Anna’s Kiwi-Mango Salsa

My, late dear friend, Anna has always made a salsa that I love. She usually served it during the holidays. But it is good anytime! It can be served with pita chips, vegetables, as a replacement for anytime you might want to serve a "regular salsa" or as a nice side dish. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to be on the road – so I have set up some of my "go to" recipes to share with you. You won't see any pictures, as I am not actually preparing…they are wonderful recipes and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Anna's Kiwi-Mango Salsa

2 – Mangoes, peeled & diced
2 to 4 – Kiwis, peeled & diced
1 – Red Onion, diced
1 – Green Pepper, diced
8 to 10 – Bright Red Cocktail Tomatoes (the tiny ones), quartered
½ Bunch – Cilantro, chopped
6 to 8 – Pickled Jalapeno slices, minced fine (optional, makes it spicy)
Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, to taste (I don't measure)
Juice of 3 to 4 Limes
Dash of Vinegar

Combine & Refrigerate (up to 2 weeks)

This is also good with grilled or broiled chicken/fish.

And I think you could add just about any tropical fruit. The last time I put some tangerines in it too!

Enjoy It!

Obedient Ingredient – Guava Paste

I received quite the challenge last week. A friend of mine brought over Guava Paste and wanted me to come up with a meal using it. Now I don't know if you have ever heard of the term "Obedient Ingredient" but basically it means taking an "exotic" flavor or ingredient and incorporating it into something that you would usually cook.

I really like Pork Tenderloins – so I decided to make a sauce for the tenderloin with the paste and since there was extra – I decided to incorporate it into one of my favorite side dishes, baked potatoes and carrots.
I also cooked some green beans (I did not use the paste), which you will see in the picture. Well since taking the picture and making this dinner – I have improved upon both of the side dishes and will provide you with the new recipes which will look slightly different than the posted picture. These recipes will be in a different posting.

Guava-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa
(Original recipe by Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez – my adaptation is noted below)

(Serves 4)
Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa
½ Cup Cilantro, chopped
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Minced Onion
2 Tbsp – Chives, chopped
½ - Jalapeno Pepper
½ - Italian Pepper
2 – Garlic Cloves, minced
¼ Tsp – Cumin
Salt to taste.

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients (except the oil), once incorporated whisk in the oil slowly. Set aside or cover and refrigerate.

(There is a picture of this Salsa as served with the Pepperoni Flatbread Rollups - in that posting).
Guava-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

(Serves 4)
1 – (1 to 2 lb) Pork Tenderloin
1 Tbsp – Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp – Onion, minced
1 – Garlic Clove, minced
7 oz. – Guava Paste, chopped (3/4 cup)
½ Cup Water
1 Tbsp – Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp – Ketchup
1 Tbsp – Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Take the tenderloin from the fridge and place in a shallow baking dish and let come to room temperature (at least one hour but no more than 3 hours)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the guava paste and water, stirring, until the paste has dissolved. Stir in the soy sauce, ketchup and cayenne. Remove from heat and season with salt. Set aside.

Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin on all sides (you can also add some flavor buy putting salt and pepper during this process). Remove the tenderloin and place back in the shallow baking dish.

Glaze the tenderloin with the sauce all over top and bottom (make sure that the fat side of the tenderloin is on top). Then pour any remaining sauce over the top (or another option is to baste the tenderloin about 30 minutes into the baking process with the remaining glaze). I would suggest if you choose to just pour it over the top and leave it – that you definitely line your pan with aluminum foil.

Bake in oven (uncovered) for 50 to 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°. Remove and place on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Thinly slice the pork and garnish with cilantro sprigs (optional) and serve with the salsa and any side dishes of your choosing.

*Note the salsa is also good with other dishes and the above noted Flatbread posting will have a recipe that you can also use this wonderful salsa; I used it with the leftovers.

Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza Rollovers

Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza Rollovers

(Serves 2)

1 Tbsp - EVOO
1 – Piece of Flatbread (I use FlatOut Light Italian Herb Flatbread)
2 Tbsp – Marinara Sauce (homemade or your favorite store brand)
Pepperoni (thin slices)
1 Clove of Garlic
Onion – sliced thin in 1-inch pieces
Kalamata Olives – cut in half
Oregano
Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Warning – Do not use a Toaster Oven as this could be a fire hazard!!!

Place the flatbread on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. Brush with Olive Oil…you don't want to soak it just slightly coat it.

Spoon the marinara sauce onto the flatbread and spread out to cover. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over the sauce – not to completely cover but to form a base. Lay pepperoni slices all over the flatbread (as much or as little as you like). Then place sprinkle minced garlic over evenly, add the sliced onions and olives (again as much or little as you like). Take a large pinch of oregano and squeeze it in your fingertips and sprinkle over the surface of the flatbread.

Sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese to cover. Remove any excess that may have fallen onto the stone or sheet.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and starting to get golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide onto a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Lay the flatbread lengthwise (so that the longest portion is perpendicular to you) and take a pizza cutter and cut into 2 to 3 inch width slices. Fold these over and arrange on a plate.

A really good salsa to serve with it is the Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa in a previous recipe. (As seen in the picture). I said it serves 2 – but this was a meal for me…Oh well, I guess that is why my clothes are getting tighter. Hmmmm…

Also, you could use any toppings that you like – this is the one that I made and with the salsa it was a perfect blend of flavor!

Thin-Sliced Beans with Citrus-Zest and Chives

Thin-Sliced Beans with Citrus Zest and Chives
(My adaptation from recipe in the 2008 Food and Wine Annual Cookbook by Heidi Swanson)

(Serves 4)
2 Tbsp - EVOO
¾ Lb – Green String Beans & Yellow Wax Beans, sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick
½ Cup – Water
2 – Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Lime
2 Tbsp – Chives, snipped
½ Lemon – Juice (freshly squeezed)

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the beans and cook over moderately high heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook the beans until crisp-tender, (2 to 3 minutes). Add the zest and chives and cook, stirring, until the beans are tender, 4 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Baked Potatoes & Carrots with Guava

Baked Potatoes & Carrots with Guava

(Serves 4)

1 Cup – Guava Paste
2 Tbsp - Butter
3 - Large Potatoes, thinly sliced (round pieces)
2 – Carrots, round slices ¼ to ½ inch thick
1 Tbsp – Chives, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the guava paste and butter in a small saucepan until the paste has melted. Put the potatoes and carrots in a small baking or casserole dish. Pour the guava-butter mixture into the pan and toss the vegetables until everything is nicely coated.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes have a nice crisp on them. (Depending on the size of the slices you make you may need to adjust the cooking time – check after 20 minutes and cook until desired consistency is reached.)

Mexican Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde & Avocado Salad

I have wanted to make a Salsa Verde for quite some time and I had a 1.7 lb Pork Tenderloin in the fridge – so I decided to make a light "south of the border" style meal. This is what I came up with! 

Salsa Verde

10 to 12 Tomatillos – husk removed
2 Cloves – Garlic
½ – Medium Onion, chopped
1 – Cup Cilantro, lightly packed
1 - Small Italian Pepper (or just use half of a large one)
½ - Jalapeño, seeded
1 Tbsp – Olive Oil
1 Packet – Con Culantro Y Achiote Seasoning (Sazon Goya)
½ Tsp – Cumin
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Boil the tomatillos in a large sauce pan or pot for 7 to 10 minutes. You want them soft but not overcooked. Drain and submerge in cold water to stop the cooking process and to allow cooling faster. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut into quarters. Place in a food processor along with the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, olive oil, Sazon seasoning, cumin and pulse for about 10 seconds. Scrape the sides down and taste, add salt and pepper as necessary and repulse until you reach an even consistency. Remove from food processor into a glass or non-reactive metal bowl – cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, so that the flavors can blend. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to serving.  This recipe makes more than you will need for this menu.  Use the rest with tortilla chips or with any other dish you desire.


Mexican Pork Tenderloin
(Serves 4)

1 – Pork Tenderloin (1 to 2 lbs)
1 Packet – Sazon Goya con Culantro Y Achiote Seasoning
1 Packet – McCormick's Sazon with Coriander and Annatto
1 to 2 Tbsp – Taco Seasoning
1 Tsp – Cumin, Heaping
3 to 4 Tbsp – Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1 Tsp – Salt
1 Tsp – Pepper
1 Tsp – Dried Thyme
1 Tsp – Dried Rosemary
2 Tbsp – Olive Oil

Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and rinse it off and pat it dry. Place in a shallow baking dish lined in aluminum foil.

Using a mortar and pestle, blend all of the dry ingredients. I like to add one at a time to get a very nice blended flavor.  Also, please note that I do indeed use the McCormick's and the Goya Sazon products as they have differences in flavor (both are great and you could just use one or the other).

Coat all sides of the tenderloin with the dry rub and place fat side up, drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil down the piece of fat in a zigzag manner. Let rest and come to room temperature (at least one hour & up to 3 hours).

Preheat oven to 450°.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil down the center of the loin. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 250°. Bake for 50 to 80 minutes – until internal temperature reads 150°. Remove from the oven and take the tenderloin and place on a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Avocado Salad
(Serves 2 to 4)

1 – Ripe Haas Avocados, peeled and pitted
1 – Tomato, halved and sliced thin
½ - Medium Onion, halved and sliced thin
2 – Limes
1 – Lemon
1 Tbsp – Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the avocados into strips, combine with the tomato and the onion, salt and pepper to taste. Place into a glass bowl or non-reactive metal bowl and squeeze the juice of the lemon and the limes and lightly toss. Drizzle in the olive oil and again slightly toss.

This makes a great meal.  Very filling, yet light.  To serve, place your slices of pork on plate and place the salsa vertically down the middle of the pork and put the salad on the side.  This is a spicy dish - so if you don't like spicy foods - this probably would not work very well for you.

Saturday Night Salad with American-French Dressing

Saturday Night Salad with American-French Dressing

You can make the salad however you like with whatever ingredients you have on hand. I am going to give you the recipe for the dressing and the ingredients that I put in this particular salad as I think they complement each other very well.

Amercian-French Dressing

1 Tbsp – Onion, finely diced or pureed
1 – Small Clove of Garlic, also finely diced or pureed
½ Cup – Vegetable or Canola Oil
3 ½ Tbsp – White Wine Vinegar (or Regular White Vinegar)
1/3 Cup – Catsup
1 Tbsp – Sugar
1 Tbsp – Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 Tsp – Paprika
Dash of Hot Sauce
Dash of White Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium glass or non-reactive metal bowl, except the oil. Once the ingredients are well combined, slowly add the oil and whisk continuously to emulsify.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

As for the salad – I just eyeball the amount of the ingredients I want to use. I base it solely on the portion size of the bowls. I usually like to toss the dressing with my leaves – but in this case – I like to have the salad put together, pour the dressing over (again as much or as little as you like) and then crumble the bacon on top.

Baby Spinach Leaves, washed and stemmed (discard any wilted leaves)
Onion, thinly sliced into 2-inch slivers
Radish, halved and thinly sliced
Kalamata Olives, quartered or halved
Roasted Red Pepper, thinly sliced into 2 inch strips
Egg, hard-boiled and quartered (I use 1 egg per salad)
Bacon, chopped into small pieces and fried, drained on a paper towel
(I use 1 to 2 pieces per salad)
Feta Cheese, diced into 1 inch cubes
Gruyere or Swiss Cheese, diced into 1 inch cubes

Assemble, Dress, Crumble and Enjoy!

I make a large salad as you see in the picture and drink with a nice glass of white wine. Fabulous Dinner! I think that a Riesling pairs up nicely with this salad. But as in anything – if you have a favorite white wine use that one instead.

Spanish Potato Salad

This makes a great side dish for seafood. It has a very nice smoky cumin flavor and once you let the flavors marry, you will love it even more. Enjoy!


Spanish Potato Salad

Serves 2

3 – Small Potatoes, peeled and diced into medium-sized chunks
1 – Small Onion, sliced thin and roughly chopped
3 – Large Queen Spanish Olives with Pimento, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp – Mayonnaise
1 Tsp – German Style Mustard (Medium)
1/8 Tsp – Cumin
2 – Chive stems, snipped into small pieces
8 – Rosemary Leaves, snipped into small pieces
1 Tbsp – Fresh Chopped Parsley
¼ Tsp – Celery Salt
1/8 Tsp – Ground Black Pepper
1 Tsp – Butter
¼ Tsp – Paprika (or Salad Supreme Seasoning)
4 Pieces – Bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 – Eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Hot Sauce

Sauté bacon in skillet until done (not over crispy) and drain on paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix the onions and olives with the cumin and let it sit while you are preparing the bacon, potatoes and the eggs.

Boil potatoes in water and butter in a small saucepan. Don't overcook as you want them to retain some texture. Drain and set aside to cool a bit.

Boil the eggs. I bring mine to a rapid boil and boil for one minute then I remove them from the heat and cover tightly for 15 minutes. Once done – run under cold water and peel.

Whisk mayo, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce in a medium non-reactive metal or a glass bowl. Once the potatoes have been drained and cooled somewhat (you still want them warm just not piping hot) – Fold them into the mixture.

Then add the olive/onion mixture. Once combined finally add the herbs and dried spices.

Finally, fold in the chopped eggs.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour and can be even kept overnight. Chop bacon sprinkle on top just before serving. If you have leftovers, it is okay for the bacon to be in it – just use by the next day so that it does not become soggy.

Lasagna di Livorno

Lasagna di Livorno

1 and ½ cups – Unsalted Butter
4 – Garlic Cloves, minced
1 – Small Sweet Onion, minced
2 – 9 Oz. Bags of Spinach Leaves
1 Lb – Ricotta Cheese
1 – Large Package of White Mushrooms (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
1 Cup – Merlot Wine (Any Red Wine will do)
½ Cup – Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
1 Quart plus ½ Cup – 2% Milk
½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
½ Tsp – Ground Nutmeg
1 Cup – Pecorino-Romano Cheese (grated)
12 to 16 Sheets – Lasagna Noodles
3 – Large Eggs
8 Oz. – Fontina Cheese
14 Oz. – Mozzarella Cheese
1 Cup – Sun-Dried Tomatoes (no salt added) (chopped)
2 Tbsp – EVOO
8 Oz – Baby Bella Mushrooms (sliced)

Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a small bowl…douse liberally with the olive oil and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tsp of EVOO and sauté half of the onions for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until softened, add 2 cloves of the minced garlic and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add one bag of the spinach and stir thoroughly and put lid on the pan. After 2 to 3 minutes, lift lid and stir to combine ingredients further and then place lid on again for an additional minute, remove lid and stir until spinach is completely wilted. Drain contents into a colander and leave it to drain. Repeat for the other onion, garlic and spinach…add to the colander. Once the spinach mixture is well drained, add it to the ricotta cheese mixture and eggs in a bowl. Also grate ¼ Cup of the Pecorino-Romano Cheese and mix well. Set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in the same skillet over medium heat, add mushrooms with salt and pepper (to taste). Cook until the mushrooms are softened and slightly browned (about 8 minutes). Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and oil into the pan and let cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes). Pour the ½ cup of the wine into the hot pan and use a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Cook additionally until the liquid has almost evaporated. Transfer to a medium bowl.

In a medium saucepan (over medium heat), heat 1 quart milk and melt 1 stick of butter…when the butter bubbles, sprinkle in the flour (slowly and incrementally), whisking continuously, until it is bubbly and starts to become thick. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tsp of salt, ¼ Tsp White Pepper, the Nutmeg, and the remainder of the Pecorino-Romano Cheese.

Preheat oven to 350°. Assemble the lasagna: Spread enough sauce to just cover the bottom of the 9x13 roasting pan. Place a layer of the lasagna sheets (uncooked) to fit. Make sure that the noodles do not touch the sides (so that they will be able to be completely submersed in sauce to cook in oven) and overlap so that there are no gaps between sheets; spread Spinach and Ricotta mixture as a layer, then spread the mushroom and tomato mixture to cover; spread a layer of the Fontina cheeese (liberally); then repeat the steps above; place final layer of noodles on top and top with remaining cream sauce and then sprinkle Mozzarella over the top. Bake covered with tin foil for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake the lasagna until golden brown (approximately 30 to 45 minutes). Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Just before serving, melt 2 Tbsp butter and a douse of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the Baby Bella Mushrooms (season with salt and pepper) and cook approximately 10 minutes. Add the remaining wine. (If you want a thicker sauce – use a thickener – such as Cornstarch).

Remove from heat and add parsley. Pour this mixture over the pieces of lasagna (as served).

Pesto-Olive Garlic Bread

Pesto Olive Garlic Bread

1 Cup – Fresh Basil Leaves
½ Cup – Fresh Parsley Leaves
¼ Cup – EVOO
1.5 Oz. – Pine Nuts
3 – Garlic Cloves
½ Tsp – Red Pepper Flakes
1 Lemon – (zest and juiced)
12 – Large Green Olives Stuffed with Pimento (diced)
1.75 Oz. – Capers (drained and slightly smashed)
Provolone Cheese
1 – Large Loaf of Italian Bread
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place Pine Nuts in a sauté pan and place over medium heat and roast until slightly brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

Puree basil, parsley, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, pepper flakes and lemon (with salt and pepper to taste) in food processor until smooth.

Meanwhile, smash the capers to extract their juice and flavor and mix with the diced olives.

Slice the bread in half (down the middle) from stem to stem. Slather the pesto onto both sides of the bread. Second layer should be the olive/caper mixture, also slathered over the pesto. Place Provolone Cheese slices on both sides of the bread. Put one piece on top of the other and wrap in Aluminum Foil and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven, change the setting to Broil. Remove the foil, and separate the halves…place additional slices on one side…so that you have one side with heavy cheese and the other side slightly cheesed. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Remove from the oven and slice in 2 inch slices.

Saturday Night Sangria

Saturday night I invited two of my neighbors Gus & Wally and a friend of mine Marc over for dinner. Now Gus & Wally really like Sangria – but they are not really "drinkers". Add to the mixture that Marc is a vegetarian (with the exception of dairy and fish) and Wally doesn't like 99% of seafood. So I came up with the following menu:

Sparkling Sangria
Decadent Caesar Salad
Pesto Olive Garlic Bread
Lasagna di Livorno

Gus & Wally brought Italian desserts from a local establishment….Tiramisu and Cannoli's. I also made Coffee to go with the dessert. I was going to make Praline Coffee but my coffee maker decided to pitch a fit and explode…so I had to improvise with just a regular blend….it worked out wonderfully.

Sparkling Sangria

1 – 750ml Bottle of Prosecco
1 Pint – Pomegranate Juice
1 Cup – Orange/Pineapple Juice
1 Cup – Limeade
1 – Orange – Sliced into Quarters
2 – Limes – Sliced into Half Slivers
Pomegranate Seeds for garnish.
Orange Slice for garnish.

In a glass pitcher, place the oranges and limes. Pour Prosecco into pitcher and blend in the pomegranate, orange and limeade juices. Chill for at least 1 hour. Put Pomegranate Seeds in bottom of large glasses and then fill with ice – pour in the Sangria. Very refreshing!

As for the salad, I used my Caesar Salad Dressing that was previously posted – the only changes I made were that I added the extra juice of one lemon and instead of Anchovy Paste – I finely chopped a tin of Anchovies and mixed them by hand into the dressing. As for the components of the salad – I used what I had on hand…Romaine Lettuce, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Radishes, Artichoke Hearts, Shallots, Alfalfa Sprouts, 1/2 Tsp of Celery Seed (mashed with a mortar and pestle) and Bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces for those of us that eat meat).

The bread and lasagna recipes are in separate posts.

Ching Chow Chuck

Two of my very dear friends, Charles and Kathy, live in East Tennessee. Everytime I get back home – I make it a point to spend some time with them. On two occassions Charles "his nickname is Chuck" has made this Asian inspired dish for me and it is very delicious. It is one of those dishes that you have to make yourself stop eating…Addictive! I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Ching Chow Chuck

3 – Boneless Chicken Breasts (diced)
2 Cups – Minute Rice (prepare per directions)
Small Bunch – Scallions (diced)
2 – Medium Carrots (grated)
2 Tbsp – Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 to 2 Tbsp – Soy Sauce
5 – Eggs (you could lower if you have a preference)

Add oil and soy to pan over medium heat – Add and coat the chicken and cook until chicken is browned. Once it is brown – add onions and carrots on top of the chicken, cover and lower the heat.

Scramble the eggs.

Stir chicken, onions and carrots and then add to the rice. Once these are combined – fold in the eggs.

Boom – Done!

He serves with Pork & Shrimp Egg Rolls (from Asian Sensatons)

He also uses French's Horseradish Mustard for a dipping sauce.

And of course more Soy Sauce for the table.

**Thanks Chuck for letting me share your wonderful recipe with the rest of the world**