Greetings From A Much Needed Vacation!

I was sitting in my kitchen in High Point, NC, the day before I left for Santo Domingo, when I left wrote this post. I may or may not have been watching the Food Network and making potato salad to leave behind for my dad, as my mom got ready to return with me to the Dominican Republic for a week. Some delicious food and unforgettable moments have occurred since then, but I'll leave that to later and let this go on, even if it is a little bit late...

Man, what a legit trip. The change of pace breathed new life into me - going from the big (and dirty as ****) city of Santo Domingo, to calm, quiet, and oh so green High Point,  How did I not notice how lush High Point always has been? I was desperate for time with friends from home, and it feels like these moments recharged my battery. Sometimes you need to feel connected to those people who really know you - I am one of the lucky ones that can say that I know exactly where my home is.

...Or, I know where it has been until this point in my life. I'm assuming that for many people, something that goes along with growing up should be being able to be "at home" wherever you are. "Home is where the heart is," right? My new home is with Mario, wherever that may be. It felt so renewing to be around the support network that I know and love so deeply, but it's time to take a deep breath and jump into what is waiting for us.

Tomorrow I'm going back to the Caribbean to be with the fiancé in my brand new casita, and my mom is coming with me to spend some time with us. As sad as I am about saying goodbye again, I know this time that I'll be back at Christmas, and hopefully with the fiancé in tow. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that we will be able to come back together.

While I've been home, I've been cooking up a storm for my parents. I'm going to share a recipe that the fiancé and I love for Sunday lunches - Baked Fish with Rice and Pigeon Peas. I made it for my mom and dad, as well as teaching it to my mom - should that have been the other way around? Whatever, I'm more than happy to break tradition. 

Recipe

Baked Fish in Foil

2 fillets of whatever fish you're into
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 handful scallions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
aluminum foil
baking pan

First, measure the thickness of the fish.  For every inch of fish, plan for 10 minutes of cooking. Fish cook at high temperatures, so preheat the oven to 425-450 degrees.

Second, cover your baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place each fillet on a piece of aluminum foil. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to each, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Top with the chopped scallions, and sprinkle each with the juice of 1/2 lime. Wrap the aluminum around each fillet like an envelope and place them on top of the aluminum covered baking pan. You can always add chopped vegetables if you wish! Change the seasonings and cooking juice depending on your cravings. Be creative - onion powder and cayenne pepper, lemon and orange slices with parsley and garlic, or dress to impress by cooking it in white wine.

Bake for the time you decided based on the thickness of the fillet.  The fish is ready when it is white and flaky. Squeeze another 1/2 lime on each of the fillet and pretend you are at a restaurant by the water, watching the yachts sail by in the distance. Make your own vacation.

 Before

After

Moro de Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

1 14 oz. can gandules verdes (green pigeon peas)

2 cups uncooked rice

3-4 cups water

3 tablespoons salt

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

First, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a medium-sized pot. Here in the Dominican Republic, I use a "caldero" or a "cast iron cooking pot" (picture to the left), with a perfectly fitted top.  Add the onions and stir. When they are translucent, add the garlic for about 1 minute. Then, add the can of gandules and salt. Stir so that the onions and garlic do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Scoop your uncooked rice into the pot along with the water and stir again. 


Let the pot boil on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, or until the rice has soaked up all of the water. Then, take a large spoon and scoop the rice off the sides of the pot so that it is mounded together in the center. Sprinkle the second tablespoon of oil on top of the rice, lower the heat to low, and cover. Let the rice sit for another 15-20 minutes. When you take off the cover, the rice should be moist and fluffy.

Fish Taco Salsa-Sauce!

For an accompaniment to the Tuna Tacos from Cinco de Mayo, try this salsa-sauce. I'm calling it a salsa-sauce because it's not quite a salsa, but not quite a sauce. Salsa-sauce seems to fit.

It was Saturday afternoon and we still had leftovers from our Mexican fiesta. We wanted to finish the tuna taco mix, but with a twist. Here is what I invented:

Recipe

Fish Taco Salsa-Sauce

1/2 cup light mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

3-4 tablespoons pickle relish

5 chives, diced

2 tablespoons hot sauce

Juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stir the ingredients together in a bowl. Assemble Tuna Tacos and drizzle the Fish Taco Salsa-Sauce on top of each one!

a buen tiempo!

Shout out to Cinco de Mayo: Fish Tacos

When I think of Cinco de Mayo, I think of margaritas. Natural, lime, strawberry, passionfruit (never had one? Come visit me in the DR and you can try anything with a passionfruit twist) - whatever flavor they come in and as long as they are dipped in salt, they are fine with me.

2 reasons why on this Cinco de Mayo I wanted to stay away from my yearly marg indulgence:

1. Ok, I lied. I have a love-hate relationship with margaritas. The sugar gives me a stomach ache. However, they are necessary part of celebrating Mexico like a real American - with tacos, tequila, and dressed in the obligatory stars and strips outfit. Don't lie, you know you have one.

2. I haven't tried it but I'm assuming that a hangover is not conducive to teaching 1st-5th graders.

During my last planning period yesterday I scoured my brain and the internet for other options. I already had tuna in the house after Tuna Salad...Salad earlier in the week. Thus, fish tacos were born.

I'm finding so much peace in cooking. The world becomes quiet for me in every step of the process: looking for recipes, chopping, dicing, and mincing, sharing it while it lasts, and then writing about it after the fact.

Recipe

Tuna Tacos

8 corn tortillas

2 6 oz. cans light tuna

2 large ripe tomatoes

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced

3/4 cup, lightly packed, cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of your preferred hot sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Juice from 1 lime

3 ounces of whatever cheese you prefer! Feta would be an excellent choice.

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl. Heat a non-stick pan on low and add the tuna taco mixture for 3-4 minutes. The spices and juices from the tomatoes and vegetables blend together really nicely when heated! Remove the mixture and place aside. Wipe the pan clean and add 2 corn tortillas (without oil). Heat each side for 2 minutes. Repeat this step until you have heated as many corn tortillas as you wish.

This recipe is enough for 8 tacos. The fiance and I ate 2 each for dinner, and we've had the others for lunch and leftovers!

a buen tiempo!

Tuna Salad.....Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This weekend I wanted something light for lunch and I found a healthy recipe for tuna salad - with barely any mayonnaise! Not only are the dijon mustard and sweet pickle relish an uncanny combination with the tuna, but the fresh vegetables and homemade salad dressing make this a great choice for a low calorie summer lunch.

Add your friends, family, and a bottle of white wine and you cannot go wrong.

Recipe

Tuna Salad Ingredients

2 cans of light tuna (6 oz.)

1/2 cup no-fat probiotic plain yogurt

2.5 tablespoons pickle relish

1/2 tablespoon light mayo

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Green Salad Ingredients

1 small bunch of arugula

1 tomato, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

salt to taste

Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

Start with making the tuna salad. Measure out and mix the tuna, yogurt, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and pickle relish in a bowl.

Second, wash the arugula and place it on your plate. Arrange the sliced tomatoes and cucumbers creatively on top of the arugula, and add a dash of salt to taste. Scoop and place the mixed tuna salad in the center.

Finally, combine the ingredients for the balsamic vinaigrette dressing in a small bowl or glass and drizzle on your finished salad! Serves 2.

a buen tiempo!

Salmon Pesto and Hot Green Bean Salad

Because I'm not sure the photograph gives justice to this creative, delectable dish, I'll share a little bit about how I felt as I ate each melt-in-your-mouth bite.

"Wow, I'm so proud of myself for choosing fish and vegetables for lunch today. That's right diet - I win this battle! But the salmon tastes so....light and, delicate like butter. Wait, is that...yes, yes it is... a sun dried tomato pesto, freshly made from scratch? ohhh And, oh, oh, oh, do I taste coconut in my green bean bite? With a hint of spice???....I do, I really, really do..."

If that personal moment isn't convincing, I don't know what is.

Recipe:

Pan-Seared Salmon Pesto:

2 fillets of salmon

1/2 cup of cilantro

1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup of almond slices

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt to taste

Prepare the pesto by putting all the ingredients, except for the salmon of course, in some sort of food processor. Don't worry if you feel like your cooking is limited because you might not have what some would consider the basics in food preparation supplies - I made my pesto in a blender!

Cover one side of each of your salmon fillets with your pesto. Place 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in your pan and wait until it is thoroughly heated. Add your salmon and cook each side for 5-7 minutes. This time is based on an average thickness - not too thin, not too thick. You may have to adjust this time depending on the thickness of your filet. Serves 2.

Hot Green Bean Salad

12 ounces of green beans

15 ounces of whole mushrooms, cut in half (They don't have to be fresh! The kind I buy are canned - Roland whole button mushrooms)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of shallots, diced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of paprika

1-2 tablespoons of oregano

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup of cream of coconut (It comes in a can by Goya, 15 ounces)

1/2 lime

Blanch the green beans for about 10 minutes. While they are boiling, add oil and the shallots into a pan. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic. After a minute, add the mushrooms. Once the green beans' time is up, add them to the pan with the three spices. Take the 1/2 lime and squeeze the juice into your almost complete hot salad. Let the mixture cook together on low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes. Finally, add the cream of coconut. Taste the hot green bean salad, and add salt to taste! Serves 2, with a little bit of leftover for snacking!

a buen tiempo!

P.S. Don't worry, the first improvement to my brand spankin' new blog will be its FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY! Everyone has to start somewhere, right?