Hummus and Crackers

To make the Hummus, blend together in a food processor: 1 can of chick peas (rinsed), 1/2 cup of tahini paste, about 1/4 cup olive oil, 4-5 roasted garlic cloves, juice of two lemons, 1 tsp cumin, salt and pepper.

You can add roasted vegetables like red peppers or jalapenos, or even add any hot sauce.

Eat with Crackers or Pita bread or even put it in a sandwich.

Chili Corn on the Cob

Boil corn for about 2-3 minutes or until bright yellow. Drain them and dress them with butter, salt, Chili powder or Chipotle powder, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lime.

Or put the corn on the BBQ and it would be even better!

Double Baked BIG Potatoes

First: Wash four large baking potatoes. Place them onto a tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes.

Once you take the potatoes out of the oven, let cool for a couple minutes then cut a slit down the center of each potato, squeeze the sides inward and gently scoop out the potato (as much as you can) and place the potato into a bowl along with: 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of old cheddar cheese, 1 tsp cumin, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tbsp Dijon or honey Dijon mustard, chopped chives or green onion, and either 6-8 strips of bacon (fried and chopped into bits) or one Spicy Sausage/ Spicy Chorizo Sausage squeezed out of it's casing and cooked in a heated pan and chopped up with a wooden spoon.. add it to the bowl with some salt and pepper and a bit of whatever hot sauce or a charred jalapeno pepper (diced and seeded). Mix all the ingredients until smooth and creamy add more sour cream if you need to. And shove it back into the potato skins gently. Then sprinkle the tops with a bit more cheese and put them back into the oven for about 10 more minutes. Until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.

Spicy Scalloped Potatoes

heat oven to 325ºF
Slice about 6 large red potatoes (skin on).
Finely chop 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic, and 1-2 sprigs of Rosemary
Squeeze one spicy chorizo sausage found at your local butcher , from it's casing into a pan heated at medium heat. Break up the sausage, set it aside. Grate 2 cups of a nice old cheddar, either white or orange.
In a large rectangular glass casserole dish, start layering: One even layer of sliced potatoes, sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp of almond flower or rice flower, salt and pepper, half the onions, half the garlic, half the sausage, half the rosemary, and half the cheese. Then layer the other half of the ingredients, adding a couple pats of butter over the top. Then pour in 2 cups of warm milk.

Put it into the oven for about 45 minutes. The cheese will start to get golden brown and the potatoes will be soft, let it cool and settle for about 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and chives.





*Gluten free

Chicken Mole ("Mole-eh!")

This recipe is for one of the most authentic and complicated Mexican dishes you can find. Chances are, if you haven't traveled to Mexico...and really experienced the true Mexican lifestyle, you probably have never heard of a Mexican Mole. A Mole is basically a sauce with a crazy amount of ingredients, including dark Mexican chocolate. It can be used in a variety of dishes, but traditionally served over chicken pieces, with rice or beans.
There's a lot of preparation, I was always really intimidated by this recipe. It's pretty complex. Finally I decided to just go for it, test my skills! I found a great version online, translated it from Spanish to English and made a couple additions and subtractions, just to make it my own. It took a few hours, but the result was perrrrfect! Don't shy away from the amount of chili's that are used here, these types of chilies are more for flavor and don't hold much heat. In fact if you wanted it to be spicy you should add something else to it like Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce.


Ingredients:

2 kilos of chicken pieces (skin on)
white rice or re-fried brown beans with cooked with minced garlic, as a side.

For the Mole:

7-9 Mulato Chilies
5-7 Pasilla Chilies
4-6 Ancho Chilies
1 cup plus 9 tbsp Vegetable oil
4-5 Tomatillos (mexican green tomatoes)...I prefer the canned version, otherwise you will need to remove the husks and boil them until soft.
4 cloves of Garlic
20 Black Pepper Corns
5 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tsp roasted Chili seeds (use the seeds that will be removed from the Ancho, Pasilla and Mulato Chilies in this recipe)
3 tbsp of Raisins
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds (look for the seeds without the shells)
1/4 cup Almonds (sliced or whole)
2 dried-out Corn Tortillas , torn into pieces.
6-7 cups of Chicken Broth (saved from when you boil the chicken pieces from this recipe)
50 grams (or more to taste) of Mexican Chocolate


Directions:

First, season chicken with salt and pepper.
Second, Cook the chicken in about 10 cups of water.
Third, prepare the mole:

step 1: Cook the chilies in 2 tbsp of oil until crispy, not burned. make sure to flip them. They will start to puff a bit.
step 2: While the chilies are soft after cooking on the stove, remove the seeds and stems (reserve 1 tbsp of the seeds)
step 3: Soak the chilies in warm water for 30 minutes
step 4: Make a paste with the chilies using some of the water they soaked in with either a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
step 5: Grind the pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and chilies together, and set aside in a separate bowl.
step 6: Blend tomatillos with garlic, add the ground spices and set aside.
step 7: Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add the following ingredients (without mixing) and until: raisin are puffed, almonds are golden, pumpkin seeds slightly golden, broken-up tortilla piece slightly heated. Add a bit of oil if needed.
step 8: (Except for the chili paste) Add all the mole ingredients (the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, tortilla and tomatillo sauce with the spices together in a food processor. Use some of the chicken stock to keep the right saucy consistency.
step 9: Heat a large pot to medium heat. Cook the chili paste for about 15 minutes in the remaining oil. This will really bring out the flavor and smokiness of the chilies. Mix frequently. Lower the heat.
step 10: Add the rest of the blended ingredients into the pot with the chili paste and the rest of the vegetable oil (it seems like a lot of oil but it gives the sauce a great texture and shine). Add the chocolate and cook for 15 minutes over high heat.
step 11: Add the remaining chicken broth and simmer for an additional 45 minutes.
step 12: In the last 15 minutes add the chicken pieces to the pot.

Serve with fresh corn tortillas, rice, and re-fried beans or rice.


*Gluten free

Chicken & Rice Cajun Soup

This is one of my newest creations! It's a thick and hearty feel good soup that won't last long around the house!

Ingredients:
2 full chicken legs
3-4 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or Essence by Emeril Lagasse)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
2 large organic carrots (peeled and chopped lengthwise then diced, to make half moons)
2 large organic celery sticks (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 organic red pepper
3/4 cup white rice
1/4 cup wild black rice
1/2 cup red lentils (rinsed and drained)
8-10 cups water or chicken stalk


Directions:

Set a cast iron pan to medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken legs with 2 tbsp of Cajun Seasoning. Grill each side of the chicken in the pan until golden brown on both sides. Set chicken aside. With the pan still medium to med-high heat, throw all the veggie's in except the garlic. Season veggies with 1 tbsp of Cajun. When veggies are soft yet still firm, mix in the garlic, rice, and lentils. Let the mixture fry for about one more minute.

Heat a dutch oven, or a slow cooker to medium heat. Put in the chicken and all the grilled veggies and rice mixture. Add half the water or stalk and the remaining Cajun seasoning to the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Then add the remaining water, and simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour. Until chicken pulls apart easily. Remove the chicken and place it in a bowl. With two forks shred the chicken and discard the bones. Put the chicken back into the soup. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.


Serve it up!



*Gluten free

The Spiciest Tastiest Chili Ever!!

1 lb lean ground beef
vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chili powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp chipotle powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp oregano
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium sized yellow onions (diced)
4-5 cloves of garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 large green chili (seeded, finely chopped)
1 tsp sugar
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or stalk
2 cups total of black eyed peas, red and white Lima beans combined
1 cup corn kernels
1 diced Yukon gold potato (optional)...for an even heartier version
2 tbsp tomato paste

Directions:

Heat a large pot or dutch oven to high heat.
Season beef with fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
Add a small drizzle of vegetable oil to the pot. Flatten the beef to fill the bottom of the hot pot. The beef won't burn but it will develop a blackened caramelized texture. Once the one side is darkened, flip the beef over to grill the other side (may have to flip in pieces). When both sides are finished browning, break the beef apart even more with a wooden spoon, leave some pieces kind of chunky.
Thrown in the diced onion, garlic, and cinnamon stick. When onions are translucent, add the green chili, chili powder, chiplotle powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Heat for about 30 seconds. Add can of chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. You may want to add a bit of water.
Once that's simmered, add the remaining 2 cups of water or stalk, black-eye peas, red Lima beans and white Lima beans sugar and cubed potatoes (optional). Simmer for one hour. Add more water if needed.
Stir in tomato paste until you have your desired consistency.
Garnish with chives, sour cream and chopped cilantro



*Gluten Free

BBQ Jerk Chicken

Marinate Chicken pieces (as much as you like)
in the following combined ingredients over night for the best results or for at least 2 hours.
*Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade to use for basting the chicken while cooking.

Ingredients :
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion
3 scallions
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 tbsp grated piece of ginger
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of fresh nutmeng
pinch of ground cloves
2 tbsp thyme
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice from 1 lime
juice from 1 large orange


Once chicken is done marinating, discard excess marinade and throw the chicken onto the grill. Use the marinade that was put aside to baste the chicken throughout.


*Gluten Free

Gluten Freeeee!

A couple years ago, my boyfriend discovered he had celiac disease. Celiac disease means your body is unable to process gluten (wheat). Which is why most of the recipes you'll find here are *gluten free. I thought it might have been more of a challenge, although I found I've become a lot more creative and inventive since the discovery. And even though I myself can have wheat, I've become accustomed to most foods without using it. And I feel much healthier for doing so.

For instance, pasta noodles are easily replaced with rice or corn pasta noodles, and they taste the same. Most grocery stores sell them at almost the same price. Or I love to use those skinny little Asian rice noodles for pastas and stir fry's. They're only about $1, and only take 2 minutes to cook.

To thicken sauces and gravies just use corn starch instead of flour, not as much though.

Make your own chicken/ beef stalk from scratch

Rice flour is a great substitute for baking, and I find gluten free baked goods taste so much better (bread is an exception).

Gluten free sooo does NOT have to mean taste free. You can have the same meals you crave. Make it from scratch and just find creative ways to get around using "flour or bread".

Spicy Guacamole Salsa

At the taco stands in Zihuatanejo, the guacamole served on the side was a bit different than the regular "thick and chunky" guacamole that we're all used to. It was more watered-down. More like a sauce or salsa to pour onto the tacos. And a little Spicier!

Ingredients:
1 large avocado
juice of 1 lime
1 clove of minced garlic
1 ancho or passilla chili
1tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Drizzle small amount of olive oil into pan.
Place Ancho or Pasilla Chili onto the pan. When the chili starts to heat up flip it onto it's other side. Once it starts to puff up, remove the chili from the pan and place it into a bowl with 1 cup of warm water. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then Scrape the seeds out.

In a blender, put in the avocado, lime juice, garlic, ancho/ pasilla chili, cumin, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend together. Start adding the water until you get a smooth consistency (like a creamy soup). Add some chili powder to taste.

serve as a side to any Mexican meal


*Gluten free

Real Corn Tortillas

2 cups masa harina, finely ground maize (corn) i.e; maseca
1 to 1 1/4 cups of hot water
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, mix ingredients for about 2 minutes until smooth.
The key is to get the right consistency. If dough is too sticky add more masa harina. If dough is too hard add just a few drops of water.

Divide dough into 2 inch size balls. With either a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or even the counter top and a frying pan, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. Until tortillas are about 1 millimeter thick.

Preheat a cast iron tortilla pan at about medium to medium-high heat. Place tortillas onto the heated pan. Leave them until they start to turn a little golden one one side then flip them. Once they are cooked nicely all the way through on both sides (and not burned), about 2 minutes, set them aside wrapped up in a cloth. Tortillas will soften as they sit in the cloth.

Also try cutting tortillas into quarters, deep fry to make your own tortilla chips!

*Gluten Free

Try Pulled Chicken Tacos!

Mexican Pulled Chicken Tacos

This is my favorite recipe to pass around. I came up with this recipe while waiting in line at a Mexican "tienda" in Kensington market while living in Toronto. I was just making conversation with the woman behind me about how I wanted to make real Mexican tacos.
About five years ago my boyfriend and I had lived in Zihuatanejo Mexico for about six months. That's where my love for spice really emerged. The most unforgettable, out of all the delicious meals has to be the Tacos. And once I was back in Canada I had to re-create them!
So between the woman in line at the "tienda" and some of my own memory and experiences while in Zihuatanejo I came up with this recipe for Pulled Chicken Tacos:

Ingredients:

approx. 1 chicken breast per person
a piece of El Yucateco Annatto paste
juice of 1 orange
1-1 1/2 cups chicken stalk
4 tbsp (approx) olive oil

taco seasoning (mix ingredients):
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
about 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Fixings:
corn tortillas
1/2 cup of red onions
1/4 cup cilantro
guacamole
lime slices
grilled pineapple pieces
salsa verde (green) or..
salsa rojo (red)


Boil chicken in a pot with enough water to cover. Boil for about 15-20 minutes, until chicken is able to pull apart easily. Remove and reserve the water. Pull the chicken apart with two forks until it's very stringy, no big pieces..

Heat pan to medium. Put a bit of oil into the pan and throw in the chicken. Add the Annatto paste and work it into the chicken with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the taco seasoning mix over the chicken, mix and let the flavors come out a bit. Cut a big orange and squeeze as much juice as you can out of both halves into the pan. Then take about a cup/ cup and a half of the leftover stock (boiled chicken water) and pour that into the pan. Give it a little shake bring it to a bubble then let simmer on med- low heat until all the juices are soaked in.

While the chicken is simmering, prep the tortillas, and guacamole and salsa.
chop the red onion into small pieces and finely chop the cilantro. Mix the two together and drizzle in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Chop some pineapple and grill it (optional, but delicious!).

Set it all up and dig in while it's hot!








 

Welcome!

Ok. First post. The introduction.
I'll start by clarifying that this is not a blog about "Hot Exes" in the kitchen. No, it's about food! I will warn you though... I have a tendency to spice-up every meal I create or imitate, the recipe's I will share with you will be HOT...and delicious! And hopefully you enjoy making them and passing them along as well.
This is a place for those who love to cook. Those who love to create new dishes, and experiment with new flavors and especially.. spice!

For me, I crave exotic tastes, of all kinds. The more flavor, the better. A big favorite of mine are the sauces in an Indian dish. Made with an amazing blend of spices and vegetables or meats served over rice...dipped with nan bread, chili pickles on the side, ....mmm.

I love Mexican (one of my most influential styles of cooking). With all the preparation, the time and love that goes into every meal. All the spice. All the fixings. Mexican food (the real stuff) has honestly changed my life.

On a recent trip to Florida I developed some excitement for southern-style cooking. After having some Jambalaya pasta at this great place in Fort Lauderdale. I had to replicate it. Now I'm putting a little cajun over everything!

Then there's Thai food, Vietnamese, Italian food (obviously!) , El-Salvadorean, Greek (not really known for spice but hey..) Ok ok so the list could go on and on.

To wrap it up, I thought it was about time I share my obsession of food with others who may be like me. Total non-professionals who just love to cook. For those who spend hours in the kitchen because they like to. Maybe share some cultural influences, travel experiences, tips, tricks, healthy living ..whatever .
Get inspired to love what you eat, and learn how to make it yourself!