Shrimp Louie

 

This simple summer dish is so easy to make and so economical. It’s just lettuce, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs and shrimp.  The dressing is three ingredients - Mayo, ketchup and sweet pickle relish.  I like lots of lemon squeezed about the plate, and a sprinkling of sea salt and cracked pepper.  

Spaghetti with Three Cheese Sauce

This is a quick and easy dish that contains ingredients I usually have on hand.  It’s just pasta, tomato sauce, chicken broth, onions and cubes of cheese.  Saute onions in olive oil, add tomato sauce and chicken broth and let it simmer about 10 minutes.  Add cubes of cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.  Toss with cooked pasta and bake.

Mexico

Mexican Soup (Caldo de Papa con Queso)

This recipe popped up on my YouTube recommendations and I knew I had to make it.  It's from Jauja Cocina Mexicana and there are many more recipes I would like to try from this channel.  I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the flavors of Mexico.  Onions and tomatoes are sauteed in a little oil, then garlic and cubed white potatoes are added and cooked for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  Then add salt and pepper, dried Mexican oregano, water, and a few teaspoons of caldo de pollo.  Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.  Just before serving, add 3/4 cup of milk, strips of roasted Anaheim chiles and cubes of queso fresco.

Mexico

Salsa Ranchera

Several weeks ago, baked chicken quarters with a ranchera sauce was served at work and it was so delicious I researched on-line and in my many Mexican food cookbooks and found this recipe.  It's not exactly the same as the one at work but I'm going to try and find the person who made it and get the recipe.  For this salsa, it was just five fresh ingredients and a sprinkling of sea salt.  I roasted Roma tomatoes cut in large chunks, along with chunks of onion, a few garlic cloves and a whole chili serrano.  All of the vegetables are lightly coated in vegetable oil then roasted in a skillet on top of the stove.  After 10 minutes or so, once they're lightly charred, they're put in a blended and whizzed with a little sea salt and lime juice.  This was very flavorful and can be used for Huevos Rancheros or for tortilla chips and salsa. 

Italy

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Spain

Spain (Tapas)

I recently had a few friends over for tapas on the patio while the weather is so perfect for sitting outside.  I served tortilla espanola, a ham and cheese platter with various Spanish cheeses, beets with feta and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, roasted red pepper spread made with garlic, capers, lemon juice (picked fresh from the neighborhood), and fresh parsley, and cherry peppers stuffed with cream and feta cheeses.

Italy

Italy (#1) Chicken Marsala

I have often ordered this dish at Italian restaurants but this is the first time I've made it at home.  It was fairly easy to make and was just as good as what I've had out for dinner.  There are just a few main ingredients - chicken cutlets, marsala wine, cream, mushrooms and onions or shallots.  I added a pinch of dried tarragon.  The cutlets are sauteed in olive oil and butter then removed from the pan and set aside.  The mushrooms and onions/shallots are sauteed in the same pan until they're softened then equal parts of chicken broth, cream and wine are added and simmered until the sauce is reduced.  Add the chicken back to the pan and cook a few more minutes.  I served this over thin spaghetti.

France

France (#3) Saumon au Beurre Blanc

Beurre blanc is a classic French butter sauce that is wonderful drizzled over pan-seared salmon.  The basic recipe lends itself well to herbs and for mine I added fresh dill which is perhaps my favorite herb.  Shallots are finely chopped and cooked in butter then removed from the pan.  White wine and lemon juice is then added to the pan and reduced down for about 5-6 minutes. The shallots are added, then cold pats of butter are added one by one until each is melted and the sauce is emulsified.  Add chopped dill and drizzle over prepared salmon and rice.

Italy

Italy (#2) Italian Wedding Soup

The term "wedding soup" or "minestra maritata" in Italian, means "married soup" which refers to the marriage between greens and meat.  I searched for recipes online and in my cookbooks but the one I settled on and have made many times came from the back of the box of Acini di Pepe, the little pearls of pasta that is used for the soup.  Onions, carrots, celery and garlic are sauteed in olive oil until softened.  Four cups of chicken broth is added and brought to a boil.  In a separate pan, sweet Italian sausage is crumbled and cooked in a little olive oil for a few minutes.  Add spinach, the Acini di Pepe and the sausage to the broth and simmer for several minutes.  I have also made this with different greens such as a Chinese green called gai-lan, and other vegetables such as zucchini and red peppers.  This is excellent the next day when the broth is absorbed and the soup thickens.  I served it with a fried egg on top, which is my new favorite thing to do. 

France

France (#1) Salmon Scaloppine with Mustard Sauce

I had never heard of salmon cooked scaloppine style until I saw Jacque Pepin prepare it this way on his wonderful "Heart and Soul" show.  He made it with a sorrel sauce but I discovered Chef Jean-Pierre's You Tube channel and found it cooked with a mustard sauce that I decided to make.  I bought a half pound filet of salmon and asked the butcher to cut it in four equal pieces.  He seemed a little confused that it was being cut so thin until I told him I would be cooking it on it's side scaloppine style instead of skin side down which would have been impossible since it's so thin.  He said, "Hmm, I'll have to give that I try." The sauce is made by sauteing shallots in olive oil, then adding chopped ginger and scallions.  Deglaze with white wine then add a touch of chicken broth and cream (I used half and half), salt and pepper, a grainy Dijon mustard and a pat of butter.  The salmon is cooked in a little oil for about a minute on each side.  It's very thin so it's important not to overcook it.  Served it with the sauce drizzled over the top.

Jamaica

Jamaica (#26) Jamaican Patties

I love these savory baked pastries and they're so easy to make.  There are many different ways to make Jamaican patties just by changing the spices.  This recipe uses a combination of curry powder and thyme, but a mixture of allspice and paprika can also be used.  I sauteed diced onions then added ground beef and cooked until brown.  I sprinkled a little curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper on the mixture then added some beef broth, bread crumbs and some Pickapeppa sauce.  I cut circles in a pie crust and stuffed them with the patty mixture then folded them over and brushed egg wash over the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  I added a little sprinkling of Pickapeppa with each bite. 
Delicious!

Japan

Japan (#25) Yakitori (Skewered Chicken Thighs and Scallions)

I've been exploring Japanese food a lot and with all the things I want to make, I should probably start a separate blog.  Yakitori literally means skewered food, and there are many different yakitori dishes - for example, negima is chicken thighs and scallions, tebasaki is chicken wings and chicken liver is reba.  The chicken pieces and scallions are skewered and broiled for six minutes then brushed with a mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, water and brown sugar that has been simmered for about a half hour.  The chicken skewers are cooked for another 5-6 minutes and drizzled with remaining soy sauce mixture before serving.  I served this with sticky rice sprinkled with Japanese sea salt and black sesame seeds.  This recipe is from San Francised based Japanese cook, Nami's website and You Tube channel Just One Cookbook. 
https://www.justonecookbook.com/yakitori/

Korea

Korea (#24) Sticky Honey Garlic Wings and Sticky White Rice

There are a lot of recipes for Asian-style wings but this one appealed to me because of the chili serrano peppers.  I found the recipe on popular Korean You Tuber Seongkyoung Longest's channel called "Asian at Home".  The wings are marinated in a mixture of mirin, grated ginger and grated garlic for about two hours.  After marinating, they're broiled for about 15-20 minutes on each side then tossed in a mixture of soy sauce and honey that has been brought to a boil and cooked for a minute or two with slices of garlic and serranos.  I served this with Annie Chun's sticky white rice from Sprouts which takes just one minute to make in the microwave. 

Peru

Peru (#23) Pollo a la Brasa (Roast Chicken)

According to a favorite website of mine "The Spruce", this Peruvian dish has become popular on the east coast.  In Peru, it's almost always found on restaurant menus and is one of the countries most popular dishes.  Traditionally, a whole chicken is marinated and cooked on an open flame.  The secret to this recipe is marinating it for a minimum of two hours or up to 24 hours.  The marinade is a mixture of oil, lime juice, soy sauce, oregano, cumin, paprika, sugar, fresh garlic, and salt and pepper.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and wingettes.  After marinating, the chicken is baked at 350 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes.  The chicken was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I served it with a butter and garlic rice cooked in chicken broth.

Japan

Japan (#22) Miso Glazed Salmon

I saw this recipe on Jacque Pepin's Heart and Soul cooking show and decided to make it.  I researched other versions of the recipe and settled on one from one of my new favorite websites called "Just One Cookbook".  The salmon is marinated in a mixture of miso paste, sake, mirin, soy sauce and sesame oil for about an hour then broiled for about 10 minutes.  I served it over sticky white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and sea salt.  This was easy, healthy, inexpensive and delicious.  There was a leftover piece of salmon which I'll use for onigirazu for an easy, healthy lunch.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/miso-salmon/

Onigirazu is popular in Japanese bento lunch boxes.  They're easy to make and the fillings are endless. 

Belize

Belize (#21) Johnny Cakes

I love biscuits so I when I stumbled across this recipe I knew I had to make it.  Johnny cakes were originially called Journey Cakes because they were a staple for travel and stay good for weeks.  In Belize they are a breakfast staple and eaten as a sandwich with ham and cheese, or served warm and drenched in butter and honey.  There are just a few simple ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter and coconut milk.  The dough is mixed and then balls are formed and flattened on a baking sheet, then pricked with a fork and baked for 30 minutes or so. 

France

France (#20) Petits Farcis (Little Stuffed Vegetables)

Japan

Japan (#19) Karaage (Fried Chicken)

Japan is well-known for Tempura but not so well-known for a technique of frying called Karaage.  Kaarage is popular in Japanese bars, supermarket delis and for take-out.   It's so easy to make and so delicious.  I used chicken breast tenders although most of the cooks I found on YouTube used chicken thighs.  The chicken is cut into one-inch pieces and marinated in a mixture of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil and sugar for about two hours.   When I was ready to fry the chicken, I mixed it with corn starch (potato starch can also be used).  I heated about an inch of canola oil in a cast iron skillet and set the timer for 90 seconds.  After one minute I turned the chicken and cooked it for 30 seconds more.  The result is crispy, golden delicious bits of juicy chicken.  I served it on a bed of coconut rice that was made from a packet that I found at House of Rice, my local Asian store.

Korea

Korea (#18) Street Toast

Coming soon!

Mexico

Mexico (#17) Migas (Eggs and Tortillas)

Migas in Spanish means "crumbs".  According to Wikipedia, it originated in Spain and  Portugal and is often found on menus for lunch and dinner.  In Mexican kitchens it's typically eaten for breakfast.  There are substantial differences in the Spanish version, specifically leftover bread or tortas are used versus using corn tortillas for the Mexican version.  This was so easy, in less than 15 minutes breakfast was on the table.  I cut three tortillas into one inch squares (approximately) and fried them in a little oil until they were crispy.  In a separate pan I cooked 1/2 chili serrano (finely chopped), 1/4 onion and one Roma tomato (both in a large dice), in a little oil until everything was slightly softened.   I added two whisked eggs to the tortillas and cooked a minute or so until they were fully cooked, then added the chili mixture and tossed it all together.  I sprinkled a little cotija cheese and Tapatio sauce on top for an authentic Mexican breakfast.