Repeats - Vegetarian Zucchini Tacos

It's Wednesday night, which is usually South of the Boarder night, but we'll be having Cheesy Onion Potato Soup with Cheesy Bread just to shake up the routine. Attached is an excellent Zucchini Taco that I highly recommend if you'd like to start South American Wednesdays with your family!

• 5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbls olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 medium zucchini, cut into 2x1/2 inch sticks
• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 12 tortillas
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 tsp oregano, 1 tbls oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining tsp oregano and tbls oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas. Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
4. To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Guagua de pan - Bread Babies

Guagua de pan is a bread dish for my upcoming International Dinner focusing on Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. I made enough for at least 30 people, although I'm hoping if more come, that folks will be thoughtful enough to share.

 12 cups of flour and 2 tbls salt 2 tbls sugar

 4 cups of warm water and two packs of yeast

 A guagua de pan (bread baby) is a type of roll shaped and decorated in the form of a small child or infant, and sometimes a small animal. They are generally made of wheat and sometimes contain a sweet filling. They are made and eaten as part of ancestral rites in Andean regions of Ecuador,Peru, Bolivia, the south of Colombia, and the north of Argentina, mainly on the Day of the Dead, but also as part of agricultural festivals, carnivals, and Christmas.

Guagua means baby or small child in Quechua, and pan means bread in Spanish. In the south of Peru and in Bolivia, the rolls are called "tantawawas" or "tantaguaguas", which comes from the Aymará words tanta (bread) and wawa (child).

In Ecuador Guaguas de pan are consumed on November 2, the Day of the Dead, in all of the Andean region. They are eaten with colada morada. They are made by families and exchanged among groups of family and friends and given to godchildren. In rural cemeteries and indigenous communities, such as Tungurahua Province, they are used as offerings as part of an ceremony of encounter with one's ancestors.

Bruschetta Steak

Bruschetta Steak

These two chuck steaks are aprox. 3 lbs and each are roughly 11x5x1. Liberally wipe with olive oil and sprinkle powdered garlic on top. Broil on low or at 485 degrees until deep brown on top and juice pink to red on the bottom.

 Kumato tomatoes are plum sized and have a 

salty and sweet flavor perfect for bruschetta. Dice well.

 Wash well to remove all sand, as most basil is grown in sandy soils that can be difficult to wash off. Take your time and be patient as you wash these leaves in cool water. Chop very finely.

 Cube any cheese, though Monterey Jack and/or Mozzarella are a perfect compliment to bruschetta. Mix all of the ingredients well together and sprinkle lightly with olive oil and coarse flake salt. 

 

 Slice the steak in 2 inch wide strips and pile the bruschetta evenly. Excellent when served with unsweetened iced tea!

Barley Risotto, Beef Stroganoff and Potato Au Gratin

4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth, 2 tsp butter, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 cup pearl barley, 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme and 3/4 tsp dried1 bay leaf, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as oyster, stemmed portobello and stemmed shiitake), sliced, 1 garlic clove, minced, 2 tbls chopped fresh Italian parsley all on low heat until creamy and with a slight bite.

Sliced potatoes, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tbls butter, 2 tbls olive oil, pepper 425 degrees for one hour

1 lb inch cut chuck steak olive oil and butter, fry over medium heat until light brown. Cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of milk, barley flour and water roux.

Stir well and continue to cook over a medium to low flame for another 15 minutes.

Dish and enjoy!

Tex-Mex Chili: Excellent as a dip or wrapped in tortillas

16 oz diced tomatoes, 8 oz black beans, 2 oz taco mix or 

a blend of the following ingredients dried and powdered: 

red chili, paprika, sea salt, garlic, 

onion, coriander, cumin, and cayenne 

 Add one roughly chopped onion.

 Hand mix in 1 lbs meat of your choosing.

 Cover with 1 lbs shredded cheese of your choosing.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 Cool for 20 minutes before serving with 

burrito tortillas or chips, olives, and beer.
The beer is Vinyl from Magic Hat, and is
the perfect beer for this meal!

Italian Wedding Soup - Minestra Maritata

Dice onions.

Add them to 8 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups water 

and place the pot over a medium flame.

Use celery that has large dark green leaves.

Chop and add to the stock.

Chop two carrots and add to the stock.

 Add 1/3 cup of green onions or chives to the stock.

Add 1/4 cup chopped flat parsley to the stock.

In a medium mixing bowl, hand mix 1 lbs. ground meat, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/8 cup applesauce, 3 tbls dried onions, a liberal dash of salt and pepper.

Roll in your palm small meatballs, aprox. 1 tbls each.

Stir vegetables well.

Add meatballs one at a time, cook for 20 minutes.

Add kale five minutes before serving.

Dish and serve with grated parmesan.

Slacking off from posting!

I have been totally slacking on posting my latest recipe. It's been a three ring circus around here, but I absolutely promise to post Italian Wedding Soup - Minestra Maritata tomorrow!


In the mean time here is a nifty fact I learned looking at my stats today, I am read world-wide, 45 countries! How flippin' awesome is that?! 


Folks from the US, Canada, and the UK (That's England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland!), as well as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Denmark check this blog out. Foodie's from Egypt, Lebanon, Spain, Norway, South Korea, and India peruse my food photos! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!


Now Malaysia, Bolivia, Italy, Netherlands, France, Qatar, Russia, Brazil, Poland, Hungary, Finland,  Romania, Czech Republic, Columbia, Philippines, Indonesia, Ukraine, Malta, Israel, Belgium, Sweden, Serbia, Latvia, South Africa, China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Japan and Ghana? Wow! Welcome in!

Linguini with Chicken Scallopini and Asparagus

Chop parsley and basil.

Make a brown butter roux. 

Add flake salt and cracked pepper.

 Whip in heavy cream and 1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

 Stir in 2 tbls. of chopped parsley and basil.

 Low heat, stir frequently.

 Steam asparagus.

 Boil whole grain linguini with 2 tbls olive oil.

 Add olive oil and butter to pan over medium heat. 

 Thinly slice and lightly salt and flour one large chicken breast.

 Stir in dry mustard, aprox. 2 tsp.

 Pan fry chicken.

 Dish and enjoy!