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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Salmon With Grilled Fruit And Acerola Vinaigrette

healthy

(serves 1)
(prep time 30 mins)
How it's done

Alaskan king salmon fillet slightly less than a pound
Rub some olive oil on all sides.
Season with some salt, coarse pepper, thyme and some chili flakes.
Cook on a medium grill for about 5-6 mins each side.

Grilled fruit salad

Nectarine 1 - cut into quarters
Plum 1 - cut into quarters
Fresh pineapple 2 wedges

Rub some olive oil on the fruits and grill on high heat for about 3-4 mins each side.
Allow to cool and chop them into smaller pieces.

I also added these veggies to the salad

Celery 1 Tbs - very finely diced
Red onions 1 Tbs - very finely diced
Green bell pepper 1 Tbs - very finely diced
Red bell Pepper 1 Tbs - very finely diced
Raw beet root 1 Tbs - very finely diced
Radicchio 3 Tbs - cut into strips
Romaine lettuce 1/4 cup - cut into strips
Fresh parsley 1/2 Tbs - chopped finely

Toss the fruits and the veggies together in a bowl with about 1 Tbs of acerola vinaigrette.
Serve along side the salmon. I used about 1/2 the amount of salad that was made.

Acerola Vinaigrette

Olive oil 4 Tbs
White wine vinegar 1 1/2 Tbs
Acerola jam 1 Tbs
Fresh ginger 1/4 tsp *optional
Garlic clove 1/2 tsp
Salt
Pepper

Emulsify all the ingredients with a hand blender.
The result will be a rich creamy white dressing.
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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Mofongo Relleno De Pollo



(serves 2-3)
(prep time 45 mins - quicker if you decide not to make the molds)
Ingredients

Chicken breast 2 - cut into 1" pieces
Yellow onions 2/3 cups - chopped
Green pepper 1 - chopped
Canned tomatoes
Salt
Cilantro 1/2 cup - for garnish
Fresh lime wedges - for garnish
Achiote paste 1 Tbs (see recipe below)
Oil for cooking 2-3 Tbs

Plantains 4 large - cut into 1" pieces
Sea salt 1/2 tsp
Green onions 1/2 a bunch which is about 4-5 stalks - Chopped very fine
Garlic 2-3 cloves - minced
Olive Oil 1/4 cup
Oil for deep frying

Method
Making the chicken:

Start by heating up some oil in a wide skillet.
Add the chopped up onions and let them cook for 4-5 mins on med hig heat until they are translucent.
You can now add the achiote paste and stir it around for a min, I should mention here that I used half the amount of paste for this recipe, which was roughly 3 Tbs.
Add the chicken to the skillet and after about 2 mins add the tomatoes.
Season with some salt.
Add the bell peppers during the last 3 mins of cooking.
Let it cook uncovered on med high heat for  12- 15 mins or until the chicken is done.
Set aside.

Making the mofongo:

While the chicken is cooking you can start working on the plantains.
Deep fry the plantain pieces until they are light golden brown for about 3-4 mins.
You don't want to make them very crunchy the inside should remain mushy.
Alternatively you could also steam the plantains for a lighter variation.
Mash the plantains like  you would potatoes.
And then add garlic, green onions and some olive oil to the mashed plantains.
Season with some salt.
Form molds on a plate with your hands and fill it up with the chicken filling.
Sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top and serve with a wedge of lime.

Achiote paste*

Ingredients

*Achiote paste can be purchased pre-made

Annatto seeds 2 Tbs - I got these from Penzeys they have great little store in Seattle
Cumin 1 tsp
Allspice 3-4 berries
Whole peppercorns 1/2 tsp
Mexican oregano 1 1/2 tsp
Dried habanero chili 1 large
Garlic 1 large clove
Cloves 2-3 pieces
Enough liquid to make a paste, your options are:
  • Bitter orange juice
  • Lime juice
  • Tequila
  • White wine vinegar
  • Water
  • Some kind of broth
I used white wine vinegar.

Grind all the dry ingredients and garlic in a coffee grinder.
Add the liquid of your choice and mix well with a spoon.
I used half of the paste and froze the rest.


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