Cherry Tomato, Feta & Basil Salad

This is quicky and easy tomato salad to make. 

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Balsamic vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze of lemon juice, about 1 T

2 C. Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Fresh basil, chopped, about 6 leaves

1/4 C. Crumbled Feta cheese

Directions

Combine the first six ingredients in a serving bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust as needed to your liking. 

Add the tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese; toss to combine. 

Cover and let sit in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This will allow the flavors to meld.

Note: I made this again recently and added peeled/diced cucumber (one small) and about 10 Kalamata olives, sliced.

Peruvian-Style Chicken w/Green Sauce

(Updated to add photos and some comments)

I hosted a rotation group dinner (11 April 2015) with 17 friends and chose Peruvian foods for the dinner theme. I made Peruvian chicken, a green aji sauce, a yellow sauce (both spicy from jalapeno and aji peppers); and a rice/lentil side dish.

The following are the recipe for the chicken and both sauces. There are links below to the rice/lentil side dish and a Peruvian potato salad that a friend made.

I've made this chicken dish many, many times. I double the green sauce to use for other meals.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce

Adapated from: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/peruvian-style-roast-chicken-with-green-sauce.html

For the Chicken

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice, from 2 limes
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
4 pound whole chicken

Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a blender or mini food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl, breast side up with the legs facing you. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear the skin or push all the way through (you want the marinade to stay inside the bird). Spoon about 2/3 of the marinade evenly underneath the skin, and spread the remaining 1/3 evenly over the skin. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a v-shape) with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for about an hour and ten minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (Keep an eye on it -- if it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to release the juices, then transfer to a cutting board. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.

For the Green Sauce [I love this sauce that I now double the recipe]

  

     

3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded if desired [I use one large jalapeño pepper, keeping about

      1/4th of the seeds for a low-medium heat taste], roughly chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's [I used less mayonnaise]
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

[I added 1.5 ounces of queso fresco cheese, as it was listed in another recipe]

Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. With the motor running, open lid and slowly drizzle in olive oil. It will seem very runny at this point but, don't worry, it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yellow Aji sauce 
Adapted from: http://vespawoolf.hubpages.com/hub/Peruvian-Sauce-Recipe

3 ounces (80 grams) queso fresco (fresh cheese), farmer's cheese or feta

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 aji peppers (seeds & veins removed) or 1/4 cup aji amarillo paste
4 small sprigs huacatay or 1/2 teaspoon huacatay paste
4 Tablespoons (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
1 Tablespoon raw peanuts
salt, to taste

Coarsely chop peppers, onion and garlic.

Pour 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil into a medium skillet. Over medium heat, saute vegetables until soft.

Scrape vegetables into a blender container. Add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the vegetable oil) and blend for several minutes, until thick and creamy.

Drizzle over steamed potatoes or serve with fries, beef or chicken.

My notes: 

1. I used chicken thighs, legs, and a couple of large breasts (cut smaller). In all, about 30 pieces. Tony used his smoker and followed the directions for roasting. The breasts came out slightly dry, so next time, we’ll stick to legs and thighs. Total cooking time was about 1.5 hours. No resting of the chicken – we dove in and it disappeared quickly.

2.  The green sauce was a hit! This is definitely a sauce I’ll make many more times for my other meals. It would be great on any chicken, beef, or pork; even cooked potatoes. You can even use it as a dipping sauce with chips or pita bread.

3. The yellow sauce came out very thick. Adding a little water or sour cream will reduce the thickness. I didn’t have any raw peanuts on hand; and I used the aji amarillo paste instead of peppers.  

Here are two other recipes from the dinner:

Peruvian Potatoes with Spicy Cream Sauce (Papas a la Huancaina): http://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/peruvian-potatoes-with-spicy-cream-sauce.html

Peruvian Rice and Lentils (Tacu Tacu): http://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/peruvian-rice-lentis-tacu-tacu.html

 

Brazilian Chopped Salad

I had two couples over recently fora Brazilian-themed dinner. Tony did the steaks, a friend made a rice/bean dish; and another made this delicious recipe (https://www.aspicyperspective.com/brazilian-chopped-salad/).

Ingredients

For the Brazilian Chopped Salad:

• 14 ounces hearts of palm
• 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped mint

For the Lime Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the Vinaigrette:

• For the vinaigrette: Pour all the ingredients in a jar. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.  Screw the lid on tight and shake to combine.

To Assemble:

• Drain the can of hearts of palm, then chop into 1/4-inch rounds. Cut the tomatoes in half. Cut the stems off the fennel bulb. Then cut the bulb in half and remove the core. Lay the fennel bulb halves flat, and slice into thin "shaved" pieces. Cut the avocado into chunks. Cut the onion half, in half again, then slice into thin strips. Finally, chop the fresh mint.
• Place the shaved fennel on a large platter (or in salad bowl.) Top with tomatoes, hearts of palm, onion, avocado, and mint. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top and toss.

Notes: My friend was kind to leave the chopped mint on the side, as Tony is not a mint lover.

This was a wonderful and flavorful salad. My friend wasn't sure about this because it was her first time eating hearts of palm and fennel. She loved it!

Pearl couscous salad with chickpeas, chorizo, and warm spices

This is a delicious recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Salad Cookbook. I made this recipe (page 360) for a cookbook club in my area. It states it serves 4 to 6 people, but really as a side dish it serves 8 to 10 in my opinion.

Ingredients

 

1 c pearl couscous
6 oz. Spanish chorizo sausages, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 t. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 t. table salt
1-1/3 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
2/3 c. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 c. raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dates, or chopped dried figs
4 t. lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

 I made little chorizo meatballs

   

It took 10 minutes of simmering to cook the couscous mixture.

1. Combine couscous, chorizo, carrots, 2 teaspoons oil, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until half of grains are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, paprika, and cumin. Bring to simmer; cover; and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Let sit off heat, covered, for 3 minutes.

 Chopped fresh parsley

2. Stir in chickpeas, parsley, raising, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.)

 

 

 
My Notes: This was pretty easy to make. For the chorizo (spicy), two links were 6 oz. (after taking the casing off). It was not easy to cut the chorizo, so I took off small pieces and rolled them into bite size balls. The recipe doesn't state if the casing should be removed or not.
 
One can of chickpeas was close to two cups, so I didn’t bother to add any extra. I used parsley; and chopped dates.
 
The recipe states to use a medium saucepan. Next time I will use a larger one. What I used was too small for me to add the remaining ingredients after the, “Let sit off heat, covered for minutes.” So I added the remaining ingredients in the serving bowl and added the couscous mixture into the bowl, and tossed everything together.
 
The recipe was not clear as far as serving: Cold? Room temp? Serve immediately? Since I made this in advance for the dinner, I went ahead and refrigerated it to serve it cold. The recipe does state that the salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.
 
This took one hour to make from start to finish. I really liked the flavors of the chorizo, the spices and the hint of the dates. And it was my first time cooking with pearl couscous.

Chimichurri

Authentic Chimichurri (Uruguay & Argentina)

Authentic Chimichurri from Uruguay & Argentina is the best accompaniment to any barbecued or grilled meats! Also used to serve as a dressing on salads! 

Adapted from: https://cafedelites.com/authentic-chimichurri-uruguay-argentina/#recipe

I made this delicious Chimichurri sauce to go with Tony's Brazilian Picanha steak that he made.  The steak is a specialty at Brazilian stteakhouses (called churrascaria). 

My comments are in [  ]

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley [packed in the measuring cup]

3-4 cloves garlic , finely chopped or minced  [I used 2 cloves]

2 small red chilies , or 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon finely chopped chili)  [I used a little over 1/2 t. of crushed red pepper flakes]
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 level teaspoon coarse salt [I used 1/2 t]
pepper, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

INSTRUCTIONS
 
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavours into the oil before using. Ideally, let it sit for more than 2 hours, if time allows.

Chimichurri can be prepared earlier than needed, and refrigerated for 24 hours, if needed.
 
Use to baste meats (chicken or steaks) while grilling or barbecuing. We don't use it as a marinade, but choose to baste our meats with chimichurri instead. However, you can use it as a marinade if you wish. Also, add a couple of tablespoons over your steak to serve.
 
Serves 8 as a side.

PS: There are some other great recipes at https://cafedelites.com/.