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Tag: olive oil

Taco Night- Ground Beef

My daughter was asking for a taco night for a while- the kind with ground beef and where she can make her own. I usually make tacos but with soft tortillas and some kind of pulled meat or shrimp. I am usually not a big fan of hard shells but I decided to give it a try. So here is my take. I start with the ground beef.. so stay with me this week…

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef, grass fed
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and sauté over medium high heat while separating the meat with a wooden spoon. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground coriander, ancho powder and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes and cover with lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add cilantro, mix well and keep aside.

 

Heat either soft or hard tacos. Add meat, rice, salsa and shredded cheese and serve.

Chili with Leftover Chicken

This is a great recipe for leftover chicken- any kind, really. I had roasted quite a bit of chicken on a Sunday and I made a bunch of different dishes with it including some homemade stock. It is a great idea to do so on a Sunday afternoon…

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
  • 2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds
  • 1 cup fresh or canned tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 14 ounces black beans, drained
  • 4 to 5 cooked chicken drumsticks or any kind of leftover chicken, chopped
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • Salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cilantro, chili powder, chipotle powder and cumin. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, black beans and chopped chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes on a low heat. Take the lid off and continue cooking, add the half and half and salt. Check for seasonings and serve with corn bread.

 

Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew with Olive, Raisin and Cilantro Gremolata

This is a fabulous dish to impress your vegetarian friends. I made this Moroccan style stew with delicious quinoa. I also topped the goodness with a mixture of green olives, raisins and cilantro.

  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, crushed
  • 1 cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil

Preheat oven to broil.

Place the cauliflower florets onto the cookie sheet. Add the oil, salt and cumin. Mix well and roast for 30 minutes till the florets are golden brown. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Salt
  • 2 cans chickpeas, washed and drained

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth and chickpeas. Bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt as necessary. Garnish with gremolata and serve with quinoa.

Olive Gremolata

  • ½ cup green olive (I used the ones that are stuffed with garlic), chopped
  • ¼ cup golden raisin, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Mix the olives, raisins and cilantro in a small bowl. Sprinkle on the stew and serve.

Spiced Rub Steak with Blood Orange Sauce

Nothing like a delicious steak- especially if it is smothered in some delicious spices and complemented with my favorite, blood orange infused sauce!!! It is absolutely delicious! I also made my new favorite starch- black rice and of course, I can’t have steak without some yummy roasted potatoes!!

  • 2 to 3 large strip steaks (I made 2 steaks for 3 people)
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Mix the spices in a small bowl. Drizzle the steaks with olive oil and rub the spice rub on both sides and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Blood Orange Sauce

  • 1 cup blood orange juice
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably homemade
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a cast iron pan with the olive oil. Sear the steaks on both sides on high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes each. Take out of the pan and rest. Add the blood orange juice and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomato sauce, smoked paprika and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro. Transfer the sauce in a bowl and clean the pan with a paper towel and reheat the pan. Slice the steak into 1 inch slices and return to the pan. Top the steak with butter coating evenly. Cook till the desired doneness.

Serve with the blood orange sauce.

 

Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup flaxseed meal
  • ½ cup wheat germ
  • ½ cup oat bran
  • ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • ½ cup sliced raw almonds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup extra light olive oil
  • 1 cup honey
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.

In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.

On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.

Granola1

Chicken & Rice with Vegetables

So this dish came about as I was watching The Chew on ABC. Michael Symon (a chef and tv personality) was making a chicken and rice dish, Greek style. He thickened the dish with a mixture of flour and egg. It gave it kind of like a risotto quality.. so I decided to give it a try but infused my flavor profile into it- which consisted of garlic, cilantro and smoked paprika….

  • 4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/3 cup cilantro stems, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Place the garlic and cilantro stems into a mortar and pestle. Pound till smooth. Add salt, olive oil and smoked paprika. Mix well and place the mixture under the skin of each chicken thigh. Sprinkle with extra salt and marinate for couple of hours.

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 parsnips, chopped
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup dill, chopped
  • Salt

Add the egg to a medium bowl and whisk well. Add the flour and whisk to incorporate. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro and dill. Mix well and keep aside.

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Heat on a medium high heat and brown the chicken thighs for 4 to5 minutes on each side. Take out of pan and add the shallots, garlic, carrots and parsnips. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the chicken broth and the browned chicken. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer and cook with lid on for 20 minutes. Take lid off and check to see if chicken is done. Take the chicken pieces out. Add the egg and flour mixture to the rice and stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes till the mixture is incorporated in the rice and it is thickened. Check for seasonings and add salt. Return the chicken pieces back to the pan and serve immediately.

Chicken and Rice with Spinach

This is a super quick, healthy dish- oh, and it is a one pot meal. I feel like taking a bow to the applauding audience- yes, I realize no one is applauding- but I feel like they should.

It was one of those days when I had no time and no ideas swimming around in my head. I took out two chicken breast from the freezer and in order to make it really simple, I spiced them with salt and garam masala. Garam masala is made with any where between 5 to 15 spices- depending on who is making it. Since I make my own, it is super flavorful, filled with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

I sauteed the chicken pieces and then used the same pan to cook onions and garlic and more garam masala. I added some tomatoes, chicken broth with the rice and tossed in a whole bag of baby spinach.  I sliced the chicken pieces and introduced it to the rice and spinach and came up with a wonderful dish.

The busy day ended with a well-balanced, one pot meal and I had only one pot to clean after making the dinner- perfect.

Make this rice dish when things are crazy and you have no time to spend in the kitchen….

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken breast and sprinkle salt and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes and flip to the other side. Sprinkle salt and the remaining garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes. Take out and keep aside. The chicken will not be cooked through. It will finish cooking with the rice. Cool the chicken for 10 minutes and cut into ½ inch slices and keep aside.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 5 ounces baby spinach

Heat the same saucepan and add the one tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and garam masala. Saute on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and tomato sauce. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook on high till bubbles begin to form on the surface. Add the spinach, lower the heat, and place lid on saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes or till the rice is cooked. Turn the heat off and add the chicken pieces on top and place the lid back on. Leave the saucepan covered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Make sure the chicken pieces are cooked through. Mix the rice with the spinach and chicken well before serving.

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