Guacamole for the Cilantro-Phobic

Ingredients:

2 jalapeño chiles (seeds removed) roasted, cooled, chopped

1 serrano chili (seeds removed) finely chopped

4 tablespoons finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes

4 avocados

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of lime juice

a drizzle of olive oil

salt to taste

Directions:

Assemble the onion, parsley, chiles, and salt. Grind into a paste.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and squeeze the flesh onto the paste. Mash the avocados but leave some larger pieces; don’t make the texture too smooth. 

Reserve a tablespoon of tomatoes and a tablespoon of onions  

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Top the guacamole with the reserved tomatoes and onions and serve right away.

 

 

 

Pineapple Chicken

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces of fresh pineapple chunks 

1/2 cup of pineapple juice

2 teaspoons of rice vinegar

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of curry powder

4 teaspoons corn starch powder

1 onion, chopped

1/2 red sweet pepper, julienned 

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 serrano chili pepper, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 cloves of garlic, chopped 

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup cashews (optional)

basmati coconut rice, for serving

Directions:

• Wash and dry the chicken. Place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness with the use of a mallet. Discard the plastic wrap. 
• Slice the chicken into pieces and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces with about 1 tablespoon of corn starch.  
• Combine the pineapple juice with the vinegar, soy sauce, and curry powder. 
• Dilute one teaspoon of corn starch by whisking it with an equal amount of the pineapple juice mixture. Add it to the rest of the juice mixture. Set the juice aside.
• In a large skillet sauté the chicken in vegetable oil until just about done. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add some more oil and sauté the onions, celery, and peppers.
• Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper slices, and pineapple chunks. Continue sautéing for about 4 minutes. 
• Return the chicken to the skillet. 
• Add the pineapple juice mixture and cook until the mixture thickens.
• Add the cashews, mix, and top with a few sliced almonds. 
• Serve over coconut rice.

GREEK ORZO SALAD

This plentiful and colourful salad has just the right ingredients to tempt the taste buds: pasta, protein-rich chickpeas, lots of fresh vegetables, briny olives and feta cheese, plus a tangy,  lemony vinaigrette that envelops each ingredient in olive oil deliciousness. I used my best olive oil here, a robust Greek variety, perfect for this dish! No matter the weather, be it snow or heatwave, this salad fits the bill! 

Here's how to put it together:

Ingredients:

1 cup of raw orzo pasta, cooked (it will average two cups when cooked)

1 pound cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 of a long English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1/2 or 1 small red onion, diced. Alternately, use one diced shallot

1 yellow pepper diced (or half of one if the pepper is too large)

1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup Kalamata olives or sundried olives, or a combination thereof, pits removed and cut in half

1/2 cup feta cheese, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon of chopped mint

2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 cups arugula

    For the vinaigrette:

The juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste 

1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon olive oil for the pasta

Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil. Next, while mixing, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsified dressing. 

 

Directions:

Mix the cooked pasta with about a tablespoon of olive oil and set it aside or cover it and place it temporarily in the refrigerator. For use in this salad, the pasta must be on the cold side so as not to steam the vegetables. 

Into a large bowl, assemble all the ingredients except the cheeses and arugula. 

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until everything is well mixed.  

Arrange the arugula on a serving platter and mix with the Pecorino Romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the salad over the arugula and top it with the feta cheese.

 

Chicken Gyros Salad with Greek Yoghurt Dressing

I love this quick chicken salad that's reminiscent of a Greek chicken gyros sandwich (or a chicken souvlaki sandwich). Leftover chicken can be used here and the chicken can be served on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, or for a more substantial salad, the lettuce and tomatoes can rest on warm pita bread and then the roast chicken slices can be added on top of the vegetables. 

For the dressing:

1/2 cup Greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the above and mix to make a dressing.

For the salad:

1 roasted chicken breast, sliced

1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced

 1 or 2 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped 

Salt and pepper to taste

Romaine lettuce, cut into small pieces

A sliced tomato

To assemble:

Combine the chicken, cucumber, scallion, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing, mix gently, and allow the flavours to meld by placing the chicken mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

Serve on top of chopped lettuce and tomato slices. 

If calories aren't an issue, serve on top of pita bread that's topped with lettuce and tomatoes. The pita bread can be warmed in a non-stick skillet that has just a hint of olive oil spread on it. 

VANILLA Coffee Cake with lots of vanilla (Marion Cunningham)

This is dearest Marion Cunningham's vanilla coffee cake recipe. It's a recipe for a basic cake, not all that fancy, not overly sweet, easy to prepare, wonderful to eat, and for me, it's reminiscent of the old-fashioned cakes, those perfect cakes grandmothers would make, slice up, and place on the kitchen table for snacking. Eating to drinking ratio: one slice of cake per two cups of black coffee for grandmother and her friends; for the grandchildren, the ratio differs. The kids get one thin slice of vanilla cake to one large cup of hot chamomile tea with honey. 

Ingredients: 

½ pound (2 sticks) of butter, at room temperature

1  cup of sugar

3 eggs

2 ½  cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream 

5 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

• Ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C.
• Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
• Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork until well blended.
• Into a large mixing bowl add the butter and beat with an electric beater for 1 minute. 
• Add the sugar mixture to the butter and beat until smooth, about  2 minutes.
• Add the eggs and beat for about two minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. 
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. 
• Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix.  
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for about 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
• Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes. 
• Invert onto a rack and let cool for about fifteen minutes. 
• Slice and serve.  

Marion Cunningham gives us variations for her coffee cake:

DRIED  FIG  AND ALMOND: 

1  1/2 cups dried figs

1  1/2 cups of unblanched and coarsely chopped almonds 

Place the figs into a bowl with boiling water and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain, then cut the figs into quarters. 

Once the sour cream is added to the batter, incorporate the figs and almonds. 

Stir to combine and continue with the recipe. 

APPLE  AND WALNUT:

 

1  1/2 cups coarsely chopped apples

1  1/2  cups coarsely chopped walnuts

After adding the sour cream to the batter,  add the apples and walnuts. Stir to combine. Proceed with the basic recipe. 

ORANGE FLAVOUR:

Add the zest of one orange to the sugar and mix well. Proceed with the recipe.

Kind of old-fashioned, reminiscent of those perfect, peaceful days at grandmother's home.

How To Make Italian Seasoning

Italian seasoning is very easy to assemble and great to have around just to add a quick dash of flavouring to one’s recipes.

How much of each herb to use is a personal choice that depends on one’s taste. The beauty of making your own blend is that you get to decide on how much of each herb to include. If partial to a particular herb, add extra. If not, cut down on the amount or simply omit it. Here’s how I make my Italian Seasoning:                              

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons dried basil (see note)

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons dried rosemary

3 tablespoons dried thyme

3 tablespoons dried marjoram

3 tablespoons dried sage

1 or 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes; they are spicy, therefore, consider how much to add according to preference 

A note about the basil:

 Note: I usually omit the dried basil when I make this mix because I believe basil loses much of its flavour once it’s dried; I would much rather add the fresh variety which is readily available year-round. 

Fresh basil can be purchased at the market during the winter and in summer it can be very easily grown in an outdoor container. 

Directions:

Combine the dried herbs and place them into a jar fitted with an airtight lid. Make sure to write the date on the jar. The mixture will last about a year – no longer than that because dried herbs lose their potency over time.

 

To test if a dried herb is still good, rub a pinch of it in your palm and smell it. If it leaves behind a strong aroma, it’s good to use.