Walnut Raspberry Spinach Salad

I love how it taste with the crunchy walnuts, sweet tender plump raspberries along with the spinach and a couple of vegetables.

It is great along with any grilled meats. It's a very simple meal as well.

All you need is:

Spinach

Walnuts

Raspberries

Chopped cucumbers and celeries

Any dressing of your choice

Salt and Freshly Grounded Black Pepper

Just throw it altogether into a plate then enjoy it!

Black Bean Barley Soup

I was hosting a party one day and I wanted to cook really simple vegetarian so I looked up the vegetarian magazine. It caught me a glimpse of some kind of other dried grains but I couldn't find it at the supermarket so I decided to use the barley instead.

It was so delicious for everyone to enjoy it. I added shredded carrots as decorating to make it look beautiful. I took that picture when I was saving for leftover next day. It does have the burst of flavor by using the secret ingredient, LIME to make it more tart and enjoyable too.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked barley

Couple stalks of celery, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 can of black beans, drained

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 zucchini, finely chopped

Couple of carrots, peeled and finely chopped

Couple squirt of freshly squeezed lime juice

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf, discard once the soup is done

Quart or a few cans of vegetable broth and add more water ( use the can to do a few fill ups)

Throw it altogether and cook throughly until the vegetables become tender and barley plumps up cooked too.

Sweet Plantain Bread

I saw that on the blog of the photographer, Cara Reynolds so I decided to follow her recipe of this. She was following it by using all of Organic products. I don't have it so I use the regular ones instead.

Amazing it tastes so wonderful and something different since it's a traditional cuban bread.

It's not like very sweet like a regular banana bread but it's more like crispy typed tropical bread. It would be great with a spread of butter and a cup of java or tea at same time to enjoy the gorgeous view of the outside.

Ingredients:

1 large ripe plantain

1 tsp butter

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter at the room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

Butter and Flour for greasing the loaf pan

Cut the plantain into 1 inches and saute with 1 tsp butter. Cook it for 2 to 3 mins then transfer into the mixing bowl and mash it. Add those remaining wet ingredients before transfer to the dry ingredients to mix it altogether.

Pour into the loaf pan.

This recipe is for 2 loaves. If you have a large loaf pan, then can use one instead of two.

Bake it at 350 for 1 hour or toothpick or a clean knife by insert in the center until it comes out clean.

Key Lime Bread

As you know there is a famous Key Lime Pie but I wanted to do something by trying by creating a bread.

It came out pretty GOOD and tart like lime! I didn't add more glazing but you should add MORE glazing on the top, just for your information.

It's a great to have it for freshly toasted one with butter on it along with a cup of java or tea.

I love to have the slice of that bread for my breakfast along with a cup of tea- YUM

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 whole lime peel

1/3 cup milk

2 limes, freshly squeezed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

You can add chopped walnuts (1/2 cup) if you want to.

Just mixed the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, lime peel, freshly squeezed lime juice, vanilla extract and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to mix it altogether. If the batch gets too dry, then add a little bit of milk.

Transfer to a greased 9 in x 5 in loaf pan.

Bake it at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick or a clean knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the pan on a plate to cool completely.

For glazing,

Couple tablespoons of powdered sugar

Couple of fresh squeezed lime juice

Mix it altogether.. For more glazing, it should be like 4 or 5 limes, depending how much tart you like :D.

Pour the glazing on the top of the cool bread.

Holiday Corn Chowder

It surely brings me a lot of memory about this.

I had made that when I was a college student living in an apartment and I still remember that recipe for years and years.

My girls loved it and asking for a second bowl of it.

I really love the simple foods because it is not too hard to make it and makes it more decent foods to enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 cans of corn (white or yellow)

1 can of creamed corn (white or yellow)

Ham steak, diced

Couple stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium sweet or white onions, finely chopped

1 cup of milk

Cook the onion and celery with a little bit of butter for like 2 to 4 minutes in the pot. Then pour the rest ingredients.

Cook until the vegetables become tender.

You can add a little more of milk if you feel it's not enough.

Add Salt and Freshly Grounded Black Pepper for taste

Country Ham Casserole

I do remember one day when I visited my mom.

I noticed that my mom was creating that dish and saying me that I would love this.

So I had tried this and it was pretty GOOD. I asked her what was it. Amazing it was pretty simple by adding a few ingredients that's all.

So I had made that during the cold season to enjoy the warm decent meal. If you already have those ingredients then go for it to make one!

Ham Steak, chopped

4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and chopped

Fresh Green Beans, break into halves and remove the ends

Cook it altogether in a large pot until the potatoes becomes tender. Drain it into the drainer.

Mix that 3 ingredients with one can of cream of mushroom into the casserole pan. Bake at 350 degree for like 15 mins or less until it becomes bubbly and hot.

Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

One night, I was trying to think what to cook so I invaded into my refrigerator, freezer and pantry shelves to see what I have so far.

I thought of why not to use ground beef, frozen mixed vegetable, a can of tomato sauce and uncooked pasta to make it as a soup.

So I just threw it altogether and it came out pretty good. You never knew what you have in your fridge, freezer and pantry shelves by threw it altogether to create a good meal.

1 pound ground beef or turkey, fully cooked and drained

A bag of frozen mixed vegetable

1 can of tomato sauce

Use that tomato sauce to get a few fills of water

Any spices that you have it on your shelf (salt, black pepper, garlic and etc)

Any shapes of pasta that you have it on your shelf (cook it in a separate pan)

Just throw it altogether and becomes a soup!

Enjoy it!

3 different toppings on the french bread

You can create any different kinds of toppings on the grilled french bread.

This ones I liked the best which it has more burst of flavors to enjoy during the light meal to dine in or something that you don't want to cook but want to serve with other people to enjoy with glasses of wine.

Slice the french bread. Spread a little bit of olive oil on the both side and dash of the sea salt.

Bake it at 400 degree until it becomes golden brown.

For the toppings:

1- guacamole spread with cooked shrimp

2- Salsa spread with sliced of mozzarella cheese and cooked shrimp

3- Any flavor of cream cheese spread with fresh basil leaves and sliced halves of grape tomatoes.

Add the freshly black pepper all over it.

Deli Salad

Actually it can be for the summer to eat the salad but it doesn't have to stop eating any kind of salad during the 4 seasons, right?

It's a healthier version to enjoy the deli salad into the same concept of having a deli sandwich.

You can have it with a slice of french bread or any choice of yours.

It's pretty simple and easy to make by just throwing some kinds of ingredients.

All you need is:

2 kinds of cheese, diced

2 kinds of deli meats, chopped (it can be ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni and etc)

A bag of spring mix salad

Couple dollop of mayonnaise

Any spices as you like on it

Pretty simple eh?

Enjoy it!

Puerto Rican Fish Stew

For the traditional Puerto Rican Fish Stew, it's called Bacalo which it has the salted dried codfish.

I saw the website (Lifescript) that were alternating it to have the healthier version by using the fresh white fish instead.

I decided to add those shrimps for more kick-in flavors. You can add any seafoods as your choice if you like to. I did a little bit alternating this recipe :).

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound of any white fish, your choice (cut into 1 inches cube)

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 tbsp green olives, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

Throw all of the ingredients into the big pan and let it cook until the white fish becomes flakey. The sauce itself will thicken up too.

You may add chopped avocado as a topping if you like to.

Enjoy the cuisine of the tropical island in Puerto Rico :D