tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65807509354718848202012-01-22T13:51:21.825-08:00SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-28390187772713737822012-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:002012-01-22T13:51:21.838-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8zOfqbfmZk/TxyENpQgkAI/AAAAAAAADNs/Yd_cX5d1wAc/s1600/c3491Beef%2BSandwich.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8zOfqbfmZk/TxyENpQgkAI/AAAAAAAADNs/Yd_cX5d1wAc/s320/c3491Beef%2BSandwich.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700576598292467714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A sandwich for today. Meaty. Easy, delicious and rewarding. Let’s go to the kitchen.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 thin beef steak<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />Some water<br />2 tablespoons chopped onion<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground pepper to taste<br />1 slice of favourite cheese<br />Some roasted red pepper<br />Your favourite bread<br />Some sauce to taste (tartar sauce, horseradish sauce, mayo… you choose)<br /><br />First we will start preparing the meat. Cut the steak in little pieces and put it in an oven tray with the vegetable oil. Put that in a preheated oven to 400ºF. Twenty minutes later add the onion and some water. We add some water, a tablespoon, so that the meat does not get too dry. Cook it for ten more minutes. Remove from the oven.<br />Now we will prepare our sandwich. Prepare your favourite brand and put a slice of cheese. Put it in the still hot oven for one or two minutes. Remove it from the oven and then fill the sandwich with the pieces of steak and the onion. You can also add some roasted red pepper. I love it. Add some salt and pepper. And top it with your favourite sauce.<br />Ready to serve. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/BEEFSANDWICH#slideshow/5700575671530937682">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2839018777271373782?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-42521204764517202202012-01-07T13:27:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:30:51.592-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAZK8BQOqvk/Twi5TYIufdI/AAAAAAAADMs/PqEuXgkHWQo/s1600/c3479Melocot%25C3%25B3n%2Bcon%2BVino.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAZK8BQOqvk/Twi5TYIufdI/AAAAAAAADMs/PqEuXgkHWQo/s320/c3479Melocot%25C3%25B3n%2Bcon%2BVino.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695005471357697490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We will go to my land again. Peaches and wine. A delicious dessert. Easy and delicious. I probably tasted wine for the first time enjoying some Melocotón con Vino. Let’s get started.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />8 peaches<br />8 teaspoons sugar<br />A pinch of cinnamon or a stick.<br />A good red wine, if it is from Spain good, if it is from Aragón, the better.<br /><br />Very easy to make. First, wash and peel the peaches. Then cut them in little pieces. Put them in a bowl and add the sugar and the cinnamon (if you use a cinnamon stick, remove it before serving). Add some wine, enough to cover all the pieces of peach. Mix well. Let it cool in the fridge for some hours before serving.<br />A fresh and delicious dessert. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/MELOCOTONCONVINO#slideshow/5694986488305482594">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4252120476451720220?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-80497883943283009102011-12-25T10:45:00.000-08:002011-12-25T10:49:19.837-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0SIQO63wHjQ/TvdvuKyha2I/AAAAAAAADLM/FkBK1euOYjY/s1600/c3455Cumin%2BChicken.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0SIQO63wHjQ/TvdvuKyha2I/AAAAAAAADLM/FkBK1euOYjY/s320/c3455Cumin%2BChicken.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690139493166836578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We will cook an Indian recipe today. Cumin Chicken. Simple but delicious. Cumin gives the chicken its special flavor. Let’s cook!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 tablespoon cumin seeds<br />1 clove of garlic, chopped<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 green chili<br />1 chicken breast, cubed<br />4 green cardamom pods<br />3 black peppercorns<br />Some vegetable oil<br />1 teaspoon ground coriander<br />1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 teaspoon garam masala<br /><br />First we will heat a frying pan or wok. When it is hot, put the cumin seeds in it and heat them for about two minutes. Be careful so that they do not get burned. Remove then from the pan or wok and reserve them.<br />Prepare the garlic, the ginger and the chili.<br />Heat some oil in the fan or work. When it is hot, add the cumin, the cardamom seeds and the peppercorns. Just for a minute. Then add the chili, the garlic and the ginger. Cook for one minute and then add the ground cumin and the ground coriander. Cook for another minute. Add then add the chicken. Stir well. Cover the pan, turn the fire low and let it cook for 15 minutes.<br />Finally, add the garam masala and some salt to taste if necessary. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then you will have the chicken ready.<br />Serve it hot. You can serve it with some basmati rice, cucumber raita or chapatis.<br />Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/CUMINCHICKEN#slideshow/5690137983016256994">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8049788394328300910?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-84001888645789176652011-12-11T11:26:00.000-08:002011-12-11T11:28:56.640-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8UJ0lyPbmvk/TuUESBoQeYI/AAAAAAAADI4/ZgnMhQfKv9w/s1600/c3402Chicken%2BCurry%2BPizza.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8UJ0lyPbmvk/TuUESBoQeYI/AAAAAAAADI4/ZgnMhQfKv9w/s320/c3402Chicken%2BCurry%2BPizza.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684954812346562946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We will cook a different pizza today. Pizza made from scratch but with a chicken curry flavor. Italian and Indian together. Let’s cook it!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Dough,<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />¼ cup extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />½ tablespoon salt<br />3 ¼ cups flour<br />½ tablespoon yeast<br /><br />For the curry,<br /><br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />1 teaspoon black peppercorns<br />A little piece of star aniseed<br />½ ground cinnamon<br />3 cloves<br />½ teaspoon cardamom seeds<br />½ teaspoon ground garlic<br />½ teaspoon fennel seeds<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 chopped shallot<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />½ chopped red pepper<br />½ chopped squash<br />1 clove of garlic, chopped<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 chopped tomato<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />½ chopped chicken breast<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground pepper to taste<br />½ cup coconut milk<br />Some shredded cheese<br /><br />First we will make the pizza base. I use a bread machine to make my pizza but, of course, you can knead your dough by hand. Using my bread machine, I put the ingredients in this order: water, oil, sugar, salt, flour and yeast. I select the program just to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. The machine will do its job and then it will let the dough grow. If you want to make your dough by hand, you can do it placing the flour on a table making a well with the water inside. Add the rest of the ingredients and make the dough. And then you will have to knead the dough properly. Knead and knead till the dough is elastic. Let it rise in a bowl covered by a wet cloth.<br />Once we have kneaded the dough, either by hand or with a machine, we will shape the pizza with a rolling pin. Remember that a floured work surface is always important. With that amount of ingredients you can make two pizzas.<br />Using a pizza stone will make your pizza crispier because these stones distribute the heat evenly. Nonetheless you will have to preheat the oven earlier and maybe use a pizza peel to transfer your pizza to and from the oven. Anyway, if your oven is powerful, your pizza will be good.<br />In the meantime, we will have prepared our curry. To do that, we will start preparing the spices. In a mortar we will grind the coriander seeds, the cumin seeds, the black peppercorns, the star aniseed, the cinnamon, the cloves, the cardamom seeds and the fennel seeds. Add to that the ground garlic and the turmeric. Reserve the spices.<br />Heat some olive oil in a wok and when it is hot, add the green and red pepper, the onion and the shallot. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic, the ginger, the squash and the chicken. Then we will add the spices. Mix well and keep on cooking. Then we will add the coconut milk. Add some salt and black pepper to taste. Let it cook for some minutes and reserve.<br />Then we will go to the oven. Preheat it to 450ºF. With the help of a rolling pin, shape the dough into a pizza on a greased tray. Then we will paint the pizza with a little olive oil. Then spread the chopped tomato on top of the though. Add the curry to the pizza. Do this so that the curry is well spread in all the pizza. Add the cheese evenly.<br />And your pizza is almost ready. You will only have to put it in your oven. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Let it cool for a minute and serve. A good and original Chicken Curry Pizza. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/CHICKENCURRYPIZZA#slideshow/5684953674188612882">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8400188864578917665?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-59009611285589537432011-11-27T19:20:00.000-08:002011-11-27T19:25:28.110-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSoAW5Xq1uM/TtL-isZXJdI/AAAAAAAADFE/3u_WA59MwwA/s1600/c3258Flounder%2BBalls.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSoAW5Xq1uM/TtL-isZXJdI/AAAAAAAADFE/3u_WA59MwwA/s320/c3258Flounder%2BBalls.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679881952054158802" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Fish for today. We will cook fish in a different way. They are delicious and easy to make. I will serve them with a tomato sauce but you can do it with the sauce you want. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 fillets of flounder (or a similar fish)<br />1 boiled potato and then mashed<br />1 egg<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />2 chopped shallots<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />Salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground pepper to taste<br />½ dry chili (optional)<br />Some flour<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some tomato sauce<br /><br />The first thing we will do is blending the fish in a food processor. We have to get like a fish paste. Then, we will put the fish in a bowl and will add the mashed potato, the egg, the garlic, the ginger, the shallots, the parsley and the turmeric. Mix well all this. Then we will add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the dry chili too, seeded and cut in little pieces.<br />The next step will be to shape the fish balls. We will do this with the help of some flour. Once they are made, we will fry them in a frying pan with hot oil. When the fish balls are brown, we will leave them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil. You can serve them with the sauce you prefer. This time I will serve them with tomato sauce. Put the fish balls in a frying pan with the tomato sauce and let them simmer for some minutes.<br />Serve hot. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/FLOUNDERBALLS#slideshow/5679880855695776130">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5900961128558953743?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-58532055163692759342011-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:002011-11-20T14:36:31.717-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xMnVzvY1KQ/TsmAeBm0aEI/AAAAAAAADBo/-QVLXN4t2Kw/s1600/c3185Baba%2BGanoush.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xMnVzvY1KQ/TsmAeBm0aEI/AAAAAAAADBo/-QVLXN4t2Kw/s320/c3185Baba%2BGanoush.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677210058592905282" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A delicacy from the Middle East. Aubergines or eggplants. Easy and delicious. Let’s get started.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 eggplant<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />1 teaspoon onion powder<br />¾ teaspoon freshly ground cumin<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some drops of sesame oil<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />First we will have to roast the eggplant in the oven. Slice the eggplant and take it to a preheated oven. The temperature should be around 400ºF. Roast the eggplant for about 40 minutes. When it is done, remove the skin of the eggplant. You can remove the seeds too. Now put it in a processor along with the garlic, the lemon juice, the onion powder, the cumin and the parsley. Blend for a while and then add some olive oil. Not too much at the beginning. I prefer to use olive oil instead of tahini. It gives it a softer flavor. I prefer it like that, but you can use tahini instead of olive oil. It is up to you. Keep on blending till you get the texture you want. Add more olive oil if necessary. Finally add some drops of sesame oil. Add some salt to taste.<br />A perfect dip. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/BABAGANOUSH#slideshow/5677208951623192530">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5853205516369275934?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-88442357819753789032011-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:002011-10-25T20:35:53.696-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRxQ6B4py-g/Tqd_mlPs_vI/AAAAAAAAC-k/Iqp37e3KJKU/s1600/c3163Dried%2BShrimp%2BCurry.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRxQ6B4py-g/Tqd_mlPs_vI/AAAAAAAAC-k/Iqp37e3KJKU/s320/c3163Dried%2BShrimp%2BCurry.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667638956878790386" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A different curry for today. Dried Shrimp Curry. Made with my own green curry paste. Rewarding. Delicious. Let’s make this curry.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 potato<br />5 mushrooms<br />½ squash<br />½ onion<br />½ green pepper<br />½ red pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />¼ pound dried shrimp<br />Some vegetable oil<br />1 teaspoon fish sauce<br />1 teaspoon lemon grass<br />1 can coconut milk<br /><br />Thai Green Paste:<br /><br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />12 black peppercorns<br />12 small dried shrimp or 1 teaspoon shrimp paste<br />20 Thai green chillies<br />2 shallots<br />1 lemon grass stalk<br />3 kaffir lime leaves<br />Some grated kaffir rind<br />2 garlic cloves<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal (or ginger, if you cannot get galangal)<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ tablespoon sugar<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br /><br />First we will make our green paste. We will take the cumin and the coriander seeds and we will dry-roast them in a pan. Be careful, do not burn the seeds. Once this is done, put them in a mortar and grind them along with the peppercorns and the dried shrimp.<br />Prepare the green chillies. You will have to remove the seeds and chop them a bit. Now we will start mixing all the green paste ingredients in a blender. We will chop the shallots and lemon grass and then we will put them in the blender. We will do the same with the kaffir lime leaves, the galangal and the garlic. We will add the grated kaffir rind. Now we can blend a little. After this, we will add the rest of the ingredients for our paste: the green chillies, the mix with cumin, coriander, dried shrimp and peppercorns. We will blend again and then we will add some sugar, some salt to taste and some vegetable oil. We have to use the oil to get a delicious green paste, so use it to get the paste to your taste. And with this we will have our green paste.<br />Then we will prepare the potato. Peel it and cut it in pieces. Boil it and when it is ready, reserve it. Now cut the vegetables. Not in very big pieces. Chop the garlic and the ginger.<br />Once the vegetables are ready, we will start by heating two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Then we will sauté the onion and the green pepper. Two minutes later, add the squash, the mushrooms, the red pepper, the garlic and the ginger. Then we will add the shrimp and two or three tablespoons of the curry paste. The rest of the paste you can freeze for the future. Add the fish sauce and the lemon grass, fresh or packaged, as it is more conveniente for you. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the coconut milk and keep on cooking for two more minutes. Add the boiled potatoes now. Cook for five more minutes. You can add some fresh cilantro if you want.<br />Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/DRIEDSHRIMPCURRY#slideshow/5667637613408899874">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8844235781975378903?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-73253572019537049302011-10-09T11:56:00.000-07:002011-10-09T12:01:35.928-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3v4F6EtXVwc/TpHvXJfU49I/AAAAAAAAC7E/tA0Dli58tDc/s1600/c3087Goan%2BCroquettes.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3v4F6EtXVwc/TpHvXJfU49I/AAAAAAAAC7E/tA0Dli58tDc/s320/c3087Goan%2BCroquettes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661569387544765394" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Let’s go back to Goa today. Goan Croquettes. So delicious. Let’s cook them.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 eggs<br />½ onion<br />1 clove of garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 dried red chili<br />1 jalapeno<br />7 cloves<br />Some vegetable oil for sautéing<br />½ pound ground beef<br />1 slice of bread<br />Some breadcrumbs<br />Some vegetable oil for frying the croquettes<br /><br />First we will prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion, the garlic and the ginger. Remove the seeds of the chili. Cut the jalapeno, the garlic, the ginger and the chili.<br />The next step will be to sauté the onion, the jalapeno, the garlic, the ginger and the chili. After a couple of minutes, we will add the meat. Cook for a while so that the meat loses all their liquid.<br />Blend that preparation but make sure it is not too much.<br />Soak the slice of bread for ten minutes and after that, try to get rid of all the water from the bread. Beat one egg. Mix the egg with the bread and then with the blended meat and vegetables.<br />Prepare some breadcrumbs and beat the other egg.<br />Now we will start frying our croquettes. First heat some oil in a frying pan. Make the croquettes with the blended mixture. Soak them in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs and then put them in the frying pan with the hot oil. Make some at at time but not too many at the same time. Get them brown in both sides and when they are done, let them get rid of some oil on kitchen paper towel. Serve hot.<br />A perfect appetizer. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/GOANCROQUETTES#slideshow/5661565557775205122">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7325357201953704930?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-3402726841757422142011-09-25T11:48:00.000-07:002011-09-25T11:55:24.051-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61XbCTuABzk/Tn94YZvleTI/AAAAAAAAC3w/_xwn3BwlnZI/s1600/c3040Aragonese%2BSalad.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61XbCTuABzk/Tn94YZvleTI/AAAAAAAAC3w/_xwn3BwlnZI/s320/c3040Aragonese%2BSalad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656372017623300402" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A salad for today. A salad from my land. A salad from Aragón. Especially good for the summer. But good for all seasons too. Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 egg<br />1 potato<br />1 tomato<br />1 clove of garlic<br />Some fresh lettuce<br />2 green onions<br />2 tablespoons chopped pickles<br />1 tablespoon capers<br />1 cup <span style="font-style: italic;">bonito del norte</span> (high quality tuna from Spain, from a can) or albacore tuna<br />½ cup Spanish olives<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />Some Spanish extra virgin olive oil<br />Some red wine vinegar<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />First we will have to boil the egg and the potato. Once they are done, let them cool.<br />Then prepare the vegetables. Cut the tomato, the green onions, the lettuce the pickles and the garlic. Instead of pickles you can use regular cucumbers, of course.<br />Season your salad with the olive oil and the vinegar. Add some salt and pepper.<br />Mix everything well with the <span style="font-style: italic;">bonito del norte</span>. I am normally careful when I do this because I do not want to break those beautiful pieces of bonito.<br />Taste it and if you do not have to add more salt, your salad will be ready. Really good for the summer. Fresh and delicious. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/ARAGONESESALAD#slideshow/5656370437884711122">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-340272684175742214?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-28226892271608050642011-09-04T12:40:00.000-07:002011-09-04T12:47:39.673-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cpAoXfjE7Kw/TmPVAxvfgvI/AAAAAAAAC2w/vviVjNBHu-4/s1600/c3005Roasted%2BChicken%2Bwith%2BPotatoes%2Band%2BPeppers.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cpAoXfjE7Kw/TmPVAxvfgvI/AAAAAAAAC2w/vviVjNBHu-4/s320/c3005Roasted%2BChicken%2Bwith%2BPotatoes%2Band%2BPeppers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648592566981985010" border="0" /></a> <br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Roasted chicken. A classic in many places. At least it is in Spain. With potatoes and pepper it is wonderful. I am already salivating. To the kitchen we go! <br /> <br />Ingredients: <br /> <br />1 red pepper <br />1 green pepper <br />3 potatoes <br />3-4 cloves of garlic <br />1 chicken <br />Some extra virgin olive oil <br />1 teaspoon thyme <br />1 teaspoon oregano <br />Some salt to taste <br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper <br />Some lemon juice <br /> <br />First we will prepare the vegetables. Cut the peppers in strips and slice the potatoes. Chop half the cloves of garlic. If the chicken is not clean, clean it. <br />Mix some oil with the thyme, the oregano, some lemon juice, some salt and some black pepper. Brush the chicken with that oil, spices and lemon marinade and let it rest for a while. <br />Then take the chicken in a greased tray to the oven. This must be preheated to 375ºF. Cook it for 20 minutes. <br />After those minutes, add the vegetables and let it cool till the chicken is done inside and the potatoes are tender. It will be around 40 more minutes. But check it so that our dish is tender enough. It is a good idea to check if the chicken needs some liquid. We do not want our chicken to be too dry. Add some water or even more lemon juice. <br />And then the chicken will be ready. Something really good and easy to make. Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers. Carve and enjoy! <br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/ROASTEDCHICKENWITHPOTATOESANDPEPPERS#slideshow/5648589860016294882">more pics</a>** <br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2822689227160805064?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-69630899664832487352011-08-27T16:58:00.000-07:002011-08-27T17:42:12.203-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPnGyC_fZI4/TlmF_4Nk_YI/AAAAAAAAC1k/6ukLyTwK2XE/s1600/c2938Gazpacho.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPnGyC_fZI4/TlmF_4Nk_YI/AAAAAAAAC1k/6ukLyTwK2XE/s320/c2938Gazpacho.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645690940353215874" border="0" /></a> <br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A fresh and cold recipe for the summer. But not only for the summer. A delicacy from Spain. Tomatoes and vegetables for a delicious sort of cold soup. Let’s cook. <br /> <br />Ingredients: <br /> <br />4 tomatoes <br />1 green pepper <br />1 onion <br />1 clove of garlic (optional) <br />Some pickle or cucumbers to taste <br />A small loaf of bread <br />Some extra virgin olive oil <br />Some vinegar <br />Some salt to taste <br />Some cold water <br /> <br />It is very easy to make. It is important that the ingredients are really fresh. Except the bread. You can use bread made the day before. In fact, it is better like that. <br />First we will prepare the vegetables. To do this, cut them a bit so that the blender can work better. If you want, and if you have time, you can keep all the cut vegetables in the fridge for one night. That would be good. Add part of the oil and the vinegar and let it rest in the fridge. The next day, put them in the blender. And then blend. Little by little. Add more oil and vinegar to make the gazpacho to your taste. The secret is adding the exact amount of water to your taste. And some salt, of course. When you find your Gazpacho perfect for you, store it in the fridge. <br />It is a good idea to reserve some of the vegetables without blending them. When you serve your Gazpacho, add some of those vegetables. The moment you serve it, add some extra virgin olive oil. <br />And then, just enjoy! <br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111156088189046593301/GAZPACHO#slideshow/5645688248151863186">more pics</a>** <br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6963089966483248735?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-80170144032909153112011-08-07T09:35:00.000-07:002011-08-07T10:39:47.808-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zTKj7Kezx4/Tj7BOkHbjYI/AAAAAAAAC0g/_9ZXZQTKFcI/s1600/c2898Dried%2BAnchovies.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 269px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zTKj7Kezx4/Tj7BOkHbjYI/AAAAAAAAC0g/_9ZXZQTKFcI/s320/c2898Dried%2BAnchovies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638156239471611266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A Korean recipe for today. Anchovies. It can be a perfect and different appetizer. You must use dried anchovies that can be found in Asian stores. They are very small but really good. Let’s go to the kitchen.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 teaspoon chopped garlic<br />1 dried chili<br />Some dried anchovies<br />Some vegetable oil (I will use extra virgin olive oil)<br />Some brown sugar<br />Some water<br />Some paprika or Spanish pimentón<br />Some sesame seeds<br />Some drops of sesame oil<br /><br />My adaptation of this Korean recipe. I love it.<br />First we will prepare the garlic and the dried chili. Then we will heat the anchovies in a pan or wok for a couple of minutes. Do not use too much oil. Reserve them.<br />In the same pan or wok, heat the garlic and the dried chili. Add some brown sugar, a little of water and a bit of paprika. Cook for a minute and then add the anchovies. One more minute and then add some sesame seeds and some drops of sesame oil. Stir well and serve. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/DRIEDANCHOVIES#slideshow/5638152925079351282">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8017014403290915311?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-86641491435576780622011-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:002011-07-27T10:38:25.139-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LpQwvK6JT0g/TjBM16L084I/AAAAAAAACzE/k5tgIJDR6Ac/s1600/c2872Thai%2BEgg%2BNoodles%2Bwith%2BChicken.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LpQwvK6JT0g/TjBM16L084I/AAAAAAAACzE/k5tgIJDR6Ac/s320/c2872Thai%2BEgg%2BNoodles%2Bwith%2BChicken.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634087622876132226" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Today noodles. A very rewarding dish. Easy to make and easy to eat. A good option. I like to use lots of vegetables. They are always good. In that way you can get a complete meal. Let’s go to the kitchen.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 packet of egg noodles<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />A pinch of salt<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 chopped carrot<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />½ cup diced squash<br />1 teaspoon chopped garlic<br />1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger<br />½ chicken breast, cubed<br />5 black peppercorns<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom<br />1 dried chili<br />A pinch of sugar<br />1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce<br />Some drops of sesame oil<br />1 teaspoon lime juice<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br /><br />First we will have to prepare the pasta. Follow the instructions of the pasta package. You normally will have to heat quite a lot of water in a pan, adding some drops of oil and some salt. Once it is boiling, add the pasta and cook it following the instructions. But do not overcook. In fact it is better to let the pasta be not completely cooked at this stage. When the pasta is ready, drain tha pasta and reserve it.<br />We will have to prepare the spices. Do this grinding them in a mortar. Grind the peppercorns, the cumin, the coriander seeds, the cardamom and the dried chili. Once it is ground, reserve it.<br />The next step is to put some oil in a wok or big frying pan. Then heat it and sauté the onion, the carrot, the pepper, the squash, the garlic and the ginger. Do this at high heat. But be careful because we do not want our vegetables to get burned.<br />Now we will add the chicken and we will sauté it. Then add the spices from the mortar, the sugar, the fish sauce and some drops of sesame oil. Cook for some minutes and add the lime juice and the cilantro.<br />Finally, add the pasta. Mix well and keep on cooking for a couple of minutes. Then we will have our dish ready. The secret is cooking fast and at high heat. But being careful so that our food does not get burned. Delicious.<br />Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/THAIEGGNOODLESWITHCHICKEN#slideshow/5634086634214658274">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8664149143557678062?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-1024354521739381752011-07-10T09:51:00.000-07:002011-07-10T09:55:38.075-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rn5YC44sHU/ThnZWns5ucI/AAAAAAAACxg/9pWvp7WNh7A/s1600/c2804Lentils%2Bwith%2BChorizo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rn5YC44sHU/ThnZWns5ucI/AAAAAAAACxg/9pWvp7WNh7A/s320/c2804Lentils%2Bwith%2BChorizo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627768192013810114" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Pulses. I love lentils. And I love chorizo. So let’s make Lentils with Chorizo today. We should be eating beans and pulses at least once a week. Or even more. And there are very good ways of cooking them. To the kitchen!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup brown lentils<br />2 bay leaves<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />1 chopped carrot<br />½ cup chopped squash<br />1 chopped chorizo<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Salt to taste<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />½ teaspoon oregano<br />½ teaspoon thyme<br />½ teaspoon rosemary<br />½ teaspoon basil<br />½ teaspoon cumin<br />½ teaspoon sweet Spanish pimentón (or paprika)<br />1 chopped tomato<br /><br />Depending on the kind of lentils you use you will have to soak them overnight. Check the package of the lentils you use.<br />If you have soaked them, discard the water. Then put the lentils in a pan with enough water. Add some salt and some drops of olive oil. Cook the lentils. It is better if the heat is low. When they are almost done, we will remove the liquid from the lentils but we will reserve it.<br />While we are cooking the lentils, we can cook the vegetables. Put some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and heat it. Once it is hot, add the onion, the pepper, the carrot, the squash and the chorizo. Cook for some minutes and then add the garlic and the herbs and spices. Salt to taste and add some pepper. When the vegetables are almost ready, not too well done, though, we will add them to the pan with the lentils. Then it is up to you. You can add as much of the liquid we have reserved, depending on the way you like your lentils.<br />We only have to add the tomato. Keep on cooking for some minutes. The heat low, remember. And your lentils will be ready. Serve them hot. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/LENTILSWITHCHORIZO?authkey=Gv1sRgCMGbvpPq7um1Iw#slideshow/5627764433333754498">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-102435452173938175?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-43698743317823807702011-06-11T13:05:00.000-07:002011-06-11T13:10:02.551-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IJkLxnb8SkI/TfPLKkvay6I/AAAAAAAACvA/eGsYaQwG5qs/s1600/c2720Cilantro%2Band%2BCoconut%2BChutney.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IJkLxnb8SkI/TfPLKkvay6I/AAAAAAAACvA/eGsYaQwG5qs/s320/c2720Cilantro%2Band%2BCoconut%2BChutney.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617056542782835618" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A delicious chutney from India. Cilantro and coconut. And spices, of course. Perfect to go with Indian curries. And very easy to prepare. Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />½ teaspoon fennel seeds<br />3 cloves<br />1 teaspoon turmeric<br />1 inch cinnamon stick<br />8 black peppercorns<br />1 dried chili (optional)<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped ginger<br />1 bunch of fresh cilantro<br />1 coconut<br />Some water<br />1 teaspoon black mustard seeds<br />Some vegetable oil<br />Some salt<br />Some sugar<br />A bit of butter<br /><br />First we will prepare some spices. To do this, in a mortar grind the cumin, the fennel, the cloves, the turmeric, the pepper corns and the cinnamon stick. If you want, you can add a dried chili. I do not like my chutney to be hot, but some people love it like that. It is up to you.<br />The next thing is preparing the coconut and the cilantro. As for the coconut, you will have to open it, remove the liquid, and keep the pulp. Break it in little pieces and reserve. I know, I know. Sometimes it is hard to do this. If you want, you can also buy frozen coconut. It is very convenient because you can find it frozen in little pieces.<br />Preparing the cilantro is the next thing. You have to discard the stems and keep the leaves.<br />Once you have the coconut and the cilantro ready, put them in a food processor. Blend it properly. Add the garlic and ginger too. If you need it, add some water. But do this little by little. Too much water is not good for our chutney. Add the spices at the last moment and blend well.<br />The next step is heating some vegetable oil in a pan. Use very little. Then, heat the black mustard seeds. Do not let them burn. Add the blender contents and cook slowly for some minutes. If you need it, add some water little by little. At the last moment add the butter. When everything is well mixed, add some sugar and/or salt to your taste.<br />And then you will have your chutney ready. It is better to let it cold and serve it with your favorite food. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/CILANTROANDCOCONUTCHUTNEY?authkey=Gv1sRgCMnCqe_Uy5y3Eg#slideshow/5617048515764655282">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4369874331782380770?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-13470513591303649622011-05-18T11:27:00.000-07:002011-05-18T11:33:27.214-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWkiYq1VmqM/TdQQllpz_pI/AAAAAAAACtg/UT-Funez_9E/s1600/c2672Pork%2BVindaloo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWkiYq1VmqM/TdQQllpz_pI/AAAAAAAACtg/UT-Funez_9E/s320/c2672Pork%2BVindaloo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608125673931800210" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Let’s come back to Goa! We will make a delicious vindaloo today. Vindaloos are dishes with meat, some vegetables and vinegar. Yes. Vinegar. It gives the flavor to this dish. A dish with influences from Portugal. A mixture of Portuguese and Indian cooking. Let’s cook!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />10 Kashmiri red chilies<br />1 pound pork, cubed<br />4 green cardamom pods (without the pods)<br />1 inch cinnamon stick<br />2 teaspoons cumin seeds<br />2 teaspoons coriander seeds<br />8 black peppercorns<br />1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri red chillies<br />3 cloves<br />1 teaspoon turmeric<br />1 teaspoon black mustard seeds<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped ginger<br />2 potatoes<br />Some vegetable oil<br />½ cup chopped onion<br />2 bay leaves<br />Some red wine vinegar<br />Some basmati rice<br /><br />To make our Pork Vindaloo first we will have to prepare our vindaloo paste. To do this, soak the Kashmiri red chilies in warm water for about half an hour. The next step is grinding the spices. Grind the cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, ground Kashmiri red chillies, cloves, turmeric and black mustard seeds in a mortar.<br />Then we will put the soaked Kashmiri red chilies, garlic, ginger, vinegar and the mix of the mortar in a blender. Blend everything well to get the vindaloo paste, adding some water if necessary.<br />Once we have the vindaloo paste, we will have to mix it with the meat. Mix well and let it marinate for some hours. Doing it overnight it is a good idea.<br />When ready to start cooking, first we will peel and cut the potatoes in little pieces. We will bring to a boil but do not cook them completely. Reserve them.<br />Next we will put some oil in a wok. Once is hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the bay leaves. Then add the pork with the marinade. Cook for some minutes and if we see we need to add more liquid, add some vinegar or a little water, depending if the acidity you want for your vindaloo. But just do this, if it is necessary. We do not want too much liquid.<br />When the meat is almost ready, add the potatoes and mix well. Let it cook for a while so that the potatoes get the vindaloo flavor. Serve with cooked basmati.<br />A very delicious dish. Indeed. Enjoy!<br /></div>**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/PORKVINDALOO?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvCje_0waT1xgE#slideshow/5608123289611298498">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1347051359130364962?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-64152097020430861292011-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:12:27.663-07:00<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-phy4ovhcpB0/TcL1DxKQDQI/AAAAAAAACrY/wATplfjDGaY/s1600/c2578Tuna%2BStuffed%2BRed%2BPeppers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 220px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603310331487063298" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-phy4ovhcpB0/TcL1DxKQDQI/AAAAAAAACrY/wATplfjDGaY/s320/c2578Tuna%2BStuffed%2BRed%2BPeppers.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">A delicacy from my childhood. I remember these red peppers from an eatery in my home city. There were delicious. Today I will cook them.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some roasted red peppers (from a jar or can)<br />Some bonito del norte (high quality tuna from Spain, from a can) or albacore tuna<br />1 beaten egg<br />Some flour<br />Some beer<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />To start with our recipe, take some roasted red peppers and remove as much water from them as possible. Do this carefully so that they do not break. Then, fill them with pieces of high quality bonito. If we need it, we can use some toothpicks to help hold the peppers. If you do that, remember to remove the toothpicks before eating.<br />The next step is to coat the peppers in batter. We will have prepared this batter before. To prepare it, mix the beaten egg, some flour and a little beer. What you have to do is try to get a quite sticky and thick batter. Peppers and bonito are already salted so I do not add any salt but you can add some if you want.<br />Once the peppers are well battered, put them in a frying pan with some very hot extra virgin olive oil. Fry the peppers till they are brown. Make sure that the peppers are well fried in a uniform way. When we can see that that they are brown, remove the peppers from the pan and put them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil.<br />You can serve them hot or cold. Perfect for an entrée, perfect as a tapa or appetizer, perfect as a side. I can’t wait to make them.<br />Enjoy!<br /></div>**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/TUNASTUFFEDREDPEPPERS?authkey=Gv1sRgCPS6tf7Z0tT1MA#slideshow/5603307799670929186">more pics</a>**</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6415209702043086129?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-77076649127669124142011-04-20T10:09:00.000-07:002011-04-20T10:16:44.302-07:00<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T3ao331m-o8/Ta8T8XpksKI/AAAAAAAACpc/fF_3R7XzBTU/s1600/c2532Garlic%2Band%2BParsley%2BCod.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 287px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597714789706281122" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T3ao331m-o8/Ta8T8XpksKI/AAAAAAAACpc/fF_3R7XzBTU/s320/c2532Garlic%2Band%2BParsley%2BCod.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div align="justify">Fish today. My beloved cod. Cooked in a very simple way but so delicious. Cod, garlic, parsley and olive oil. Let’s cook!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some cod fillets<br />Some flour<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some salt to taste, if necessary<br />Some parsley<br />Some chopped garlic.<br /><br />If we use salt cod, first we will have to soak it for about 48 hours, changing the water several times. You can also use fresh cod. Frozen cod is another option, too.<br />We have to make sure that the pieces of cod are dry. If they are wet, we can dry them with some kitchen paper towel. When we have our cod ready to start cooking, we will coat it with flour, lightly. Then we will fry it in a frying pan with hot extra virgin olive oil. Not much oil and not for long. Do it in both sides. When the fish is ready, reserve it.<br />Then we will have to make a little sauce. Mix some extra virgin olive oil, some salt, some parsley and some chopped garlic.<br />To serve, spread some of the sauce on the fish and keep some aside to add more sauce if needed.<br />Ready to eat. Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/GARLICANDPARSLEYCOD?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfPzsWK0LuflwE#slideshow/5597713682570333266">more pics</a>**</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7707664912766912414?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-14149951593826014382011-04-08T14:34:00.000-07:002011-04-08T14:38:15.018-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkZNe4cK-JI/TZ-ACyFn-wI/AAAAAAAACoM/2Fd8z9d0_uY/s1600/c2448Green%2BAsparagus%2Band%2BShrimp%2BSoup.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkZNe4cK-JI/TZ-ACyFn-wI/AAAAAAAACoM/2Fd8z9d0_uY/s320/c2448Green%2BAsparagus%2Band%2BShrimp%2BSoup.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593330047510903554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Some soup for today. Soup with shrimp and asparagus. Something different. Soups are always regarding and this one will not be different. Let’s go to the kitchen.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some vegetable or chicken stock<br />Some green asparagus<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />Some peeled shrimp<br />Some vegetable oil<br />1 tablespoon corn starch<br />1 tablespoon fish sauce<br />Salt to taste, if needed<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />Some cilantro<br /><br />First we will heat the stock. Cut the asparagus in pieces. When it is boiling, we will add the asparagus. We will cook them for some minutes and then we will reserve them. If you use the whole asparagus, including the hard ends, you will have to cook them for a longer time. Bear that in mind.<br />The next thing will be to heat some oil in a wok. When it is hot, add the onion and the ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then we will add the asparagus and the shrimp. One minute later, add the stock. Let it cook for five minutes.<br />In the meantime we will mix the corn starch with some water. Mix well and add to the wok. Stir well.<br />We will go on cooking for some minutes. Finally, add the fish sauce and pepper. Add some salt to taste and add the last touch, the cilantro.<br />Serve hot. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/GREENASPARAGUSANDSHRIMPSOUP#slideshow/5592987201858033266">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1414995159382601438?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-7855234919827726002011-02-11T13:34:00.000-08:002011-02-11T13:37:49.905-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzdtdMZxb2s/TVWsBy4za5I/AAAAAAAAClk/u7NlacLyE1g/s1600/c2400Fried%2BEggs%2Band%2BChorizo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzdtdMZxb2s/TVWsBy4za5I/AAAAAAAAClk/u7NlacLyE1g/s320/c2400Fried%2BEggs%2Band%2BChorizo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572549260780727186" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I am just salivating. I cannot avoid it. One of the easiest recipes for today. Fried Eggs and Chorizo. Not for every day but let’t make it today.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Fresh eggs<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground black pepper (optional)<br />Some good Spanish chorizo<br />A pinch of dried parsley (optional)<br />Some good bread<br /><br />It is not difficult to fry eggs. The eggs must be really fresh. That is very important.<br />First, heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Once it is hot, quite hot, cook the eggs one at a time. Crack an egg and add it to the frying pan. Let it cook for a while. From time to time take some oil from the frying pan and pour it over the egg. That will make our fried eggs fantastic. Add some salt to taste. And some pepper and parsley if you want.<br />At the same time we can prepare the chorizo. Just slice it and heat a bit in a pan.<br />We only have to serve our eggs. Pour some of the chorizo oil over the eggs if you want. Serve the eggs with the chorizo and some bread. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/FRIEDEGGSANDCHORIZO#slideshow/5572547984519418882">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-785523491982772600?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-77713996936987431542011-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:002011-01-29T10:35:36.015-08:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TURXWyhVkTI/AAAAAAAACks/7p309B7mPac/s1600/c2388Salt%2BCod%2Bin%2BTomato%2BSauce.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 260px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567671088367112498" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TURXWyhVkTI/AAAAAAAACks/7p309B7mPac/s320/c2388Salt%2BCod%2Bin%2BTomato%2BSauce.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook some fish today. Cod, one of my favourite. Cod in Tomato Sauce. I will use salt cod. I prefer it to fresh cod. In Spain salt cod is very common. It has been used for centuries as a perfect way of preserving cod. Really delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ pound salt cod<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />1 can crushed tomato<br />Some fresh parsley<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br /><br />First we will have to prepare the fish. And to do that, we will have to start by soaking the cod in water overnight. We should change the water every three hours. It is important to be careful when you change the water so that the cod does not break. In general, depending of the salt water, you should soak the water from 12 to 24 hours. Nonetheless it is better to soak it for 24 hours. If you do that, you can always add some salt while cooking if necessary.<br />Once the cod is desalted, we will have to cook it. We will put some olive oil in a frying pan and when it is hot enough, we will cook the cod for some minutes. Not too much. When the cod is ready, we will reserve it.<br />Then we will start preparing the tomato sauce. We will heat some oil in a frying pan. When it is hot, we will add the garlic and half a minute later we will add the crushed tomato. Cook the sauce gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. At the last moment we will add the spices: thyme and parsley.<br />Finally, when the sauce is almost ready, we will add the cod to the sauce.<br />And in a couple of minutes we will have our Salt Cod in Tomato Sauce.<br />Serve hot and enjoy! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/SALTCODINTOMATOSAUCE#slideshow/5567668354795631266">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7771399693698743154?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-24141899734030917342011-01-20T09:59:00.000-08:002011-01-20T10:02:10.048-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TTh4ah-VHkI/AAAAAAAACjc/gYJn5RZWgFM/s1600/c2364Strawberries%2Bwith%2BLemon.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 257px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564329736807980610" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TTh4ah-VHkI/AAAAAAAACjc/gYJn5RZWgFM/s320/c2364Strawberries%2Bwith%2BLemon.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Today dessert. A pretty simple preparation. But really delicious. And healthy. Strawberries with Lemon. Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some fresh strawberries<br />Some lemon juice<br />Some sugar<br /><br />First we will wash and clean the strawberries very carefully. Once they are clean, cut them in pieces. Then we will prepare the lemon. We will squeeze it and get its juice.<br />We only have to mix the pieces of strawberries with some sugar and the lemon juice. Use the sugar that you want. But I would not suggest using too much. Let it cool for some minutes in the fridge.<br />You can use orange juice instead of lemon juice. Use the one you prefer. The juice gives the strawberries a touch of acidity that is really good.<br />Serve and enjoy. </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/STRAWBERRIESWITHLEMON#slideshow/5564328432961738594">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2414189973403091734?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-71107190342377714962011-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:002011-01-14T10:55:03.296-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TTCTmsebNWI/AAAAAAAACic/oRjJY8cLfGE/s1600/c2345Stuffed%2BPotatoes.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TTCTmsebNWI/AAAAAAAACic/oRjJY8cLfGE/s320/c2345Stuffed%2BPotatoes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562107832785646946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Today potatoes. This is a dish that you can find in some places in Spain. They are made in different ways depending on the places. But the recipes are similar. Something very good as a tapa or appetizer. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some potatoes, washed and peeled<br />Some ground beef<br />Some ground pork<br />1 small onion, finely chopped<br />½ squash, finely diced<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon cumin<br />½ teaspoon thyme<br />½ teaspoon oregano<br />Some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste<br />1 beaten egg<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some tomato sauce<br /><br />The first thing that we will do is washing and peeling the potatoes. Then we will put them in a pan with water. We will have to boil them but it is important that they are not too done. After cooking them, when they are a bit cold, we will remove the inside of the potatoes with the help of a teaspoon. You have to empty the potatoes and do it carefully so that in the end we have whole potatoes with a big hole inside. Reserve.<br />In a frying pan with some extra virgin olive oil, not much, we will sauté the onion, the squash, the garlic, the meat and the spices. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. When this is ready, we will have to stuff the potatoes. Do this carefully. Stuff the potatoes with the meat and vegetables and cover the hole with a piece of potato as if it were a lid. Then we will paint the potatoes with the beaten egg. Sauté the potatoes lightly.<br />Now we will have to prepare the tomato sauce, in case you do not use already made tomato sauce. To make our tomato sauce you can sauté onion, tomato and garlic. Cook it gently. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add some herbs if you want too. Once the tomato sauce is ready, add the potatoes to the sauce. Simmer the potatoes in the tomato sauce for a while and serve.<br />Something good and rewarding. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/STUFFEDPOTATOES#slideshow/5561830556384057874">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7110719034237771496?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-3053766720029500492010-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:002010-12-30T20:35:26.563-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TR1Y_TJU_pI/AAAAAAAACgU/9cuWKlHdS3Q/s1600/c2299Pork%2Band%2BNoodles.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TR1Y_TJU_pI/AAAAAAAACgU/9cuWKlHdS3Q/s320/c2299Pork%2Band%2BNoodles.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556695359739461266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Some noodles for today. Pork and Noodles. I will use some egg noodles. I love this kind of noodles. They are firm and delicious. And perfect with pork. And vegetables. And spices. Les’t start cooking.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />A package of egg noodles<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ chopped carrot<br />½ cup frozen corn<br />1 cup frozen broccoli<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped ginger<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 teaspoon coriander<br />1 teaspoon peppercorns<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some vegetable oil<br />½ pound pork, cubed<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br />1 teaspoon soy sauce<br />Some drops of sesame oil<br />Some drops of lime juice<br /><br />First we will prepare the noodles. Heat some water. Bring it to a boil. Then, add some salt and oil. Add the pasta and have it boiling for the minutes the package says. Once it is ready, drain it and reserve.<br />While we are preparing the pasta we can cut the vegetables.<br />The next thing will be to prepare the spices. We will grind the cumin, the coriander and the peppercorns in a mortar.<br />Then it is time to prepare the pork. We will cut it in little pieces.<br />Now we will put some vegetable oil in a pan and we will heat it. When it is hot, we will put the onion and the carrot in it. We will sauté it for some minutes. Then we will add the pork to the pan. After cooking for five minutes, add the spices along with the turmeric. Then we will add the garlic and the ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the corn and the broccoli. Now we will add the soy sauce. When we see that the vegetables are almos done, we will add the noodles and we will sauté them for two more minutes.<br />Finally, we will add some sesame oil, just some drops. We can add some salt to taste if is necessary. The last touch will be adding the chopped cilantro and the lime juice.<br />And then you will have a delicious dish, Pork and Noodles. You can adapt it to your taste, for example adding your favourite vegetables: eggplant, celery…<br />Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/PORKANDNOODLES#slideshow/5556691391406776450">more pics</a>**<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-305376672002950049?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-7823139156529108872010-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:002010-12-17T11:26:15.511-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TQu5IpDpK_I/AAAAAAAACeU/T1V5XgAOrYc/s1600/c2259Roast%2BBeef.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551734523775495154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TQu5IpDpK_I/AAAAAAAACeU/T1V5XgAOrYc/s320/c2259Roast%2BBeef.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Meat for today. Roast Beef made at home. Why not? It will not be difficult. And it will be very rewarding. Imagine. Your own Roast Beef. Let’s cook!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 ½ pounds eye round roast<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 teaspoon basil<br />A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground dried garlic<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />I will make my own Roast Beef. My way. This time, I will use eye round roast.<br />To start, let’s prepare a marinade. To do that, we will put some olive oil in a dish. Then we will add the spices, that is to say, oregano, basil, nutmeg, ground black pepper, dried garlic and some salt to taste. Mix well with the oil. We will put the meat on a tray. Then we will rub the meat with the marinade. We can leave it to marinate for about half an hour.<br />After that, we will place the tray with the meat in the oven. The oven will have to be preheated to maximum temperature. We will roast the beef at that high temperature for about 20 minutes. Then, we will set the temperature to 350°F. We will have to go on cooking now for about 80-85 minutes.<br />And then our Roast Beef shoud be ready. Of course, you will have to be alert because every oven is different. You might need to be roasting your beef for fewer minutes or more minutes. Check your oven.<br />Once it is ready, you will only have to carve your Roast Beef. You can make delicious sandwiches or serve it the way you want. Use your imagination.<br />Enjoy! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/ROASTBEEF#slideshow/5551731825031824626">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-782313915652910887?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-40540080650287862962010-12-05T12:33:00.000-08:002010-12-05T13:13:01.684-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TPv3x_CvSSI/AAAAAAAACc4/fNBUJ61HtYs/s1600/c2233Anchovy%2Band%2BPickle%2BSalad.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TPv3x_CvSSI/AAAAAAAACc4/fNBUJ61HtYs/s320/c2233Anchovy%2Band%2BPickle%2BSalad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547299804145469730" border="0" /></a><br />A very easy salad for today. Easy and delicious. Perfect as an appetizer. If you like anchovies and pickle, you will love this salad. Let’s start.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 can (2 ounces) anchovies in extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper<br />1 teaspoon capers<br />12 pitted black olives<br />12 pitted green olives<br />A piece of dill pickle<br />Some garlic (fresh or dried)<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />It will not take us long to prepare our Anchovy and Pickle Salad. We just have to cut the anchovies, the roasted red pepper, the dill pickle and the olives in little pieces. Then we will put all that in a bowl. The next thing is adding the capers and the garlic. You can use fresh garlic, previously chopped, or dried garlic grounded at the very moment of serving. Finally, we will add some extra virgin olive oil.<br />Really delicious. Enjoy!<br /><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/ANCHOVYANDPICKLESALAD#slideshow/5547298836136073122">more pics</a>**<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4054008065028786296?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-11058432771634518722010-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:002010-11-29T09:17:13.908-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TPPf5PsNsbI/AAAAAAAACcE/MlvfGB0AEF4/s1600/2222Battered%2BShrimp.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TPPf5PsNsbI/AAAAAAAACcE/MlvfGB0AEF4/s320/2222Battered%2BShrimp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545021740780728754" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Some shrimp for today. Battered Shrimp, something delicious. A good tapa or appetizer. Very typical of Spain, where I come from, but something that you can find in many countries. Maybe with a different batter. But it is always good. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some peeled shrimp<br />1 egg<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />Some flour<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />½ teaspoon chili powder<br />Salt to taste<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />First of all we will have to prepare the batter. To do this, we will take a container and we will beat an egg in it. Once the egg is ready, we will add the baking powder. And then we will add the turmeric and the chili powder. If it is necessary, we can add some salt to taste. We will mix well and then we will add the flour. We have to do this little by little. The batter has to be smooth but sticky at the same time. We have to avoid lumps.<br />When we have the batter, we will add the peeled shrimp to the container with the batter. The batter must cling to the shrimp in a perfect way.<br />Then we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. We only have to fry our Battered Shrimp and make sure we do not overcook the shrimp. A couple of minutes will be more than enough. When the shrimp are ready, leave them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil.<br />And your Battered Shrimp are ready. Really good as an appetizer or a tapa. Enjoy!<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/BATTEREDSHRIMP#slideshow/5545019154731579010">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1105843277163451872?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-1795299585278907212010-11-22T09:59:00.000-08:002010-11-22T10:04:21.160-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TOqwbUdvG7I/AAAAAAAACas/Q1n8KYnm5vg/s1600/c2201Minestrone%2BSoup.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542436274829204402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TOqwbUdvG7I/AAAAAAAACas/Q1n8KYnm5vg/s320/c2201Minestrone%2BSoup.JPG" /></a><br /><div>A delicious soup for today. Easy to make and full of ingredients: pasta, beans and lots of vegetables. I cannot wait to make it. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />½ small squash<br />1 green onion<br />½ green pepper<br />½ carrot<br />1 clove of garlic<br />3 cups beef broth or water<br />½ cup cooked red beans<br />½ teaspoon oregano<br />½ teaspoon thyme<br />½ teaspoon rosemary<br />½ teaspoon parsley<br />Salt to taste<br />Freshly ground black pepper to taste<br />1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce<br />1 small tomato<br />1 oz conch shells pasta<br /><br />First we will start preparing the vegetables. We will chop them finely. After that, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and when this is hot enough, sauté the pepper and the carrot. Then we will add the other vegetables. We should do this two minutes later. Three minutes later we will cover the vegetables with the broth or the water.<br />If we want a vegetarian Minestrone, something healthier, we can use water instead of the beef broth. On the contrary, if we want a more authentic Minestrone, though less healthy, we can use the broth and we can sauté some little pieces of bacon along with the vegetables.<br />Now we will add the cooked beans. Make sure they are well washed if they are from a can. This is the moment of adding the spices and the Worcestershire sauce. A bit later we will add the tomato, previously finely chopped. Then we will add the pasta and we will have our Minestrone Soup when the pasta is ready. We will add some salt and pepper to taste and we will serve.<br />Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/MINESTRONESOUP#slideshow/5542434230839976722">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-179529958527890721?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-89230617989657721592010-11-07T13:35:00.000-08:002010-11-07T13:47:32.204-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TNcdgLTyxHI/AAAAAAAACZQ/S0lzGbW61fU/s1600/2182Tzatziki+Sauce.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536926705504142450" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TNcdgLTyxHI/AAAAAAAACZQ/S0lzGbW61fU/s320/2182Tzatziki+Sauce.JPG" /></a><br /><div>We will make a delicious sauce today. A sauce from the Mediterranean. Something delicious and easy to make. Perfect for gyros, kebabs, falafels…<br />Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cucumber<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />1 Greek yogurt<br />½ teaspoon mint leaves<br />½ teaspoon dill herb<br />1 teaspoon lemon juice<br /><br />First we will prepare the cucumber. After peeling it, we will grate have of it, and we will cube the other half. Make the cubes very small. Then we will chop the garlic.<br />Now we will put the oil in a bowl. Then we will add the yogurt and we will mix. We will add the cucumber and the garlic. Then we will add the mint and the herb. We will mix well. Finally we will add the lemon juice.<br />We can add some drops of extra virgin olive oil. And it will be ready to be served or to be used with your choice of gyros, falafels, etc. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/flimsysole/TZATZIKISAUCE#slideshow/5536924279822017234">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8923061798965772159?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-59215122716361699032010-10-27T10:06:00.000-07:002010-10-27T10:11:29.554-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TMhclY8TCZI/AAAAAAAACXw/ROMxvSn3-0o/s1600/c2153Surimi+Cazuela.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532773939644926354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TMhclY8TCZI/AAAAAAAACXw/ROMxvSn3-0o/s320/c2153Surimi+Cazuela.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Today we will cook something different. Not very expensive and really delicious. To top it off, it is also very easy to make. Let’s go to the kitchen.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ pound surimi sticks<br />2 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />1 dried red chili<br />1 teaspoon curry powder<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />We will start preparing the surimi sticks. Surimi is made of several kinds of fish. In fact Surimi means minced fish. It is something that is very rewarding. Good taste for little money. To prepare it, we will cut the surimi sticks to get a fibrous texture.<br />Now we will heat some oil, not too much, in a frying pan. Then we will add the surimi, the garlic and the chili, which we will have chopped previously. We will cook for about three minutes. Now we will lower the heat and we will add the curry powder and some salt to taste. We will cook for two more minutes. It is important to be stirring it continuously.<br />And in a while we will have our Surimi Cazuela ready. Perfect as an appetizer or as a tapa. Perfect to be served with some grilled fish too. You can put your Surimi Cazuela on a dish, and on top of it your favourite fish.<br />Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/SURIMICAZUELA#slideshow/5531653323323179154">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5921512271636169903?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-65400753926052607322010-10-18T11:19:00.000-07:002010-10-18T11:59:38.624-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TLyQHCArQrI/AAAAAAAACWc/GQWwAJIq3lo/s1600/c2140Corn+Chowder.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 248px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529452892977316530" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TLyQHCArQrI/AAAAAAAACWc/GQWwAJIq3lo/s320/c2140Corn+Chowder.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A delicious chowder for today. A delicious soup and very easy to make. I discovered it in the United States. I love American chowders. They are really rewarding. I think we should use spoons much more. You know what I mean. Talking about spoons, I love those round bowl soup spoons. I had never seen them till I came to the States. They are really good. But let’s make our Corn Chowder.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ chopped carrot<br />2 tablespoons chopped bacon<br />2 tablespoons chopped ham<br />½ cup chopped celery<br />½ cup frozen corn<br />1 potato, peeled and diced<br />2 bay leaves<br />½ teaspoon paprika<br />½ liter milk<br />2 tablespoons cornstarch<br />Salt to taste<br />Freshly ground black pepper to taste<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br /><br />First we will put some oil in a pan and let it heat. Once is hot enough, we will put the bacon, the ham, the onion and the carrot in the pan. We will cook it for a couple of minutes. Then we will add the celery, the corn, the potato, the bay leaves and the paprika. The next step is adding one cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cook gently, with the lid on, for about ten minutes or till the potatoes are almost done. We should stir it from time to time.<br />Now, in a container, we will mix the milk with the cornstarch. Once it is well mixed, we will add it to the pan little by little. It is important to keep on stirring. Keep on adding the milk, but little by little and stirring. Bring to a gentle boil and remove from the fire.<br />Add some salt and pepper to taste.<br />And finally, add the thyme and the parsley and serve.<br />Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CORNCHOWDER#slideshow/5529451969259183746">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6540075392605260732?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-19720662611836143402010-10-07T20:03:00.000-07:002010-10-07T20:07:12.175-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TK6KiUu-UfI/AAAAAAAACVA/5n7WzNuPEWc/s1600/c2129Tapenade.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525506115116093938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TK6KiUu-UfI/AAAAAAAACVA/5n7WzNuPEWc/s320/c2129Tapenade.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Olives and anchovies. I love Tapenade. It is perfect to spread on your favourite bread. And it is really easy to make. Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />7 ounces black olives, pitted<br />2 ounces green olives, pitted<br />1 teaspoon capers<br />1 can (2 ounces) anchovies in extra virgin olive oil<br />1 clove of chopped garlic<br />4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />First we will start preparing the anchovies. To do that we will have to rinse the anchovies in water and then dry them with kitchen paper towel. Then we will put the olives, the capers, the anchovies and the garlic in a blender. We will add a tablespoon of olive oil and we will start blending our Tapenade. I do not like to blend too much. We will add more olive oil little by little and keep on blending till we get the Tapenade we want according to our taste.<br />Before serving, taste it to see if we need to add some salt. It will not be very probable. You can serve it spread on bread. Toasted bread or not. On crackers… It is up to you. Delicious. Enjoy! </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/TAPENADE#slideshow/5524633393192331842">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1972066261183614340?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-58377261079352047062010-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:002010-09-27T16:43:39.163-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TKErg91AhPI/AAAAAAAACSw/EYNBXukEC_E/s1600/c2107Bombay+Ducks.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521742463485641970" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TKErg91AhPI/AAAAAAAACSw/EYNBXukEC_E/s320/c2107Bombay+Ducks.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">They are not ducks. Bombay Ducks are fish. This is a recipe that comes from India. A different and particular dish. An acquired taste too. I have not tasted fresh Bombay Ducks. I have only tried dried and preserved ones. People that have tasted the fresh ones say they are <em>different</em>. I will have to stick to my preserved Bombay Ducks by now. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 small chopped onion<br />2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />1 small chopped tomato<br />Some Reichada Masala<br />½ lb Boneless Masala Bombay Ducks, shredded<br />Some vegetable oil<br />Some water<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />First we will put some oil in a saucepan and we will heat it. When it is hot, we will add the onion, the potatoes and the green pepper. We will sauté these vegetables for a couple of minutes and then we will add the tomato.<br />We will cook for one minute and then we will add the Reichada Masala. The amount of masala will depend on the brand of the Reichada. Some brands are stronger than other. So, it is a good idea to be careful about the amount of masala we use.<br />We will add the shredded Bombay Ducks now. We will cook for two minutes and then we will add some water. Not much. We will have to add more but it is better to do it little by little.<br />Now we will only have to keep on cooking. The fire must be low. And we will have to add water if we see that our Bombay Ducks need it. Do not forget to stir it from time to time. Your Bombay Ducks will be ready when the potatoes are tender.<br />You can serve them with some basmati rice. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BOMBAYDUCKS#slideshow/5521706491277620370">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5837726107935204706?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-13471022259749606072010-09-14T15:14:00.000-07:002010-09-14T15:20:30.503-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TI_0etVokHI/AAAAAAAACQw/BvYg-NOBqgs/s1600/2068Chips.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516896876955734130" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TI_0etVokHI/AAAAAAAACQw/BvYg-NOBqgs/s320/2068Chips.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook some delicious potato chips today. Not many people cook potato chips nowadays. It is easier to go to the supermarket and get them. But you can also make them at home. We will make them now.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some potatoes<br />Some flour<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />Few ingredients. We will not need more ingredients. It is easy, isn’t it?<br />First we will have to prepare the potatoes. We will wash them, peel them and wash them again. Then, using a mandoline, we will make thin slices. The mandoline is a very useful tool. With it, it is very easy to make chips.<br />The next thing will be to put the potato slices in a container and add some flour. We will mix well.<br />We will heat some olive oil in a pan and when it is hot enough, we will add the potato slices. Do this little by little. Do not put too many chips in the pan at the same time. It is very important that the oil is really hot. Brown the chips and when they are ready, leave them on kitchen paper towel. Repeat this as many times as you need to do it.<br />And then you will have your chips. Ready to serve with whatever you want. Of course, you can eat them just like that. I usually do it. And now, enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHIPS#slideshow/5516895626652538034">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1347102225974960607?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-57013897778573467502010-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:002010-09-04T16:02:40.195-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TILP5kYWz1I/AAAAAAAACPU/7DjEOt9KjIg/s1600/c2059Bratwurst+Chili.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513197481780236114" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TILP5kYWz1I/AAAAAAAACPU/7DjEOt9KjIg/s320/c2059Bratwurst+Chili.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook some chili today. Another American classic. I will make my chili with ground beef but you can also use stew meat. You cannot be in a hurry to make chili. And you should not be in a hurry to eat it your chili once cooked. This is because chili gets better over time. So let’s cook out slow motion chili.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 tablespoon oil<br />1 chopped green pepper<br />1 chopped onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 pound ground beef<br />½ can kidney beans (16 oz<br />1 can cubed tomatoes (28 oz)<br />2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper<br />1 chili pepper, chopped<br />1 bay leaf<br />1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />2 teaspoons chili powder<br />Some water<br />Some tomato paste<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />First we will heat the oil in a pan. When it is hot, we will add the green pepper and the onion. We will sauté them for some minutes. Then we will add the garlic and the ground beef. We will cook till the beef starts getting a brownish color. Now we will add the beans and the cubed tomatoes. We will turn the fire very low and keep on cooking. Some minutes later we will add the chopped red pepper, the chili pepper, the bay leaf, the oregano, the cumin, the chili powder and the tomato paste. We will salt to taste. We will add some water. Just the one we think we need. Do not add too much now. You can always add it later if it is needed.<br />Now we will cook our slow motion chili. It is important that the fire is low. We will cover the pan and cook for about an hour. It is a good idea to stir from time to time. If you see that your chili needs water, add some.<br />And after some time and some patience we will have our chili ready. Do not forget to remove the bay leaf. Mix well and then it will be ready to be served.<br />Perfect for a Bratwurst sandwich with chips. I am sure you will have your own ideas for your chili. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BRATWURSTCHILI#slideshow/5513196218908131458">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5701389777857346750?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-91429389438611171022010-08-20T10:10:00.000-07:002010-08-20T10:14:46.985-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TG63mqNkdfI/AAAAAAAACNs/8d9ADEURTf4/s1600/c2032Sopa+de+Pescado+con+Arroz.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507541269114811890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TG63mqNkdfI/AAAAAAAACNs/8d9ADEURTf4/s320/c2032Sopa+de+Pescado+con+Arroz.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook soup today. Something rewarding and delicious. I remember the fish soup my mom used to make. I loved that soup. I will make it today. A good Fish Soup with Rice.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some fish bones<br />Some little pieces of fish<br />½ onion<br />1 bay leaf<br />3 tablespoons rice<br />Some drops of Tabasco sauce<br />Some saffron<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon dill herb<br />Some freshly ground pepper to taste<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />First we will have to make the fish broth. To do that, we will put some water in a pan and we will add the fish bones, the pieces of fish, the onion and the bay leaf. If we want, we can also add some carrots, celery or leek. We will cook for about half an hour in a low heat. When the broth is ready, we will strain the broth through a colander to get rid of the fish bones. We can add the pieces of fish too to the broth. Once we have our broth in the pan again, we will add the rice to the pan. Then we will add the Tabasco sauce, the saffron, the turmeric, the garlic, the dill herb and the ground pepper. We will salt to taste too. It is not a bad idea to add some onion and celery very finely chopped. We will let our soup cook till the rice is ready. Then we will have a delicious soup: fish and rice. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/FISHSOUPWITHRICE#slideshow/5506449858355614514">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-9142938943861117102?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-531865210828606182010-08-08T10:58:00.000-07:002010-08-08T12:13:01.689-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TF7yIB2k_3I/AAAAAAAACMo/tEPMY07-fCI/s1600/c2020Caballa+en+Escabeche.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 221px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503102014443552626" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TF7yIB2k_3I/AAAAAAAACMo/tEPMY07-fCI/s320/c2020Caballa+en+Escabeche.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will make an <span style="font-style: italic;">escabeche</span> today. A delicious recipe from Spain. And I will use one of my favourite fish, mackerel, in Spanish caballa. <span style="font-style: italic;">Escabeches</span> are popular in Spain. I love Spanish canned preserves. You can find wonderful fish and seafood (tuna, mackerel, mussels…) canned and preserved in <span style="font-style: italic;">escabeche</span>. They are really good. Some people would say that a very good preserve improves the quality of the original. To this I have to say that some times this is true. Anyway, we will not make a preserve today. Let’s start cooking our Caballa en Escabeche.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />3 mackerel<br />1 carrot, peeled and cut in sticks<br />1 sliced onion<br />1 chopped green onion or 1 chopped leek<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />2 bay leaves<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />½ cup wine vinegar<br />½ cup water<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />1 teaspoon sweet pimentón<br />10 black peppercorns<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />First of all we will prepare the fish. If the fish is not cleaned already, we have to clean the mackerel properly. We will remove the head, the bones and the guts from the mackerel. We want our mackerel in fillets.<br />Then we will prepare the vegetables. We will cut the carrot, slice the onion and chop the green onion and the garlic.<br />Now we will put some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and we will heat it. Then we will start sautéing the carrot, the onion and the green onion. Two minutes later we will add the garlic. We will add the bay leaves, the thyme, the parsley, the sweet pimentón and the black peppercorns too.<br />Two minutes later we will add the vinegar and the water. We will keep on cooking for about 15 minutes. Then we will add the mackerel. We will bring to a boil. Then we will cover the pan, turning off the fire. We will let it rest for some minutes.<br />Then we will have our Caballas en Escabeche ready to eat. In fact, you can eat them hot or cold. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CABALLAENESCABECHE#slideshow/5503092126179795154">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-53186521082860618?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-16544620495293120252010-07-21T14:31:00.000-07:002010-07-21T14:35:37.589-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TEdnyZpPk7I/AAAAAAAACLM/wtDa-rX6j7M/s1600/c1992Tangerine+and+Banana+Dessert.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496475985803973554" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TEdnyZpPk7I/AAAAAAAACLM/wtDa-rX6j7M/s320/c1992Tangerine+and+Banana+Dessert.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will make a dessert today. Something refreshing and without many calories. Tangerines and bananas. But you can also use oranges if you want. The almonds and the mint will give us a special touch.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 tangerines<br />2 bananas<br />10 almonds, peeled and chopped<br />1 tablespoon honey<br />1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves<br /><br />This dessert is very easy to make. First we just have to prepare the fruit. We will peel the bananas and cut them in slices. Then we will peel the tangerines and we will split them into segments. We can cut these segments in pieces, but do not cut them too small. Do this preparation over a bowl where you will put the fruit and you will get the juice from the tangerines.<br />Now, with all the fruit in the bowl, we will add the almonds, the honey and the mint leaves. We will mix well but carefully so as not to break the fruit. We will taste it, and if we feel like it, we can add some sugar. If that is the case, mix again and serve. And enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/TANGERINEANDBANANADESSERT#slideshow/5496474267234588242">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1654462049529312025?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-88317117171367262672010-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:002010-07-13T20:04:00.549-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TD0ollNc13I/AAAAAAAACI8/B1_MbLeF734/s1600/c1988Empanada.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493591746570671986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TD0ollNc13I/AAAAAAAACI8/B1_MbLeF734/s320/c1988Empanada.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will go to Spain today. We will cook Empanada, a stuffed bread dish typical in Spain and also in Portugal. There are also little empanadas or empanadillas that are popular in South America too. Maybe the most famous Empanada is the Empanada Gallega. Let’s cook!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Dough,<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />¼ cup extra virgin olive oil<br />½ tablespoon salt<br />3 cups flour<br />1 teaspoon Spanish pimentón<br />½ tablespoon yeast<br /><br />Stuffing,<br /><br />1 chopped green pepper<br />1 chopped onion<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />1 chopped Spanish chorizo<br />3 slices of ham<br />1 tomato<br />1 roasted chopped red pepper<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon Spanish pimentón<br />3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />To brush the Empanada,<br /><br />1 beaten egg<br /><br />First we will prepare the dough. I will use my bread machine to make the Empanada dough, but, of course, you can knead your dough by hand. I will use the machine because it is very convenient. You can use a stand mixer as well.<br />With the bread machine, we will put the ingredients in this order: water, oil, salt, flour, pimentón and yeast. We will select the program just to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. The machine will knead the dough and then it will let it grow.<br />In case you want to make your dough by hand, you can do it placing the flour on a counter top making a well with the water inside. Then add the rest of the ingredients and make the dough. Finally you will have to knead the dough properly. Do this till the dough is elastic. Then, let it rise in a bowl covered by a wet cloth.<br />We will have to prepare the filling too. We will start sautéing the green pepper and the onion in a frying pan with hot oil. A couple of minutes later we will add the garlic and the chorizo. A bit later we will add the ham, cut in little pieces. The next to add is the tomato, the red pepper, the parsley, the ground pepper and the pimentón. We will keep on cooking turning the fire low for about five more minutes. When our filling is ready, we will reserve it.<br />Now we will come back to our dough. We will split the dough in half. With the help of a rolling pin we will take a half of the dough and we will make the base of our Empanada. When it is thin enough, we will put it on an oven tray. Of course, the tray will have to be slightly greased. We will put our filling on top of that dough. Then we will take the other half of the dough and we will make the top of the Empanada helping us with the rolling pin. We will cover the filling with this and then we will seal the Empanada by putting the outer part of the dough that is below over the top part. Once the Empanada is sealed, we will make a hole in the middle of the Empanada. With a fork we will also make some little holes in the surface of the Empanada. This will be helpful to cook our Empanada.<br />Now we will brush the Empanada with the beaten egg. And we just have to take it to a preheated oven to 425ºF and let it cook for about 25 minutes.<br />And then we will have our Empanada ready. Let it cool for a while before serving. Enjoy! </div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/EMPANADA#slideshow/5493588976563016178">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8831711717136726267?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-65932640819827241032010-07-03T13:52:00.000-07:002010-07-03T14:16:28.910-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TC-jbwST9FI/AAAAAAAACGI/yqVeIXcH_W0/s1600/1957Ramen+and+Vegetable+Soup.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 245px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489786168001426514" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TC-jbwST9FI/AAAAAAAACGI/yqVeIXcH_W0/s320/1957Ramen+and+Vegetable+Soup.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I know, I know. Cooking with Ramen Noodles? Why not? Cooked with some vegetables, Ramen Noodles make a healthy and tasty meal. Let’s cook this delicious Ramen and Vegetable Soup.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />A packet of Ramen Noodles<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 chopped carrot<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />3 sliced okras<br />5 frozen chopped green beans<br />½ cup frozen corn<br />½ cup frozen broccoli<br />½ cup frozen spinach<br />8 frozen butter beans<br />1 boiled potato, cut in little pieces<br />1 small tomato, cut in little pieces<br />½ cup chopped celery<br />1 teaspoon soy sauce<br />1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />First we will prepare the vegetables for our recipe. As I use fresh and frozen vegetables, first we will start sautéing the onion and the carrot in a saucepan with hot extra virgin olive oil. Just a couple of minutes. Then we will add the ginger, the garlic and the okra. Then we will add water to the saucepan. Now we will add the frozen vegetables: the green beans, the corn, the broccoli and the spinach. We will bring it to a boil and when the vegetables are almost done, we will add the potatoes, the tomato and the celery. Now we will add the ramen noodles and the soy sauce. We will let them be cooked till they are done. Add some pepper and check if you need more salt. But probably with the soy sauce will be enough as for salt. When our noodles are ready, serve them hot. Slurp and enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/RAMENANDVEGETABLESOUP#slideshow/5489785348856829890">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6593264081982724103?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-7649588326689155822010-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:002010-07-21T14:43:46.389-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TCOqoFi--II/AAAAAAAACEg/PtcjU8dR9Y4/s1600/c1947Bananas+Foster.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 248px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486416376727795842" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TCOqoFi--II/AAAAAAAACEg/PtcjU8dR9Y4/s320/c1947Bananas+Foster.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will make some dessert today. A delicacy with bananas. And something very easy to make. Few ingredients but a great recipe. Delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 ripe bananas<br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />3 tablespoons brown sugar<br />½ teaspoon cinnamon<br />½ cup rum<br />Some vanilla ice cream<br /><br />First we will have to melt the butter. We will do this in a frying pan on low heat. We will add the sugar little by little. It is very important to stir continuously. When the butter and the sugar are well mixed, we will add the cinnamon and half the rum. We will mix well and then we will add the bananas. We will cook the bananas. Do this always on low heat. Cook the bananas till they are tender.<br />Now we will heat the rest of the rum in another pan. Then we will pour it onto the pan with the bananas. Flame the rum very carefully.<br />Then serve it with vanilla ice cream. And just enjoy! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BANANASFOSTER#slideshow/5486414566153913538">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-764958832668915582?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-85465709716143938292010-06-11T07:29:00.000-07:002010-06-11T07:37:17.255-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TBJJJ9WeimI/AAAAAAAACBg/5dEjlR-vqR8/s1600/c1929Crab+%26+Fish+Cakes.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481524131899804258" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TBJJJ9WeimI/AAAAAAAACBg/5dEjlR-vqR8/s320/c1929Crab+%26+Fish+Cakes.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook some Crab Cakes today, but they will have fish too. Crab cakes are quite popular in the United States. When I came to the States I learned to appreciate crab cakes. I will show how I make my Crab and Fish Cakes. Enjoy.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 egg<br />1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce<br />½ teaspoon ground mustard<br />1 teaspoon mayonnaise sauce<br />½ teaspoon lemon juice<br />1 tablespoon regular mustard<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />½ teaspoon dried parsley<br />¼ cup bread crumbs<br />1 chopped green onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon paprika<br />½ teaspoon minced onion<br />1 (6 ounce) can crab meat<br />5 fish fingers, half cooked<br />Some flour<br />More extra virgin olive oil to fry the cakes<br /><br />Let’s cook our cakes.<br />The preparation is very easy. We just have to mix the ingredients in a container, all of them except the oil to fry the cakes. We have to get a consistent mixture.<br />With the help of some flour we will shape the cakes. Then we will heat the oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, we will fry the cakes in batches of three. When they are a bit done on one side, we will turn them over and keep on frying. We will go on till we have all the cakes done.<br />You can serve your Crab and Fish Cakes with different sauces. Mix some mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco sauce to make a delicious sauce. You can mix some sour cream, garlic powder and parsley or cilantro to make a different sauce. You can make your own sauce, of course. The one you prefer. You can also serve your cakes with fries, chips, vegetables… Just enjoy!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CRABANDFISHCAKES#slideshow/5481522728510801090">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8546570971614393829?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-77749990000154432592010-06-03T07:43:00.000-07:002010-06-03T08:02:01.894-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TAfBkyDbyaI/AAAAAAAAB_E/G-8jOy8fLsA/s1600/c1912Escalivada.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478560309375125922" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/TAfBkyDbyaI/AAAAAAAAB_E/G-8jOy8fLsA/s320/c1912Escalivada.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A typical dish from Catalonia, in Spain. A wonderful vegetarian dish. Roasted vegetables served, of course, with olive oil. An explosion of flavor.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 eggplant<br />1 green pepper<br />1 red pepper<br />1 onion<br />1 tomato<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />First we will prepare our oven. It has to be preheated to 400ºF. We will rub all the vegetables, except the tomato, with some oil. Then we will put these vegetables on an oven tray and we will take it to the oven. We will put the tomato inside the oven 25 minutes later. The vegetables must be in the oven for about 50-55 minutes. Then we will remove the vegetables from the oven and we will wrap the eggplant, the peppers and the onion with a newspaper or a paper bag. We do not need to do this with the tomato. Now we will let the vegetables outside the oven for about 20 minutes. The reason for wrapping the vegetables with paper is to make it easier to peel them afterwards. And this is what we will have to do once the vegetables are not too hot. We will peel the skin of the vegetables now. While we do this, we can cut the vegetables in strips. We will do the same with the tomato. Then we will the garlic. We will season it with salt and we will add some extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and serve.<br />It is better to serve the Escalivada once it is ready. Do not prepare it the day before.<br />Just enjoy it!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/ESCALIVADA#slideshow/5478558796378461842">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7774999000015443259?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-50615558120536111032010-05-24T10:25:00.000-07:002010-05-24T11:01:42.402-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S_q3QftyDkI/AAAAAAAAB8k/4GAYbUKClgQ/s1600/c1897Papas+con+Mojo.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474889791041572418" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S_q3QftyDkI/AAAAAAAAB8k/4GAYbUKClgQ/s320/c1897Papas+con+Mojo.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A Spanish dish today. From the Canary Islands, to be more precise. Potatoes and a delicious sauce. Simple but delicious. The Canary Islands. That paradise off the African coast. A bridge between Spain, Africa and America.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />4 red new potatoes<br />4 tablespoons of salt<br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tablespoon red wine vinegar<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon Spanish pimentón<br />1 teaspoon chopped parsley<br />Some drops of Tabasco sauce<br /><br />First we will wash the potatoes thoroughly. It is better if the potatoes are not too big. I prefer small red potatoes for this recipe. We will put the potatoes in a pot that can be closed with a tight-fitting lid. We will add water just to cover the potatoes. Now we will add the salt. It is not a problem to add so much salt. In fact, that will make our potatoes to be delicious and they will not seem too salty. I promise. We have to boil the potatoes on a strong fire. We will cover the pot with the lid. If the lid is not tight-fitting, we can put a kitchen cloth between the lid and the pot so that it is tighter. We will shake the pot from time to time. We will do this to make sure that the potatoes do not get burned. When there is not much water left the potatoes will be ready. We will turn off the fire then.<br />We will have to prepare the sauce, the mojo. To do this, we will mix the olive oil, the vinegar, the garlic, the pimento, the parsley and the Tabasco sauce.<br />Now we will only have to serve our potatoes, our papas. Open the potatoes in half and pour some mojo over them. Put the rest of the mojo in a bowl to have more sauce at the table. Enjoy! </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PAPASCONMOJO#slideshow/5474887486419168882">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5061555812053611103?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-6152527490256239992010-05-14T10:20:00.000-07:002010-05-14T10:24:50.383-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S-2HG8T6XZI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/SL78rhlRAlA/s1600/c1874Stuffed+Chicken+Breasts.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471177675663629714" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S-2HG8T6XZI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/SL78rhlRAlA/s320/c1874Stuffed+Chicken+Breasts.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">More stuffing. We will stuff some chicken breasts today. This is one of those recipes that I remember from my childhood. Chicken breasts, cheese and red pepper. Something creamy and delicious. You can make it using other ingredients. I will show you how I make it though. Let’s cook.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 chicken breast<br />Some flour<br />1 egg<br />Some breadcrumbs<br />Some grated parmesan cheese<br />Some parsley<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />2 pieces of roasted red pepper<br />2 slices sharp cheddar cheese<br />Some vegetable oil<br /><br />First we have to start with the chicken. I normally use frozen chicken breasts for this recipe. I do this because I can cut the chicken in the way I need it in an easier way. The trick is cutting the chicken breast before is completely thawed. Then it is easy to cut the chicken breast to be stuffed later. Do not cut the chicken completely. It is important to leave the chicken in one piece but with a bit cut in the middle, like slicing a pouch in the meat. I do not usually pound the meat thin but you can do it. Add some salt and pepper to the chicken.<br />Now we will have some flour ready and prepare one container or bowl with one beaten egg and another one in which we will mix the breadcrumbs, the parmesan cheese and the parsley. We will mix the contents of this container and then we will start with the meat. First we will dredge the chicken in the flour. But do not use too much flour. The next step is to put the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg. Now we will put the roasted pepper and the slice of cheddar cheese inside the chicken breasts. Now we will coat the chicken breast with the mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley.<br />While we do this, we will heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan. When it is hot enough, about 325ºF, we will start frying the Stuffed Chicken Breasts. We will cook the breasts on both sides for some minutes. When they are done, being sure they have been cooked thoroughly inside, we will remove them from the frying pan and will put them on kitchen paper towel. You will get rid of some oil by doing this.<br />And then your Stuffed Chicken Breasts will be ready to serve. Enjoy them with your favourite side!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/STUFFEDCHICKENBREASTS#slideshow/5471173109877619858">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-615252749025623999?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-39396535318809819592010-05-02T08:46:00.000-07:002010-05-02T08:51:13.834-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S92ent-4jCI/AAAAAAAAB1c/Ks1baiy8jNM/s1600/c1840Mackerel+Racheado.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466699927893085218" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S92ent-4jCI/AAAAAAAAB1c/Ks1baiy8jNM/s320/c1840Mackerel+Racheado.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Let’s go back to India today. In fact, we will go to Goa. A paradise in India, with an important Portuguese influence. We will cook some fish today. Mackerel. A cheap but delicious fish. You can cook it in many ways. We will cook it with a masala today. Racheado.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 mackerel<br />3 tablespoons Racheado masala<br /><br />I normally use prepacked Indian Racheado masala. It is very convenient and not very difficult to find. But of course, you can try to make it at home. To make your own masala grind five red chillies (kashmiri, for example), two cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, three cloves, five peppercorns and a piece of ginger. Then mix all that with vinegar and two tablespoons of tamarind water. With this you will get a paste that will be a good masala for your mackerel.<br />Racheado, or recheado, in fact, is a Portuguese word that means “stuffed”. So what we will do is stuffing the mackerel with this wonderful masala.<br />First we will prepare the fish. We will clean it thoroughly. We have to be sure it is well cleaned. Remove the bones of the fish. The fins too. And of course the head. Once the fish is cleaned, we will have to stuff the mackerel with some of the masala. Apply some masala outside also. Then we will let the mackerel marinate for a couple of hours.<br />And after that we will only have to grill our Mackerel Racheado. Grill the fish for 4-5 minutes on each side. Do not overcook.<br />And now, enjoy your Mackerel Racheado!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MACKERELRACHEADO#slideshow/5466698380805346962">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3939653531880981959?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-51031682113942893922010-04-25T19:21:00.000-07:002010-04-25T19:27:28.081-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S9T5G8YUQOI/AAAAAAAABx8/FrEIlwHAVzY/s1600/c1822Pan+con+Tomate.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464266145589903586" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S9T5G8YUQOI/AAAAAAAABx8/FrEIlwHAVzY/s320/c1822Pan+con+Tomate.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A delicious recipe from my country. A Mediterranean pleasure. Bread, olive oil, tomato and garlic. Simple but delicious. A wonderful side and a brilliant way of preparing bread for a sandwich. This means that you can eat it just like that or using the preparation of Pan con Tomate to make your favourite sandwich. Let’s start.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Your favourite bread, baguettes, ciabatta… But do not use just regular white bread.<br />Ripe tomatoes<br />Some cloves of garlic<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />Not much, is it? It is enough, believe me. Just that. Do not add anything else.<br />We just have to cut the bread. Do it in the way you prefer. Bear in mind that we will have to rub the tomato on the bread.<br />Once you have the bread ready, cut some tomatoes in half and rub them on the bread. You will do the same with the cloves of garlic. Cut them in half and rub them on your pieces of bread. Chop more garlic and add the little pieces of garlic to the bread.<br />And finally, add some extra virgin olive oil to the bread. Add some salt to taste and enjoy this wonderful Spanish delicacy.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PANCONTOMATE#slideshow/5464265093739813282">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5103168211394289392?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-70933899087967394732010-04-14T09:05:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:16:28.752-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S8XprzNs7zI/AAAAAAAABwQ/Dj19mMikS8w/s1600/c1817Dal.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460027061947920178" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S8XprzNs7zI/AAAAAAAABwQ/Dj19mMikS8w/s320/c1817Dal.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will cook a vegetarian dish today. And we will go back to India. Lentils. I love lentils. And if someone tells me that Dal is not good, there is only one possibility. I am sure they have not tasted it. I will cook some Dal, in a humble way. I will not say that my Dal is as good as the ones you can find in India. But mine is good too. I enjoy it and I am sure you will enjoy it as well.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup masoor dal (split red lentils) (you can use a different type of dal too)<br />1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />Some vegetable oil<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />½ cup chopped squash<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1-2 dried red chillies<br />8 black peppercorns<br />1 teaspoon black mustard seeds<br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />4 green cardamom pods (without the pods)<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br />½ teaspoon ground cardamom<br />Some cooked basmati rice<br /><br />First we will prepare the lentils. To do this we will rinse the dal thoroughly. Do this till the water is clear. Then we will put four cups of water in a pan and bring to boil. Now we will add the dal. Cook gently and before they are completely cooked remove from the fire and reserve.<br />While the dal is being cooked, we will prepare some spices. We will take a mortar and will grind the chillies, the peppercorns, the mustard seeds, the coriander seeds, the cumin seeds, and the cardamom pods. The next step will be to put some vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and the green pepper. A couple of minutes later we will add the squash. Finally we will add the ginger and the garlic. We can use other vegetables too. For example, eggplant is a good idea. Now we will add the spices to the frying pan with the onion, the green pepper, the ginger and the garlic. We will stir well.<br />We will add this to the dal now. We will cook the dal for five minutes more, simmering on low heat. If we need to add more water, we will do it now. This water should be warm.<br />Just before serving, add some salt if it is needed, the cilantro and the ground cardamom. Serve with basmati rice. Enjoy your Dal! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/DAL#slideshow/5460025854428894146">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7093389908796739473?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-67714001564454249802010-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:002010-04-04T10:51:36.538-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S7jRVSCQ5kI/AAAAAAAABts/cxlqnpBfA8A/s1600/c1789Hummus.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456341112108148290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S7jRVSCQ5kI/AAAAAAAABts/cxlqnpBfA8A/s320/c1789Hummus.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">More Mediterranean food. And today we will prepare a delicious Hummus. A delicacy for everyone, not only for vegetarians. Chickpeas could not taste better. This is one of those recipes that, despite being so simple, gives us a lot of pleasure. Chickpeas, olive and sesame oil, lemon, spices… Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 can chickpeas<br />2 cloves garlic<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tablespoon sesame oil<br />2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />½ tablespoon ground cumin<br />½ teaspoon hot paprika<br />½ teaspoon sweet paprika<br />1 tablespoon parsley or cilantro<br />Some pita bread<br /><br />We will start with the chickpeas. First, as I use a can of chickpeas, I will rinse and drain the chickpeas. Do this properly. Instead of using a can of chickpeas, you can also cook some chickpeas, but then the process will be longer because you will have to soak them overnight first and then cook them.<br />Once we have the chickpeas ready, we will put them in a food processor. We will add the garlic, which will be slightly chopped. We will also add the extra virgin olive oil, the sesame oil, the lemon juice, the cumin and the hot paprika.<br />You can use tahini instead of sesame oil but I prefer sesame oil. You can add more garlic too. Remember that you can adapt the recipe to your taste.<br />We will turn on the food processor. We must get a soft mixture. We might have to add more olive oil, or if you like your Hummus strong, you can add more sesame oil.<br />Once you have your Hummus ready, serve it with some sweet paprika, parsley or cilantro and pita bread. Some drops of extra virgin olive oil will be a good idea now.<br />Enjoy! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/HUMMUS#slideshow/5456334699757936722">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6771400156445424980?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-79143636314004535592010-03-25T12:30:00.000-07:002010-03-25T12:50:20.295-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S6u6kV-v6wI/AAAAAAAABr4/oIi_-jULMmM/s1600/c1763Chicken+Souvlaki.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452656907400506114" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S6u6kV-v6wI/AAAAAAAABr4/oIi_-jULMmM/s320/c1763Chicken+Souvlaki.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will travel to Greece. I wish I could go there again in real life. But we will go to Greece by cooking. Today we will cook Chicken Souvlaki.<br />More meat cooked in skewers. This time it will be chicken, but normally pork is the meat chosen for this recipe. Souvlaki is very popular in Greece, and as you surely know, you can find meat in skewers in many countries. They have different names, they are cooked in different ways, different meats, vegetables or even fish are used with the skewers. But all of them are delicious. Now, Chicken Souvlaki.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ pound breast chicken<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tablespoons red wine<br />¼ teaspoon garlic powder<br />½ cup sliced onion<br />½ cup sliced green pepper<br />Some extra virgin olive oil to sauté the onion and the green pepper<br />Some pita bread<br />Half a lemon<br /><br />First we will prepare the chicken cutting it in cubes. Once the chicken is cut, we will put the chicken pieces in a container. We will add the oregano, the salt, the black pepper, the olive oil, the red wine and the garlic powder. We will mix everything well and we will let it marinate for about four hours.<br />To make your Souvlaki you can use wooden or metal skewers. I will use metal skewers this time. If you use wooden ones, you should soak them in water for some minutes before threading the meat.<br />When the chicken is ready, we will thread the pieces of chicken on the skewers. We will put the skewers with the chicken on an oven tray and will put the tray in the oven. The oven must be preheated to 400ºF. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes or till they are done.<br />While the chicken is being cooked, we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and we will sauté the onion and the green pepper slices. Just for a couple of minutes.<br />Remove the chicken from the skewers.<br />Once we have the chicken and the onion and green pepper ready, we will serve them on pita bread. Squeeze the lemon on the dish and enjoy your Chicken Souvlaki. </div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHICKENSOUVLAKI#slideshow/5439650263973138178">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7914363631400453559?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-41809302612403571372010-03-14T13:24:00.000-07:002010-03-14T13:40:59.082-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S51JQQHM4PI/AAAAAAAABrA/PMRou0e9Bys/s1600-h/c1745Cocido.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448591667740074226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S51JQQHM4PI/AAAAAAAABrA/PMRou0e9Bys/s320/c1745Cocido.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will go to Spain today. Cocido is a recipe you can find in many regions in Spain. Almost every region has its own Cocido. I will cook mine with the ingredients I could find here in the States. I will use a pressure cooker. You can do it in a more traditional way, of course, but pressure cookers are very useful and they give you good results.<br />Cocido is like a stew with meat and vegetables. Normally it contains lots of fat. But I will make a low fat Cocido. Let’s start.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 cups garbanzos (chickpeas)<br />3 small potatoes<br />1 carrot<br />1 green pepper<br />½ onion<br />1 clove of garlic<br />½ chicken breast<br />1 pork loin fillet<br />A little serrano ham<br />1 chorizo<br />1 morcilla<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />Some water<br />Some salt to taste<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />½ teaspoon sweet pimentón<br />3 oz fideo (vermicelli pasta)<br /><br />To cook our Cocido we will have to prepare the garbanzos first. We will soak them in water overnight.<br />We will prepare the vegetables. We will peel and cut the potatoes in medium pieces. We will chop the carrot, the green pepper and the onion. We will chop finely the garlic. You can add other vegetables if you want. For example, you can add celery and leek. Cauliflower is added in many cocidos. Feel free to do it if you like it.<br />Now we will prepare the meat we will use in our Cocido. We will have to cut the chorizo, the pork, the serrano ham, the chicken and the morcilla. Morcilla is like a kind of blood sausage. There are several kinds of morcilla. I like using one that has rice in it. You can use the one you can get, if you can get any.<br />Now we will take the pressure cooker and put some water in it. It will be enough water to cook the garbanzos. Do not put too much water, though. We will bring it to a boil and then we will add the garbanzos. Then we will boil the garbanzos for about five minutes. Now is the moment of adding the rest of the ingredients. We have to make sure we have enough water. If you need it, you will have to add some water so that all the ingredients are covered with liquid.<br />I add some turmeric to give my Cocido some colour. This is not really orthodox but I prefer turmeric to one of those artificial food colourings. You do not really need these artificial products.<br />Once we have all the ingredients in the pressure cooker, we will follow the instructions of the cooker. We will close the pressure cooker and, in my case, with my cooker, I will have it cooking for 20 minutes, starting to count when the cooker starts steaming. You just have to follow the instructions of your pressure cooker.<br />When we can open the cooker, as we should wait till it cools a bit, we will prepare a soup with the fideos. To do this we will remove some of the liquid from the cooker and we will cook the fideos using that liquid. We will do this in another pan. This is very good. By doing this you will have this delicious fideo soup that will be a part of our Cocido.<br />Serve the fideo soup and the Cocido and enjoy it. </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/COCIDO#slideshow/5439263082388622706">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4180930261240357137?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-39272765736935121102010-03-04T11:07:00.000-08:002010-03-04T11:17:43.859-08:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S5AGR5r5xLI/AAAAAAAABqY/7zquQWU-Ar0/s1600-h/c1715Ground+Beef+Tacos.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444858854103434418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S5AGR5r5xLI/AAAAAAAABqY/7zquQWU-Ar0/s320/c1715Ground+Beef+Tacos.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Let’s cook some tacos. Mexican? Tex-Mex? Good, anyway. This is what I call comfort food. And you can use your imagination to make your tacos. You can fill them with the ingredients you like. I will show you the tacos I made today. Tomorrow they may be different.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some vegetable oil<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ lb ground beef<br />½ cup cubed squash<br />½ cup frozen corn<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 chopped arbol chili<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Some fresh cilantro<br />4 tablespoons mole<br />½ chopped tomato<br />Some lettuce<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some taco shells<br />Some sour cream<br />Some shredded cheese<br />Some guacamole<br /><br />We will start preparing all the ingredients. First we will cut the vegetables. Then we will heat some oil in a pan. Not too much oil. We will sauté the onion and the green pepper. Do not use all the onion now because we will need some later. We will add the garlic in a couple of minutes. And then we will add the ground beef. We can add the frozen corn now too. We will stir the ground beef and let it cook for some minutes. When the ground beef gets a brown color, we will add the spices. Add the cumin, the oregano, the arbol chili, the black pepper and some salt to taste. Stir again. Then we will add the cilantro and let it cook for one more minute.<br />We have to prepare the mole too. To do this we will use another pan. We will heat the mole in the pan for three minutes. That will be enough.<br />Now we will prepare a little salad for our tacos. We will mix the tomato, the lettuce and the rest of the onion.<br />We only have to serve our tacos. We will fill them with some of the ground mixture, some mole, some salad, some sour cream, some shredded cheese and some guacamole.<br />And now enjoy your tacos! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/GROUNDBEEFTACOS#slideshow/5438890919437955154">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3927276573693512110?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-14027176496144102152010-02-22T08:40:00.000-08:002010-02-22T08:47:24.057-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S4K0WU_-vyI/AAAAAAAABp0/4q2PHhTjnhc/s1600-h/c1692Tofu+Curry.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441109595504164642" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S4K0WU_-vyI/AAAAAAAABp0/4q2PHhTjnhc/s320/c1692Tofu+Curry.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will make a curry today. But it is going to be a special curry. A Tofu Curry. That means that today we will cook vegetarian.<br />Tofu is made of soy beans. There are different kinds of tofu. I prefer the hard to the soft tofu. You can use the one you like. And if you have not tried it yet, this is a good moment to do it. Let’s make our Tofu Curry.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ small chopped onion<br />1 small chopped carrot<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Some bamboo shoots<br />½ cup chopped squash<br />½ cup chopped mushrooms<br />½ cup chopped eggplant<br />1 14 oz. packet firm tofu<br />1 tablespoon tamarind from a compressed block<br />1 teaspoon star aniseed teaspoon<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 inch cinnamon stick<br />3 cloves<br />2 teaspoons cumin seeds<br />2 teaspoons coriander seeds<br />4 green cardamom pods (without the pods)<br />1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />1 teaspoon ground chilli powder<br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />½ cup coconut milk<br /><br />To make our Tofu Curry we will start preparing the vegetables. We will cut and chop the vegetables. We will also cut the tofu in cubes. The next thing is to prepare the spice mix. We will do that in a mortar. We will put in the mortar the star aniseed, the black pepper, the cinnamon, the cloves, the cumin seeds, the coriander seeds, the cardamoms, the turmeric and the chilli powder. We will work on them to get a mix of spices. Do not powder them too much, though.<br />Now we will prepare the tamarind. To do this we will put the piece of tamarind in a container. Then we will add some warm water. We will let the tamarind soak for some minutes. We can use our fingers to press the tamarind and release the juice of the tamarind. Then we can use a sieve to get the juice we need.<br />Once we have everything ready, we will start cooking our curry. First we will heat the oil in a wok. Then we will sauté the onion, the carrot and the green pepper. When these are a bit done, we will add the rest of the vegetables. We will keep on cooking for a couple of minutes. Then we will add the mix of spices. We will stir well. We will add some salt to taste. Then we will add the tamarind and the tofu. We will cook for a minute. Now we will add the coconut milk. We will turn the fire low and cook for five more minutes.<br />And the curry is ready. You can serve it with some basmati rice. Enjoy your Tofu Curry. </div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/TOFUCURRY#slideshow/5438513518507496594">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1402717649614410215?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-83493097842836890952010-02-12T09:31:00.000-08:002010-02-12T09:51:44.990-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S3WRHDEiKKI/AAAAAAAABeQ/rzD5TnYL0CA/s1600-h/c1620Hamburger+Buns.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437411675389175970" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S3WRHDEiKKI/AAAAAAAABeQ/rzD5TnYL0CA/s320/c1620Hamburger+Buns.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Today I will make my own <a href="http://secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/cheeseburgers.html">Hamburger</a> Buns. And I will make them because I do not like the usual industrial bread made to serve with your hamburgers. The good thing about making your own bread is that you can make it the way you like it. You can choose flours. You can make it soft or crispy. You decide. Let me start.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup bread flour<br />1 cup unbleached all purpose flour<br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 teaspoons yeast<br />Some sesame seeds<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />It is not difficult to make your own Hamburger Buns. I know that it is easier to get them in a store but if you have some time and you like to try doing new things, this could be your thing. If you have a bread machine, it will not be that hard. I will use my bread machine.<br />Let’s start. First I will put the water. Then I will add the oil, the sugar and the salt. Now I will add the flour. If I use different kinds of flour, and this is the case, what I usually do is mixing all the flour before I put it in the bread machine. Once I have added the flour, I will add the yeast. Now, following the machine’s directions, we will let the bread machine knead the dough. When the dough cycle of the machine is over, we will leave the dough in the machine for sixty minutes. Then we will remove it from the machine and let it rest outside the machine, in a warm place, for thirty more minutes. Now we will make our Hamburger Buns. We will make six buns. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the buns. We will have the oven preheated to 400ºF. When I bake my buns, I normally keep them in the oven for about 20 minutes. When they are done, I remove them from the oven. They are ready for your burgers. Enjoy your burgers made with your own Hamburger Buns!<br /></div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/HAMBURGERBUNS#slideshow/5437409846287442098">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8349309784283689095?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-90865782869075327152010-02-02T09:35:00.000-08:002010-02-02T09:39:06.444-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S2hi52lM2PI/AAAAAAAABcw/63OKF6xmjZ4/s1600-h/c1664Bulgogi.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433701696466114802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S2hi52lM2PI/AAAAAAAABcw/63OKF6xmjZ4/s320/c1664Bulgogi.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will fly to Korea today. We will cook Bulgogi, a delicious Korean recipe. We will make a beef Bulgogi and I will use sirloin steak to make it. This is a wonderful recipe that combines different flavours. I like Korean food. I have not tried it much, but I like all the dishes I have tried. Today I will cook my humble Bulgogi.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 pound sirloin steak<br />2 tablespoons chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />2 chopped green onions<br />1 teaspoon sesame seed<br />1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />1 teaspoon vinegar<br />¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />¾ teaspoon sugar<br />¼ teaspoon sesame oil<br />1 teaspoon vegetable oil<br /><br />The first thing will be to prepare the meat. We should use a meat mallet to try to get a thin steak. Once we have our steak ready, we will cut it in little pieces.<br />Now we will prepare the marinade. In a container we will mix the garlic, the ginger, the chopped green onions, the sesame seeds, the soy sauce, the vinegar, the black pepper, the sugar, the sesame oil and the vegetable oil. Then we will add the meat and mix everything well. We will cover the container and let it marinate in the fridge for some hours. Four hours will be enough.<br />And now we will start grilling our Bulgogi. We will take the meat and put it in a grill pan. Of course the pan must be hot. We will add some marinade to the pan to help the meat to be cooked. In the end the marinade will be absorbed by the meat. When it is done and tender, we will serve it with some white rice previously cooked and some cucumber kimchi.<br />You can also cook the whole steak first and then, once it is done, cut it in thin pieces. I prefer cooking my Bulgogi in the way I have described.<br />Now, enjoy your Bulgogi!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BULGOGI#slideshow/5433700354001347890">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-9086578286907532715?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-62074689354841757722010-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:002010-01-27T10:05:49.627-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S2B-EV7lKDI/AAAAAAAABa8/APwx749idfs/s1600-h/c1585Muffaletta+Bread.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 247px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431479763680438322" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S2B-EV7lKDI/AAAAAAAABa8/APwx749idfs/s320/c1585Muffaletta+Bread.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We will bake some Muffaletta Bread. I will use a bread machine for the dough and then I will bake the loaves in the oven. I will make individual loaves.<br />It is very convenient to make the dough in a bread machine but you can also do it by hand. It is harder, though.<br />I like to use some whole wheat flour in my Muffaletta. These are the ingredients.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 cup bread flour<br />1 cup unbleached all purpose flour<br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 teaspoons yeast<br />1 tablespoon sesame seeds<br /><br />If you use a bread machine, you should follow the directions of your machine.<br />What I do with mine is the following. The first thing is to put the ingredients in the machine. I put the water first, then the olive oil, the sugar and the salt. Then I will mix the bread flour, the unbleached all purpose flour and the whole wheat flour. I will do this in a bowl and once this is done, I will add all the flour to the machine. Then I will add the yeast. I will use my bread machine to knead the dough selecting the program for it. When the dough cycle is over, I will leave the dough in the machine for an hour. That should make the dough grow a bit, but do not let the dough collapse. If you see that the dough is collapsing, remove it from the machine.<br />The next step is making the Muffaletta loaves. I will grease a tray and take the dough from the machine. I will make four loaves with the dough, giving the loaves the shape we want. When making the loaves, it is important not to manipulate the dough too much. Once the loaves are shaped, I will sprinkle some sesame seeds on them. Now we will let the loaves rest for half an hour.<br />And the next step is baking. We will preheat the oven to 425ºF. I will put the loaves in the oven and I will keep them there for about 25 minutes. Have a look to your bread and when it is ready, turn off the oven.<br />Now you will have your Muffaletta loaves, ready to make your sandwich. Enjoy your <a href="http://secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com/2010/01/muffaletta.html">Muffaletta</a>! </div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MUFFALETTABREAD#slideshow/5431476329991785762">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6207468935484175772?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-81271257183516685532010-01-17T09:07:00.000-08:002010-01-27T10:03:02.647-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S1NFRM04uxI/AAAAAAAABYs/e5esPXiJbJk/s1600-h/c1612Muffaletta.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427758137714719506" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S1NFRM04uxI/AAAAAAAABYs/e5esPXiJbJk/s320/c1612Muffaletta.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Muffaletta, or whatever you want to spell it, as you will find it spelt in many different ways, is a wonderful sandwich. Typical of New Orleans, one of my favourite cities. I still remember my first Muffaletta. I ate it there, in New Orleans, at Central Grocery, the place that is supposed to have made the first Muffaletta. I love New Orleans and its food.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br /><a href="http://secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com/2010/01/muffaletta-bread.html">Muffaletta bread </a><br />¼ cup black olives, chopped<br />¼ cup green olives, chopped<br />¼ cup roasted chopped red pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon capers, chopped<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon basil<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />2 slices serrano ham or prosciutto<br />6 slices salami<br />2 slices deli chicken breast (or turkey)<br />2 slices deli ham<br />Some slices of tomato<br />Some slices of onion<br />2 slices or cheddar cheese<br />Some grated provolone cheese<br />Some grated mozzarella cheese<br />Some mayonnaise sauce<br />Some mustard<br /><br />These are the ingredients I used this time. Of course, you can put the ones you like. You can use your favourite deli products.<br />To make my Muffaletta I will start making my olive salad mix. I use a chopper in which I will put the olives, the red pepper, the garlic and the capers. I do not like to chop them too much but, of course, you can do it the way you like. Once this is chopped, I add the olive oil, the vinegar, the lemon juice, the oregano, the thyme, the basil and the black pepper. I do not add salt because the olives and ham and deli products are already salted, but, you know, it is up to you if you want to add some salt. You can also add some chopped anchovies, pepperoncini, etc.<br />Now, we only have to make our sandwich. We will open our Muffaletta Bread and spread some of the olive mix that we have prepared before. And then we will add the slices of ham, salami and deli meats. Then we will add the tomato, the onion, all the cheese, the mayonnaise sauce and the mustard.<br />And now, well, I do not have to tell you what is next. Enjoy your Muffaletta!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MUFFALETTA#slideshow/5427756298042094834">more pics</a>** </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8127125718351668553?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-33254797524509385392010-01-08T14:30:00.000-08:002010-09-13T20:05:33.080-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S0e0zcciHgI/AAAAAAAABWo/zg18k5NE87s/s1600-h/c1564Patatas+Bravas.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 253px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424503072093249026" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S0e0zcciHgI/AAAAAAAABWo/zg18k5NE87s/s320/c1564Patatas+Bravas.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A wonderful tapa from Spain. Something easy and delicious. And it is cheap too. Sometimes you do not need to spend too much to eat something really good.<br />You can find Patatas Bravas anywhere in Spain. I miss them and when I go back to Spain, one of the first things I always do is going to a tapas bar and order a dish of Patatas Bravas. Now we will cook them together.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />3 potatoes<br />3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />Some salt to taste<br />3 tablespoons mayonnaise sauce<br />1 tablespoon ketchup<br />½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce<br /><br />Few ingredients and nothing complicated.<br />We will start washing and peeling the potatoes. Once this is done, we will cut the potatoes in little pieces.<br />Now we will heat the olive oil in a frying pan. When it is hot enough, we will fry the potatoes. I like stirring the potatoes from time to time. The moment you see that the potatoes are starting to be done, remove them from the heat. You can put them on some kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil. We only have to serve our Patatas Bravas. Serve them with some mayonnaise sauce, some ketchup and some drops of Tabasco sauce. Mix everything and enjoy. Wonderful. I’ll cook some Patatas Bravas for me now!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PATATASBRAVAS#slideshow/5424498349237340786">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3325479752450938539?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-82370791116211957882009-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:002010-01-08T14:29:39.208-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Szu4l1aBN0I/AAAAAAAABTo/64hSx4c62Yg/s1600-h/c2765Thai+Green+Chicken+Curry.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421129536601405250" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Szu4l1aBN0I/AAAAAAAABTo/64hSx4c62Yg/s320/c2765Thai+Green+Chicken+Curry.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Let’s make a Thai Green Chicken Curry today. And we will make our own green curry paste. You can buy delicious Thai curry pastes, it is true. But we will make ours from scratch. It is not difficult. And it will be rewarding.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Thai Green Paste:<br /><br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />12 black peppercorns<br />12 small dried shrimp or 1 teaspoon shrimp paste<br />20 Thai green chillies<br />2 shallots<br />1 lemon grass stalk<br />3 kaffir lime leaves<br />Some grated kaffir rind<br />2 garlic cloves<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal (or ginger, if you cannot get galangal)<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ tablespoon sugar<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br /><br />Chicken Curry:<br /><br />1 big chicken breast<br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />½ chopped onion<br />½ cup cubed squash<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />1 chopped carrot<br />1 cup chopped mushrooms<br />1 tomato<br />1 teaspoon fish sauce<br />½ cup coconut milk<br />1 tablespoon lime juice<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br /><br />First we will make our green paste. We will take the cumin and the coriander seeds and we will dry-roast them in a pan. Be careful, do not burn the seeds. Once this is done, put them in a mortar and grind them along with the peppercorns and the dried shrimp.<br />Prepare the green chillies. You will have to remove the seeds and chop them a bit. Now we will start mixing all the green paste ingredients in a blender. We will chop the shallots and lemon grass and then we will put them in the blender. We will do the same with the kaffir lime leaves, the galangal and the garlic. We will add the grated kaffir rind. Now we can blend a little. After this, we will add the rest of the ingredients for our paste: the green chillies, the mix with cumin, coriander, dried shrimp and peppercorns. We will blend again and then we will add some sugar, some salt to taste and some vegetable oil. We have to use the oil to get a delicious green paste, so use it to get the paste to your taste. And with this we will have our green paste.<br />Now we will start with the curry. We will cut the chicken the way we want, cubes, strips, it is up to you. We will prepare the vegetables too.<br />Then, in a wok, we will heat the vegetable oil. Once it the oil is hot, we will start cooking our ingredients. First, the onion, the carrot and the green pepper. A couple of minutes later we will add the chicken to the wok. Stir continuously, that is always a good idea. You can add some extra garlic and galangal (or ginger) now. We have these ingredients in the paste but it would be good to add some more.<br />We will add now the fish sauce. And then we will add the mushrooms and the squash. A minute later we will add the green paste, two or three tablespoons, to your taste. We will stir and mix everything and then we will add the tomato cut in little pieces.<br />Now is when we can add the coconut milk. We will cook our curry very gently now. It is the time to add the lime juice and the chopped cilantro.<br />We can add some other ingredients. For example we can add some peanuts and bamboo shoots. Do this when u add the chicken to the wok. A good touch is adding some basil, Thai basil if you can get it. Add it when you add the fresh cilantro. We will have our Thai Green Chicken Curry ready now. You just have to serve it with some Thai Jasmine rice. And enjoy your Thai Green Chicken Curry cooked with your own Thai Green Paste!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/THAIGREENCHICKENCURRY#slideshow/5421127081337394466">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8237079111621195788?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-61105517193902872872009-12-19T19:30:00.000-08:002009-12-19T19:37:15.734-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sy2bVBW5HJI/AAAAAAAABQs/iqtdsWj2KbA/s1600-h/c1541Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 254px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417156712240585874" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sy2bVBW5HJI/AAAAAAAABQs/iqtdsWj2KbA/s320/c1541Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG" /></a><br /><div>More vegetarian. Why not cooking some Sweet Potato Chips. Everyone likes chips. Today, instead of cooking regular potato chips I will use sweet potatoes, something different and delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 sweet potato<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some salt to taste<br /><br />We do not really need many ingredients for this recipe. Just sweet potatoes, oil and some salt. We will use extra virgin olive oil. I do not think I have to tell you why.<br />Sweet potatoes are very common in the United States. In Spain are not used much, to tell the truth. And it is a pity, because sweet potatoes are very good vegetables.<br />Our recipe is very easy. We will peel the sweet potatoes first and then, using a <em>mandoline</em>, we will make thin slices. Then we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. The next thing is frying the potatoes in several batches. Make sure they are well done and add some salt to taste. Leave the chips on kitchen paper towel to get rid of the oil they might have. You can serve them with your favourite dishes, burgers, chicken… Now is up to you. Enjoy!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/SWEETPOTATOCHIPS#slideshow/5417155155638620914">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6110551719390287287?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-65839134026137200932009-12-07T13:48:00.000-08:002009-12-07T13:53:02.396-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sx148cgjdoI/AAAAAAAABNs/A4hz43GrXl8/s1600-h/c1534Fried+Cauliflower.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412615307009422978" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sx148cgjdoI/AAAAAAAABNs/A4hz43GrXl8/s320/c1534Fried+Cauliflower.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Vegetarian today. Indian influences, Indian spices. Something very healthy. And very easy to make. I like this recipe because is a different way of eating cauliflower. Those who do not like this vegetable will find it interesting.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ cauliflower<br />2 eggs<br />4 tablespoons milk<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 tablespoon cumin seeds<br />½ teaspoon turmeric<br />Some vegetable oil<br /><br />First we will cut the cauliflower in little pieces. The next step is steaming them for five minutes. Once this is done, we will drain the cauliflower.<br />In a container we will mix the eggs, the milk, the pepper and the salt.<br />Now, using a pan without any oil, we will toast the cumin seeds gently. Do not let them get burnt. It is important to shake the pan with the cumin seeds. When they start to get brown remove the pan from the heat.<br />Now we will add half of the seeds to the container with the eggs and the milk. We will mix this well. Then we will add the cauliflower pieces to the mixture. And then we will fry pieces of cauliflower and egg mixture in a frying pan with hot oil. We may need to do this in several batches.<br />Finally, add the rest of the cumin seeds, pepper and salt to taste. And enjoy your Fried Cauliflower.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/FRIEDCAULIFLOWER#slideshow/5412612615769375090">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6583913402613720093?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-77160915211311796342009-11-28T07:01:00.000-08:002010-06-03T12:43:09.534-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SxE7vP9BgdI/AAAAAAAABL0/--pRBc0gzxY/s1600/c1524Crab+%26+Spam+Terrine.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 250px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409170310371049938" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SxE7vP9BgdI/AAAAAAAABL0/--pRBc0gzxY/s320/c1524Crab+%26+Spam+Terrine.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><br />Cooking with Spam? Why not? It is not the best meat but if you mix it with good ingredients, you can get something delicious. This is what I will try.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 can Spam (or similar)<br />1 can crab soup<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />1 green onion<br />¼ cup chopped celery<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />3 eggs<br />12 shrimp<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br /><br />First we will prepare the vegetables. We will chop the celery, the green onion and the garlic. In a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil we will sauté the vegetables, starting with the celery and leaving the green onion and the garlic for the last moment. We will turn the heat off and then we will add the shrimp.<br />We will pour the crab soup in a container and then we will add the Spam. We will mix it so that we get a paste. Then we will add the vegetables and the shrimp to the container. We will beat the eggs and add them to the container, mixing everything well. You do not need to add any salt. Canned food contains already a lot of salt.<br />Then we will poor the mix in a terrine mold. And that terrine mold in an oven tray which will contain some water. So we will use a bain-marie to cook our terrine. We will take both the terrine mold and the oven tray to a preheated oven to 350ºF for about 60 minutes. Once it is ready, we will have to let it cool for a while. When it is cool, we will remove our dish from the terrine mold. And you will only have to slice it and serve it. A delicious Spam terrine!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CRABSPAMTERRINE#slideshow/5409169366860534962">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7716091521131179634?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-64815099862881677382009-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:002009-11-21T13:16:58.577-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SwhYUoufzxI/AAAAAAAABKI/BQUnjhlUtWU/s1600/c1514Corned+Beef.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 273px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406668464211349266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SwhYUoufzxI/AAAAAAAABKI/BQUnjhlUtWU/s320/c1514Corned+Beef.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Another classic. Wonderful beef. With vegetables. For sandwiches. Lots of possibilities. You can buy your canned corned beef but I am going to show you how to cook your own Corned Beef. You will find it far more delicious. It will be something different.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 corned beef brisket<br />2 bay leaves<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />2 potatoes<br />1 carrot<br />12 mushrooms<br />1 bottle of beer<br />Some water<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br /><br />I normally use my pressure cooker to cook my Corned Beef. It is fast ant it works very well.<br />First we will prepare the vegetables. We will peel the potatoes and the carrot. Then we will cut them in little pieces. We will cut the mushrooms as well.<br />Once everything is ready, we will put the beef brisket in the pressure cooker. We will put the beer and some water so that the meat is almost covered. We will add the bay leaves and the thyme now. Then we will close the pressure cooker and following the directions of the cooker maker, we will let the brisket cook for 30 minutes, starting counting when the pressure cooker begins to steam. At that moment you will have to lower the temperature.<br />Once the brisket has been cooking for 30 minutes, we will open the cooker and then we will add the rest of the ingredients: the potatoes, the carrot, the mushrooms and the black pepper. We will add some salt to taste as well.<br />We will close the pressure cooker again and cook for 30 more minutes. And then, after those 30 minutes, our Corned Beef will be ready. We will open the cooker again and remove the liquid. Now, just cut the Corned Beef in thin slices, always against the grain. And finally, serve it with the vegetables. Your own Corned Beef. What a difference!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CORNEDBEEF#slideshow/5406214885178011026">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6481509986288167738?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-69111248530582341552009-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:002009-11-08T15:56:04.839-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SvdZ8vDRUWI/AAAAAAAABIc/TEomGttahf8/s1600-h/c1507Anchoas+en+Vinagre.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401885178011406690" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SvdZ8vDRUWI/AAAAAAAABIc/TEomGttahf8/s320/c1507Anchoas+en+Vinagre.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">More anchovies! One of the tapas you can find anywhere in Spain. I really miss those tapas, those authentic Spanish tapas you can enjoy in the bars in Spain. And I love anchovies. And vinegar, olive oil and garlic. What else can you ask for?<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />20 anchovies<br />1 teaspoon dill herb<br />Some red wine vinegar<br />½ teaspoon Spanish pimentón (paprika)<br />Some salt to taste<br />2 tablespoons chopped garlic<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br /><br />First of all we will prepare the anchovies. This time I used frozen anchovies. It is important to do something if you used them fresh. It is a bit risky to eat uncooked fish, so I think that it is a good idea to freeze the anchovies before we prepare our Anchoas en Vinagre. Then it will be safe to eat them without using heat to cook them.<br />We will have to remove head, bones and guts from the anchovies. You also have to remove the sort of spine they have on their back.<br />Once the anchovies are clean, we will put them in a container. We will add the dill herb, the pimentón and the red wine vinegar, just to cover all the anchovies. We will close the container and put it in the fridge. The anchovies should be for some hours in the fridge. I would say that the best option is having them in the fridge overnight. To serve them, just remove the anchovies from the container and add the chopped garlic and the extra virgin olive oil. Add some salt to taste and if you want, you can also add some chopped parsley. And enjoy them! I will!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/ANCHOASENVINAGRE#slideshow/5401884497479123026">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6911124853058234155?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-34893880287081414642009-10-30T08:33:00.000-07:002010-11-14T08:33:12.912-08:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SusHzXjA6CI/AAAAAAAABHE/aQOAYuswwqQ/s1600-h/c3661Apfelstrudel.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 170px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398417157409269794" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SusHzXjA6CI/AAAAAAAABHE/aQOAYuswwqQ/s320/c3661Apfelstrudel.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Apples. Apfelstrudel is a kind of apple pie from Austria. You can find apple pies everywhere. Many countries have their own recipes. I tried this Apfelstrudel and I found it really good. If you like apples and if you like apple pies, believe me, you will love it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 apples<br />1 puff pastry sheet<br />Some flour<br />2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />½ teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />¼ cup raisins<br />2-3 ounces unsalted butter<br />Some lemon juice<br />Some breadcrumbs<br />Some milk<br />Some confectioner’s sugar<br /><br />First we will start preparing the apples. We will peel them and then we will cut them in little slices. Then we will put the apple slices in a sieve that will be inside a big bowl. We will add the granulated sugar and mix well. Leave the apples there for an hour. This will make the apples lose some of their juice.<br />Once the apples have been there for an hour, remove the juice from the bowl and put the apple slices in the same bowl. Now we will add the vanilla extract, the cinnamon and the raisins. Mix well and reserve.<br />And now we will prepare the puff pastry. I use frozen puff pastry because it is very useful. You have to thaw it first and then extend it with a rolling pin. It is a good idea to use some flour to make this.<br />Once the puff pastry is ready, we will put the sheet in a greased oven tray. On top of the sheet we will put the apple mixture. Add some breadcrumbs now. We will add the butter and the lemon juice. The butter will be spread over the apples. Then we will close the puff pastry with the apples inside. Brush the pastry with some milk and take it to the preheated oven to 350ºF for 30-35 minutes. Once again, when using your oven, you have to be careful. Check it because every oven is different. Once it is done, let it cool for a while and dust it with some confectioner’s sugar and serve. And enjoy it! You will love it.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/APFELSTRUDEL#slideshow/5398113173883307346">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3489388028708141464?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-24706196264082636922009-10-20T14:55:00.000-07:002009-10-29T13:14:07.817-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/St4yoCqCdcI/AAAAAAAABEw/ExCFKXYwaR4/s1600-h/c1484Boquerones+al+Ajillo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 232px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394805067125781954" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/St4yoCqCdcI/AAAAAAAABEw/ExCFKXYwaR4/s320/c1484Boquerones+al+Ajillo.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Anchovies! Another delicious tapa from Spain. Easy, delicious and very rewarding. And of course, garlic and olive oil.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />12 anchovies<br />2 tablespoons chopped garlic<br />Some salt to taste<br />1 cayenne pepper<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br /><br />Anchovies are delicious. If you can get fresh anchovies, that will be great. You will have to clean them thoroughly. Remove head, bones and guts from the anchovies. It is not difficult. When you are cleaning them, do not forget to remove a sort of spine they have on their back. If you get them frozen, they will normally be a bit cleaned. However it is a good idea to check and clean them properly. After cleaning the anchovies, dry them thoroughly.<br />Once the anchovies are clean, we will prepare the garlic and the cayenne pepper. We will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and then we will sauté the garlic and the cayenne pepper. Very lightly.<br />Then we will add the anchovies. We will cook them for some minutes. Make sure you turn them over so that they are properly cooked. It will not take long.<br />Finally we will only have to add some chopped parsley and serve. When you serve them, just add some extra virgin olive oil and some salt to taste. And enjoy your boquerones!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BOQUERONESALAJILLO#slideshow/5394800367025510114">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2470619626408263692?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-74844504402672799922009-10-11T10:23:00.000-07:002009-10-11T10:30:33.322-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/StIVMydmCvI/AAAAAAAABCw/EIRq421y8Bc/s1600-h/c1479Lasagna.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391395013364419314" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/StIVMydmCvI/AAAAAAAABCw/EIRq421y8Bc/s320/c1479Lasagna.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Pasta! A dish with lots of possibilities. I will cook a simple Lasagna. But of course, if you use your imagination, you can create your own Lasagna. It is a bit of work, but it is worth it. Let’s cook it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />9 lasagna slices<br />Some drops of oil for cooking the pasta<br />A pinch of salt for cooking the pasta<br />½ lb ground beef<br />Some tomato sauce<br />¼ cup chopped onion<br />¼ cup chopped green pepper<br />¼ cup chopped red pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon rosemary<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some freshly ground black pepper<br />6 cheddar cheese slices<br />1 cup ricotta cheese<br />Some olive oil<br />Some milk<br />Some flour<br />A pinch of nutmeg<br />Some grated cheddar cheese<br />Some grated parmesan cheese<br />Some grated romano cheese<br /><br />First we will make our pasta. We will heat quite a lot of water and prepare the lasagna slices. Remember to put some oil and salt in the water. Once the pasta is cooked, after having cooked it according to the package directions, drain it and reserve.<br />Now we will prepare our tomato and ground beef sauce. You can start from scratch if you want but I will start using some tomato sauce previously prepared, at least in part.<br />First I cook the ground beef a bit. When it starts to get cooked, I add the tomato. To the sauce I normally add some chopped vegetables. They have to be really finely chopped. The vegetables I add are onion, green pepper, red pepper and garlic. Do not forget to add some spices to the sauce. Thyme, rosemary and oregano are perfect for the sauce. Put some black pepper and salt to taste too.<br />Once the sauce is ready, we can start layering our lasagna. First we will take a greased tray and we will put a layer of lasagna slices. On top of that we will put a layer of our tomato and ground beef sauce. Then we put the six cheddar cheese slices. Now another layer of lasagna slices. Then we will spread the ricotta cheese. On top of it, we will put another layer of the tomato and ground beef sauce. And then another layer of lasagne slices.<br />Now we will prepare the béchamel sauce. We will put two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and when it is a bit hot, we will add three tablespoons of flour. We will stir continuously. Then we will add some milk, little by little. We can add the nutmeg now. We will add more milk if we see that our sauce needs it. We want a creamy sauce, not too thick. When it is done, remove it from the fire. Finally we will top our lasagna with the béchamel sauce. We will put the cheddar, the parmesan and the romano cheeses on top of the béchamel and the lasagne is ready for the oven. This must be preheated to 375ºF. Our lasagna will be ready in 10 or 15 minutes. You only will have to enjoy it.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/LASAGNA#slideshow/5391393668955512258">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7484450440267279992?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-70248992284527634252009-09-27T10:31:00.000-07:002010-09-13T20:04:05.192-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sr-iX3_grXI/AAAAAAAABAQ/C9Sf8B5pBV4/s1600-h/c1459Meatball+Curry.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386202210409426290" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sr-iX3_grXI/AAAAAAAABAQ/C9Sf8B5pBV4/s320/c1459Meatball+Curry.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">More meatballs! This time with an Indian influence. A delicious Meatball Curry that will show you that meatballs can be served in many ways, with different flavours and different influences. To make the meatballs tastier we will mix the meat with some spices that will turn our meatballs into something really good. Don’t forget the cardamom. My favourite spice!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />8 green cardamom pods (without the pods)<br />12 black peppercorns<br />1 tablespoon coriander<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />3 cloves<br />½ cinnamon stick<br />A little piece of star aniseed<br />A pinch of asafoetida<br />1 red chilli<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />½ lb ground lamb or ground beef<br />1 egg<br />1 tablespoon breadcrumbs<br />Salt to taste<br />3 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />1 big potato<br />Some flour<br />½ cup chopped onion<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />½ cup green beans<br />½ cup squash<br />½ cup chopped mushrooms<br />1 small chopped tomato<br />1 chopped green onion<br />1 cup coconut milk<br />1 teaspoon turmeric<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br />1 tablespoon lime juice<br />Some cooked basmati rice<br /><br />Curries are very rewarding. The same as meatballs. Let’s make a rewarding curry then.<br />We will start preparing the spices. In a mortar we will grind the cardamom seeds, the peppercorns, the coriander, the cumin, the cloves, the cinnamon, the star aniseed and the red chilli. We will add the asafoetida to this mix.<br />Now we will mix the meat, some salt, half the spice mix, the egg, the breadcrumbs, half the garlic and half the ginger in a container. We will mix this so that we get a consistent mix. If we need it, we can add more breadcrumbs.<br />As for the potato, we will peel it and cut it in small pieces. Then we will boil these potato pieces. When they are ready, we will reserve them.<br />Now we will start making our meatballs. We will shape our meatballs with the help of some flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs. They do not need to be completely cooked because we will finish cooking them later. When they are brown, reserve them on kitchen paper towel.<br />Now we will take a wok and heat some oil in it, not much. When the oil is hot, we will sauté the onion and the green pepper. A bit later we will add the squash, the green beans and the mushrooms. When this is a bit done, we will add the rest of the spice mix and the rest of the garlic and ginger. Of course, it is important to be stirring and moving the wok. Now we will add the tomato and after one minute, we can add the coconut milk and the turmeric. Stir and add the potatoes that we had reserved.<br />Finally we will add the meatballs to the wok. We will let them simmer at a low temperature for some minutes. Just before serving, add the cilantro, the lime juice and the green onion. Add some salt to taste if necessary. Serve with basmati rice if you want. And enjoy your Meatball Curry!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MEATBALLCURRY#slideshow/5385425020680598674">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7024899228452763425?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-19596560381292965752009-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:002010-05-31T13:05:06.952-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sq0e-b7h1EI/AAAAAAAAA-U/K1uo99T4wAw/s1600-h/c1440Champi%C3%B1ones+al+Ajillo.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 273px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380991187775771714" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sq0e-b7h1EI/AAAAAAAAA-U/K1uo99T4wAw/s320/c1440Champi%C3%B1ones+al+Ajillo.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><br />Simple but delicious. A tapa you can find in many places in Spain. Easy to make, easy to eat. Little mushrooms grilled and seasoned with olive oil, garlic and parsley, three favourite ingredients in Spain.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some fresh mushrooms<br />Some drops of lemon juice<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some parsley<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />Some salt<br /><br />The first thing we will do is to clean the mushrooms. We have to do this carefully. We will remove the stalk of the mushrooms and then we will clean them with a wet cloth. Now we will put the mushrooms in a bowl with water and some drops of lemon juice. After doing this, it is very important to dry the mushrooms completely.<br />Then we can prepare the dressing for our mushrooms. We will mix the garlic, the parsley and the salt with the extra virgin olive oil. Now we will heat a grill pan and when it is hot, we will put the mushrooms on it. We will put some of the dressing on the mushrooms. We will let them cook for a couple of minutes and then we will turn the mushrooms back adding more dressing on them. We will let them finish cooking two more minutes and we will have our Champiñones al Ajillo ready. And now enjoy!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHAMPINONESALAJILLO#slideshow/5380990381113727058">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1959656038129296575?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-46733383974007287222009-09-05T12:32:00.000-07:002009-09-05T12:47:20.075-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SqK_ubrrcfI/AAAAAAAAA8o/96J13iBnR-g/s1600-h/c1432Gumbo.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378071709459640818" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SqK_ubrrcfI/AAAAAAAAA8o/96J13iBnR-g/s320/c1432Gumbo.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">More from New Orleans. I love that city and its food. This time we will cook one of its masterpieces, despite its humble origins. Gumbo is a delicious soup that can be cooked in many ways and with a great variety of ingredients. You can have seafood gumbo, chicken gumbo or endless combinations of what you have at hand. I will cook a chicken and shrimp gumbo.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ cup vegetable oil<br />½ cup flour<br />Some salt to taste<br />2 tablespoons frozen corn<br />½ cup sliced okra<br />½ cup chopped onion<br />1 clove of chopped garlic<br />¼ cup chopped celery<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />2 bay leaves<br />½ teaspoon cayenne<br />½ teaspoon parsley<br />½ teaspoon thyme<br />Some file powder<br />Some hot water, beer or broth<br />1 small cubed tomato<br />1 chicken breast<br />20 small shrimp, peeled<br />1 green onion<br />2 cups cooked rice<br /><br />First we will have to make a sort of roux. We will put the oil in a pan and will heat it. When it is hot, we will add flour little by little, stirring continuously. This is important so that it does not get burned. You have to get a brown colour in your roux.<br />When the roux is ready, after ten minutes or so, we will add the onions, the celery and the green pepper. We will sauté them for a while. Then we will add the corn, the okra and the garlic. Just a bit later, we will add the chicken, cut in little pieces. We will let the chicken be cooked for a while and then we will add our liquid. You can add a bottle of your favourite beer. Make sure it is not cold. And you have to add some hot water or broth. The quantities depend on your taste. Some people like their gumbo thick, some like it more watery. You decide. But do not add too much liquid at the beginning. If you need it, you can always add it later.<br />A delicious option is to add an Andouille sausage cut in slices. It is really delicious. If you want to add it, this is the moment.<br />Now we can add the tomato and the spices. Add salt to taste.<br />Finally, we will add the shrimp and let it cook for a while, not too long. Add the chopped green onion and our Gumbo will be ready.<br />You can, you should, serve your Gumbo with some cooked rice. You can add the rice you want to your Gumbo.<br />If you want your Gumbo thicker, you can add some file powder to your bowl. And, of course, make your Gumbo with your favourite ingredients. You can add crabs, crawfish, the fish you want… You can season it with your favourite Louisiana sauce. I like it with a garlic Louisiana sauce. The possibilities are immense. Yummy!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/GUMBO#slideshow/5377728449793773890">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4673338397400728722?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-54156231116368174232009-08-09T10:42:00.000-07:002010-07-12T15:21:02.353-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sn9DH-ZWSkI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/0hr4MbWSIHA/s1600-h/1423Beef+Rendang.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 244px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368083085136382530" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sn9DH-ZWSkI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/0hr4MbWSIHA/s320/1423Beef+Rendang.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We come back to Asia. We will cook a delicious Rendang. A curry-like dish popular in Indonesia and Malaysia. We will need time to cook it and we will have to do it slowly but the result is great.<br />In fact Rendang is not a curry. The secret of Rendang is to cook it slowly and get rid off most of the liquid.<br />Let’s make it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />3 tablespoons flake unsweetened coconut<br />½ pound beef, cut into little cubes<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />½ cup chopped onion or shallot<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />3 dried red chilli peppers<br />1 tablespoon lemon grass (from a tube, or use fresh if you can get it)<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />1 teaspoon fennel seeds<br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds<br />¼ teaspoon nutmeg<br />1 teaspoon sugar<br />Some salt, to taste<br />3 cloves<br />½ cinnamon stick<br />1 cup coconut milk<br />Some water<br /><br />First we will dry-roast the flake unsweetened coconut in a wok. We will stir continuously being careful so that we do not burn the coconut. When the coconut is golden brown, we will reserve the coconut.<br />Next we will take a food processor and we will blend the onion or shallot, the ginger, the garlic, the chilli peppers and the lemon grass. We must get a paste. We will reserve it.<br />Now we will grind the cumin, the fennel, the coriander and the nutmeg in a mortar.<br />And now we will take the wok and we will start cooking the paste from the food processor. You do not need to use too much oil. In a couple of minutes we can add the spices from the mortar. It is important to be stirring continuously. Cook for three minutes. Then, we will add the beef and let it cook for some minutes over medium heat till it gets browned. Now we will add the sugar, the cloves, the cinnamon stick, the coconut milk and the roasted coconut. We will bring to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer. We can add some water if we see that the beef needs it to be cooked properly. Our Beef Rendang will be ready when the beef is tender and the liquid is almost gone. It is a slow process, give it one hour at least. Remember we must be simmering it. You can serve it with some rice and steamed vegetables. Really good.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BEEFRENDANG#slideshow/5368020434824243618">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5415623111636817423?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-51377029669219184842009-08-02T09:47:00.000-07:002009-08-02T09:50:55.671-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SnXDvKvMkZI/AAAAAAAAA5c/ZfIK3TMkgkw/s1600-h/c1400Broccoli+Casserole.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365409746185392530" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SnXDvKvMkZI/AAAAAAAAA5c/ZfIK3TMkgkw/s320/c1400Broccoli+Casserole.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A delicious surprise for me. This is one of my favourite American recipes. I have to admit that I was not a broccoli lover. But now, I find it good. This recipe is wonderful. I discovered it as a side in a Southern restaurant and then, of course, I had to try to make it. And it is good, and not very difficult indeed. It is delicious. I love these American casseroles.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup rice<br />2 cups broccoli<br />1 cup celery<br />1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup<br />1 10.5 oz can cream of celery soup<br />1 tablespoon butter<br />1 green onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Some salt to taste<br />Some Cheddar cheese<br /><br />As we are using broccoli, the procedure will be different depending on if you use fresh or frozen broccoli. If you use it fresh, you will have to cook it longer. I normally use frozen broccoli, it is really good. But of course, you can have it fresh.<br />First I boil the broccoli, cut in little pieces. I also boil the celery, cut in little pieces as well, as I use it frozen too. Once this is ready I remove the water and reserve.<br />You will also have to prepare the rice. You can prepare it the way you normally use. Once this is done, reserve.<br />And now we will take a big pan and heat the butter. We will cook the green onion cut in little pieces. We will add the garlic later. If you use fresh celery, you should fry it now along with the green onion and the garlic.<br />Now we will add the contents of the two cans to the pan, the cream of mushroom soup and the cream of celery soup. We will let it cook for a while and then we will add the Cheddar cheese. We will stir continuously and when the cheese is melted, we can add the rice and the broccoli, and the celery in case you have boiled it with the broccoli. Mix well. We can taste it and add some pepper and salt to taste.<br />You can serve it like this but you can also put the contents in another container suitable for the oven. If you do this, after having moved the Broccoli Casserole to this new container, spread some more cheese over it and bring it to a preheated oven to 350ºF until the cheese melts. And enjoy. It is a delicious side but you can also eat it as your main course.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/BROCCOLICASSEROLE#slideshow/5365396083504294002">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5137702966921918484?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-42192378683264781232009-07-25T18:24:00.000-07:002009-07-25T19:06:47.241-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Smuw6pIap_I/AAAAAAAAA30/98op1nhTZHU/s1600-h/C1387Chicken+Almond+Curry+with+Coconut+Milk.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362574302834763762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Smuw6pIap_I/AAAAAAAAA30/98op1nhTZHU/s320/C1387Chicken+Almond+Curry+with+Coconut+Milk.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">We come back to India. This is a delicious recipe from Bengala. Something not very complicated but really delicious. Chicken, almonds, coconut and spices, of course.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 chicken breast<br />2 tablespoons oil<br />Some salt<br />1 tablespoon ground almonds<br />1 tablespoon flaked unsweetened coconut<br />½ cup coconut milk<br />1 teaspoon ground coriander<br />½ teaspoon ground chilli powder<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 bay leaf<br />5 green cardamoms<br />1 dry red chilli<br />1 tablespoon chopped cilantro<br /><br />The first thing we will do is to dry-roast the almonds and the flaked unsweetened coconut. The almonds must be peeled and then ground. We have to be careful. We must not burn the almonds and the coconut. We have to be stirring continuously and when the almonds and the coconut start to become brown, we will remove them from the fire. We do this to get more flavour. We will put the almonds and coconut in a bowl. Then we will add the coconut milk to the bowl. Along with the coconut milk we will add the ground coriander, the ground chilli powder, the ginger, the garlic and some salt. We will mix it well.<br />Now we will start cooking the chicken. Previously we will have cubed it. We will heat the oil in a wok and when it is hot, we will add the chicken, the cardamoms and the bay leaf. We will cook it for about three minutes, stirring continuously.<br />Then we will add the mixture in the bowl and we will lower the heat. Now we will add the dry red chilli and the cilantro. We will cover the wok and let it cook for 15 minutes. We can stir the chicken from time to time.<br />Finally, we will uncover, stir and let it cook three more minutes. And the chicken is ready. We can serve it with basmati. Enjoy.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHICKENALMONDCURRYWITHCOCONUTMILK#slideshow/5362573419245483282">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4219237868326478123?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-11969810230286493202009-07-16T16:54:00.000-07:002010-01-17T10:01:16.703-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sl--cFb28zI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/XiZWrb4gGV4/s1600-h/c1377Meatballs+in+Almond+Sauce.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 184px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359211471298818866" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sl--cFb28zI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/XiZWrb4gGV4/s320/c1377Meatballs+in+Almond+Sauce.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A wonderful recipe from Spain. And a wonderful recipe from my childhood. I remember my grandma cooking it. Then it was my mom’s turn. And now it is my turn. I hope it will also be yours from now on. You will enjoy it a lot.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />¼ lb ground beef<br />¼ lb ground pork<br />1 egg<br />1 slice of bread<br />Some flour<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />2 teaspoons chopped parsley<br />A pinch of salt<br />1-2 tablespoons milk<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />¼ teaspoon cinnamon<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tablespoons ground almonds<br /><br />Meatballs in Almond Sauce! When you taste them, you will love them.<br />First we will prepare the meat for the meatballs. But before we will take the slice of bread and shred it. Then we will have to mix the ground beef and the ground pork with the egg, the bread, half of the garlic, one teaspoon of parsley, some salt, some milk, the black pepper and the cinnamon. And now we will shape our meatballs. To do that we will take a piece of the mixture, and with the help of some flour we will make the meatballs. We will heat some oil in a pan and fry the meatballs. It is important that the oil is hot and we have to make sure that the meatballs do not break. Stir the meatballs in the pan but do this gently. Once they are done, remove them from the pan and keep them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of the oil they might have.<br />Now we will work on our almond sauce. First, if there is too much oil in the pan, we will remove some. Then we will add some flour to the pan. We will stir the flour so that it cooks. Be careful. We do not want it to burn. Then we will have ready a mixture with the ground almonds, the other half of the garlic and one teaspoon of parsley. We will add that to the pan now. We will keep on stirring and we will be adding warm water little by little to get the sauce we want. When the sauce is almost ready, we will add the meatballs to the pan and will let them simmer for a while before serving.</div><div align="justify">And now, just enjoy your meatballs in almond sauce.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MEATBALLSINALMONDSAUCE#slideshow/5359192045551196258">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1196981023028649320?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-24383891883972579402009-07-05T13:55:00.001-07:002010-03-14T13:56:05.793-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SlETYnLywqI/AAAAAAAAArM/q89JAEA5n6o/s1600-h/C1361Marmitako.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355082745476465314" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SlETYnLywqI/AAAAAAAAArM/q89JAEA5n6o/s320/C1361Marmitako.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A fish stew from Spain. This is a delicious fish stew that Basque fishermen cooked themselves in the boat. They fished for tuna and bonito and made it their meal. Fresh fish, for sure. And good vegetables. Potatoes, peppers, garlic… Really delicious. I cannot avoid envying those fishermen eating their tuna and potato stew. But we can cook it too. Let’s do it.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 pound tuna, cubed<br />1 small onion, chopped<br />1 green pepper, chopped<br />3 potatoes, peeled and diced<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Some tomato sauce<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon chopped parsley<br />1 bay leaf<br />1 cayenne pepper<br />Some extra virgin olive oil</div><div align="justify"><br />To cook our Marmitako, first we will cube the tuna. Then we will sear the tuna for a while in a pan with hot oil. We will reserve the tuna. The next step will be to cook the onion and the green pepper in the same pan. Two minutes later we will add the diced potatoes and the garlic. Then we will let this cook for five minutes. Now it is the moment to add the tomato sauce, not too much. We will add the spices now: parsley, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt and pepper. We will add some water now, just to cover our stew. We will turn down the fire and cook it for about 20 minutes. At the last moment we will add the tuna. And in a couple of minutes we will have our Marmitako ready. Delicious!</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MARMITAKO#slideshow/5355078259958650162">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2438389188397257940?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-20885177025630162762009-06-25T16:28:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:17:59.276-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SkQI6DxfzmI/AAAAAAAAApo/5DghGkMBee4/s1600-h/c1351Spaghetti+Pesto.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351412050761338466" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 269px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SkQI6DxfzmI/AAAAAAAAApo/5DghGkMBee4/s320/c1351Spaghetti+Pesto.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Pasta and pesto! Pasta is good. Everybody likes it. And pesto! It is a wonderful sauce. I have to admit that basil is, maybe, my favourite herb. We will make our own pesto. It is not difficult.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ package spaghetti<br />Some drops of extra virgin olive oil for the pasta<br />Some salt to cook the pasta<br />Enough water to cook the pasta<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves<br />1 tablespoon pine nuts<br />Some salt for the pesto<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for the pesto<br />¼ cup parmesan cheese<br /><br />I guess you know how to prepare pasta. So I will not say much about it. Heat some water. Bring it to a boil. Add some salt and oil. And add the pasta, of course. Have the pasta boiling for the minutes the package says and once it is ready, drain it and reserve.<br />Now we will prepare our pesto. It is good to do it in a mortar. We will mix the garlic, the basil leaves, the salt, the black pepper, the cheese and some of the olive oil. If you want, you can add some parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese as well. We will work on it for a while and then we will add half the pine nuts. We will mix it and finally we will add the rest of the olive oil and pine nuts. Now, just a gentle mixing, try it and fix it according to your taste. And now we just have to mix the pesto sauce with the pasta. We will put everything in a pan, mix it and heat it for a while. A drop of olive oil will not do any harm. And just enjoy!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/SPAGHETTIPESTO#slideshow/5351410048720448770">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2088517702563016276?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-82724052396273111722009-06-16T20:05:00.000-07:002009-06-16T20:13:16.845-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SjheF5debRI/AAAAAAAAAoc/ss8WNXzqfcw/s1600-h/1347Pork+in+Tomato+Sauce.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348128012919270674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 194px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SjheF5debRI/AAAAAAAAAoc/ss8WNXzqfcw/s320/1347Pork+in+Tomato+Sauce.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A Spanish recipe. One that brings back to my memory home meals.<br />It is an easy recipe. The main ingredient is pork. Then tomato sauce. It is simple but delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 pound pork loin chops<br />Some flour<br />Some salt<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />½ green pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Some tomato sauce<br />2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon rosemary<br />1 teaspoon oregano</div><br /><div align="justify">First we will coat the pork with some flour, but not too much. We will put some salt to the meat too. Once this is done, we will start frying the meat in a pan with hot oil. A bit later we will add the green pepper, which will be cut in little pieces. We will keep on frying and then we will add the garlic to the pan. When we see that the meat is almost ready, we will add some tomato sauce that we will have prepared previously. At this moment we will also add the red pepper and the herbs. We just have to let it finish for a while at medium heat. Easy, isn’t it? But delicious. Enjoy.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PORKINTOMATOSAUCE#slideshow/5348127078159571938">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8272405239627311172?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-32208428500408924212009-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:002009-06-09T08:36:02.379-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Si6BUCbKfBI/AAAAAAAAAmw/RR8oCA4VtKM/s1600-h/C1338Three-flour+Bread.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345351988983528466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 201px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Si6BUCbKfBI/AAAAAAAAAmw/RR8oCA4VtKM/s320/C1338Three-flour+Bread.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Who doesn’t like bread? I really love it. And I love baking my own bread. I haven’t bought much bread since I got my bread machine. I bake almost all the bread I eat.<br />You can make the kind of bread you prefer. You can mix flours. You choose. Your bread is yours!<br />I will show you how I bake my three-flour bread. You do not need to use mother dough, although the results would be better. You can do something else instead. But first, the ingredients.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />1 tablespoon powder milk<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 cup bread flour<br />1 cup unbleached all purpose flour<br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />4 tablespoons “old dough”<br />2 teaspoons yeast<br /><br />I make my bread with a bread machine. I put the ingredients in the machine. First the water, then the oil, the sugar, the powder milk and the salt. I mix the three flours in a bowl and then I add it to the machine. As for the salt, what you can do, instead of using regular salt is using some seasoned salt. By doing this you can give your bread a different touch.<br />As I told you, I will not use mother dough this time. What I do is the following. Every time I make bread, I keep a small piece of dough apart. I take it from the dough once it has risen. I keep it covered in the fridge so that I can add it in my next bread. You can even freeze it. That starts the dough for your bread.<br />Let’s go on with our bread. Add the piece of old dough to the machine. Then make a little hole in the flour and poor the yeast there.<br />Now we will select the program to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. Once the cycle is over, we will let the dough rest in the machine for 60 more minutes. Then we will prepare a tray, grease it a bit and take the dough from the machine to make three loaves. This is important. When we do this, we do not have to knead the dough again, just shaping the loaves without manipulating the dough too much. Then we will let them rest for 30 more minutes. Of course, you can shape your loaves the way you want. You can make small rolls if you want. It is completely up to you.<br />Now it is the time to bake. We will have the oven preheated to 425ºF. I also put a tray with a bit of water in a lower rack of the oven. This is in order to add some humidity to our bread. In principle, the bread will be in the oven about 25 minutes, but this will change according to the oven you use, so you will have to be careful about this. What I also do is turning over the loaves when these have been in the oven for 15 minutes or so. This will help the loaves to be done evenly.<br />When the bread is done, I turn off the oven but I leave the loaves in it for a while with the over door open. Now you only have to enjoy your bread. Believe me, once you bake your first bread you will not be able to stop.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/THREEFLOURBREAD#slideshow/5345350501221547058">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3220842850040892421?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-57628829043701935072009-06-02T15:33:00.000-07:002009-06-02T15:37:41.496-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SiWpCMfbitI/AAAAAAAAAks/QJIOycsqkRU/s1600-h/c1308Mustard+Salmon.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342862388122847954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SiWpCMfbitI/AAAAAAAAAks/QJIOycsqkRU/s320/c1308Mustard+Salmon.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Fish. Salmon. Today I will cook salmon. This is a quick recipe. Very useful when you are in a hurry. You just need a can of salmon. I make my mustard salmon with a can of salmon but if you can get fresh salmon, you will have to cook it further. Then mustard. I love mustard. A great combination.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 can of salmon<br />3 tablespoons cooked peas<br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />3 tablespoons mustard<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />½ teaspoon dill weed<br />1 teaspoon honey<br />1 teaspoon lemon juice<br /><br />First we will remove the bones from the salmon. The bones in canned salmon are not hard but I think it is a good idea to remove them. You can keep them, though. If you keep them, your salmon will have more calcium, which is always good for your health. Then we will mix the salmon with all the other ingredients. We will mix them well but trying not to squash the cooked peas. We will put this in an oven tray, previously greased. And then we will take it to the oven, preheated to 350ºF, for just 5 minutes. Serve it warm and enjoy.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MUSTARDSALMON#slideshow/5342861236370828930">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5762882904370193507?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-15398453496739809322009-05-25T12:09:00.000-07:002009-05-25T12:14:20.616-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Shrte8uB00I/AAAAAAAAAjU/C7YCbRSz91w/s1600-h/C2499Meat+Loaf.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339841424152187714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Shrte8uB00I/AAAAAAAAAjU/C7YCbRSz91w/s320/C2499Meat+Loaf.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">An American staple. I love meat loaf. It is a very rewarding dish. And it is easy to make. I am sure many of you have your own way of cooking meat loaf. I have my way too. I use a flour wheat tortilla in my meat loaf. I cut it in little pieces and add it to the rest of the ingredients. It is something different. You can do it if you want.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ lb ground beef<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />Some oil<br />Some salt<br />1 flour wheat tortilla<br />2 tablespoons breadcrumbs<br />½ cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese<br />¼ cup grated parmesan cheese<br />3 tablespoons tomato sauce or ketchup<br />1 beaten egg<br />½ teaspoon oregano<br />½ teaspoon cumin<br />½ teaspoon cilantro<br /><br />When I came to America I fell in love with Meat Loaf. It was a simple recipe. You could even do it your way. But it was always good. And I made it mine.<br />I do not like my meat loaf to be just meat so I add vegetables to make it a bit different. And the tortilla too, of course.<br />First I sauté the onion and the green pepper. We will add the garlic at the last moment, sauté a bit and remove the pan from the stove. Let it cool for while. Then we will mix the rest of the ingredients but reserving some of the cheese. Mix everything well adding the onion, the green pepper and the garlic as well. I like adding the tomato sauce or the ketchup to the mix. This makes a creamier meat loaf. But if you want, you can pour the tomato over the meat. Or you can do both things. And then the only thing you have to do is to put the meat loaf in a greased tray. You will have a preheated oven to 350ºF and will cook your meat loaf for about 60 minutes. To finish the dish, we will add the rest of the cheese five minutes before turning off the oven. Serve hot and add some tomato sauce or ketchup if you want. And enjoy.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MEATLOAF#slideshow/5339839726263312882">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-1539845349673980932?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-85234705697994507312009-05-17T13:12:00.000-07:002010-03-14T13:45:25.289-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ShBzjYm3LUI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/dwL_hiPzRaU/s1600-h/C1286Pinchitos+Morunos.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336892610172104002" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ShBzjYm3LUI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/dwL_hiPzRaU/s320/C1286Pinchitos+Morunos.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Pinchitos, Kebabs, Kabobs, Brochettes… Food on skewers. Grilled, boiled, even roasted. They are popular in many countries. And delicious. I will make my own <em>pinchitos</em>. This is the way we call them in Spain. <em>Pinchitos Morunos</em>. Moorish Kebabs in English. They are called like this because Arabs were the first ones to introduce this delicacy in Spain. My <em>pinchitos</em> are pork pinchitos, something that Arabs, of course, would never do. Mix of cultures. This is one of the many things I like about food. You can mix cultures, you can mix ingredients. You can adapt a good recipe to your culture. And that is what pinchitos morunos are. Of course, you can <em>adapt </em>your pinchitos as well. Use lamb, beef or even chicken. Use vegetables too: red or green pepper, tomato… Use your imagination.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 pound pork, cubed<br />¼ cup extra virgin olive oil<br />½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce<br />1 teaspoon sweet paprika<br />1 teaspoon turmeric<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 teaspoon chopped parsley<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br /><br />First we will marinate the meat. To do this we will put the pork in a container. And then the rest of the ingredients. We will mix well, cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for at least four hours. If you let it marinate overnight, it will be really good. The longer, the better. I use the oven to make my pinchitos. You, of course, can grill or barbecue them. They will be good no matter how you do it. You can use metal or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers, you should wet them before threading the pork. That will prevent them from burning. Take the skewers and thread the pork. Put the skewers with the meat on the sides of the tray so that they do not touch the bottom of the tray. When you are doing it, put every piece of garlic and ginger onto the pieces of pork. We want to make the most of every piece of garlic and ginger. And now to the oven, which must be preheated to 400ºF. You will cook your pinchitos for about 30 minutes. And enjoy. They are perfect served with a <a href="http://secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com/2009/05/couscous-salad.html">Couscous Salad</a>. You can serve some mayonnaise sauce as well.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PINCHITOSMORUNOS#slideshow/5336887956051892066">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8523470569799450731?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-64327028585020840542009-05-10T07:38:00.000-07:002010-04-04T11:01:02.481-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sgbnh-VNK-I/AAAAAAAAAf8/Qk7r6Z1EFAY/s1600-h/C1291Couscous+Salad.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334205379520572386" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sgbnh-VNK-I/AAAAAAAAAf8/Qk7r6Z1EFAY/s320/C1291Couscous+Salad.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A delicacy. And something very easy to make indeed. Healthy, good for vegetarians. A perfect accompaniment to other dishes.<br />Now that you can find precooked couscous very easily, nobody has an excuse not to cook it. If you have not tried it, you will love it. If you have tried it before, you know what I am talking about.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup precooked couscous<br />1 cup water<br />1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout<br />¼ cup chopped onion or green onion<br />¼ cup chopped squash<br />¼ cup frozen corn<br />¼ cup chopped carrot<br />¼ cup chopped green pepper<br />¼ cup chopped lettuce<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />¼ cup chopped tomato<br />2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves<br />½ teaspoon chopped basil leaves<br /><br />First we will prepare the vegetables. We will cut them in little pieces. Then we will sauté onions, carrots and green pepper in a pan. Five minutes later we will add the squash, the corn, the garlic, the salt and the black pepper. In the meantime, we can prepare the couscous. We will heat the water with some drops of oil in it. When it is hot, remove from the fire and add the couscous. Let the couscous absorb the water and add the Ras El Hanout, a Moroccan mixture of spices. If you cannot find it, you can use a good curry powder. Mix well. Now we will add the squash, the corn and the garlic to the pan. A couple of minutes later we will add the rest of the ingredients: the tomato, the lettuce, the salt, the lemon juice, the mint and the basil. We cook it for two more minutes and remove the pan from the stove. Then we will mix everything with the couscous. If we need it, we can add more olive oil and lemon juice before serving. This is a different salad. I like to eat it a bit warm but I know that some people will like it cold also. Anyway, enjoy it.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/COUSCOUSSALAD#slideshow/5334204347190227554">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6432702858502084054?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-38223834107356261262009-05-03T07:16:00.000-07:002010-09-13T19:59:56.154-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sf2oCzAOnQI/AAAAAAAAAeo/3qYw5XxT9yI/s1600-h/C1275Moussaka.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331602299880905986" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sf2oCzAOnQI/AAAAAAAAAeo/3qYw5XxT9yI/s320/C1275Moussaka.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I discovered Moussaka in Greece many years ago. It was something good. I was travelling in Greece by myself. I remember being in Mycenae, the old archaeological site in the Peloponnese. I was in the porch of a restaurant. And I ordered Moussaka. It was good, really good! I loved it.<br />Cooking Moussaka takes time and work, but it is not hard. Eggplant is the main ingredient. Ground lamb should be used to make Moussaka but I normally use ground beef. It is good too. And this time, use extra virgin olive oil. It will give a special taste to our Moussaka. I love cheese, so my Moussaka will have loads of cheese. Maybe this is not very orthodox, but it is delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some extra virgin olive oil<br />Some salt<br />3-4 potatoes<br />1 eggplant<br />½ lb ground or chuck beef (or ground lamb)<br />Some tomato sauce<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon rosemary<br />1 teaspoon parsley<br />1 teaspoon basil<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Some ricotta cheese<br />6 gruyere cheese slices<br />Some grated parmesan cheese<br />Some grated romano cheese<br />Some milk<br />Some flour<br />A pinch of nutmeg<br /><br />Cooking Moussaka takes time, as I said before, but it is worth it. We will start preparing the potatoes and the eggplant. We will peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch thick slices. A bit thicker if you want. To know how many potato slices I need, what I do is putting the potato slices in the tray that I will use later with the Moussaka in the oven. In that way I will know the amount of potato slices I will need for a layer of potatoes. Once I have the potatoes I will fry them in a frying pan in two batches. The potatoes must not be completely done. Leave them on kitchen paper towel because we do not want too much oil. Then we will do the same with the eggplant. After washing it, we will slice it in the same way. We will slice enough eggplant for a layer. Then we will fry the eggplant slices. We will need more oil for the eggplants, but it is a good idea not to use too much. We can fry them using a wooden spoon. Press the slices with the spoon so that they get enough oil. Once fried, leave the eggplant slices on kitchen paper towel.<br />The next step will be the sauce. We will put the meat in a frying pan and we will start cooking it. When the meat starts browning, we will add the tomato and cook it in a low heat for about ten minutes. Then we will add the spices (cinnamon, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil, salt and pepper). Keep cooking it for a while in a low heat. And then we will take the tray and start layering the Moussaka. First of all, we will grease the oven tray. Then the first layer will be the potatoes. On top of that, a layer of the tomato sauce with the meat. Then the eggplant slices. At that moment we put the tray in the preheated oven to 400ºF for about ten minutes.<br />We will prepare the sauce now, a Béchamel Sauce. To do this, we will put two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and we will heat it. We will add three tablespoons of flour. Stir continuously and add some milk, little by little. We will add the nutmeg now. We have to get a creamy Béchamel Sauce so we will have to be adding milk to get the sauce we need. Stir and do not let the sauce get too thick. Once it is done, remove it from the fire.<br />Now we will take the tray out of the oven. And now the cheese. First we will spread some ricotta cheese. On top of that the gruyere cheese slices. Then we will top it with the béchamel sauce. Then we will put some parmesan and romano cheese. You can use some mozzarella cheese if you want too. And then back to oven so that the cheese melts and makes a really creamy Moussaka. Some fifteen minutes will be OK, but you can check the oven to see when the Moussaka is ready. And enjoy! I can’t wait to make it!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/MOUSSAKA#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3822383410735626126?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-76290180223212880822009-04-26T11:57:00.000-07:002009-04-26T12:06:33.887-07:00<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SfSvtcFe6pI/AAAAAAAAAbo/9SAcI3uFoXw/s1600-h/C1255Chicken+Quesadillas.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329077454254303890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SfSvtcFe6pI/AAAAAAAAAbo/9SAcI3uFoXw/s320/C1255Chicken+Quesadillas.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Cheese. And Mexican <em>tortillas</em>.<br />Maybe Mexicans will say that these Quesadillas are not Mexican. Maybe they are Tex-Mex. I think that is not important. What it is important is the food, and the influence. I have never been to Mexico, unfortunately. I will definitely go in the future. And then I will taste real Mexican food. But by now, I will keep on enjoying recipes like this. I will show you how I make my Chicken Quesadillas. They are tasty and easy to make. I am sure you will enjoy them.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some vegetable oil<br />Some salt<br />½ small chopped onion<br />½ cup cubed squash<br />¼ cup chopped green pepper<br />¼ cup frozen corn<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ chopped tomato<br />1 chopped Arbol Chili<br />1 chicken breast<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 tablespoon cilantro<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Juice of ½ lime<br />Shredded Monterey Jack cheese<br />4 flour wheat tortillas<br />Some guacamole<br />Some sour cream</div><div align="justify"><br />We will prepare all the ingredients first. Cut the chicken in little pieces, the way you like it. Prepare the vegetables too. And then, heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion, squash and green pepper first. Then we will add the chicken and the salt. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add the corn, the garlic and the chilli. Keep on cooking for a while. When the chicken is a bit done, we can add the tomato, the cumin and the black pepper. Once this is ready, we will add some cilantro and some lime juice. The next step will be to grill the tortillas. For this, I like to use a grill pan. The way I make it, you can cook two Quesadillas at the same time. First I put a tortilla on the grill pan. Then I fill it with the mixture we have cooked. We add some cheese, some guacamole and some sour cream. We fold the tortilla and repeat the same thing with the other tortilla. Then we will have two folded tortillas on the grill pan. We will heat them on one side and with the help of a wooden spatula we will turn them over so that both sides turn a bit brown. And they are ready. You can make your own Quesadillas very easily. You can choose your favourite ingredients. Now enjoy them.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHICKENQUESADILLAS#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7629018022321288082?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-79702167622007367872009-04-19T11:42:00.000-07:002010-07-21T14:41:06.458-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SetxRn0JzpI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/dfyJDWr0i7c/s1600-h/C1249Pineapple+Cake.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 295px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326475531855187602" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SetxRn0JzpI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/dfyJDWr0i7c/s320/C1249Pineapple+Cake.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Let’s make some dessert. Do you like pineapple? And Graham Crackers? This recipe is very good for the summer. It is very easy to make and I hope you will like it. You can make it with fresh or canned pineapple. Dessert time!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />A 20 oz pineapple can (or fresh pineapple)<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla flavour<br />Some Graham Crackers<br /><br />This is a cold cake. You will not have to heat anything. You will only need a blender and a container to prepare this cake.<br />First we will blend the pineapple, adding the sugar and the vanilla. If you use a pineapple can, you can add some of the liquid in the can, but do not add too much. Once we have the pineapple blended, we will start layering the cake.The first thing will be to start with a layer of Graham Crackers in the container. Then a layer of the pineapple mixture. And finally we will add another layer of Graham Crackers. We will cover the container and we will cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours. And then it will be ready. Good.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PINEAPPLECAKE#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-7970216762200736787?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-38387784663348276332009-04-12T13:37:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:42:43.478-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SeJSCxlVs7I/AAAAAAAAAWI/pJWvjw5UQQc/s1600-h/C1244Summer+Sausage+Pizza2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323907917128512434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SeJSCxlVs7I/AAAAAAAAAWI/pJWvjw5UQQc/s320/C1244Summer+Sausage+Pizza2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Today is pizza day! Do you like pizza? Maybe you don’t like those mushy pizzas. But there is nothing like a homemade crispy pizza! I will show you the way I make my own pizza. You can even make your own dough. It’s not difficult. I will show you how you can do it.<br />I will make a Summer Sausage Pizza. Of course, you can choose your own ingredients. That is one of the good things of making a pizza. Let’s get started.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Dough,<br /><br />1 cup and 1 tablespoon water<br />¼ cup olive oil<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />½ tablespoon salt<br />3 ¼ cups flour<br />½ tablespoon yeast<br /><br />Toppings,<br /><br />Some flour<br />Some olive oil<br />½ cup tomato sauce<br />Summer sausage slices<br />1 chopped mushroom<br />¼ cup cubed squash<br />¼ cup cubed dill pickle<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />¼ cup chopped green onions<br />¼ cup chopped green olives<br />1 tablespoon roasted chopped red pepper<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon rosemary<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />Salt to taste<br />½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese<br />¼ cup grated parmesan cheese<br />¼ cup grated romano cheese<br /><br />First we will make the pizza base. I use a bread machine to make my pizza but, of course, you can knead your dough by hand. Doing it by hand is hard, so, as I have a bread machine, I use it to knead my dough. You can use a stand mixer as well.<br />Using my bread machine, I put the ingredients in this order: water, oil, sugar, salt, flour and yeast. I select the program just to knead the dough and turn the bread machine on. The machine will do its job and then it will let the dough grow. If you want to make your dough by hand, you can do it placing the flour on a table making a well with the water inside. Add the rest of the ingredients and make the dough. And then you will have to knead the dough properly. Knead and knead till the dough is elastic. Let it rise in a bowl covered by a wet cloth.<br />Once we have kneaded the dough, either by hand or with a machine, we will shape the pizza with a rolling pin. Remember that a floured work surface is always important. With that amount of ingredients you can make two pizzas. What I do is dividing the dough into two parts. I make a pizza with one portion and I use the other one to make bread rolls. You can make two pizzas if you want, of course.<br />Using a pizza stone will make your pizza crispier because these stones distribute the heat evenly. Nonetheless you will have to preheat the oven earlier and maybe use a pizza peel to transfer your pizza to and from the oven. I haven’t tried the pizza stone yet but I am planning to get one. I think the results must be good. Anyway, if your oven is powerful, your pizza will be good.<br />Let’s go to the oven. Preheat it to 450ºF. I hope you will have your toppings ready because now you will have to add them to your pizza base. If you use a pizza stone, put some semolina on the stone. If you use a regular oven tray, make sure it is greased.<br />First we will paint the pizza with a little olive oil. Then spread the tomato sauce. On top of that put the summer sausage, the mushroom, the squash, the pickle, the garlic, the green onions, the green olives and the red pepper. Do this evenly. Now we will add the spices: black pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Add some salt if you want. I do not add any salt as the dough and some other ingredients already have some. Then I finish the pizza with cheese. You should always use mozzarella cheese in your pizzas. I add parmesan and romano cheese as well, as I like the combination of these three cheeses. And your pizza is almost ready. You will only have to put it in your oven. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Wonderful pizza!</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/SUMMERSAUSAGEPIZZA#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3838778466334827633?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-55661607156633688432009-04-05T11:12:00.000-07:002010-04-04T11:14:05.730-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S7jVSrZ9gHI/AAAAAAAABuA/ki_eSaS-HAY/s1600/c4962Jambalaya.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456345465425330290" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/S7jVSrZ9gHI/AAAAAAAABuA/ki_eSaS-HAY/s320/c4962Jambalaya.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div align="justify">I love New Orleans. This city is a melting pot. And melting pots produce wonderful food. New Orleans has the influence of France, Spain, Italy… All those influences combined make all those delicious dishes: Gumbo, Muffaletta, Beignets, Po’ Boys… and, of course, Jambalaya. Today we will cook Jambalaya, New Orleans Paella. I call it like this because, although the way Jambalaya is cooked is different from the way paella is prepared, it has many similarities to the Spanish dish. Of course there are as many jambalayas as paellas, but in essence, both are rice dishes with meat and seafood. I will cook a typical Jambalaya with prawns and chicken.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Some vegetable oil<br />1 cup chopped onion<br />½ cup chopped celery<br />½ cup chopped green pepper<br />½ cup sliced okra<br />1 chicken breast<br />1 Andouille Sausage, cut in half slices<br />1 bay leaf<br />½ teaspoon thyme<br />½ teaspoon oregano<br />¼ teaspoon sweet paprika<br />¼ teaspoon hot paprika<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />½ cup crushed tomato<br />2 cups seafood and/or chicken stock<br />2 peeled and chopped tomatoes<br />Some salt<br />1 green onion (only the green stalks)<br />1 cup rice<br />10 prawns<br /><br />The first thing we will do is to put some oil in a pan. I like using a big pan. It is important that the heat is well distributed. We will sauté the celery, the onion and the green pepper. I like okra in my Jambalaya so I will add it now too. Five minutes later we will add the chicken cut in little pieces and the Andouille sausage. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, and then add the bay leaf, the thyme, the oregano, the paprika and the black pepper. Stir well and then add the garlic and the crushed tomato. Let it cook for a while and when the tomato is reduced a bit, add the chopped tomato and the stock. Add some salt if needed and bring it to a boil, but the heat must be low.<br />Let’s say something about the stock. You can use either seafood or chicken stock. You can use both too. If you want, make your own stock using some chicken bones and the shell of the prawns, along with some vegetables.<br />Coming back to our recipe, we have to add the rice and the green onion stalks after 10-15 minutes of low heat. As for the rice, you can use regular long rice or parboiled rice. I prefer the regular one but if you use it, you take the risk of getting a sticky jambalaya. Parboiled rice is safer. When you add the rice, increase the heat and stir the bottom of the pan. We do this because we do not want the rice to stick on the pan. When you see that the rice starts absorbing the liquid, turn the heat off, cover the pan and let it sit there for 20-25 minutes. You can add the prawns now too if they are uncooked, but if they are cooked, you should add them at the last moment.</div><div align="justify">And then you will have your Jambalaya. You can serve it alone or as an accompaniment to other dishes. Really good.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/JAMBALAYA#slideshow/5321271800542927234">more pics</a>**</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5566160715663368843?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-8392338027651658762009-03-29T10:24:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:45:02.853-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sc-vdvkAxdI/AAAAAAAAASg/xgWqc350ZWs/s1600-h/C1216Russian+Salad.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318662610466424274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 232px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sc-vdvkAxdI/AAAAAAAAASg/xgWqc350ZWs/s320/C1216Russian+Salad.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">This is a Spanish dish, despite its name. I do not think that Russians know this salad but who knows!<br />You can find Russian Salad in every Spanish bar. It is one of those everyday tapas. When I talk about Spanish bars I should make clear that they are different from what, for example, an American bar is. Spanish bars, the bars I am talking about, are tapas bars. Places where you can drink some beer or some wine and eat some delicious tapas.<br />And one of those tapas is Russian Salad. The typical Spanish bar is not one of those pretentious Tapas Bars you find outside Spain. Anyway, let us prepare some Russian Salad.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Basically a Russian Salad is sort of an American Potato Salad but with more ingredients. You can use fresh vegetables or frozen ones. The frozen vegetable bags you can buy at supermarkets are quite good to start with. None the less I will tell you the ingredients for a fresh Russian Salad.<br /><br />1 cubed boiled potato<br />1 cubed boiled carrot<br />¼ cup cooked corn<br />¼ cup cooked green beans<br />¼ cup cooked butter beans<br />¼ cup green onions<br />¼ cup chopped lettuce<br />2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper<br />2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle<br />1 tablespoon chopped tomato<br />1 teaspoon chopped garlic<br />1 chopped hard-boiled egg<br />1 3-ounce tuna can<br />Some salt<br />Some mayonnaise sauce<br /><br /><br />Those are some ingredients you can use in your Russian Salad. In Spain people always use green peas but I do not use them because my wife does not like them much. In fact I should say that she hates green peas. What a pity! Tomato and beans are not used either. You can add some green olives, celery… You know you are the boss in the kitchen.Preparing Russian Salad is very easy. You just have to boil the vegetables that need to be boiled, that is to say, potatoes, carrots, corn and beans. Of course, if your vegetables are fresh and not frozen, it will take longer. Bear that in mind. The important thing is that all those vegetables are well boiled. Once you have your vegetables ready, drain them and then mix them with the tuna, the egg, the pickle, the red pepper, the green onions, the garlic and the lettuce. Mix well, add some salt to taste and finally mix with some mayonnaise sauce. Do not put too much sauce. We do not want it to be too oily so if this is your first Russian salad, add the mayonnaise little by little. Cool your Russian Salad for some time in the fridge and then it will be ready to eat.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/RUSSIANSALAD#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-839233802765165876?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-8987066771046707452009-03-22T11:08:00.000-07:002010-06-04T07:43:55.011-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ScZ_LxxmkdI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/PKvcKqWmHXQ/s1600-h/C1211TiramisuB.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 247px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316076250474123730" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ScZ_LxxmkdI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/PKvcKqWmHXQ/s320/C1211TiramisuB.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">A delicious dessert. I admit I have not tasted Tiramisu in Italy. I have done it in several countries. They were different but, most of them delicious. You can find Tiramisu turned into cakes or even ice cream. Again, I will show you how to make <em>my</em> Tiramisu. Remember, there are many ways of cooking something. Discover yours.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />8 oz mascarpone cheese (or regular cream cheese)<br />3 oz ladyfingers<br />Some espresso coffee<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 tablespoon cocoa powder<br /><br />Tiramisu should be done with mascarpone cheese but if you cannot find it, regular cream cheese will do, although it will not be same, of course.<br />First, we will take the eggs and separate the white from the yolk. Then, in a bowl we will mix cheese, sugar and yolks. It has to be really creamy. In another bowl we will beat the whites till they are stiff. We will mix then these two bowls. But it is important to try to get a fluffy mixture, so do not mix too much. We will have some coffee ready. I prefer some really strong espresso coffee. Then we will start layering the Tiramisu. We will use a container in which we will put a layer of ladyfingers. Then we will wet the ladyfingers with some coffee. And now a layer of the mixture. Then more ladyfingers and more coffee. Cover with another layer of mixture and finally sprinkle with the cocoa powder. Cover the container and put it in the fridge. It is better to let it cool and it tastes better if you eat your Tiramisu the following day.<br />There is a “but” though. Raw eggs. You have to bear in mind that using raw eggs has a risk. You can use pasteurized eggs if you want. But I am sure of something, you will love Tiramisu. And you can also put some liquor in the coffee. Some rum or whisky, for example. That will give a different touch to your Tiramisu. I also put some chocolate chips along with the cocoa powder. Enjoy.</div><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/TIRAMISU#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-898706677104670745?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-63975541569288541462009-03-17T14:55:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:47:33.217-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ScAdAEHgRMI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Ctx131Z_cCk/s1600-h/C1196Roast+Stuffed+Chicken.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314279447239607490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/ScAdAEHgRMI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Ctx131Z_cCk/s320/C1196Roast+Stuffed+Chicken.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Stuffed Chicken. A classic. I am sure you will know many ways of stuffing a chicken. In this recipe I will use a small chicken, a sort of gallinita or picantón but, of course, you can use a regular chicken or even a turkey. As for the stuffing, what can I say? I will only give you an idea of what you can do. You can stuff your chicken the way you want. Let’s start.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 clean chicken<br /><br />Marinade:<br /><br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 teaspoon chopped parsley<br />1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />1 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon paprika<br />1 teaspoon oregano<br />1 teaspoon turmeric<br />½ teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />½ teaspoon chili powder<br /><br />Stuffing:<br /><br />A jar of assorted mushrooms<br />Some Greek baby eggplants<br />Bread crumbs</div><div align="justify"><br />First we will prepare a marinade. For that, we will mix all the marinade ingredients. We will rub the chicken with part of that marinade and will put it on a greased tray. We will let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes. Then we will stuff the chicken with the mixture we have prepared, in my case, assorted mushrooms, Greek baby eggplants and some bread crumbs. You can also try with artichoke hearts and green and red pepper relish. You know, use the stuffing you wish. Now we will pour the rest of the marinade on the chicken. If you want, you can also put some potato wedges on the tray, rubbed with the same marinade. It is a good idea to cover the chicken legs with foil, so that they do not get cooked too much. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 375ºF for about 60 minutes. If the chicken gets too dry, you can sprinkle some water on the tray, but do not open the oven too often. And when it is ready, serve and enjoy.</div><br /><div align="right">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/ROASTSTUFFEDCHICKEN#slideshow">more pics</a>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6397554156928854146?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-53400207040445924222009-03-12T15:54:00.000-07:002010-03-14T13:57:34.229-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SbmUTiktfSI/AAAAAAAAAMo/iIjATTcZVgM/s1600-h/C1189Goulash.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312440298879417634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SbmUTiktfSI/AAAAAAAAAMo/iIjATTcZVgM/s320/C1189Goulash.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I discovered Goulash when I visited Hungary some years ago. I had heard about it but I had never tasted it. And it was such a discovery for me. I have developed my own Goulash recipe… by now I am sure you will know I am so brave to do this. I just hope Hungarians do not think I am too brave. Let’s cross fingers!<br />My Goulash is a pressure cooker Goulash. It is fast but delicious.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 pound beef chuck<br />1 small chopped onion<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />8 black peppercorns, some whole, some split<br />1 bay leaf<br />1 tablespoon sweet paprika<br />2 large peeled diced potatoes<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 chopped carrot<br />½ cup chopped squash<br />½ chopped green pepper<br />1 chopped seeded red chilli<br />1 teaspoon mixed herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)<br />4 tablespoons tomato sauce<br />Some water<br /><br />First we will cut the beef in cubes. They must not be too large. Then we get all the rest of the ingredients ready. Peel and cut the potatoes, chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, squash, carrot and red chilli. Once you have everything ready, put the oil in the pressure cooker and let it heat a bit. Then season the meat with salt and put it in the cooker. Seal the meat for some minutes stirring the beef. Now you only have to add the rest of the ingredients. Add water so that all the ingredients are covered by it. And then follow the instructions of your cooker. Close the pressure cooker and proceed according to the instructions. Once it is done, open the cooker.What I do now is to remove some liquid and prepare with that a noodle soup in another pan. You just have to add some noodles and let them cook. In this way you will have two dishes, the Goulash noodle soup and the Goulash itself. Maybe it is not too proper for a Goulash but, why not trying? Another option is to prepare some dumplings. For this you will need all the Goulash broth, so you will not be able to make the Goulash noodle soup. You will need one egg, five tablespoons of flour and a bit of salt. Mix this and let it stand for 30 minutes. Then, with the help of a spoon drop the dumplings into the cooker. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes when the dumplings come up to the top. And then, serve it. Close your eyes and imagine being in Hungary on a cold evening enjoying your Goulash.</div><br /><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/GOULASH#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5340020704044592422?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-47452705769347320332009-03-08T13:16:00.000-07:002010-07-12T15:15:26.934-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SbQoeThuFuI/AAAAAAAAALU/FZ8F-koGuS0/s1600-h/C1169Chicken+in+Puff+Pastry2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310914361679550178" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 198px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SbQoeThuFuI/AAAAAAAAALU/FZ8F-koGuS0/s320/C1169Chicken+in+Puff+Pastry2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I remember that when I was a kid I didn’t like puff pastry. That changed when I started using it to cook stuffing it with different ingredients. This recipe is very easy to make. In this recipe I stuff the puff pastry with chicken but you can do it with all kind of meat. I also do it with ground beef, and it is delicious. And, of course, you can use just vegetables.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 small chicken breast<br />1 ready-to-bake puff pastry sheet<br />1 small chopped tomato<br />1 small chopped carrot<br />½ chopped onion<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />2 tablespoons chopped frozen spinach<br />1 cup cubed yellow squash<br />½ cup frozen corn<br />2 tablespoons roasted chopped red pepper<br />¾ cup ricotta cheese<br />3 tablespoons tomato sauce<br />Some spices (thyme, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, salt)<br />Some vegetable oil<br />Some flour<br />Some milk or one beaten egg<br /><br />Thaw the puff pastry sheet following the instructions of the package. Prepare the vegetables and heat a frying-pan with some oil. First put the carrots and the onion in the pan. A bit later add the garlic, the ginger and the chicken, cut in small pieces. Later add the squash, tomato, spinach, corn, red pepper, tomato sauce and spices. When everything is ready, specially the chicken, add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Set aside.<br />We will prepare the puff pastry now. With the help of a rolling pin we will extend the puff pastry on a floury surface, just to make it a bit thinner and softer. Then we will stuff it. Put the pastry on a greased tray and stuff it with the mixture. Close the pastry and brush it with some milk or some beaten egg. Put the tray on a preheated oven to 400ºF for 30 minutes. While the pastry is in the oven, shake the tray a couple of times so that it does not stick to the tray, but do not open the oven much. The pastry will be done when it has a wonderful golden brown colour. Let it cool for some minutes and serve.</div><br /><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHICKENINPUFFPASTRY#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4745270576934732033?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-49636025880227990812009-03-04T04:20:00.000-08:002009-03-04T05:46:36.128-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sa5yqqxBBmI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/jTQYxeKDh6I/s1600-h/C1172Coconut+and+Ginger+Soup3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309307088076342882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/Sa5yqqxBBmI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/jTQYxeKDh6I/s320/C1172Coconut+and+Ginger+Soup3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Don’t you like soup? Healthy stuff not only for the cold winter. I come from a country where soups are very important. We Spaniards normally take two courses in each meal and many times you will find a soup as the first course. Not this soup though.<br />This is one of my favourite soups. Coconut milk and ginger give this soup with a Thai touch its special character. Chicken, some noodles and a bit of cilantro complete the dish.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ cup chopped chicken<br />1 liter water or 1 liter chicken stock, but not too strong<br />½ cup coconut milk<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 teaspoon vegetable oil<br />½ cup chopped mushrooms<br />1 teaspoon chopped cilantro<br />½ teaspoon ground coriander<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />3 tablespoons thin noodles<br />2 tablespoons flake unsweetened coconut<br />1 chopped seeded red chilli<br /><br />You can make the soup with chicken stock or just with water but I do not like a strong stock that could disguise the flavour. Coconut milk and ginger are essential in this recipe. First heat the water or stock in a pan. When it is a bit warm, you can add the chicken and a bit later the coconut milk, the oil, the ginger, the garlic, the mushrooms, the coriander and the salt. Let it cook at a moderate heat and then add the noodles, the dry coconut flakes and the red chilli. When the soup is almost ready, add the chopped cilantro and serve hot. And enjoy the flavour of the coconut milk, the ginger and the garlic. I think I will make it now!</div><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/COCONUTANDGINGERSOUP#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-4963602588022799081?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-35451379344325041372009-03-01T15:22:00.000-08:002009-03-03T13:58:47.759-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SasZQrgo31I/AAAAAAAAABI/CKP3e290Axg/s1600-h/Cut+1177Chicken+Basil.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308364360134483794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SasZQrgo31I/AAAAAAAAABI/CKP3e290Axg/s320/Cut+1177Chicken+Basil.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">My favourite. A dish with a Thai touch that is delicious and that it is very easy to make. It does not matter if you cannot find Thai basil, the regular one will do. You can use dried basil but it will be better if you can find fresh basil. The fish sauce will be easy to find in any Asian store, even in some regular supermarkets. I use lemon grass from a tube; fresh lemon grass is difficult to find. I use ginger but, of course, if you can find Thai galangal, it will be great. First, I will give you the plain recipe. There are some interesting variations, though.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 chicken breasts<br />½ onion<br />1 green pepper<br />½ red pepper<br />1 teaspoon chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 teaspoon brown sugar<br />1 tablespoon lemon grass<br />1 teaspoon fish sauce<br />Some vegetable oil<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 chopped seeded red chilli<br />1 tablespoon basil<br /><br />First, we will prepare the onion and the peppers. We will cut them in not too small pieces. Then, we will do the same with the chicken. We will heat some oil in a wok and put onions and peppers first. When they are a bit done, but not much, we will put the chicken, the red chilli, the garlic and the ginger in the wok. We will cook it for two minutes and then we will add the fish sauce, the salt, the sugar and the lemon grass, stirring continuously until the chicken is golden brown. And the last touch is the basil. We will add it after turning off the fire, mixing it evenly with the chicken and vegetables. Serve hot and enjoy. As I said before, you can also use some variations. You can drop some sesame oil, just a few drops. Or a spoonful of peanuts. It will give the dish a different touch.</div><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHICKENBASIL#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-3545137934432504137?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-50918175060069127492009-02-25T11:19:00.000-08:002010-02-12T09:53:45.252-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SaWay1GT4MI/AAAAAAAAAA0/GYhswjHzOV8/s1600-h/Cut+1649Cheeseburgers.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306817933963681986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SaWay1GT4MI/AAAAAAAAAA0/GYhswjHzOV8/s320/Cut+1649Cheeseburgers.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">Can I show you something about making burgers? I am sure I can’t. Nonetheless I will show you here how I make my own cheeseburgers.<br />I like to make them using ground or chuck beef. The quality of the meat will be very important, of course. And good cheese, I like it sharp.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />½ lb ground or chuck beef, enough for two burgers<br />3 slices sharp cheddar cheese<br />Some sliced onion<br />Some lettuce<br />2 tomato slices<br />Some dill pickle, sliced<br />Salt and pepper<br />2 <a href="http://secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com/2010/02/hamburger-buns.html">hamburger buns</a><br /><br />Divide the meat in two. Cut a slice of cheese in half and fill each portion of meat with that cheese. That will make really creamy burgers. I put the two burgers on a pan and cook them without any oil as the meat has its own fat already. With the help of a spatula I turn them over several times so that the meat is cooked well. Get ready the rest of the ingredients and once the meat is done you can put them in the buns. Then, on top of the burger you put the rest of the ingredients: onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and a bit of salt and pepper.<br />Of course, you can have your own variations. If you like it, you can add some bacon, for example.<br />And finally, you know, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise… The sauce(s) you like, if any. Serve with some fries or chips. It is up to you. Happy burger!</div><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/CHEESEBURGERS#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-5091817506006912749?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-88555548274526245922009-02-22T12:20:00.000-08:002009-03-17T15:03:10.277-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SaG0YXtpbMI/AAAAAAAAAAs/COvV5fedu6U/s1600-h/Cut+1160Jerk+Chicken.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305720166794489026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SaG0YXtpbMI/AAAAAAAAAAs/COvV5fedu6U/s320/Cut+1160Jerk+Chicken.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">A Jamaican treat. A very popular dish originally from the Caribbean but now an almost everyday American recipe. A symphony of flavour.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 chicken breasts<br />¼ cup olive oil<br />½ cup vinegar<br />¼ cup soy sauce<br />½ cup orange juice<br />¼ cup lime juice<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />½ cup chopped onion<br />1 chopped green onion<br />1 chopped red chilli<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />1 tablespoon ground allspice<br />1 tablespoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon ground sage<br />½ teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />½ teaspoon ground cinnamon<br /><br />First I prepare the chicken. I cut it in small pieces but if you want, you can use bigger pieces. This is what I do. I cut the chicken in small pieces and I prepare the marinade. In a container I put all the ingredients, mix well, cover and let it marinate for some hours in the fridge. I would recommend four hours at least.<br />Then I cook the chicken in the oven. I put the chicken on a tray along with some of the marinade, directly in the preheated oven to 400ºF for 30 minutes. Check it a couple of times and pour the rest of the marinade when the chicken is almost done.<br />Of course, if you have the opportunity, you can cook the meat on a grill or barbecue.<br />You can serve it in many ways. This time I cooked some rice with beans and a little salad. A good idea is to serve the chicken in a warm wheat tortilla along with a salad (lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, green olives and corn). Enjoy.</div><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/JERKCHICKEN#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-8855554827452624592?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-66082780950163943502009-02-19T09:01:00.000-08:002009-05-01T08:48:22.181-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SZ2RrgbacRI/AAAAAAAAAAk/bYS86po8Ock/s1600-h/Cut+1236Spanish+Omelette.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304556112737628434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SZ2RrgbacRI/AAAAAAAAAAk/bYS86po8Ock/s320/Cut+1236Spanish+Omelette.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">A simple dish, apparently. Eggs, potatoes and, if you want, some onion. Just that. This dish, <em>tortilla de patata</em> in Spanish, is typical of my country, Spain. You can find it everywhere, in bars, restaurants and of course in every home.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />You can make your omelette with or without onion. When I was a kid I preferred it without onion but now I like it with a bit of onion. It gives the omelette a special taste.<br />To make a small omelette you will need:<br /><br />A quarter of a medium onion (if you decide to put onion in the omelette)<br />3 medium potatoes<br />2-3 eggs<br />Oil (olive oil or some other healthy vegetable oil)<br />A pinch of baking powder<br />A pinch of salt<br />1-2 tablespoons milk<br /><br />It seems a simple dish but believe me, it is not easy to make a <em>tortilla de patata</em>. Beginners will realize soon but I encourage you to try, it is worth it.<br />There are different ways of making a Spanish omelette. I will describe the way I use.<br />First we will chop the onion, if used. Then we will prepare the potatoes. First, pealing them and then cutting them in pieces resembling a quarter of a dollar, but thicker. Some people cut them in bigger slices, others even in cubes. You choose. When I prepare the onions and potatoes, I put the cut pieces on a dish that I will use later to turn the omelette over. It must be a big dish, slightly bigger than the frying pan you will use to cook the omelette. I use a plastic dish, a light but firm one.<br />Well, then we have to fry the onions and potatoes. I use a frying pan that I only use to make Spanish omelette. <em>Tortillas</em> love their pans and don’t like sharing them with other dishes. I don’t use too much oil for frying the onions and potatoes. I don’t want my omelette to be too oily. I prefer to be stirring the pieces of potato so that they fry evenly and don’t get stuck to the pan. You can use olive oil or some other healthy vegetable oil. You choose. Once the onions and potatoes are fried, I remove the frying pan from the stove.<br />Then I beat the eggs, adding baking powder, salt and milk. You must be sure you will have enough to make the omelette evenly.<br />Once you have the eggs ready, put the pan on the stove again, at medium heat, and pour the eggs on the pan over the potatoes. Make sure the eggs are evenly spread.<br />You must be sure the omelette doesn’t get stuck to the pan. I use a wooden spatula to make sure that doesn’t happen, applying it in the outer part of the pan. And something very important, shake the pan, avoid the sticking.<br />Once you think the omelette is a bit done, take the pan out of the stove, and over the sink, just in case, put the plastic dish on the pan and carefully turn it over. You will have the omelette on the dish now. Put it now in the pan again and back to the stove so the other side is cooked. Keep on shaking the pan. I recommend that you turn over the omelette several times; it is the best way of making sure it doesn’t get stuck and it is evenly cooked. Use the spatula in the outer part of the pan to give the omelette a wonderful rounded rim.<br /><br />Some people cook it in a different way. Once they have the fried potatoes and the eggs beaten, they mix it in a bowl and then they pour it in the frying pan, adding oil if necessary. Then they proceed in the same way I have said. You choose; maybe this way is easier for beginners.<br />You can eat the <em>tortilla</em> as a tapa, a little piece on a slice of bread or in a <em>bocadillo</em>, a sandwich made with a baguette. And on a dish, of course. Enjoy.</div><div align="right">**<span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/SPANISHOMELETTE#slideshow">more pics</a></span>**</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-6608278095016394350?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580750935471884820.post-25069814945832378722009-02-16T15:02:00.000-08:002009-07-25T19:07:41.940-07:00<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SZny-a8JVlI/AAAAAAAAAAc/HEI3U3dFHHQ/s1600-h/Cut+1154Pork+Balchao.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303537190402872914" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9-d1VsJW4rY/SZny-a8JVlI/AAAAAAAAAAc/HEI3U3dFHHQ/s320/Cut+1154Pork+Balchao.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">The perfect mixture. That is what Goa is. This is a dish with influences from very different worlds. Pork, vinegar, Indian spices: Goa.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 inch cinnamon stick<br />1-2 dried red chillies<br />3 cloves<br />2 teaspoons cumin seeds<br />4 green cardamom pods (without the pods)<br />8 black peppercorns<br />3 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger<br />1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />1 pound pork, cubed<br />1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />½ cup warm water<br />1 small chopped tomato<br />1 teaspoon ground chilli powder<br />1 small chopped onion<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon sugar<br />2 tablespoons wine vinegar<br /><br />Grind the cinnamon, red chillies, cloves, cumin seeds, cardamom pods and peppercorns in a mortar.<br />Heat half the oil in a wok and add the ginger and garlic. Fry them slightly for half a minute, then add the mortar mix and fry for another half a minute stirring constantly.<br />Then, add the pork and the turmeric and raise the heat a bit. Fry for five minutes stirring regularly.<br />Add the water, tomato, chilli powder and bring to a boil. Cover the wok and cook gently for 20 minutes. Stir from time to time.<br />In another pan, heat the other half of oil and fry the onion till it is golden, stirring regularly.<br />When the onion is almost done, add it to the wok with the pork. Add the salt, the sugar and the vinegar too. After stirring a bit, cover the wok and simmer till the pork is done.<br />It is possible to cook the balchao with more vegetables but I only would add some carrots, finely chopped.<br />Serve the pork balchao with some basmati rice, cooked separately.<br />It is a good idea to prepare this dish in advance. In fact, it tastes better if you eat it the following day. It is safe to keep it in the fridge for several days.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="right"><span style="font-family:arial;">**<a href="http://picasaweb.google.es/flimsysole/PORKBALCHAO#slideshow">more pics</a>**</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6580750935471884820-2506981494583237872?l=secondhelpingsfood.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SECOND HELPINGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246956208318383319noreply@blogger.com2