Cuban Rice and Beans

I love Caribbean food. I find it all to be warm, hearty and spicy...my favourite combination!
Unfortunately most people associate Caribbean food with what they eat at all inclusive resorts and Taco Bell. You need to get off the resorts and eat at small establishments at the side of the road in order to get the REAL STUFF!!

I had a variation of this rice when I visited Miami a few years back...it was at an authentic Cuban restaurant...where they only made home cooked Cuban meals. I had the BEST Cuban sandwich and this rice. This is my attempt at re-creating it...and I am pretty sure I have nailed it! I just need to get my Cuban aunt to try it to see what she thinks!

 Finely chop 1 Green Pepper and 1 Onion

 In a heavy bottomed pot (Cast Iron if you have it), drizzle 1-2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute until the onions start to lightly brown.

 Add 5 Minced garlic cloves, 4 tbsp Tomato Paste, 3 Tsp Cumin, 1 Tsp Oregano, 2 Bay Leafs and 2 Tbsp White Vinegar. Add a little salt and pepper as well. Let this cook with the onions and peppers for about a minute.

 Turn the heat down to medium/low and add about 5-6 cups of Vegetable Stock. Bring the mixture back up to a boil and add 3 cups of long grain rice. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is halfway done.

 At the half way point add 1 can of rinsed black beans. I like to use the canned beans instead of the dried beans...more of a time saver than anything. Cover the pot again and finish cooking the rice until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 more minutes)

Fluff up the rice and beans and serve with a drizzle of good quality olive oil while still hot. So delish and simple to make! Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp Diane

This recipe is inspired from one of my favourite dish's at a very famous restaurant chain. Of course this has my spin on it...and I omit the heavy cream that I am sure in included in the restaurant version. Definitely not light on the butter.....so super tasty in my books!

 

First get your spice mix ready. I use a mixture of (about a 1/4 tsp of each) Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, White Pepper, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Sometimes I add a few red pepper flakes for even more heat!! Set this aside for now.

In a large deep sauce pan. Melt 1/2 Cup of Butter on high heat.

add 3 chopped Scallions and half your spice mix.

Next add about 1/2 pound chopped Cremini Mushrooms with 3 Minced garlic cloves. Cook until mushrooms are tender.

I like to add about a 1/4 cup of white wine for extra flavour. Let this simmer and reduce slightly. About 5 minutes.

Add your shrimp. I like to use Jumbo zipperback shrimps...but really any shrimp that is accessible to you work fine. Just make sure you remove the shells and devein them.

Allow the shrimp to simmer in the sauce and yes...add a few more chunks of butter.

Finish the sauce with about 4 tbsp of fresh parsley.

Once shrimp are cooked serve over fresh jasmine rice. Sooo good!

Bacon Barley Risotto

This was my attempt at trying to make Risotto healthier. However, I failed when I proceeded to add bacon, butter and cheese to it. At the end of the day this made a great alternative to Rice risotto...and mighty tasty too! But I have to say...butter does make everything better...100%!

Say Hello to Barley. I use it a lot in soups and stews...and now risotto!

In a large deep saucepan add about 8 strips of thick cut bacon, chopped and cook until browned but not quite crispy yet. Add 2 chopped shallots to the mix.

Once the shallots start to turn a little translucent add 1 cup of barley. Just like risotto, you want to toast it slightly on medium heat. Then add 1 Cup of your favourite white wine. They always say...only add wine that you like to drink yourself!

Once the wine has been absorbed into the barley start to add hot chicken stock 1 ladle full at a time, stirring constantly and letting the stock absorb before adding more. I usually have about 1 litre of stock boiling whenever I make risotto. Don't let the Barley get too dry though...you want to keep it pretty "loose" at all times. At this point I check for seasoning, salt, pepper etc.

Once you get to the point where the barley is cooked (about 30 minutes), add 2 tbsp of butter, 1 handfull of chopped flat leaf parsley and 1/2 Cup of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Stir to combine and serve this creamy delicious meal to your friends and family! They will love it!

Spicy Jambalaya

I will be the first to admit that I know very little about southern cooking...and I am sure that the "southern cooking" I have tried in the great white north would be laughable to anyone who is from the south. But I am so intrigued by this food culture. I love the richness about it and the spice. My god do I ever love the spice.

My husband has a weaker stomach than mine so this is a once in a while dish for us...but man, does this ever clear up a congested sinus. You can make this dish with less spice..I have never tried...but I am sure it would still be just as good!

Spicy Jambalaya

 So here is where I know, this dish stops being authentic "southern". I used Spanish Chorizo. I do not have access to Andouille Sausage, which is what is traditionally used. Chop 1 Spanish Chorizo sausage and brown in a large oven proof pot (I used a cast iron pan to saute everything then transferred it to a oven safe dish....I really need a cast iron pot)

 Remove browned sausage and set aside

 In the same pan with all the sausage yummyness, Brown 3 cubed chicken breasts (lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and flour). You just want to get a nice light brown crust on them.

 Chop 1/2 large Onion, 1 Red Pepper and 4 Celery stalks.

 Add half the chopped veggies to the chicken and saute about 2 minutes.

 Make your spice mix. 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper, 1 1/2 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp dried Basil, 1 tsp dried Thyme, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Black Pepper, 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika

 Add your spice Mixture, 1 Large Chopped Tomato, and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan. Cook for one minute.

 My pan was wayyyy too full so I transferred everything to a pot to finish up. Add 1/2 Cup Marinara sauce, 2 Cups Chicken Broth, 3/4 cup long grain white rice, and the rest of the chopped vegetables. Stir to combine and stick in a 350F oven for 25-30 minutes.

 After 25-30 minutes of baking in the oven, add 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and 3 Green Onions, also chopped.

 I add my shrimp at this point as well..about 1 lb of Tiger shrimp, shelled and de-veined. Cook in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked!

And there you have it.. Canadianized Jambalaya in a spaghetti bowl. Yum, yum, yum!

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Do you have a go to dish that you always good when company is coming over...or when you just want something a little more special? Well mine is risotto. I know a lot of people don't really like making it as you do have to watch it and stir it a lot..unlike conventional rice that you have just put boiling and leave it alone. This recipe is one of my favourites....i love earthy mushrooms and try to get a variety of them when making this dish! Good Parmesan Reggiano is also a MUST for a great Risotto!

Grab yourself a nice variety of mushrooms. I have some Shitake, Oyster and Cremini mushrooms here. Chop and set aside. You should have between 1-2 cups of chopped mushrooms.

Mince 1 small onion and 2 garlic cloves.

At this point I also prep my fresh herbs. My regular Thyme has already died off in my garden, however, I have an abundance on Lemon Thyme. I used about 1 tsp fresh Lemon Thyme...set this aside for later too.

On one of your stove burners have a pot of chicken broth simmering. You will need the hot broth throughout the cooking process

In a large deep saucepan over medium high heat melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add the onions and saute

Once the onions become translucent add the garlic and cook for about one minute or until fragrant. Now add your rice. This recipe serves 4-5 people with only 1.5cups of rice! Please use Arborio Rice. This is a very important ingredient as there are starches in Arborio rice that when cooked slowly, make the creamy texture that makes risotto so famously amazing. Once you add the rice you want to stir it around, being careful to not let it burn, but to start to lightly toast. You will hear it crackling. That's when you know its time to add the liquid!

Add 1 cup of white wine to the rice.

Quickly add your mushrooms. Stir around until most of the wine has evaporated. At this point I usually lower the head a bit to medium.

Season your risotto with a little salt and pepper and start adding your broth one ladle full at a time until the mixture becomes "loose" but not soupy. You want to keep this consistency throughout the cooking process, as once the starches from the rice start to work their magic, the liquid will thicken and become nice and creamy.

Keep adding broth when needed and stirring...this process takes about 20 minutes. You don't need to be vigorous with your stirring...just make sure that the rice is not sticking and that the mixture stays 'loose'.

You can add your fresh herbs towards the end of the cooking process. Once the mixture starts looking creamy, try a bit of the rice. It should be like pasta and served slightly al dente, but not crunchy. keep on adding broth and stirring until your risotto has the right texture and consistency.

Once the rice is cooked add 1/2 cup of freshly grated good quality Parmesan Reggiano cheese and 2 tbsp of butter.

Mix thoroughly off the heat...perfectly creamy risotto.

Serve as a side with Protein or just on its own. Enjoy your weekend!

Southwest Quinoa!

Quinoa (Pronounced "ki-nwa") has become my new favourite super food!

Why is it super?

It is high in protein
It contains a balanced set of Amino Acids
It is high in Fiber
It is high in Iron
And its Gluten-free...so super easy to digest (great for runners like me!)

I have no idea why it took me so long to try this...it is absolutely delicious and really easy to prepare, sort of like rice.

I have made a couple different variations and this one was a crowd pleaser on the weekend. Enjoy!

Southwest Quinoa

Before you start, get some chicken broth boiling on your stove, you want it to be hot when you add it in. Follow the package directions for the amount of Liquid that you will need. For the brand I was using, I used 2 Cups Quinoa and 4 cups Chicken Broth.

 Chop 1 Large Onion, 2 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Red Pepper and 1 Orange Pepper into small bite size pieces. Set aside.

 Rinse 1 Can of Black Beans and 1 Can of Corn...set this aside as well.

 In a medium sized pot, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and heat to medium high. Add the onion and saute.

 Give the onions a couple of minutes to turn a little translucent and add the peppers. Keep on stirring for about 3 minutes.

 Turn the heat down to low and add the quinoa, Garlic, 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Chili Powder, 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder and salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add any salt because I did not use low sodium chicken broth. Stir quickly so the quinoa does not burn but starts to toast a little bit and the spices start to become very fragrant.

 Very carefully add your chicken broth. If your broth is not hot you will just get a lot of steam and splattering. Hot broth is essential!

 Stir to combine everything and cover pot for about 15 minutes on a low simmer. After 15 minutes add the corn and beans. Continue to simmer until all the liquid is gone and the quinoa has become clear with a small white fiber visible.

 Transfer to a casserole dish and garnish with sliced green onions

An excellent side dish or perfectly fine on its own!