This is a quick and easy way to make Cuban style soup. The fastest method is to only use 2 canned foods: seasoned black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Simmer them together 10 minutes and Voila! Serve with white rice.
You can step it up a notch by first sautéing onion and green pepper. Then adding garlic, cumin and oregano. Simmer a bit and add red wine vinegar at the end, or a nice thick balsamic vinegar.
It’s great comfort food. Traditional Cuban style is served with hard boiled egg on top. This recipe makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1-15 oz. can black beans, not drained, seasoned if possible
1-15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
Red wine vinegar or balsamic for the table
3 cups cooked white rice
Hard boiled eggs, chopped, optional
Directions
Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
Add onion and green pepper and sauté until wilted
Add garlic, cumin and oregano and simmer and stir over medium heat 1 -2 minutes.
Add black beans and tomatoes. Stir well and simmer 10 minutes
Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a scoop of rice. You can make a nice looking mound by packing the rice in a scoop or measuring cup. Top with vinegar and chopped eggs
Tomato Sauce with a Halved OnionPasta with Tomato Sauce and Grated Parmesan with Meatballs
This Marcella Hazan recipe from the New York Times is my new favorite way to make pasta now!! It’s quick and delish! Easy and fast. Slice an onion in half and simmer it in a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce with 5 tablespoons butter! That’s it. Here’s the details
Ingredients
1-29 oz can Marzano whole tomatoes without skins or tomato sauce, or any other canned tomato
1 onion cut in half
5 tablespoons butter
Pinch or two of salt
Directions
In a saucepan or frypan combine tomatoes, onion, butter and salt
Bring to a simmer for 30-45 minutes, covered at least partially. Stirring occasionally. I try to keep it covered.
Break any tomato pieces with a spoon on the side of the pan.
Remove onion and add 1/2 to 1 pound cooked and drained pasta. It depends how saucy you like your pasta. I like mine saucy so I add only 1/2 pound or so of pasta.
This is a very forgiving flexible recipe. Dill and chickpeas are optional. Even the celery is optional. You can cube the chicken if you prefer. I think most important is to not overcook the chicken. I think an instant read digital thermometer is extremely helpful to prevent overcooking.
I poach it in a pot of water with salt and a few herbs and veggies for added flavor. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat off until done. I’ll give you more specifics below
Ingredients ready to go
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, boned and skinless and cut in half crosswise
2 teaspoons salt for water
1 medium onion, quartered , optional
2 sticks celery, halved, optional
5 whole peppercorns, optional
1 bay leaf, optional
2 cups diced celery
2 handfuls of fresh dill, chopped fine
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Directions
Fill a large pot with water and add onion, celery sticks, 2 teaspoons salt, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
Add chicken breasts. Try to make sure they’re all about the same size so they cook evenly.
Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat. If you have a gas stove turn the heat on as low as possible. An electric stove will maintain a low heat for some time.
Using an instant read digital thermometer check the temperature of the breasts every 5 minutes. When it reaches 155 remove from hot water and place in a colander to drain. The chicken will continue cooking as it cools. All the breast halves may not get to the 155 degrees at the same time.
When it’s cooled start shredding the chicken into a large bowl
In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, dill, salt, pepper, and white balsamic vinegar. Taste the dressing and add seasonings if you think it’s needed.
Add chickpeas to the dressing and smash them against the side of the bowl with a fork. Smash as many as you like. They all don’t need to be smashed.
Add the dressing to the chicken and mix well. Then add the celery and mix again.
That’s it! Ready to serve or store in the frig. This keeps about 4 days.
Shredded chickenDressing with DillDressing Chicken Salad with Dill and Chickpeas
This easy appetizer or snack is from Giada De Laurentiis. It’s very popular on her website and super easy to make. There’s a lot of flexibility in the ingredients you choose too. You can come up with your own ideas of Italian food items to add such as tiny mozzarella balls or dried tomatoes in oil.
Giada uses marinated artichokes which I did not. I found these tiny Pepper Drops by Delallo. They’re a sweet and spicy marinated tiny red pepper. She adds truffle pearls which I did not, but another time I definitely will! I found Balsamic Drops which are super! I also do not use the dipping sauce. I think it’s flavorful enough without it. And less messy.
Giada’s Ingredients
6 slices Italian prosciutto
Arugula
Lemon juice
Marinated roasted peppers, sliced
Marinated artichokes
Fresh ricotta cheese
Olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
Fresh grated Parmesan for topping
Truffle pearls for topping
Olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar for dipping
Nina’s Ingredients
6 slices Italian prosciutto
Arugula
Delallo sun dried red peppers marinated in oil, sliced
Fresh ricotta cheese
Delallo Sweet n Tangy Pepper Drops
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Thick Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Drops
Grated Romano Cheese
Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Sushi ready to roll
Directions
On a cutting board layer prosciutto next to each other so they overlap
Layer each of the ingredients in the order listed with the balsamic as the last ingredient
Roll up the sushi as tight as you can and cut them in 1 inch bite size pieces
Place them cut side down on a serving tray to look like sushi. Maybe in 2 straight lines
On the top of the cut sushi place individual pieces of various toppings like the shaved Parmesan, Pepper Drops and/or Truffle Pearls
Dragon Fruit Coconut PuddingDragon FruitDragon Fruit Interior
Dragon Fruit is also called pitaya and it grows on vines in tropical climates. It has a beautiful pink color on the exterior skin. The interior is soft and bright white in color with black tiny seeds throughout. It can be scooped out easily. Its flavor is mild and is also full of antioxidants
In Hawaii, many times I had this kind of pudding made with almond or coconut milk. It also had chia seeds and or dragon fruit. It was served as a light breakfast, dessert or snack. You can use either almond or coconut milk. I added dragon fruit and chia seeds. You could do either or both. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 dragon fruit
1 can coconut milk or 12 oz almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions
In a medium size saucepan add 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle gelatin over surface. Let sit 5 -10 minutes until softened.
Cut open a dragonfruit and scoop out insides. Place in a small bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Add to gelatin
Add coconut milk, chia seeds and maple syrup to dragon fruit mixture and whisk together
Heat mixture over low heat. Whisk and stir just until it reaches a low simmer. Remove from heat.
Pour into individual serving bowls or jars with covers. I save my Bonne Maman jam jars for storage containers. Refrigerate several hours or until set and cold.
Serve cold. You can top with fresh colorful berries like raspberries or blueberries if you like. Makes about 4 servings.
Basic ingredients Mashed Dragon FruitSimmer Ingredients Pour into individual serving containers Bonne Maman Jam JarsEnjoy this light breakfast or snack!
Sheet Pan Broiled Pork ChopsAnother day, another chop
This is a recipe we made when I was a teen. It’s very simple. It’s a bone in loin pork chop with a light bread coating. Not heavy and thick. Sprinkled breadcrumbs coat the chops. It’s not a chop dipped in flour, then egg, and then breadcrumbs. That’s another recipe entirely
My mom worked late so I often made dinner. This was one of her recipes
Pork chops today have become extremely lean. Don’t buy those. Look for loin chops with the bone. It also needs to have some visible fat or it will be too dry. Broiling needs to use meats that have some fat no matter what the meat is because it is a dry form of cooking. There is no moisture added during cooking like there is when cooking in a sauce.
When I was a kid we used a broiler pan and broiled both sides of the chops. You can also use a wire rack set in a sheet pan instead of a broiling pan.
Another method is sheet pan broiling which is broiling on a sheet pan and broiling only 1 side of the chops. It’s your choice.
The sheet pan broiling pork chops turn out moister. The true broiled on both sides chops have a nice lightly breaded crust on both sides.
I used the sheet pan method in these photos. Besides being moister the other reason I prefer the sheet pan method is some of the breading sticks to the pan when turning over the traditional broiled pork chops. It almost seems a waste to bread both sides and to then have part of the breading stick to the pan.
Also make sure to use real stick butter, not the spreadable butter. The real butter adds to the flavor of this dish. The spreadable butter has water in it and will make this a soggy mess
Have fun with this quick and easy dish that everyone loves!
Ingredients
4 Loin pork chops, not too lean, bone in
2 tablespoons melted butter or more
1-3 tablespoons plain traditional dried breadcrumbs, not panko style
Salt and pepper
Paprika, optional
Instructions
Decide which broiling method you’ll use
For easier clean up it’s best to line your sheet pan or broiler pan with foil
Place rack or broiler tray in place or if using the sheet pan method don’t add anything to the foiled sheet pan
Place chops on a rack or a sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper on both sides of chops
If using a rack, then brush both sides of chops with butter and sprinkle both sides with breadcrumbs. If using the sheet pan method, brush with butter and sprinkle breadcrumbs over one side of chops. Don’t add too much breadcrumbs. It will burn. This is a light bread coating
Sprinkle with paprika if desired
Broil both sides 3-5 minutes. Or broil 1 side 5-10 minutes depending on thickness of chops
Internal temperature should be 165 degrees
Serving traditionally with applesauce is the German influence. Any starch and vegetable would be perfect. Mashed potatoes and broccoli are typical or just a big salad as I have done here
Lightly breaded chops ready for broilingChops Pan BroilingSheet pan broiled breaded pork chopVoila!
Messy decorating but perfectly baked cookies!Cookie dough is flecked with almonds bits
This is a great old recipe that’s more flavorful than sugar cookies. It’s a true almond flavor from finely chopped almonds. It’s also flavored with cinnamon and vanilla for a true German taste.
This makes a lot of cookie dough. You can freeze the extra dough or bake all the cookies and freeze the extras cookies. The color is a deep tan and the added flecks of finely chopped almonds adds texture and interest.
I like weighing the flour and sugar when I bake. It is a much more accurate measurement, so I’ve added the weights in grams.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter, 3 sticks, room temperature
1 pound confectioners sugar, 454 grams
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sifted flour, 472 grams
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound almonds, finely chopped
Directions
Whisk together sifted flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a mixer beat butter till light. Add confectioners sugar and beat till creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat till fluffy.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix at a slow speed just until combined.
Add nuts to dough and mix until combined.
Scrape dough into a medium bowl. Cover and chill overnight or several hours
Take a cup or 2 of dough and pat into a round shape on a floured surface. Roll to desired thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Keep 1-2 inches in between cookies. Arrange cookies of same size on each sheet for even baking.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes or until done. Do not let cookies brown at the edges. They will puff up. Also they crisp up as they cool.
Cool cookies on cooling racks.
Decorate after cooling several hours if desired. I use Royal Icing. Recipe below
ROYAL ICING
Combine in a medium bowl 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Add confectioners to desired consistency. Thicker icing for piping. Thinner for spreading and dipping. Start with 1 cup confectioners sugar and see what the consistency is.
This versatile chili recipe has shredded chicken as its star. The chicken is cooked in the chili tomato sauce and then removed and shredded with forks before returning to the pot. Very easy and has more texture than ground chicken. You can add your favorite type of beans, corn as I do, spicy or plain tomatoes. Add less spices or extra for more boldness.
Give it a try. Makes about 12 cups of chili. I serve with grated sharp cheddar and sliced green onion. Freezes easily.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 – 4 oz can diced green chilis
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 – 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 pound boneless chicken thighs
1 -15 oz can corn, drained
1 – 15 oz can black beans, not drained
1 – 15 oz can white beans, not drained
Grated sharp cheddar cheese for serving
Sliced green onion for serving
Directions
Heat a large cooking pot over medium heat and then add olive oil
Add onion and green pepper. Sauté until tender
Add garlic and sauté 1/2 minute
Add green chilis and sauté 1/2 minute
Add spices and cook and stir 1minute. Do not allow to stick to pan
Add tomatoes and water. Cover and simmer 10 minutes
Add chicken. Cover and simmer 10-20 minutes
Remove chicken and place on a plate or cutting board. Using 2 forks shred the chicken into small pieces as you like. Return shredded chicken to the chili.
Black Beans and RiceLizano Sauce/Salsa Adds Great Flavor
This May my daughter and I spent 3 weeks in Monteverde, Rio Perdido and Nosara, Costa Rico. We loved the beautiful rainforest, cloud forest and Pacific coast. The yoga retreat near Nosara was unforgettable. All the local people were kind and helpful. Always relaxed and friendly
Black beans and rice was a standard served at every meal and at every location. What’s essential is using white rice (I used thai Jasmine), rinsing the raw rice till the water ran clear, and preparing the rice the day before to allow it to dry out a bit.
Red bell pepper is traditional, but today I used red and yellow. An essential ingredient is a sauce called Lizano. I ordered it online. It’s like a Worcestershire sauce. It’s added to the rice at the end of cooking and also served at the table if you want to add more. Use Worcestershire if you don’t have Lizano. But it’s easy to order Lizano from Amazon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons light oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans and liquid
3 cups white rice, rinsed, cooked and refrigerated
1/4 cup Lizano Sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and red pepper. Sauté until tender
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. No more than 1 minute
Add beans with it’s liquid and Lizano. Rinse out the can with 1/4 cup water and add that too. Cover and Simmer 5-10 minutes. Don’t evaporate the liquid. You can also make your own black beans from dried beans
Add cold rice and stir and simmer a few minutes and it’s hot. If you want more of a bean and vegetable flavor add less rice.
nina in the kitchen 