Green Chili with Chicken

This green chili with chicken is so good that I've given up tomato based chilis altogether... or at least for a little while. I make this one weekly and it's a great on a cold winter day.

Green Chili with Chicken

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion (or two small), chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of chicken breast, cut into thin strips
16 oz jar of Roasted Salsa Verde
32 fl oz. box of Chicken Broth
2 15 oz cans of Great Northern Beans
chopped pickled jalapeños, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
cilantro
extra light olive oil

Brands I use
365 Roasted Salsa Verde & 365 Organic Great Northern Beans from Whole Foods, Bertolli's Extra Light Olive Oil and Pacific Low Sodium Chicken Broth.

Adapted from a recipe by Simply Real Health.

In a large soup pot, heat up some olive oil. Add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the pot and sauté until the vegetables start to get soft; a few minutes. Add freshly minced garlic and cook for one minute. Then add the cut up chicken breast, jar of roasted salsa verde and the box of chicken broth. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the Great Northern beans and heat them up for a couple minutes. Add the jalapeños, salt and pepper to taste and top with cilantro.

This is great with some shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar on top or served with a small scoop of sour cream. I always buy a bag (or two) of Gringo's Tortilla Strips to go with it!

Vinegar and Oil Mashed Potatoes

Vinegar and Oil Mashed Potatoes

It doesn’t look like much but this is my favorite way to eat potatoes.


The Portuguese love their potatoes and my family is no exception. I’m half Portuguese on my father’s side and I grew up eating one of my dad’s favorite dishes to make: salt cod, grelos/broccoli rabe and boiled potatoes with red wine vinegar and olive oil. A common sight on a traditional Portuguese table is an oil and vinegar tray and both condiments are poured on potatoes, fish, cooked vegetables and salads. I was craving some boiled potatoes with vinegar and oil but decided to make it as chunky mashed potatoes instead. What a discovery! This is the best way to eat potatoes in my opinion. I love the tang from vinegar and the flavor of the oil. I can never get traditional mashed potatoes quite right. That balance of cream, butter, salt and pepper is difficult to attain and I always tend to prefer chunks versus a silky smooth mixture.

It took a few tries but I figured out that the best formula for this recipe is a 1:1:1 ratio. 1 boiled russet potato, 1 tablespoon of red white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You can modify this if you like. Less vinegar if you don’t like how tart it is, more olive oil if you want it to be less dry. I like the 1:1:1 formula the best and that’s what I’m using!

Vinegar and Oil Mashed Potatoes
5 Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
5 tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar
5 tablespoons of Olive Oil (I use Extra Light)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Put the peeled and diced potatoes in a pot of cold water. Enough water so that the potatoes are covered. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are done.

Add potatoes to a strainer. Add the vinegar and oil to the bottom of the pot. Return the strained potatoes to the pot. Add salt and pepper and the stir carefully to incorporate all the ingredients. Serve hot and enjoy!

Vinegar & Oil Mashed Potatoes, Chorizo, Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus

Chicken & Leek Pot Pie

Oh hey there! It's been a while. I have been focused lately on exercise and healthy cooking. And much of what I have made or eaten hasn't really been blog-worthy. I plan to change that and update here more. Another issue I have been having is food photography. Our kitchen is dark and we have no windows there. We had to get rid of our kitchen table too so we have been eating off of a rickety old coffee table. Not the best circumstances for good food photography. I hope to be able to pick up this blog back to it's old glory when we move out into a new home with a better kitchen. Until then, expect some posts here or there.

Now this Chicken & Leek Pot Pie is the best chicken pot pie I have EVER MADE! Leeks are much tastier in this pie than onions. I don't add herbs or celery but feel free to add them in if you want. This is simple and delicious.

Chicken & Leek Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Extra Light Olive Oil
1.25 lbs of Chicken Tenderloins, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 lbs of baby tricolor potatoes, halved or cut into thirds depending on size
2 leeks halved, sliced and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsps of flour
2 cups of Chicken Broth
Pie crust dough
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water)

Makes 6 servings

Preheat oven to 385 degrees

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven or a wide bottomed pot. Once the oil starts to sizzle, brown the chicken. I brown the chicken in two batches. Take the chicken out and set aside.

Add another drizzle of oil and add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Then add the flour, leeks and chicken. Stir so the flour covers all the ingredients Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Stir well.

Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes. Shut off heat and cool for 10 minutes.

You basically want to do all the cooking of the filling on the stove top. The baking time is really for the crust.

Add the filling to a baking pan. I use a 9-1/2 inch oval one.

Cover with your pie dough, stretch and cut off extra bits.

Cut a few diagonal slits along the top. Brush the top with the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes in your preheated oven.

I forgot to add the egg wash to this one in the photo above. Oops! Otherwise the crust would have been a lot glossier and not as dry.  It was still good though.

The filling is a bit light on the chicken but I like it that way. You can always reduce the amount of potatoes and add some more chicken if you want. Fresh herbs would be nice too but since they are expensive and don't keep well in our fridge I skipped them.  

It's important to let the pie cool for 20 minutes. Or 10 minutes in front of a fan! Cooling time is crucial so you can serve the pie without it completely falling apart. Enjoy!

Zucchini Tomato Pesto Pasta Bake

This casserole is ridiculously good! I got the idea from WebMD's recipe for Pesto Zucchini Tomato Gratin. The picture shows it on top of pesto penne but didn't say anything about cooking the gratin with the penne. I decided to combine the two and turn it into a casserole. This makes a lot so you'll have plenty of leftovers.

My husband hates Zucchini and while it's not my favorite vegetable either I am determined to sneak it into as many dishes as I can. I shred the zucchini to make it more palatable. It works really well in this casserole!

Zucchini Tomato Pesto Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 box of whole wheat penne
1 7 oz. container of prepared pesto, divided
3 large zucchinis
3 plum tomatoes
2 cups of panko bread crumbs
extra light olive oil
1 container of Pearl Mozzarella
extra light olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water, cover with lid and heat to a boil.

Shred your zucchini and slice your plum tomatoes into thin slices (I remove the jelly and seeds as much as I can). Set aside.

Add a drizzle of extra light olive oil to a large skillet and heat. Once the oil starts to sizzle, add the shredded zucchini. While that's cooking, add the penne and some salt to the boiling water and cook 10-12 minutes based on package instructions. While the penne is cooking, continue cooking the zucchini. Stir occasionally. You want to dry out the zucchini a bit so there is not so much water. After 10 minutes, stir in 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the 2 cups of panko bread crumbs and about 3 tbsps of extra light olive oil and mix.

Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the remaining pesto to the pasta and add the 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir until all the pasta is coating in pesto.

In a 11 X 13 baking dish, add the pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with the shredded zucchini pesto mix. Top with half of the panko bread crumbs. Then add a layer of sliced tomatoes. Top with the pearl mozzarella balls and the rest of the panko.

Cover with aluminum foil and add to center rack of oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil, switch oven to low broil and broil for a couple minutes until the top gets brown. If you have patience, you can wait a little longer and it'll brown on top in the 375 degree oven. I am not patient so I like to brown with a quick broil. Watch the casserole closely or you can burn the top!

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Or dive in if you can't wait.

Bon appetit!

Tuttorosso Tomato Review, Sloppy Joe Recipe & Giveaway

Tuttorosso is a brand of canned and jarred tomato products that has been around since 1929. They pride themselves on "producing the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world."Tuttorosso is becoming more popular recently and they have been getting a lot of good coverage on social media and blogs. They are expanding their product reach across the U.S. but right now are available mostly on the East Coast including my home state of Massachusetts (full list of states and their availability can be found here).

Tuttorosso sent me a couple of cans of their product to try. Last night I made a big batch of my Sloppy Joes with Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce in the 29 oz. can. It's a lot of sauce so that is why I made such a huge batch. The end result was delicious. I love that the tomato sauce wasn't too acidic and how it was really smooth. It worked really well with my Sloppy Joes and I would definitely try Tuttorosso again. Let's hope they work on producing smaller cans as I usually don't use such huge cans of tomatoes!

Sloppy Joes with Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of Ground Beef
Salt, Pepper and Seasoning (I used Onion Powder)
1 large onion chopped
1 cubanelle or regular green pepper seeded and chopped
1 29 oz. can of Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
3 tbsps of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsps of White Wine Vinegar
2 tbsps of Brown Sugar

toasted hamburger buns
shredded cheddar

This makes 16 mini sloppy joes or 8 large ones. It makes a lot of leftovers. You can use half of the sloppy joe mix for the sandwiches and use the rest the next day and serve over pasta or alongside some white rice.

Season the ground beef. Heat a large skillet with extra light olive oil. Add half the beef when the oil sizzles. Brown, drain fat, set aside. Add more oil and cook the second batch of beef. Repeat. Set both batches of beef aside when fully cooked.

In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil and cook the chopped onion and green pepper. Once the onions begin to be translucent, add back the beef and stir. Then add the Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce, the Worcestershire Sauce (I like using a lot!), White Wine Vinegar and Brown Sugar. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Then lower heat and cook about 10 minutes more or until sauce has thickened to the consistency you like.

Serve on top of toasted hamburger buns. I like putting a bit of shredded cheddar on top. Delicious!

It's giveaway time! 

Enter for a chance to win a Tuttorosso gift pack including a kitchen mitt, mug cozy, red apron, four recipe cards and a can of Tuttorosso's  Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Juice (not shown) to try. 

Giveaway Rules:

1) You must be in the Continental U.S. to enter.

2) The deadline for entry is Noon EST Sunday January 27th.

3) To enter answer the question: "What is your favorite way to used canned tomato?" in the comment section below. Include an email address so I can contact you. This is a required entry.

4) For a second entry, "Like" Tuttorosso on Facebook and leave a comment below telling me you did so. This is a voluntary entry.

5) For a third entry, follow me on Twitter @thoughtfuleats and leave a comment below telling me which Twitter account you used to follow. I keep track of unfollows so please don't try the third entry if you don't want to follow me! This is a voluntary entry.

The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. I'll also make a note of the winner on this post once he or she has been chosen. Good luck!

Arroz con Gandules - Rice with Green Pigeon Peas

The other day I was watching Navidad Utilisima which was the Christmas special for the Spanish-Language television channel Utilisima. In one of the segments, a very charming Puerto Rican  man cooked up some Arroz con Gandules, Rice with Green Pigeon Peas, which is a very traditional Caribbean dish. My mom cooks it but does it very differently. I wanted to learn this version and try it myself. I went on to Utilisima.com to find the recipe but it wasn't there! Good thing I taped the show. I watched the segment again, took notes and tried the dish out. And voila!

Adapted from Utilisima

Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Green Pigeon Peas)

Ingredients:

Pork Broth
1 small package of pork bones
4-1/2 cups of broth
1 whole onion
aromatics (whatever seasonings you want, I used cumin, garlic and oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

Arroz con Gandules

1-1/2 cups of cubed pork loin (I bought a big pork loin and used the rest of the meat for another dish)
1 cup diced all-natural ham (with no nitrates or nitrites!)
1 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
2-3 garlic cloves pressed
2 cans of Goya Gandules (Green Pigeon Peas)
2 cups of uncookeed long grain rice
2 bay leaves
cilantro and chopped plum tomatoes for garnish

Makes 8 servings

To make the Pork Broth, add pork bones, water, onion and aromatics. Cover pot with lid and bring to a bowl. Lower to medium heat and let simmer with the lid partially covering the pot. Cook for about 45 minutes or until broth has some flavor. Season with salt and pepper. Strain and set aside.

Chop up your pork and dice your ham, green pepper and onions.  Season your pork cubes with salt and pepper.

Heat some extra light olive oil in a deep pot until the oil sizzles. Sear the pork cubes.

Add the ham, onion and green peppers to the pork cubes and saute until the onions and green pepper start to break down. Or until the onions begin to be translucent.

Add the pressed garlic, gandules (make sure to rinse them!) and rice.

Cover with 4 cups of the homemade pork broth and add the 2 bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. If the pork broth is still hot this will happen quickly. 

Bring the heat down to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Check 10 minutes in and stir the rice so all of it gets cooked evenly.  If its too wet for your taste, you can always cook for an extra 5-10 minutes, stirring carefully and occasionally so it dries out a bit.

Top with cilantro and fresh chopped plum tomatoes. Or you can also top with chopped roasted red peppers. The green and red give the dish a great look. This dish is a complete meal!

Buen provecho!

Easy Dinner ~ Sausage Pepper Pasta

When I get home from a long day at work, sometimes the last thing I want to do is cook. So I depend on quick and easy dinner recipes that will help me put dinner on the table within 30 minutes. This one is super easy and very satisfying. If you are not a big fan of peppers, this is a much more palatable way to eat them.

Sausage Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

4 links of Chicken Sausage, sliced (I used an Italian flavored one that had cheese)
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1/2 box of Farfalle pasta
Seasoning
extra light olive oil

Makes 4 servings

*Note - You do NOT need a whole box of Farfalle pasta so don't be tempted to empty the whole box. For seasoning you can use thyme, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes or whatever seasoning you'd like that would work with the sausage and peppers.

Start a pot of water and get it boiling. Add the farfalle pasta and cook to package direction or until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add some extra light olive oil to a large saute pan  and turn the head up to medium-high. While it's heating, chop up your green, yellow or red pepper. I cut them into chunks or thick strips. Once the oil starts to sizzle, add your peppers and cook until they start to brown/blacken. A couple minutes into cooking the peppers add your seasoning. Do not add salt because it will drain the peppers of their natural liquid.

Remove the peppers from the pan, add a drizzle more of olive oil and saute the chicken sausage. Once the sausage is browned, add back the peppers and drain the pasta and add that too. Stir thorough and serve.

Top with some grated parmesan or chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Make this without the pasta for a low-carb meal. Just add an orange pepper and have some steamed veggies on the side.

Easy Meatballs and Sauce with Rice

I have been making meatballs for years but always served them with jarred marinara sauce and pasta. The meal was delicious but way too filling and starchy. In fact, I'd almost always get sick because of the pasta! I wanted to try making a meatball dinner which was just as delicious, a little lighter and with a quick and easy homemade sauce. I like how the beef broth cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce. Also the sauce is really good with the rice and I like to dip my green beans in it.

Ingredients
1.5-2 lbs of ground beef
1/2 an onion finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves minced or put through garlic press
a small bunch of cilantro chopped (or parsley if you prefer)
1 egg
1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste 
extra light olive oil
rice

Cook rice Raquel Style.

While rice is cooking, heat up a large skillet with some extra light olive oil.

In a big bowl, add the grown beef and season with salt and pepper. Add an egg, breadcrumbs, the finely chopped onion, minced garlic and parsley. Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. If you have a husband handy, have him mush the mixture with his hands. It's fun!

When the oil starts to sizzle, start forming the meat mixture into small balls and add to the skillet. Do this in batches. I advise doing half first then the other half next. You can transfer the first batch to a plate or push them to the side.

Tip: If you want to check the seasoning of your meatball mixture, test out one very small meatball, cook it up and eat it. If it tastes good, make the rest. If not, adjust seasonings.

Cool the meatballs until they are brown on all sides. I like mine a little crispy. Don't worry if your meatballs are a little pink in the middle. They'll continue to cook in the sauce.

To the skillet add the beef broth and crushed tomato. Lower the heat so that the tomato doesn't spit everywhere!  Stir and let simmer until the rice is done and the sauce is thick.

Serve with some steamed green beans and some cilantro on top. Enjoy!


Variations:
Add some chopped chipotle en adobo (include the adobado sauce) to the tomato sauce for a smoky and spicy kick!
Replace beef broth with red wine for a very decadent flavor
Replace cilantro and onions with lots of finely chopped scallions

Chicken in a Spicy Coconut Tomato Sauce

This is a very quick low maintenance meal. Serve the chicken with a scoop of white rice and some steamed vegetables on the side. The sauce is good on everything! I made this while having a terrible migraine and I liked that it was easy and quick to make so I could sit and nurse my migraine while the sauce thickened.

Adapted from an Utilisima recipe

Chicken in a Spicy Coconut Tomato Sauce
 
Ingredients:
6-8 chicken cutlets cut into chunks
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of chopped pickled jalapeño
3 tablespoons of  tomato paste
1 13.5 oz can of Light Coconut Milk
Cilantro for garnish
salt to taste


Cook some rice Raquel-Style.

While the rice is cooking, heat up a large skillet with some extra light olive oil or canola oil. Don't use a lot or you will make the sauce greasy. If you end up with too much oil, blot some of it out with a paper towel.

Season the cut up chicken cutlets with some salt and pan sear. Once the chicken is cooked and has a nice brown sear, add the tomato paste, grated ginger and chopped pickled jalapeño. If you use fresh jalapeño, put very little unless you like your food super spicy.

Incorporate the coconut milk little bit by little, stirring all the ingredients so that the tomato paste dissolves. Bring the sauce to a bubble, then turn it down to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. You just want the sauce to thicken a bit.

Serve with some rice and top with fresh cilantro.  If you don't like cilantro (what's wrong with you?), then substitute with some parsley. You'll want something green on top as the sauce and chicken are not very pleasant to look at on its own.

Chicken in a Spicy Coconut Tomato Sauce is a delicious and easy meal which makes for a great mid-week dinner.

How to Make Tostones

Tostones are pieces of plantain that have been fried, smashed and fried again. Tostones are very commonly found in Carribean, Central American and South American cuisine and are especially popular in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic where my mother is from. To make these double fried plantains you'll need a Tostonera which is a wooden paddle with a flap and an indent in the center. 

You can find these online for very inexpensive. If you live in Eastern Massachusetts, a lot of Market Baskets carry them and place them near the plantains (the Burlington, MA Market Basket is where I got mine). If you don't want to invest in a Tostonera, just use two flat surfaces like a cutting board and the back of a small skillet to flatten the plantains.

How to Make Tostones

Cook these Tostones in batches of 2, 4 or 6. You'll fry 2 plantains at a time so it makes sense to make them in even numbers. Six will give you quite a lot!

Add 36 oz of canola or vegetable oil to a wide pot and heat. In the meantime, prepare the plantains.

First make sure you bought a plantain and not a really green banana. Plantains are have a very tough peel and a starchy smell to them. Or ask your grocer for help. Also buy plantains that are green like the one above and not ones that have ripened. Those are yellow/brown and are too sweet for Tostones but delicious for other recipes.

Cut off the top and bottom of the plantain at an angle. Discard those pieces.

The peel of a green plantain is very tough to remove. It's not at all like a banana. My trick to getting the peel off is to cut open a slit lengthwise down one side.

And then down the other.

Get your thumb underneath the peel and start coaxing it away from the plantain. Discard peel.

Cut each plantain into six even slices at a diagonal. Above there are twelve pieces from two whole plantains.

When the oil is hot, add the chunks of plantains. I do this 2 plantains at a time. You can check to see if the oil is hot enough by testing it out with one piece of plantain and see if bubbles immediately for around it. If they don't, remove the piece of plantain and test a little later.

Cook the plantain for 2-3 minutes with the oil over medium heat. If you are brave, cook for 1-2 minutes over higher heat. Once the plantain starts to become golden brown, it's time to smash!

This process has to be quick so make sure you set up everything before hand. Get some paper towels down and put the tostonera on top. Make sure you have tongs handy too. Add the plantain to the tostonera.

Close the lid and SMASH!

This is what the end result looks like. Scrape off the smashed plantain with your tongs. Be careful not to break the plantain. Then add it back to the oil. Do this to all of the plantain pieces.

Fry for a couple more minutes.

Until they are crispy and golden.

Place them hot tostones on a plate with paper towel and salt them when they are hot. Continue with the other plantains if you are making more. You can add a paper towel over one layer of tostones to add the next batch so they all stay on one plate. Serve hot!

Tostones are great with

1) Ketchup or a Remoulade

2) Tuna (I know this sounds gross but it's really good)

3) Avocado slices or Guacamole

4) served alongside Rice, Salad and Steak or Sautéed Fish.

Buen Provecho!

To Make Tostones You'll Need

36 oz of vegetable or canola oil

a wide pot

a tostonera

2, 4 or 6 plantains

a pair of tongs

paper towels

plate

Steps

1) Heat up 36 oz of oil in a wide pot over medium heat

2) Cut plantain top and bottom at an angle, discard

3) Cut a slit in the peel lengthwise on both sides

4) Coax peel away from plantain with your thumb, discard

5) Cut each plantain into 6 even slices and at a diagonal

6) Test oil with one plantain, if it sizzles it's ready

7) Fry two plantains at a time or 12 slices at a time

8) Fry 2-3 minutes or until it starts to get golden

9) Smash in tostonera and scrape off. Return to pot

10) Repeat with all of the plantain chunks

11) Fry smashed plantains until crispy and golden brown

12) Place tostones on top of plate which has been covered with paper towel

13) Salt while hot

14) Serve while hot

Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado (Beef Loin Stir-fry) is a traditional Peruvian dish with an Asian twist. It consists of Beef Tenderloin stir-fried with vegetables and in a sauce made up of vinegar, soy sauce and beef broth. It's served on top of or alongside french fries or fried potato wedges and rice. Top it off with some cilantro for a delicious meal.

Lomo Saltado is one of my husband's favorite meals to eat. Every time we go to Machu Picchu, a Peruvian Restaurant in Union Square Somerville, MA, he always orders it and there are never any leftovers. It's a great dish that never disappoints.

Beef tenderloin can get a bit pricey. I try to buy the smallest package and sometimes I'll get the beef tenderloin in Kabob chunks as the packages tend to be $8 or $9 instead of $15. To stretch the dollar I added some sliced zucchini which is not traditional in Lomo Saltado but adds something extra to make up for the loss of meat. If you are not on a budget, just add more meat to the dish.

To save time I use frozen french fries instead of making them fresh. They'll bake in the oven while you are preparing the rest of the meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups of rice, rinsed

1/2 a bag of frozen french fries

1 package of Beef Tenderloin cut into long strips
1 small onion cut into strips
1/2 green pepper cut into strips
1 or 2 plum tomato cut into strips
1 small zucchini cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of vinegar
2 tablespoons of beef broth

cilantro for garnish

Preheat your oven according to the directions for your frozen french fries.

Cook your rice Raquel style. Cook frozen french fries according to directions. If you have to take them out before your done, you can always pop them in for a couple minutes later to heat them up.

In a large skillet add some vegetable or light olive oil. Season your beef strips with salt and pepper. Once the oil starts to sizzle, add the beef strips and stir-fry until they are a little browned (no pink is showing). Add first the onions and green pepper strips as they take longer to cook. Once those start to soften then add the tomato and zucchini strips. Stir until cooked (once all the vegetables are starting to get soft).

Add the vinegar, soy sauce and beef broth to the mix. Stir and lower the heat. Let cook for a few minutes. If you are still waiting on the rice and/or fries, cover the large skillet with some foil so that all the sauce doesn't evaporate.

Serve some rice and fries on your plate. Top with the Lomo Saltado and sprinkle on some fresh cilantro.

Buen provecho!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

These pancakes are a perfect recipe for a Sunday morning brunch. Serve them up with some sausage patties and hot coffee or tea and you'll have a great meal for a chilly Autumn morning.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp of baking soda
2 tbsps of sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon (or more if you like)
1-1/2 tsps of vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups of buttermilk
1 honeycrisp apple peeled, cored and very thinly sliced

Butter for greasing the griddle

I use 1/4 cup less of flour than of buttermilk to make these pancakes super moist but still fluffy.

Heat up your griddle.

Mix dry in bowl. Then add wet ingredients (vanilla, eggs and buttermilk) and mix either by hand or with a hand mixer on low, until smooth.

Grease up the griddle with some butter. This batter makes six large pancakes so add a big scoop (about a cup) of batter to the griddle. Top with some thinly sliced honeycrisp apples. Once the batter bubbles and those bubbles start to pop, flip it over and cook it for another minute or so.

As I said, this makes 6 large pancakes which is more than enough for two people. Serve up with some scrambled eggs or sausage patties for a delicious breakfast.