Mixed Ceviche (without Onions)

05/13/2013 4 Comments

We love ceviche just about every way. This past spring we enjoyed some variations with juices and coconut milk  in Bogotá, Colombia. In my opinion, Colombia has some of the tastiest ceviche.

Ours today has three different seafood in it, for taste and texture. We chose to leave the onions out of this dish this time, and we did not miss them, actually.

It is very important to get enough lime juice and the proper balance of spices. I am not a big fan of adding spices in which the dish is marinating, rather we prefer to sprinkle cayenne and some turmeric over it. Mix it well and cover it and place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, stirring it every 20 minutes. We always make a little extra for a snack or lunch the next day.

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Today’s ingredients:

  • 4 large diver scallops (cut into very small chunks)
  •  2 cups of tiny bay shrimp
  • 1.5 pounds of Tilapia filet (cut into strips and then chunk into small squares
  • 1/2 – 1 cup of freshly pressed lime juice
  • 1 great bell pepper, diced
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 – 6 cilantro peppers, diced seeds in
  • a little sea salt to taste
  • some fresh ground black pepper
  • sprinkle of cayenne and turmeric – for finishing
  • drizzle of olive oil, also for finishing

Note:  if your seafood is frozen, please allow to thaw naturally, not in the microwave.

Take a large serving bowl and add diced veggies and seafood. Mix well, add some salt and pepper and continue to fold in well. Add lime juice and once again mix well. Let your food sit for a minute or two and stir again, repeat this a few more times before it’s covered and chilled. The extra mixing allows for the lime juice to cook the seafood evenly, and tt will make all the difference in taste.

As you can see we served ours with some Yucca. Enjoy this dish this summer, it’s easy and it’s refreshing.

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Strawberries with Goat cheese wrapped in Pancetta

02/19/2013 4 Comments

What a lovely dish this is. I like to serve this as an appetizer with some crisp perfectly chilled white wine. You can prep this ahead of time and then roast/saute them in a hot pan. The Pancetta will provide you with just enough fat to get these guys perfectly browned each side.

This is so easy to make and it will make your dinner guests and friends smile!

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Here’s what you will need.

  • 1/4 lb of Pancetta
  • A bowl of large strawberries, the kind you’s buy for making chocolate covered ones
  • 1/2 small wedge of goat cheese
  • toothpicks

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Cut the strawberries in half, and scoop out the middle with a small sharp knife like a V.  Cut and place a small piece of goat cheese inside the strawberry. Carefully wrap the strawberry with goat cheese in the Pancetta securing it with a toothpick and place it into a hot pan. Keep rotating until they are golden brown and tiny bit crusty. You will love these!

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Crab Cakes

01/07/2013 3 Comments

We can never eat crab cakes because of the breading, but I love them. We haven’t eaten one in years, but recently, amazing Chef, Abbie accommodated me by making me gluten-free crab cakes. Thank you Chef Abbie! She has a wonderful restaurant in tucked away, but worthwhile to visit Cottonwood, AZ. We took a quick drive up to see our family that was visiting the Grand Canyon, and on the way down we met for a most wonderful day ending at Abbie’s. Our cousin, Rick Schwartz radio personality, treated us that night – thank you so much and it was so great to see you!! Next time we’ll see you in Moab. :-)  Catch his show sometime.

Needless to say that night inspired me to come up with my own gluten-free crab cakes, and OMG, these are really good. Why did I not make these sooner?

crab cakes

Ingredients:

  • 240 grams of “real” crab meat (if you used canned, be sure to drain it very well)
  • 1 tsp of organic dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp of Manioc flour (coarse, you’ll find this in the Asian market, we prefer Goya)
  • 1 egg
  • pinch of sea salt, I used pink Himalayan
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • tiny pinch of ground Coriander
  • pinch of ground Cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Curry powder (Indian)
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar

Whisk the egg first till a little frothy, then add all other ingredients. Whisking it all very well, and then blending it in to the crab meat ensuring that all ingredients mix seamlessly with the crab. With a tablespoon spoon out a perfect little pile with which you’ll make a little medallions. You could make these into two or four cakes, but in this recipe, we’re featuring these as an amazing appetizer. You decide.

Chill these medallions for an hour and then get a pan hot with ghee and cook them for about 5 – 7 minutes depending on your pan and stove.

These are really good, you should give these a try – you’ll be sure to amaze your dinner guests, or surprise your spouse for a weekend afternoon goody with some of your favorite white wine.

Love to eat – Love life!

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Cranberry Sauce

11/22/2012 2 Comments

I have tasted many cranberry sauces and most of them are delicious, but usually too sweet for our taste. Try ours, you’ll be sure to like the well balanced tastes and it partners well with a variety of proteins aside from Turkey. Our recipe will yield 4 jars of sauce. We always make extra as it’s great to have around. The antioxidants and health benefits of cranberries are fabulous, and the palm sugar’s low glycemic index rating make this a superfood in our book.

For reading more about the health benefits of cranberries, visit The Cranberry Institute.

Ingredients:

  • 4 – 8 ounce bags of fresh organic cranberries
  • 1 ruby-red grapefruit (juice only)
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Turkish apricots (without sulfites)
  • heaping teaspoon of whole cloves
  • teaspoon of ground cinnamon, you can add a bit more if you like…your taste buds
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup palm sugar (I used a little less, try to taste)
  • water

It is easy to make your own, you can play with variations, such as apples, or pear, cherries, blueberries whatever you want. That’s what makes cooking fun.

But for our recipe take out a large pan and cover cranberries with just enough water, so that they are covered, add cloves and bring to a boil. Soon you will hear them begin to pop, you want this, but cover your pan with a mesh cover or you’ll have sticky spots to clean up. Once they have nearly all popped, add all other ingredients stir, turn off and cover. Let the it sit for 10 minutes or so and then bring to another boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring sometimes. Turn it back off and cover it – let stand for an hour or so. We like the cranberries, so I usually don’t puree it, but you could. I use a potato masher to make it a bit more smooth, but overall I leave them.

Enjoy with your Thanksgiving meal or with one of our lamb or pork dishes, duck works too!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your friends and family!

Nutty Kitchen

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Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

11/05/2012 2 Comments

It’s about time that we share our fresh spring rolls with you. Our favorite version is this one, clean, fresh and delicious, perfectly suitable for lunch or an appetizer.

The beauty about making your own spring rolls is that you can pretty much chose any ingredients that you like and enjoy, as long as they are fresh. Celebrate fresh ingredients whenever you can!

Here are our ingredients for our fresh rolls:

  • get a package of rice paper for spring rolls (you will have a lot left over for next time)
  • baby arugula
  • basil (remove all large stems)
  • mint (leaves only)
  • organic pea sprouts
  • 1/2 large English cucumber, Julienne
  • 1 Manila mango, Julienne
  •  1 – 2 inches of fresh minced ginger
  • 1 pound of cooked shrimp, remove tail and slice shrimp in half (as if you were to butterfly them, but cut through all the way)

Grab a pie pan and fill 1/2 way with warm water, soak one rice paper sheet at a time for about 10 seconds, remove very carefully with both hands and place onto your working surface. Place 2 – 3 basil leaves in the middle first, then place some arugula, a couple of mint leaves, some pea sprouts, few slices of mango and cucumber, sprinkle a little ginger and place 4 – 5 shrimp halves down the middle. Very carefully fold ends in first and then roll (if you are right handed, right to left rolling it tightly and slowly.  The first couple might be sort of a disaster, but those can be a snack while making the food. :-) Don’t worry, they will get tighter and perfect as you do them.

Place them whole on a sheet or plate and cover them with a wet paper towel. I have a water spray bottle near by to spray the towels to keep them moist. Once you are ready to serve them, you should cut them in half diagonally.

Henry made this amazing dipping sauce:  ..mix really well the following…

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4 Thai chilis, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
  • some fresh cracked pepper

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Harvest Pomegranate Chutney

10/23/2012 2 Comments

Thank you all for being patient – we have been burning the candle at both ends; thus the tardy post. I began my Yoga Teacher Training and you can follow my journal here.

We made this chutney a few weeks ago in anticipation of fall, and have made it a few times since. It really is very easy to make and quite tasty.

Some major qualities of this tasty fruit are:

  • Antioxidant power house
  • Helps to prevent Osteoarthritis
  • Helps to promote heart health
  • It’s known to lower blood pressure
  • It has cancer fighting agents
  • It’s great for your gum and teeth health
  • It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Folate, and a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K

Here are the lovely fresh ingredients:

  • 2 Large Pomegranates, seeds only
  • 1 bunch of fresh green onions, chopped
  • sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 3 Thai chiles chopped
  • 1/2 inch fresh turmeric, peeled and minced, (
  • 1 inch minced fresh ginger
  • 1 large lime, juice only
  • 1 tbsp coconut vinegar

Fold all ingredients together and chill for about an hour or two in the refrigerator. We love pairing this with pork, especially pork chops. It’s refreshing and light; this also works well with fatty white fish and lamb.

What is your favorite protein combo?  We are going to try this with our turkey this Thanksgiving.

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Sauteed Beef Kidneys

07/30/2012 2 Comments

We haven’t posted any offal lately, but could not resist sharing this with you. We got our whole steer not to long ago from our favorite local ranch, Date Creek Ranch. Always make sure that you eat grass-fed, and know where your meat is coming from.

Why should you eat kidney? Kidney is a good source of Protein, Vitamin C and Zinc, and a great source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Phosphorus, Copper and Selenium.

Here is what you will need and how to go about making it. Serves 4, unless you are Jo and Henry then it’s for two. :-)

Ingredients:

  • 2 whole beef kidneys
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 large yellow or white onions, sliced
  • 3 – 6 red dried Thai chilis, whole
  • 2 – 3 Anaheim pepper, sliced
  • 1 – 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • pinch of sea salt, to taste
  • fresh cracked rainbow pepper, to taste
  • pinch of caraway seeds
  • pinch of marjoram, rub between palms to activate herb

The beef kidney has a very thick white cord connecting the various nodes of the organ. Ensure that you use a very well sharpened knife, I like a boning knife. Try to get all the white cording out, this is a time-consuming task, so know that going in and take your time with it, it’s actually really interesting.

Whole kidney with cord in tact

Kidney with carefully removed cord

Next it is very important to soak the kidney in a bath of 1/3 vinegar (we use coconut vinegar) and 2/3 parts water. Soaking is important to ensure that there is no smell or taste of urine. If the kidney is not cleaned properly there is a chance that your dish might be ruined – IF you don’t soak for about 20 minutes. Rinse very well and set aside.

Kidney soaking in vinegar/water bath

In a large wok or saute pan, brown onions in 1/4 cup of coconut oil, once they are glossy add peppers and all other ingredients, except for the kidney – this goes in last, as kidney cooks as quickly as liver does.

While your onions and veggies are sautéing on medium heat, begin to slice your kidney into thin slices.

Sliced kidney

Once your veggies are caramel in color and beautifully glossy, add kidney and stir well, up your heat to almost high and cook for 2 – 4 minutes, only.

Cooking kidney – almost done

Cook until you see almost no pink; it will continue to cook in the pan even after you turn off the stove. It’s crucial not to overcook your kidney.

Serve and enjoy!

Beef Kidney! We served it with sweet potato hash.

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Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)

07/03/2012 1 Comment

We love Thai food and find it so complimentary to our beliefs and lifestyle. This is a staple in our house, which we love to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Give this a whirl and let us know what you think.

Ingredients for Soup

  • 2 lbs of organic skinless chicken thigh meat, cubed; if you prefer you can substitute 1 lb of shrimp & 1 lb of scallops
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 3 cups of fresh sliced mushrooms, white or brown, really your choice
  • 1 – 3 tbsp fish sauce, start with one tbsp at a time and taste, add more as your taste buds build
  • 2 -3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, wash well, peel outside layer off, chop very fine, or leave in large chunks your choice
  • 1 small onion or 1/2 of a large one, sliced
  • 1 heaping tsp coriander seeds, whole
  • 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro
  • 4 – 6 Thai chili peppers, chopped (we like it hot, but you can make it as spicy as you like)
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock, make your own if possible, we also use some of our bone broth if we are out of chicken
  • 1 – 2 pinches of salt (you can always add more later to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar (we buy ours from the Asian market)
  • 1 – 2 inch piece of galanga root, cut into small pieces (ginger is in the same family, tastes differently, but is a great substitute and will not ruin this dish; try the Asian market for galanga root, it’s tough to find)
  • 3 – 5 kaffir lime leaves, chopped up, if you don’t have any, use some fresh lime zest, it will be delicious
  • 1/2 lime’s juice
  • fresh cracked pepper, we like rainbow pepper to taste

Preparation

Add all ingredients except for protein and fresh cilantro into a soup pot, bring to a boil and cook on medium – low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, add protein and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer/low and cover for 5 – 7 minutes.  Add fresh cilantro and lime on the side.  Love and enjoy this soup for breakfast, lunch or dinner; it’s so good. Jo & Henry

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Coconut Flour Dusted Calamari

05/21/2012 3 Comments

It’s almost summer her in Arizona, and we are looking for lighter, but satisfying lunches like this great tasting coconut flour dusted calamari.

Server this with some of your favorite light white wine, we prefer Arizona Stronghold Tazi as a pairing.

This is so easy to make and will make you and everyone happy!

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The best part of this dish is that you can improvise as you see fit to make it work.

  • we made about 15 tentacles, but you can make tentacles and body if you like
  • in a mixing bowl, add:
    • 1/2 cup of coconut flour
    • sea salt to taste
    • fresh cracked pepper to taste
    • 1/8 cup of fresh finely chopped cilantro
    • pinch of cayenne (0nly for the brave)
  • get 1 cup of coconut oil and heat to medium in a wok type pan, heat to high, but be careful when emerging the calamari, they will spit oil, cover with a spatter catcher
  • 1/2 lemon juice for the end to sprinkle

Add all ingredients together in a bowl and stir well, fold calamari in and shake off well before frying it – be careful not to get too much coconut flour into oil, as it will make then soggy NOT crispy.  Slow fry better, always!!!

Enjoy and live well! Jo n Henry

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Cabbage Roulades with Sauerkraut

04/30/2012 3 Comments

This is a dish the I grew up with in Austria that my mom used to make for me all the time.  She learned this dish from my Croatian grandmother, and it is a fantastically balanced and the acid is perfect.  This is a childhood favorite for me that has remained in the top dishes for me. Cook this dish ahead for dinner guests and amaze them.

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Mom, Vielen Dank und ich Liebe und Vermisse Dich!

Ingredients for the Roulades:

  • 1 large head of fresh green cabbage
  • 3 lbs grass-fed ground beef
  • 1/4 cup of organic sweet rice (we used Haitai) *** Precook the rice
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp of caraway seed
  • 1/2 tsp of marjoram (activate by rubbing the herb between your palms)
  • 1 pinch of cardamom seeds

Ingredients for Sauerkraut:

  • 2 lbs of sauerkraut, wash very well otherwise it will be too sour
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 thick slices of bacon, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of coconut oil

Preparation for Roulades:

Heat salted water in a large pot to boil. Cut the stem of the cabbage head out, keep the leaves; so carefully cut out the stem…. place head of cabbage into boiling water and boil until you see the leave becoming softer and a little translucent. Now carefully peel one leaf after the other off and place to the side.

While your water is boiling, mix all ingredients above (not the cabbage head) well, and let it rest.

Use the same large pot for the sauerkraut: On medium-high heat coconut oil and chopped bacon until slightly roasted and sliced onion. Sautee until nicely wilted and glossy. Now add the washed and well-drained sauerkraut and stir well, reduce heat to low.

Take one cabbage leaf at a time and fill it with an egg size meat mixture. Here is how to roll it: Start with the thicker side of the leaf and fold over once, then fold in the left and right sides and roll it to the end of the leaf and secure with a toothpick. Place one after the other into the sauerkraut. Cover each Roulade with sauerkraut and alternate. Bring to a boil one more time, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.

…and now, just enjoy!

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