Quick dinner of pork chop with mushrooms & onions....at kitchen! kitchen!

Pork Chop with Mushrooms & Onions
Served with a simple salad of boston lettuce & cucumber
 with a sprinkling of honey mustard vinagrette is quick and easy.

A jar of Polish pickled mushrooms sure came handy one week night. With no dinner menu plan except for some thawed pork chops...an idea popped out of the blue when I saw the jar in the refrigerator. Another "aha" moment!

Check out previous posting of "Veal chops" for the pork chop recipe as for the "how to" on the onions and mushrooms here goes......
1/4 cup of pickled mushrooms (rinsed and drained)
1/2 large vidallia onions carmelized  by heating a tablespoon of olive oil and a smidge of butter to the pan; add the thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Let it dance around the pan by stirring until golden in color for about 10 minutes or so in medium heat.
Add the pickled mushrooms to the carmelized onions stir for 2 minutes then add to the pork chop. The mushroom with the carmelized onions added another dimension to the dish!!! Thank you Halina for the mushrooms!

healthy, delicious and colorful - just waiting to be noticed.....at kitchen! kitchen!

This is a dish of veggies that is just waiting to be noticed.
Broccoli, red bell pepper, a poblano chili, and zucchini.

A combo of veggies are cut into STRIPS.....
1 red bell pepper 1 poblano pepper seeded and membrane removed (or green bell pepper)
1 medium size zucchini
1 or 2 broccoli head florettes
1 small onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Aromatic Spices of: garam masala and coriander powder
Gather the broccoli in large bowl and cover with a moist kitchen towel or bounty paper towel and pre-cook in a microwave for a total of 2-1/2 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.  Be very careful when taking it out of the microwave, the bowl will be very hot.

Heat some olive oil in a large pan and saute the garlic and onions until soft, add the aromatic spices and season with salt.  Next, throw in the peppers simmer for a minute before adding the zucchinis.  Now, we can introduce the broccoli florettes to the whole group, mixing thoroughly. Add a little water to the veggies and simmer for a minute or so until you have the desired doneness. (I prefer a little crunch on my veggies).
I served this with the grilled chicken tenders..... I didn't hear any complains! A great way to start your weekend dinner.

Wow!.. a panko crusted turkey breast fillet ...at kichen! kitchen!

PANKO CRUSTED TURKEY BREAST
With Mashed Cauliflower
Simply a great  dish!

 Another take on "panko crusting" - Now it's turkey fillet- for recipe see "panko crusted chicken" from previous posting. ( you can also do fish, and pork).
Recipe for Mashed Cauliflower - do exactly as you would with potatoes. I added some finely chopped scallions to my dish. It is just good and great for sandwiches the next day. Totally a "wow" dish.

Plum madness!....at kitchen! kitchen! for Tarts & Quiches....

It's plum madness at kitchen! kitchen!
for Tarts & Quiches.
This time it's a RED PLUM CAKE.
With those little wells of plums peeking out -
just so irrisistible and simply strikingly yummy!
Special order only at Tarts & Quiches.

Just out of the oven  RED PLUM CAKE
baked and browned to a golden perfection with a dusting of cinnamon
sugar and a naughty sprinkling of cherry brandy.
Perfect for the holidays only at Tarts & Quiches
For more information contact: jaenwitt@aol.com (no shipping please!)

So easy frittata...at kitchen! kitchen!.....

Golden Brown Frittata
Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I could make this with my eyes closed. This dish makes a weekly appearance in my kitchen. My son, Jens takes a wedge for breakfast everyday and never seem to tire of it.
SO VERY EASY.....
6 extra large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream/or buttermilk
A pinch of kosher salt
A small amount of freshly grated nutmeg
A sprinkling of fresh thyme or basil
Olive oil or canola oil
1/4 cup Monterey Jack shredded cheese or shredded mozzarella plus 1 tablsepoon of shredded cheese set aside separately.
Whisked the eggs with heavy cream, pinch of salt, grated nutmeg, and thyme in a large bowl.
Heat oil in a small oven proofed pan, slowly pour a 1/3 of the egg batter, sprinkle the tablespoon of shredded cheese, then pour the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top and chopped basil (if using basil instead of thyme). Bake at 350 F in the oven for 25 minutes until golden. Let cool and slice into serving wedges. This is great for brunch.

who knew!....a panko crusted chicken fillet.. with fennel salad........at kitchen! kitchen!.

A panko crusted chicken fillet with fennel dill

salad and a side of potato crisps.. who knew!!...

The pairing of the fennel  salad with dill added 

a certain freshness with a hint of "licorice"

flavor to the chicken.  It is just absolutely divine!

Another night of making use of what I have on hand without rushing to the supermarket in a frenzy.

So what I have are:

1 thawed chicken breast - thinly sliced (and that stretched to 4 pieces and cooks in minutes)
1 teaspoon of my amazing rub
1 tablespoon of buttermilk (I am never without one - a good substitute for sour cream and yogurt too)
Combine the above to soak the chicken in  -  in a bowl

Prepping up the chicken fillets:

4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of panko in a bowl (these are Japanese bread crumbs and they are very light and airy)
Heat canola oil in a large skillet on medium heat (get all 4 pieces in without crowding).  Dredge thoroughly the chicken pieces in panko and gently put them in the hot skillet - about 2 minutes on each side. Don't be tempted to turn them prematurely - just leave those "lovely ladies" alone until you see the sides start to brown - that's your clue to turn them over.  Aren't we ladies good in giving clues??  Drain on a paper towel.
Leave the pan on low and remove the brown bits - we are using the same pan and oil for the potato crisps.

For the fennel dill salad:

Half a bulb of fennel (which is what I have on hand)

My way of dealing with the fennel bulb...

..by wrapping the fennel bulb in a doubled up, very moist paper towel and microwave it for 40 seconds without cooking it,. Another way is by poaching it in a hot water for a less than a minute.  I do this to lessen the "licorice" taste of the fennel. Wipe dry and let cool.  Slice and pour some of the dressing and toss.

For the Dressing:

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of white vinegar (dilute with a little water if necessary)
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh chopped dill
Whisk vigorously to combine and taste to correct seasoning.
Potato crisps....
1 medium young golden potato (washed and leave skin on)
Cut in half and......yes... we are going to precook them in the microwave. Put them in a bowl covered with a moist paper towel and nuke it for 1 minute.  Let cool and slice thinly. Heat up the pan with oil to medium high and brown the slices of potato until brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

*The recipe serves only 1 son with a hearty appetite *for 2-4 people - double the recipe*

dessert! dessert! at....kitchen! kitchen!



Mango Tart
A decadent treat by Tarts & Quiches at kitchen! kitchen!
Available only when "champagne mangoes" are in season.



L to R
Raspberry cake drizzled with raspberry sauce, and " cloud cheesecake" with fresh
strawberries prettied up with cloud like whipped cream frosting......
by Tarts & Quiches....at kitchen! kitchen!
All baked goods can be locally ordered through
kitchen! kitchen!
email address: jaenwitt@aol.com

who says healthy is not delicious??.....quinoa pilaf at kitchen! kitchen!

a white quinoa pilaf with dried cherries; raisins, toasted almonds,
chives, and cilantro....it's healthy, nutritious and
super delicious.!!

Quinoa the "mother grain" sustained the Incas thousands of years ago! What could be more exciting than that!!! So here's my quinoa pilaf ... so easy and delicious.

What you need to cook this wonderful "mother grain" ....

1 cup of quinoa (rinse in cold water in a strainer)
In a small pan add the quinoa and 1-1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover loosely and simmer on low heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff and cover.

Accessorizing the "mother grain" with.....
2 tablespoons dried sour cherries
1 tablespoon of black raisins
1/4 cup of slivered toasted almonds
1/2 red onion chopped coarsely
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Aromatic Spices:  (1/4 teaspoon each) of: ginger powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and turmeric
chopped cilantro
chives
Suggestion: you may add chopped celery stalks and some carrots

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add the aromatics and stir for a few seconds. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper to taste, add the dried cherries, raisins, toasted almonds, lemon zest and lemon juice, stirring for a minute or so.Then combine the cooked quinoa to the pan and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Let set for while. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and chives. My quinoa pilaf was served with chicken tenders and mixed vegetables.

It's delicious and healthy!!!

When in doubt boil an egg!!...at kitchen! kitchen!

Open face egg sandwich with guacamole salsa & dill
This open face sandwich is nestled under a blanket of
guacamole salsa and thinly sliced cucumber with a sprinkling of
smoked spicy paprika on a toasted semolina baguette.
This is a man portion because my son just devoured it.

I am never without dill and English cucumbers. They bring out some freshness to the palate. A perfect ingredient for an "open face sandwich". I prefer this than the regular sandwich of 2 pieces of bread slammed together. This way, I could see what I am about to feed myself with.

So when in doubt boil an egg!......
2 hard boiled eggs (everybody knows how to boil an egg right???) I read somewhere that if you add a pinch of  salt on the water, it would be easy to peel the shell when cool enough to handle. My eggs were perfectly hard boiled, no grey areas on the whites and the yolk is just right and a tad moist. And what to do with some leftover guacamole salsa? Slather some on the bread, add some dill, then top each one with thinly sliced cucumbers, add a bit of mayonnaise on top for the sliced eggs to nestle in comfortably; more dill and a sprinkling of spicy smoked paprika and you've got a meal!
Suggestion: to make the sliced ends of the eggs sit still on the cucumber- slice off a little of the white to make it flat.

A double trouble guacamole corn salsa.....at kitchen! kitchen!

Guacamole corn salsa. What could 

be more lovely than that! Then comes the
corn chip appetizer. A double trouble indeed!

NO SWEAT AT ALL for the corn guacamole....!
2 just ripe haas avocados- skin removed and cubed
1 .07 oz. can sweet corn - drained (don't use fresh corn- tried that, not as good).. and yes, I also wondered why..??.)
1 teaspoon course salt (better than IODIZED SALT - however, in fairness I used it for baking).
Half of a red onion finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime and zest (and let's keep those avocados fresh and green).
Juice of half a lemon (yes, a lemon. trust me, I have been doing this for years and my friend Arlene loves it)! A secret ingredient.
1 minced jalapeno ( you may remove the seeds and membrane)
1 clove garlic finely minced
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of sour cream
Mix everything in a large bowl and add the chopped cilantro
Chill and serve with corn chips or crackers (they're good with crackers too).
NOW...to serve as an APPETIZER for one...
1 large leftover meatball  sliced into 4's (ever wondered what to do with leftover meatballs? Well, this is it!). OPTION: use smoke sausage or chorizo
Put each slice on top of a large corn chip and top with guacamole.
Your teenagers will crown you as their "kitchen goddess". A great double trouble!

Sunday morning wake me up.....at kitchen! kitchen!

My Sunday morning wake me up.
A excellent way to start your Sunday breakfast or brunch.
Mine was a toasted whole grain buttered bread with a perfectly
fried egg nestled under a dollop of plum cherry fruit spreadable and topped
with some leftover guacamole salsa and a slice of tomato. This will surely 
hold up until much later for lunch. And let's not forget a mug of good coffee.
WHAT' S YOUR  SUNDAY MORNING WAKE ME UP??

It's a bison!!...doing its magic.. at.......kitchen! kitchen!

This wonderful looking dish is a ground bison meat.
Doing a burger out of it will not do justice to the
beautiful bison meat. So I decided to dress
it up and make it into meatballs
and let it do its magic at
the dinner table.

I saw this wonderful package of ground bison at my supermarket and bought one for dinner. It is a wonderful meat, all lean and not hardly a fat in it. One package will make 8 large meatballs and will serve 2.
Follow the recipe on the "TURKEY MEATBALLS" from the previous postings and make the necessary adjustments for 4 servings. And boy, you will not regret it. Add some parmigiano reggiano and some sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley on top. Serve with some greens or cucumber salad and let it do its magic on your dinner table too.

Salsa or Salad... you decide........at kitchen! kitchen!

Mango salad or salsa.
A barely ripe mango with sweet peppers and
scallions. Great as a salad or salsa....
you decide!!




Mangoes at its best!

 SO EASY AND REWARDING.....
1 barely ripe mango (too ripe will be stringy) peeled and slivered
4 scallions
A handful of cilantro roughly chopped
A juice of 1 lime and lime zest
1 minced jalapeno (seeds and membrane removed) - I kept the membrane for some heat
A quarter of a sweet red or orange pepper slivered
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Combine everything in a bowl except for the cilantro. Season with salt and add the lime juice and zest. The combination of salt and lime juice brings out the sweetness of the mango.Those 3 seem to have hit the "let's be friends for life" thing. You may add honey if you want it to be a little sweeter. Sprinkle the cilantro for more pizazz! GREAT WITH BARBECUE RIBS OR CHICKEN.... you decide!

Lamb expression.....Indian inspired stew !.......at kitchen! kitchen!

Indian inspired lamb stew served with rice potato and cucumber salad



Lamb expression .. an Indian inspired  stew .. a delicious way to start
the weekend,

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. of lamb for stewing  / or lamb breast riblets
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil

For the Marinade - you need....a pinch of the AROMATIC SPICES:
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric
3 whole smashed cardamon
1 teaspoon of paprika
1-1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
3 cloves of minced garlic
1-1/2 cups of Greek yogurt
a sprinkling of salt

Marinate the lamb pieces in a bowl for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 300 degrees F

And in the meantime...... heat some olive oil in a deep dutch oven pan, saute the onions until soft and transparent.  Add the tomato paste and stir in the lamb pieces with the marinade, scraping the bowl to get all the liquid into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and put in the oven to slowly cook for 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue cooking in the oven to reduce the liquid for another 20 minutes or so until fork tender. 

Garnish with parsley and serve with cucumber salad and potato rice......a certain way to bring everyone to the table!

A sandwich...please!!!!..... at kitchen! kitchen!

Open face foccasia ham sandwich topped with fresh dill,
mayonnaise and a slather of plum & cherry fruit spread...
Soooo divine.

A slice of foccasia bread with a little slathering of mayonnaise, then layered with thinly sliced ham with plum cherry fruit spreadable on top of another layer of ham; finally top with a final slathering of mayonnaise and a handful of dill is just divine.You have the sweetness and tartness of the plum cherry and the freshness of dill is totally mouth watering. You'll think this is a "manwich" but cut in half and it becomes a lady's lunch. Serve with a bowl of soup or salad....or just have the whole thing...it's that good!
(option: instead of mayonnaise use grainy Dijon mustard, as for the plum cherry fruit spread get Sarabeth's fruit spreads - they are delicious and not painfully sweet. Just perfect)

Casual Friday ....of roast beef with pearly barley and brown rice.....at kitchen! ktichen!

Pearly barley and brown rice with a scattering of
shredded carrots, cranberries and golden raisins.
Paired with roast beef is perfect.



A casual Friday dinner of roast beef with roasted potatoes and
tomatoes, served with pearly barley- brown rice combo,
lightened with a salad of fennel and cucumber.
This makes a good relaxing Friday dinner
shared with friends like Maria, Halina,
Mieszko, and Jens.

 PEARLY BARLEY and BROWN RICE Combo......
1/2 cup barley cooked with 2-3/4 cups of water in a pan
1 cup brown rice cooked with 1-3/4 cups of water in a pan
(or follow instruction on the package)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 small chopped onions
1 small carrot shredded
A handful of chopped cilantro
Olive oil
Kosher/or sea salt
SO VERY EASY.....
Heat olive oil in a pan, throw in the chopped onions and a pinch or two of salt, stir until onions are soft.
Stir in the cranberries and raisins for 1-2 minutes then add the cooked brown rice and barley mixing thoroughly and taste for seasoning, add some olive oil if it gets a bit dry. (you can also add some toasted nuts like, almonds or walnuts) Add a handful of chopped cilantro.

ROAST BEEF (anyone can make this).... but if you are uncertain... this is what I did......
3 lbs of roast beef
Amazing rub
Canola oil
4-6 pieces of young yellow potatoes
3 large jersey tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Heat canola oil in an oven proofed pan and sear (brown) all sides of the roast beef to golden brown. About 2-3 minutes on each side. Salt and add the young potatoes and the 3 whole tomatoes into the pan and put in the oven to roast for about 20 minutes (30 minutes if you want the beef well done). Take out the beef and leave the potatoes and tomatoes in the pan to roast for another 10 minutes or so. Lower the heat to 350.
Cover the beef with aluminum foil to keep the meat juices in for at least 10 minutes. I left it alone for half hour to give it a chance to ponder its future. Slice thinly and serve hot or cold with the roasted potatoes and tomatoes.
FENNEL and CUCUMBER salad.....it's easy too....
Whole fennel root washed (microwaved for 2 minutes let cool and slice thinly)
English cucumber thinly sliced
chopped fresh dill to garnish
WHITE DRESSING....
Pinch or 2 of Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar diluted with 1 teaspoon water
Combine all of the above and whisk thoroughly
Enjoy your dinner with a good bottle of red.... in our case we enjoyed 2-1/2 bottles....I think..!...I would have to check the recyclables....a relaxing Friday night indeed!

Bake me a chicken with roasted vegetables...at kitchen! kitchen!

Baked chicken with roasted vegetables and potatoes.
What could be more simple and homey than that?

I saw this package of 3 chicken halves in my supermarket and a simple menu came to mind.

AND THESE ARE.......
3 Chicken halves (natural chicken)
2 strips of bacon cut into large pieces
3 sprigs of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
3 sprigs of Thai basil (it's a little minty) or Italian basil
3 crushed garlic
1/2 of a large red onion
2 Idaho potatoes - peeled and cut in thick slices
2 baby eggplants
1 large sweet pepper just starting to ripen
2-3 tablespoons of the amazing rub
Extra virgin olive oil

IT IS REALLY EASY TO PREPARE...
Put the chicken halves in a large baking sheet.  Loosen the skin and season inside out generously with amazing rub.  Meanwhile, portion the herbs and the garlic and sliced bacon to stuff under the skin of each chicken (the bacon will keep the chicken breast moist and the herbs will add more wonder to the taste).
Sprinkle some salt to the potatoes and.....
Put the sliced potatoes under each chicken to serve as a pedestal - (the potatoes will absorb the wonderful juices of the chicken). Put in the middle rack and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.  On a cast iron pan/or baking sheet put the eggplants, red onion, and large pepper, sprinkle with salt and some olive oil and bake on the lower rack for 40-45 minutes.  Let cool and peel the eggplants, red pepper and slice the red onions.  Transfer the baked chicken to a serving platter, along with the vegetables......
Meanwhile brown the potatoes under a broiler just until golden and transfer to the chicken platter.  Pour all the chicken juices in a bowl and taste for seasoning. Add a teaspoon of mustard and whisk vigorously.  Serve as a sauce for the chicken and the vegetables.  There is nothing like coming home to a simple and great meal.

The challenge of an artichoke....at kitchen! kitchen!

Baby artichoke salad

This is the 2nd time that I have made an artichoke.  I find it not only challenging, but also a lot of work. There is so much waste on this vegetable or is it a fruit?  You really don't know when to stop peeling off those petals and you often wonder how many more do I have to peel to get to the best part.  There is that hairy portion that you have to remove.  I vowed to just buy a jar of artichoke.  But, then I came across a package of baby artichokes.  Baby!  How difficult would that be. Well, I still have to peel several petals/or leaves to get to the best part.  The only difference is that the baby ones do not have the hairy part of the "choke".  So, I dealt with it again, the usual way, peeling off the petals and soaking each one in a bowl of cold lemoned water to keep them from turning grey.

GET CHALLENGED BY....
Heating  2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, stir in the artichokes and simmer until soft.  Don't forget to season with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, I made a vinaigrette of.......

• 2 tablespoons of gold balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon of honey

Whisk and add the vinaigrette to the pan of artichoke.  Let simmer for a a minute or 2 and transfer to a serving dish. It was delicious and would make a great company to any dish.
There, I've done my challenge.  Will I do another one?........of course!....

A repeat of turkey meatballs...at kitchen! kitchen!

A portion of a " repeat of the turkey meatballs,", with
shredded carrot added to the sauce.
Slices of foccacia bread to soak up the sauce is not bad.
It is delicious and hearty.

My son's friend was going to have a "football party", and he requested that I make him the "turkey meatballs" to bring, with emphasis to leave some for him to take to work the next day.  It was a compliment that he requested this dish again.  I guess, I will be doing this over and over at home and you will too.
For recipe please check my previous postings.

Beef Wellington...a signature dish....."you've come a long way"!...Kitchen! kitchen!

The fabulous beef wellington.....The FATHER of all dishes!!

I have invited a few friends over for dinner in my studio apartment eons ago without any clue as to what to make.  Well, I saw a french cookbook in a bookstore and on the cover was a luscious looking beef wrapped in pastry.  Looked inside, so, this dish is called beef wellington, named after a duke who later became General Wellington.  I said to myself, that's the dish I will make.  Bought all the stuff I needed which is a zillion ingredients coupled with the fact that I never made a dough before.  I only have two things on my side, my blind determination and that luscious looking photo on the book cover .

Followed the recipe to a "T" not to mention lack of sleep and the whole thing had turned into a 2 day marathon of preparation.  The day of "the dinner" came.  Everything was fine until I took the beef wellington out of the oven.......a disaster! (where is Julia when I needed her)!.....the dough was dull brown and grainy!  Not the shiny golden almost brown dough as in the book cover....Deep breaths....what to do???...  Checked all the ingredients again, and right on the kitchen counter was the bag of flour standing tall with the words, "Whole Wheat Flour"....  I bought the wrong flour!  Two hours before the guests arrive...think!!! I rushed to the supermarket to get every garnishings as in the photo, sliced the beef into several servings, hoping the guests will only notice the beautiful greenery surrounding the beef and the wonderfully cooked pinkish filet mignon. Either that or get the guests drunk first......

Ding! Dong!, goes the doorbell, maybe I will just hide in the closet with "general wellington" under my arm.  I hesitantly opened the door, come in, come in..kiss...kiss...pray...pray.. and one guest commented, "how rustic",.... and without batting an eyelash, I replied, "yes a rustic beef wellington". (Whatever "rustic" means at that time)... There is God after alll!!!  So now, my beef wellington has come a long way since my first attempt. This dish has now become my signature main course, served only on special occasion.  Make it yours..

Beef Wellington - a filet mignon wrapped in
a flaky pastry crust.
"You've come a long way indeed.."

Google for a recipe on Beef Wellington at foodnetwork

A new spin to the zucchini crisps...like child's play....at kitchen! kitchen!

Zucchini and carrot crisps..so simple...
it's almost  like child's play....it is sweet and delicious.
I am absolutely having fun with this dish....I am already thinking of another" spin".

what you need are:
1 medium size zucchini shredded
1 small carrot shredded
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 small egg beaten
*optional - you may add a pinch of crushed red pepper for a littke "kick"
About 4-5 tablespoons of Canola oil
Fun and easy ....
Take a clean kitchen towel or 3 layers of bounty paper towel and wring the water out of the zucchini.
Combine the shredded carrot, zucchini, beaten egg, and the flour (if the mixture is still a little wet, don't be afraid to add a little bit more flour). Mix thoroughly coating the carrots and zucchini.
Heat canola oil on a skillet until smoking hot and form a small patty of the floured mixture and brown for about a minute and half on each side until golden. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle a little salt on top. Great as an appetizer with the Mojito sauce or as is.....so easy and delicious.
This recipe yields about 8-10 small pieces

"Cranking up the ... avocado guacamole".....at kitchen! kitchen!...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large just ripened hass avocado cut into cubes
• Zest and juice of half a lime
• 1 large plum tomato - seeded and minced
• 1 half red onion minced
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 small hot pepper minced
• A handful of finely chopped cilantro
• Kosher salt
• 4 pieces of spring roll pastry wrapper (available in asian or gourmet store)

LET'S GATHER THE INGREDIENTS....
Combine all of the above in a large bowl, add the juice of 1/2 lime and mix well (try not to mush the avocado). Taste for seasoning. Open the package of spring roll pastry (these are layers of  thin individual pieces of square pastry and you need to put a moist towel over them to keep the pastry from drying).  Take one piece and place on a flat surface; scoop about 1-1/2 tablepoons of the avocado mixture on the middle of the pastry square. Fold over the end flap and the 2 sides, and gently roll. When you come to almost the end, moisten it with water sealing it close. Place on a plate sealed side down and chill for 10 minutes.
MEANWHILE....
Heat some canola oil in a pan until it is screaming hot and put each roll browning each side for a minute until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and let cool. Cut in half diagonally and serve with .....
WHITE SAUCE of...
1 tablespoon of sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of mayonnaise
Pinch of salt
Squeeze 1/4 of a lime
Mix thoroughly and add minced cilantro
MOJITO VINAIGRETTE (a perfect pairing sauce)....btw: not a cocktail...but you still want a sip..it's that good...
2 cloves of minced garlic
Juices of half a lime, half a lemon and half an orange
1/4 cup of white or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
Combine all of the above in a jar with a cover and shake well to mix. Taste for more salt.
(This recipe makes 4 guacamole spring rolls)


Guacamole spring roll with mojito sauce.
A perfect pairing.

 

How to stuff the spring roll



Fold over the end flap and the 2 sides like wrapping a package



Guacamole spring roll with a white sauce

Some grilled chicken tenders anyone?? ...at kitchen! kitchen!

Grilled chicken tenders with green tomatoes
what could be more perfect for a Sunday dinner....!

Ingredients:
1 lb. of chicken tenders1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
Kosher salt
A sprinkling of freshly ground pepper
1 thickly sliced large green tomato - (season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of olive oil)
Extra virgin olive oil
Amazing rub
1/2 teaspoon each of AROMATICS ---
paprika
turmeric
cardamon powder
coriander powder
ginger powder
garam masala

What is next...?...
In a large bowl season the chicken with the "amazing rub", add the aromatics, Greek yogurt, and a little olive oil.  Make sure that each piece is covered with the marinade and let stay for a few minutes while you are heating the grill pan with olive oil.  Shaking off some of the marinade (save the marinade), put each chicken on the pan and grill each side for 3-4 minutes until cooked.  Set aside, while you do the green tomato next.  Grill the tomato for a a minute on each side just until some browning is happening.  On a separate small pan heat a little olive oil and pour the saved marinade adding a little water (if you want more sauce) and simmer for 2 minutes until it starts to bubble and thicken a little.  Pour over the chicken and sliced green tomato.  Serve with green salad and a bowl of potato soup.  Now, that's a perfect Sunday dinner!
Look for "my potato soup" recipe soon!