Fishy-fishy....

Photography by Donna Samonte

I once cooked this recipe for a catered lunch and a lady asked me, how I cooked the fish and what I seasoned it with... answer - salt, pepper and a dash of paprika. When cooking fish, it's very important to get a fresh one, nothing beats a good fresh fish!!

Broiled Salmon

Ingredients:
1 lb Salmon Fillet (2 pcs @ 1/2 each)
Salt
Pepper
Sweet Paprika

Directions:
Wash and pat dry the fish and set aside. Combine equal amounts of salt, pepper and paprika then rub it on the salmon fillet.

Heat griddle/grill/broil under high heat and cook each side for 3 or 4 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with chopped scallions.

Best served with steam vegetables.

Tip: Leftover broiled salmon can be used for salads too.

Yum..yum..Vaca Frita!!

Photography by Donna Samonte

Last February in one of my weekend get-aways in Miami, my friends brought me to dinner in an authentic Cuban restaurant (I can't remember the name) somewhere in Coconut Grove.

What in the world is vaca frita? Literally translates to "Fried Cow", it's yummy....addictive!!! This Cuban Shredded Beef recipe is simply a flank steak boiled with an onion, a bay leaf, peppercorn and sherry until tender, then shredded and sauteed with onions, lime juice and orange juice until crispy ( as far as I recall the taste of it).

It is usually served with rice, black bean soup and plantain...and here's my version.

Vaca Frita (Stir-Fried Beef)

Ingredients:

2 lbs Flank Steak
2 pcs Bay Leaf
10 Black Peppercorns
2 tbs Dry Sherry
1 Onion (Large-sliced)

2 tbs Olive Oil
1 Bell Pepper (Medium-diced)

1/2tbs Oregano

Seasoning rub:

2 tbs Lime Juice

2 tbs Lemon Juice

3 gloves Garlic (Finely minced)

½ tsp Ground Pepper
1 tsp Ground Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Salt

*1 Onion (Small-sliced) for sauteing

Directions:

In a covered pot, place all ingredients at the bottom of the steak. Boil the steak in a covered pot with 3 cups of water. Simmer until tender for about an hour. When cooked, allow steak to cool down and once cooled place meat in a glass bowl and add seasoning rub.

Mix all the ingredients and rub it on the steak. Then after, cut into 2-inch chunks, shred it using your fingers and fork, and place in a glass bowl. Allow to marinate and set aside for at least 1 hour to overnight.

Remove the meat from the marinade and squeeze out the excess liquid. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or griddle in heat the oil over medium-high heat until fragrant and cook the beef shreds, add the onions and cook until the beef is crisp.

Sprinkle with the parsley, serve over white rice and black beans.

Fish Me Oh Fish Me

Photography by Donna Samonte

One of my fave fish dishes, easy to prepare and tasty....light in the stomach too, great for those watching their weight!! ;D

Arctic Char in Pearl Onion and Sun-dried Tomato Saute

Ingredients:
1 lb Arctic Char Fillet
2tsp lemon juice
2tbs Olive Oil
2 gloves minced Garlic
1/c pearl white onions, peeled
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably oil-packed), drained and diced
1 tbs fresh ground basil
salt and pepper


Directions:
Wash fish and pat dry. Rub lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Broil on high heat for 5mins or until top is golden brown.

While broiling, in a sauce pan, saute garlic until golden brown then add pearl onion, stir occasionally until onions slightly cooked. Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil then dash salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange/pour in sauce in a platter, put broiled fish on top and garnish with parsley and caramelized onions.

Best served with Steamed Broccoli.

Calm me, Bake Clam...

Photography by Donna Samonte

A requested dinner, a clam-crab meat bake. This recipe is great! All of my friends and family have loved it. Instead of frying however, I bake for around 25 minutes. The recipe has a great taste that doesn't interfere with the crab meat. Try them and enjoy!

Bake Clam-Crab Meat Cake


Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tbs biscuit baking mix
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tbs red bell pepper chopped
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs prepared mustard
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb crab meat
1/2 lb chopped clams (set aside shell for baking)
dash of salt and pepper


Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375'F.

Mix together Old Bay seasoning, baking mix, and parsley in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir mayonnaise, mustard, egg, and Worcestershire sauce into dry ingredients. Mix in crab meat and chopped clam meat gently. Form mixture into 6 to 8 balls and press on top of half clam shell and flatten with a spatula.

Put shells in baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.

Serve hot with your choice of veggies.

Dinner in 1-2-3!

Photography by Donna Samonte

We always want to have something really healthy to eat. But sometimes our schedules are just crazy to cope with everyday life. Cooking shouldn't be that hard, there's always some food that can be made as easy as 1-2-3 and yet healthy.

Pan-Broiled Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

4 pcs lamb chops about 1 1/4 lbs
3 tbs soy sauce
2 minced garlic
1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wash and pat dry lamb chops, combine all ingredients in a bowl and rub unto steaks. marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side for medium-rare (depending on thickness), or until the steaks are nicely browned on the outside but still a bit soft to the touch. (If the steaks are super thick, you may want to cook them for a few minutes on each of the short sides as well.)

Best served with potatoes, corn and veggies.

Simple Chicken Parmigiana

Photography by Donna Samonte

Here's another recipe to share. Very simple but delicious and yet can be served in either easy dinner and/or for fancy gathering.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast halves without skin
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Dash of Oregano and Rosemary
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups homemade
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Put chicken between pieces of wax paper, or in a food storage bag; pound gently to flatten for even cooking. Combine bread crumbs, oregano, rosemary, pepper and salt. Set aside.

Dip chicken into egg then into crumbs to coat. In skillet over medium heat, in hot butter, brown chicken on both sides. Add sauce then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and parsley. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, until cheese melts.

Can be serve with pasta.

Back to cooking...

It's been a while since my last recipe post...errrr...i've been so involved with my photography.

Anyway, I'm sharing another easy recipe that you'll enjoy. Chicken is always easy to cook and kids love it. This is a very simple dish, made easy for moms who are busy.

Chicken Pastel

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 potatoes, cut in cubes
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. can Vienna sausage, cut in half
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. butter
1 red pepper, cut in strips
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 c. water
1/2 c. milk
Salt to taste

Preparations:

Saute garlic and onions in oil until brown. Add chicken, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper. Cook 5 minutes until chicken is half done. Add water. Let boil and add potatoes, Vienna sausage, butter and bell pepper. Cover until done. Add milk, cook a few minutes until sauce thickens. Serve hot.

Can be served with steamed peas and broccoli.

Beef Stroganoff in a Rush!

In a rush to make dinner, here's a recipe that's so easy as 1-2-3! I even love it after re-heating! I mean, left-over......good for the next day!!! Hahahah.....

This recipe is inspired from the recipe of my friend Jenny, who's Beef Stroganoff version taste heavenly...and I wonder where she is now....

Simple Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water until done, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, saute garlic and onions in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until soft then add mushrooms; remove from pan. Using the same pan, melt remaining butter. Cook ground beef in melted butter until browned. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth, and cook until slightly thickened. Add mushroom and onion mixture; stir in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until sauce is hot, but not boiling.

Serve sauce over egg noodles.