Tangy Summer Gazpacho

The kids and I finally made our way home to DC last week. Getting back in my kitchen and cooking is high on my list of things to do. I even took the time to put together a dinner menu for nearly every day this week involving nothing but the freshest fruits and vegetables. I feel like I have been missing out on so much fine farmer's market produce! Another thing I "missed" while in Colombia was the heat. Its no secret that its horribly hot outside here (especially compared to Medellin's perfectly mild climate). One of my favorite dishes to make in the middle of such heat is summer's best friend, a cold gazpacho soup. I happen to make a pretty delicious gazpacho. And the best part is there is no cooking involved, just fresh veggies in the food processor. So, in order to beat the heat or at least give it a little competition I highly suggest trying this tangy gazpacho soup that incorporates a green pepper and a granny smith apple to produce a light yet filling summer dinner.

Gazpacho Ingredients
5 large Heirloom Tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 small Cucumbers, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Apple, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Pepper, cleaned and diced
1 Clove of Garlic, diced
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 cup High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Garnish
Bunch of Chives, finely chopped
Homemade Croutons (I used a sliced and toasted day-old french baguette)

Gazpacho Directions
Place tomato, cucumber, pepper, apple, and garlic into a food processor and mix well on medium until liquefied. (I had to do this in two batches). Pour soup into a large bowl. Mix in olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chilled. Garnish with chives and croutons.

Welcome Back Ed's Verdict: Fantastic and refreshing for a hot summer's day! The croutons add delicious texture to the soup. Yum.

Pepinos Rellenos: Colombian Stuffed Cucumbers

Pepinos Rellenos or Stuffed Cucumbers are a traditional Colombian dish. However, the cucumbers used in this dish are not any type of cucumber that I had ever seen. This cucumber variety is native to Mexico and is often found in Central and South American dishes. (Click here for a picture). I'm not even sure we could find this species of cucumber in the states. Perhaps in the southwest, but I've never seen it on the east coast. To me it resembles a green pepper and has a similar mild taste. However, there is a subtle difference namely the extra soft texture of the plant.

When at the table I causally mentioned to my family that the "cucumber" was actually just green pepper with a fancy name, I was chided and assured that it most definitely was not a pepper. After tasting it, I have to agree. However, between you and me, in lieu of Colombian cucumber, I imagine a green pepper would work as a good substitute as the curry and cumin spiced stuffing and thick milky sauce is what truly gives this dish its zing. One of my favorite surprising additions to the stuffing is the inclusion of a half of a hard boiled egg holding the stuffing together on the top and bottom of the cucumber. It's a delicious addition to the mix of flavors. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe because it really is very good.

Ingredients

8 Large Cucumbers
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 cups of Milk 

Stuffing
1 lbs Ground Beef 
1 lbs of Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 Hard Boiled Eggs, cut in half
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1½ cups of Water
Cumin
Salt

Directions

Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and brown the ground beef and potatoes until throughly cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the stuffing becomes thick and well mixed. 

Cut off the tops of the cucumbers. Clean out the seeds and put them in a large pot of water to boil for 10 minutes  Add salt to the water. After 10 minutes, remove the cooked cucumbers and dry them off. Before adding the stuffing, place a half of a hard boiled egg on one end of the cucumber, then fill it with the stuffing. Once stuffed, place the other half of the hard boiled egg and seal with the top of the cucumber. Put the cucumbers back into the skillet and add the milk, butter, and onion on top to make a sauce. Put the fire on low and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with white rice. 

Plantain Cake with Guava and Fresh Cheese

Roasted Plantain with fresh cheese, guava paste, and arequipe

Colombian desserts most often include at least one of the following:

Baked or Roasted Plantains
Fresh Cheese
Arequipe (also known as dulce de leche or "caramel spread"
Bocadillo (guava paste)

And, if you are lucky enough, the dessert may just include all four. The first time I was faced with this unconventional combination was at Andres Carne de Res, a trendy, trippy restaurant on the outskirts of Bogota. I will admit that at first I was taken aback by the fusion of so many unique flavors, both sweet and savory. However, that was nearly 10 years ago, and I have learned to love the crispness of roasted plantains and the coalescence of guava paste with fresh cuajada cheese ingeniously topped with a portion of what is often loosely translated as "caramel spread".

In my mother-in-law's kitchen, the combination of plantains, cheese, arequipe, and bocadillo is very familiar, often served in the form of Torta de Platano or Plantain Cake. It is one of my favorite Colombian desserts. I can eat plantain cake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It seems to serve as a fine accompaniment with just about any dish. If you find the ingredients a little daunting, guave paste can be found at any Colombian Market. For those of you that live in DC, there is a Colombian Market and Restaurant in Arlington called Restaurante Monserrate where you can find all of the ingredients for this cake. Your local Latin Market may also carry everything.

I highly suggest you try the fabulous Plantain Cake recipe below that astutely combines all four of these popular Colombian ingredients.

Plantain Cake Ingredients

4 or 5 Ripe Plantains
2 Eggs
1 stick of Butter
1 cup of Flour
1 tsp of Cinnamon
4 squares of Bocadillos of Guava, sliced (found in Colombian Market). You could make it without if you can't find it.
Fresh Cheese, shredded (Mozzarella would also work) (enough to cover entire cake)

Bocadillo (Guava Paste) wrapped in a plantain leaf

Arequipe/ Dulce de Leche

Plantain Cake Directions
Peel plantains and cook them in sufficient water until they are soft. Drain water and and pure plantains. Mix in eggs and butter. Continue to mix well with a fork. Then add flour and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Grease a cake-sized pan and sprinkle with flour. Pour in half of the plantain mixture. In the middle of the cake, first add to the mixture the layer of bocadillo and then add the layer of cheese. Pour the remaining plantain mixture on top. Cook in the oven set at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let the cake set and cool for 10 minutes before serving. For extra Colombian-ness serve with a dollop of Arequipe on top.

Grilled Sea Bass and Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

The kids and I are spending the summer in my husband's home country of Colombia, South America. In the month of June we spent most of our time traveling, site seeing, visiting family, and stuffing ourselves with arepas (cheese filled corn tortillas), various types of cheese filled breads, and my personal favorite- empanadas (think homemade hot pockets only much, much better).

We are finally settled into my in-laws place for the next month, and I am hoping that I might just get a chance to post some of the wonderful things we are cooking and consuming. I'm going to start with today's lunch, a grilled sea bass courtesy of my father-in-law. We served it along side grilled eggplant, zucchini, and onions. It was delicious and a lot of fun to make, aside from a small fire incident (which I feel added to the flavor of the fish). The recipe called for the fish to be grilled on a small fish-grilling board. However, shortly after the picture below was taken, the board caught fire. From there we decided the traditional way of cooking on the grill with aluminium foil would probably better suit this recipe.

Grilled Sea Bass

Grilled Sea Bass Ingredients
1 stick of Butter, at room temperature
3 gloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3 Shallots, chopped
1 Sweet Pepper, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper

Grilled Sea Bass Directions
Fresh fish works best. Cut small lines on each side of the fish so the ingredients better flavor the meat. Combine all ingredients above to create a flavored butter and spread evening over both sides of the fish. Lay the fish on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. Close aluminum foil and place on a hot grill. Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook for 20 minutes on each side or until flaky.

Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

Ingredients
Several Small Yellow Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions
Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker. Set the stove top on medium flame. Throw the potatoes in the pot, put on the lid, and give the cooker a good shaking to mix up the oil and potatoes. Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until the pressure cooker begins to steam. Cook for another 15 minutes or so still shaking the pot every few minutes so the potatoes don't burn. Serve with guacamole. 

Homemade Traditional Guacamole

Ingredients

Avocados

Tomatoes, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Garlic, chopped

Green Onion, chopped

Lime Juice, 1/2 lime

Directions

Smash ripe avocado into bowl with a fork. Stir in all ingredients and serve immediately.

Ed's Verdict: The "Ed's Verdict" section will sadly be taking a respite for the next few weeks as Ed is diligently working away back home in The States. (Someone has to work and make money!)

Moqueca de Peixe: Brazilian Fish Stew

 

Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian fish and coconut stew. It is a rich dish made with an assortment of your favorite fresh seafood. I prefer using a combination of both fish and shrimp. For this particular recipe I chose haddock and tiger shrimp. There are various ways of making moqueca. I followed an adaptation of my mother-in-law's favorite recipe, similar to one found in this edition of Cooking Light.

It is important to note that moqueca is traditionally cooked and simmered in a Capixaba Pan, a large dish made with black clay and mangrove tree sap. Since I don't have a capixaba pan (or even know where to buy one), I just used the largest pot that I own and hoped for the best. Even though it probably didn't turn out exactly the same as if it were made in the proper pot, we were satisfied with the taste. Moqueca can be served alone or over steamed rice.

This dish unites some of my favorite flavors- cilantro, coconut milk and fresh seafood- to create an exotic and flavorful meal. It's all made in one big pot and honestly not that difficult at all, I highly suggest giving it a try!

Moqueca Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Haddock, filleted

1 ½ lbs Tiger Shrimp

Marinade

1/3 cup Lime Juice

2 Garlic Cloves, diced

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ Onion, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 bunch of Green Onion, diced

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup Cilantro, minced

8 oz Clam Juice

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Coconut Milk

Salt and Pepper

Moqueca Directions

Create a marinade by combining lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and onion in a large bowl. Coat the haddock and shrimp with the marinade and store in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and set over medium heat. Add onion, red and green peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until onions until tender, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomato. Cook for several more minutes. Add ¾ of the cilantro (reserve some for garnish), clam juice, and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add haddock and tiger shrimp to the soup and cook until fish is done. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro before serving.

Ed's Verdict: It brought back memories of my years in Brasil. The fish was extraordinary. I enjoyed every second of the experience. Certainly a dish I would like to have again and again.

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos

Recently, DC transplant José Andrés was named America's Best Chef during the James Beard Foundation's annual awards ceremony. José Andrés is well known in DC for his fabulous Think Food Group restaurants including Jaleo, Café Atlántico/Soon to be America Eats Tavern), Oyamel, Mini Bar, Zaytinya (my personal favorite), and China Poblano. Originally from Spain, José Andrés is responsible for some of the absolute best food in DC. In fact, as Ed and I have traveled around the world quite a bit, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that his restaurants have some of the best food ever. Period. 

One of Ed's favorite Think Food Group restaurants is Oyamel, a funky, authentic Mexican restaurant in DC's Chinatown. Oyamel is well known for their creative and fresh dishes including red snapper ceviche, an acidulous baby cactus salad, and the renowned grasshopper tacos (or the equally titillating beef tongue tacos). But you don't have to be an adventurous eater to enjoy his genius- for just $3.50, his menu is full of ambrosial taco options, most involving queso fresco and fresh cilantro (ridiculously delicious homemade guacamole optional). They are truly some of our favorite eats in the city.

His recognition as America's best chef inspired me to come up with a creative taco of my own. Ground turkey cooked in a shot of tequila gives these tacos a genuine Mexican taste. It's my mini ode to José Andrés. That and any excuse to use alcohol in the kitchen ;)

Congrats to José Andrés and Congrats to DC!

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos Ingredients

1 lb Ground Turkey

1/4 Sweet Onion, diced

1/4 Red Pepper, diced

1 clove of Garlic, diced

1 shot of Tequila

Salt and Pepper

Shredded Cheese

Grape Tomatoes, diced

Squeeze of Lime Juice

Corn tortillas

Handful of Cilantro

Tequila Turkey and Cilantro Tacos Directions

In a drizzle of olive oil, saute garlic, onions, and peppers. Add the turkey and brown. Before the turkey is completely done, add the tequlia, salt, and pepper. Finish browning the turkey. 

To assemble the taco, first warm the tortillas (we used corn tortillas). Then add the meat, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro. Feel free to improvise and add your favorite taco toppings. I didn't have any ripe avocados on hand, but if I did, I would have made guacamole. 

Ed's Verdict: "It was a fun and refreshing way to enjoy Mexican food. You can't go wrong putting tequila on almost anything. I liked it."

Dinner in Spain

We're back! Now that we have recovered from the jet lag, I am finally getting a chance to share some pictures from our trip to Spain. We had an amazing time! Spain is a beautiful and diverse country with a rich and tumultuous history full of art, culture, and food. We ate our way across la madre tierra, visiting Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, and Toledo. For me, Spain was an amazing source of culinary inspiration. The early morning's catch of seafood, crisp and colorful vegetables, and, of course, high quality ham abound. More than anything we were absorbed into Spain’s natural tendency for leisure. We spent hours wondering through old city streets searching for a quiet place to enjoy a bottle of wine, some delectable tapas, and pure relaxation. Ahhh the ocio!

Strategically we stayed at an apartment-styled hotel with a small kitchenette which allowed us to take advantage of Spain’s large and well stocked open markets. While we attempted to follow Lonely Planet and my faithful Rick Steves' guide when searching for restaurants, we often ended up getting lost in the maze of Gothic and winding cobblestone streets and dining in unknown, random eateries often hidden from the main thoroughfare. The quality of the ingredients and freshness of each dish continuously impressed us, each one seemingly better than the last. I am so grateful for such a wonderful experience, and I'm looking forward to recreating some of the dishes in my own kitchen.

Below are some pictures from our vacation. Perhaps you will even find some inspiration for your own dinner plans tonight. I suggest evaluating each dish, as I did while I was there, and imagine the ingredients you have in your kitchen that could produce a similar result with your own personal touch. Or you could just check out the pictures and imagine yourself eating it!   

Buen Apetito!  


PAELLA

Typical Paella Valenciana

Rabbit and Seafood Paella

Paella in Squid Ink

 TAPAS

Various Pintxos (Bar snacks)

Assorted Stuffed Olives

Fried Anchovies

Marinaded Olives and Peppers

Grilled Octopus Stuffed Olives with Red Pepper

Salmon and Caviar

MAIN COURSES

Marinaded Steamed Vegetables

Shrimp topped Halibut

Cheesy Puff Pastry with Veal Sausage

Brie Quiche with Kalamata Olive Sauce

HAM

  

 

DESSERTS

Gofres- Spanish Waffles with Chocolate Sauce

Churros

 

Churros dipped in Hot Fudge

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich- Literally

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches are better dipped in Hot Chocolate

Easter Torrijas a.k.a. Spanish "French Toast"

Spanish S'mores on Steroids

DRINKS

Cava

Now THAT'S a case of beer!

Agua de Valencia

Hot Chocolate?

Spanish "Swiss Miss"

Dark Chocolate Milkshake

AT THE MARKET

Ed's Verdict: Ed says, "Spain has left a long lasting impression on my taste buds! I miss the ham and the wine dearly. I will forever remember the excitement I felt each time ate."


Which dish was your favorite? Which meals do you think I should recreate? Comments are much appreciated!

JUST FOR FUN