Category Archives: spices

Wrap Versus Fold

The question at hand…

is a burrito really a quesadilla that has been wrapped instead of folded? Or perhaps a quesadilla is really a burrito that has been folded?

Either way they are delicious on the grill – which is exactly what I did with my burritos the other night.

I actually took the step of grilling my marinated chicken tenders on the grill first, then stuffing them with some other  fresh ingredients into a flour tortilla, rolling it all up burrito style before grilling the whole thing again.

I felt the need to secure them with a toothpick during the grilling because I am a classic “over stuffer” and I was worried everything would end up at the bottom of the grill. I also took liberties and sprayed my favorite butter “product” on them before grilling just to keep things tasty. Don’t judge me because I use this product – it is just really convenient, especially when I am “un-frying.”  If you are feeling “au natural” you could brush them with olive oil or melted butter.

Here is what I put in mine…

the filling

Yup – you are not seeing things, those are indeed lentils. Why? Cause that is what I had hanging around in my freezer, leftover from my last lentil purchase from TJ’s.

Just as yummy as black beans and hey even “Mikey liked it.” ( oh and in case you were wondering that is Cilantro)

Here is how they got assembled….

the assembly

Please don’t notice that I may have left the chicken on a teensy bit long. But it was still somewhat juicy and good due to the long marinade!

And here is what they looked like being served after grilling….

the presentation

I took the toothpicks out before plating and added a lime-cumin cream made from Greek yogurt. ( just add salt, pepper, lime juice and cumin to the yogurt)

And here is what you got when you ate them! Yum…….

the inside

(See, that chicken held up even with all its “charred bits.”)

The best thing about these that I realized is they could be stuffed, wrapped and grilled ahead of time and then you can wrap them in foil for reheat later when the party crowd arrives. ( or frozen for that matter) I used an 8-10″ tortilla size and stuffed each with 1 good size chicken tender plus the fresh ingredients. This meant that 2 burritos per person with dipping cream/salsa makes a great portion especially if served with rice and sliced fresh avocados!

Production Notes:

The Marinade…good for about a 1.5 lbs to 2 lbs of chicken cuts of your choice

1/2 cup of fresh lime juice

1 -2 tsp of seasoned salt ( your favorite brand)

1 healthy Tbsp of minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 healthy Tbsp of agave nectar ( or sweetener of choice, like honey, maple syrup etc)

couple healthy squirts of Sriracha ( use another kind of hot sauce if you like it better)

Whisk it all together and marinade the chicken at least 2-3 hours. The heavy amount of lime juice might “cook” the chicken a bit if you go overnight but I think it would still be okay.

Slow-Cooker Chinese Food

Yup. Chinese food in the slow-cooker!

I was inspired by Lydia over at The Perfect Pantry to try my hand at this crazy mix of flavor and easy cooking method.

And it was easy. She was doing chicken – but I had stew beef in the freezer so that is what I went with. I added some water chestnuts and fresh broccoli florets in the last 30 mins and cooked some rice on the side in my trusty rice cooker and voila! Beef and Broccoli. A fine staple of any Chinese-American restaurant around.

It was "sauc-ier" than it looks the rice absorbed all of it! yum!

It was “sauc-ier” than it looks, the rice absorbed all of it! yum!

Production Notes

1.5 +/-  stew beef

2 Tb finely minced garlic

1 Tb rice vinegar

2 Tsp brown sugar

2 Tsp ginger (fresh, minced is nice; I used dried, powdered)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tsp +/- grated orange zest + the juice of the orange

1/2 Tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)

1 Tsp Chinese 5-spice

2/3 cup chicken or beef stock

1 small onion sliced

1 Tbsp Cornstarch or Arrowroot dissolved into 2 Tbsp water

Several “crowns” of fresh broccoli chopped into bite size or 1 small bag of frozen (defrost but don’t cook first)

Combine garlic, vinegar, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, orange zest/juice, black pepper and Chinese 5-spice with a whisk. Pour over meat and onions which you have already placed in the slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or so OR low for 6-8 hours. Whisk in the cornstarch or arrowroot slurry about an hour before serving and add the broccoli about 30 mins before serving.

If you wanted a thicker sauce and was feeling like the extra work – you could remove the beef from the slow cooker (without adding the slurry and broccoli yet) strain the sauce and heat it to a boil in a sauce pan. Than you could add the slurry to the sauce, cook for a bit  and make it thick and rich. Add everything back in (beef, sauce and now add the broccoli) and serve once the broccoli is cooked to your liking – just keep any eye on the heat so you don’t burn. ( i.e. turn slow-cooker down) This would be great to bring to the office potluck!

Meatloaf # 354

We couldn’t possibly go too long without another meatloaf variation so here it is…

“Mexican Meatloaf!”

mexican meatloaf

Mexican spiced meatloaf served with Spanish rice and a black bean/onion/ sweet bell pepper sautéed side dish. Garnish with fresh lime and crema.

In general, my meatloaf always seems to be on the “tender” side. I have trouble with the ratios of liquid to non-liguid, so although these experiments are often tasty – they are always falling apart soft. And because I LOVE the combination of tomato and beef my meatloaf experiments almost always involve a small can of tomato paste. Because of this, the meatloaf has a red color and I use a meat thermometer to be sure everything is fully cooked.

The other thing about this particular meatloaf was the use of Mexican style “crema” – it tastes like a “less-sour” sour cream and looks a bit like mayonnaise. Truth be told it was actually more specifically a “Crema Salvadorena.”  Here in the Boston area, items like this are grocery-store staples, but in a less ethnic area you could probably find this in a dairy cooler with other specialty items. If you are feeling fancy and you happen to have some “creme fraiche” lying about, use that. But really you could just use American sour cream. (If you would like a short but fun side trip on the internet discussing in great detail the nuances between all these products;  here is a link to that)

So to conclude…

Just take your favorite meatloaf recipe – the basic one that uses breadcrumbs, egg and meat- and substitute out the milk or water for more interesting liquids like crema or tomato paste (or both!) and use spices that tickle your fancy. (cumin, taco seasoning and Ancho chili powder in this one!)

…and Olé! …or Voilà! … or Ecco! …or…well you get the idea!

Can These Two Be Friends?

I had some chicken thighs defrosting and a hankering for some “Indian food.” So instead of following a recipe, I just got out two spices I think of  as “Indian.”

In reality “madras curry” is a British invention and “Sate/Satay” is from the Indonesian islands, not actually India. Fusion cooking right?

I coated my chicken in a heavy dose of the Sate seasoning and browned them in the skillet first.

After that, I removed the chicken and tossed in some sliced onions and my very own green peppers grown in my garden! (Toot-tooting my own horn!)

After that I added diced sweet red bell pepper, a couple fresh garlic cloves, lots of curry powder and some tomato paste and let that kinda “toast” for a minute. If you like it hot, add something hot like chili flakes or hot peppers. I de-glazed the pan with some stock and threw everybody into the hot tub! (slowcooker)

Cook for many hours, until you can’t stand how good it smells and add some frozen peas (my husband is obsessed with them) about 30 mins before serving (not shown here) and serve with the Naan you found in the freezer this morning, which started this whole fusion-travel-food journey in the first place!

To Brine Or Not To Brine

I am a “briner.”

But with two conditions.

1: only when I am going to grill the meat

2: only with chicken and occasionally pork. (Now that I think of it, would there be any other meat that would be brined?)

Brining is when you soak your meat in a salty solution so that later when you cook it, it will have more juice and flavor. Kind of like marinading right? This is why I don’t understand this hotly contested topic of brining. Marinading seems to be widely accepted and lots of people do it. No judgement.

Is not soaking your meat in a solution of salt and some seasonings the same as a marinade?

Without brine there would be no grilled chicken in my life. I just simply couldn’t cook a juicy chicken leg on the grill before I discovered brining.

And patience. Because that is the other key to juicy chicken. Start them hot to get those nice grill marks but then move them off to an indirect flame and let them go. For a long while. Use a thermometer and you can’t go wrong! Of course I also enjoy a robust dry rub!

Yes I shot this picture on purpose so that I could subtly show off my fantastic blue Hydrangea bush!

A Box of Flavor!

Another great gift from Aunt Barbara!

(and yes we opened it early – we couldn’t wait till Christmas morning.)“Grill N’ Broil” set from Penzeys spices.

This has almost inspired me put on a coat and gloves and go fire up the grill!   But while I wait for warmer days in the backyard, I will definitely be pulling out my grill pan!

And a little box of “kindness”

THANKS!!