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!

Braised collard greens with bacon and vinegar

There's a story behind this post.

This recipe stemmed from my love of cookbooks (maybe I should do a post about my faves, what do you think?) combined with a borderline obsession with anything that has to do with the South. I'm a Dixie chick at heart. I love the food (duh!), the landscapes, the warm weather… You get what I'm saying.

So when I stumbled upon this book, I thought 'Oh, how cool! A book just about New Orleans food'. I had absolutely no idea Treme was actually a show, and only realized it once I started to read the book back in the comfort of my home, curled up in my couch. Don't you love those cocooning sessions, wrapped up in a throw, reading a good book in peace and quiet? I do. And my favorite kind of books to do this are cookbooks.

I've always liked collard greens and just fell in love with the collard greens recipe in the Treme book the moment I saw it. I decided right then and there to adapt it and share it with you guys.

Hope you'll like this recipe :)

PS: go get the Treme cookbook now!


INGREDIENTS (4 to 6 people as a side dish):
- 2.5 lbs collard greens (for me, that was two bunches)
- 4 strips of thick cut bacon (I only had 4 strips left, but feel free to use more)
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- a few sprigs of thyme
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- salt to taste (I actually didn't need any because of how salty the bacon was)


RECIPE:
- remove the ribs of the collard greens and wash and drain the leafy parts

- bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the collard greens for about 2 minutes, drain well and chop into 1 inch wide strips


- in a thick bottom skillet, fry the bacon until crispy over medium-high heat

- add the diced onion, garlic, thyme and chili flakes and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until the onion is transparent

- add the vinegar, broth, bring to a boil and add the chopped greens

- cover and simmer for 2 hours over very low heat until the greens are tender

- serve warm
- those Southern-style collard greens make a perfect side dish to pan-fried ham and grits :)
- enjoy!

Tecate beer and lime cupcakes with a Tequila butter cream frosting

Sunny days and boozy cupcakes... Spring is here and these cupcakes are perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party (should you live in a part of the world that celebrates it) or any party, really!

Do keep in mind that the alcohol in the cupcakes is quite strong, since the tequila is in the frosting and therefore has not been cooked. Definitely not kiddo-friendly, but you can adapt it to an alcohol free recipe; it'll just be a lime cupcake :)

Here's how to make these delicious boozy-bites!


INGREDIENTS (yields 24 cupcakes)
for the cupcake batter:
- 3/4 cups of room temperature unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups of AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup agave nectar (I used raw agave nectar)
- 1 1/2 cups of Tecate beer (or any light beer -lager, pils- you have on hand; Corona, Sol would work fine too), reserve a few tbsp for basting the cupcakes before frosting
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1/2 lime (use the remaining zest and juice of the whole lie for the frosting, see below)

for the frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- juice of 1 lime
- zest of 1/2 lime
- 1 cup of room temperature unsalted butter
- a pinch of salt
- 2-3 tbsp Tequila


RECIPE:
start with the cupcakes
- preheat your oven at 350F
- in the bowl of a standing mixer equipped with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and agave nectar until fluffy

- add the eggs one by one, making sure they are well incorporated before adding the next egg

- then add the vanilla and lime zest, the beer and flour, salt and baking powder alternating between wet and dry ingredients until all is well mixed in

- line a cupcake tray with paper cups and fill 2/3 in with the batter

- bake at 350F for 20 minutes and as soon as they come out of the oven, poke a few times with a tooth pick and brush with beer

Note: the warm cupcakes will soak up the beer and that will keep them moist and full of beer flavor
- let cool completely before frosting
prepare the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling:
- in the bowl of a standing mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, mix all the ingredients until creamy and well blended

- transfer the frosting into a piping bag (with or without a tip for fancy decorations) and frost away!

- decorate with fresh lime zest

Note: as you can see some of my cupcakes were still a little too warm when I iced them and the butter cream just melted :( They were still good though, just not as pretty!
- Enjoy!

Peanut butter, banana and Goji berries granola

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a health nut by any means.

However, I like to think that I'm taking care of my body as much as possible (a mid-30s body is a temple one should respect!): I exercise, I have a thorough skin care routine and when it comes to what I eat I try to think in terms of nutritious fueling - as well as papillary satisfaction, of course.

I've grown a little tired of my regular boiled oatmeal, however delicious it is sprinkled with a little salt and a few shavings of aged cheddar or Parmesan. So when I bought a bag of Goji berries on a whim last week (never heard of them before), I decided to hop on the homemade granola train and satisfy my craving for a healthy delicious breakfast that doubles as a sweet nutritious snack.

Here's my recipe for peanut butter, banana and Goji berries homemade granola. Enjoy!



INGREDIENTS (yields about 3 cups of granola):
- 2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- 1/2 cup of banana chips
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/3 cup Goji berries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- a pinch of salt


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven to 350F
- in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients until well blended

- spread evenly in a non-stick baking dish (you can use a little oil-spray if you want to prevent sticking)

- bake for 10 minutes at 350F, stir once and bake for another 10 minutes at 350F

- let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container
Note: it was my first time making granola and I did not think that the dried berries would crisp up after baking (granola-rookie mistake, I guess). For chewier, softer berries, bake the granola without the berries and add them after the granola has cooled.
- delicious as is for a snack, or sprinkled over yoghurt and drizzled with a little maple syrup, agave syrup or honey for breakfast
- enjoy!