Heat Wave

Oh summer how I dread thee! This heat is just getting more and more out of this world each year... Tomorrow is a very important holiday but it is bittersweet for me personally. We arrived to the United States on July 4th 1992 with hopes of starting a new life. Unfortunately, our plans took a drastic turn one month later when hurricane Andrew hit Miami and we lost our home. 20 years later, we are not only on our feet but with a successful business and simply blessed with many wonderful accomplishments. It is almost hard to look back and realize all that has happened since, and how life throws many obstacles your way without mercy. The best part about such a bumpy ride are all the lessons learned and the hope for a better tomorrow.

With that said...what better way to celebrate than make a kick ass easy potato salad. This one is a crowd pleaser which I will be making soon for 70 wonderful nurses, doctors and staff from Miami Children's Hospital. Don't be afraid to tweak the ingredients, I guarantee that it will come out amazing.

 Red potato salad

What you need:

5-6 red potatoes, washed and cubed with skin on
1/3 C of bacon bits
1/2 C of Italian dressing
1/3 C of mayonnaise
1 C of sweet corn
4 Slices of ham chopped
1 C of shredded mozzarella
1 C of shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper

How to make:

Pre heat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil potatoes for about 6 minutes with salt and place in oven safe container. Pour half of the Italian dressing over the potatoes. Add the corn, ham, and cheese and toss. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes until cheese melts and the potatoes feel soft when poked with a fork. Remove from heat and set aside. Mix the mayo with the other half of the Italian dressing and add a little cracked black pepper. Pour this over the potatoes and toss one last time. You can serve this hot or cold.

Tips: you can add shredded chicken or any other veggies you want. If you are going to pack this salad for a BBQ or picnic, wait until arrival to mix in the mayo and keep it cold.


~Enjoy!

Summer Lovin'

So now that summer has officially started, it is time to get the grill out and get creative! Of course that is if the rain permits it since here in Miami the word rain goes hand in hand with summer... A lot of people stick to the usual grilling of meats, chicken and veggies but there is so much more you can do. One of my favorites is grilled fruit and trust me when I tell you, nothing beats like that little char taste on a sweet juicy piece of peach or pineapple. It is ALWAYS about trying something new!

Here are some tips to keep in mind when getting ready to grill:
1. When using wooden skewers make sure to soak them for at least 20 mins so that they do not burn
2. Use tongs to turn meats, never forks! Those cause yummy juices to get out
3. Do NOT turn food too often, allow it to cook on each side slowly. Turning can cause breakdown and     loss of flavor
4. Make sure you pre heat the grill, otherwise food will stick
5. Be safe! Make sure you have sand, water, fire extinguisher at hand and that you are on stable ground
6. When you take the meat off the grill do NOT cut it right away, let it rest so the juices don't run
7. Make sure you clean the grate with a sturdy grill brush, do this right after you are done
    cooking otherwise it will be harder when it gets cold
8. Invest in a thermometer, this is the ONLY way to safely know if the food is safe and ready
9. Oil the grate before grilling with a vegetable oil soaked paper towel to avoid sticking
10. To add extra flavor to fruits, add cinnamon, sugar, and or melted butter

OK...so now on to the good stuff. Here is a very easy side dish that can wow crowds at your next grilling party. Please note- if you are allergic to nuts simple skip them.

Mango and Peanut Cole Slaw

What you need:

3/4 C of Mayo
2-3 Tbsp of Italian Dressing
1 (14 Oz) packet of plain coleslaw
1 Mango, cubed
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped
1/4 C Red onion, chopped
1/4 C Dry Roasted Peanuts
Juice of 1 Lime

How to Make:

Mix mayo and dressing in a large salad bowl. Add all the ingredients except the peanuts and lime and mix well. Place in fridge for 1 hour. Top with peanuts, and lime juice. Easy right???

~Enjoy!

I dig the smiles...

Life is made of thousands of little moments and a few gigantic life changing moments. The trick is to not only to remember those big ones, but to embrace and truly welcome the little ones. A simple "hello" towards the person in front of you in a line, or a "good morning" in an elevator full of people in dead silence, listening to a baby laugh, or simply sitting in silence outside on the grass and watching the clouds pass you by... all those I guarantee can make you feel fuzzy inside, and help you put some perspective into your life.

The reality is that we live in a fast paced world, and we let certain situations get the best of us when it should be the other way around. With that said, I am on a mission and I ask that you join me. Start with small goals like smiling at a stranger, or waking up and giving thanks for yet another day of life. Then move on to bigger and better goals.

In the meantime...Here is a simple and super yummy quick salmon recipe. You can serve it with any vegetable and pasta or rice...or roasted potatoes.


What you need:
1 Lb of salmon, cubed about 1 inch thick
2 Tbsp of water
2 Tbsp of low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp of freshly grated ginger
2 Tsp of toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1 Tbs of pistachio nuts, chopped.                 

How to make:

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place fish in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.
For marinade, in a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, ginger, and the sesame oil. Pour marinade over salmon chunks in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat salmon. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally. (if you do not have sesame oil, you can sub for vegetable oil).
Drain salmon, discarding marinade. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the salmon chunks to skillet; allow to cook at least 2 minutes and gently turn only once for another 2-3 mins. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels. Do the same with the rest of the salmon.Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.

A leap of faith!

Ever wonder why you are on this Earth?? Well for some reason that happens to me more often than normal and I cannot seem to figure out the answer. So instead of wasting time pondering I have decided to just find those things that fufill me as a person and just do them. No questions asked. I encourage you all to do the same, because if we live in the "what if?" instead of "doing now" then when we least expect it, life will be done and over with. No regrets allowed! Only...lessons learned.

For todays recipe I picked something that I fell in love with many years ago. I have made several versions of this, and I have tried the real thing during my trip to the UK but I can honestly say that this one is by far the most finger lickin'-seconds pls- version yet. I hope you try to make it, and share it with others at a pot luck or your next family dinner. Let me know how it goes!

Shepherd’s pie with a twist

What you will need:

2 Lbs ground beef, cooked and chopped in a food processor

1 Can sweet corn

1 Can red kidney beans

3 sliced and fried green plantains

Mashed potatoes: make enough for 6, add ½ cup parmesan cheese

1 Cup parmesan cheese (divided in half)

1 Cup of mozzarella cheese

½ Cup of Ketchup

½ Cup of Honey BBQ sauce

Salt & pepper

Sazon tropical (Badia brand)

½ Tsp Cumin

EVOO & butter

Guizo (tomato and onions, almost liquefied in a food processor)

How to make:

In a large pot on med high heat add 1 tblsp of evoo, and 1 tblsp of butter. When it begins to sizzle, add 3 good tblsp of guizo and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the ground beef and in no particular order add the following: corn, beans, ketchup, bbq sauce, ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp of salt and pepper, 1 tbsp of sazon tropical. Mix everything well and cook about 5 minutes. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning. If you want it stronger in flavor you can add more cumin or sazon tropical but be careful because it can end up salty.

In an oven safe pan (like one you would use for lasagna) build your pie in the following order: first layer will be of the sliced fried green plantains. Scatter them evenly to coat the bottom. Then put the ground beef mixture evenly covering all the plantains. Third layer is the mashed potato, and lastly top with plenty of mozzarella cheese and a touch of parmesan for added flavor.

Place in oven to broil long enough to make the cheese turn golden brown.

Pasta for any night.

Some people dig rice...some people are all about pasta...some are anti carbs. Well in this house we like everything! From liver to salmon, to pork, and tripe; just like Andrew Zimmerman says: If it looks good, eat it! I think that is pretty reasonable, however I know a lot of people who think otherwise and that is perfectly fine. Not all stomachs were made to tolerate the many wonderful things the world has got to offer. But like I always tell those hesitant people I love...just try it. You just might be missing out on something totally delightful.

Lately in my house, we have been having more pasta than usual due a visitor who is staying with us for a little while. Today I made a simple and quick pasta recipe that I will guarantee to not only be a hit, but you all probably have all the ingredients already. You would be surprised how easy you can put a recipe together that does not need to have out weird ingredients.

What you will need:

16 Oz of cooked penne pasta
3/4 C of plain ragu red spaghetti sauce
1 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 C ketchup
1/2 C of chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C of chopped green bell pepper
1/3 C peas
1 cube of chicken bouillon
1/2 Lb of ground beef (cook in water first to get rid of grease, and grind in a food processor)
1 Tsp of oregano
3 Tbsp of guizo (in a food processor grind 1 small tomato and 1 small onion, this is the basis of a lot of my recipes)
EVOO
Salt and Pepper

How to make:

In a large pot drizzle about 1 Tbsp of evoo, the tomato and onion mix, the chicken bouillon and the peppers. Allow them to sweat on high heat for a few minutes. *When you hear them sizzle you are good to go! Add the meat, ragu sauce, ketchup, Parmesan cheese and the oregano. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pasta and the peas. Combine everything well and take off heat so that it does not dry up before serving. Taste...add salt and pepper if needed. Should it not be cheesy of saucy enough, add more Parmesan or even some mozzarella and a touch of milk.

~Enjoy!

Leap Year!

Ah yes! What better day to blog than today. There is one tradition of this extra day that a lot of people got to know when the movie Lear Year came out. On this very special day in some countries like Ireland, Britain, Finland and Denmark women propose marriage to their significant others in hopes to have a "happily ever after" story to tell. Not in Greece though...apparently it is bad luck to marry on this day and many engaged couples are very careful to not pick this particular day for their wedding. Whether you believe or not, all I know is that a day like today deserves something sweet and yummy. 

As some of you who follow my blog know, I bake for American soldiers once a month. Last round, I had a wonderful co-worker and friend help me out and thanks to a small mistake in ingredients we ended up with a great recipe for rum raisin spiced cookies. Even though it may seem like a lot of ingredients, these are super easy to make and will for sure tingle your taste buds. So baking my friends!

What you will need:

2 C quick cook oats
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 C (2 sticks) sweet butter
1 C sugar
1 C light brown sugar
1 C raisins
2 eggs
1/2 C rum

How to make:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the raisins in a cup with the rum and set aside.
Combine the oats, raisins, flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugars until smooth. Add to this mixture the eggs. Beat until blended. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter about 1 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure they bake evenly. Allow to cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream or hot chocolate.

~Enjoy!