Basmati Salad

The mighty Basmati

Before we say goodbye to summer, I would like to share another cool summer salad.

It's no secret I like lemon on just about anything, so needless to say, this basmati salad is one of my favorites. In fact it takes center stage for me.

Basmati is a nice alternative to couscous or orzo.

It's perfect for a cold salad because it's naturally free flowing and wonderfully fragrant.

For the basmati, you will need:

*I suggest preparing the basmati an at least an hour ahead of time to allow adequate cooling time

1 3/4 cups of chicken broth

(vegetable broth or water will do)

1 cup of basmati

2 tablespoons of olive oil

a dash of salt and pepper

In a medium pot, over medium heat add olive oil and wait for it to warm for about a minute.

Add the basmati and toss until the rains are coated in olive oil.

Stir consistently for 3 minutes and then add broth or water and salt and pepper.

Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes and then turn the heat off and let it sit, covered, for another 5-10 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork, leave it uncovered to cool further.

Meanwhile...

Chop:

3 roma tomatoes

1/2 a bushel of cilantro

1/4 of a purple onion

2 garlic cloves

In a large bowl, combine the basmati and all of the chopped veggies and tomato.

Toss with the juice of 2 lemons, about a 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt & pepper and crumbled feta.

Chill the salad for 30-45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peachy-Keen

Peachy-Keen

I love this salad!

It's a nice blend of sweet and savory

and served chilled it's a perfect side on a warm summer evening.

you will need:

1 head of butter lettuce

1 ripe peach

crumbled gorgonzola

1/4 cup of champagne vinegar

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Wash and drain the butter lettuce and slice the peach into thick slivers and set aside in separate bowls.

In a bowl, pour the champagne vinegar and the slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking. Add salt & pepper to taste.

There should be enough for 4 bowls of salad.

Place butter lettuce and peaches in each bowl, sprinkle with gorgonzola and finally dress and lightly toss.

Fancy Dancy

Every once in a while I feel like letting loose with friends and family for no particular reason.

Well, there are reasons...work, hectic schedules, you miss your peeps etc. This particular evening was special because I followed a few simple rules to party by:

#1. I selected my guest based on compatibility and hotness (hotness being the top variable)

#2. I had a great dj, Stephanie, the beautiful mind behind peacocksocial.com (great music is vital)

#3. Classic snacks

It was a rainy evening so I appreciated my guest for coming out and tried my best to make sure they were comfy and sauced, but not too sauced, unless they were staying over.

Getting the party started right. *recipe below

Mingling with friends, old and new.

For some reason everyone gravitates towards the kitchen, never fails. I guess that's the place to be for a good conversation.

The perks of having two savvy photographers at your shindig? Great photos! And the documenting of great photos being taken!

Drink recipe

1 (2 liter) bottle of Jarritos pineapple soda

1 carton (20 oz.) of Dole Pineapple juice

Vodka (eyeball it, depending on your crowd) *you know your friends better than I do.

1 cucumber sliced in rounds

1 sprig of mint (just pick the leaves of the stems)

1/4 of lemon juice

Ice (about 2 1/2 cups) in the drink

*have ice at the ready for individual drinks as well

Classic party snack

16 oz of cream cheese

1 small jar of salad olives (drained and chopped)

Let the cream cheese soften. In a bowl combine the cream cheese and olives and mix thoroughly. Chill the mixture for a couple of hours. Serve on Triscuit crackers or Melba toast.

I played bartender at my 30th birthday and have vowed never to do so again.

It is so much easier to make a mixed drink before the party, your guest will appreciate it as much as you will. They will ooh and ahh and you will have more time to listen to their compliments. Everyone wins!

xoxo,E

*photos courtesy of Amparo:)

Stephanie's Birthday

My friend Stephanie, of peacocksocial.com turned 35 again!

All her nearest and dearest ventured out to the lovely city of Long Beach to celebrate the ultimate party girl.

Very cool Happy Birthday sign! Stephanie is a style maven.

The red velvet cupcakes were a hit. I've posted the recipe before:)

Apples to Apples.

Once the crowd had gone a few of us stayed behind and played a round. Super fun!

The party girl winding it down for the evening.

All in all a great time was had by all.

I reconnected with old acquaintances and made new ones.

*All photos courtesy of my Sis, Amparo.

This is my grandmother

All of her grandkids swear they were her favorite and they are right, we all were.

My grandmother, whom we all called Mama Cuca, was the most charismatic, noble, and cherished woman I've ever known. She was as tough as she was sweet.

She was also an excellent cook.

On any given occasion you can catch my family reminiscing about the many delicious meals we had in her home. She made a broad array of mexican dishes, but she also cooked some incredible ribs and made a pot roast with quite possibly the worlds best white gravy.

I lived right next door to her so I got to see her and help her in the kitchen often.

From dicing to slicing to mise en place, she taught me a lot.

My most favorite thing about making a Mama Cuca meal is the aroma that fills up my home. It's the best kind of nostalgia, I wish I could bottle it up!

The Ribs

Mama Cuca always boiled the ribs (in salted water for about 30 minutes) before placing them on a foiled lined tray, she would then mix a generous amount of honey with BBQ sauce and smother the ribs with it following with salt and pepper. Then she would cover the tray and place it in the oven (350 degrees) for 25-30 minutes and then uncover the tray and cook for another 20 minutes, brushing the ribs occasionally with more BBQ sauce.

The reason I didn't add any measurements or detailed directions is that this was the way my grandmother cooked.

No measuring. Ever. She eyeballed everything and everything always tasted the same.

The Red Rice

2 cups of white rice

1 cup of water or chicken broth

1 8 0z. can of tomato sauce

2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

1 tbsp. of Knorr chicken bouillon powder

1/4 of an onion

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add vegetable oil and rice. Stir the rice constantly for about 10 minutes until it's color is a nice light golden brown, add the onion. Next add the water or broth, tomato sauce and bouillon. Stir and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or so.

The Potato Salad

4-5 Russet potatoes

4 eggs

3 celery stalks

1 can of black olives

Best Foods Mayo

Boil the potatoes (whole) in a big pot with 2 tbsp. of salt. You can add the eggs to the same pot, just make sure they are on top. Meanwhile you can chop the celery. Once the potatoes and eggs are ready you can let them drain and cool in a colander in the sink. When the potatoes and eggs are tolerable you will peel them and chop them into uniform pieces. Place the chopped potatoes and eggs into a big bowl and add the mayo, eyeball it:) Mix and then add the remaining ingredients and mix again until everything is evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Trial and Error:

Butchering a whole chicken

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

The last time I had that thought was when I was in the third grade and decided to get a perm, the problem was I had bangs, I permed my bangs too. For the next 3-6 months I would be called Rick James, a moniker my sisters found amusing to my dismay. I could laugh about it now.

But, I digress...

I remember watching my mom butcher a whole chicken, seemed easy... at the time.

However, once I was halfway into my first butchering experience I had this very clear vision of her

hacking away at the poor bird with brute force, especially when it came to the bones.

I did my research, watched a video on youtube and studied a diagram. I was seriously into this project. The first cut was a breeze, the second was a challenge and by the third I'd had it. I kept thinking about James Franco when I got to that pesky wing, would it take me 127 hours to butcher this chicken? I gave up, no shame whatsoever. I chickened out!

I can honestly say that butchering is not for me, I'll leave it to the pros.

Though it wasn't for me, I am glad to have given it a try because (at least) I had; 1 bone in breast, 1 boneless breast, 1 skinless/boneless thigh and two drumsticks. I don't know what happened to the other thigh or the wings for that matter.

Meat & Potatoes

I couldn't resist sharing this roast. It was delicious!

First, the cut. Personally I prefer chuck or brisket. You can certainly use top round, bottom round or london broil. How you cook it is completely up to you (stovetop, oven or slow cooker), a roast needs a moist heat, because the cuts of meat generally used are not rich in fat so you'll be cooking it for a long time over a low flame for optimum tenderness.

Get ready for a super easy recipe!

3-5 pound lb. chuck or brisket

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 sprig of rosemary

7-8 red bliss potatoes quartered

1 1/2 cups of baby carrots

1 cup of red wine

coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

It's important to let your meat mellow out a bit before you cook it, so take it out of the fridge and let it sit for about 20 minutes (wrapped) before you do anything else, in fact you can take this time to chop your garlic and potatoes. So when you are ready, set your heat to medium and place your big ol' heavy bottomed pot down on it!

Drizzle 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and then turn your attention over to your beef. Next, you will salt and pepper

the beef on all sides a good amount, you want to lightly crust it with the salt & pepper. Time to brown (very important!) this is where you get the magnificent taste. Brown all sides of your beef until they are brown and caramelized, oh yummy! Next, add the wine, garlic & rosemary, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 3 1/2 hours. Make sure to close your pot tightly. Lastly add the carrots and potatoes and let those cook for another 30 minutes or until tender.

Steamed or sauteed green beans are a great side for this dish.

Enjoy!

-E