Posts by admin:
- Carne Asada (Grilled Meat) + MATCH meat for me
- Chilean Chimichurri Sauce (Secret Sauce)
- Ensalada Rusa (Russian Potato Salad)
- Ensalada de Pimentones Colorados (Multi-Colored Pepper Salad)
- Porotos verdes (Green beans)
- Mojitos
A Chilean Feast for Eight
March 30th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Ever since I heard about the earthquakes in Chile, I felt sad that I had not met most of my distant relatives, from cousins to aunts and uncles. I lost my Chilean grandmother to bone cancer 7 years ago and to this date it still bothers me that I did not know much about her and her life. What she did leave me were memories of her most wonderful cooking.
She never focused on recipes and she really did not have a chart of measurements. I think it was on one occasion that I asked if I could come over and she could teach me a little about the recipes she always made. I told her that I wanted to share this with my future family. Sure enough, a date was set and I came over. She showed me how to make Pan Amasado, which are Chilean-style bisquits eaten during tea or with a meal. Yet again, I could not write them down, as told by my grandmother, but memorize them. Sadly, I was only shown how to make 2 to 3 recipes. The other recipes I remember by watching her making it for a dinner or I remember simply my taste and flavor.
I try not to be saddened by the fact that I do not have her around anymore, but I thank God for being able to remember a little, which is the reason that inspired this dinner party we had this past Saturday.
Ryan and I decided to invite the single guys from the graduate program at MSU, since I heard that most of them do not socialize. Who is socializing? It is time for heavy studying! Thus the reason we decided to provide delicious food for these guys.
I took a bit of time menu planning for this party and even had a request from my husband! I knew it was going to be an exciting time serving 7 men in a duplex! LOL When I finally honed in selections this is what I finished with:
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Ryan was in charge of making the dessert, which in order not to limit him to choices, he decided to make Cooks Illustrated Bread Pudding. The guys came over and brought delicious red wine to enjoy!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
A small explanation here: I know I have had this discussion before, but if I am serving non-vegans, I am going to try to make something they would like. Serving 7 men was not asking for a creative vegan dish but just plainly serving a meat and potato dish a la Chilena. I made my beef out of soy protein provided by MATCH vegan meats. It was delicious!!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Vegan Carne Asada
serves 1
1 cup Match ground “beef “
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 Tbsp onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tsp olive oil on medium.
Thaw the Match meat and take a cup and place in a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into a pattie about 1/2 inch thick.
Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with Chimichurri sauce.
The guys all labeled this sauce as “THE SECRET SAUCE” even though I did not call it as such. They liked it SO much that I regretted not making more for my company. My Grandmother would make this sauce ALL the time when grilling meat and it was out of this world tasty!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Chilean Chimichurri Sauce (Grandmother’s recipe)makes 1 1/3 cup
1 cup medium Pace Picante Sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves, minced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
4 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
On a cutting board, chop the cilantro finely. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well. Can be made the night before or refrigerate before serving with meal.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Papa Rusa (Russian Potato Salad)Serves 8
16 red potatoes, diced 1-inch cubes
8 carrots, diced
5 small garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Veganaise
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cup parsley, chopped finely
Boil the potatoes whole for 15 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes.
Peel the potatoes and diced them in 1-inch cubes. Steam them for 5-7 minutes or until cooked.
Peel the carrots and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Dice the carrots.
In a large bowl, combine the carrots with the potatoes. (I worked on this process the night before and refrigerated the potatoes.) The potatoes must be cooled down before adding the rest of the ingredients or else it turns into mashed potatoes.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Add the rest of the ingredients and slowly mix with a spatula until well blended. Salt to taste. Best when refrigerated before serving but delicious at room temperature.
This is more of a greek salad that my husband requested so do not be confused. It is not Chilean. 🙂
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Ensalada de Pimentones Colorados (Multi-Colored Pepper Salad)serves 8
4 whole peppers (1-yellow, 2-red, and 1-orange pepper, chopped 1/2-inch cubes)
2 English cucumbers, chopped 1/2-inch cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 red onion, chopped 1/2-inch cubes
(1 cup Feta cheese, optional)
1 Tbsp Italian seasonings
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Serve immediately. Keeps for one day.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
If you would like the recipe for the bread pudding, please email me. Thanks!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Grandma’s Chilean Chimichurri Sauce
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Sun-dried Tomato and Leek Quiche
March 28th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
This was a brand new recipe for me this past week that turned out to be so delicious and suprisingly better than I imagined. Ever since I decided to omit cheese and eggs from my daily meals, I have been looking for great substitutes. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a decent vegan cheese, so I decided to take a rest from trying new products. On the other hand,eggs have been easier to forget. Ever since I discovered tofu scramble I decided that tofu was a delicious substitute.
On my next culinary adventure I decided to try a quiche. I always enjoyed quiche for a lunch or a brunch, but I chose to make this recipe for dinner with a nice green salad. When I read the recipe I was skeptical of the ingredients, but I decided to go with my cooking instincts.
What was the result? The quiche was a fantastic success and even Ryan liked it. The original recipe calls for it to be make as a 9 inch tart but I decided to make personal quiches. I had to play with the ingredients because I did not have all the items but it came out just as delicious. I did have leftover filling, but I used this as patties and placed on a green salad the next day.YUM!
Since I have been getting some requests for step by step methods, I was able to capture this recipe in steps. Enjoy!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Sun-dried Tomato and Leek Quiche
adapted from Vegetarian Times
makes 4 small tarts
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Crust
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. saltFilling
4 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 large leek, white and light green parts chopped (about 2 cups)
12 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1.5-inch cubes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp miso paste
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/4 cup chopped reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes, drained
Crust
Preheat oven to 350F. Coat four 5-inch tart pans with cooking spray. Pulse flour, pine nuts, almonds and baking powder in food processor until finely ground. Whisk together almond milk, oil and salt in bowl. Stir in flour mixture. Press into pan. Bake 5 minutes, then cool.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Filling
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Add leeks, and saute’ 8 minutes, or until softened. Set aside.
Bring large saucepan of water to a boil. Add tofu, and simmer 5 minutes.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Drain, and pat dry.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, miso, garlic and salt in bowl.
Add tofu and blend with an immersion blender.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Stir in breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, sun-dried tomatoes and leeks.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Spoon filling into crust.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Bake 40 minutes, or until crust is browned. Cool 5 minutes, then unmold.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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Taste Tripping with the Miracle Berry
March 25th, 2010Last night a friend and I were able to venture out to Renos for a taste tripping event to experience the Miracle Berry I talked about 2 posts ago. We arrived 10 minutes after the event started and we noticed there were at least 10 people there already waiting to get their berry and items to try after consuming the berry.
I met Lisa Nowak who is a co-owner of the The World’s Best Fruit who explained how the berry works and where it came from and how it is just now coming to the US and being made known to the public. She found me through the Foodbuzz community and invited me out to the event and I invited a friend.
When we got there, we were given a ticket to receive one berry each, and a ticket to get our fruit plate and drinks.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
The berry was frozen so we were supposed to let it thaw in our mouths and then swoosh it in our mouths. The peel of the fruit soon enough slipped off and I could taste the pulp. It tasted nice nothing particularly grand but we were told not to bite through the pit since it was nasty tasting.
We were given a wedge of fresh lemon, lime, and orange and 4 different sample drinks. These were grapefruit, lime, lemon based and SUPER sour and VERY gross. The third drink was Guiness. Once we had let the berry swoosh in our mouths for a minute, we waited for 2 minutes and then removed the pit from our mouths. We proceeded to taste each drink that had previously tasted SUPER SOUR.
The result? Every drink was SO much more enjoyable and made them palatable. It was very weird and strange to just think it was sour had just become sweet in our mouths. The Guiness tasted like a chocolate drink, smooth but not as bold and bitter, which I do not mind normally.
The fresh citrusy slices were VERY delicious! It was like consuming lemonade and limeade at an instant. I wanted to eat the rind as well but I exercised self-discipline! LOL! AFter we had done our taste testing, I continued to drink water which had a slight sweetness, but this expierence lasted an hour for ME. I also just allowed the pit to stay in my mouth for MY OWN experiment. It seemed to continue to work even past the hour.
Now what would the purpose be for this little fruit supplied in tablet form? I think it would be beneficial for diabetics or patients undergoing chemotherapy, but we I found out that it would be beneficial during the winter for fruits that JUST have happened to be cut green and are sour. I dislike addingtons of sugar to fruit that COULD have been consumed in its natural state. Have you not have a box of strawberries that were just tasteless? You could have this tablet and finish the pint off without having to thrown them out or add sugar! I think it is fantastic!
Trying to watch your sugar intake or dieting? This would allow you to eat otherwise healthy items with a sweeter taste with no added sugar. Yet again, they have something going here.
Our experience was great and even better, my photo was in the paper this morning on campus! LOL
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2010/03/msu_club_hosts_flavortripping_party
Photo taken by Kat Petersen @The State News.
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Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
March 24th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I was glad to see the beautiful sunshine yesterday after several days of cold and wet weather with a few snowflakes here and there. I thought Texas was pretty bad, but this random weather I hear is not abnormal for Michigan.
This past week I was part of a fundraising event for the Holland Chorale. There were a total of 15 singers I believe that sang different selections from operas and shows. It was an all together successful evening. Of course I have to mention that my husband played for me and half the other performers, so I was glad about that. I leave you with 2 selections I sang at this event that proves I sing opera! 🙂
This banana bread comes from the Babycakes cookbook and is gluten-free and vegan! It was very moist and lasted for a long time. If you want only one loaf, make sure to half the recipe. I made the normal recipe and before adding the chocolate chips, I split the dough in half and made one with chips and one without.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I made this recipe for a ladies gathering since there was at least one lady I knew was gluten-free.
I have to say that this was a very delicious version of banana bread different than any other recipe I have ever made. Since it is dairy free you would figure this to be dry but the coconut oil and the bananas make this dense and moist. It goes well with tea or coffee for sure!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
makes 2 loafs
from Babycakes cookbook
2 cups Bob Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup fresh mashed banana (I used 1 cup since that is all I had)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two 7x4x3-inch loaf pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, xantham gum, salt, and cinnamon. Add 1/2 C. oil and agave nectar, almond milk, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir until batter is smooth. Fold in bananas. Fill greased loaf pan half way.
Bake on center rack for 40 minutes. Serve warm or good at room temperature. Wrap up in plastic. WIll last for 3 days.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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Mediterranean Feast: Hummus, Bulghur Salad, and Roasted Dijon Potatoes
March 23rd, 2010Sorry for being out for a few days, but one of my friends from Houston came to visit me this weekend and I been busy entertaining. Do not fret though, because I still managed to cook some delicious meals. Even though I cooked with meat a lot more for my friend and my husband, I was able to create something that would work for the vegan.
After we arrived after church on Sunday, I decided to take a nap before preparing lunch. I did not hear any complaints from the rest of the peanut gallery because we had stayed up late watching the 4 hour BBC version of Jane Eyre. SO worth it though. It really is worth watching straight through especially since my husband claims it is a chick flick. It is literature and anyone who wasrequired to read Bronte novels should watch this newer version of Jane Eyre.
Well, after our nap, I started quickly planning our lunch. I made some beef croquettes for the carnivores and began making the hummus and roasted potatoes.
I think I have mentioned before that the mediterranean cuisine is my favorite. Give me Greek, Lebanese, Middle-Eastern, Persian food and I am there! Ryan started to like it alot especially when I serve hummus. The meal preparation and cooking took 45 minutes! I was so happy that on a day of rest I did not have to slave in the kitchen.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Hummus
serves 4
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, reserve 1/4 cup of liquid
1 Tbsp Tahini butter (sesame seed butter)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
olive oil for drizzling
Place beans in processor and add chickpea liquid,garlic cloves, lemon juice, tahini, and spices. Process. Keep processor on and little by little add the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth. it should not be grainy. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Roasted Dijon Potatoesserves 4
6 Red potatoes,unpeeled & diced in 1/2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut potatoes and place in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix all together with a spatula.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Spread the potatoes evenly on the baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes or until potatoes are not went but a little roasted.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Bulghur Salad
serves 4
3 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup radishes, sliced
1/2 cup English cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 cup bulghur, softened
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of bulghur and 1 cup of water and let soak for 30 minutes. (There is the option of cooking the bulghur, but since this is a cold salad I did not do this)
Chop, slice and julienne the vegetables and add to a medium bowl. Add the bulghur to the salad and mix well.
Make salad dressing on the side with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.
