Grilled Pineapple

Grilled Pineapple

1 Ripe Pineapple

Vanilla Ice Cream or Mascarpone Cheese with vanilla

Optional glaze:

1 C Water

12 T Butter

¼ C Brown Sugar

For the Glaze: Combine the water, butter and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer, whisking often until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

For the Pineapple: Peel and slice the pineapple into ¼” thick rounds. Heat grill to high and grill the pineapple slices about 2-3 minute per side, until browned. If using the glaze brush each side with glaze several times during the cooking. Serve with fresh blueberries, vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of remaining glaze if using.

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad

Spinach

Cottage Cheese, rinsed and drained

Red Onion, sliced thinly

Bacon Bits

Options:

Mushrooms, fresh sliced

Strawberries, fresh, sliced

Candied nuts

Feta, crumbled

Shredded Mozzarella

Craisins

Dressing:

1/3 C Rice Vinegar

1/3 C Oil

Sugar, to taste

¼ - ½ tsp Mustard

1 T Grated Onion

Poppy Seeds

Rinse spinach and cottage cheese. Slice onions and any other optional ingredients you will be using. Slice bacon before cooking, then cook and drain on paper towels. To make the dressing, mix rice vinegar and oil with a whisk. Add sugar, mustard grated onion and whisk. Add poppy seeds until it looks like enough, about 1 tsp. When ready to eat, toss salad ingredients and dressing, garnish with a few sliced onions and a sprinkle of bacon and cottage cheese.

Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Bananas

Grilled West Indies Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Bananas

3 T Curry Powder

3 T Ground Cumin

2 T Allspice

3 T Paprika

2 T Powdered Ginger

1 T Cayenne Pepper

2 T Salt

2 T Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

4 Firm bananas, skin on and halved lengthwise

2 T Vegetable Oil

1 T Soft butter

2 T Molasses

Lime halves for garnish

1. Mix all the spices together well, rub this mixture over both sides of each chicken breast, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Over a medium fire, grill the chicken breasts skin side down for 7-8 minutes, until well browned and heavily crusted. Turn them and grill an additional 10 minutes. Check for doneness by nicking the largest breast at the fattest point: The meat should be fully opaque with no traces of red. Remove the chicken from the grill.
3. Rub the banana halves with vegetable oil and place them on the grill, flat side down. Grill them for about 2 minutes, or until the flat sides are slightly golden in color. Flip them and grill for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Remove the banana halves from the grill. Mix the butter and molasses together and brush over the bananas. Serve the chicken breasts and banana halves together, sprinkled with a little lime juice and black bean corn salsa.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

2 T Vegetable Oil

1 C uncooked Rice

1 onion, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

2 C water

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

2 tsp chili powder, or to taste

1 tsp salt

Heat oil in deep skillet over medium heat, sauté rice, onion, and bell pepper until rice is browned and onions are tender. Stir in water and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spanish-Rice-II/Detail.aspx

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

2 C Black Beans, cooked and drained OR canned rinsed & drained

2 C Sweet Corn, lightly steamed and drained OR canned rinsed and drained

¼ C Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

½ C Fresh Green Pepper, chopped

6 C Fresh Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 T Fresh Lime Juice

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Salt

6-8 Fresh Jalapeños, seeded and diced

Chop, chop, mix, mix. Chill for at least an hour to allow ingredients to develop. This is good with chips and the usual dippers.

http://andreaswwrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/09/fresh-black-bean-and-corn-salsa-1-pt.html

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread

6 C Warm Water

2 T Yeast

2/3 C Sugar

2/3 C Oil

2 T Salt

2 T Gluten Flour (for each cup of wheat flour OR if you are only using white flour use 1 T for each cup)

3 T Dough Enhancer

4 eggs, optional

12-14 C Flour (you can use any split of wheat and white flour, I usually do about 50/50)

Place water and yeast along with 1 T sugar into the mixing bowl, let bubble and ferment for about 5 minutes. Add sugar, oil, salt and eggs if using. Mix lightly and add flour 1 C at a time starting with wheat flour (if using). Add gluten flour before completely mixed. Knead for a few minutes and then add dough enhancer. Finish kneading for about 3-4 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch Down. Shape into loaves and place in pans (you may need to grease and flour pans), let rise again until doubled. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until bread is cooked through (about 190 with an instant read thermometer).

February Cooking Group Recipes - Refried Beans

Refried Beans

Pour 3/4 tsp - 1 T of oil into a pan and let it heat up. Pour 2 cups of beans into pan and stir occasionally.. Let it come to a boil. Once it boils use the potato masher to smash the beans. Smash for about 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.

If using canned pinto beans:

Do not rinse beans, add entire contents of can to a hot oiled pan. Add 1/3-1/2 C of water to beans and stir. Follow directions above.

If using dry beans:

Place beans and enough water to cover fully and bring to a boil for 3-4 hours, then follow above directions.

February Cooking Group Recipes - Sauces

Guacamole

4 Avocados

1 Lime - 1 1/2 Limes

1/2 tsp. Salt

Yields: 2 cups

Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl and smash with a potato masher or fork. Add the lime and salt and mix.

For variations:

Add 3 T of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro. Mix.

Red Salsa

yields 2 1/2 cups

5 Tomatoes

3 Jalapenos

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

Add 1 T of water into a small saucepan. Cut the tomatoes and jalapenos in half lengthwise and add them to the saucepan. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add salt and whole garlic. Then mix in blender for 1 minute.

Tomatillo Salsa

15 Tomatillos (with skins removed)

2-4 Serrano Peppers

1 Avocado

½ Onion

½ tsp garlic (1 clove)

Handful of Cilantro

¼ Lime (juiced)

Salt to taste (start with about 1 tsp)

Boil tomatillos and peppers until soft (about 10 minutes). In the mean time, put rest of ingredients into blender. Add peeled tomatillos and peppers and blend until creamy consistency. Add more salt to taste if needed.

February Cooking Group Recipes - Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches (Milk Cake)

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/2 cup unsalted butter

· 1 cup white sugar

· 5 eggs

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 2 cups whole milk

· 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

· 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

· 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

· 1 cup white sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.

3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.

4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy and Voila!

Optional: You can substitute a yellow boxed cake for the cake in this recipe.

February Cooking Group Recipes - Mexican Flautas

Mexican Flautas

25 Corn Tortillas

3 Chicken Breasts

2 tsp garlic (4 cloves)

¼ Onion Sliced

¼ Onion Finely Chopped

½ pkg Taco Seasoning

1 Lime, juiced

Other Tools:

2 C Canola Oil

Toothpicks

Paper Towels

Tongs

Salt

Ziplock Bag

1Boil chicken with garlic and sliced onion, shred.

Add oil to saucepan on high heat. In a bowl add taco seasoning, lime juice and chopped onion to shredded chicken and mix.

3Put 5 Tortillas into a large ziplock bag (unsealed) in a microwave for about1 min. Add chicken mixture to one end of tortilla and roll tightly and insert toothpick, continue with remaning tortillas.

4. Fry both sides (reduce heat to medium-high if needed). Drain from oil, remove toothpicks and then place on paper towels to drain completely. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. Toppings for Flautas:

a. ½ Head Cabbage (finely sliced)

b. 1 Bunch cilantro, 1 Large Lime (juiced), salt to taste. Mix and serve

c. Queso Fresco

d. Sour Cream

e. Red Salsa

f. Tomatillo Salsa

g. Guacamole

February Cooking Group Recipes - Venezuelan Empanadas

Well Ladies, it turned out well! Thanks so much to Trish, Nadia & Lucy! It was so good and we had almost 30 people! I am still full, but who wouldn't be after 4 pieces of cake (and the scrapings from the pan), 1.5 flautas and 1/2 of an empanda. Oh, and 2 servings of beans. I couldn't help myself! Anyway, on to what everyone really wants, the recipes :) I am going to list them each separately so that they are easier to search for.

Venezuelan Empanadas

Filling:

1 ½ pounds beef blade roast, cut into 4 pieces

4 bay Leaves

Kosher Salt

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ Medium Onion, diced

¼ Green Bell Pepper, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Shallot, diced

1 Scallion, chopped

2 tsp Paprika

2 tsp Sazon Completa (Spanish seasoning blend, found in the spice aisle)

¼ tsp Dried Oregano

¼ tsp Ground Cumin

Freshly Ground Pepper

Dough:

3 T Sugar

1 ½ T Vegetable Oil, plus more for greasing and frying

1 ½ T Unsalted Butter

1 T Salt

3 ½ C Pre-Cooked Cornmeal (P.A.N. Brand)

¼ C plus 2 T All-Purpose Flour

3 ½ C Hot Water

Sauce:

1 ¼ C Cilantro (leaves and stems)

½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium Avocado, halved, seeded and peeled

¼ Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Scallion, chopped

4 tsp White Vinegar

1 Clove Garlic, crushed

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Make the filling: Place the beef, bay leaves, 1 T salt and water to cover in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the meat is almost falling apart, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred with a fork; cool. Reserve the broth.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and shallot; cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion, paprika, sazon completa, oregano, cumin, and ¼ tsp pepper. Add the beef and 1 C of the reserved broth and cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

3. Make the dough: Mix 3 ½ C hot water, the sugar, vegetable oil, butter and salt in a medium bowl until the butter melts. Stir in the cornmeal and flour until a soft dough forms, then knead on a clean surface until the dough comes together. Shape into 12 balls, using about ½ C dough for each.

4. One at a time, sprinkle each dough ball with water, place between two pieces of lightly oiled heavy-duty plastic wrap (a cut resealable bag works well) and roll into a 7-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic and place 2-3 T filling in the center of the dough. Use the bottom piece of plastic and place the empanada on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 365 degrees. Fry the empanadas in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet; keep warm in the oven.

6. Make the sauce: Combine the cilantro, olive oil, avocado, bell pepper, scallion, vinegar, and garlic in blender. Add 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper and puree until smooth. Thin out the sauce with up to ¼ C water and serve with the empanadas.