Spicy Stewed Mexican Potatoes (Papas Guisadas)

This is a super easy dish to make that is hearty, but still healthy.  I like to make a big batch of this, serve it as a side dish, and then eat the leftovers for lunch for a couple of days.

Yield:  5-8 medium servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 pounds russet or red potatoes, cubed

3 serrano peppers, diced (remove seeds for a less spicy dish)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 large tomatoes, diced

1 whole bunch cilantro, stems removed

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Cook in boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside.

In a blender, add the fresh and crushed tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, oregano, chiles and garlic. Blend until smooth.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook over high heat until slightly soft. Add the potato cubes and continue frying. Once the potatoes are cooked through and have started to brown, pour the sauce over the potatoes, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 more minutes.

Potatoes should be soft and tinged with the color of the tomato before this dish is ready.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, then serve. This dish is great as a meal, a side dish, or in tortillas as vegetarian tacos.  Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Mini Banana Breads

I decided to make this into individual cakes, so I used some pans I have that make mini fillable cakes.

Yield:  1 medium loaf or 8 mini cakes

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Topping:
Caramel sauce
Coarse sea salt
 
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix butter into mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Sprinkle baking soda, spices, and salt over the mixture, then mix in the flour.

Pour the batter into buttered pan(s).  For the small cakes, I baked this for about 20 minutes, but for a larger portion it would take about an hour - I recommend checking it with a knife inserted in the center after about 20 minutes.

Once the cakes are set, remove from oven.  Drizzle or fill with caramel sauce and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Serve while warm.

This was even more delicious the next day, when the caramel and salt had soaked into the cake.  Enjoy!

Tips:  If you don't have a pan like this, you could use a cookie cutter to cut a small hole in the center of the cake to fill.  Or use a fork to make pinholes in the top of the cake and then pour the caramel sauce over it.  Or just pour the caramel sauce right on top!  Whatever works!

 

Pineapple Rum Punch

All right, I'll be honest - I didn't fly to Ixtapa to mix this drink, take a photo, and fly right back.  The truth is we drank this punch so fast, I forgot to take a photo of it, and stole this one from the trusty old internet.  Sue me!  Wait... don't. 

Yield:  1 large pitcher, approximately 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
2-3 cups ripe pineapple chunks (or about 1/2 a fresh pineapple)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups dark rum
1/2 cup lime juice
3 cups club soda or sparkling water
1 bottle Spumante or other sweet sparkling wine
Lime slices

Directions:
Add pineapple chunks, sugar and rum to the bottom of a large pitcher and muddle gently.  Add club soda and mix.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight to allow flavors to come together.

Just before serving, mix in sparkling wine and pour into ice filled glasses.  Garnish with lime slices.  Cheers!

Tips:  Make sure to taste the pineapple; if it's not ripe enough, you might want to add more sugar, depending on how sweet you want the finished product.

Spicy Garlic Adobo Roasted Potatoes

I found these thick prime t-bone steaks at Costco on sale so I had to make a special potato dish to go with them.  I love adobo seasoning and use it a lot in fish tacos, on pork chops and chicken, etc.  It's usually marked as "adobo sazon" and you can find it in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store. 

Yield: 4-6 servings
3 pounds red potatoes, cut into bite-sized wedges
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp adobo seasoning 
1 tsp ground oregano
2 tbsp melted butter
Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash potatoes and cut into wedges, then peel garlic.  Toss the potatoes and garlic cloves in olive oil and spices until well coated.

Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and spread out into one even layer (if necessary, use two sheet pans; it's important they are in one layer, otherwise they won't brown properly).  Cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the skin is crisp, the cener is soft, and the potatoes are brown.  Remove and toss with melted butter; season to taste and serve while hot.

Here is the link to the recipe for the T-Bone Steaks with Garlic Herb Butter.  Enjoy!

Mini Herbed Goat Cheese and Veggie Frittatas

I love making these baked egg dishes; they are easy, look elegant, and can be customized based on whatever ingredients you have around.  And you can easily make this even more low calorie by omitting the butter.

 

Yield:  4-6 mini frittatas

Ingredients:
8 ounces mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/4 cup melted butter, plus 1 tbsp for cooking

8 eggs, whipped
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup herbed goat cheese (or goat cheese + chopped fresh herbs)
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Use one tablespoon of the butter to oil a skillet; cook peppers, garlic and mushrooms until soft.  Reserve, drain if desired (I find the mixture left in the pan enhances the flavor of the frittata, but it does make it a bit more watery, so discard if you want the eggs super firm).

 

Spray 6 ounce ramekins or muffin tins with nonstick spray or pat with butter.  Whisk eggs, milk, remaining melted butter, and seasonings until blended.  Fill baking containers about halfway with the egg mixture, then sprinkle with goat cheese and reserved vegetables.  Repeat, leaving a bit of room at the top of the ramekins for the egg to rise.

 

Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is set in the center, about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately, with additional goat cheese sprinkled over the top if desired.  Enjoy!

 

 

Panko Crusted Orange-Ginger Chicken Tenders

 

This didn't take very long to make and I imagine it's a bit healthier than normal orange chicken.  A tiny bit anyway... or at least that's what I told myself.

Yield:  2-4 servings (depending on whether it's an entree or appetizer)

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into approx 2 inch thick strips
2-3 tbsp butter
1 18 ounce jar of orange marmalade
1 tbsp soy sauce 
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or substitute 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)
1/3 cup flour 
1 cup panko crumbs
3 egg whites, beaten
Zest of one orange
Olive oil, for frying

 

Directions:
Prepare chicken and pat dry, then set aside to bring to room temperature.  Heat butter in skillet until just soft, then add minced garlic and ginger.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until beginning to brown, then add soy sauce.  Cook for an additional minute, then pour in orange marmalade and stir until well mixed.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.  Sprinkle in flour slowly, using a fork or whisk to mix it in, reducing any clumps.  Allow to continue cooking until caramelized, about 5-10 minutes.

While the orange mixture is cooking, heat a skillet and drizzle with olive oil.  Dip chicken tenders in egg whites, then in panko crumbs, and place in skillet.   Cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, flipping once to ensure brownness on each side.

Reduce heat on orange mixture to low and keep warm until chicken is done cooking.  Once the chicken is done, use a fork or tongs to dip each crisp piece of chicken in orange mixture, then place on serving plate(s).  Sprinkle with orange zest and serve immediately.  Yum!

Note:  My claim about this being healthier than regular orange chicken has no evidence to back it up... I'm just guessing since it isn't deep fried.  Then again, I did add that butter, so who knows!  Either way, it didn't come out greasy, so that's a plus!  Enjoy!

Spring Tasting Dinner

I had this party quite some time ago and never got around to posting it.  This was a twelve course tasting menu with paired cocktails.  It makes me tired even typing that out...  gosh, I used to have a lot of time on my hands before I decided to start my own business!

This was all small plates, each one paired with a drink.  It took about 5 hours to serve all of these courses!  It was a lot of fun to create an experience like this for my guests.

Goat Cheese Truffles with Toasted Brown Sugar Pecans

paired with

Drunken Carbonated Grapes

I thought this pairing was particularly inventive; a drink that is edible!  The sourness of the pinot noir, nuttines of the pecans, and creaminess of the goat cheese went very well together.  Carbonating the grapes was especially fun, you can read all about it should you dare in the post for the recipe!

Mesquite Smoked Pork Carnitas Tostada

paired with

White Peach Sangria

This appetizer is one of my favorites to make; the flavors are intense and you can customize it endlessly (mini tostadas, tacos, crostini, etc).  And you can say the same for sangria; a couple of bottles of wine, some fruit and/or exotic juice, and voila, a sparkling and delicious drink!

Another thing that I really enjoy about making small plates or a pairing party like this one is the ability to showcase different global cuisines.  I love cooking (and therefore eating!) many different types of food: Asian, Mexican, Italian, etc, and it's fun to be able to pull those flavors together to create a really interesting and complex meal.

Shanghai Chicken Drummettes

paired with

Cucumber Saketini

Come on... how cute are those cucumber saketinis????

Mexican Street Corn Bruschetta

paired with

Jalapeño Margarita

This is another go to recipe (hey, when you're planning 12 courses, you have to stick to some of what you know!). Not only is it a great vegetarian option, which is key when entertaining a large group, but the flavors are intense and it is easy to prepare. This is especially yummy in the summer, when the corn is so sweet it seems to melt in your mouth.

The jalapeño margarita might sound strange, but the spiciness really adds something, and it's particularly good when paired with other spicy flavors.

I tried to alternate the courses between flavor profiles to really keep this interesting, and made sure to have basically at least one dish from every food group; chicken, beef, seafood, pork, veggie, bacon (yes, that's a food group!) 

I made the crust for these mini pizzas square purposely so that they would fit on this platter.  Talk about detail oriented, ha ha.  Or do they cal that OCD?

Mini Chorizo and Roasted Red Pepper Pizzas

paired with

Mango Mojitos

Another important thing to keep in mind when planning a meal like this is color.  I like to use vibrantly colored foods that are as attractive to the eye as to the tummy; and if the food itself is not particularly aesthetically pleasing, you can always add a colorful garnish or sauce!

Butternut Squash & White Cheddar Mac n Cheese "Sushi rolls"

paired with

Cherry Infused Bourbon with Chocolate Covered Drunken Cherries

This link will take you to my original recipe for these rolls, but I did make some small changes to it.  As you can see from the photos, I used penne pasta instead of regular elbow macaroni, to give the rolls a floral appearance.  To continue that theme (and the theme of spring), I rolled strips of bacon into "roses" and pressed them into the center of the mac n cheese rolls.

As far as the changes to the recipe, I added 2 cups of cooked butternut squash and swapped out the regular cheddar for white cheddar, giving it a smokier and richer flavor.  Yum!  Toasted garlic bread crumbs on top!

Bourbon!  I think cherry and bourbon go really well together, it's one of my favorite flavor pairings.  For this recipe, I infused the bourbon a couple of days in advance, then drained the cherries and coated them in chocolate.

Smoked Gouda & Caramelized Onion Potatoes Au Gratin

paired with

Sparkling Manhattan

I love these mini ramekin dishes.  They look adorable for savory or dessert dishes, and how nice is it to be able to serve something in the dish it was cooked in?!

The day after this party, I had about one of each drink left over in the fridge, just waiting in their pretty little serving glasses.  I had a lovely time finishing them off while cleaning up, ha ha.  It's always smart to allay the pain of doing housework by getting a little buzzed!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce and Fried Basil

paired with

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

 

This picture doesn't show the proportions very well, but this is a bite sized piece of tenderloin that I cut to make look like a tiny filet.  The original recipe was for a meal sized portion and I pared it down to make appetizers.

The fried basil on top was a nice addition and is very simple to do; simply slice the basil leaves into long strips and fry in hot oil for just a few seconds, then place on paper towels to remove excess oil.  The basil adds a fresh, earthy flavor to the dish, and the fried texture is a pleasant surprise.

These drinks came out looking so icy cold!  For this effect, I dipped the wet rim of each glass into water, and then into powdered sugar, and repeated.  Brrrr!

I think this was about the point that the party started to get a bit rowdy, which will explain why the quality, and quantity, of photographs declines after this point!  A crowded kitchen and hungry, drunken people can really get in the way of good food photography!

 

Butter Poached Lobster Medallions with Champagne Garlic Sauce

paired with

Citrus White Wine Spritzer

What can I say about champagne and butter poached lobster? I think anyone with taste buds would agree that it's a great combination.

And then there were desserts!  Three courses of them, naturally.  Wouldn't you be disappointed if there were any less?!

Mixed Berry Tiramisu

paired with

Blueberry Ginger Bellini

Blueberry and ginger go amazingly well together!

Serving this many drinks (12 courses x 20 people = approx 240 glasses!) was sure to exhaust even my prodigious tiny glass collection so in advance of the party, I went miniature glass hunting and came upon these adorable mason jars.  I thought they would be perfect to serve a drink or dessert in and I've even used a few to give gifts of homemade jam.  Home Goods is the ultimate resource for affordable little finds like this.

Gooey Chocolate and Caramel Cakes

paired with

S'mores Shooters

  

I love these tasty little shooters!

Bittersweet Chocolate Glazed Espresso Brownie Bites

paired with

Strawberry Daiquiri Jello Shots

This is similar to a normal brownie, a bit less sweet with darker chocolate and a hint of coffee flavor.  What really makes this dessert special is the tiny chocolate covered coffee bean on top.  Plus, bonus, it looks cute!

And finally, the most adorable jello shot cocktail ever!

One of the best compliments I've ever gotten on a recipe was on this one. One of my guests said, "think about the incredible effort, detail and time Leah put into making this tiny dessert, just so we could all enjoy 30 seconds of exquisite flavor that we'll never forget." It was a very sweet comment!

I knew the night was a success when each and every guest was able to stick it out until the final course, which I served around 1 am. Definitely my most ambitious and challenging event to date, but lots of fun to create and plan (yes, I'm crazy!).

Here are some random pics from the party.  Cheers!