Serves 2-4 This crunchy, protein-rich alternative to croutons and crackers is perfect in soups and on salads. A great way to introduce tofu to someone who has never had it and particularly wonderful in our Bakso Noodle Soup. Ingredients: 1 block super firm tofu 1/3 cup rice flour (extra as needed) vegetable oil Method: Get ready for deliciousness. Preheat vegetable oil to 365F in a small, uncovered pot. Drain off a package of tofu, preferably super firm. Slice into even cubes. I like to see how perfect I can get the cubes. We used to get tested on things like that at the Culinary Institute of America. If you like plain tofu go ahead -sneak one … you’ll still have a lot left. Next, make it snow: cover in rice flour (or you can dip them into the flour, on a plate). Either way, all six sides of the cubes should be covered with rice flour. Drop them into the oil, taking care not to crowd them. When they are done they’ll be tan and …
Read More
Serves 4 Loads of garlic, butter, and sea salt make this tuna leap for joy. Forget tuna in a can. Fresh tuna steaks are as good, if not better than salmon. Bold and intense, this recipe will transport you to the flavors of East Timor and an incredible meal, as remembered by Karen Coates of Rambling Spoon. Read Karen’s story – the inspiration for our recipe. Perfect for Valentine’s day, or any special occasion. Ingredients: 4 Tuna steaks 4 Tbsp butter 3 cloves garlic coarse sea salt Method: Timorese Grilled Tuna Steaks are perfect for special occasions and as easy to make for 1 as for 100. In my humble opinion, however, two is ideal – after all, Valentine’s day is just around the corner. Gather your ingredients. Only four are required (the sea salt is not pictured)! I love the simplicity. Crush the garlic over softened butter… Breathe in deeply. Smile. Give the mixture a stir until the garlic is thoroughly combined… At this point you have two options. 1) Smear the mixture on a tuna …
Read More
Serves 4 They might not look like much, but these kidney beans taste like a work of art! Get your sofrito on! Ingredients: 1 cup sofrito olive oil 2 cans red kidney beans 1 cup stock or water salt & pepper Method: Heat up some oil in a medium pot. Add sofrito and cook… past the point where it releases all its juices… To the point where it starts to get toasty. That is the yummy bits that will make your beans incredible. Next, add the beans. And splash in water or stock. I used stock. Simmer gently until the beans are tender and flavorful. This took about an hour for me. Season generously! Dominican Beans Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe They might not look like much, but these kidney beans taste like a work of art! Get your sofrito on! CourseSides & Salads LifestyleGluten-Free, Potluck Friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeLegumes, Miss Ava’s Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky’s Favorite Recipes, Sasha’s Favorite Recipes Servings Prep Time 4 people 10 minutes Cook …
Read More
Serves 4 I don’t know about you, but I tend to get in a rut with chicken. Growing up in Boston, my mom often just roasted a chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil, letting the natural juices and skin provide most of the flavor. This traditional Dominican recipe is a fun way to mix things up – the meat slowly absorbs the sofrito flavor, as well as hint of lemony freshness – the perfect match for chicken. Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs 4 chicken legs 1 cup sofrito (you could add 2 cups if you’d like more veggies) 1 tsp sugar vegetable oil (1-2 Tbsp) juice of 1/2 lemon (a whole lemon if it is dry) 2 Tbsp tomato paste 3/4 cup stock or water Method: Add the chicken to a large bowl. Toss with sofrito… … and lemon juice. Let marinate about 30 minutes (overnight is fine, too) Meanwhile, stir together the stock and the tomato paste. When ready to cook, heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sugar and the …
Read More
Makes about 5 cups Are you haggard in the kitchen? Overwhelmed at the thought of cutting up a bunch of fresh vegetables on a week night, but aware that – if you don’t – dinner is going to be b.l.a.n.d.? Dominican Sofrito (also known as Sazon) is your answer. Make a batch once or twice a week and you’ll have a great, healthy seasoning base that will amp up any dish. NOTE: In the Dominican Republic, sofrito can be made any number of ways. At the lovely web site Dominican Cooking you will find three examples that are completely different from each other (one even has radishes in it!). The moral? No Sofrito is better than your sofrito – make it the way you like it! Here’s the way I did it… Ingredients: 1 green pepper, cut in large chunks 1 red pepper, cut in large chunks 1 red onion, cut in large chunks 3 green onions, sliced 2 tomatillo, quartered 2 roma tomatoes, quartered 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped 1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped …
Read More
Makes a quart Want a smoothie, but tired of all the “normal” options? Try this Domincan treat – a tantalizing blend of grapefruit juice and creamy avocado. The “ice” green color will have you cooled off in no time. (Thanks to the Facebook Fans who voted for this recipe) Ingredients: 3 avocados 2 1/2 cups grapefruit juice 1/2 cup sugar water (or extra grapefruit juice) for thinning to desired consistency Method: Take yourself to that special place, where the sun is shiny (shiny is one degree better than shining), the air is warm, and avocados are perfectly ripe and creamy. Now, wait a day. On this day the sun might or might not be shiny, but your avocados are really, really soft. Which is exactly what we need for this smoothie. See? Toss them in a blender (after removing the pits and the skins, of course). Splash on the grapefruit juice. Avalanche some sugar on top. You might need more than me if you have a big sweet tooth. You might need less, if you like things …
Read More
Makes 8 legs – Serves 2 What you are about to see is really, really strange. Some of you might be bothered by it. But, I promise, if you stay by my side, we’ll get past all the strangeness and enter the amazing world of deep fried food. And, let’s be honest, it’s hard to go wrong with deep fried food. Ingredients: 8 frog legs (4 pair) For the coating: milk 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp ground thyme 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Method: First, fill a pot half way with vegetable oil and bring to 335F. Then, set out a shallow bowl of milk. In a second shallow bowl, mix together the flour, ground thyme, salt, and pepper. Oh, and put on some sunglasses. I forgot to put a censor over these froggy legs. They make me blush. Thankfully, rolling them around in flour helps with the awkwardness. I feel much better. Don’t you? Deep fry at 335F until golden brown. Even better – no need for a censor here… Drain on a …
Read More
Makes 8 These biscuits don’t need butter and jelly. They don’t need gravy. Just eat them straight up, with a smile. Crispy and golden, they get their color from a boiling oil bath. Great for plunking into soups and stews, or alongside rice and beans. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup milk (a few drops more, if needed) 1/4 inch oil Method: Are you wearing a black shirt? You might want to switch it for a white one – this could get a little messy. First of all, there’s going to be white powder flying around everywhere when you whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Unless you choose a big enough bowl. After whisking furiously, add a lump of butter. There’s nothing better than a lump of butter. Unless you get grease stains on your shirt. Then, I suppose it won’t matter what color it is. Use a pastry cutter or fork to break the butter up …
Read More
Serves 4-6 Callaloo, a luscious green stew made all over the Caribbean, is one of *those* recipes. It’s like chili in the US; everyone lays claim to having the “best” version. And every version was made by someone’s mama, so you best not mess with it. This version is made by Ava’s mamma – me. But.. unlike those other recipes, feel free to mess with mine. After all, I’m a novice Callaloo maker and still have a lot to learn. Given the limitations of supplies around these parts, I went ahead and made a few substitutions, all clearly noted. Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 4 green onions, sliced vegetable oil ham bone (salted pig tails are traditional, but I had a bone leftover from my Christmas ham) 1 lb baby spinach (use dasheen/taro leaves, if you can find them) 1 can coconut milk 1 coconut can of water 1/2 lb okra 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (about a sprig) 1/2 lb lump crabmeat (whole crab is traditional) Method: Add coconut milk …
Read More
Serves 4 Suffering from 1 digit weather? Ice, snow, and rain? What about sleet? Let’s warm things up with Skoudehkaris. Known as the national dish of Djibouti, this heavy stew is a spicy, comforting treat. The bonus? It’ll make your house smell amazing. Ingredients: 1 lb lamb, cubed 1 onion, chopped 1-2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cloves 1 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup water, plus extra as needed 1/2 cup long-grain rice salt & pepper Method: Put on your beret – today you are going to be an artist, painting flavor with spices. (Trust me, the beret is totally appropriate: Djibouti has been heavily influenced by France – it was French ruled until 1977) So.. like I said, get out your beret. Here is your palette… the warm colors of cumin, cloves, cardamom, cayenne, and cinnamon. Heat it up in a large pot or skillet with lid with ghee (or oil) and onions. Cook until soft …
Read More
Serves 4 Have ten minutes? Mix up a batch of Laxoox for breakfast tomorrow. This yeasty, tiny-bit-tangy flatbread is a lot like Injera. The people of Djibouti enjoy Laxoox for breakfast with butter and honey. In the evenings they use it to dip and scoop and enjoy all manner of stews and sauces. Sounds great to me. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup wheat flour 1/4 cup millet flour (aacceptable substitutes include rice flour or sorghum flour) 1 1/2 tsp yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 1/2 cups water Method: Let’s go to Djibouti. First step? Add flour to a large bowl. Sprinkle on the yeast… A pretty dusting of sugar… .. and a happy scoop of salt.. If you squint a little, it almost looks like the arid mountains and sandy-scapes of Djibouti … yay! Now, here’s where things get crazy. Splash on some water. Give everything a good whisk. Cover and … a) refrigerate overnight b) let sit on the counter for a few hours It is ready when it looks …
Read More
