January 29th, 2012
A Greek Moussaka is similar to an Italian lasagna. There are different variations of moussaka. Mine is from a recipe I got in 2004. No potatoes are used in this recipe. You can use beef or lamb. I wanted lamb but, of course, could not find it at my Giant; ground beef was then used.
I also decided not to peel the eggplants. I picked eggplants that were medium size. The flour I used was rice flour because I needed to make this recipe gluten free.
My Greek Moussaka is comfort food and great for Sunday meals.
Greek Moussaka
3 eggplants
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour (rice flour if making it gluten free)
3 eggs
a few dashes of Tabasco
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs. of either ground beef or ground lamb
8 ounces Tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon oregano
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (More if you love mint.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (I shredded my own to make sure it was gluten free.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (Again, I shredded my own.)
1 cup bread crumbs (I bought gluten free ones.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice eggplants 2/3 inch thick and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
White Sauce:
Heat milk in a separate saucepan. Melt butter and mix in flour, whisk and cook for 2-3 minutes to release flour taste. Add to heated milk, stir. Set aside.
Beat eggs until frothy and add to the warm milk, stir. Heat again, but do not boil. Whisk in nutmeg and Tabasco. Remove from heat.
Red Sauce:
In a frying pan add Olive oil, garlic and onion. Saute until tender, then, add beef or lamb and cook breaking into small pieces until meat is done. Add tomato juice, cinnamon, oregano and mint. Set aside.
Dredge eggplants in flour and sear on each side in olive oil.
In a casserole dish layer eggplant slices, then meat mixture, white sauce, cheese, and bread crumbs. Repeat until dish is filled. The last layer being the eggplant topped with white sauce, cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes. I decided to use my convection oven and it took about the same time. You want it to have a nice crusty top.
Slice, enjoy, add a salad or vegetable, and remember to make it your own.
Have a good one!!
January 11th, 2012
I had cut out this paella recipe, knowing that it was going to have to be adapted to our way of eating. It was healthy and a bit different, using barley instead of rice. Barley was out of the question, my husband having a gluten allergy. And rice? Well, I was a little bored with it.
Something new to try was Quinoa. It is a grain as ancient as the Incas. They thought this grain was sacred. It is known as “the mother of all grains”. It has the best amino acid profile of all grain. It is gluten free, healthy for your heart, a whole grain, low in sodium and rich in fiber. It is as versatile as rice. It resembles couscous; smaller than barley.
A Paella is a Spanish dish, cooked in a paellera. Well, I did not have one. A large pan would have to do. Some are Paella Valenciana, Paella de Mariscos and the Paella Mixta. Boy, mine was going to be, definitely, different. There are hundreds of ways to cook one and everyone has their favorite.
This was the first time I had used this recipe and I found it to be very good. The paella ended up being more wet than a traditional paella. Hope you like it.
Shrimp Paella with a Twist
1 1/2 cups Quinoa
3 or 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 cup yellow pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 small fennel bulb, stalks removed and cut into strips (1 1/2 cups)
 Fennel 3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 pinch of saffron (This is the world’s most expensive spice. Only a pinch is needed to add aroma, flavor, and color. You can find it at most grocery stores.)
2 1/12 cups of hot vegetable stock (I bought reduced sodium)
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 lb. shelled large shrimp (about 17 shrimp) I decided to used the medium size shrimp and added about 20 shrimp or so to the pan.
1 cup peas, fresh, canned or frozen
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 can artichokes, drained and quatered, marinate them in 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing. I used Wishbone, gluten free. Or, you can buy already marinated artichokes, drain and quarter them.
20 pitted Kalamata olives, halved.
Cook the Quinoa per directions. Does not take long. Fluff and keep aside. Keep enough Quinoa to sprinkle over the dish when serving.
Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and cook onion until softened; 5 minutes or so.
Add peppers and fennel. Cook until vegetables soften. Another 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add bay leaves, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne. Mix in Quinoa and cook for 2 minutes. Add vinegar, saffron, 2 cups of the stock and salt. Bring to a nice simmer.
Stir and cook until liquid reduces by half. It won’t reduce completely. This might take about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Stir in shrimp, peas, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and remaining 1/4 cup of stock. Simmer for about 2 or 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover tightly and let it rest for about 10 minutes until shrimp are just cooked through.
Serve, sprinkle with extra Quinoa and enjoy. It has a nice kick to it, don’t you think?
Note: This recipe is gluten free as I prepared it. If you want to use rice, then, be my guest. But, if you decide to use the barley, the recipe will not be gluten free.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later…
December 22nd, 2011
Some wanted chicken breasts and other wanted chicken thighs; everyone got what they wanted. This recipe comes courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are so easy and always delicious.
I made it my own, as I usually do. A combination of chicken parts; a little bit of this and not too much of that.
Lemon Chicken
1/2 cup of olive oil
5 or 6 tablespoons of minced garlic
2/3 cup of dry white wine
4 tablespoons grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
chicken (I got a combination; 4 breasts with ribs and skin and 4 thighs)
2 lemons
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute, but do not allow the garlic to brown.
Take it off the heat and add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt (optional). Pour into a baking dish.
Pat the chicken dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemons in wedges and tuck them among the pieces of chicken.
Bake for 1 hour, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin has browned. Baste it a few times while cooking. If the chicken has not brown enough, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, which is what I did.
Serve the chicken with a vegetable. I chose sauteed spinach. Rice with toasted pine nuts is a great addition. Make sure you serve plenty of pan juices.
Note: To toast the pine nuts just place them on a low heat, dry skillet; watch it so they don’t burn.
All you have to do is enjoy it. This dish looks good, it is so easy, and perfect for a large crowd.
December 17th, 2011
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert that uses Ladyfingers dipped in coffee. The layers in between are filled with a mixture of whipped eggs, mascarpone cheese, a little liquor and a sprinkle of cocoa on top.
My goodness, there are so many varieties!! I like the traditional one the best. Some still follow the classics; others have evolved from those methods and have different additions.
For the person that has to eat gluten free, then there is the question of the ladyfingers. No way.
Gluten intolerance or sensitivity is one of the most common conditions at present. Celiac disease is an allergy. Both have to approach food in a very different way. No wheat or its derivatives.
Adhering to a gluten free diet is the only way to go and the only remedy. Once the diet is started the results are amazing; you start feeling so much better; tests results will show that, as well.
The most important thing to know is that it is not a fad diet. People with no gluten issues that follow the gluten free diet do feel better; I do.
Some time ago I found a company called Schar. It is from Europe. Their gluten free products are fantastic. You can find these products at Giant in Rehoboth Beach. I am sure you can also find them in nature stores, as well.
They do make ladyfingers that are gluten free. In the back of the box there was a recipe for Tiramisu. Ha…finally!!
This recipe is so easy. No cooking is necessary. At this time of the year, it can be made ahead of time. Everyone will love it.
Sweet endings; dessert. It is the final chapter of a meal…I love a good ending.
I always change a recipe, making it my own. In the ingredients on the box it said 3 egg yolks. But, in the preparation it said 4 eggs. I figured it was a typo and just used the 3 egg yolks.
Another ingredient I changed a bit was the sugar. Instead of 4 tablespoons, I only used 3.
It said to use rum but I used white wine. There are gluten free rums; I just did not have any in the house.
The glass container could have been a bit larger. I had some of the mascarpone mixture overflowing,
Other than that, it was really good.
Tiramisu
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons of sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons white wine
A whole package of Schar Ladyfingers
1 cup of brewed espresso or coffee
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Beat the egg yolks with sugar; then add the mascarpone cheese and the wine.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the mixture.
Dip ladyfingers in the coffee. Arrange them closely together in a flat glass or ceramic dish.
Cover them with half of the mascarpone mixture, then add another layer of ladyfingers and top with another layer of the mascarpone mixture.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 4 – 6 hours.
It makes about 6 servings.
A little tricky cutting it but it is very delicious and light…..well it does have plenty of calories.
Note: Schar’s Ladyfingers are not quite as big as regular ones. If you want to buy 2 packages, do so and add a few more. I just used one package, though.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later. You can find Schar and AboutMyBeaches on Facebook.
December 8th, 2011
Every time I make this recipe I get those “ooohs and aaahs” you want to hear. It is, actually, pretty good. For lunch? For dinner? You decide.
It is really a healthy recipe; light and ready in no time. Great for a crowd; you can double it, or for just a few.
Hope you like it. Here it goes:
Asian Chicken Slaw
1 cup low calorie sesame-ginger salad dressing (I used Wish-Bone’s Light Asian with Sesame & Ginger Vinaigrette)
1 lb. chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 can (14.5 ounces) Mandarin oranges
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, sliced
1 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
2 bunches scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 bag (16 ounces) cole slaw mix
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Combine 1/2 cup of the dressing with the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Let it stand for about 20 minutes.
Toast almonds in a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Watch them so they don’t burn. You want to obtain a light brown color.
Remove chicken from marinade and add to that same skillet or use another one. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is nicely done, turning a few times. It might take about 7 minutes or so. You want it cooked through. Then, cut into bite-size pieces.
Drain Mandarin oranges, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Whisk juice into remaining 1/2 cup salad dressing.
In a large salad bowl, toss cabbage, sugar snap peas, basil, scallions, cole slaw mix, salt, pepper and chicken with dressing.
Add Mandarin oranges and almonds; gently stir to distribute well. Serve and enjoy.
If you would like more dressing…then you know what to do….yes, make it your own…..talk to you later….
October 30th, 2011
The word “curry” is an anglicised version of the “Tamil” word “kari”, which means sauce.
Tamil is the official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore. It is also one of the 22 languages of India. In 2004 it was declared “a classical language” by the Indian government.
I have had this recipe for a long time; courtesy of my mother in law, Louise, who is an accomplished cook. You know how I am, I change recipes all the time and this one is one that is probably going to be changed by anyone that makes it.
From mild to spicy, there are so many types of curry. I am sure you will find the one you’ll love.
I have bought loose curry powder from Indian shops and to me those are the best. Otherwise, I just buy directly from my grocery store. The one bought at your favorite grocery store is yellow in color and that comes from ground turmeric and ground coriander seed. Other ground spices like chilies, cloves, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, mustard, fennel seeds, cardamon are included in the mix.
What I love about curry is that is so colorful. The condiments adding a specific taste to each bite.
The other night I was in the mood for this “comfort” food. If you like curry, this will be easy for you to make. And, if you don’t , then you might have to skip this post.
Chicken Curry
4 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)
5 tablespoons of margarine or butter
1/2 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten free flour)
3 tablespoons curry powder (hot or mild and a bit more, if you want to)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (optional, but not for me)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and simmer a minute or two.
Stir in flour, curry powder, salt, pepper, ginger and sugar. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Cook slowly, stiring until thickened.
Stir in the chicken. Heat it up slowly, again. Then, keep it on low while you assemble the condiments.
Basically, the condiments could be anything you have in the kitchen: chopped peanuts, raisins, sliced bananas, mango, chopped eggs, chopped sweet pickle, currants.
I chose pineapple chunks which I grilled on the stove. I love coconut with curry, so I spreaded shredded coconut on a cookie sheet and browned it in a 350 degree oven. Just watch it; you don’t want it to burn. Crumbled bacon, love the combination with the rest of the condiments. Raisins and dried cranberries, tomato chunks, and chopped onions. My favorite condiment? Mango chutney.
Even though any long grain rice will do; the best would be an aromatic rice.
Serve the curry on the rice and pass the condiments around.
Note: Even though I used chicken, you can make this dish with 2 to 3 lbs. of shrimp and adjust accordingly.
Also, some info. for this post was taken from Wikipedia.
Enjoy!! Make it your own and…. Have a good day!! Talk to you later…
October 23rd, 2011
What are you talking about? No apples or prunes? No olives or raisins? Hahaha…You really can use all those if you really wanted to make it your own.
This pork roast was interesting to make. It was easy, if you find the ingredients…if not, that’s when you can also give it your own take on it. Just like I did.
Last year I bought a cookbook in Boulder, Colorado called Isabel’s Cantina by Isabel Cruz. She uses in her cooking bold ingredients like mangoes, limes, chiles, mint, ginger, cilantro, and guava. You better believe it that her cooking will never be bland.
Isabel has about 5 restaurants along the West Coast. When I saw that she had 2 of her restaurants in San Diego, I purchased the book so that I could tell my mother in law, who lives in San Diego to check them out. One of her restaurants is called Isabel’s Cantina in La Jolla and the other is Seaside Cantina in San Diego.
Two key ingredients in this pork roast are the pineapple and guava. Easy to find the pineapple, not so trying to find the guava paste to make the sauce in Rehoboth Beach. I have seen it, but of course, that day it was nowhere to be found at Giant.
I found guava fruit spread; that will do for now.
When I bought the pork loin I forgot that there were 2 in the package. It really would have been best to get one bigger roast.
The recipe uses pineapple chunks. When I make this recipe again, I will either cut those chunks in smaller pieces or even attempt crushed pienapple. Don’t know yet.
Anyway, here it goes.
Pork Roast Stuffed with Pineapple and a Drizzle of Guava Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil (depending on the size of the roast, I used 1/4 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
one 4 lb. boneless pork loin roast (I already told you what happened)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (again depending on the size of the roast, I used 1/2 of that.
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
one 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained (depending on the size of the roast; did not even use half of that)
raisins, dried cranberries (my own take)
Guava Sauce; I will tell you in a bit what I did when I get to that part of the recipe.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the olive oil and garlic
If you want trim the excess fat from the pork loin.
Then, split the loin in half lengthwise; but don’t cut all the way through to the other side. Open the loin and spread half of the olive oil mixture on top, and sprinkle with half of the oregano. Season with salt and pepper, optional.
Put the pineapple chunks on the bottom of the roast. This is when I added my own take on this roast. Get some raisins and dried cranberries and fill betweeen the pineapple chunks. This is when I mentioned above that I could change this a bit to make it then easier to tie. The dried cranberries and raisins complement the pineapple so well; plus added a festive color to the dish.
Tie the roast with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals; tricky but doable. Spread the remaining oil mixture and the remaining oregano. If you want to add more salt and pepper, then you know what to do.
Tying the roast: The thinner end of the roast I folded up and tied it so that it would not get overcooked.
Put the roast in a roasting pan. I put it on a glass pan and transferred to the oven. Roast the pork in the oven for 30 minutes.
Guava Sauce
I remember growing up in Puerto Rico when guavas were found in everyone’s yard. That, I hear, is a thing of the past. It is very hard to find. The paste can be found in Latin markets, though.
1/3 cup cubed guava paste (I used almost the whole jar of the guava fruit spread)
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
A sprinkle of Kosher salt
A sprinkle of red pepper flakes to give it an extra kick (optional)
If you are using the paste then you need to melt it by combining the guava paste with 2/3 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it has dissolved, add the olive oil, white wine and salt. Simmer for a couple of minutes, whisking to combine the ingredients. Let it cool.
You know, I did not do any of that. I just whisked the above ingredient into the guava preserve and even added a tablespoon of orange juice. No cooking was necessary.
After the pork has been cooking for 30 minutes, take it out and drizzle it with the guava sauce. I used all of it.
Put it back in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees in the center.
Take it out; let it rest, cut the pork into 1/4 inch slices, serve with the guava sauce drippings and add your own side dishes.
My family wanted wild rice and asparagus with my homemade mayo.
This dish is certainly worth making again. I hope you try it and make it your own…..talk to you later…
Note: The recipe, as I made it, was gluten free. You need to check all ingredients and guava, to make sure it is. If it does not say it on the package you can access the company’s website.
October 12th, 2011
 Last year's nature turning on the color. It is that time of the year…I love it!! I cannot wait for the leaves to change and show those magnificent colors like last year. Awesome was the word.
The pumpkins are gorgeous. Have you seen all the roadside markets? Even though they have said it is not a good year for pumpkins, the ones that are out are very nice; all kinds of shapes, colors and sizes.
If you go on the left hand side of my website, AboutMyBeaches, you should click on the month of October, 2009 and then, scroll down to the 6th. You will find 3 recipes using pumpkins. Good for a stay home dinner, football nights or just dessert.
One one them was Pumpkin Bars. It is a great recipe. My problem? That in my household there is someone that has to eat gluten free. The recipe used a Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix for the bars. A big no no.
Off to my daily trip to Giant, my supermarket. What got me into baking, I don’t know. I am not very good. Up and down the isles I went.
I decided to experiment and substitute with something else. Did not know with what.
Staring at me was a pancake mix by King Arthur Flour. It said that it was new. Gluten free, also soy free and nut free. Why not? If it was good for pancakes it would probably be good for the bars.
I have changed this recipe to be gluten free, and with less sugar by using Splenda sugar blend; regular and brown sugar.
I was worried. You will see from the pictures that they did look good. I can tell you they were because I tasted them. Then, the picky one of the house loved them too.
Total success!! So, here it goes.
My Somewhat Modified Pumpkin Bars
1 box (15 ounces) of King Arthur Flour (Pancake Mix) Gluten Free
1/2 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup soft margarine
Confectioners Sugar for dusting the bars
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove 1 cup from pancake mix; set aside.
Mix together remaining cake, melted butter and 1 egg. Pat into a 13″ x 9″ pan; set aside.
Mix pumpkin, remaining eggs, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar; pour over first layer in pan. I used a hand mixer for this step.
Stir together reserved pancake mix, sugar, cinnamon, and soft margarine; sprinkle over pumpkin layer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes.
Cool, cut into bars, sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve.
These bars are not overly sweet; just so. You can add ice cream…yum or have them with a nice cup of coffee.
Note: Just remember that if you think you want to follow the original recipe then either follow directions above to see the recipe on my site or just use a box of the Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix. You can use the real sugars or the Splenda blends like I did.
Also please note that you can probably use any other kind of gluten free pancake mix on the market, as well.
Hope you like them….talk to you later….
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