Cooking demo for Mango Salsa

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing a cooking demo for one of my past professors at the University of Florida. When I was his teaching assistant in grad school, I had the idea of doing a cooking demo for the students to show them that you can eat healthy on a budget. As a college student, you can indeed eat things that don't taste like cardboard if you know where to look! One of the recipes I had up my sleeve was a delicious MANGO SALSA. Always a hit and always eaten to the last bite. I will make sure to post the recipe soon. It has been a year and a half since grad school, but I still love to come and do these cooking demos for my professor. This time, I had one of his teaching assistants film it in front of about 90 students. Enjoy!

Kale Salad

Kale! 

What is it? Some sort of curly, green, prehistoric leaf?

It seems like kale is becoming the "drug" of choice for health conscious foodies. Its rough and tough, its mean and it's really green. I'm not going to lie. When kale is eaten completely raw without anything added, it's a little like eating leaves off of a tree. In fact, it was and still is often used as a garnish on many plates and buffet tables. 

When you hear the word roughage, kale should probably come to mind. However, there are so many new and updated ways to make this leaf taste spectacular. Pinterest is just full of ideas. 

Kale is part of the cabbage family and is considered a "superfood". No, it can't fly. No it doesn't have laser vision. BUT, it is jam-packed with nutrients to help fight diseases and keep you living LONGER. Here are some of the benefits:                                                                                 

(Sources: National Institute of Health and WebMD)

Kale:

- lowers your cholesterol (the bad kind) with its Omega-3 fatty acids. 

- It has protein and fiber (get those bowels movin')

- Folic acid 

- It has high levels of vitamin K, A, and C

- It is good for your eyes, protecting against cataracts

- potassium, calcium, iron, an zinc

- It has antioxidants which prevent cell damage and have been thought to fight cancer

- It is also low in calories, about 30 cals for 1 cup

Basically, you can eat a small amount of this and get an enormous amount of benefits. Great right? But how the heck do we make it tasty?

There are a number of ways. You can saute it, steam it, put it in smoothies, make kale chips in the oven, or try one of the more amazing salad combinations out there. I decided to take the salad route, and it was a fine decision. 

Another crazy thing about kale is that it gets more tender and more sweet when you MASSAGE the kale with your hands. The bitterness fades away. No candles or lavender oil needed...but definitely some olive oil. By bruising the leaves, their true flavors are released.

Now, a kale salad can have almost anything in it. I have seen avocado, peaches, apples, pears, quinoa, goat cheese, feta cheese, blue cheese. Make whatever you like, but I have a simple recipe with a lemon vinaigrette:

The recipe:

Salad: 

2-3 cups kale, chopped roughly

Dried cranberries

Dried cherries

Almonds

Walnuts

Pecans

Pumpkin seeds (green)

Pears (Barlett)

Olive oil

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp chopped onion/shallot

1 Tbsp sugar

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

The procedure:

1) Take kale and place into a large bowl, drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto kale and massage with hands. Smush, squeeze and rub with fingers. 

2) Rinse the kale with water and dry off with paper towels. Return to large bowl.

3) In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing, whisk vigorously and set aside for a few minutes  ( Even better for a few hours if you have time!)

4) Chop pear into small pieces and add to large kale bowl

5) Add desired amount of cranberries, cherries, nuts & seeds.

6) Take dressing and strain into the salad. I use a small strainer or sieve. 

7) Mix thoroughly and serve immediately

Optional: Add goat cheese or feta to make it even better!

Roasted Root Vegetables

The smell of rosemary and garlic is something that never gets old. Hand me a recipe that has these two ingredients and it is bound to be delicious.

Now, let's say that you are frantically searching for that perfect side dish and every recipe you come upon seems to have an exotic ingredient not normally found in your pantry.

Black volcanic sea salt? NO
Squash blossoms? NO  (although delicious)
Purple carrots? NO
Squid ink? NO

BUT you might have some big orange carrots, some red potatoes, some sweet potatoes, a little garlic, a little onion and some rosemary from your apartment garden. Well, you have all the ingredients you need for a perfect side dish. Roasted Root Vegetables. Good at any of time of the year and so deliciously simple.

I usually pair this side with a main dish of  meat, poultry, or fish. I probably wouldn't serve it with pasta simply because you don't want to double your starches with the potatoes. If you do, your guests might go straight into food comas on your lovely furniture.

So, here is the recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables
 ( +'s indicate that you may add more if you wish)

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion
1-2 sweet potatoes
5 + red potatoes, fingerling, or small golden potatoes
3 + carrots
2+ shallots (optional)
8+ cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper


The procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

1) Chop onion, potatoes, carrots into relatively equal size small chunks
2) Peel shallots (optional)
3) In a large baking dish, toss chopped onions, all potatoes, carrots and shallots with olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Seasoning is key!
4) Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes
5) Meanwhile, peel garlic and chop rosemary
6) Remove baking dish from oven, and add garlic and rosemary. Toss to combine.
7) Place baking dish back in oven for 20 minutes more or until vegetables are soft and browned.
8) Serve them up!

Note: You may use a baking sheet to roast the vegetables, they just take less time to cook (approx 40 minutes)


Enjoy the smells that permeate through your kitchen as you cook this. Rosemary and garlic? Oh yes!

Marinara Sauce

I totally understand that everyone has their own recipe for red sauce. I have heard it all. Everything from this sauce recipe is 100 years old to my grandma was buried in her coffin with this recipe but we somehow managed to get it from her ( Yikes!). But regardless, the red sauce is that safegaurded pasta sauce the people keep close to their hearts. We cook it to show our love! However, I would make a hefty bet that grandma's serious marinara sauce was seriously simple. Here is my recipe for Marinara sauce that can be used as a base for many Italian recipes or eaten just as is over a bed of fresh angel hair. Don't forget to pair it with a gulp of good red wine.

I started trying out sauce recipes as a result of hearing a very big secret from many gourmet chefs. The key to a really good red sauce is to use the right kind of tomato. San Marzano tomatoes to be exact. Now, what the heck are San Marzano tomatoes? Well, it was rumored that in the 1700s, a Peruvian king gave the king of Naples some San Marzano seeds and the rest is history. We know this to be a complete myth. However, we do know that San Marzanos are mostly grown in Italy and the United states and are the genetic base for Roma tomatoes (which are actually a crossbreed of tomatoes). San Marzanos are a very pure plum tomato, having low seed counts and having just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. So much so that most chefs prefer them above other types of tomatoes. I know I love them! I hope you do too.

Now, here is the recipe for the sauce:

The ingredients:

1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
5 basil leaves
1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet or Syrah)
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic

The procedure:

1) Chop the onion into small pieces and mince the garlic. Keep separate.
2) Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into a large saute pan, toss in the onions and saute gently at about medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent. We call this SWEATIN' the onions
3) Add in the garlic and saute about 1 minute
4) Add in the can of tomatoes
5) Take a fork and squish the tomatoes down until they are in small chunks. I try to get it as smooth as I can. Stir the concoction together. (Optional: use Immersion blender)
6) Add the red wine, a good pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Stir altogether.
7) Let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring periodically
8) Chop basil leaves into a chiffonade or just roughly chopped.
9) Add basil leaves, stir, and simmer sauce another 10 minutes.
10) Enjoy!

I like to serve this immediately over angel hair pasta, with a good amount of fresh grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil over the top. I have also used this as my base sauce for manicotti. Another great recipe for another post.

Easy BBQ Ribs

I'm not an expert at BBQ sauce. I haven't "mastered the sauce" or "mastered the rub" so to speak. Although I like to think I am good at foot rubs. One day I am sure I will rise to the challenge of creating a custom sauce and bbq rub, balancing the perfect amount tomato, vinegar, sugar, spice and everything nice. BUT for now, I will leave that to the pit masters.

All things said, there is one thing that I know how to do really well and that is making succulent, fall off the bone, roasted cavewoman meat...and in my opinion, that is most important. Anyway, who wants to bite into a bone dry piece of rib OR WORSE an undercooked piece of rib? Maybe the dogs and ravenous wolves drooling on your porch smelling your home cooking.... but not me or my guests.

SO, when it comes to the rub down of your ribs or the dousing of your sauce, just stick to what you like. Maybe you make your own, which is great! But if you prefer, just pick something good in the store. I decided to go with a Sonny's BBQ rub and sauce (awesome chain located in the "bbq" states like Florida, Alabama, North & South Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee). I also added McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, because that stuff is delicious and basically like crack...in the best way possible of course. 

So let's get down to business with the recipe. 

* NOTE: This takes time. Approx 3 hours total. 

Low and Slow BBQ Ribs

The Ingredients:

1 rack of pork spareribs

Very generous amount of BBQ dry rub

1 good bottle of BBQ sauce  (or your own)

Montreal Steak Seasoning

The Procedure:

Note: Allow your rack of ribs to sit out for about 30 mins to 1 hour. You dont' want them straight out of the fridge COLD. Just slightly cool or room temperature. For some reason, extremely cold meat gets tougher if it is super cold going to a super hot temperature immediately.

1)Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F

2) Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil

3) Place ribs on baking sheet and generously sprinkle dry rub on both sides of the ribs. Don't be stingy! 

4) Take Montreal Steak Seasoning and sprinkle over both sides again, but just enough to season the ribs to your liking. This seasoning contains salt and pepper in addition to other spices.

5) Take additional foil and completely wrap the ribs into a package. Wrap tightly!

6) Place ribs in the oven on the baking sheet and roast LOW and SLOW for 2 hours.

7) After 2 hours check on the ribs, and increase the heat to 325 degrees F and roast for an additional 30-45 minutes.

8) Prep your grill and line it with more foil. This is a good tip for ALL grilling.

9) After the ribs have roasted in the oven, take them out carefully and brush generously with your BBQ sauce.

10. With tongs, very carefully transfer the ribs to the foil lined grill. 

11. BBQ on grill until ribs are a little caramelized on both sides, continuously adding more bbq sauce as you grill and flipping the ribs a few times. 

12. Enjoy those ribs and enjoy them good. The crunchy caramelized bits are the best.

Caramelization = Best part of cooking

Dumplings

I was cooking with a close girlfriend the other night and we both came to a very interesting conclusion about international food.  It can seem at times that certain cultures just won't agree on anything and never will. War is war, culture is culture, and there is no middle ground. But that notion is so wrong, especially when it comes to our food. There is a middle ground indeed. The dumpling. Also known as ravioli, the klobb, fufu, the pierogi, the empanada, the kreplach, potsticker, gyoza, mandu, pasteles,the samosa, the Chinese dumpling. Call it what you will, but these little things are what bring familes together. Can you imagine a table of these served up at a meeting of the United Nations. I am positive they would be gone! Want to end a war? Share a dumpling with your greatest enemy.

My friend and I decided to go along with some Chinese style steamed dumplings. Yum. Using store bought wonton wrappers and filling from scratch, we created some pretty amazing pillows of goodness. A pork dumpling and a chicken dumpling, steamed in an aromatic bamboo steamer and dipped in glorious sauce. Sounding good? You bet. Lets take a look some recipes:

For whichever filling you decide to make- 

*Get 1 packet of wonton wrappers

*Get 1 bamboo steamer basket

*Prepare a small bowl of water on the side

*Get some wax paper

*Get some cooking spray

Pork dumpling 

1 lb ground pork

1/3 cup chicken stock

2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp fresh ginger, ground

1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili paste

some chopped scallions or chives
(some sesame seeds, optional)

Chicken dumpling 

1 lb ground chicken

1 1/2 tsp fresh ground ginger
3-4cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1- 1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

some chopped chive or scallion (be generous)

some chopped spinach
(sprinkle of sesame seeds optional)

The procedure:

1) Pick a dumpling filling recipe above and mix ingredients thoroughly  in a bowl

2) On a cutting board or flat surface place one wonton wrapper down flat

3) Place about 1- 1 1/2 tsp dumpling filling in the middle of the wrapper

4) Dunk your finger in the bowl of water you have set a side, and run them along the edges of the wonton. This will allow the edges to stick when you fold them.

5) Take one edge of the wonton and fold in half over the filling. Press the edges down. Crimp them, fold into the shape you like. 

6) You now have your dumpling.

7) Time to prepare the steamer basket. Take your wax paper and tear a sheet into small squares

8) On each tier of the bamboo basket, place 4-5 small squares of wax paper

9) Spray each paper with cooking spray

10) Place a dumpling on each piece of paper

11) In a large frying pan or wok, put a good amount of water in the bottom, but don't let the water touch the bottom tier of the bamboo steamer when placed inside. 

12) Heat the water to high heat until boiling.

13) Place the steamer basket in the pan, and steam for 7 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through

OHHH You didn't think I'd forgot the dipping sauce, did you?

For dipping sauce, mix together

1/4 water

1/4 soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili paste

2 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, ground

( similar to PF Changs)

Enjoy friends!

Roasted Bone Marrow with Sea Salt and Rosemary

Watching countless travel shows  has made me notice something very particular about trending restaurants- the serving of beef marrow bone as an appetizer. Are you serious? Let's explore this.

This is the gelatinous inside cavity of the bones where white an red blood cells are created. It is high in protein and fat. Sounds like it is supposed to be reserved for medical practice! BUT ALAS. One chef being showcased on one of the travel shows I was completely drawn into, was Chef Chris Cosentino. Among his many cooking talents is serving delicious plates of unusual cuts of meat and animal parts. Tongues, intestines, snouts, you name it. One of the unusual delicacies he cooked was beef bone marrow, seasoned with sea salt and pepper on a bed of herbs. It is hard to believe that something as simple as this could be so delicious. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting his restaurant on my last trip to San Fransisco (as I hear it is now closed), but I wanted to try a version for myself. Bone marrow is such an interesting thought as a morsel because it was once seen as a part of the animal to be discarded or used for soup or...dog treats... and is now being used as a showstopping small plate. How can I describe it? It is meat heaven. Meat butter! A soft, gelatinous delicacy that WILL melt in your mouth. I am not just saying that and using flowery words.

SO as a mission, I decided that I ought to try and make it myself since many restaurants are trending this dish. In Gainesville, I drove over to one of the town's small markets, specializing in local products (something I try to always encourage). This place tends to be overrun by hipsters sometimes, but whatever. There, I approached the butcher and asked for 2 beef bone marrows, cut in half. After researching the dish, I saw that it is the easiest to roast them in halves. The butcher came back with the marrow bones, which were very large and bloody. My eyes widened with disgust and excitement. The butcher said finally, I hope your dogs like these! Of course I knew dogs loved bone marrow, but this man had no idea I was about the roast them up and eat them. I replied " Actually, they are for me, I am gonna eat them!" He gave a very strange look and went about his way. Oooo...burned.

At home, I followed some instructions that I found online and started roasting. In 15 minutes I had a delicious snack and I served it with some toast and a tall glass of raspberry Fromboise beer. 

PERFECT.

Intimidating to try at first trust me. The smell is questionable and the texture is literally jelly, but BE BRAVE! And try it.

I actually threw a GAME OF THRONES premiere party not too long ago and served this up. How appropriate! All attendees were college students who were luckily brave enough to try it. Surprisingly, everyone approved. So try this at home to serve as a lovely little tapa or appetizer!

The ingredients:

Beef marrow bones, cut in half 

Extra Virgin olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Fresh rosemary, thyme or parsley

The recipe. 

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 degrees F

1) On a baking sheet, place the bones an inch or two apart with the wider sides facing down.

2) Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tops of each bone.

3) Sprinkle tops of bones with salt, pepper and chopped fresh rosemary

4) Before baking, prep a warm loaf of french bread and slice into disks. Set aside and keep warm.

5) Bake marrow bones for 15-18 minutes

6) Remove from oven and serve immediately

7) To retrieve the marrow, take a small spoon or knife and spread on bread like butter

Enjoy this. It is pure heaven and drooling status.