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So, I celebrated another birthday recently.   Yep, 25.  Again.  What?  I’m good at 25, I’ve got several years experience, and I’m sticking with it. ;)  But that is totally not what I wanted to talk about.  What I *did* want to share with you is this recipe I recreated  from the (awesome) restaurant we went to to celebrate for sushi…My Gawd, you guys…this place was just incredible…top floor of the Reina Isabel Hotel, panoramic views of the ocean and beach and islet and all of it’s twinkling glittery lights at night.  The place is called La Parrilla (click here for pics and stuff), and the food was just out of this world.  Fusion is probably the best way to describe the menu…Asian flavors combine with Peruvian and Italian influences to create some of the most fantastic flavor combinations…they also offer local dishes, and fresh fish selections according to season.  To start, we decided upon the tuna sushi, and both of us just went nuts.  I knew this one would be gracing our table at home pronto.  I even kind of impressed my own self with how close I was able to come to the original. heh If you like tuna sushi, you are going to love this one, folks.  It is dayumed good.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Mirin
sesame oil to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon or so)
2 cups prepared sushi rice
3/4 pound (300 grams) sushi grade tuna
1 ripe avocado
sesame seeds to garnish
chopped cilantro to garnish (I didn’t have any, so I skipped it, but it really does go great with this, so I recommend adding it if you have some)

Preparation:

Prepare your rice and let cool.
Be sure that you specify to your fish monger that you will be eating the fish raw, you’ll want only premium sushi grade tuna for this.
Prepare the sauce.
Mix soy, vinegar, Mirin and sesame oil.
Prepare each sushi plate, chopped avodado on one side, tuna slices in the center, rice at the other side.
Drizzle sauce over tuna.
Garnish with sesame seeds (and cilantro if using).
Eat!

Ingredientes:

4 cucharadas de salsa de soja dulce
4 cucharadas de vinagre de arroz
1 cucharada Mirin
aceite de sésamo al gusto (utilicé una cucharadita de café aproximadamente)
2 vasos arroz de sushi ya preparado
300 gramos de atún para sushi
1 aguacate maduro
semillas de sésamo para adornar
cilantro picado para adornar (no tenía en casa, pero si tienes, te lo recomiendo, el sabor es fantástico)

Elaboración:

Preparar el arroz y dejar enfriar.
Asegúrate de que avisas al pescadero sepa que vas a comer el atún crudo–solo quieres máxima frescura para el sushi.
Preparar la salsa.
Mezclar la soja, vinagre, Mirin y aceite de sésamo.
Preparar cada plato de sushi, aguacate picado por un lado, atún en tiras por el centro, y arroz al atro lado.
Rociar el atún con la salsa.
Adornar con semillas de sésamo y cilantro
A comer!

Do all of you know Michelle at Thursday Night Smackdown? If you don’t?  Get over to her site right now! I’ll wait.

No, seriously, I will.

Isn’t she great? She has the best sense of humor, and her blog is filled with delectable goodies ranging from appies to salads to mains to desserts. I discovered TNS a few months ago, and it has quickly become one of my “first reads” in the morning. Thursdays are “Smackdown” days. Michelle chooses a recipe from one her many cookbooks and makes it. Mondays are “Cheap Assed” days, where she uses pantry staples and inexpensive ingredients to make incredible meals for *under* *$5!* per serving. With today’s economy, that is one hell of a bonus! You may remember her Extreme Rotini and Cheese, that I am totally claiming as my own from now on (sorry Michelle! lol) As of late, she has been making meal after incredible meal…all spot on with my tastes. It’s as if she were trying to seduce me with her cooking. You’re not, are you, Michelle? lmfao I’m just teasing. It’s just that…I dunno…awesome food…swearing…getting my funny on…well, it’s just the best, that’s all. It’s like one stop blog shopping. Treats! Snark! Giggle! See what I mean?

So anyway…the other day she made this incredible looking lentil salad. Lentils! Salad! I’m so there. Not only is this salad good, it’s EXCELLENT. I even cheated. I didn’t cook my lentils with the oh so fun to make cloved onion. I used a jar of lentils. That I had in the pantry. Then added the ever so smallest pinch of ground cloves to the salad. Nobody noticed that I hadn’t spent that extra hour plus cooling time. See that? And? AND I was frugal, because I used pantry goods, as well as basil from my leetle basil plant on the patio.  I also subbed Feta cheese, because that’s what I had.  That salad was free! I had everything in the house. I bet you do, too.

Now, there are a couple of events that I want to participate in. My very good friend Shaye, at Smarter than Pancakes had a birthday recently, and would like us to bring something to her Birthday Picnic!

I’m bringing this salad. Not only because it’s freaking fabulous, but because it’s a dish that lends itself *perfectly* to an afternoon outside with friends. So, Happy Birthday, Shaye! MUAC!

Grace at A Southern Grace is also hosting an event, called Beat the Heat! 

that I’d like to participate in, seeing as it’s hot as Hades round here, and we’re all looking for refreshing dishes to combat the scorching heat of summer. The catch?  No heating up the kitchen!  Microwaves and ice-cream makers are allowed, but not the stove or oven or any other heat emitting appliance.  Grace, check this salad OUT man. Seriously. If this doesn’t beat the heat, maybe we’ll have to have a beer with it or something. lol

 

The lovely Rebecca at From Argentina with Love is hosting “Empanada of the Month!”and you know I just couldn’t resist participating.  Empanadas (or empanadillas as these little ones are called over here) are basically beautifully flaky pastry wrapped around the filling of your choosing.  They’re like little pillows of crispy on the outside, flavor explosion on the inside.  The variety is endless…you can fill them with meat (as in this case), fish, vegetables, cheese or even custard and/or fruit for dessert empanadas.

 

Empanadas Mendocinas are basically filled with ground beef, onion, olive slices and a slice of hard boiled egg, with a bit of bite from the crushed red pepper.  The first time we tried Empanadas Mendocinas was (if you can believe it! lol) at our favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant, Calabria.  Before you think we’re goofy for ordering Argentinian food at an Italian place, let me explain.  The owners and all of the workers are native Argentinians.  Of course, that doesn’t detract from their ability to make incredible Italian food…one of these days I’ll tote my camera along so you can see.  :)  So anyway, back to the story.  One of the appetizer menu items is empanadas, so we asked what they were and she explained.  Well, that was the end of that!  Bring it on out!  We want that!  So, we had our first delicious taste of these little bites.  Since then, we order them as an appetizer every time we go.

I was thrilled when Rebecca graciously invited me to join in her Empanada of the Month event, and really excited to get my little paws on her recipe.  It’s incredibly good, you guys.  Incredibly good.  I didn’t add the lard at all…The ground beef I bought had a bit of marbling, so I just left it out in the interest of lowering calories.  I think the next time I would perhaps add just a bit more olive (one slice just ain’t enough for my greedy olive loving self lol), but other than that, wouldn’t change a thing. 

Ok, so that was my sad attempt at an English accent. LOL Did you hear it? Was it close? The other day my friends were giggling at my accent from the video I posted…they said I have a combination of Minnesotan and Spanish accents (Spanisoooodan, hey? hehe)…I dunno. I don’t think I have one. LMAO

Anyway, about those taaaahts…one of the best fillings for pretty much *anything* is the spinach and feta combo. Spanakopita, quiche, tarts, omelettes, bread…I love the way the tangy feta contrasts with the delicate flavor of the spinach. And? It’s practically health food, what with all the calcium, folic acid and other nutrients these little babies provide. The filling is so quick and easy to throw together, too. Now, put this healthy and delicious stuff into some puff pastry…What’s not to love?

I’d also like to submit these little delights to this month’s Monthly Mingle Event (this month’s theme is appetizers) at Mansi Desai’s site, Fun and Food.  This fun event was started by Meeta at What’s for lunch, Honey?.  Go and check out the event and these great blogs!

 

Just look at that flaky goodness!  Let’s get started making them.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 pound (400 grams) frozen spinach, squeezed dry
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons dill
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 pound (200 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 9 equally sized squares

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Lightly oil muffin tins or ramekins with olive oil.
Heat butter over medium heat and saute garlic until golden.
Add onion and saute until soft.
Add spring onion and spinach and stir well.

Remove from heat and add dill, lemon juice and cheese, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in egg, beaten.  Look at this filling!

Line muffin tins with a square of pastry, and put a bit of filling on each.
Pinch the corners together, leaving a little breathing space (you can see this here).
Bake about 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Tartaletas de Espinacas

Ingredientes:

2 cucharadas mantequilla
2 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolla, picada
400 gramos espinacas congeladas, completamente escurridas del agua
1 manojo cebolletas, picadas
2 cucharadas eneldo
zumo de 1 limón
200 gramos queso feta, desmenuzado
1 huevo
sal y pimienta al gusto
1 lámina de hojaldre, cortada en 9 cuadrados

Elaboración:

Precalentar el horno a 175ºC.
Engrasar unas flaneras individuales con un poco de aceite de oliva
Calentar la sartén y dorar el ajo en la mantequilla.
Añadir la cebolla y sofreir hasta que esté tierna.
Añadir la cebolleta y las espinacas y remover bien.
Retirar del fuego y añadir el eneldo, el zumo, el queso y salpimentar.
Añadir el huevo batido y mezclar bien.
Forar cada flanera con una pieza de hojaldre.
Poner un poco del relleno en cada una y cerrar las puntas.
Hornear durante 20-30 minutos o hasta que estén doradas.

hehehe I just couldn’t resist that title.  The other day I was over at Tony’s site, Olive Juice.  He had posted this incredible mushroom tart recipe.  My Gawd I could hardly stand it.  Sauteed mushrooms with wine, goat cheese and mascarpone all nestled in a puff pastry shell.  Can YOU stand it?  That’s like heaven right there. 

Who knew that Heaven came in bite sized tarts?  Well, I guess Tony did, since he came up with the concept.  Immediately, I was jotting down the ingredients for the next week’s shopping trip.  Luckily, my food store had the mascarpone this week (score!), so I didn’t even need to make a special trip anywhere else.  Lucky Lucky!    So, I took Tony’s idea and ran with it.  Ran and ran…the concept is similar, but I kind of reinvented it a little, and took some short cuts (Tony, if you’re reading, please avert your eyes lmao), such as purchasing the pastry.  I changed the technique a bit and the presentation is more rustic than his.  I must say, though, that they turned out pretty daaaaayumed good. So, thank you, Tony for the inspiration.  This is going to be one of those recipes that makes it on the party food list.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 spring onion, finely chopped
10 large button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 pound (200 grams) purchased puff pastry
1/4 cup goat cheese (chevre)
1/4 cup mascarpone
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

First, saute the garlic in the butter until golden.
Add the white parts of the spring onion and continue to saute until soft.
Add mushroom slices and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook over medium heat until cooked through and beginning to brown.
Add wine and reduce just a bit.
Remove from heat and toss in the green part of the spring onion, and give it a good stir.

Preheat oven to 400ºF/190ºC.
Lightly oil 9 ramekins.
Cut the puff pastry into 9 equally sized squares.
Place a square of pastry into each ramekin, and poke the bottom with a fork.
Add a bit of mushroom saute to each cup.

Mix the chevre and mascarpone in a bowl with some salt and pepper.
Top each mushroom cup with a little cheese mixture.

Pinch the four corners together and sort of twist the tart closed, like this:

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden.
Serve hot or at room temp.

Tartaletas de Champiñones:

Ingredientes:

2 cucharadas mantequilla
2 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolleta, picada
10 champiñones grandes, en láminas
1/4 vaso de vino blanco
200 gramos hojaldre
1/4 vaso queso de cabra
1/4 vaso queso mascarpone
salt and pepper to taste

Elaboración:

Primero, dorar el ajo en la mantequilla.
Añadir la parte blanca de la cebolleta y sofreir un poco.
Añadir los champiñones y salpimentar.
Tapar y cocinar a fuego medio hasta que estén tiernos los champiñones y están empezando a dorar.
Añadir un chorrito de vino y remover, dejándolo reducir un poquito.
Retirar del fuego, y añadir la parte verde de la cebolleta, y remover bien.
Calentar el horno a 190ºC.
Engrasar 9 flaneras con aceite de oliva.
Cortar el hojaldre en 9 cuadrados.
Poner una pieza de hojaldre en cada flanera y añadir un poco de champiñones.
En un bol pequeño, mezclar el queso de cabra y el mascarpone y salpimentar.
Poner un poquito de queso a cada tartaleta.
Cerrar cada tartaleta uniendo las esquinas y presionando un poco.
Hornear durante 20-30 minutos o hasta que estén doradas.
Servir caliente o a temperatura ambiente.

Yeah, so earlier in the week I had posted about staring at Peter’s (of Kalofagas) delicious Eggs Benedict recipe…Staring at Peter’s recipes is nothing new for me.  His site is a daily read.  He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is a phenomenal cook.  You should SEE some of the delicious things he cooks up!  He is of Greek descent, and, luckily for us, he shares his mouthwatering recipes, and the fun stories of Greece and his heritage that go along with them.  Not too long ago he had posted his recipe for Cheese Stuffed Keftedes (couldn’t you just *die* at how good those sound?)…well, I knew I had to put those on the menu.  I mean, Come ON!  Keftedes?  Stuffed with Cheese?  I may have fainted into my keyboard.  Actually, I’m pretty sure I did, because I had these weird square bruises on my forehead. This week, I could wait no more.  Monday I bought the ingredients to make his hellaciously good recipe. 

I’m not going to post Peter’s recipe, because I actually followed it pretty much to the letter…I had to substitute Gouda cheese (see it trying to escape there? lol) for the Greek cheese, though, since I can’t get the types he recommended for the recipe.

To go along with these delicious morsels of Greek joy, I decided to make a fresh tzatziki (pictured here) and hummus (pictured below).

 

Tzatziki Ingredients:

2 cups plain Greek yogurt, strained overnight
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded, diced
1 smaller bunch of mint, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Drain any excess liquid thay may have formed before serving.

The hummus was an excellent dip for both the keftedes and the pitas.  I tell you, this is perfect summer food, you guys. The next time you plan on grilling plain old burgers? Forget that idea, and make these instead! Seriously, they are amazing.

Hummus Ingredients: 

1 jar garbanzo beans (14 oz, 800 grams), mostly drained
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Using a food processor, mince garlic first, then add garbanzos and process until semi-smooth.
Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and continue to process until creamy.
*If mixture still seems a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to help it along.

Las Recetas en Español:

Keftedes de Peter (traducido directamente de su página web), Ingredientes:

1 kilo carne molida
2 cebollas, ralladas
4 rebanadas de pan, humedecidas con agua y desmenuzadas
1 cucharadita de ajo en polvo, o ajo fresco majado
2 huevos
1 cucharadita orégano
1 cucharadita perejil picado
1 pizca de comino
sal y pimienta al gusto
queso en lonchas para rellenar (Vlahotyri o Kasseri) (yo utilizé Gouda)

Elaboración:

Mezclar todos los ingredientes en un bol (mejor con las manos).
Formar hamburguesas finas, y reservar en un plato.
Tapar con film transparente y meter en la nevera durante al menos 4 horas.
Antes de asar, dejar que los keftedes vuelvan a temperatura ambiente. Cojer una loncha de queso y
ponerla en el centro de una hamburguesa. Ahora, tapar con otra hamburguesa y presionar por los lados a cerrarla bien.
Procurar cerrar los keftedes muy bien por los lados para evitar que se escape el queso cuando los ases.
Asar a fuego medio unos 5 minutos cada lado.
Servir con mostaza, mayonesa, Boukovo (chilis picantes molidos), ensalada y pan.

Tzatziki, Ingredientes:

2 vasos (de Nocilla) yogur Griego, escurrido durante una noche
1 pepino grande, pelado y con las semillas retiradas, en daditos
1 manojo pequeño de hierba huerto, picadito
2-3 dientes de ajo, majado
sal y pimienta al gusto

Elaboración:

Mezclar todos los ingredientes.
Tapar y dejar en la nevera varias horas o una noche.
Si se haya suelto algo de líquido, escurrirla antes de servir.

Homus, Ingredientes:

1 bote de garbanzos (800 gramos), escurridos
2-3 dientes de ajo
2 cucharadas tahini (crema de sésamo)
zumo de 1 limón
2 cucharadas aceite de oliva virgen
sal al gusto

Elaboración:

Poner todo en el robot de cocina y procesar hasta que esté cremoso.
Si te parece un poco espeso, añadir unas cucharadas de agua para ayudarlo.