Tag: cilantro

Mojo Chicken

Mojo Chicken 2

Mojo Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I’m an eclectic cook and love all types of food…. Italian, Chinese, Greek, Mexican and one of my all time favourites CUBAN. 

Now ever since I watched the movie Chef with Jon Favreau and John Leguizamo I’ve wanted to do Mojo Pork and use it to make a true Cuban sandwich however as time was little limited today I took their inspiration and instead did Mojo Chicken and it was outta sight.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 12 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 1/4 extra virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/3 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/4 cup Lime Juice
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped Cilantro
  • 6 Garlic cloves
  • 6 Mint leaves – rough chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

Putting it all together:

  1. Place the chicken thighs in a seal-able bag and set aside.
  2. In a blender mix all the remaining ingredients and blend until just smooth.
  3. Pour the liquid ingredients over the chicken, mix well and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  4. Heat the BBQ to 375° and grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
  5. Serve right away with your favourite side.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                            Bon Appetit

 

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Mexican Chopped Salad

Chopped Mexican Salad

Mexican Chopped Salad

  • Servings: 4 - 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Staying with the Healthy Eating aspect of my new fitness regime I’m sharing a modified Mexican Chopped Salad that I borrowed from Rachael Ray.

Now this one is modified because there are ingredients she has in hers (Jicama) that I don’t have and I’m using a couple of things she doesn’t (Turnip and Radishes). Also her particular recipe calls for a vinaigrette while mine has no dressing at all.

Thank you Chef for a great salad idea.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 1/2 heads Romaine lettuce – rough chopped
  • 1 head Kale – rough chopped
  • 1 medium Turnip – cut into matchsticks
  • 6 – 8 Radishes – quartered
  • 3 Roma tomatoes – diced
  • 1 medium Green Pepper – diced
  • 1/2 large Red Onion – diced
  • 1 handful Cilantro – chopped
  • 1 8 ounce tin Corn kernels
  • 1 9 ounce can Black Beans – drained and rinsed
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • Feta cheese for topping

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large bowl toss all ingredients except the Feta and Lime juice.
  2. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and top with the Feta cheese.
  3. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                           Bon Appetit

 

Five Spice Pork with Pineapple Salsa

Five Spice Pork

Five Spice Pork with Pineapple Salsa

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This particular recipe originally was in Chatelaine magazine but as with most recipes I come across I have made a slight adjustment to it based on the ingredients I had in the house and the varying tastes of those in the family.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 12 Pork Loin medallions
  • 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Low Sodium Soya Sauce
  • 2 tsp Sambal
  • 1 tsp Five Spice powder
  • 2 cups diced Pineapple
  • 2 medium Tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped Red Onion
  • 1 medium Red Pepper – diced
  • 1 medium Green Pepper – diced
  • 1/4 chopped Cilantro
  • 1 tsp ground Coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tbsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Lime juice

Putting it all together:

  1. Place the pork in a large non reactive bowl with a tight fitting lid.
  2. Mix the next five ingredients in a separate container, pour over the pork, mix well, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. For the salsa combine all the remaining ingredients in a non reactive bowl, mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. To cook the pork heat some oil in a large pan and fry for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°.
  5. Serve over rice with the pineapple salsa.
  6. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                           Bon Appetit 

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Looking out the window today and seeing the snow swirling about got me thinking of exotic climates where the only thing swirling around is the ice in my glass. Now, as with most of you, I doubt I will ever make it to some of these places so I will settle for visiting them through their food.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Red Onions quartered and sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 sweet Green Peppers rough chopped
  • 1 28 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup Golden Raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped Green Olives
  • 12 ounces cooked Orzo pasta
  • 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp ground Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Cayenne powder
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Parsley for garnish.

Putting it all together:

  1. In a bag toss the flour and chicken until coated
  2. Heat the oil in a non stick skillet and sear the chicken until browned on both sides. About 6 minutes and transfer to a plate.
  3. Cook the onion in the skillet for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and ginger; cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt. Add the chicken; simmer covered, 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in peppers, raisins, olives and chickpeas: simmer, stirring, 15 minutes, until peppers are tender and the chicken is no longer pink near the bone.
  6. Serve over Orzo.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                           Bon Appetit 

Bahn Mi Tacos

Bahn Mi Tacos

Bahn Mi Tacos

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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In Vietnamese cooking Bahn Mi refers to the Bread that is used in sandwiches and if done right it is one of the best sandwiches you have ever had.

Now traditional Bahn Mi sandwiches usually consist of marinated meat and pickled veggies and it’s the marinade that really stands out but in this case we have added typical Taco toppings…….. green onions, sour cream and Cilantro…. so the taste has changed a little but you can still detect the Asian influence to this Taco.

Here’s how we doe this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds Steak strips
  • 1 medium piece Daikon – peeled and shredded
  • 4 cups Shredded Carrots
  • 4 Scallions – chopped for garnish
  • Small bunch of Cilantro – chopped for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • Sour cream for garnish
  • 1/4 cup Soya sauce
  • 1/2 cup Fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Garlic Chili sauce
  • 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Sea Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese

Putting it all together:

  1. In a non reactive bowl mix the Soya sauce, Fish sauce, Garlic Chili sauce and sugar mixing well. Pour over the steak strips, cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
  2. For the pickling liquid combine the Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Sea Salt, Peppercorns and Mustard seeds in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Place the carrots and Daikon in a bowl and pour the pickling liquid over top mixing well and cover.
  4. In a large fry pan or wok heat the oil and quick fry the steak strips in the marinade.
  5. Build your Taco by briefly heating the Tortilla then layer cheese, steak, pickled veggies, green onions, sour cream and cilantro.
  6. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit 

Pork with Peanut Sauce

Pork with Peanut Sauce

Pork with Peanut Sauce

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…. I LOVE PORK ……It has an awesome flavour and it is so versatile that it lends itself to some really good recipes. In fact I don’t think there is a culture in the world that does not have at least one pork recipe….. okay there might be one or two.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is the sheer simplicity of it all and I think the most complicated part is the peanut sauce because it takes a few minutes to make.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 4 pound Pork Loin
  • 1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
  • 2 tablespoons Soya sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
  • juice of 2 Limes
  • 1/3 cup of Hot Water
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro – chopped
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Peanuts
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Place the pork loin on a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven for 50 – 60 minutes.
  3. For the peanut sauce combine all remaining ingredients except the cilantro and chopped peanuts in a blender or small food processor and pulse until well combined.
  4. Slice the pork and top with the peanut sauce, cilantro and chopped peanuts.
  5. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                          Bon Appetit

Revitalize rather than toss (part one)

 

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This post is going to be a little bit different than anything else to date because it does not have a recipe attached nor is it something that just anybody can do and I don’t mean that in a negative way. It’s simply that this post won’t appeal to you if you don’t have an old BBQ sitting around gathering rust.

The BBQ pictured on the left is one of the first charcoal BBQ’s I ever purchased and although it was useful in the beginning it simply didn’t really fill my need and so it was eventually replaced and wound up being relegated to the side of the house where it started collecting rust.

Fast forward a couple of years and what was once my vegetable garden has now become my better half’s domain with “plants and bushes and trees”—– Oh My!  So I decided to revitalize my old BBQ and turn it into a Herb garden…. that’s half the finished product on the right which happens to be the bottom part of the “cue”. This kind of project is easy and does not take long as it is a simple matter of clean out the dirt, scrape off the rust and paint it with a colorful Rust Preventative paint. As I said this is the easy part.

If you’re a cook like me choosing the right herb to plant is the hard part and you do need to put some thought into it or you will wind up with a bunch of stuff you can’t use and you have then wasted your money.

When I picked the ones that I wanted I took a look at the things I like to cook and then designed the herb garden to compliment my recipes. I now have things like Pineapple Sage, which is excellent with poultry, Vietnamese Cilantro— Why?— Why Not?, Greek Oregano, Habaneros and Jalapenos—- Okay those last two are not herbs but I like to use hot peppers in some of my dishes and sauces. I have two types of Basil-— one for spaghetti sauce and one for pesto and something I have never cooked with in my life but I am ssssssooooooo looking forward to using it—— Tomatillos—- otherwise known as Mexican Tomatoes and I only wound up with these because the lady at the garden center has them growing wild in her garden. Tomatillos make an excellent Salsa Verde (green chili sauce) for which I can use the hot peppers and Cilantro I am growing and then include it in things like Chicken Enchiladas, Green Chicken Tacos or simply as a dipping sauce for homemade Nachos and this is why it is important to match your cooking style with what you grow.

So as you can see Revitalizing something like an old BBQ can open up a whole world of new projects and can make your favorite dishes sing with flavor.

I still have to finish what was the top part of the BBQ and that will be part two of this post so please stay tuned and until next time……..

 

Bon Appetite

 

Grilled Pork Butt chops

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My dad worked for a company, for 42 years, that had a close affiliation with slaughter houses and more in particular with Hog Farmers so it’s no wonder I am completely gonzo for PORK. I love pork in its many splendored ways such as Pork Chops, Pork sausage, Pork tenderloin, Bacon and of course Pork Butt.

One of the cuts of pork I have recently embraced with a passion is Pork Butt Chops and one of the reasons I have jumped on this particular cut from the humble porcine creature (that’s a pig y’all) is because I get the great flavor that the butt provides without having to cook a huge amount of it all at once oh and, the store I get mine from sells two to a package for about $8.00 and the chops more resemble the side of a cow instead of pork chops. THEY ARE MASSIVE.

I have two different ways that I do these chops. The first is to hit them with a simple dry rub and then grill them. The other and this is only if I have time, is to marinate them for about an hour before grilling.

Here’s my Marinade method:

Ingredients:

–      –    Two large Pork Butt chops

–     –     Three minced garlic cloves

–    –      1 Teaspoon salt

–     –     1 ½ Teaspoons ground pepper

–     –     1 ½ Teaspoons granulated onion

–      –    ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro

–      –    3 Tablespoons Olive oil

 

Method:

–     –    Place the chops in a zip lock bag or any other type of sealable container

–    –     In a separate mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix until a paste has formed

–    –     Add the paste to the bag or container and mix well until the chops are evenly coated

–     –    Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour

–     –   Grill for approximately 20 minutes, turning over at the half way mark (about  10 minutes) or until the internal temperature hits 160 degrees

Serve this with whatever side you wish, I’d suggest some grilled corn on the cob (see sides) and roast potatoes.

So there you have it —– another “tasty but simple dish for the grilling season and beyond”.

Until next time

               Bon Appetit

Chimichurri

chimichurri2

Hola Amigo/Ciao Senior

This may seem like a weird way to start a post but there is a reason for this.

Chimichurri is a South American condiment that looks very much like Pesto. As a matter of fact if you really think about it Chimichurri is Pesto meets South America and it carries as much of a kick as you like.

I have really become a fan of Chinchurri lately because it goes very well with all kinds of meats but especially red meats AND it’s so easy to make and lasts a while in the fridge so I hope you like this one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems

1 cup firmly packed Cilantro

3-4 garlic cloves (or more depending on your penchant for garlic)

2 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves (can sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

METHOD:

–           Finely chop the parsley, cilantro, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl.

–           Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can keep for a day or two.