» ROASTED PEPPERS «

(30 March 20110) - This is a very easy dish and a good complement to any meal. My grandmother used to do something called “ensaladita”, which –additionally- had roasted tomatoes mixed with the peppers. My mother and aunts would buy the ingredients and ask her to come over and make it for them (no that they didn’t know how to make it). And so she would come and cook for them -happy to assist in any way. She was always ready to help even when her help was not required. A strong woman, although she was smaller than me. Full of energy and love for the Lord and her family. I loved my grandmother Antonia, and I learned a lot of things from her. Thank God for all grandmas!

Ingredients:

• 4 Red Bell peppers
• ¼ Cup of olive oil
• ½ Tsp of cumin powder
• Garlic (peeled and minced (optional))
• Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the peppers and put them in a baking dish to roast for 1 hour. Let them cool in the oven. Once they are cold, peel them, take off the seeds and the stems and reserve the juice they will have inside. Cut them in strips and place them in a serving dish. Add the juice, oil, cumin, garlic and salt, mixing everything together. Combines well with chicken, meat or fish.

Serve with Italian or Spanish bread. *Serves 4 people* - Superb!

» SWEET POTATO SOUFFLÉ «

(03 December 2010) - It is the fall season in North Carolina. Plenty to be thankful for: health, shelter, food, beautiful scenery, friends and family to share the feast with… Rosa (Maria’s sister) invited us over for dinner. On occasions like this, we share the cooking responsibilities. Rosa asked me to bring mashed potatoes (I make very good mashed potatoes). She actually kept the leftovers, even what was left of the sweet potatoes, which was my idea to bring. Her husband said “Damn! This is better than anything else” after he tried them. This dish is a tradition in my house (for Thanksgiving) ever since my friend Hilda gave me this recipe. - Thank you Hilda, this is a great dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 Sweet potatoes
• 1 Cup of sugar (scarce)
• ½ Tsp of salt
• 2 Eggs
• ½ Cup of heavy cream or evaporated milk
• 1/3 Cup of softened unsalted butter (more for greasing the pan)
• 1 Tsp of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1½ hours, or until tender when pricked with a fork. Take them out of the oven and let them get cool enough to handle. Peel and mash them really well. Add the sugar, heavy cream (or evaporated milk), beaten eggs, butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat until everything is incorporated. Grease a 7-cup capacity baking dish with butter and pour mixture in. Bake 35 minutes at 350° F.

Good & healthy. *Serves 6-8 people* - Really yummy!

» STUFFED ZUCCHINI «

(09 August 2010) - I love vegetables: they are versatile, full of vitamins and minerals. They are the perfect accompaniment to any protein, or any meal for that matter. We don’t have to eat potatoes for lunch and dinner every day. We have vegetables and they don’t have to be boring. Be brave, try new things and improvise: the possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:

• 2 Zucchinis (big)
• 3 Tbs of olive oil
• ½ Cup onion (finely chopped)
• 2 Garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
• 4 Thin slices of Prosciuto or Serrano ham
• 4 Slices of Muenster or Fontina cheese
• Parmesan or Romano cheese (grated)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Take off the end of the zucchinis, and cut them in half longwise. Using a spoon scoop out the meat of the vegetables and reserve, living a thickness of ¼ inch all around.
Put water in a pot with some salt to heat. When it starts to boil, place the zucchinis in the boiling water cooking them for 4 minutes at high heat. Take the vegetables out of the water and let them dry upside down over paper towels. Meanwhile sauté the onion and the garlic in a frying pan with oil. Cut in little pieces the previously reserved meat of the zucchinis and the ham, and add it to the pan. Add some salt and pepper to the mixture and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fill the 4 half zucchinis with the mix, cover them with the sliced cheese and sprinkle the grated cheese over their tops. Place them on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Broil them for 3 minutes.

Great healthy side dish. *Serves 4 people* - Amazing!

» BREADED ZUCCHINI «

(07 July 2010) - I love zucchini and I always try different ways to make it. If my memory doesn’t trick me… my daughter invented this dish.
Is our family’s favorite that we often make whenever we have company – and they love it (of course, everybody loves fried food). It is a simple side dish that everyone will enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 Green zucchinis
• Flour
• 2 Eggs
• Breadcrumbs
• Garlic salt
• Olive oil

Wash the zucchini and cut them in ¼ inch slices. Dry them on paper towels and sprinkle them with the garlic salt. Beat the eggs. Dust the slices with the flower, then dip in the egg wash, and finally dip them in the breadcrumbs on both sides. Preheat oil in a pan and fry them on both sides until they turn golden.

Good side dish for fish or chicken. *Serves 4 people* - Delightful!

» MARIO’S ASPARAGUS «

(11 May 2010) - I love asparagus, and this time of the year they are always on sale. A couple of weeks ago I went with my daughter and the ‘little one’ to the Farmer’s Market. We love it there; they have flowers, vegetables and fruits. So we walk around and the farmers gave us strawberries to taste. Later we bought a big box full of strawberries and split it.
Now… we discovered a German baker selling a cake called: ‘Sting Bee’ and… Forget French baking, this is the best! I got the asparagus there, fresh as they can be. Mario likes them a lot and this is his preferred way.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of olive oil
• 1 Package of asparagus
• Rice flower
• 2 Eggs
• Garlic Salt (I like the brand LAWRY’S)

Wash the asparagus, cut about 2 inches from the bottom end and discard. Dry them well and sprinkle with the garlic salt.
Beat the eggs. Dust them with the flower and dip in the egg. Preheat oil in a pan. Fry them turning them quickly, as they cook very fast. Put the asparagus over paper towel to take out the extra oil…

They are a good side dish that will go well with meat, chicken or fish. *Makes 2 servings* - Appetizing!

» ROASTED VEGETABLES' MEDLEY «

(05 April 2010) - Holidays are special days when families get together and share a meal, conversation, and feelings. This Sunday, my children came for dinner with their families.
Maria is expecting her first baby. Maybe this one will help me make cookies too, like her cousin does.
My daughter brought some marinated chicken and her husband barbecued it.
Ruben’s wife came with cheeses and crackers (we are big on cheese in this family).
“La Tienda” (http://www.tienda.com) has a great selection of Spanish cheeses in stock: I love the young Manchego.
I was in charge of dessert and a side dish, so I though of roasted vegetables.
This is a versatile recipe in which you can use things that you already have in the refrigerator. Add whatever veggies you prefer. Here is one of my favorite combinations:

Ingredients:

• 1 Red bell pepper
• 1 Bunch of asparagus
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Yellow squash
• ½ Cauliflower
• 1 Cup baby carrots
• 1 Head fennel (outer layer and green tops removed)
• 4 Big cloves garlic (chopped)
• ¼ Cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs thyme (dried)
• 1 Tbs basil (dried)
• Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450º F. Cut vegetables into same size chunks (cut asparagus in three parts and discard the hard ends).
Drizzle some of the oil in an oven safe 9”x13” pan. Place carrots, pepper, cauliflower and fennel in the pan and roast for 15 minutes (tougher veggies require more cooking). Add the rest of the vegetables, the garlic, the remaining oil, spices and salt. Toss everything together. Bake for 30 more minutes stirring often for an even roasting.
Every time that I prepare this dish, I think of my brother José.

Excellent side dish. *Makes 6 servings* - Good and healthy!

» SAUTEE CABBAGE WITH GARLIC «

(02 April 2010) - This past fall, my brother José with his family, together with some dear friends, came for a visit.
Charo, his wife is a lovely woman, always with a smile in her face, always reedy to please. The last few times that I went to Madrid, I stayed in their home and they treated me like a queen.
My niece is a beautiful young lady and when they came we spend one day together while everyone else went out shopping. I had the opportunity to know her better, and it was a great day -at least- for me.
Seeing my nephew was a big surprise. The last time that I saw him, he was a just a child. Now he was a tall and handsome teenager. That is what happens when we don’t see family for several years: in our minds they are still children.
My brother… Well I forgot how good he was with little kids. I am (we are) so glad that you guys came!
I prepared this dish for them, not remembering that my brother does not like cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cabbage
• 4 Garlic cloves (big)
• Olive oil
• ¼ to ½ Cup of water
• Salt to taste

Peel the two outer leaves of the cabbage. With a big cutting knife, cut it in two, then each halve in two again. Cut the core off, and then slice each quarter in thin slices. In a big colander wash the cabbage and set aside.
Peel and slice the garlic and sauté in 4 tbs of olive oil in a big frying pan or a pot with a lid, at medium heat so it doesn’t burn. Add the cabbage (it would splatter slightly) and cover it with a lid so it will cook in its own juice. Stir it frequently with a pair of tangs. Add water little by little so it doesn’t burn. Add salt. Cook it for desired tenderness (some people like vegetables crisp and some like them soft).
Since then, every time that I prepare this dish, I think of my brother.

Good side dish. *Makes 4 servings* - I love it!