Tag Archives: herbs

Fish and Seafood

Chupe de Camarones

Chilean shrimp stew

1-1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp in shells
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 lb. whitefish heads and trimmings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 tsp. chopped chiles
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 quarts water
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 lb. green peas
1/2 cup long grain rice
2 ears of corn, cut in thirds
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Clean the shrimp, saving shells. In a casserole, heat the oil. Add onion, shrimp shells, fish trimmings, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes.

Stir in tomato, chile, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Add water and diced potatoes. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Pour into a sieve over a bowl and force through with a spoon. Discard the pulp. Return puree to casserole, bring to a boil and add potato halves and rice. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Add peas and corn. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat eggs. Pour eggs slowly into the stew. Add milk and simmer to heat through. Season and sprinkle with parsley.

Meat and Poultry

Meatballs with Sour Cream

Klopsk w Smietanie

  • 4 slices bread, crusts removed
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 large, minces onion
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 T dill
  • 1/2 t tarragon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
  • butter for frying
  • 1-1/2 cups sour cream

Soak the bread in milk. Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Combine the ground beef, lightly beaten egg yolks, soaked bread mixture, sauteed onion, dill, tarragon, salt and pepper. Beat 2 egg whites into soft peaks and fold into beef. Form into small balls and roll in a bit of flour. Brown meatballs in butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In another pan saute mushrooms in 3 T butter until browned. Add to meatballs and stir in sour cream, coating the meatballs well. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season to taste.

Serves 8

Vegetables and Salads

Avocados with Cilantro Dressing

A fresh, green, tangy way to dress up your avocados,

  • Avocados
  • 2 T fresh lime juice
  • 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 T salad oil
  • 1 T chopped green onion
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/4 t sugar
  • 1/8 t ground pepper

In blender combine all ingredients. Blend well. Drizzle over 2-3 ripe, sliced avocados.

Avocado

Persea americana, or the avocado, is possibly thought to have originated in the Tehuacan Valley[6] in the state of Puebla, Mexico,[7] although fossil evidence suggests similar species were much more widespread millions of years ago. However, there is evidence for three possible separate domestications of the avocado, resulting in the currently recognized Mexican (aoacatl), Guatemalan (quilaoacatl), and West Indian (tlacacolaocatl) landraces.[8][9] The Mexican and Guatemalan landraces originated in the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala, respectively, while the West Indian landrace is a lowland variety that ranges from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador to Peru,[8] achieving a wide range through human agency before the arrival of the Europeans.[9] The three separate landraces were most likely to have already intermingled[a] in pre-Columbian America and were described in the Florentine Codex.[9]

Wikipedia contributors, “Avocado,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avocado&oldid=815535461 (accessed December 21, 2017).

Meat and Poultry

Sweet and Sour Beef (Svickova)

SVÍCKOVÁ (pronounced SVEECH-koh-vah)

  • 3 lbs rolled beef rump or rib roast
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, diced
  • 2 T chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 cups sour cream

Loosen cord from around roast and place bacon slices evenly around it. Re-tie, rub with salt and set aside. Melt fat in heavy saucepan; add celery, carrot, parsley and onion; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in bay, thyme, and pepper. Place meat on top of vegetables; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add water, vinegar and sugar. Cover and bake in 350ºF oven until very tender. Add water as needed. Slice thin and serve with a sauce consisting of: 1/4 cup flour blended and simmered with meat juices from the pan the meat was cooked in, into which is stirred 1 pint sour cream.The vegetables will have cooked apart and will help thicken and season the juices.

Drawing by Alois

Vegetables and Salads

Carol’s Potato Salad

  • 4 white potatoes
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 hard cooked eggs
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 small onion or 3 green onions with tops, chopped
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 4 radishes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme or fines herbes
  • Mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp vinegar

Boil potatoes in their jackets with carrots till tender. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes into large cubes and carrots into small cubes. Steam whole zucchini until barely tender. Cool and cut into small cubes. In a bowl, combine finely chopped green pepper, celery and onions. Add seasonings, herbs and garlic. Toss together carefully with cooked and cooled vegetables, adding enough mayonnaise to moisten well. Sprinkle on vinegar (garlic or cider vinegar is best) and toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours to let flavours penetrate. Serve topped with sliced or quartered eggs, parsley and radish slices.

Meatless Main Dishes

Porotos Granados

A Chilean white (cranberry) bean stew with fresh corn kernels and savory basil. This is the version Maria Teresa prepared on cold days in Santiago de Chile.

The Mapuche people, among others, have cultivated beans since pre-hispanic times and most of its ingredients are native to the Americas. The stew receives its name from its main ingredient, ripe harvested Cranberry (cargamanto) beans, originated in Colombia, but also is common among the Aymara people. The word poroto, unique to Chile, southern Peru and Argentina, originally comes from the quechua word for bean purutu.

Wikipedia contributors. “Porotos granados.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

Ingredients for Porotos Granados

  • 2 lbs. cranberry or other white beans
  • 2 bouillon cubes
  • 4 or 5 large fresh basil leaves
  • 1 lb. yellow squash, cubed
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1 t finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 t oregano
  • 2 cups kernel corn (best freshly cut off cobs)
  • Salt and pepper

Cook beans in 6 cups water with the bouillon cubes and basil. When about half cooked, add the squash and allow to cook over medium heat until tender.

Heat oil in a separate pan and add paprika to release its fragrance. Stir for 1 minute and add onion, parsley, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture to the cooked beans. Add the corn and simmer for 15 minutes.

Servings: 6

If prepared with vegetable broth, which, traditionally, it often is, this recipe is vegetarian/vegan

 

Vegetables and Salads

Salad Dressing a la Danziger

Discovered at El Castillo, Xilitla, Mexico and shared by Gabriela B.

Just outside of Xilitla, at Las Pozas in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, is a singular garden created by Edward James, an English poet and great supporter of the Surrealist movement. The gardens and structures encompass over 80 acres of subtropical coffee-growing rain forest. The structures and winding pathways are magical, sometimes appearing like ghosts swirling out of the humidity-laden air, half-hidden by verdant ferns and dense vegetation. There are crumbling spiral stairways, arched bridges, gigantic painted concrete flower fountains, and sinuous paths overlooking waterfalls and jumbles of moss-covered boulders. 

Las Pozas Xilitla

El Castillo, now a guest house in the town of Xilitla, was Edward James´ home during the construction of his dream. This salad dressing is a creation of the El Castillo kitchen and the Danzigers, who were managing the property at the time that our friend Gabriela visited and discovered the fabulous gardens..

Ingredients for Salad Dressing a la Danziger

  • ½ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
  • ½ cup balsamic or wine vinegar
  • 1 T Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp powdered chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • fines herbes

Shake all ingredients together well and drizzle on a bed of mixed lettuce.