Category Archives: Meats
Quick Pork Tacos with Poblano and Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Crema
OMG, I am so excited about this recipe- this screams summer to me!! I love using Latin/Mexican ingredients in the summer… so good and delicious… this is perfect for through the week or to entertain with…
- 1 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cleaned and excess fat cut off and cut into 1 inch squares
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo and some sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Juice of one lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Blend the peppers, honey, lemon juice, oil and salt together and marinate the pork pieces in the mixture for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat a grill pan with the oil and cook the pork pieces on a high heat till they are golden brown and just cooked through- about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep warm.
Salsa
- 1 cup pineapple, sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, cut in half
- 1 onion, cut in half with skin on
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt
- Juice of a lime
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Transfer the vegetables to a lined cookie sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix well and roast in oven for about 20 minutes till the vegetables are soft. Take out and let cool. Take the skin off the poblano pepper and chop all the vegetables. Place in a bowl and add lime juice and more salt if needed. Set aside.
Avocado Crema
- 1 avocado, cut in half
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- Juice on one lime
- Salt
Transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blend till a smooth consistency is achieved.
Serve the pork on warmed corn tortillas topped with the salsa and the crema!
Lime Ancho Grilled Skirt Steak
This is a yummy summer recipe…
- 2 to 3 pound piece of skirt steak, cut into smaller pieces
- ¼ cup orange juice
- Juice of 2 limes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Lemon wedges
Mix the orange juice, lime juice, oil, garlic, ancho powder and salt in a small bowl. Transfer the steak to a ziplock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Take out of fridge half an hour before grilling.
Grill steak to about medium. Transfer steak to large plate, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut against the grain garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.
- Bag of small tortillas
- 2 avocados, diced
- Salt
- Juice of one lime
Heat the tortillas and wrap in aluminum foil.
Transfer the diced avocados in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt and drizzle with lime juice.
Serve the cut up steak with the warmed tortillas and diced avocados.
Grilled Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
My favorite steak to grill or cook is the rib eye. It has amazing flavor and just the right amount of fat. This recipe epitomizes summer for me. I love making chimichurri sauce and for this recipe, I used cilantro instead of just parsley. It makes a delicious sauce for steak as well as vegetables- stay tuned…
- 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup parsley
- 4 garlic cloves
- Juice of one lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
Add the cilantro, parsley and garlic to a small processor. Process till chopped well. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Process till smooth sauce is formed. Check for seasonings and transfer to a bowl. Take out a quarter cup aside for the vegetables.
- 3 to 4 grass fed rib eye steaks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Marinate the steaks with the oil, salt and pepper for 2 to 3 hours. Grill the steaks according to taste. Serve with chimichurri sauce.
Quick Summer Pasta
I was watching Michael Symon making a summer pasta and I decided to tweak his recipe and make my own. I have to say, one of my favorites!!
- 3 strips bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup green beans, chopped
- 2 ears of corn, off the cob
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 large jalapeno, sliced thin
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water spared
- Salt
Heat a frying pan and add bacon and oil. Cook the bacon on medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces are golden brown. Add the beans, corn, garlic, green onions and jalapeno. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pasta and pasta water, mix well and add salt, dill and cilantro. Serve warm.
Middle Eastern Style Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
This is a great take on your regular, run of the mill, meatballs- not that any thing is wrong with that… but sometimes it is nice to change it up a bit…. they are really good to entertain with… I served mine with delicious couscous…
- 1 pound ground pork (any ground meat can be used)
- 2 shallots, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ½ cup milk (let sit for at least 10 mins)
Mix all the ingredients and set aside for at least an hour.
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- Zest of one orange (keep juice aside)
- 3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or canned crushed tomatoes
- Salt
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the tomato paste, fennel seeds, ground cumin, cinnamon and orange zest. Saute on medium heat for a minute and add the tomato sauce and the saved orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat with lid on for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Take lid off and increase heat and form meatballs and drop gently into the pan. Lower the heat to a simmer with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt. Serve on top of couscous topped with yogurt sauce.
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
- ½ cup grated cucumber, water squeezed
- ½ cup grated carrot, water squeezed.
- 1 to 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sumac
Mix all the ingredients and check for seasonings. Serve with meatballs.
Pasta with Spring Peas and Pancetta
The pasta theme continues with a very simple and delicious pasta with a bit of pancetta and lots of peas- yummy and quick!!!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
- 2 cups frozen peas
- ½ cup chives, chopped
- ½ pound cooked pasta with 1 cup pasta water
- ½ cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
Heat a large frying pan with the pancetta and oil. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and salt and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the peas, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Add the chives, pasta and pasta water if needed. Mix well and cook till the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and garnish with cheese.
Roasted Onion and Garlic Burgers
A classic beef cheese burger but with amazing roasted onion and garlic flavors- make it this coming weekend!!!
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut in quarters with skin on
- 4 garlic cloves, skin on
- 4 green onions, cut in half
- Sprinkle of salt
- Drizzle of olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Transfer the onion and garlic to a lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle salt and drizzle olive oil. Roast for half an hour and add the green onions. Roast for another 15 minutes and take out of oven. Cool and process in a food processor till chunky. Keep aside.
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cheddar cheese slices
- 4 ciabatta rolls, toasted
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- Mayonnaise
- Lettuce
Transfer the beef to a medium mixing bowl. Add the roasted mixture, egg and salt. Mix well but not too much. Divided into four patties. Cook the patties to desired doneness, top with cheese and place on toasted rolls with tomatoes, mayonnaise and lettuce.