Chorizo Stuffed Chiles, No Ordinary Chile Relleno

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*Thanks for voting this recipe into the Foodbuzz Top 9 today!**

As a child my family moved to America. My immigrant Mexican family adopted many American traditions, we celebrated most of the American holidays along with a few Mexican holidays. We have the same values, worries, hopes and aspirations for our loved ones. You could say that besides being bilingual, and eating Mexican food my family was your typical suburban family living in America.

One of the biggest American holidays my family celebrates is Independence Day or the 4th of July. That means family gatherings, fireworks and cookouts. When I lived in the states I loved celebrating the 4th for those very reasons. Summertime also meant that there would be many outdoor fiestas to celebrate something or other. The warm weather fiestas were often celebrated at a local park, or someone’s back yard. My huge extended family and family friends would all gather to celebrate with a cookout or barbeque. The day started early and in true Mexican fashion it was an all day party with food, music, sometimes dancing, food, laughter and did I mention all the food ?

I still remember the first time my American husband attended one of his new Mexican family’s cookouts. Not so secretly I think he was in culinary heaven, secretly I was so proud of my guerito for loving everything. Everyone wanted him to try this and that until he couldn’t eat another bite, but still he was offered more. Those are Mexican mothers for you. No wonder he never wanted to refuse an invitation to a family gathering on his Mexican side of the family. Mexican food is his favorite and the opportunity to try something new is one he doesn't pass up.

There was always great food, both Mexican and some American. The list of foods and desserts were always extensive, since everyone brought a dish or several. But one of the foods served at our family cookouts always sticks in my head. Grilled chiles stuffed with chorizo and cheese. It was my eldest sister V. that prepared them and believe me when I tell you those are the best stuffed peppers ever tasted or cooked by anyone! Grand statement but that girl can cook and turn the most ordinary thing into a 5 star worthy dish. I’ve never prepared these stuffed peppers with my sister V. but I began recreating them from memory and I hope she approves. Sadly I do not have a charcoal grill so I will also be teaching you and indoors method.

These stuffed peppers or chiles rellenos are not the same thing as the cheese stuffed poblano peppers many think of when they hear chiles rellenos. The words chile relleno just means stuffed peppers, not specifying what kind of pepper. The peppers that can be used in this recipe are chiles guerros or yellow chiles. You could also use cubanelle, wax peppers, Anaheim, banana, or New Mexico peppers. One day I would also like to use fresh poblanos or jalapenos and can imagine how great they would taste.

Chorizo Stuffed Chiles
any fresh chile from the suggested list
Mexican chorizo (I use my homemade chorizo but store bought will do just fine)
Mexican Chihuahua cheese or queso fresco, as a substitute you can use Eidam for the Chihuahua or feta cheese for the queso fresco.

toothpicks if necessary
charcoal grill, flat griddle or indoor grill pan

1. Cook the chorizo and drain off all extra fat from the pan. Thoroughly rinse the chiles. Lay them flat on a baking sheet or cutting board.

Grilling Method: Slice a vertical slit large enough to stuff. If grilling outdoors I do not remove the seeds. Stuff with either chorizo or cheese, or try a mix of both. Do not over stuff as the contents will flow out. If need be use toothpicks to close the slit. Place on the grill and cook until they are soft and have charred skins. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving and remove toothpicks if used. To keep them warm when grilling outdoors just cover with aluminum foil.

Indoor Method: Heat the indoor grill pan or griddle over high heat. Place the clean chiles and allow to char. Turn now and then allow the skin to become evenly charred and softened. Once chiles have softened place on a cutting board to cool. Once cooled enough to handle slice a vertical slit large enough to stuff. Depending on my mood I will or will not remove the seeds, it's your choice. Stuff with either chorizo or cheese, or try a mix of both. Do not over stuff as the contents will flow out. If need be use toothpicks to close the slit. Place back on the indoor grill pan or griddle and cook for another 10 minute to allow the cheese to melt. Allow to cool before serving.

Serve as an appetizer, side dish or for a complete meal alongside refried beans or frijoles de olla and tortillas of your choice. Don't forget some fresh salsa too.

Tip: Select chiles that have smooth skin or if ones with grooves and wrinkles that can lay flat on one side. This makes it easier for the contents to stay inside. If you have neither an outdoors or indoor grill you could also use the oven to cook the chiles.

Have a beautiful and sunny weekend!

Great Summer Posts From Around The Web This Week:
- Mango Crab Gazpacho Soup by 6 Bittersweets

- Dragonfruit-Basil Mascarpone Ice Cream and Mochi Ice Cream by Foodiva's Kitchen

- Blackberry Honey Butter by Gourmande in the Kitchen

- How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine by Jules Clancy via Honest Cooking

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Calabacitas con Maiz or Mexican Zucchini with Corn

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Before I get to the recipe I would like to congratulate Radhika of Just Home Made for winning May's Honest Cooking feature. Congratulations Radhika and we will all be looking forward to reading your featured post at Honest Cooking.

Maíz (Spanish for corn or maize) is the most important crop and ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Corn was domesticated in Mexico 10,000 years ago*, and as the time passed the crop spread throughout the Americas. After the conquistadors arrived it was then sent to Europe and later spread around the world. Nowadays there are thousands of variations of corn and it has become a very important crop around the world. The foundations of Mexican cuisine are held strong by this valuable crop. Without corn there would be no tortillas, and without tortillas there wouldn’t be tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas, nor tacos. Lest not forget atole and champurrado. You get the point, Mexican food revolves around corn.

One of my favorite childhood dish uses corn as part of it’s foundation, Calabacitas con Maíz/Elote or Zucchini with Corn. My mom served it on the side of meat, like a steak. I loved, and still do, this side dish so much that I could eat only it and ignore the main dish. The sweet smell of onions caramelizing alongside the fresh scent of corn is unforgettable. The moist and mild zucchini absorbs the flavors of the corn and tomato perfectly. The tomatoes provide extra moisture and a little sweetness to the dish. The spices are minimal and all of the flavors come from the vegetables. It is fresh, healthy, light yet hearty enough to be served as a vegan meal.

Corn is not in season right now so canned corn will do for now. Zucchini however is in season and this is a great way to enjoy fresh seasonal zucchini. Once corn comes into season in a few months you can continue to enjoy the dish and compare the taste using canned versus fresh corn on the cob. There are also a few variations to my recipe that you could try to give the dish another dimension. Some people also add fresh Poblano chile, or for a spicier version Serrano or fresh Jalapenos can be added. Toppings such as crema fresca, Mexican sour cream, or crumbled queso fresco can be added to the zucchini. Personally I like it simple, no toppings and just the few ingredients you see in the recipe below. Buen Provecho and give this healthy low-fat dish a try this summer.

ZUCCHINI WITH CORN
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS :
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 can of corn or fresh corn when in season
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 small white onion,finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. corn or vegetable oil

additional variations:
chile poblanos or spicy green chile like Serrano or Jalapeno
queso fresco and or Mexican sour cream, as a topping

1. Heat the oil, saute the onions until translucent. Next add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes. If using fresh corn cook until the corn becomes tender. Next add the tomatoes, zucchini and spices. Stir to combine the ingredients. Cover, turn the heat to low and continue to cook until the zucchini has soften and tomatoes have broken apart.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve warm as a side dish or as a vegan meal. If using any of the suggested toppings add them before serving.

What is your favorite way of eating and cooking zucchini?

Other Zucchini Recipes :
- Crispy Zucchini Coins, A Vegan Delight! , Spicie Foodie

- Spicy Spaghetti with grated Zucchini , Spicie Foodie

-Summer Salad with Vanilla Vinaigrette, Kitchen Konfidence

- Stuffed Zucchini Bowls with Cherry-Chocolate Gastrique, The Ardent Epicure

- Zucchini Blossoms and More, Honest Cooking, The Food Magazine

- Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Scandi Foodie

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Sumptuous Fried Eggplant (Vegetarian)

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**Please notice that the winner of the Honest Cooking feature has not been chosen yet. I'll keep you posted.**

When I first got married I didn't cook. The kitchen scared me and I avoided it as much as I did growing up. On the very rare occasion that I actually went into the kitchen it was pancakes from a box, muffins from a box, heating frozen foods or making Mexican style scrambled eggs. You may be wondering how my poor husband and I survived, delivery and take out. Eventually that caught up with us and we paid for it with our waistlines. But I still didn't cook, stupid.

During those years my husband occasionally cooked for us. He is a fantastic cook and I loved and still love everything he cooks for me. His scrambled eggs are the best in the world! Some of the foods my husband cooked for us were dishes that he grew up with. His family is from the Midwest and so it was foods like bratwurst, sauerkraut, pierogies, and many other delicious hearty foods. Those foods and dishes were so different from the Mexican foods I grew up with, but you know what ?I have loved everything he has introduced me to. Nowadays I do the majority of the cooking and some of the things I cook are dishes that he used to cook for me. We always joke that our children will grow up eating things like pierogies and bratwurst with salsa, or curry with tortillas. It all sounds funny but we will see.

One of the food that my husband introduced me to was eggplant. I had never eaten an eggplant before, I don't think they are used in Mexican cuisine? He told me that growing up his mom would slice eggplant, batter it and deep fry it. The first time he made battered fried eggplant I was addicted immediately. I ate so many slices that I could hardly fit the main dish. My husband said his mom served the eggplant as a side dish. He also served it as a side dish to spaghetti. Actually it is spaghetti with slices of eggplant on top the noodles and more spaghetti sauce over the eggplant. This spaghetti with eggplant is unlike any other pasta, perfect as an every day meal but yet sumptuous enough to serve at a dinner party. I now serve it with my "Shpaghetti" spaghetti, recipe is here : What do The Godfather and A Scruffy Terrier Have In Common?

Breaded Fried Eggplant for 2:
1 eggplant
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 or 2 large eggs lightly beaten*

sunflower oil for frying
plate lined with paper towels
thongs

* For Vegan version replace eggs with ground flaxseed mixed with water.**

1. Heat oil in a deep heavy pan or skillet. The oil should cover 1/2 inch or 1.5 cm deep. Have a plate covered with paper towels and thongs ready. Cut off the stem and bottom of a clean eggplant. Slice the eggplant into thin coin slices then set aside. In a large bowl combine the breadcrumbs with the spices, set aside. In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg(s) .

2. The oil should come to a heat of 365f or 185c. If you do not have a thermometer then do a test, the eggplant coin should be golden brown in about 4-5 minutes. It is very important for the oil to be warm/hot enough otherwise the eggplant will absorb too much oil. Dip each eggplant slice into the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded eggplant coins in the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.

3. Place the fried eggplant slices on top of the plate with paper towels to drip off extra oil. Serve right away. Goes perfect with Shpaghetti and a glass of red wine.

My little family loves battered fried eggplant so much, even my scruffy terrier love its! My puppy is weird and I am not suggesting that you feed your dogs eggplant. Here is the evidence, a bad photo but you get the picture. (No pun intended)

P.S

In case you missed it my first recipe was published on my Mexico On My Plate column. If you'd like to stop by click here to visit Honest Cooking, The Food Magazine.

"Mexico On My Plate: Spicy Fresh Fruit Cocktail"

BTW they are also looking for new contributors. If you think you've got what it takes read this, Join Honest Cooking.

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Flower Showers, Spring Serenade, Gourmet Greens and Tangerines

The spring sun has been playing hide and seek with us. Panchito's morning walks have been mostly cloudy with cool breezes. Not exactly the kind of weather that makes me want to get out of bed let alone go for a walk. It is May right? What's going on? Panchito leads the way on his morning walks. Sometimes he keeps us (him and I) on the same paths, other times he feels like exploring. Those walks on the same paths sometimes make me forget that I get to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The architecture, the trees, smells and sights begin to go unnoticed and taken for granted.

This morning the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, flowers in bloom and the wind was gentle. God it feels good to be warmed by the rays of sunshine! Deep breath, ah how I love the smell of spring. I think Panchito also loves the smell and warmth of spring. He sniffs the unfrozen ground and all of it's surroundings like it's all new territory. Pausing to wait for him while he sniffs around a gentle breeze blows over us. Suddenly we are showered with small white flower petals. When did the tree fully blossom? It was a sight to behold, it felt like being in a snow globe or rather a flower globe. Even Panchito took notice, he stopped sniffing the ground to point his nose up in the air and sniff. I love when he does that! I aimed my gaze upwards to watch the flowers showering over us, I catch the sun's rays peaking through the tree branches. Softly in the distance I hear a flute.

I close my eyes to better hear the flute notes. It's a sweet serenade with melancholy notes, yet make one feel euphoric. Music, sunshine, and flowers can evoke such grand emotions in humans. I peer around the tree to see it is once again the young blind musician who often plays his flute for passersby. Though music on the streets of Prague is not an uncommon sound it is one that always makes me stop and take notice.

Panchito decides that he has sniffed enough of that patch and starts leading us away. As we make our way back home those melancholy flute notes serenade us and begin to grow ever more distant. For a while it felt like all the morning's beauty belong to just Panchito and I. I love mornings like this, a great way to start off my day. The only thing that would have completed the experience would have been if hubby had been with us, next time.

On sunshine warmed days I like to eat light vibrant foods. This salad was inspired by the morning's events and it was a perfect way to end the day with a plate of vibrant fresh veggies and fruits. Enjoy!

Gourmet Greens and Tangerines Salad
Wild Arugula
Baby Spinach
Mâche Greens
Tangerines
cherry tomatoes

vinaigrette dressing

1. Rinse the greens and set aside to drain off extra water. Rinse and halve the cherry tomatoes, set aside. Use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and white pith. First slice off top and bottom of the tangerine, then slice down the sides. Next cut into wedges.

2. Toss the greens and arrange the cherry tomato halves and tangerine wedges as desired. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing.

Checkout these other great salads :

- An Organic Gardener's Salad with a Citrus Dressing , The Ardent Epicure

- Fresh Spring Bulgur Salad, Tamara Novacovic via Honest Cooking

- Sweet Onion Salad with Orange Vinaigrette , Natalie McLaury via Honest Cooking

- Chopped Salad w/Blue Cheese Dressing – My Nepenthe, White on Rice Couple

- Carrot and Avocado Salad , Jenn Cuisine

- Garden Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Society Garlic Flowers, Kitty Morse

What is your idea of a perfect salad?

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Picadillo and Cinco Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo or the 5th of May, a Mexican holiday. Last year I gave you a small history lesson about the holiday, and you can read the full post here. But to give you a brief summary , "Cinco de Mayo or 5th of May is a Mexican holiday celebrating the victory of the Mexican army over the French army in the battle of Puebla on the 5th of May 1862. Contrary to popular belief in America and other parts of the world, this is not the celebration of Mexican Independence from Spain..." I also told you that my family does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Regardless I thought I share an new Mexican recipe for those of you looking to celebrate.

Picadillo. Picadillo is a dish popular all over Latin America with slight variations and twists. It is made with ground/minced meat, tomatoes, spices and depending on the area different vegetables and seasonings are added. It's one of those dishes well known among Mexicans, other Latin Americans, and Filipinos but perhaps not as common to other people. Growing up my Mom made it often and I hated it. It wasn't that it wasn't appetizing looking, it was. It wasn't that the sauce and seasonings didn't taste good, they did. It was because I used to be really grossed out by minced meat. I don't know why but I just was. Ground/minced meat is still not my favorite meat but I'll eat it from time to time. However I do have to tell you that not having had Picadillo for so long made me really enjoy it and even go up for seconds.

I wanted to share an authentic Mexican recipe for Cinco de Mayo that is less common but muy delicioso. Plus Picadillo can be used as a main course or used as a topping or filling for any Mexican recipes. My version is different from many you will find online but it's my way and similar to my Mom's. I hope all of you my non-Mexican amigos enjoy my Picadillo as much as my American esposo and I did. Buen Provecho!!

Ingredients:

500 g or 1 lb. ground meat, pork or beef
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large carrots, halved and sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 hot chile or more adjust to taste, finely chopped
Or substitute with Cayenne powder
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika, for color

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup beef broth

White rice to serve (or use as a filling)

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, once warm saute the onion until soft. Add the ground pork/beef to the pan and cook all the way through. Drain off most of the liquid fat, reserve only a little bit to prevent burning. Add the minced garlic, fresh chile if using and cook for two minutes. Next add the potato and carrot pieces and cook for another 4 minutes. Next sprinkle all of the spices into the pan, stir to well combine. Add the chopped tomatoes, again stirring well. Pour the broth into the pan, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes under medium low heat.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If serving the picadillo as a meal, it can be allowed to have a bit of broth. If using the picadillo as a filling, remove the lid and allow all of the liquid to evaporate.

Need more Mexican recipe ideas for Cinco de Mayo? Check out my archives or these top 5 :

~ Top 5 Spicie Foodie Mexican Recipes ~

1- Arroz ala Mexicana, Mexican Rice

2 - Zanahorias en Escabeche, Spicy Pickled Carrots

3 - Guacamole

4 - Taquitos

5 - Tostadas de Tinga

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Pears, Mushrooms and Spinach. What was I thinking?

A tale of kitchen failures and bad photos to go with a strange recipe.

Do you ever dream or day dream about how two ingredients would taste together? Of course you do, we all do! My mind starts going when I do a check of what's left in the refrigerator and pantry, as well as when I'm shopping for food. Then once it's time to go into the kitchen to cook our dinner I'll start thinking to myself "Okay, how can I make this more interesting than last time, or what new spice or ingredient can I experiment with today." To me that's what cooking is all about, experimenting and trying new things. My favorite way of testing out new flavor combinations is by staking a bite size amount of new ingredients together for a small taste. Often times I discover some great new flavor combinations that become favorites. But sometimes, well things don't turn out quite like I had imagine.

Baby spinach and pears taste great together. The sweet tenderness of the pear really compliments the crisp mild taste of baby spinach. These two together make a great salad, just add some walnuts and goat cheese and your set. Baby spinach and mushrooms also taste great together. Both are mild and neither overpowers the other. I love to use mushrooms and baby spinach together in stir frys, along side chicken, stews, and curries. So I got the idea that baby spinach, pears and mushrooms would or should taste pretty good in the same dish. Well, that's not really the case. Before I started on the rice I stacked a piece of raw pear, a piece of raw mushroom and a couple of raw baby spinach leaves together. The taste was quite good, mild and crisp with a slight sweetness from the pear. But once the rice was finished, that was a different story. It was edible but not quite the savory, salty and splash of sweetness I quite envisioned. I don't know if the failure was a result of the spices just not complimenting the main ingredients, that the flavors change once cooked or if it was just an overall failure. My poor guinea pig, I mean my husband, still ate what was put in front of him but didn't ask for seconds. Haha! He's a good sport and for that I shall not torture him with this dish again.

I almost didn't photograph and post this but I thought I'd share my most recent failure. After all most of us have them and that's how learn. Right? You could probably tell that I didn't put much effort into the photos, I felt it wasn't quite a dish deserving of a decent photo. So please excuse the horrible photos. If you're brave enough I dare you to make it, haha!

Ingredients :
1 3/4 cup or 320 grams long grain white rice
1 Portobello mushroom (100 grams or 3.5 oz), thinly sliced
5 oz or 140 grams Button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 firm pear 10.5 oz or 300 grams , in chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
100 grams or 3.5 oz baby spinach
2 1/2 cup or 600 ml vegetable broth
1 tsp. salt
large pinch of ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. olive oil

grated Parmesan, optional

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, saute the mushrooms until soft, drain the excess liquid. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Next add the spinach and cook until wilted. Pour the rice into the pan and stir to well combine. Add the remaining spices and pear chunks into the pan and again stir well. Pour in the vegetable broth, stir, cover and simmer under medium low heat.

2. After 15 minutes check on the rice. Taste the rice for tenderness and if needed add a little bit more broth or water. Make sure that the broth/water does not dry out before the rice is cooked through. If so pour just a little bit more into the pan. Once the rice has cooked through add some grated parmesan cheese if you like. Rice should cook through in about 20-25 minutes. Serve as a side dish or vegan/vegetarian main meal.

Remember kitchen failures are okay we all have them. Tell me what was your most recent kitchen failure?

P.S.

Tomorrow, April 29 is the last day to sing up for the YBR. Sign up here if you haven't done so already.

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Vegan Indian Cauliflower Mash, or Aloo Gobi Mash

Happy Monday! To those of you that celebrate Easter I hope you had a lovely holiday. To those of you, like me, that don't celebrate Easter, I hope you had a great weekend. Today I have a vegan recipe that is great as a main dish or as a side dish. It was actually inspired by Veggie Test Kitchen. She participated in February's YBR and submitted her Madras Mashed Cauliflower. As soon as I saw her photo and read her post I knew I had to make it immediately. Well immediately came a little later but I did finally cook it.

I hope The Veggie doesn't mind if I quote her blog as to how she came up with this dish. She says that this dish is a spin on the classic Indian Aloo Ghobi. Aloo Ghobi translates to potato cauliflower and it is a eaten throughout the country, India. She goes on to explain that Aloo Ghobi is chunks of potatoes, cauliflower florets, onion, garlic, ginger and spices. But she made her own version by mashing the potatoes and cauliflower and topping with sauted shallots and a few other things. The Veggie gives some great tips so please stop by to read her whole post. Trust me you will want to make it immediately.

When I went into my kitchen to prepare her recipe I didn't have all the spices in her recipe so I improvised. This is my version of The Veggie's madras mashed cauliflower. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I served it a part of our vegan/vegetarian dinner along side some flat bread and a couple other small sides. It was so delicious and filling with a little quick to it. Remember though you can always adjust the chile amount to your own taste. Enjoy and thank you The Veggie :)

Indian Cauliflower Mash, or Aloo Gobi Mash
Based on and inspired by The Veggie, Veggie Test Kitchen, Madras Mashed Cauliflower .

1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets
4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
small piece of fresh ginger, ginger and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red chile, finely chopped
11/2 tbsp. garam masala* (my recipe is here)
1 tsp. ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
extra chile powder, optional *

salt & ground black to taste
finely chopped chives, chiles and/or fresh cilantro to top, optional

* Adjust to taste

1. Boil the cauliflower and potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and chile and saute for another 3 minutes. Place the boiled cauliflower and potatoes into the pan. Add the remaining spices to the pan. Use a potato masher and mash until the vegetables have broken up into a thick mash. I left a few chunks of both the potatoes and cauliflower for a chunky texture. Stir to combine all ingredients well, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with Naan bread or other Indian flat bread.

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Spicy Spaghetti with grated Zucchini

Who doesn't love pasta? I've never heard anyone say they dislike pasta, or Italian food for that matter. I don't know a whole lot about Italian cuisine but I do know that I love it. I consider pasta one of my comfort foods and a basic meal that we always have ingredients for. It can be prepare in no time and one meal that is pretty hard to mess up. Well, just don't over cook the pasta noodles and you'll be off to a great start. I didn't grow up eating pasta, or Italian food, so the only times that I got to eat it was out in restaurants. Of course pasta became a favorite and what I ordered when we went out for Italian. As good as the Italian food was in the states it's nothing compared to eating in Italy. I'll never forget sitting on a quiet sidewalk cafe in Florence taking that first bite of ravioli. Simply Wow! Then that trip to Rimini with the simple yet heavenly pasta with clams. Oh yeah both cities are also ancient magical places, I didn't just eat pasta....Okay maybe I did.

When it comes to pasta I like it simple. In my personal preference I rate simple pastas tossed with just olive oil first, then tomato sauce pastas, and last preference are cream based pastas. Now that spring is here and with summer on the way, simple and light pastas are what I crave over the others. You can toss in some fresh seasonal vegetables, a bruschetta on the side, serve a light wine and you've got yourself a fabulous meal that is ready in about 30-45 minutes. I came up with this recipe a couple of weeks ago when I was feeling both lazy and uninspired. My husband and I loved the pasta so much that I've made it several times already. I hope you guys enjoy the recipe and remember it can be altered to your personal taste.

* I'd also like to thank Saverio from Ariosto (http://www.ariosto.it/ ) spices for sending me the fantastic selection of spices to add to my cooking. They smell wonderful and taste fantastic. Plus I love that they don't have MSG. Grazie Ariosto! *

Spicy Spaghetti with grated Zucchini
Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, grated
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
1/2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
1 tsp. Ariosto Garlic Chile spice ( Aglio e peperoncino)
1 pack of spaghetti (or other pasta if you like)
1 tbsp. (evoo) olive oil, good quality
ground black pepper, to taste
cherry tomatoes, halved
arugula or rocket dandelion greens, to taste
extra olive oil to coat pasta

1. Heat the water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and coat with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and ground black pepper for extra flavor.

2. While the pasta is cooking : Heat oil and over low heat saute garlic for 2 minute, do not allow to burn or turn golden. Then add the shredded zucchini, sprinkle salt, pepper and Ariosto spice. Stir often to prevent burning, allow to saute for 5 more minutes. Add the zucchini to the pasta and toss until the zucchini is well distributed. Please notice the zucchini will tend to clump together so you'll have to keep separating it to better distribute it through the pasta. You could also just grate and add the zucchini without cooking but I prefer to cook it first. Add the tomato halves, taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve with fresh arugula or rocket greens on top or it can also be tossed in with the tomatoes.

Carnivore version:
If you would like some meat in your pasta I suggest chicken. Simply cook chicken breast in a little olive oil with garlic, salt, pepper, and a dried oregano or basil. Slice into to strips and toss or serve on top of the pasta.

I'd also like to tell you that my friends at The Ardent Epicure now have a phone App so please stop by and get all the details. http://www.theardentepicure.com/2011/04/announcement-weve-gone-mobile.html How exciting and congrats to the 3 of you!

My friend Gina's (formerly from What's For Dinner Across State Lines) new site SPCookieQueen has a new Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001993222785) please make sure you update that and the new url, http://www.spcookiequeen.com/ .

If you are looking for great authentic Italian recipes visit Frank, Memorie di Angelina.

That's all and I hope your week is starting off well!

P.S. In case you are curious about the wine, it is a Syrah - Grenache wine. The recipe for the bread in the background is coming next. Potato Bread Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Arugula and can be found here, Potato Bread Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Arugula.

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Roasted Veggie Hummus Delight (Wraps)

The dish I have to share with you today is a continuation of the Hummus recipe. You will notice that the photos are in the same setting, and obviously they were served on the same day. This meal is completely meatless and if it were not for the feta (made from goat's milk) we could call it a vegan meal. Is there vegan Feta cheese? My husband the carnivore loved this meal, he said it was one of the best ones ever. Pretty nice compliment I think.

The funny thing is that it was one of those meals where I went into the kitchen in the morning wondering what the heck to make for dinner, but most importantly what was left to eat. (Not that I ever plan ahead anyway.) We urgently needed to make a proper grocery store trip so there was not much in our empty fridge. I'll tell you a little secret, I love those days. It makes me be creative and more often than not we get to enjoy a fantastic meal. Just don't tell my husband I said this. We do our main or large grocery shopping together, it's actually more enjoyable and we both get an input as what will be on the menu. I also need him to tell me what meat cuts are what, I'm so clueless. Do you guys like grocery shopping with your significant other?

Besides being a good meal because it is meatless it is inexpensive, healthy, nutritious and oh so easy to prepare. It's a total brainless meal, see win win all the way. During the day I boiled the garbanzos for the hummus and roasted the vegetables all while I went back to my desk to write and edit photos. Of course you could also just buy ready made hummus or canned garbanzos instead. By the time dinner was ready to be served all I needed to do was warm the pitas and plate it all. I just served all of the veggies on a large plate, hummus and bread on the side. Easily laid out for each of us to assemble our own wraps. It may look like a small or un-filling meal, but we actually had leftovers and were stuffed like little piggies. I hope you guys try this out either for an easy dinner or even as party food.

Ingredients:
Serves 2
2 large red bell peppers, roasted
2 large yellow bell pepper, roasted
1 large eggplant, roasted
4 whole spring onions, or more
Hummus (my homemade recipe is here)
mild pickled Bulgarian chiles, they are long
fresh Feta cheese
olives of choice
pack of wheat pitas or any arabic style bread

olive oil
salt
ground black pepper

The peppers and eggplant need to be roasted first, and if you are also making your own hummus have it ready.

Roasted Peppers:
Instructions on how to roast the peppers can be found here, How to Roast Bell Peppers .
Roasted Eggplant:
Remove the stem, slice length wise. Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle salt and ground black pepper. Roast at the same time as the bell peppers, How to Roast Bell Peppers .
Roasted Onions:
Cut off roots and rinse well. Roast with the bell peppers and eggplant. These will be cooked through sooner, remove from oven and set aside.

Assembling the wraps:
Spread a layer of hummus on top of a warm pita (or any arabic bread), then layer the other ingredients on top as desired.

Serve with a glass of red wine.

I just wanted to share this photo with you in celebration of the arrival of Spring.

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A Mediocre Stir Fry and Why Do I Suck at Chinese Cooking?

Hi everyone, sorry I have been MIA this past week. We had new windows installed on Monday and it turned into a longer project than originally thought. We've been preparing, waiting and cleaning up the huge mess since Sunday. As you can see I was left with no extra time to answer emails, share any recipes nor visit your blogs. I am beat! But as soon as I can gather some energy I'll be playing catchup. I leave you with something I wrote a couple of weeks ago.

Every time I try to cook anything Chinese I fail, miserably. I don't know what the deal is with me and Chinese food. I mean I do like Chinese food, so it's not like I'm just cooking it and not really caring about the outcome. By no means am I an expert or know a whole lot about it, so I try to read and look up very basic dishes. I don't ever attempt the more complicated sounding dishes. I stick to more common dishes known to us in the West like easy stir fries, fried rice or hot and spicy pork threads. Besides not succeeding with the cooking, European Chinese food gives me the worst heartburn. I say European Chinese because when I lived in the US the Chinese food there never gave me heartburn, it tasted fantastic. I do have to admit that ever since we have lived in Europe for the most part the Chinese food here has left me disappointed and unimpressed. I've eaten Chinese food in France, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic and all of the food was from Chinese restaurants run by Chinese people, so it's not a matter that the food is not being prepared by people that don't understand the cuisine. The only thing that I can conclude is that Chinese food has been "toned down" to fit Europe palates. I can only conclude that because I can see how Mexican food has completely been toned down and even strip of its authenticity. Where in North America Chinese and many other immigrant groups have been a part of society and so has their cuisine, in some parts of Europe it seems like they are a bit behind on the amount and quality of ethnic foods. My husband and I agree that out of all the places we have traveled to in Europe, Paris was the best place in Europe for good ethnic foods. (I'll have to tell you about that another time though.)

I would say that 99% of the time a Chinese food craving hits us we go to one of our local Chinese restaurants, I try to not put my husband through the unsatisfied misery of having to eat my failed attempts. The Chinese restaurant we frequent most often has decent fried noodles and fried rice, so that's what I stick to. I'm not 100% thrilled with either though, because they are really greasy. I will have to admit that if it's a takeout night, I only order the chicken fried rice or noodles so I can pick out the chicken and give it to Panchito. I hate the texture and taste of the chicken, it tastes and smells boiled and I can't stand the taste or smell of bland boiled chicken (shuddering). Panchito loves it and when we say we'll bring him back some "Chinese chicken" he knows what he has coming and jumps with excitement, this Dog is crazy! So as we sit down to our Chinese take-out, I sit with my obligatory pack of antacids. Nope, the taste of antacids doesn't help the greasy noodles taste one bit better. Ok it's kinda gross, but it's either that or be belching and feeling horrible the rest of the night. Geesh!, I sound like an 80 year old woman and I'm only 31!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 broccoli stalk (about 10.5 oz or 300 grams)
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, sliced in strips
7 oz. or 200 grams button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1/3 cup or 100 ml vegetable or chicken broth
1-2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil

To serve:
egg noodles, boiled and drained or steamed rice

**TIP** In the comments below Belinda suggested "Get that wok HOT HOT HOT and it really helps!"
1. Cut the flowerets from the broccoli stalk, set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Once warm fry the onion until soft then add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the carrot slices and fry for about 3 minutes, then add the pepper strips and fry for another 3 minutes. Next add the mushrooms mix well and fry for 5 minutes, then add the soy sauce (and any other spice you like) and mix all ingredients well. Pour the broth into the wok/pan and stir until well incorporated. Place the broccoli flowerets over the vegetables, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow most of the the remaining broth to cook off.

If serving over egg noodles, add the noodels to the pan/wok and fry for a few minutes. If serving with steamed rice mix the vegetables with the rice or serve over the rice.

Well, incase I haven't grossed you out enough yet perhaps you'd like to try my mediocre vegetable stir fry? That should finish the job for sure! Come on you know you want to try my goodness... I'll let you in on a little inside joke in my house. My husband came up with a sarcastic way of referring to my failed recipes or rather unpalatable dishes I put in front of him as "Goodness!". (I know many of you use that word, and when I see it I have to giggle even though I know you mean that the dish is delicious.) I appreciate and love his honesty. Well at least my hubby still eats what I put in front of him and doesn't send it flying out of his mouth like Panchito. He is a very good husband and for that I make it up to him by making one of his favorite dishes as payment for eating the "Goodness", haha.

If you want a real expert, and good authentic Chinese recipes please visit Liv at , Egg Wan's Eastern Food Odyssey. I for one need to spend more time learning from her blog so I can stop sucking at Chinese cooking.

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Lost In Translation. Savoy Cabbage is not Kale, D'oh!

D'oh! For the past 8 months I've been cooking what I thought was kale. Hah! Jokes on me! No wonder those "kale chips" didn't quite turn out like they were supposed to. This tale of D'oh begins one day over the summer of 2010. Many trips to my local produce shop used to include a couple of minutes of weirdly eyeing a firm head of leafy vegetable called kapusta. I already knew kapusta meant cabbage in many Slavic languages. But in Czech cabbage is called zeli, and there are different types of zeli. One day I finally came home to double check the word kapusta. My little Czech dictionary said cabbage and when I looked it up online the translation was kale and cabbage. Kale is a type of cabbage so I said, oh cool it's Kale! And I happy danced because it was on our list of veggies to try.


Eight months ago when I looked up kapusta I also did a Google images search. I somehow, idiotically, convinced myself that the kale variety available here is a bit different from the varieties on Google images. The kapusta was firm, green(ish), and curly, which also describes kale. My excuse is that it was a hot summer day and my brain was too hot to do further research and went on a long holiday. It's my story and I'm sticking to it, don't judge. Last night as I sat down to type this recipe and gather some nutritional information about kale, I did the proper research I should have done 8 months ago. It became apparent that this kapusta was not kale but in fact savoy cabbage. Get ready for it... D'OH! And an expletive that I'll exclude here!

Now I'm too tired to look up and give you nutritional information for savory cabbage, perhaps another time. But what I will tell you is that savoy cabbage rocks! It's a bit firm, won't wilt too much but I found it to be versatile and delicious. I've used it as a side dish, in soups, in stuffing, in curry, as kapusta chips, well you get the picture. Here's my recipe for Not Kale Savoy Cabbage Spiced with Homemade Garam Masala, it's really good and you'll love it. By the way I think this recipe would also taste great using kale. Those of you kale experts would you agree?

Ingredients : ( 3-4 servings )
half head or 500 grams/about 1lb. fresh savoy cabbage
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cm or 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. sunflower oil or ghee
2-3 tsp. Garam Masala (I used my homemade recipe, spice according to your taste)
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch ground black pepper
pinch of cumin seed
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

water

1. Cut the cabbage in half then quarter each half and separate the layers. Run the savoy cabbage under cold water to clean thoroughly and set aside. Heat the oil in a large and deep pan. Then add the onion and saute until transparent, next add the ginger and garlic and saute for another 4 minute.

2. Sprinkle half the Garam Masala over the onion mixture and stir well. Start placing the cabbage in the pan and layering it if need be. Lastly sprinkle the remaining Garam Masala and spices over the cabbage. Cover and turn heat to medium low. Once the cabbage begins to soften you can stir it to better distribute the spices.

I added a little bit of water at a time to the pan to prevent the cabbage from burning and not having to add any more oil. Check on the cabbage often to see if it needs a little more water. The cabbage cooked for about 20 minutes before it became soft and wilted, the texture I wanted. Cook the cabbage until you are satisfied with the texture or crunchiness.

Serve as a side dish.

Obviously I've never seen kale in person nor tasted it so I didn't know kapusta from kale, until know. I think. If I'm still wrong about this being savoy cabbage let me know please.

I forgot to tell you that you can also find my Garam Masala recipe on page 6 of my cookbook. On that note I would like to tell you about Lynn's giveaway. Her blog, Seasoned & Stirred is marking it's 1st blogiversary. Congratulations Lynn and here's to many more blogiversaries! To celebrate she is hosting her first giveaway, a copy of my cookbook. Please stop by Seasoned & Stirred for your chance to win a copy of An Epiphany of The Senses and say hi to Lynn.

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Warm Shredded Carrot Salad with Carrot Greens (Vegan)

I have a delicious new recipe to share with you today. But first I want to tell you that the YBR event has it's own permanent page with all of the information, linking codes and badges for our lovely monthly event. Check it out, it's up there on the menu bar as YBR. OK so on to the recipe. Did you know that Carrot greens or carrot tops are edible? Yuppers, they are! The other day I picked up a bunch of fresh organic carrots that were on sale with the greens still on them and I got curious, are they edible? I quickly found out that they are and in fact are quite nutritious, rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. The carrot tops can be used raw or cooked, tossed in salads, used in soups and many other creative ways. I found this great site full of info all about carrot greens and even some recipes, it's called Carrot Museum. On this site they also wrote the following, "The leaves do contain furocoumarins that may cause allergic contact dermatitis from the leaves, especially when wet. Later exposure to the sun may cause mild photodermatitis. (This is NOT the same as 'poisonous' - it will only affect susceptible people with allergies to the plant. Some people have the same reaction to yarrow, ragwort, chamomile etc.)" I handled and cooked the greens, we both ate them and we are both still alive, so no allergies for either of us. The taste is quite strong so I would suggest that you use them sparingly at first or taste to see if it's something you like the taste of. The taste was a little bit bitter and very leafy tasting. I wouldn't say I loved the taste but I also didn't hate it. Anyways, I did really like the warm shredded carrot salad I added the greens to. It was a little sweet and a little garlicky. This is a fast and easy recipe for a great side dish or you could also eat this as a main meal. It is also vegan, healthy and low in calories without skimping on great taste. I served the salad along with steamed white rice and some sauted eggplant for a small vegan meal.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
carrot leaf greens to taste ( I used a small handful)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch or 2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3.5 ounces or 100 grams shredded cabbage
1/2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
pinch of black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground Turmeric
1 Tbs. sunflower oil

1. Heat the oil in a large pan then add the finely chopped red onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic,ginger and saute for 3 minute. Next add the shredded cabbage stir to combine with the pan ingredients, cover and allow the cabbage to soften completely. Once the cabbage is soft add the carrot and carrot leafs stirring to well combine all of the ingredients. Lastly sprinkle in the spices and stir the vegetables well. Continue to cook until the carrots have softened, about another 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish or as a main meal with some steamed white rice, it's delicious as a vegan meal or snack.

Haha, I just noticed that October has been a very orange/yellow food color month here on Spicie Foodie.

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Celeriac The Ugliest ,Yet Tasty, Vegetable

Celeriac, also know as celery root or knob celery, is probably the world's ugliest vegetable. Okay maybe not THE ugliest but definitely one of the ugliest. But you know that saying don't judge a book by it's cover, well that should apply to fruits and vegetables too ( not that they wear covers but you get the point) .

Once you cut away the bumpy, rough, dirty outer layer and cut off the almost woody dry green stalks Celeriac is quite palatable. Celeriac is a type of celery and they are both in the same Apium graveolens rapaceum family. Celery is primarily grown and used for the tall green stalks, where as celeriac is grown for it's root. Celeriac can be as large as a small cantaloupe or as small as a large potato. What does Celeriac taste like?, it taste like celery. The inside is white, thick and crunchy when you bite into it. Though it is safe to eat the stalks, people don't because they taste terrible and have a woody textures so they are just discarded. The leaves on both celery and celeriac are also typically discarded.

I buy celeriac to cook in soups and a delicious salad recipe that I will share with you another time. If you do a quick search you will find many recipes using celeriac in soups, as a mash , and I even found an Italian recipe battering and frying celeriac. If you would like some tips on buying, storing and a few recipes I suggest you start here, Veg Box.

Today I want to show you how and why I do not discard the leaves. When I buy both celeriac and celery I will right away remove the leaves. I do this so that I can preserve them and use them as an herb in a lot of my recipes and when I run out of fresh celery. But you can also use the leaves to put in salads, or use like you would a fresh herb.

Start by removing only the leaves from the stalks, then place in a large bowl and cover with cold water and allow to site for a couple of minutes. This soaking is because celery root tend to come with a lot of dirt and this is to assure that all of the dirt is removed from the leaves. The leaves will float to the top, scoop them out and place on a colander and throw out the water they were soaking in. Rinse the bowl and repeat the step one more time. Again place the leaves in a colander and allow to drain for 20 minutes. After they need to be placed on a baking sheet lined with waxed or baking paper.

Now there are to ways to dry them 1. place inside a very-very low heated oven to slowly dry. Do not let them burn. or 2. Leave out to dry in a dry place, and they will dry within 1-2 days. Either way you choose you should turn the leaves a couple of times to ensure even drying.

Once the leaves have completely dried, place inside a blender and pulse for a few seconds to break down. If you would rather leave the leaves whole you may do so. I sometimes just put some of the leaves between my hands and break them up like that, it's your choice. Store in a dry dark place as you would any other spice.

Next time you run out of celery you can use some of the dried leaves in the recipe and still have the celery taste. Or just add them to any of your recipes as you would any other herb. So next time you buy celeriac or celery you can use almost or all of the vegetable, and that is a nice feeling.

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