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

Spaghetti Squash with white fish and tomatoes

It's Fall already- squash are IN!

My friend saw that spaghetti squash and was telling me that she had saw it at the restaurant that served the white fish on the top of the squash.

So we created the dish at her place~ it was so delicious so I had made this for a second time at my house. It is so easy to make and very simple as your "dinner".

Spaghetti Squash has enriches in vitamins and minerals. Plus it's less CARBS so perfect to eat if you are trying to avoid the CARBS.

White Fish do have OMEGA-3 and it's very good for your heart-

Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put couple of butters on it. Bake it at 350 degree until it becomes wilted that can be easy to shred with the fork. Don't scoop it all out. Leave that squash to show the pretty demonstration.

Pick any white fish as your choice. Bake that fish in the foil along with some spices as your choice and slices of limes or lemon. Bake it until it becomes flaky with your fork.

Put the white fish on the top of the spaghetti squash and decorate with couple of fresh grape tomatoes. Season it with salt and fresh black pepper.

Voila~ it becomes your meal. Really simple eh? Yeah it is!

Enjoy it!

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip with toasted tortilla chips

Do you love spinach?

Do you love artichokes?

If two of those that you really love- then it's a great combination to dig with the tortilla chips.

I usually buy a big container of the spinach and artichoke dip at the store but never had to finish it all up. I thought myself why not to make those homemade dip by using a few ingredients. It works!

Spinach and Artichoke are enriches in Vitamin C, magnesium and fiber that help to fight heart diseases and lower blood pressure.

My eldest daughter couldn't stop eating it and barely saved some for me *teehee*.

Ingredients:

1 box of frozen chopped spinach or handful of fresh spinach.

2 stalks of green spring onions, finely chopped

1 (14 oz) jar of artichoke hearts, finely chopped (I prefer the marinated since it has some flavors inside but if you prefer the plain one then use that)

Half of the shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bag of shredded parmesan cheese or you can grate the freshly parmesan cheese

Mayonnaise - Couple dollops of it but you may want to add more.

Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

Couple of garlic cloves, minced

Some people usually mix it with sour cream and mayonnaise or cream cheese- use that whatever you prefer. You can combine 2 of them or just one.

If you plan to use the frozen spinach - thaw it and squeeze the water out (you don't want those soggy spinach in that mixture). For using the fresh spinach, chop finely- not chunky ones.

If you see your mixture becomes dry- ADD more mayonnaise or sour cream.

Bake it at 350 degree until it becomes very bubbly and cooked entirely.

For toasted tortilla chips with drizzle of olive oil and sea salt:

You can use some of the flour tortillas and cut into the wedges (8)

Drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil on it and sprinkle with sea salt

Bake it until it becomes toasty.

Tostones with Garlic Dip

When I went to Puerto Rico back in 2001 for the first time by visiting the family and explore around too.

I fell in love with Puerto Rican foods especially with tostones and sweet soft plantain (forgot what it was called). I alway wanted to learn how to make this but never had the chance to do it. Later, I moved to Virginia Beach from Colorado and it has a couple of Puerto Rico restaurants especially one place that happens to be in the "bad" area neighborhood but those puerto rican foods was so DELISH. They did served those tostones with garlic dip. It was so heaven for me!

Finally, I had learned how to make those tostones by frying those plantains and smashed it by using the bottom of the plastic or glass cup. Later my best friend bought me a wooden tostonera that she found it while she was in Puerto Rico visiting her family over there.

I discovered by experiment myself with the garlic by using minced garlic mixed up with olive oil and little bit of salt just exactly the restaurant back in Virginia Beach that I usually go there.

You may find the plantains nearby the banana area or at the international food market. You may want to find plantains that are a little bit firm to use. If it's being ripe already, it would be great for sweet plantains. You don't want to use if it's green because it's not ready yet. Yellow with little bit of black would be great for tostones while completely dark like brown and some blackish that would be very ripe since it's a starchy which it considers as a vegetable that produces some "sugary" that would be good for dessert like sweet ones.

To peel the plantains by cut each ends and make a slit down which it would make the peeling more easier.

You want to cut into about 1-2 inch (es) diagonally of each plantain. Heat the pan with some of vegetable or canola oil. You can use a wooden cooking tool to "test" if the oil is ready or not by insert the end of the wooden cooking tool into the oil. You will know when it's ready by seeing it bubbly or sizzling.

Put those sliced plantains and cook on each sides until you see a little bit of golden then flip it over. Put those it on the paper towel plate to dry it up then smash it with tostonera or bottom of plastic or glass cup. You can sprinkle a little bit of salt if you like to.

Garlic dip:

Some of olive oil

4 to 6 minced fresh garlic

A little bit of Salt

Mix it it up into a serving bowl along with those tostones.

Enjoy it!

Potato Apple Latkes

Since I bought the 22 lbs of champagne apples from Dixon Apple Farm on last month.

I wanted to created some dishes related with the apples. First thing it came up in my mind by saying " why not to make something with potato and apple but what kind?". Later, it came up in my mind something related with the latkes.

Mostly people make the latkes by using the potatoes only or mixed with shredded vegetables like zucchini or carrot.

I thought of grating the apples to mix the potato to make it more sweeter and it does.

2 potatoes, grated or a bag of shredded potato

2 apples, grated

1 egg

Salt and Pepper

Some of flour~ I would say about few tablespoons

Mix it altogether. For the flour part, I usually use few tablespoons of the flour like 2 or 3 by using my judgement by feeling the texture by seeing how it stick together. If you don't see anything that stick up then add a little bit of flour.

Heat the pan with some of vegetable or canola oil. Drop a little bit of the latke mixture by seeing if the oil is ready for frying.

Dollop the mixture into the pan and spread it out a little bit to make it look as latkes. Frying on each side like 5 mins or so before flip over AND you want to make sure that inside is completely cooked too.

Enjoy serving it with sour cream or apple sauce as your choice :)

Green Chile Stew

When the chiles are "in" for the season, I always love the scent of the roasting of the green and red. New Mexico is famous for that by asking "Red or Green" when ordering the mexican dishes at the restaurant.

Chiles are fat free, low on calories, almost no cholesterol and has lots of fiber which it's great benefits to have it on your dishes.

Green Chile help build up the immune defense system because it loaded up with lots of Vitamin C~ MORE double than an orange. For those red chiles, it's loaded with Vitamin A too.

Even those ancient people like Mayans had used the chiles for their "medicines".

I tend to order or made the green chile stew every time when I have a cold- great medicine for me.

That day when I brought a big bag of roasted green chiles to load up into individual sandwich bags into the freezer. I said myself, why don't I make those green chile stew with pork. It was cooking at same time I was busy to finish it up. It was so delicious even my eldest daughter had some of it too.

It's really simple and easy to make. If you don't have those fresh roasted green chiles then get the can of hatch peeled green chile (mild or medium as your own choice).

Ingredients:

1 pound of cubed pork (boneless ribs or loin)

1/2 onion (white or yellow), finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

7 or 8 Roasted Green Chiles, finely chopped or 15 oz can Hatch Peeled Green Chile (you can even add more than 1 can itself)

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

Cook the pork and onion with a little bit of olive oil to cook until the pork is about done and the onion becomes transparent. Then add rest of the ingredients except the crushed tomatoes to heat it throughly. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for at least 1 hour.

If the stew is becoming thick, you can add some bit of the water to reduce it.

Loaded Potato Wedges with French Onion Dip

Does it look so YUMMY? I betcha :D

My eldest daughter was asking me what I would make for dinner? I told her that I would make the potato wedges with crumbled bacons, sliced olives and cheese. She was jumping high and down and said "YES, I miss that eating that!".

Smart lil lady, my own favorite food critic!

Grab like 4 to 6 potatoes, any choice of yours- cut into the wedges.

Put those potato wedges on the baking sheet and sprinkle some of salt. Bake it at 350 degree until the wedges becomes soft by insert the fork into it.

Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on the potato wedges then bake it until melt. Take it out from the oven and cool it off a little bit.

-crumbled bacons, any of your choice (you can cook those bacons while potato wedges are in the oven baking)

-finely chopped green olives

-some of dills, finely chopped

Put those on aside then assemble yourself with those 3 things on your potato wedges.

French Onion dip:

1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayo

some of chopped dill

couple dashes of garlic powder

couple of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook the onions with a little bit of oil until it becomes caramelized. Let the onions cool it off then mix with rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with couple of crumbled bacons, olives, dill and freshly black ground pepper.

Enjoy it.

Quinoa Salad with Green Olives, Red Onions and Oranges with Orange Cumin Dressing

Do you ever think that green olives, red onions and oranges would be great combinations along with the orange cumin dressing?

To be honest with you, it does! It gives more flavors to mix up with those quinoa. I made it at the pool party and everyone loved it! A friend was asking who made this and discovered it was me. She was telling me that it was something different that she never had it before and really enjoyed the savory of the tastes.

It's a healthy vegan dish to dine~ If adding those feta cheese, then it would be a combination of dairy and vegan dish even thou :).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of quinoa, a choice of yours- red, black or white or mix it together as two or three

3 cups of water

Cook it as what you normally cook for the rice until it becomes transparent white curly

1/2 cups of finely chopped green olives

1/2 cups of endamames or golden raisins

1 medium red onions, finely sliced

2 oranges, peeled and finely chopped

handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 cups of feta cheese, if you want to add it or not

Orange Cumin Dressing:

1 cup of orange juice

1 zest of orange

1/2 cups of olive oil

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted and crushed

Mix it altogether. For the dressing, you may want to pour the oil slowly while whisking to make it look like a dressing.

You can put it in the refrigerator for couple hours before serving.

Enjoy it!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini ROCKS! I meant it! I wanted to use up my last one for something delicious.

My friend was asking if there is a recipe of zucchini cookies so I thought why not I make it that it would be delicious enough for the children even Adults to enjoy it.

I was amazed to see my girls wanting it more and LOVED it. I told them it was zucchini- even those green vegetable inside. They was like "wow" with their biggest eyes! LOL

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cloves

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup peeled and grated zucchini

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature or a little bit melt

1 bag of chocolate chips

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to mix it all together. Fold the chocolate chips.

Grease your cookie sheets then make a dollop of the batter.

Bake it at 350 degree about 12 to 15 minutes, depending - Keep your eyes open when it's all ready by showing some golden color.

Cool it off on the counter or rack

It's GREAT for kids who are not fancy with the green vegetable so you have the perfect opportunity to have them to eat that without any knowledge :D..

Enjoy it! Again, Zucchini ROCKS!

Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This is a perfect vegan dish!

I just had that for dinner and it was so DELISH! While it was baking in the oven~ I could smell the aroma of the cheese, dill, zucchini and lemon all way from the upstair while I was coming down.

It melt into my mouth with those burst of flavors - so heavenly! It's more healthier to dine in at same time great timing to eat vegetables as well.

Definitely I will have this again for my breakfast tomorrow morning with a nice cup of hot tea :D!

Ingredients:

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled and grated

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 shallots, chopped or red onion, chopped (that's one I had used for my dish)

2 cloves of garlic , chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/3 cup of either goat or feta cheese ( I use the feta cheese), crumbled

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Mix all of those ingredients except the olive oil. Pour those ingredients into a small baking casserole and drizzle some of Olive Oil on the top.

Bake it at 325 degree for 60 minutes. For me, it take little more than 60 minutes. So it's more like 1 1/2 hours of baking until it gets firm a little bit.

Enjoy this vegan dish!

Cheddar Basil Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Rocks!

I totally MEAN it! I love eating those zucchinis while I was growing up. I decided to stop at the Wagner's Farm Market here in New Mexico and spot the huge zucchinis. I couldn't believe that 4 HUGE zucchinis for just a dollar- what a sweet price to pay those.

I decided to come up with a few dishes with zucchini and something really healthy to enjoy.

I came up the idea of making the zucchini muffins and why not to add the cheddar and basil to make it more burst flavors.

I had made those and it came out very delish. It would be great with butter or any kind of spreads you like on your muffins since it's not much high sugar which it's perfect. I had that for breakfast with nice cup of iced chai or hot tea. You can even enjoy it with a cup of coffee or any choice of juice.

It's really simple and easy to make :D..

Ingredients:

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix it all up and pour into the muffin cup or pan -whatever it works out best for you. Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on the top before baking for little bit sweeter if you want to! :)

Bake it at 425 degree for 20 to 25 minutes. Insert the knife to see if it comes out clean then it's all ready to cool it off..

Enjoy this! :)