Poblano rice

Poblano lovers rejoice!

This green rice recipe is out of this world! It is perfectly garlicky, cilantro-y and the poblanos give a round, smoky flavor to the rice that just makes it a perfect side dish to pretty much anything! This rice is a staple of mine when I'm feeling tex-mex for dinner, or as a side to grilled chicken, mahi-mahi or swordfish.

Delicious. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Here's how to do it.



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 1/4 cups of long grain rice
- 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth (for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable stock)
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- a splash of olive oil (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- grossly dice the poblanos, remove the seeds and membranes and chop the cilantro (reserve a little cilantro for decoration)

Note: if you want more heat, keep the seeds and membranes of the poblano peppers
- bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the chopped cilantro and poblanos and cook over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the poblanos are soft

- using a stick-blender, puree until smooth: this liquid will be the cooking liquid for the rice

- in a thick bottom pan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and rice together for 4-5 minutes

Note: I switched pots mid-recipe after realizing my first pot was too small, hence the differences in pictures :)
- add the garlic and cook for another minute
- pour the poblano broth over the sauteed rice and bring back to a boil
- cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes over very-low heat, or until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed

- serve as a side dish to a mexicali, texmex or mexican inspired meal :) This rice is a delicious addition to a grilled mahimahi steak, chicken or pork chops!
- Enjoy!

Tomates Farcies (Stuffed tomatoes)

Stuffed tomatoes are always a crowd pleaser (provided said crowd likes cooked tomatoes...).

I've always loved this classic dish and make it at least once a year. There is just something very comforting about those little balls of deliciousness and I usually combine it with baked tomato rice, which coincidentally is also one of my all-time faves.

Here's how you can make them.

INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- 6 large beefsteak tomatoes (with stems will look nicer, but without stems works fine too)
- 2lbs ground meat (I used a combination of ground pork and lean beef, but I would recommend either full pork, or using fatter beef, like 80-20% instead of 95% lean)
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 fat cloves of garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (not pictured)
- salt, pepper to taste
- optional: 2 cups white rice
- optional: a few sprigs of thyme
- optional: 4 cups of chicken broth


RECIPE:
- pre-heat your oven at 400F
- in a large bowl, mix the ground meats, diced shallots and grated garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and reserve in the fridge until ready to use

Note: my stuffing tasted good, but was really lean and turned out a little dry to be honest. I would recomment adding an egg and 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs in the mix to ensure moist and tender meatballs
- slice the tops off the tomatoes and spoon out the seeds and inside flesh, reserve both on the side.

- divide the meat filling in 6 and stuff the tomatoes, covering back up with the tomato tops

- place the tomatoes in a baking dish and roast for 45 minutes at 400F or until the meat is cooked through
Optional rice dish:
- if you decide to bake the tomatoes with the rice, place your stuffed tomatoes on top of the rice in a baking dish and sprinkle with thyme

- dice the reserved tomato meat and drain the seeds, keeping the juice

- sprinkle the tomato dice between the stuffed tomatoes and add the tomato juice and heated chicken broth

- cook for 45 minutes at 400F or until the meat and rice are cooked
- Enjoy!

Paupiettes de veau (stuffed veal cutlets)

Another day, another French classic recipe.

Today, I present you with Paupiettes de veau. They are little parcels made of veal cutlets, stuffed with ground pork, veal and herbs. Paupiettes are one of my absolute favorite dishes, and I have such fond memories of my grandmother cooking them for us during our vacations. In France, they can be found ready made at the butcher's, however you really cannot find them outside of France. So I decided to make my own. They are very easy to prepare and delicious!

Try them! They will satisfy your taste buds and impress your guests ;)


INGREDIENTS (makes about 8 Paupiettes):
for the stuffing:
- 1lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1lb cubed veal shoulder
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
- 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme (dried is fine too)
- 2 tbsp butter
other ingredients:
- 8 large thinly sliced veal cutlets (if they are small, buy more and you can piece them up to make them larger)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
- 1x 8oz cremini mushrooms


RECIPE:
- working in batches, grind the pork and veal shoulder meat with a food processor (or if you're lucky enough to have one, a meat grinder). DO NOT GRIND THE CUTLETS.

- reserve 1/4 of raw onion/garlic for later use. In a small skillet, melt half of the butter and saute about 3/4 of the onion/garlic mix until soft -not brown- over medium heat,.eserve for later.

- in a large bowl, combine the ground meat and the rest of the stuffing ingredients and mix well

- lay the cutlets flat on a clean surface and put a small handful of stuffing inside. Roll the cutlet around the stuffing and secure the parcels with cooking twine

- in a dutch oven, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat, brown the Paupiettes on all sides and reserve in a plate

- saute the remaining onion/garlic mix in the same pan until soft, over medium heat. They will release moisture and that will deglaze the drippings from the pan. After 2 minutes, add teh sliced mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until golden

- place the Paupiettes back on top of the mushrooms, add the wine and cook covered over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes

- after 20 minutes, remove the lid add the sour cream and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened

- serve with white rice, a lot of sauce and a nice glass of white wine. You can also serve them with peas or green beans.

- Bon appetit!