Fresas con crema

Strawberries and Cream (Mexican Grandmother Style)




I had my first madrinas meeting at school which is a meeting with mothers who we are mentoring into being leaders in the community.  It involves a potluck meal and then discussion which I found out I lead and translate last night at the meeting.  Anyways, the ladies made delicious food.  I will be posting another salad soon.  This was brought and I liked it so much when I saw strawberries on sale today I decided to make it.  Only problem is I didn't really have a recipe besides the mother telling me her mom makes it with sour cream, sweetened condensed milk, strawberries, and nuts.  I attempted to recreate it and I am addicted.

Ingredients:
1 container sour cream (tall skinny variety)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package strawberries (sliced)
1 small package crushed pecans


So, I just mixed a bit more than half the sour cream in a bowl with about half of the sweetened condensed milk until there were no lumps.  Then, I tasted it and added a bit more of each.  I love sweetened condensed milk, so I added some more.  Then, mix in the sliced strawberries and pecans.  Leave it in the refrigerator over night if you can as the strawberries add flavor to the cream.  Then, enjoy.

It may look weird, but it is delicious!

Greg didn't know how to mailman with a bowl, so I showed him.

Zucchini Bread

What does one do when they are procrastinating a paper due in December (that's really far away), and they received a local produce box with 3 zucchinis in it? Make Zucchini Bread!!!!

Super easy recipe, the hardest part is grating the zucchini. I highly recommend using a food processor for this!

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 c grated zucchini

Directions:

1. Grease two 8x4 inch pans. Preheat the oven to 325 F, or in my case make an educated guess because my oven's numbers disappear before 450 F. I would suggest a working internal oven thermometer in this case. For some reason mine isn't working....

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.

3. Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. I decided to use my Kitchen Aid mixer. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients. Stir in the zucchini. This is also where one could add walnuts or chocolate chips. I didn't have any on hand so it is plain zucchini bread.

4. Pour into the prepared pans and place in the center of the oven for 40 to 60 minutes. Mine took over 60 minutes. You can check when bread is down by inserting a toothpick. Bread is ready when the toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes. Then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely. I found this last step near impossible.

6. Mailman and Enjoy!

Pancakes and Mixed Berry Compote

I have been MIA for awhile, and I apologize. I am back in Charlottesville at a new kitchen, and I needed to break in!

Growing up we used to make pancakes and waffles every Sunday morning. I woke up this morning and decided to make them for old time's sake!

Pancakes (makes 8 pancakes)
Ingredients:
3/4 c milk
2 T white vinegar
1 c all-purpose flour
2 T white sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 salt
1 egg
2 T butter, melted

Directions:
1. Combine milk with vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour." You are really substituting for buttermilk when you do this.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into the milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until the lumps are gone.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook until the other side is light brown, or, if you are my dad, nearly burnt. I still haven't figured out why he likes burnt things.

And now time for the compote!

Mixed Berry Compote!

This recipe makes 3 cups, but I reduced it to one. 

Ingredients:

3 T unsalted butter

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

2 T fresh lemon juice

3 c mixed berries (I used defrosted frozen ones)

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add berries and cook, tossing them gently, trying to keep them from breaking, until the berries are warm and juices begin to be released, about 3 minutes. 

Time to plate it up!

Mailman and enjoy!!!!

Lechon de cerdo, papas bravas, y tomates asados

This was a surprise that Greg cooked, I actually had no part in it except for the peeling of the potatoes and the eating of the deliciousness that was the food.  It was inspired by a sandwich from our favorite restaurant in Chile, Ciudad Vieja, and the delicious potatoes they serve at most tapas restaurants.  Then, Greg put the extra roasted tomatoes on some toast on the side.



We used the pork shoulder to make these sandwiches and BBQ pork sandwiches.

Honey Mustard Pulled Pork Sandwich with Sweet Potatoes 
1 Pork Shoulder
1 White Onion
6-8 cloves garlic
1 C Dr. Pepper (no diet!)

Slice the onions.  Sear the edges of the pork in a skillet.  Then, put the pork in a slow cooker with the onions, garlic, and DP and set it on low for 8 hours.  This will make your house smell DELICIOUS.

Sauce:
1/3 C Dijon
1/3 C Honey
1/4 C Veggie Oil
2 t ground mustard
ground pepper to taste

Mix everything together and change seasonings to liking

When the pork is done (it falls apart as you pull it with a fork), pull it apart with two forks.  Then, mix some of it with the sauce.

Papas Bravas with Tomato Aioli
10 small to medium parboiled potatoes (parboiled means cooked in boiling 8-10 minutes, then put them in cold water)
Canola Oil
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper

Parboil the potatoes ahead of time to save time.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into one inch cubes.  Heat up some oil (about an inch deep) in a deep skillet.  Cook the potatoes until golden on both sides.  While cooking, season with salt and pepper.  Once fried, lightly sprinkle them with cayenne pepper.  Then, put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to crisp them up.

Tomato Aioli
3/4 C Mayo
1 Whole roasted tomato, halved and seeded
1/2 Red Onion finely diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T cayenne pepper
few dashes hot pepper sauce
splash of sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Put onion and garlic in some oil in a pan and cook for 5 minutes.  Then, add cayenne pepper and cook 45 seconds.  Let it cool! Mix it in a blender with mayo, pepper sauce, roasted tomato, and a splash of sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.Then, let it cool in the fridge.

Once it is all done, serve it up, mailman, and enjoy!

Quinoa and Bean Salad

Hi Drunks!

I know it's been a longgggg time since I've posted.  Our travel schedule has made my cooking pretty much non-existent (I know nobody feels bad for me :), but now that we're back I'm ready to share some recipes again! We shared a delicious dinner with the newlyweds last night and I brought this as a side.

This salad is delish, healthy, and pretty easy to make.  You can put in pretty much any veggies / beans that you have lying around, and could also add some chopped nuts for an extra crunch.  This makes a large batch (it's great leftover / for lunch), so feel free to half.  I pretty much just wing it on the spices, so below are estimates, but definitely give it a taste and adjust to your liking.  Happy Mailmanning!

KReh

This is only ~half the batch :)

Ingredients

• 1.5c quinoa, rinsed if needed
• 3c water
• 1 bouillon cube, chicken or vegetable-flavored (optional)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can corn (or ~1.5c fresh or frozen corn, thawed)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 a red onion
• 1 lime
• 1/2 c olive oil
• ~1 tbsp garlic powder
• ~1 tbsp chili powder
• ~1 tsp cayenne pepper (gives it a bit of a kick)
• ~1 tsp salt
• ~1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Cook quinoa in water, adding bouillon cube prior to boiling if desired (will give it a bit more flavor); let quinoa cool to room temperature
• Drain and rinse beans / corn and let dry
• Finely chop onion and red pepper
• Combine quinoa, veggies, and beans in large bowl; mix well
• Cut lime into halves and juice over mixture 
• Add olive oil and spices to mixture
• Mix everything up really well!



Mellerho mailmanned the whole bowl!

• Mailman!

Mailman! (The mellerho's steak salad was also delish)

Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

So we managed to completely miss the month of July!  I guess everyone was just as busy as I was.  I am finally done traveling for the summer, and it is time to start cooking again everyone!!  Greg and I just got back from a trip out east to meet his sister's triplets, and we definitely overate.  Because of that, we decided to make a nice light salad for dinner after the long drive. 









Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad
1lb jumbo cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced (we used 2)
1 avocado, diced (we used 1.5, but i'd recommend 2 if you like avocado)
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced fine
1/4 C chopped red onion
2 limes, juice of
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Let the onion marinate for at least 10 minutes to mellow it out.  In a large bowl, combine shrimp, tomato, avocado, and jalapeño.  Add the marinated onions and dressing.  Top with the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Wow. This was delicious. And you will want more than you think. The four of us went through 2 whole tenderloins. It was ridiculous.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 2 pork tenderloins

Directions:

1. Mix together soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar
2. Place tenderloins into a ziploc bag along with marinade ingredients for 45 minutes (we let it marinade for 1.5 hours).
3. Get grill to medium high heat
4. Place tenderloins on grill, directly over heat, cover grill
5. Turn meat every 5 minutes or so, until all sides have nice grill marks and the meat starts to firm up. Cut in the middle of the tenderloin to check for doneness. If you think the pork is on the edge of being done/raw, take pork off grill and let it sit uncut for 5-10 minutes. The pork will continue to cook without getting dried out
6. Slice, and mailman to finish

A four-way mailman sesh for the ages. Be jealous. Be very jealous.

 Happy cooking mailmanning!

Roasted Veggie Salad with Dijon Vinagrette and Wild Rice Soup

I know what you're thinking. A salad? That doesn't count. Oh but it counts when it involves an oven. Roasting takes awhile, but it's easy and gives you time to do whatever you want (i.e. watch Game of Thrones).

Yes, that's an old olive jar

Salad:
2 sweet potatoes and/or six small red skin potatoes (Nick doesn't like sweet potatoes)
2 red onions
1 bag baby spinach
6 oz feta
Olive Oil
Salt

Dressing (the best part): 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey (I used agave syrup, because I have it)
3/4 cup olive oil 
1 tsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes into cubes (leave skin on red skin potots if you choose to use those) and the onions into wedges.
3. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and spray/cover with olive oil as well as salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let bake for 30 minutes, check to see the veggies need more oil or anything. Turn them and roast for 30 minutes.
5. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together (the original recipe says use a food processor. I say too much effort).
6. Take the veggies out and put it all together. Do I really need to write these steps?
7. MAILMAN THAT SHIT

One Bite Mailman

Soup? Lame? Unsatisfying? Not when it's a hearty Minnesotan specialty. This is usually made with chicken, but Nick made it with potatoes for me.

Vat o Hearty Soup

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup minced onion

1/2 cup diced celery 
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups half-and-half (or less depending on how thick you like it)
salt and pepper to taste 
  
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion, and celery, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 
2. Stir in flour, and cook for 3 minutes more. 
3. Pour in the vegetable broth, then bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 
5. Stir in wild rice, carrot, almonds, and red pepper flakes; return to a simmer, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. 
6. Stir in half and half, and cook until warmed through. 
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
8. Mailman ever so carefully. Avoid burning yourself. Please reference photo below.

Scalding Hot: 8.5/10 Mailman

Campfire cook-outs

Hi Drunks!

As many of you know, Joe and I have been camping / traveling / vacationing for the past month or so, hence my absence on the blog (after Joel's experience I wasn't about to duck into a truck stop to try to get some Interwebs).  We did make some awesome campfire meals though, so wanted to post a few very simple but delicious recipes here since I know several of you will soon be camping out west!

Also we didn't really take pictures of the food, and realize this is breaking one of Joel's rule, but I assume that was more of a guideline than a rule.  Happy camping!

KReh (and Joe, who did assist on these)

Campfire Halibut Filet

So at this bumpkin grocery store in Maine they were having INSANE sales on seafood, so we got a 1+ pound halibut filet for 7 bucks.  If you aren't lucky enough to find that, you can sub any mild fish.

Ingredients:

• ~1 lb halibut filet, or any other mild fish (can double, triple, etc. and just put each lb or so in it's own tin foil wrapping)
• Olive oil (optional)
• Spices: Seasoning salt, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper (adjust based on what you have)
• 1 lemon -- half of it sliced into thin slices
• Aluminum foil

Instructions:

• Lay out a piece of foil large enough to wrap your entire fish
• Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil on each side of the fish to lightly coat
• Sprinkle seasonings on both sides (be pretty liberal -- it's a mild fish after all :)
• Squeeze half the lemon over the fish, then cover the fish with lemon slices
• Wrap the fish up (double-wrap if you're doing over the fire so as not to set your lovely dinner on fire)
• Cook over the campfire for ~8 minutes a side
• MAILMAN!  Then snuggle up in your tent :)

A photo of Asheville hiking in lieu of a mailman :)

 Roasted potatoes and/or veggies

This is super simple, but we did it about every night with different veggies

Ingredients:

• Veggies (e.g. green beans, asparagus, squash) OR potatoes (do them in separate packets due to cooking time variance)
• Olive oil
• Seasonings -- salt and/or seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, etc.  Anything works, those are what we used :)
• Tin foil

Instructions:

• Trim veggies and/or chop potatoes into small cubes or wedges
• Drizzle liberally with olive oil and mix with your hands so everything is covered
• Season and again mix with your hands so everything is coated
• Double-wrap in tin foil
• Throw on the fire and cook for ~10-15 minutes for veggies, ~20-25 minutes for potatoes, flipping once halfway
• Mailman, hopefully with a delicious micro brew

Acadia National Park, again in lieu of a mailman :)

Asparagus Bruschetta

This is the perfect light dinner/appetizer for a hangover recovery. Natalie and I were both feeling drained yesterday, so we made this quickly to get us over the hump.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus
• 1.5-2 large tomatoes, sliced
• Olive Oil
• Basalmic Vinegar
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Basil (julienne or dried both work fine)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F
2. Place asparagus on a baking sheet dowse with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan
3. Place asparagus in oven for 10 minutes
4. Once asparagus is done, mix tomatoes, asparagus, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (OO:BV should be 1:1)
5. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6. Serve over toasted bread and fresh mozzerella, triscuits, or by itself as a salad

If salad tasted more like this, I'd eat it every day

Happy cooking mailmanning!

Holy Moly Guacamole

Hey guys! This recipe is very simple so if anyone has some suggestions or ideas of what to add post them! I like to change it up every time I make guacamole (which is becoming weekly because Mr. California inhales it).

Ingredients:

Avocados: 2 (good for serving 2-4 people)
Tomato: 1
Lime/ Lime juice
Cumin
Paprika


Instructions:

Peel and pit the avocados. Slice them up a bit to help with the mixing after other ingredients are in. 
Squeeze lime juice on the sliced avocados immediately. This helps prevent the brownish color they turn after being out for a bit. 
Cut up the tomato, throw it in the bowl, and using a fork smash and mix up the guac. I use a fork because I like the guacamole to have avocado chunks in it instead of being blended smooth, but either way is delicious. 
Then go ahead and add some spices. You can do anything from Taco seasoning to just some cumin and paprika, but it is totally up to you. Give me some suggestions of what you have used in the past! 

A dramatic mailman for a dramatically delicious dip. 

Pear-Raspberry Glazed BBQ Pork Chops

No description required. This shit was delicious.

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1'' pork chops (1 per person)
• 1-2 tablespoons jam (I used a homemade Pear Raspberry Jam) It was truly the jam.
• Note: Honey is a great substitute here. Use in a 1:1 ratio with the soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix soy sauce, jam, garlic, and some salt and pepper together
2. Place chop on grill, add glaze to one side, cook for 5-7 minutes
3. Flip, add glaze to second side, cook for 5-7 minutes or until chop is firm in all spots
• Note: Thinner chops will cook extremely quickly. Keep an eye on the grill, lest you burn these sumptuous treats
4. Serve, mailman, gorge, repeat as necessary!

Yum!

She is dreaming about eating these chops every day

Cyana loves chops because she gets to mailman too!

Happy cooking mailmanning!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Did everyone decide to stop cooking or something? Let's keep it rolling.

Ok so for today, I made a delicious concoction using one of those pre-made sauce packages. You can buy these in any grocery store in the ethnic food aisle (or if you're a baller, you can make your own). However, these sauces can be improved tremendously with a few little additions to make them really delicious. As such, they are highly customizable. I'll list the ingredients that I used, but using your favorite ingredients is what will really make this dish come together. Also this can be easily made vegetarian and still is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tikka Masala sauce package
• 1-1.5 lbs chicken
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 can (14.5 oz) garbanzo beans/chick peas
• 1 bay leaf
• Curry powder (cumin with a little paprika is a good substitute for curry powder, or garam masala if you have it), salt, pepper, hot sauce to taste

Directions

1. In a cast iron skillet (aka best invention ever), sauté onions until tender in a liberal amount of olive oil
2. Once onions are tender, sear chicken on both sides for ~3-5 minutes per side, depending on the temperature of your skillet
3. While chicken is cooking, add diced jalapeños to the skillet
4. After both sides have been seared, add sauce, 1/2 cup water, tomatoes, chick peas, spinach, bay leaf, simmer for 20 minutes
5. While simmering, use tongs (or utensil of choice) to shred chicken
6. Add curry powder, salt, pepper to taste
7. Serve over Basmati rice
8. Enjoy, gorge, repeat as necessary

The key to this dish is having lots of different textures. The spinach, chick peas, and chicken totally make this an adventure in your mouth.

Even with a cold, the Chicken Tikka Masala was flavorful enough to taste, and cleared up my sinuses nicely. A really great meal.

Happy cooking mailmanning!

Hamburgler didn't strike here!

Hamburgler didn't strike here!

Hey folks! I decided to make some hamburgers, buns, roasted red potatoes, and a salad (no recipe included....it was pretty basic) for dinner. Here are the recipes for the hamburgers, buns, and roasted red potatoes! I should note, this dinner fed 8 people, so adjust accordingly for smaller groups.

Hamburger Buns

So I was get really ambitious when I am on vacation! You could buy hamburger buns, but Martha Stewart and Paula Dean would frown. I apologize for the lack of pictures during this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let stand until lukewarm. If you don't let it cool it will kill the yeast, if it cools too much you won't activate the yeast!

2. In a large bowl, stir the flour and yeast. Pour in the milk mixture. If you have a kitchen aid mixer use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, first think about getting a kitchen aid mixer and the ice cream attachment, then, knead by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn the dough around in the greased bowl to coat it. Cover and let stand for an hour. or until it doubles in size.

3.  Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are situated in the middle of the oven.

5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Rotate the baking sheets so each set of buns can get brown. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

Slightly mis-shapen, but delicious hamburger buns!

Next up......

Hamburgers

I made something similar senior year of college when Christina had the beer pong tournament at her house. They are delicious!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef ( I used super lean from Martin's)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons Sambal (crushed red pepper paste)

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

I mixed it all together with my hands!

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into 8 patties. I stuck them in the fridge for about an hour to  try and help them keep their shape, not sure if it helped. Grill until done (about 20-30 min depending on how you like your burgers cooked). Place on buns, top with your favorite, and enjoy!

Ready to grill!

And finally.....

Roasted Red Potatoes

A wonderful side dish for the hamburger. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

10 red potatoes, quartered

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F

2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients

3. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet. I place foil under them for easy clean up!

Ready to roast!

4. Roast for 40 min (depends how the size of the potatoes) turning occasionally so they will brown on all sides!

I put a little kick in the potatoes and hamburger with the crushed red pepper and sambal! You may need a glass of milk if you are prone to meat/heat sweats!

I added some grilled onion and A1 to my burger!

Mailman and Enjoy!