Acorn Squash Soup With Pesto Bread

Acorn Squash Soup With Pesto Bread

Roasted Garlic
Sun Dried Tomato
Water
Baked Acorn Squash & Mash
S&P
Chipotle for the Kick
Almond Milk
Whip Whip Whip
Check For Consistency You Desire

Spread Pesto On Flat Bread
Bake Slightly To Retain Softness

Eat & Enjoy!!

chix salad

chix salad

chopped roasted chicken

pignoli

raisins

cranberry

sun dried tomato

pear

mayo

dijon

lime juice

hot pepper jelly

s&p

let it merry merry & spread!

Three Bean Chili Bowl With A Kick

Three Bean Chili Bowl With A Kick

evo

garlic

onion

sweet peppers

green beans

pink beans

black beans

crushed tomatoes

water

quinoa

sweet potato mash

squash mash

chipotle in adobo

s&p

grated sharp cheddar

accompany with bread 

flat bread + toppings

flat bread + toppings

flat bread + toppings

whole wheat flatbread

rubbed truffle oil

goat cheese

hot pepper jelly

shaved pear

sopressata

baked then topped with

baby green salad

drizzled with aged balsamico

cracked peppercorn

avocado melt with manchego & tomato chunks

avocado melt with manchego & tomato chunks

avocado halves

stuffed with tomato chunks

manchego cheese

sprinkled with red pepper flakes

burrito with a kick

burrito with a kick

flour tortilla

chipotle in adobo paste

sautéed spinach

roasted mini sweet peppers

quinoa with corn & red beans

greek feta 

i think this creation was made back in the early summer of 2013

salmon haricots verts potatoes pears

salmon haricots verts potatoes pears

since i'm clearing up space on my desktop & phone, 

might as well upload these images before they get stored externally.

on this plate, i was more inspired from the pears 

then the rest followed.

roasted pears 

with honey drizzle, 

sprinkled with red pepper flakes

baked lightly buttered haricots verts

boiled tricolored potatoes

blackened salmon filet

late night pizza inspired snack

late night snack

I was just out to see my dear friend Juliana stopping over from Colorado & headed to the west coast in a couple of days.  Otto's Shrunken Head was not allowing me to withdraw from the cash machine & I was getting hungry from the few beers I've chugged.

Of course along E 14th there are a few places to chow but none of them excited me so I headed back home and created my own snack.

First layer on a flour tortilla is

grated Manchego cheese

next layer of tortilla is

slather of pesto

topped with Salame slices

baked 'til crisp

drizzled with Chipotle Maple Balsamico Sauce (My own concoction!)

sprinkle of chopped baby celery stalks with leaves

cut & eat

stuffed cabbage

I must say that AGAC'S generous bounty has been a challenge.  AGAC being Alanna Grace Anderson Campbell.  Yes, that's her cabbage from the FarmShare.  Thank you again AGAC!!

Here are the ingredients:

ground chuck

egg

rock sea salt

black pepper

shredded carrots

diced baby celery

chopped parsley

sage

soy sauce

worcestershire

honey

accompanied with

quinoa

The Alanna

A long time World Cup & neighbor awesome friend gave me her FarmShare loot since she was out of town so I picked it up from the next block and I got inspired on making a special dish and I named it "The Alanna"

For the base

Buttered Mashed Red & White Potatoes with Fresh Sage

Followed by

Roasted Sweet Corn & Pasilla Pepper 

Tomato Cilantro Baby Celery & Lime Salsa

Topped with

Broiled Shrimps Old Bay Shrimps

Surrounded with dots of

El Yucateco Habañero Sauce

yogurt bleu

wing dip

World Cup 2014 is in full bloom and bar foods are the cravings especially the good ol' Buffalo Wings!!  Be it the original flavour or otherwise, the key is to have a good dippin' sauce.

greek yogurt

rock sea salt

black pepper

cucumber

oregano

bleu cheese lots of it!

Barra Energia Para Caroline Bionico

In the middle of a World Cup match, URU v ENG 1-1, Final 2-1 URU

I name this energy bar BIONIC CAROLINE for a dearest who just had her Tommy John surgery 

Here's what's in it:

1 cup pecans

1 cup almonds

1 cup pistachios 

4 cups oats

3 cup protein powder

2 teaspoon rock salt

1 teaspoon guarana

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup raisins

3/4 cup dried blueberries 

1/2 cup hemp seeds

2 cups black coffee

1 cup raw honey

1 cup organic peanut butter

simple carrot celery cream cheese

simple churned carrot celery cream cheese

it's always fun to think of what to do with bulk buying so expect to see other flavored cream cheese..

say cheeeeeese!!

not your ordinary nachos

summertime is nachos time

out of a frustrating experience at the 79th street boat basin cafe over memorial day, i've decided to create something which has quality yet a healthy alternative.. definitely not your ordinary nachos!

MULTI-GRAIN TORTILLA CHIPS

QUINOA WITH JULIENNE OF CARROTS & YELLOW PEPPERS

& BLACK BEANS

TUNA

FRESHLY GRATED EXTRA SHARP CHEDDAR

LAYERED THREE STORIES HIGH

TOPPED WITH YOGURT CUCUMBER GARLIC SAUCE

kielbasa sandwich

Sometimes, simple is best.

Okay, to some, this may even be complex but hey..

bread

cheese

meat

sauce

Start with homemade bread.

Lightly toasted with melted Extra Sharp Cheddar.

Homemade Honey Mustard.

Kielbasa from an authentic Polish shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn called POLSKI MEAT MARKET on Manhattan Ave. which I stumbled upon last December with my Polish friends.  Ask for MARZENA as there are at least 4 different types of kielbasa all made fresh in their kitchen by.. of course Polish folks :)

nothing like homemade bread

Yep!  Nothing like homemade bread!!

As I bake more and more, I realize that there are a lot of subtleties involved in baking.  Mistakes will happen and when you turn them into happy accidents, then that's the time magic occurs.

I was sticking to making just focaccia (see previous post & sorry for the yellowish photo) but when I put too much salt, I basically just doubled every ingredient and came up with extra dough.  Hmmm.. what to do what to make?

Shape it to your heart's desire.

There's nothing like eating something that you've made from scratch.. or grown for that matter!!

Focaccia with Oven Dried Tomatoes & Rosemary

The Trick with Focaccia

You can't be too serious in baking them 

and you can't be too hard on kneading the dough!

Since there are so many variations & formulas out there, 

I suggest you peruse the net 

for what suits your appetite and mood.

Have Fun..  Cheers!!

Chix Stock Sweet Corn Spinach Soup

Chix Stock Sweet Corn Spinach Soup

BASE:

organic chicken stock

golden sweet corn

fresh spinach leaves

rock sea salt

heat to boil then simmer

purée

ADD:

fresh garlic clove

gunpowder #10 

(substitute cayenne or pepper flakes)

purée

SIDE:

toasted flour tortilla crisp

black bean spread

A long winter to remember.. 

Feeling the sniffles & soar throat a couple of nights before and working on the set of THE LEFTOVERS (WBtv), early in the morning yesterday, I needed to restore my system with some clean burning food that will also "kill" the bug.  Out with the garlic and my heavy duty hot pepper mix which I lovingly call Gunpowder #10.

BLACK BEAN SPREAD:

black beans

extra virgin olive oil

rock sea salt

black pepper

garlic

lime juice

pork loin top loin roast

4.93 pounder

marinated in 

extra virgin olive oil

rosemary

sea salt & black pepper

roasted with

figs

raisins

carrots

celery

&

onions

veggie broth

bay leaves

black peppercorns

this dish sided with (not shown)

rosemary roasted medley mini potatoes

&

roasted brussel sprouts

Thin Crust Pizza

Loosely speaking that is.. Any flour tortilla will do.. Toast to let it crunch a bit.  Add some red sauce, dab some pesto, add slices of red pepper, grate some Manchego cheese and in goes to the oven again until the edges are brownish & the ingredients are shiny!

ps.  the colors on this photo maybe over saturated a bit, but hey.. it's delish!! :)

nor'easter thu 13 feb 2014..

Energy Balls

coconut

pecan

almonds

cranberry

 pistachios 

blueberry

hemp hearts 

plum

chia seeds 

protein powder 

peanut butter 

rock sea salt 

maple syrup 

coffee

&

coated with oats