the stove for about 30 mins.

assembling the enchiladas:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

place a couple spoons full of the chicken verde into a baking dish. lay the tortilla on a separate plate. place a large spoonful of refried beans in a row up the center... (i use canned refried beans, but i add them into a pot on medium heat, and add in 1/3 cup of the chicken broth to thin it out a bit)... then add your chicken verde, and then top with shredded mexican cheese. roll the tortilla and place it in the baking dish. repeat the process until the baking dish is filled. top the enchiladas with more of the chicken verde, and then more cheese. place in the oven for 30 mins. remove form the oven, top with chopped cilantro, and serve hot.

enjoy :)

justin