CONTE'S MUSHROOM FLORENTINE PIZZA, product review

Conte's Mushroom Lorentine Pizza
with Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil

This is the best and most palatable packaged gluten-free pizza we've yet to taste.  The aroma is heavenly. There is plenty of cheese and veggies in the flavorful topping. Our only complaint - minor - we would have enjoyed a bit more sauce. We are heavy-duty tomato-sauce lovers. If your mouth is set for the taste and texture of a wheat crust, you'll be disappointed. Having said that, as GF crusts go, it is not bad. It's a bit like a doughy cracker and some might object to that doughiness, but we were okay with it. 


If you are allergic to the gluten in potato, this curst is not made with any potato flour. The cheeses are dairy cheeses. 


This pizza bakes nicely in the middle of the oven and takes 10-12 minutes. With preheat that means you can have it on the table in half-an-hour with time to prepare a salad while it's baking. The package says it serves four. We are little (or not so little!) piglets, so it served two.


The downside is that the pizza is not organic and Conte's plant is not a dedicated plant.

Wheat Free/Gluten Free Ingredients: CRUST: Rice flour, Water, Corn Starch, Tapioca Dextrin, Non-Fat Milk, Whole Eggs, Sugar, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Baking Powder, Soybean Oil, Yeast. TOPPING: Chopped Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, culture, salt, enzymes), Asiago Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Fresh Sliced White Mushrooms, Baby Leaf Spinach, Olive Oil, Romano Cheese (pasteurized sheep's milk, rennet, bacterial culture, salt) Roasted Garlic.  Contains: Milk, Eggs Good manufacturing practices are used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes wheat. NUTRITION FACTS Serving Size 1 slice (113g) Servings Per Container 4 Amount per Serving Calories 240  Calories from fat 90 %Daily Value Total Fat 10g - 16%  Saturated Fat 4.5g - 22%  Trans Fat 0g  Polyunsaturated Fat 0g  Monounsaturated Fat 3.5g Cholesterol 40mg - 14% Sodium 610mg - 25% Total Carbohydrates 27g - 9%  Dietary Fiber 1g - 4%  Sugars 3g  Sugar Alcohol 0g Protein 9g Vitamin A 6% Vitamin 4 2% Calcium 25% Iron 2% COOKING DIRECTIONS: DO NOT MICROWAVE. Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Remove pizza from plastic wrapper and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product.

ORANGE & OLIVE SALAD, Portokalia me elies

Naxos Taverna, Wikipedia, license

This classic Greek salad is quickly and easily assembled and services four.

The recipe

2 large oranges, peeled and separated into slices, be sure to remove seeds and pith

20 pitted calamata olives

1/2 small red onion, sliced as thinly as possible

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

spinach leaves, washed

Assemble the salad by mixing all the ingredients - with the exception of the spinach - in one bowl.  Cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve the salad on individual plates that have been lined with the spinach leaves.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

YOUVARLAKIA, Greek "porcupines" in egg and lemon sauce

Pamphaios, potter Wikipedia

Lamb meatballs made with rice, simmered in chicken broth, and served in an egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono) is wonderful peasant food that can be served for any occasion. A little salad with feta to go with it - and a Lebanese or Turkish Coffee after - makes quite a heavenly little feast.  It's not too expensive.  The rice helps stretch the meat.

"Porcupines" in Lemon Sauce, Youvarlakia, (Wheat-and-Gluten Free)

The recipe

Serves four

Prepare the meatballs:

• 1 pound of ground lamb
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1/4 cup Lundberg Brown Jasmine Rice
• 1/4 olive oil (does not have to be first press)
• 1 teaspoon fresh spearmint, very finely minced or crumbled
• Black pepper to taste
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 large omega-3 free-range egg
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

Prepare the sauce:

• 2 cups of homemade gluten-free chicken broth or 1 sixteen-ounce package of Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, gluten-free
• 5 tablespoons European butter, room temperature
• 3 large omega-3 range-free eggs, at room temperature and separate
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from Meyer lemons if you can get them

Combine the first eleven ingredients, which are listed under "prepare the meatballs" above. Keep working the mixture until it is like paste, then form into small balls just a bit larger than a ping-pong ball.  Roll the meatballs in the flour

Bring the broth to a boil in a large soup pot and add the meatballs, carefully one-by-one.  Break up the butter into small pieces with your hands and distribute it over the meatballs.  Cover the pot. Turn down the heat to simmer and let the meatballs cook for forty-five minutes.

Turn off the heat.  Separate out one cup of the broth.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and then whip the egg whites with some salt until they are fluffy but not quite stiff. Slowly add the yolks and then the lemon juice. Continue whipping. (I do this by hand.)  Finally, slowly add the cup of broth that you set aside.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs.  Do not stir or the meatballs will break.  Do not cover the pot.  The sauce will curdle.  Just slowly shake the pot to incorporate the sauce with the meatballs.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

HORTA: Greek-style Greens with Lemon

Peter Griffin

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces ... just good food from fresh ingredients. Julia Child

This recipe


Serves four

• 2 lbs. of fresh greens of your choice
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, doesn't need to be first press
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 cup of water with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper, freshly grated
• 1 lemon, quartered

Thoroughly wash the greens. Be sure to remove any sand and to pick out the tough stalks and any damaged leaves. You don't need to dry them.
Brown the garlic gently in the oil. Be careful not to burn it.  When it begins to change color add the greens to the pot and stir well. Add the water. Stir again and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the greens are cooked through, usually a scant five minutes. When the greens are done, scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon. Let the water drain off. Grate some freshly ground black pepper over each dish. Serve with the lemon quarters so that each person can squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the greens and to their taste.
Optional additions include Kalamata olives, capers, minced tomato or sweet pepper.


Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

MACEDONIA FRESCA, Fresh Fruit Salad in Wine

Photograph: PD Photo.org

Bananas ripe and green, and ginger-root,

      Cocoa in pods and alligator pears,

And tangerines and mangoes and grape fruit,

      Fit for the highest prize at parish fairs,

The Tropics in New York by Claude McKay

"Eating as if your food was a source of healing power is called nuchi gusui in the Okinawan Diet ... There's no longer any doubt about the fact that vegetables and fruit are good for you.  They are full of nutrients, yet contain few calories.  Although the Okinawans flourish on about seven servings a day, Westerners are generally bigger and would do better on ten or more servings per diet.  A diet full of vegetables and fruit will not only decrease our long-term risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, and obesity but also keep you looking younger."  The Okinawa Program, Wilcox, Wilcox and Suzuki

Shopping farmers markets, ethnic groceries, and the outer perimeter of your regular grocer is just good sense.  It makes for delicious meals, healthy bodies, sound budget, and shopping fun  Such foods are naturally gluten free and convenient for those with Celiac disease or gluten/wheat sensitivity.  They are easily portable and wonderful when you have to eat on the run; in effect, Mother Earth's fast food. 

• 
  
  
  assorted ripe fruits, cut into  bit-sized pieces, figure at least one cup of fruit per person
• 
  
  
  organic sugar, to taste
• 
  
  
  Marsala, white wine, or lemon juice, to taste
• 
  
  
  fresh mint sprigs

Mix the fruit in a large bowl, adding sugar and wine or lemon juice to taste.  It should not be too sweet, nor should it be swimming in the wine.  Let it sit at room temperature for about a half-hour or so before serving.  Decorate each serving with a sprig of mint.


Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

LINGUINI WITH CLAMS, Aromatics and Cream

Marlith, Wikipedia,

Recipe serves four

• 3 lbs. fresh clams, be sure all shells are tightly shut
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh, lightly salted butter
• 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of Organic Valley Cream, it's gluten-free
• 1 fresh lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 16 oz. quinoa linguini, which is 1 1/3 packages

Wash clams well under running water. In a large saucepan, put the clams, white wine, bay leaf, and crushed garlic. Turn the heat on high, cover the pan, and cook for eight-to-ten minutes.  Steam the clams until they have been opened. Discard any clams that do not open. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and reserve one cup of the clam liquid. Discard the bay leaf. Saute the aromatics (carrots, celery, onion) in the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan for two-to-three minutes. Add the cream and the clam juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with the black pepper and lemon juice.  Toss with cooked pasta which you have drained well and lightly rinsed.  Plate the pasta on a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

GIANDUIA CHEESECAKE, Chocolate and Hazelnut

Cheesecakes are generally baked in springform pans, which allow for the removal of the pan wall without tipping out the cake. 


Photographs courtesy of Wikipedia under GNU Free Documentation license.


At the time of this writing, Organic Valley lists the following Cream Cheese products as gluten-free.

• Cream Cheese, 8 oz. bar
• Cream Cheese, 8 oz. tub
• Neufchatel, 8 oz. bar
• Neufchatel, 8 oz. tub

Gianduia Cheesecake
The recipe, Serves twelve


Crust:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened organic butter, softened
• 6 ounces MiDel Chocolate Snaps
• 2 tablespoons organic granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened organic butter, melted

Crust preparation:Adjust your oven rack to the center position and heat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Using the softened butter, generously coat the bottom and sides of a nine-inch springform pan.  Insert  a metal blade in your food processor and put in the cookies and the sugar and process until the cookies are crumbs.  Keep the machine running and slowly add the melted butter. Process for about 15 minutes or until the crumbs glisten from the butter coating. Process another five seconds.  Then empty the chocolate crumbs into the springform pan and press them down on the bottom and along the sides.


Filling:

• 1/2 pound hazelnuts
• 8 ounces Dagoba semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 inch pieces
• 8 ounces Dagoba milk chocolate, broken into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 1/2 pounds of Organic Valley Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups organic granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Organic Valley whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Organic Valley sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon  Singing Dog Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Frangelico Liqueur
• 5 large omega-three eggs, lightly beaten

Prepare the hazelnuts: Spread the nuts on a baking pan and place them in the pre-heated oven to toast for about ten-to-fifteen minutes.  The skins will blister.  Remove from the oven and put the nuts in a dry dish towel and rub the skins off.  Leave them to cool and then grind them in your food processor. This will take about five-to-ten seconds. Set aside for the filling.


Prepare the chocolate: Place all the milk chocolate and half the semisweet chocolate into your food processor. Drop the remaining chocolate into the chute and continue the process until all the chocolate is ground to the consistency of tiny beads. Transfer the chocolate to a double-boiler or a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir until melted.  Careful not to over heat it.  Set aside for the filling.


Prepare the filling: Place the cream cheese, the whipping cream, the sour cream, vanilla and Frangelico into the processor and process once or twice for fifteen seconds, pushing the mixture down the sides if necessary to be sure it all combines well. As the cheese begins to move, continue to process for another thirty-five seconds and scrap the filling down as it rises up the sides.  It should become a smooth whirlpool.  Keep the machine running and add the beaten eggs through the chute, processing for about twenty seconds.
Stop the processing and stir the cheese mixture into the melted chocolate, blend well and mashing any stray lumps of cheese that may appear. Stir in the ground hazelnuts.


Assemble and Bake:
Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake an hour to an hour-and-a-quarter, until the center is set.  Do not open the oven before one hour.
Remove the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least six hours, preferably overnight. Do not remove the springform pan wall until the cheesecake has cooled.


Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

HACKED CHICKEN, Hunan Style

Chinese Kitchen, Peter Griffin, 

publicdomainpictures.net

We've had this recipe in our family cookbook since 1972 or '73.  It's from a  New York Times article by Raymond A. Sokolov. There are a number of ingredients, but it is easy to prepare. The only adaptions We've made are the omission of monosodium glutamate and the exchange of wheat-free tamari sauce for dark soy sauce.

This appetizer recipe
serves four

• 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, boned and skinned
• 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons scallions, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
• 1 /12 teaspoons fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tablespoon brown Szechwan peppercorns
• 1 cup peanut oil

Place the chicken breast in boiling water and leave it for five minutes. Remove it and pull it into narrow strips, about three inches long and one-quarter inch wide.

In one small bowl, combine the peanut butter with a tablespoon of sesame oil. Blend until smooth. Add the tamari and rice vinegar and blend.  In another small bowl, mix the cayenne pepper and the red pepper and blend to moisten with a bit of sesame oil. Add this the peanut butter mixture along with the ginger, scallions, garlic and coriander and blend well.

Heat the peanut oil to 300 degrees and fry the peppercorns for about fifteen minutes.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of this oil to the peanut butter mixture.  You can save the rest of the oil for other Chinese cooking adventures.

Pour the sauce over the chicken strips and mix to cover.  Serve on small, flat dishes.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

FARMERS' MARKET HAUL

It's one of my most enjoyable May--through-September rituals.  I love all farmers' markets and frankly go to as many as I can.  I love the sense of community, the great food - both fresh and prepared. And then there's the haul home, imagining what I can do with all these luscious fruits and vegetables and flowers. For a quick fix, there's nothing better than farmers' market goodies.  We're talking here about Mother Earth's fast food: ripe, juicy peaches; sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes with a bit of fresh, pungent basil; sharp red radishes; crispy, crunchy zucchini spears. All healthy, delicious, and budget-wise. But then, there's the desire for a sweet or savory concoction to tickle the most jaded eye and discriminating palate:

• Tomato salad with finely minced parsley, creamy, crumbled Greek feta, white balsamic vinaigrette, and sprinkles of pink Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Melon chunks dressed in lime juice and lime zest and topped with minced spearmint and crumbled cotija cheese.
• Lovely brown lentils with fresh-lime vinaigrette topped with slices of roasted beets and crumbled goat cheese.  (Yes.  I'm really into using cheese as a condiment to avoid excess fat. It's good. I don't feel deprived at all.)
• Voluptuous green squash stuffed in the Lebanese manner with rose brown rice and finely minced lamb scented with onions, garlic and cinnamon, and stewed in fresh tomatoes.
• Shredded radishes mixed with soft, lightly salted butter and spread on freshly sliced bread GF bread of your choice.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

LAMB STEW with orange and thyme

Thyme, Wikipedia.

The recipe

Serves six

• 2 pounds of lamb for stew, cut and trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh, salted butter
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 large yellow onions, cut into large dice
• 4 medium boiling potatoes, cut in fourths
• 3/4 pounds of string beans, tipped and halved
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup of dry red wine
• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 2-inch pieces of orange rind
• juice of one orange
• 2 cups homemade gluten-free chicken stock or 1 sixteen-ounce package of Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, gluten-free
• 4 springs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup of calamata olives, pitted
• freshly grated sea salt, to taste
• freshly grated black pepper, to tase

In a pot large enough to accommodate (four quarts) the ingredients, melt the butter with the olive oil.  Brown the meat in the fats and then remove them to a plate and reserve.  Sauté the onions until they are translucent.  Then add the garlic and cook, stirring well for a minute or two. Remove the garlic and onion and set aside for a moment.

Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, loosening all the sediment from the bottom and sides. Place the lamb back into the pan. Bring to a boil, adding the broth, sautéed onions and garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, olives, orange rind, orange juice, and potatoes and string beans.

Turn down the heat.  Cover and simmer for one hour or until the meat is tender.  You may periodically have to skim the top of the stew.  Remove orange peel. Taste for salt and pepper and add as appropriate.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

PASTA WITH RICOTTA-BUTTER SAUCE

Pasta con ricotta

The recipe

Serves four with salad

• 1 package brown rice pasta (do not use corn or quinoa pasta for this recipe)
• 3/4 pound fresh ricotta*, full-fat preferred - but do what you have to do
• 1/4 pounds fresh sheeps' milk cheese
• 1 stick of fresh, salted butter or substitute Earth Balance
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• sea salt and cracked, black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced fine

Boil the pasta in salted water until done al denté.  While the pasta is boiling, place the butter in a bowl large enough to accommodate all ingredients.  Take one cup of the boiling water and pour it over the butter, melting it and mixing it with the water.  Add the ricotta and sheeps' milk cheese and continue to mix well.  

Set aside another cup of water when the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta well and add it to the bowl with the butter and ricotta. It should make a creamy, but not runny, sauce.  If it seems dry, add a bit of the reserved water . Add the nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve.  It's that easy.  And it's very good.

* Read the ingredients on the ricotta package to be sure there are no wheat-derived products used for thickening included.


Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

KAIA FOODS, KALE CHIPS ... GF snacks food

You may have noticed these days that the availability and variety of packaged, dried raw foods at your Whole Foods or health food store continues to increase. Among the newer (to me) items is kaia foods kale chips, which come in a variety of flavors including barbecue. I haven't tasted the barbecue, but I have had the sea salt & vinegar and the "cheesy." I like them both.  The smell of the vinegar is a delightful pungent zap as you open the bag. The "cheesy" is from nutritional yeast. 


The kale chips are gluten-free and 85% raw. Total carbs are nine grams. Total protein is eight grams. The only real downside I see to an otherwise fabulous snack idea is the 200 calories (130 from fat) for just 1 oz. serving, which is the result of using sprouted sesame seeds and sprouted sunflower seeds. Seeds always have a high fat content ... and these would be weighted on the side of omega six and nine, not three.  100 grams of sunflower oil, for example, provides sixty-three grams of omega six. Three is the one we tend not to get enough of in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) Six is the one we get too much of.  
I'm going to guess that anyone who likes greens - which I do - is going to like these a lot. Will they replace standard chips in everyone's diet? That would be a very individual thing. In spite of the fat, I think in moderation they're a good gluten-free-on-the-run snack, easy, convenient, mostly healthy, and tasty to tote around in briefcase or bag.


At the time of this writing, Kaia foods' site doesn't say that theirs is a dedicated facility*, however they don't appear to produce anything with wheat. They have a buckwheat product line, but buckwheat (an herbaceous plant) is not a wheat and is considered a "pseudo-grain." The company does manufacturer products with tree nuts (walnuts). 


* Dedicated facility: one that produces only wheat-and-gluten free products, thus eliminating the potential for cross contamination.


Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

SKORTHALIA, Greek potato sauce/dip with garlic

This is a delicious and simple Greek sauce that is traditionally used to top fried fish or as a dip with bread. It can be used to good effect as a topping for almost any steamed vegetable.  The texture should be creamy, smooth, and somewhat thick.  It is most easily made in a food processor; but, you can mash the potatoes by hand and do the garlic with a mortar and pestle, the old fashioned way.

The recipe:

• 6 large cloves of garlic, mashed or minced
• 1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled, quartered, boiled and mashed
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or unsweetened wheat-and-gluten free soy creamer
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, the best quality you can afford
• salt to taste

Prepare the sauce:

Put the potatoes, garlic, and creamer in the food processor and puree.  Then slowly add the oil and the wine, alternating a little of each until it's all incorporated.

Serve as dip:

Place in a small bowl on a large platter surrounded by crudités and/or gluten-free crackers or toast triangles.

Serve as sauce:

Top your choice of steamed vegetables with the sauce.  Thin if you need to with water or milk.  Or, use as a topping on pan fried or batter fired fish or batter-fried vegetables.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

CHILAQUILES, Mexican Egg, Corn Tortilla, and Green Chili Dish

PD Photo.org.

Eggs are always welcome as a nutritious and frugal source of proteint. As for chilaquiles, this is another flexible and forgiving dish. You can make chilaquiles with stale tortillas and/or you can fry or bake quartered tortillas before assembling the dish.  You can even use a couple of handfuls of tortilla chips in place of the tortillas. 


You can use any type of fresh or canned peppers - even bells - that appeal to you or that you have on hand. Chilaquiles may be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.  Meal additions can include fresh, warm tortillas and a butter or spread, refried beans, pickled jalapeños, and a fresh fruit salad.
The recipe
Serves four

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup yellow onions, minced
• 1 pickled jalapeñ0, minced
• 1 8-oz. can of diced green chilies
• 1 fresh sereno chilli, chard over an open flame or under the broiler, skinned, and diced
• 4 day-old corn tortillas, cut in quarters
• 8 large omega-3 eggs, beaten with two teaspoons of water
• 1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar or jack or a combination of both)
• Sea-salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, minced

Sauté the onion in the olive oil.  When the onion is tender add the peppers and stir and cook for about a minute or two. Add the tortillas and stir and then add the eggs and cheese.  Cook over low heat, stirring frequently to scramble the eggs.  When the eggs are cooked season with salt and pepper to taste and top with minced parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.

The name chilaquiles is derived from the Nahuatl word chil-a-quilitl which means "herbs or greens in chile broth".


Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

OMELET with Shrimp and Goat Cheese

Courtesy of US Dept.
of Health & Human Services

Shrimp & Goat Cheese Omelet

The recipe

Serves one

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 omega-3 eggs, whisked
• 2 cooked shrimp, large dice
• 2 tablespoons red onion, grated
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 scant handful of baby spinach leaves, washed
• 1/8 cup of cooked mushrooms
• 1/8 cup of tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
• 2 pinches of Herbes de Provence
• sea salt, to taste
• cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons soft French goat cheese, crumbled

Put one tablespoon olive oil in a small omelet pan.  Sauté the onion and garlic, being careful not to burn the garlic. When they begin to soften, add the spinach, tomato, mushrooms, and parsley and simmer gently until the spinach is cooked and any liquids are almost evaporated. Toss in the shrimp and stir well.  Turn this mixture into a dish and add the second spoonful of oil to the pan.  Warm the oil, and then pour in the eggs.  Keep the heat on medium.  Put the shrimp mixture on top of the eggs and sprink with salt, pepper, and herbs.  Top with the goat cheese.  Cover the pan for a minute or two to help the eggs cook through.  Then, using a large spachula, flip one half of the omelet over onto the other.  Turn the omelet onto a plate.  Brush the top with a bit of oil, butter, or buttery spread.  And voilá.

Bon Appétit!


Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product.