White Wine Sangria

What's not to love about the summertime  ̶  the sun, the pool, BBQs, not to mention a great season for tasty foods and drinks!  While in Argentina, I grew to thoroughly enjoy sangria.  One cannot possibly go wrong with a good Argentine wine and chopped fresh fruits (although I think I liked them even more as my friends and I received them all for free)!

Sangria is typically made with red wine, however Mum bought what she thought was red wine, but actually turned out to be white (we have started buying 'Black Box' boxed wine.  We have never been fans of boxed wine, but these are very tasty and great for any party)!  The wine was Argentinian, of course, but rather sweet for our palates.  So, poolside white wine sangria on Saturday afternoon it was!  This makes a great refresher and is a guaranteed hit at any get together with family or friends!

Ingredients

1 banana, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 slice pineapple, diced
1/2 plum, sliced
1/2 apple, diced
1 handful strawberries, sliced
1 handful blueberries
4 cups favorite white wine
1 shot favorite white rum
1 cup club soda

Directions

1. Slice and dice all fruits, be sure to wash them before cutting.

2. Place fruit into pitcher.
3. Pour 4 cups of favorite white wine into pitcher.
4. Add 1 shot white rum to mixture.
5. Add 1 cup club soda to mixture.
6. Mix with large spoon and store in fridge.
7. Enjoy responsibly poolside :-)

Serves 6 people

TIPS

- Choose your personal favorite fruits to add to the sangria!  I simply used what was available in my kitchen. 
- Use as much or as little fruit as you wish.  The less fruit, the more alcohol!
- Use a 4:1 ratio for wine and club soda.
- Feel free to add more liquor than white rum.  Remember that dark liquors will change the color of the white wine sangria.  There is more leniency when using red wine as the color of liquors does not effect the color of the drink.
- Make sangria 1-2 hours before serving to allow fruits and liquors to infuse.

Bon appétit!

Delicia de Coco

Dulce de leche.  Nobody loves this sweet, decadent food more than this girl!  I became exposed to dulce de leche (translation: sweet milk) while studying abroad in Argentina, where everybody bakes  it into their desserts.  From a dulce de leche Starbucks frapp to Freddo ice cream, I soon realized that the Argentines do exactly what the Americans do with peanut butter...they put it in EVERYTHING.  Now, while I am totally flumoxed by Americans' strange love affair with peanut butter, I was the last to complain when dulce de leche was somehow incorporated into my meal. 

This recipe is my host-mother's and is to die for!  Since I had limited access to a couple of the ingredients, I improvised.  I was unable to find plain, coconut cookies, so I used coconut macaroons instead.  As for the main ingredient, I brought a small tub of dulce de leche home with me.  But for everybody else who do not wish to travel 5000 miles to buy some, it can be purchased through Amazon.  I have also been told that it can be found in some Dillons grocery stores in the international aisle, and Pinterest has a recipe to make your own -- I will have to try the recipe when I have eaten all I brought home.

Ingredients

Base:
8 oz coconut macaroon cookies
4 oz melted butter

Filling:
1/2 a 400g jar of dulce de leche

Topping:
3 oz grated coconut
4 oz sugar
1 egg

Directions

1. Crush cookies into breadcrumbs (I used a large zip-loc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin).

2. Melt butter in microwave and add to cookies.  Mix well.

3. Press mixture into a cake tin/sheet (I used a 9 x 9 pan).
4. Cover base with dulce de leche,  spreading with a spatula moistened with water to prevent sticking.

5. Beat together egg, sugar, and grated cocount.  Spread on top of dulce de leche.
6. Bake at 400F for approx. 20 minutes or until light brown.
7. Cut into squares.  Cover and store in fridge when cool.

Serves 20 people

Bon Appétit!

Baked Ham with Kale

I have officially left my parents' spacious kitchen for my cozy apartment in the busy metropolis of Kansas City.  It has been a whirlwind of a week, but I am finally getting settled and able to find time to update with some great, tasty dishes!

One of the first meals made in my new humble abode was baked ham and kale.  Instead of purchasing prepackaged sandwich meats from the local grocery store, my Mum has always been a proponent of buying large cuts of meat, baking them, then slicing and freezing them in portions.  It costs about the same as prepackaged meat, but it is definitely much tastier!

Ingredients

1 package meat of your choice (raw or pre-cooked)
1 bundle of kale
4 potatoes
Squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt

Directions

1. Cook ham according to directions on package, approx 30 minutes per pound at 400F.

2. Wash and cut potatoes, place in saucepan (leaving the skins on preserves fiber and vitamin C).  Cover potatoes with water and sprinkle with salt.
3. Cook potatoes on high until boiling (approx 10 minutes) and turn down to #4 for 20 minutes.
4. Wash kale and cut into slices.
5. About 7 minutes before potatoes are due to be finished, pour 2 tbsp EVOO into frying pan on high heat.
6. Once steam is coming off EVOO, add kale to frying pan.  WARNING: due to high temperatures, EVOO may spit and burn your skin.  Be careful!
7. Stir constantly to prevent burning for 5 minutes or until kale is slightly dark in color.
8. Add salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and sugar to combat kale's slight bitterness.

9. Serve with a glass of white wine.

Serves 2-3 people, plus plenty of leftover ham

TIPS

- May serve ham hot or cold after cooked.
- Kale is a bitter vegetable, but very healthy for you!  Adding 1/2 tsp sugar and lemon juice at the end adds a little more flavor.

Bon appétit!

Pasta with Stir Fried Vegetables

I recently posted a brown rice and stir fried vegetables recipe.  It was a very tasty dish, but a little on the dry side for a few people  ̶  nothing a little cheese could not handle!  In order to incorporate a little more moisture, I suggest replacing the brown rice with pasta.  Not only will it not be as dry, but it is a twist on an old recipe which looks like something completely new!  As always, enjoy with your favorite wine!

Ingredients

9 oz pasta
Pinch salt
1/2 bell pepper
1/4 onion
1/4 head brocolli
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

1. Cook pasta in plenty of salted water.
2. Wash and slice vegetables.

5. 7-8 minutes before pasta is cooked, pour 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil into frying pan and cook on medium heat until steam rises from oil.
6. Stir fry all vegetables except broccoli and crushed garlic.
7. After 3-4 minutes, add broccoli and crushed garlic.  Again, stir to prevent burning and remove from heat after 2 minutes.
8. Once pasta is cooked, drain excess water and add cooked vegetables.  Stir well.
9. Season to taste.

Serves 3-4 people

TIPS

- Use brown pasta for additional fiber.
- Chinese cut vegetables (cut diagonally) allow quick and even cooking as well as absorption of any sauces and seasonings used. 

Bon Appétit!

Cabbage with Nuts and Cheese

Did you know that cabbage can help fight infections, assist brain function and the nervous system, and has more vitamin C than an orange??  Who knew this bland veggie could do such wonders for your body and your health!  With all of this in mind, I decided to whip up a fast and very healthy meal after a long day at the office.

Ingredients

1/2 head white cabbage 
1/2 bell pepper
1 stick celery,chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup black mustard seeds
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in frying pan until steam rises from oil.
2. Stir fry all vegetables for approximately 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Add black mustard seeds and peanuts.
4. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy with a glass of your favorite white wine.
(cabbage facts from organicfacts.net)

Serves 3-4 people

TIPS

- Add additional vegetables as you wish.
- Add sliced ham.
- Black mustard seeds can be purchased inexpensively from Indian and Pakistani stores.  Sesame seeds can be used instead, and make for a different flavor, or the seeds may be omitted altogether.

Bon appétit!

Healthy Salad Dressing Alternative

Argentina and Kansas have very little in common, except: beef.  The Argentines know they have great meat, and they show that by serving it at practically every meal.  Luckily for me, I am no vegetarian and thoroughly enjoy a delicious steak.  However, like at home in the good ol' state of Kansas, vegetables with the meal were hard to come by. 

The Argentine definition of a salad (which rarely appeared on a restaurant menu) consisted of lettuce and grated carrot, with the occasional chopped tomato or hard boiled egg.  With this in mind, it was no surprise that salad dressing was not available in grocery stores (at least not in mine).  But no complaints from me as at home, I tend to steer clear of the creamy Ranch and Thousand Island dressings and stick to a light drizzle of Italian dressing. 

When we did eat "salad", my host-mother made a quick and very tasty dressing.  It is so simple and healthy (not to mention cheap) I cannot believe I had not thought of it myself!  I will never go back to store bought dressings again.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pierced with a sharp knife
2 tsp whole peppercorns, leveled

Directions

1. Pour EVOO into container.
2. Add garlic and peppercorns.
3. Cover with lid or cling wrap and store in cupboard, not in fridge.
5. Drizzle onto salad.
6. Once all dressing has been used, simply add another 1/2 cup EVOO.

TIPS

- Once EVOO has been replenished twice, I recommend using the garlic and peppercorns to season steak on the grill or used for frying onions.
- Best if dressing is left a couple hours before first use to allow garlic to absorb and permeate oil.

Bon appétit!