Broccoli Peas salad

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 t sugar
1/4 t salt1 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 inch ginger grated 
1 1/2 inch carrot, peeled, grated
2 T lime juice 
2 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 honey pinch of salt
1 head broccoli, stems chopped, and small florets, 
3/4 c frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/4 c feta, crumbled
1 head bibb lettuce or other greens
1/2 c wasabi peas

In a medium bowl, combine red onion, sugar, salt and vinegar set aside to macerate.
In a small bowl make dressing: add carrots ginger, lime juice, honey, salt, and 2 1/2  T olive oil. Whisk to combine. set aside.

Steam stems 30 seconds, steam florets 1 minute. shock in cold water, drain and dry on paper towel.

Pour dressing into bowl, add broccoli items, edamame, feta cheesed pickle onions with vinegar toss to combine. Serve on bed of bibb lettuce. 
Top with wasabi peas before serving.

Farro Endive Pea Salad

1/4 c dried quinoa soaked, cooked and drain
1/4 c dried Farro, soaked, cooked and drained
3 T olive oil divided
2/3 c pumpkin seeds, toasted
pinch of salt
1 t chipotle
1/4 preserved lemon, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1/4 c mint, chopped
2 T white-wine vinegar
1 c snap peas, steamed
2 endive lettuce, cut into 1/2 inch rings
3 radishes, thinly sliced

Pound pumpkin seeds in mortar and pestle with salt and 
chipotle and crushed.

In a large bowl combine lemon preserved, parsley, mint,
and vinegar.
Drizzle in 2 T olive oil whisk to combine.

Add cooked grains and pumpkin seeds, and toss to incorporate

Add peas, endives, and radishes mix lightly.

Braised Pork in Red Chili Sauce

In doing this recipe, Cook's magazine smartly explained the best cut of meat to use: a Pork Butt Roast sometimes labeled  Boston Butt. Frequently confused with the Pork Shoulder (Pernil.)

Both come from the shoulder of the pig, but Pork Butt is from the upper part on the foreleg, while the Shoulder is farther down.

Both Benifit from long, slow cooking methods such as roasting, stewing, and braising. 

Ingredients: 

1- 4 pound boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Sofrito, kosher salt to season

4 ozs. dried chiles, wiped clean, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1- inch pieces

4 cups boiling water

2 T honey

2 T white vinegar 

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 t cumin 

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/8 t ground cloves

Lime wedges

1. Season pork with sofrito and salt; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight 

2. Place chiles in medium bowl. Pour water over chiles, let stand until soften, 30 minutes. Heat oven 325 degrees 

3. Drain chiles reserving 2 cups liquid. 
In a blender, process finely chiles, honey, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne, cloves and 1 t salt 

With blender running, add 1 cup reserved liquid and process till smooth add more liquid to blend to make sauce. 

Combine pork and chili sauce in Dutch oven. Bring to boil over high heat.  Cover pot, transfer to oven and cook until pork

 is tender, about 2 to 21/2 hours

5. Using wooden spoon , scrape sides and recombine liquid until sauce is smooth. 

Let stand, uncovered, for ten minutes. Served with lime wedges.

Guacamole/ Miami

1 Florida avocado, peel, seeded and mashed. Save seed
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 Onion, peel, diced
2 chiles serranos, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 T juice of lime

In a glass bowl, mix all ingredients
Place seed in the middle of mixture
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
Serve with chips, or as topping

Pico de Gallo/ Miami

1 Firm, ripe mango, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 lemon, zest and juiced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, diced, add seeds to liking
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a glass bowl

Chill covered for 1/2 hour

Serve with chips or as a salsa for fish

Raw Green Salad

WSJ used swiss chard in this recipe from the Superiorty Burger Cook book. I subbed Kale and a San Isidro Spanish cheese.

 Garlic Vinaigrette
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup golden Balsamic vinegar
2 T water
1 1/2 c Olive Oil
2 t salt

1 bunch kale leaves
8 ounces  Spanish semi soft, cheese, cubed (hallourmil)
1/4 c pickled onions
1 c blackberries or plumes, sliced


Roast garlic in foil with a little olive oil at 350 degree oven about one hour
In bender, add garlic, water, vinegar and blend to dissolve
Add olive slowly and continue blending
Add salt

In salad bowl, add leaves and toss with onions
Sear cheese with a little oil
Add 1/4 c vinaigrette, toss
Plate, and place cheese and fruit within

A last of spring soup

A radio station in Minnesota was playing Xmas music last week because of the late snow storm. But we are in spring and nothing is more appropriate than a soup.
First, no soup is worth it if you don't begin with a good stock.
In this case, a chicken is the go to liquid. The rest of the ingredients can be inter-changeable.

Heat 1 T olive oil over low heat. Add 5 slices thick  bacon, saute until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 small onion peeled and diced
Add 1 clove minced garlic, and cook 10 minutes.
Add 1medium sweet potato, peeled and diced 1/2 inch.
Add 1 cup gold potato, diced into 1/4 inch.
Add 1- 14 ounce diced tomato with juice
Add 2 packs raw sugar
Add 5 cups chicken stock
Add 1/4 green cabbage shredded
10 strands angel hair broken into 1 inch pieces.
Chop 1/4 bunch cilantro, add 1/2,  save the rest for  garnish.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Kale the new Green in Pasta

I have cooked kale in more ways than one ... but never in a sauce. But blending the green guy with garlic, olive oil and parm turned out to be a winner on pasta.

1 pound kale, thick ribs removed 
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
1/2 pound Orecchiette or other pasta
Salt and pepper

Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil
Add kale and cook until tender, about 5 minutes
Use slotted spoon to take out kale, do not drain. Save water to cook pasta
Saute garlic in oil until just lightly brown
Put kale and garlic oil and 3/4 cup cheese  in blender and puree, adding splashes of pasta water to make sauce loose.
Serve with a drizzle of oiled parm cheese.