Tag Archives: easy recipes

Pineapple Juice – Rafael’s traditional recipe

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Fall is officially here. But here in California, it is still warm. While it gets darker a little bit earlier, and the sunless mornings feel like the middle of the night when the alarm goes off, there are just a few leaves on the ground and few people have started to decorate their homes for Halloween or even attempted to make any pumpkin recipes. While I am craving cool weather and the rain,  I discovered this beverage at my friend’s birthday party in Hermosa Beach from (what we in California refer to so eloquently as)  the “taco guy”.

 

Delicious Agua de Pina.

Delicious Agua de Pina.

This pineapple juice , or ” Agua de Pina ” (as Rafael said it’s called at his home) really hit the spot on a sunny Sunday. I was amazed at how delicious but so refreshingly real this juice recipe tasted. It was like drinking a fresh pineapple. How is it after all these years in California , considering this is an an easy, traditional way to make homemade juice that most Mexican families in Los Angeles make, I’ve never seen it before? Mixed with champagne or sparkling wine (which I did at the party) the drink evolves into something completely unique and new – a step up from a Mimosa. Just simply delicious.

Per Rafael, he used 6 ripe pineapples to 4 gallons of water to fill a 5 gallon container for the party. I’ve adjusted the recipe to make approximately a little over a quart.  

 

  • 1 ripe Pineapple
  • 3 1/2 Cups Water
  • Sugar to taste (about a 1/2 Cup) or Honey or Agave Nectar

 

Use a knife to cut the skin of the pineapple off.

Cut into small chunks.

Blend 1/2 of the pineapple with 1/2 of the water and strain into quart sized pitcher.

Blend the remaining pineapple and water and strain into the pitcher.

Done!

 

Taco Salad Recipe

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Easy Taco Salad Recipe. Throw all in a bowl. Done!

Easy Taco Salad Recipe. Throw all in a bowl. Ready for tossing. So easy and delicious.

This is a one of the staple recipes in our house. It’s an easy and delicious, no fail dinner recipe that our kids and their friends have always loved. And, this recipe is a great way to use up any kind of leftover taco meat or even chicken or turkey. In fact, I always make it after we’ve had homemade tacos and I just use up whatever is left over from that meal (meat, tomatoes, cheese, onions etc…)  I don’t measure the ingredients at all. I just throw whatever we have leftover in a large bowl, ( as shown in the photo, lettuce is on the bottom of the bowl). If you add a little less onion, or a little more cheese, it’s not big deal. Just throw it in! Make it easy! You’ll have plenty of time left to make an easy margarita.

 

  • 1/2 lb. Ground or Chopped Chicken or Turkey or Beef (if not using leftovers, cook in a pan with 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste). Or, leftover chicken or turkey pieces. 
  • 6 Cups of Chopped Lettuce (or so).
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Canned Kidney or Black or Pinto Beans 
  • 1/2 Cup Crushed up Tortilla Chips or Leftover Taco Shells
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion (any kind is fine)
  • 1/4 Cup Salsa (any kind) 
  • 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Italian Dressing

 

If you are not using leftover chicken or turkey or beef, cook your meat with spices until completely cooked. Drain off the fat.

 

Put everything in a bowl and toss well. Done! When I worked in restaurants, I learned that many restaurant sauces and dressings are often mixtures of different dressings that they have on the line. This dressing using salsa, sour cream and Italian dressing is a good example. 

 

 

 

Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe

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Peach Cobbler - sweet and tart, warm and gooey dessert.

Peach Cobbler – sweet and tart, warm and gooey dessert.

Summer is officially over. But I had a huge bowl of ripe peaches left coupled with a mean sweet tooth. And, fruit is healthy after all, right? I am trying to cut back on sugar and carbs (cut back being the keyword here). So, I took a very easy traditional Peach Cobbler recipe, and just substituted some other ingredients I had on hand and used less of the ‘bad’ stuff. I used Rice Flour instead of regular flour to make it gluten free.

 

Peach Cobbler mixing everything in one bowl. Easy!

Peach Cobbler mixing everything in one bowl. Easy!

The best part about this recipe is that you really don’t need to measure anything. Just put in what looks good to you, and bake. It’s that easy. And, it’s always delicious, especially topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 

  • 3-4 Cups Peach pieces (peeled and sliced, no pit. Use frozen if you’d like).
  • 1/2- 1 Cup Flour (I used Sweet Rice Flour to keep this gluten free. Substitute any flour you’d like).
  • Handful of Oatmeal
  • 1/2 – 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoons Lemon Zest (optional but gives it a great flavor).
  • Handful of Raisins (optional)
  • 1-2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • Handful of Walnuts (optional of course).
  • 2 – 4 Tablespoons Butter (cut into cubes).

 

Cover the peaches. Bake. Done.

Mix all the ingredients together. Bake. Done!

Mix all of the ingredients in one bowl.

 

Put into a casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F until browning and bubbly. 

 

Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

 

Meatball Recipe | Made with Spices and Ground Turkey

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Allspice, Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, Turmeric,Ginger.

Allspice, Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, Turmeric,Ginger.

In the Middle East and parts of Africa, they form ground meat mixed with herbs and a wonderful mixture of spices around a metal stick ( or” kabob ” ). While you can use any meat in this recipe such as the traditional lamb or a mixture of lamb, beef or pork, I use ground Turkey or Chicken (depending on what’s on sale) and instead of grilling on a stick, I make meatballs and bake them on top of either wax paper or a “Silpat” (a silicone mat that you put onto a baking sheet to keep the food from sticking). You could also fry in oil if you like. These make great appetizers for parties. Just roll them smaller and serve with toothpicks. And you can put any combination of spices inside (jerk seasoning, Chinese 5-Spice etc…) to change them up!

 

When I used to consult a while back and was working at Legoland, California, I shared with a chef there that the night before, I had made the worst Turkey Burgers – ever. They were dry and tasteless. She shared with me that the simple secret to moist Turkey Burgers or Meatballs was to add ground or chopped vegetables into the mix because they added both flavor and moisture to the ground poultry which otherwise, cooks up dry. Yet, you don’t have to follow this recipe precisely. You can adjust some of the spices, herbs and vegetables as you like. That’s what makes it easy. 

 

Chopped vegetables add moisture to Turkey Meatballs or Burgers.

Chopped vegetables add moisture to Turkey Meatballs or Burgers.

  • 1 to 1 1/2 lb. Ground Lamb or other (I use Turkey).
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion
  • 1 Carrot (if you’re using ground poultry, otherwise optional)
  • 1 Celery Stalk (if you’re using ground poultry, otherwise optional)
  • 1/2 Bell Pepper (if you’re using ground poultry, otherwise optional)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 Inch Fresh Ginger (skin peeled or cut off. We prepeel and freeze and grate to make it easy. Can be omitted since also using ground ginger as a spice. But I love the flavor).
  • Handful of Fresh Cilantro Leaves
  • Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves
  • 1 teaspoon each (Ground Allspice (or Cinnamon), Coriander, Cumin, Paprika, Turmeric, Ginger). 
  • Squeeze of 1/2 a Lemon (optional).
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs or if eating gluten free, substitute gf oats or gf bread crumbs).

Blend all vegetables in a blender or food processor.

Lemon Juice is optional but adds a nice flavor.

Lemon Juice is optional but adds a nice flavor.

 

Place meat in a bowl and add the spices, egg and bread crumbs. Mix with your hands lightly. Do not overmix or it will make the meatballs tough.

 

 

 

Mix & Bake. Done.

Mix & Bake. Done.

Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper or a silicone “silpat” sheet (prevents the meatballs from sticking). Or, you can fry in a pan if you like as well. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes.

 

My little rescue puppy, Bella photobombing.

My little rescue Maltese / ShihTzu hyrid puppy, Bella photobombing again.

Usually I drizzle Tamari and Sesame Oil on top but this night, I served  with an Indian Raita sauce and a simple salad. Delish!