Category Archives: Latin Flavors
Grilled Skirt Steak
- 1 to 2 pound skirt steak
Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Add the garlic, cumin, salt and smoked paprika into a mortar and pestle. Pound and crush the garlic and spices. Add the cilantro and continue to pound smooth. Add the lime juice and olive oil. Mix well and marinate the steak in a zip lock bag for 2 to 3 hours.
Grill the steak to desired doneness. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with jicama salsa and guacamole.
Fresh Peach Salsa
-
- 4 to 5 medium peaches, chopped into ¼ inch squares
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of a large lime
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Add the peaches, onions and garlic in a small bowl. Add the lime juice, honey, paprika, salt and cilantro. Mix well and keep aside for at least an hour before serving.
Mango Nectarine and Avocado Salsa
- 1 medium mango, cut into ½ inch dice
- 1 large nectarine, cut into ½ inch dice
- 1 ripe avocado, mashed
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt
Add the mango, nectarine, avocado, green onions, jalapeno and cilantro in a small bowl. Mix well and add the lime juice and salt. Mix and let the salsa sit for about an hour. Serve with chips or an entrée.
Mexican Style Turkey Burgers
- 1 poblano pepper, cut in half, seeded
- 1 small yellow onion, cut into quarters
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, (wrapped in aluminum foil)
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the vegetables on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Take out of oven and scrape off the skin from the poblano peppers as well as the garlic from the foil. Place in a blender or processor and process till smooth.
- 1 pound dark turkey meat
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
Place the turkey meat in a medium mixing bowl. Add the poblano mixture, salt and pepper and mix well till everything is incorporated. Form into four patties. Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours. Cook on a grill or skillet. Serve on a sesame seed bun with tomatoes, smoked paprika mayonnaise and guacamole.
Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Juice of half lemon
Add the yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
Chilean Sea Bass with Smoked Paprika with Corn Risotto and Avocado Salad
- 1½ pound Chilean sea bass, cut into 3 to 4 filets
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix the spices in a small bowl. Rub the fish filets all over with the spice rub. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Olive oil
- Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the fish filets on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on each of the filets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the filets.
Corn Risotto with Avocado Salad
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin, powdered
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ears of corn, off the cob
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 3 to 4 cups chicken broth, warmed
- Salt
- 1/3 half and half
- ½ cup queso fresco, grated
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the cumin and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn and the rice. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium low heat. Gradually add the broth one ladle at a time, stirring the rice in between. Add the liquid as it cooks out. The risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook. Add the half and half and cheese. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add salt. Serve with avocado salad on top and fish on the side.
Avocado and Tomato Salad
- 1 large Hass avocado, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Mix the avocado, tomatoes, lime juice, salt and cilantro in a medium bowl. Mix well and serve on top of the risotto with the fish on the side.
Grilled Shrimp with Cherry Salsa
I love this recipe- very simple and very much in season. Grab those cherries while they are still around and make a delicious salsa!!
- 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Place the shrimp in skewers and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Marinate for two hours in the fridge.
Cherry Salsa
- 1 cup red or white cherries, pitted and chopped
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- Juice of a medium lemon
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- Salt
Transfer all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well and let marinate for an hour or two.
Grill the shrimp till done and serve with salsa on top.
Garlic Cilantro Shrimp
I adapted this recipe from Saveur magazine. We had some friends over for a tapas party and I made this dish. It is a bit involved but so worth the extra work. The good thing is that the sauce can be prepared ahead of time. It worked out very well, as I was able to attend to my guests and cook the shrimp right before serving. Try this dish next time you want to have garlic shrimp.
- 1 to 2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Sprinkle the salt on the shrimp and let sit for 1 to 2 hours.
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 two inch baguette slices
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ cup slivered, blanched almonds
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups fish stock (2 tablespoons separate)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
Add olive oil and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure the garlic cloves don’t burn. Take out the garlic and discard. Turn the heat up and fry the bread slices 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Take out and place on a paper towel. Turn the heat off.
Transfer the fried slices, garlic, almonds, parsley, cilantro and 2 tablespoons of fish stock. Process till smooth.
Add the remaining fish stock to the garlic olive oil. Turn the heat on and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the processed mixture and bring to a boil and cook on a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and gently cook till they are cooked. Serve immediately.