• Fish Po’Boys

    September 17, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    These are really good and really easy sandwiches. Perfect for a weeknight meal. You can either use frozen breaded fish, make your own, or forgo the breading all together.  I used frozen breaded fish…my kiddos love this!

    The spicy tartar sauce makes this dish.

    This recipe is adapted from Great Food Fast.

    Ingredients:

    • Frozen breaded fish fillets
    • 1/2 c. mayo
    • 3 TBSP chili sauce
    • 2 TBSP chopped parsley or cilantro
    • 2 TBSP grainy mustard
    • 2 TBSP chopped pickles
    • hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste
    • Baguettes
    • Lettuce and Tomato for serving

    Directions:

    1. Cook fish as directed.
    2. Combine mayo through hot sauce in a bowl.
    3. Place fish on baguette, add lettuce and tomatoes, and top with spicy tartar sauce.

    Fish Po’Boys:

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  • Spicy Chicken Tacos

    September 4, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    I so love salsa fresca, and I thought it would taste really good with some chicken tacos. And not just as a condiment, but as part of the flavor of the chicken.

    I was right.  It was delicious!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 TBSP olive oil
    • 3 1/2 c. cooked shredded chicken
    • 3/4 c. salsa fresca
    • Tortillas and guacamole

    Directions:

    1. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and salsa and simmer until chicken is nicely coated and heated through.
    2. Serve with desired taco condiments.

    Spicy Chicken Tacos:

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  • Arepas

    September 1, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    Arepas are a delicious Colombian treat.  Don’t know what an arepa is, then think gordita/chalupa with a Colombian flare. Delicious with just about anything, and especially delicious topped with guacamole or an avocado salad.

    This recipe comes Fiesta! A Celebration of Latin Hospitality by Anya von Bremzen.  The cookbook is out of print, and the cover of my cookbook is different than the one Amazon has, so I can’t be sure the recipe is actually in there.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 c. milk
    • 4 TBSP butter
    • 1 1/2 c. white or yellow arepa flour (aka masarepa or arepaharina) (we use Goya brand and I prefer yellow)
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
    • 1 c. grated mozzarella cheese

    Directions:

    1. In a small saucepan bring 1 1/2 c. milk to a boil.  Pour boiled milk into a bowl and add the butter.  Let stand.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the arepa flour, salt, sugar and cheese.  Make a well in the center and pour in the hot milk.  Stir the masa and milk together until there are no lumps.  Knead the mixture, sprinkling the remaining 1/2 c. milk, until you have a smooth sticky dough. This should take about 5 minutes.
    3. Roll the dough into a 1/2 inch thick sheet between two pieces of wax paper.  With a cookie cutter, or the rim of a glass, cut out 3-inch circles. You should get 8.
    4. You can either fry the arepas in oil or skillet fry them in a nonstick pan with just a bit of oil or cooking spray.
    5. Top with guacamole or whatever you like.

    Arepas:

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  • Rachel’s Famous Pasta Salad

    September 1, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    This is a very easy and very tasty pasta salad…even -s and TT ate it up.  I think next time I’ll do without the cheddar and jack cheese and instead try feta for an extra punch.

    Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Griffith.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 bottles light Italian dressing
    • 1 lb. pasta of your choice
    • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
    • 1 large sized cucumber, chopped
    • 1 large green, red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
    • 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
    • 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, cubed
    • You could also add olives, artichoke hearts, feta instead of the other cheeses etc.

    Directions:

    • Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
    • Meanwhile chop veggies and cheese and put in a large bowl; then add one bottle of salad dressing.  Allow veggies and cheese to marinate.
    • When pasta is done, drain it and rinse it with cold water, then dump a bunch of ice cubes on the pasta to stop the cooking process and help it cool quickly.
    • Once pasta is completely cool, add to veggie mixture; toss to coat and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.
    • Before serving, toss pasta salad, and add more dressing, if desired.

    Pasta Salad:

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  • Tzatziki aka Grecian Sauce

    September 1, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    A good tzatziki makes any kebab sandwich or schwarma sandwich even more delicious.  I first had tzatziki at Albasha (when we lived in Baton Rouge), except at Albasha it’s called Grecian Sauce.  Whatever you want to call it, it’s worth making.

    We made chicken kebabs and served the chicken in a pita with some chopped tomatoes and onion then topped it with the sauce.
    We had some sauce leftover and made fish the next night….and oh was this sauce d’lish on fish!!!

    Ingredients:

    • 8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
    • 1/2 of an English cucumber, shredded and strained
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 TBSP chopped fresh dill (or more if you like)
    • 1TBSP chopped fresh mint (or more if you like)
    • 1 TBSP lemon juice
    • salt & pepper to taste

    Directions:

    1. Mix everything in a bowl.
    2. Serve.

    Tzatziki aka Grecian Sauce:

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