1/4 cup diced bell pepper (green and yellow or red)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (1/8 bunch)
1/4 cup sliced olives
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBL tomato paste to thicken if necessary – Should be kind of like meat loaf
STEP BY STEP
Brown the ground beef and pork
Add Onions and cook until start to brown
Add sofrito and peppers
Add the olives, capers, salt and pepper, and tomato sauce.
Add chopped cilantro
Cook another 5-10 minutes IF NECESSARY to cook down any extra liquids.
MORE INFO
Picadillo needs to be moist but not runny, so not a lot of tomato sauce is used. But if you are serving it as a side dish use more tomato sauce. Usually a dish like this uses more sofrito, but I like to see the chopped spices so I reduce the amount of sofrito and add chopped ingredients – more like a pico de gallo.
Chili Tomato Sauce is good on sandwiches and pizza. On pasta, it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you are looking for that rush of endorphins; OK, yes… even pasta.
INGREDIENTS
1 large red bell pepper
1-3 fresh habañero peppers, depending on how hot you like it.
1 small onion
4 garlic cloves
1 cup water
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
6 oz. tomato sauce
STEP BY STEP
Roughly chop the bell and habanero peppers, onion and garlic. Remove seeds.
Combine all of the ingredients except the tomato sauce in a pan, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes.
Puree the mixture in a blender. DO NOT put lid on blender, or it will literally explode. Use a paper towel over the top
Add the tomato sauce to complete.
If you don’t want any heat, just eliminate the habaneros, and you will have a good flavorful chili sauce.
Or if you prefer it just a little spicy, use jalapeños instead. Seeds removed.
Someimes all you want is quick and easy. Still… don’t just open a can of beans and have at it. After all, would you open a can of Tuna Fish and use it plain to make a Tuna Fish Salad Sandwich? Anyway, here is a quick recipe guaranteed to make life better.
INGREDIENTS
1 can refried beans
1/2 onion – chopped small
1 clove garlic – minced
1 TBL EVOO
Liquid – water is OK, reserved liquid, stock or broth is better
Pico de Gallo translates as “Beak of the Rooster.” It is a sharp tangy staple and a great side to any Mexican recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 serrano or jalapeño chilies, seeded and finely diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
STEP BY STEP
Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, but let marinate at least an hour.
VARIATIONS
Serrano and jalapeno chilies are available in most supermarkets. Store up to a week in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
You may also find the dark green shiny poblano. This chili is milder, but must be roasted and peeled before using.
FROM SCANNED NOTES:
RECIPE
Pico de Gallo
4 medium tomatoes, diced
11/2 cups canned, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
11/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix briefly.
~
Makes 3 cups salsa, each 2-tablespoon serving containing approximately:
1 O calories
2 gm. carbohydrate
Trace fat
O mg. cholesterol
Trace protein
122 mg. sodium
Trace fiber
3/99
Americas Test Kitchen did some extensive testing and determined that there is just no competing with the commercial canned beans that are available today. We trust them, so you can feel confident that you can use canned beans and this recipe will work well, although by pure definition they are not. If you want to REALLY start from scratch, start at the next section… otherwise, jump to the INGREDIENTS header.
REPLACING THE CANNED BEANS WITH TRUE SCRATCH BEANS
Wash 1 C each of dried pinto beans, black beans, white beans, kidney beans
Do this just before you go to bed.
Soak the beans for 8-12 hours in lots of cold UNSALTED water with 2 TBL white vinegar added
Adding salt at this point will toughen the skins of the beans.
Drain the beans one last time, and put the hydrated beans into 3 C water and 1 C chicken broth
Add 2 strips of bacon
Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1-2 hours
If necessary, add more chicken broth – beans should stay covered
Add 2 TBL flour to the pans, and shake to spread it around
Discard any leftovers
Set pans aside
Sift your flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together, then set aside
Cream together your butter, cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange juice and zest, food coloring and water
Add in small increments, mixing well in between
On low speed mix your flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour.
Do not overmix, or your batter will become tough.
Divide the batter into your two cake pans.
Smooth the top with a spoon
Bake about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
Remove from the oven and let the cake pans cool for 10 minutes.
Slide a butter knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto the cooling rack.
Let cool for at least an hour PREPARING THE ICING
Beat room temperature butter in a large bowl for about 30 seconds
Add the cream cheese and beat another minute.
Reduce the speed and add the powdered sugar a spoonful at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each spoonful.
If the frosting is too stiff, add a spoonful of milk and beat for 30 seconds until it is just right ASSEMBLING YOUR CAKE
Cut the puffy top off what will be your bottom layer.
Spread 1 cup of the icing onto the cake layer, using an offset spatula
Work from the center to the outside
Add more icing if necessary
Set the second cake layer on top of the first and ice the second layer
Ice the sides of the cake
If the sides are crumbly, paint a thin layer of icing on the side to create a base. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then add a layer of icing on top of the first stabilization layer.
If you plan on eating it that day, store the cake at room temperature beneath a cake cover
If this is for another day, store it in the fridge for up to three days covered in plastic wrap.
Here is a collection of information that you may find helpful.
VIDEO – Part 1 – – Collect olives The video does not give too much information. What we saw in Spain was people setting tarps below the trees, then shaking them or blowing them with a leaf blower. Once on a tarp, the olives can be easily gathered.
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VIDEO – Part 2 – – Score and brine 1 CU salt per gallon of water This video shows each olive being scored individually. Very labor intensive. A quicker way is to just rap them lightly with a hammer or mallet, then toss them into the brine.
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VIDEO – Part 3 – – Change brine weekly This is a surprisingly important step. If you don’t change the brine, your olives become stagnant and will take on a kind of musty and dirty taste.
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Another site that I found said to soak them in clear water for the first few weeks, changing the water every couple of days. What I did was change the water every 2-3 days for the first three weeks, then change to a weekly brine after that. I don’t know why, it just seems right, so that’s what I’m going to do.
I also found one recipe that put chopped up lemon pieces, a bit of oregano, garlic and cumin, and some vinegar into the brine. Add these if the mood strikes you. Also, adding some whole dried peppers would give your olives a bit of a bite. I personally like the lemon peel idea.
Here is one more video that offers an alternate method, and some good insights:
All things considered, here is what I plan to do:
Go through your olives and remove any that are shriveled or blemished
Clean the good olives using LOTS of water
Smack the olives to break the skin to allow the brining solution access to the meat of the olive.
Heat 1 gallon of water to near boiling, and add 2 CU ice cream maker salt
NOTE: This is NOT edible, but then again, neither is lye. It will be rinsed off by the time we are done.
Melt the salt in hot water, then pour through a coffee filter to remove the gravel, grit, etc.
Pour to cover the olives, using a plate to completely submerge them. See Video Parts 2 and 3 above.
One time per week (same time) drain the water and repeat step 4 – Do this for four weeks… mark your calendar
Step 5 is intended to remove much of the bitterness
After the first four weeks move to a phase that is intended more to preserve and clean the olives
NOTE: To be sure grit is gone, rinse them in a bowl of standing water. Remove by hand, not by dumping, into a colander. Discard grit in the bottom of the bowl, and put olives back into their brining container
Heat 1 gallon of water to near boiling, and add 1 CU food-quality course sea salt
Recover olives, completely submerging them
Do this for ten more weeks.
Rinse and taste an olive. If the olive still tastes bitter, repeat steps 9, 10 and 12 for two more weeks.
Once the olives are to your liking either can them or refrigerate them.
To refrigerate them, heat 1 gallon of water, and add 1/2 CU course sea salt (Proportionally adjust amounts if necessary)
Put olives in a canning jar and refrigerate.
They should keep refrigerated for up to two months.
NOTES FROM SPAIN
Start with 2 C oil dried black olives con hueso
Add eight cloves crushed garlic
Orange zest . Not the pith
Crushed red pepper flakes
Fennel seed powder
Liberal amount of EVOO
Toss together and marinate 48-72 hours
Remove garlic
Put into a jar
Store in fridge for up to 4 weeks\
This is a very easy ceviche recipe that you can do as a side dish, an appetizer, or even an entire meal. We made this with our friend Cinthia while living in Velez-Malaga, Spain. Ceviche is very flexible as long as your ingredients are extremely fresh. Below is a good video from AllRecipes about ceviche.
INGREDIENTS
This recipe must be made at least 2 hours ahead of time – 4 hours is better PROTEINS
1-2 LB FRESH Mahi (Tuna) or other delicate white fish
– cut into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces
– You can also use Rock Fish, Sea Bream, Grouper, Seabass, Halibut, Talapia, Cod or Red Snapper – cut thinly and blanched 30 seconds
– DO NOT use swordfish or tuna, as these are long-lived fish and are more likely to have parasites
Scallops – blanched* 20-30 seconds
Shrimp – blanched* 20-30 seconds
Crab – blanched* 20-30 seconds
Squid or Octopus – blanched* 20-30 seconds * Blanched means that you plunge it into boiling water for about 30 seconds, and then remove it to an ice bath to stop the cooking. REQUIRED VEGETABLES and LIQUIDS
One Lemon and one lime – zest and juice
1 C FRESH real lime juice (this is because the acidity is well-controlled)
1 TBL tomato juice or green tomato
Cucumber – Small cubes
Roma Tomato – Deseeded and chopped fairly small
1/2 red onion – Chopped fairly large – blanched 30 seconds
Blanche all raw seafood for no more than 30 seconds, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process
1/2 fresh squeezed lime juice – enough to cover
Sprinkle with a bit of salt and set aside for 10-20 minutes
Dry Pack Scallops are another good thing to use in your ceviche.
– – – To find out why Dry Pack are better than Wet Pack, CLICK HERE.
Optional: Plunge shrimp (deveined) and other seafood into boiling water for 30 seconds, then into ice water. I actually prefer this step.
In a second large mixing bowl, combine the following:
Cut 1 red onion into very thin julienne strips
2-3 large tomatoes – thinly slice tomato flesh, discarding seeds and juice
Finely chop 2-4 TBL EACH – Depending on taste
– Optionally: strips of pepper – mild or hot
– green olives – quartered
– parsley – chopped
– cilantro – some chopped, some fairly whole
– celery pieces (1 stalk, ribs removed before cutting)
2 TBL EACH
– ketchup
– EVOO (emulsified with whisk)
– Worcestershire sauce
– oregano and salt to taste
– minced garlic
Combine all of the above in the glass bowl and refrigerate for AT LEAST 2 hours, but for as long as five. Not longer though, they will become chewy.
Serve topped with slices of avocado, cubed papaya or mango, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro
If you want to see a ceviche recipe in action, use the below video.
AKA Sushi Rice, Glutinous Rice or Pearl Rice
Very starchy and sticky OR if you can’t find any, add 1 TBL cornstarch to your rice
Rinse three times
2 C water
MIX BELOW – Use this after the rice has finished cooking
3 T rice vinegar or Sushi seasoning vinegar (heated in microwave)
1 TBL mirin
2 TBL sugar
2 tsp salt
STEP BY STEP
Measure your amount of rice while it is dry
Wash rice in a bowl of cold water
Strain
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until water runs clear (total three times is usually OK)
Mix pre-measured amounts of rice and water and let set for 30 minutes
Cook rice according to directions
OR Put rice into boiling water, simmer 15 minutes
Remove from heat, cover and let rest 10 minutes
Meanwhile, mix vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt
Poke holes/wells into your rice with a spoon
Pour over a wooden paddle onto rice … drizzle
GENTLY fold cooked rice into vinegar mixture
Stir around, don’t beat (fan with paper plate to help it cool more quickly)
Keep your hands wetted
Cover with plastic and let cool about 30 minutes on the counter. Do not refrigerate
Rolling Tips and Tricks
Nori (海苔) is the Japanese name for edible seaweed and is frequently used for sushi across the world. It is usually just referred to as seaweed.
Seaweed . Smooth and shiny goes toward the outside. Rough side goes to the inside against the rice.
Use plastic wrap as a covering for your sushi mat
Press rice flat onto plastic
Dress with slices of cucumber, avocado, shredded imitation krab meat
Do not overfill
Tuck and roll
Dip knife and hands in water
Cut in half three times for 8 pieces or half, then thirds for six pieces.
Sushi Filling Options
Salmon
Shrimp
Tuna (mahi mahi)
Red snapper
Spanish mackerel
Scallop
Mushrooms
Avocado
Scallion
Sesame Seed
Caviar
Un
Fennel Leaves
… and actually whatever you want to wrap into it
Types of Sushi
Chirashizushi: “scattered sushi” – Sushi plus other things over rice
Oshizushi: “pressed sushi”. Also known as hako-sushi which means “box sushi”
Nigirizushi: “hand-pressed sushi” – Frequently like a salmon roll (See Nigiri below)
Makizushi – meaning “rolled sushi” – What most Americans visualize when they hear sushi
Generally wrapped in Nori (seaweed), but can occasionally be wrapped in a thin omelette, soy paper, cucumber, or shsiso (perilla) leaves.
Hosomaki: “thin roll” – rice on inside, nori on the outside
Chumaki: “medium roll” – rice on inside, nori on the outside
Futomaki: “thick roll” – rice on inside, nori on the outside
Uramaki: “inside-out roll” – rice on outside, nori on the inside
Temaki: “hand roll” – cone-shaped roll
Tekkamaki: Cut tuna into sticks, put nori on mat rough side up, put down rice then tuna
Nigiri
Shape sushi rice into a bite-sized football, but don’t compress
Schmear wasabi on fish, krab or shrimp
Put wasabi against rice and squeeze only to merge all ingredients. Do not over-compress
Westernized Sushi
Dragon Roll: Eel, crab, cucumber with avocado on the outside
Tiger Roll: Avocado, shrimp tempura, cucumber
California Roll: Rice down on plastic covered mat, then nori, avocado, crab, cucumber. Roll wrap in rice sprinkled with sesame seeds
Rainbow Roll: An assortment of fish and avocado on top of a California Roll
Spider Roll: Soft-shell crab, cucumber, sprouts (or lettuce, roe, or avocado) and sometimes spicy mayo
Spicy Tuna Roll: Rice, tuna, mayo, and chili sauce wrapped in nori
Philadelphia Roll: Salmon, avocado, asparagus, and cream cheese wrapped in rice
Jacques Pepin made a sushi platter by putting down a layer of rice, and then cubes of salmon, cubes of tuna, small bay scallops, chopped black mushrooms, pieces of avocado (tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning), diced scallion, sesame seeds, caviar, uni, and fennel leaves. He served wasabi and soy in a cup. It was WAY easier than formal pieces of sushi and looked just beautiful.
Common Types of Sashimi
Salmon (Sake)
Squid (Ika)
Shrimp (Ebi)
Tuna (Maguro)
Mackeral (Saba)
Horse Mackeral (Aji)
Octopus (Tako) – Usually blanched or cooked
Whale Meat (Gei-niku)
Sea Urchin (Uni)
Scallop (Hotate-gai)
Puffer Fish (Fugu)
Yellowtail (Hamachi)
Fatty Tuna (Otoro)
You may also view my page for Dungeness Crab Cakes which was filmed at a class aboard the MS Rotterdam.
The below video was taken at the Phoenix Eats Trade Show, so has very little verbal description, but offers some very good video for rolling sushi.
Food and Wine built a cooking class kitchen aboard the MS Rotterdam. With a class of nine, we cooked Thai Crab Salad Rolls, Sake Poached Scallops with Ginger and Bananas Foster. The results were incredible. Here is a summary of the 90 minute class.
This page has been repeated three times, for each of the above recipes.
This is a 45 minute video of a cooking class given aboard the Holland America MS Rotterdam on our way back from Spain.
Food and Wine built a cooking class kitchen aboard the MS Rotterdam. With a class of nine, we cooked Thai Crab Salad Rolls, Sake Poached Scallops with Ginger and Bananas Foster. The results were incredible. Here is a summary of the 90 minute class.
This page has been repeated three times, for each of the above recipes.
This is a 45 minute video of a cooking class given aboard the Holland America MS Rotterdam on our way back from Spain.
Food and Wine built a cooking class kitchen aboard the MS Rotterdam. With a class of nine, we cooked Thai Crab Salad Rolls, Sake Poached Scallops with Ginger and Bananas Foster. The results were incredible. Here is a summary of the 90 minute class.
This page has been repeated three times, for each of the above recipes.
This is a 45 minute video of a cooking class given aboard the Holland America MS Rotterdam on our way back from Spain.
Thanks to SPIRIT for providing the background music. This video shows friendship bread (which I think is the recipe for Ensaymadas) and how to make cinnamon rolls from scratch. One IMPORTANT step that is missing from the videos is to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top after spreading butter and before rolling into a tube. The topping is not shown on the video, but the recipe is included.
This page has been repeated two times, for each of the above recipes.
This is a 10 minute video of a cooking class given aboard the Holland America MS Rotterdam on our way back from Spain.
