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 Sauce

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/.

Greek Chickpea Salad

I've made this twice now. It's a great healthy salad, and refreshing on a hot summer day.

This is adapted from https://www.healthygffamily.com/recipe/greek-chickpea-salad/. My comments are in  ( ).

Ingredients:

Serves 4 - 6  (More like 8 to 10 as a side dish)

Salad

• 2 cups cucumber sliced and quartered (we used English Cucumbers) (I used 1 regular, seeded)
• 1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 cup yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved (I had tomato cherubs on hand, in which I took the seeds out)
• 1 cup red onion diced  (I used 1/3 cup finely diced, as 1 cup seemed too much for me)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Lemony Vinaigrette (Makes about 1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  (I also added some zest)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper or more to taste

Lemony Vinaigrette

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk all ingredients until well combined. Set aside. Note any extra dressing saves well in the refrigerator for several days in a sealed jar.

Salad

Place all ingredients except parsley in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad to taste and toss to combine. Stir in parsley and serve.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This is something I whipped up for dinner at a friend’s house. I’ve made this several times. I don’t really measure the ingredients, but will make a portion based on the number of people.  
 

2 Cucumbers, peeled, sliced length-wise and large diced
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Thinly sliced red onion
Kalamata olives, cut in half
Feta cheese, crumbled

Juice of half of a Lemon
Olive oil, about 1/3rd cup
Splash of red wine vinegar
Dried Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

 
In a bowl, add the first five ingredients.
 
In a measuring cup or bowl, add the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk together.  Taste and adjust if needed.
 
Add the dressing and gently toss to coat.
 
Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Serves 8.

Instant Pot Pork Chops

23 January 2022

I had a couple of pork chops on hand, so I wanted to make them in the instant pot with a red sauce.

Most recipes I found called for thick chops. Mine were 1/2 inch thick, so I had to adjust the time for cooking. I checked on a couple of facebook pages and got some suggestions. 

Here’s my recipe:  

 

2 1/2” bone in pork chops

Olive oil for the bottom of the pot

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/3rd cup chopped onions (next time I’ll keep them in larger pieces)

A couple of small red peppers, thick slice

Dash of Italian seasoning

Dash of onion powder

Smoked Paprika, just a little. Next time I’ll add more.

1 can of diced tomatoes and its juices

About 4 T. Rao’s tomato sauce

About 1/2 cup of white wine

Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

10-12 Italian green olives

1 small can of mushrooms, drained (didn’t have fresh on hand)

Salt and Pepper

 

Season the pork chops with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder.

 

With the Sauté setting, add some olive oil and added the two chops to brown. Add the garlic, onions, peppers and salt/pepper (I placed them around the pork chops.  Turn the pork chops to the other side to brown; about 3-4 minutes on each side.

 

Turn off the IP.  Top the pork chops with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, parsley, olives and mushrooms.

 

Pressure cook for 5 minutes followed by a Natural Release. 

The Natural Release took about 18 minutes. Next time I won’t let the natural release go beyond 13-14 minutes. The chops came out not quite tender, but not tough at all. Or I’ll buy thicker chops.

 

I had some leftover grits to serve as a side.

 

Italian Meatballs & Red Sauce

Here’s my recipe, which I adapted from my mother-in-law.

Meatball Ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef 

3 Italian sausages, sweet and hot

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1/3 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

2 eggs 

1/4th of an onion, chopped 

1/3 cup or so of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 

Fresh parsley, chopped 

Salt and Pepper to season 

Red Sauce (see below) 

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the red sauce. 

Take a small amount, about a tablespoon and make into a patty. Fry in a pan till cook and taste to make sure it’s properly seasoned. Adjust the meatball mixture if needed.

Form into large meatballs (or small when preparing for a large dinner group). 

Place the meatballs onto baking pans that have been lightly sprayed with pam. Brown in the oven (pre-heated to 400 degrees) for about 10-12 minutes. This allows the meatballs to obtain that nice brown crispy texture and to remove excess fat. 

Drain on paper towels, then add the meatballs to the sauce.  Cook for 2-3 hours on low heat, stirring every so often.

Red Sauce: 

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 T. olive oil 

Dash hot pepper flakes 

2 12-oz cans of crushed tomatoes 

1/4 c. dry red wine - use any good wine. 

Fresh basil 

In a large pot, sauté the garlic in the oil but don't let it burn. 

Add the pepper flakes and then the crushed tomatoes. 

Simmer on low for 2-3 hours, adding the basil the last 15 minutes of cooking. 

The longer this sauce cooks, the better! 

You can use this sauce when making lasagna, manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and for topping pizza. 

If I'm making this for a dinner party, I'll transfer to a large crockpot and keep on low heat before serving.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This is a popular recipe and many variations can be found. This is mine: 

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained very well 

2 cans whole artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 

3 T. chopped onion 

3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise 

Dash or two of hot sauce

Pepper to taste 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine well. 

Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Serve with crackers. 

Notes: 

You can skip the spinach and just make it strictly an artichoke dip.

I made this recently and added a couple of ingredients (1/3rd cream cheese and a 4 oz. can of green chilies from my Jalapeño artichoke-spinach dip recipe. 

Baked Feta Appetizer

This baked feta appetizer is so easy to make. It was a hit at last night's Thanksgiving dinner (25 November 2021).  I served it right after taking it out of the oven.

 
This is the recipe I used, but see my notes at the bottom:   https://midwestfoodieblog.com/baked-feta-appetizer/
 
Ingredients:
8 oz. block feta (in brine)
1 cup pitted olives, drained
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
 
For serving:
 
Fresh chopped parsley
Sliced French bread or crostini
 
Instructions:
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
 
Add feta to a small baking dish (I used an 8”x8”). Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the feta.
 
In a small dish combine olive oil, sliced garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. 
 
Pour over the block of feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
 

  

Bake for 20 minutes [uncovered]. Broil for 1-2 minutes.
 
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sliced French bread or crostini. 

Here's my recipe for crostini:  https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2024/06/crostini.html

 

My changes/additions:
 
I prepared this about an hour or so in advance to get the ingredients to room temperature.
I used both green olives (Italian Castelvetrano) and Kalamata olives
I added roasted red peppers
I added a little of the sun-dried tomato oil
I used Italian Seasoning Blend
I didn’t have parsley (wasn’t missed)
I didn’t broil at the end
I sliced up a baguette
 
Next time I won’t slice the garlic so thin. The slices almost disappeared.
I will slice the olives in half.
And I may add some lemon zest slices and cherry tomatoes.
Someone in the comments stated they added chopped dried figs; another mentioned artichoke hearts.

Spicy Lentil and Sausage Soup

This is a quick recipe to make. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste.
 
2 Italian hot sausage links (I used Italian style hot turkey sausage)
1 T. Olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
About 1/4 of a small onion, diced
1 19-oz can Progresso Lentil Soup
3 baby carrot’s, diced
1 Small tomato, diced, seeded
1 cup chicken broth
Red pepper flakes
Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Parsley; Salt and Pepper to taste
 
 
In a pan, cook the sausage until brown, breaking up into pieces. 
 
In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions. 
 
Add the lentil soup, sausage, and remaining ingredients. 
 
Adjust seasoning as necessary. 
 
Cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
 
Serve with grated parmesan cheese. 
 
Serves 4.

(November 2004)

Maryland Crab Cakes

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. 

Credit to: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/maryland-crab-cakes/

Ingredients (with my comments in [  ]

1 large egg

1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried) [I used dried]

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard [I only used 1 t. You can also use classic yellow mustard]

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce [I only used 1 t.] 

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons for a spicier kick) [One 1 t. is fine for my taste]

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound fresh lump crab meat

2/3 cup Saltine cracker crumbs (about 14 crackers) [I use 6-7 crackers. The less filler, the better!]

Optional: 2 Tablespoons (30g) melted salted or unsalted butter [I leave out the butter to save on the fat calories; plus I don’t find it necessary]

Instructions

Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lemon juice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the crab meat on top, followed by the cracker crumbs. [I add the cracker crumbs to the egg, mayo, etc. dressing before adding the crab meat. This allows the crumbs to blend with the other ingredients].

With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently and carefully fold together. You don’t want to break up that crab meat! 

Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. [I keep mine in the refrigerator for at least an hour.]

Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter or nonstick spray or line with a silicone baking mat. [Or line the baking sheet with parchment paper].

Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, portion the crab cake mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. (Don’t flatten!) Use your hands or a spoon to compact each individual mound so there aren’t any lumps sticking out or falling apart. For extra flavor, brush each with melted butter. This is optional but recommended!

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and on top. Drizzle each with fresh lemon juice and serve warm.

You can also broil them for 10 minutes (don't turn over) or pan fry in a cast iron skillet with 2 T of butter over medium heat and cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes on each side. 

 Ingredients

 Lump Crab

 Mixing it all together

 Form into cakes

 Baked crab cakes

Italian Pearl Farro with Mushrooms, Peas, and Onions

Italian Pearl Farro with mushrooms, peas, and onions 

This is a great side dish and quite healthy!

Ingredients:

2-3 t. Olive oil
1 large clove garlic, chopped
6 large Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup peas (I use frozen – no need to thaw, but you an if you wish)
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 cup Farro, Italian Pearled (I use Nature’s Earthly Choice)
1/2 t. Paprika
1/2 t. dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Splash of dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (heat in a pan or microwave oven until hot)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive over medium-high heat.
 
Add the mushrooms, garlic, peas, and onions.  Cook about 4-5 minutes.
 
Add the faro, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and the wine.  Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.
 
Add the hot chicken broth, stir to combine, and lower heat to medium-low. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Check once in a while, as the liquid may have been absorbed. If so, add more broth or some water.
 
When ready to serve, add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
 
Notes:
 
Other items you can add to this dish:  Spinach, other types of mushrooms, lemon juice, green onions, parsley or basil; feta cheese instead of parmesan cheese, etc.   

Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

My friend Carolyn made this excellent Mediterranean appetizer. Her comments are in ( ).
 
Ingredients:
 
2 cups olives with pits (you can mix your favorites or choose a variety for color; our favorites are Kalamata olives and Sicilian dry-cured olives--the wrinkly ones)
 
2/3 to 3/4 cup almonds, un-blanched (the original recipe calls for 1 full cup; I think that is too many)
 
Orange and lemon zest (I used the better part of one orange and one lemon)
 
Sprigs of resinous herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, or basil (I used rosemary, which is the most essential, thyme, and a few leaves of sage)
 
Very thinly sliced lemon for garnish (you could use thinly sliced orange too)
 
Extra virgin olive oil
 
Directions:
 
Place everything except the lemon and orange slices in a bowl or casserole dish (suitable for serving), sprinkle generously with olive oil, and toss.  I happened to have some lemon olive oil, so I used some of that too. 
 
Garnish with the slices and heat at 300 degrees until very warm but not too hot to eat (I think it took 10 minutes?). 
 
If you have leftovers, when you reheat them, the lemon slices may be tender enough to eat—a bonus.  Also, the oil left in the bottom of the bowl can be used for dipping bread.
 
Carolyn Z.

(Recipe from HGTV Smart Solutions, 2005)