This is a elegant 'dietetic lunch' - broccoli stuffed potato, salad, Greek yogurt and caviar.
When you are on a diet, it is always nice to dress up your lunch with something to make you feel like it is special. Caviar fits the bill! The problem that most people (including me) have is the extravagant cost of this little garnish. Caviar is expensive, with some types going for hundreds of dollars an ounce… but that’s out of my budget. For years I would buy a 12 ounce jar from Smart & Final ( a west coast semi-wholesale market) for a minimal cost, but then when the price of this item hit the roof, it was dropped from their inventory.
Not to be stopped by such a little thing as my favorite item being OOS (out-of-stock) and deleted; I checked the internet and found it on Amazon.com. However, I found a wonderful alternative at roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the cost from Iceland.
Frankly, I like giving those Vikings on that rugged little rock in the Atlantic the business... plus it is an indulgence I feel I can afford again at under $15 a 12 ounce bottle!
So, here it is and as an alternative, I highly recommend it!
BTW. The stuffed potato comes from Jenny Craig… so diet food can be made delicious!
I spent a few years in my youth living in Palo Alto. Those were good times and Palo Alto was a simple and affordable university community. Oh how times have changed. I am sure it wasn’t their intention — but maybe it was — to design their streets for ‘locals only’, but that is how it has turned out. I had two tasks: 1) to buy my favorite Spartan Olive Oil and 2) find the sister restaurant to my favorite San Francisco restaurant Kokkari named in Palo Alto Evvia. This wasn’t an easy task.
One of the neighborhood defensive measures in Palo Alto is to close off streets and to turn two way streets into one way. If this isn’t enough, there is very little lighting at night to find your way around. Well, my bride commented to me,” I thought you grew up here?” Yes, but that is before silicone valley money poured in. With a little luck, we found our way.
Evvia is a nice very popular Greek Restaurant in a nice setting with a selection of traditional and modern Greek food. I even own a cookbook of theirs and made most of what is in it! We were able to get reservations on a Saturday night… but not until 9:15 pm. I enjoyed the reddened lamb shank, various Greek Wines and Baklava Ice cream. Laura enjoyed an assortment of traditional Greek foods in a sampler, Greek wine and cookies for dessert. Oh yes, the service was superb.
The best thing about Tamale Pie is the left overs!
Laura grew up with a wonderful Tamale Pie and I wanted to recreate it for her!
Rogelio’s Tamale Pie!
There are two parts to a Tamale Pie: the topping and the filling! I have always thought of a Tamale Pie as a way to make a bunch of Tamales without all of the detailed preparation. For hungry people this is the answer.
You might have to play around with the moisture ( adding more cream or a little milk) to have the right texture ( to be able to spread the mixture over the filling)… so here is what worked for me:
2 cups corn meal
Around 24 ounces cream
2 cups of your favorite cheeses ( I have three favorite Mexican Cheeses)
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Cook over low heat until thickened… add ½ – 1 cup chopped Cilantro
A little extra time makes it perfect!
The Filling
Task 1
This is the time consuming part for me as I like to sauté everything completely.
cook until done: 1 pound diced steak & 1 pound ground sausage with 1 teaspoon each of: salt, black pepper and garlic powder
dice and sauté until ‘clear’ one large sweet onion and about 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
set aside
Task 2
Combine the following in a large pan:
12 ounce creamed corn
28-30 ounces of tomato sauce
3 teaspoons Spanish Paprika
1 teaspoon Chipotle powder ( or sauce)
8 fire roasted peppers (sliced and chopped)
½ cup sliced olives
2 tablespoons Baker’s sugar
add 1 cup of the topping
1 cup Mozzarella cheese( or more!)
add salt , pepper and garlic powder to taste
Cook over a low heat about 10- 15 minutes
Fold in 3 cups of Hominy and add the meat and onions
Task 3
Pour filling into baking dish and spread topping over the top of the filling
Well, I have be trying to deconstruct various types of so-called Hawaiian style breads without satisfaction. So, I decided to start off from scratch and make the bread to my own tastes and I came up with the following recipe:
MAKING THE DOUGH
1) To be frank, I have manually kneaded dough too many times to mention and I short cut the process using a bread machine for getting the dough ready for baking. I don’t like the results of baking the bread with the machine… but mixing is a wonder.
2) Place 2 eggs in a measuring cup and add enough water to reach the 1 1/2 cup line. Pour into bread machine mixing container.
3) Add 1 tsp salt ( I used Iodized for health reasons)
4) Add a heaping cup of powdered sugar
5) Add 4 cups of bread flower
6) top off with 2 teaspoons of dry yeast ( 2 packages)
7) set bread machine to make 2lbs of dough
8) After machine completes its cycle, divide dough and place in 2 butter greased bread pans and allow to rise for 1 hour. Brush the top of the bread with a beaten egg mixed with a small amount of water.
9) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
My daughter Karla is the most demanding of bread connoisseurs … but this is her favorite.
I thought I wanted to get some 'insider' tips on good ideas for all occasions!
Okay, I had the opportunity to pick up three autographed books “Martha’s Entertaining a year of celebrations” for my daughters ( big Martha Stewart fans).
In the good old days, recipe books were more than just that, they showed you how to display and run an event. One of the things I love about this book is the fact that it incorporated how each culinary delight is presented, when and with what. Probably what caught my attention was her first chapter which had two of my favorite expressions: breakfast and blueberries. None of the recipes are at all difficult, but the choice of ingredients and the setting makes the most of everyday fare. If you were to throw together a dinner party at the last minute, this is the book to consult.
Of course, having a signed copy is always special.
