#33 BLT wraps

This is an easy, quick and yummy alternative to the classic BLT. It was going to just be a salad, but why not throw some tortillas around it and make it a wrap? And this one will be wrapped again, it was pretty tasty.

BLT Wraps

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried and shredded

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup craisins

2 cups seasoned croutons

Directions:

1. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat, turning frequently, until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.

2. In a blender, combine mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Season the dressing with salt.

3. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, craisins and croutons in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing and serve immediately with tortillas.

Buen Provecho!

#32 Lomo Saltado

Another Peruvian dish graced the table this week. It's funny and slightly embarrassing to think that I once thought that Latin American food was all the same. Peruvian cuisine really does have a different taste than Argentinian or Mexican food. And this week's dish was another delight and a very typical Peruvian meal. Enjoy!

Lomo Saltado

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, sliced into strips

1 pound steak, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, sliced into strips

3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and sliced into strips

1 yellow chili pepper

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 dash soy sauce to taste

2 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Make french fries by frying the potatoes in olive oil and salt in a small skillet.

2. While the french fries are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the sliced meat with salt and pepper to taste. Fry the meat until just cooked, and the juices begin to release. Remove the meat from the frying pan, then cook the onions, with additional oil if needed, until they are transparent. Stir in the tomato and yellow pepper; cook until the tomato softens. Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce, add the french fries, cover and cook until the beef is done, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

Buen Provecho!

#31 Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Craisin Rice

Today I wanted to spice up the same ingredients I always have on hand: chicken and rice. So I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of these 2 flavors and really enjoyed the new meal with a side of steamed broccoli.

Craisin Rice

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. olive oil

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup craisins

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. ground turmeric

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, saute the chopped onion. Add turmeric and craisins. Add cooked rice salt. Mix well. Salt and pepper to your liking.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

3 tbsps. olive oil

4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. lime juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken pieces in the hot oil until browned on all sides. Add the garlic, and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cook just until heated through. Serve with the rice.

Buen Provecho!

#30 Made-with-Love Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Pasta and Salad on the side

As a little girl, I was convinced that the reason my parents liked so many different foods, which at the time were "gross" to me, is because their taste buds had simply died. The idea of someone enjoying a cooked onion or eating a sauce that contained sour cream or swallowing food that touched another food on the plate was outrageous to me. Therefore, mom and dad no longer had taste buds.

It turns out that my taste buds seem to be "dying" as well or just accepting new and yummy flavors never once tried as an eight-year old. And though I can still be picky at times when it comes to eating, I now eat a much wider variety of dishes. The one delicacy I still can't embrace is shrimp. But I have learned that Walter loves shrimp and orders it at every possible moment while eating out. With that in mind, and wanting to try something new this week,

I went out on a limb and made pasta with the one thing I avoid at all costs: shrimp.

This meal involved a special trip to the seafood man at the grocery store. I held my breath (seafood smells disgusting) and managed to get the man's attention (he was slicing an octopus while listening to loud Mexican folk music) and was able to point with a smile at the smallest little shrimp bodies I have ever seen. The man, sensing my inexperience, inquired about my purchase and made sure I was buying the right little shrimpers. I insured him that I had a recipe waiting at home and knew what I was doing. After fooling the happy seafood man, I walked out that door and headed home.

I had a feeling I wouldn't like this meal, so I made sure to make a hearty salad on the side with a delicious homemade dressing recipe given to me from my cousin Mallory - thanks Mal! As it turns out, shrimp pasta was not so bad. (I just swallowed the shrimp whole to avoid any sort of texture disturbance while in my mouth.) And Walter would even say that he LOVED this meal and would be content adding it to the weekly menu. While he had second helpings of shrimp pasta, I was on thirds of the salad. What can I say....love makes you do crazy things. So take it or leave it folks, it's all up to you.

Shrimp Lemon-Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped green/red peppers

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 diced tomato

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1 lemon

salt to taste

2 tsps fresly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup butter

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 9-13 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Add chopped red and green peppers, mushrooms and diced tomatoes. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, a

nd simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.

3. Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked pasta and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

Side Salad with Light Dressing

1. Mix whatever vegetables and toppings you have on hand. I used lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, cheese, craisins, walnuts and salt/pepper.

2. Create your dressing by mixing a 1-1-1 ratio of olive oil - lime juice - honey and pour over the salad.

Buen Provecho!

• 
  

#29 Make-Ahead Moroccan Stew

Once upon a time I rode a camel. For real. My family and I took a boat to Morocco from the southern tip of Spain and spent a crazy day following a frenzied tour guide around Tangier, which included a 30-second ride on a stationary camel. The entire day was somewhat of a blitzed experience with hardly a clear memory, though I do remember my mom complaining about the Persian rug salesman who kept following her around the store. The funny part is that she forgot most of the salesmen in the busy city spoke English as well as French, Spanish, Arabic and Italian so the annoying salesman not only understood my mom, but firmly told her, "Ma'am, I am NOT following you."

While that makes all of us laugh as we remember it to this day, likewise, my taste buds still remember the the rich flavors we sampled that day. There is something about Moroccan spices that fill a room and make mouths water with a single whiff. And not only did this meal rate 5 stars, the best part is that it is easily frozen for another meal later. (This makes enough for 6-8 servings, so be prepared to have people over or to freeze half the stew for a later date.)

Make-Ahead Moroccan Stew

(http://allrecipes.com/recipe/make-ahead-vegetarian-moroccan-stew/detail.aspx)

Ingredients:

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/8 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cups finely shredded kale (cabbage)

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tomato, diced

1 tbsp honey

4 large carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 cup craisins

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tsp ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, curry powder and salt in a large bowl, reserve.

2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until soft and just beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded kale and reserved spice mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until kale begins wilt and spices are fragnant.

3. Pour the broth into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, potatoes, garbanzo beans, craisins, and lentils. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.

4. Simmer stew for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked and tender. Season with black pepper to taste.

Make Ahead Tip:

If making ahead or freezing, prepare stew through Step 3. Simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat; remove from heat and cool in the pot or in freezer-safe container. Transfer to the fridge (store for up to 3 days) or freezer. The vegetables store better if not fully-cooked prior to refrigeration or freezing. When ready to eat, (if frozen) thaw in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, the pour stew into a pot, bring just to a boil and simmer until heated through.

Buen Provecho!

#28 Uncle Paul's Gelatin Poke Cake

Fourth of July brings a lot of good food and people we love together as the entire family reunites at the lake for the weekend. This year was extra special for me as I brought home my novio to meet the family. Not only did he love all the friendly faces, he couldn't get enough of all the new food and colorful tastes of Minnesota.

Specifically, he couldn't stop talking about my uncle Paul's jello poke cake. Paul is a talented chef, and he gets complete credit for this one. So if you're needing a sweet, light, simple and vanilla cake, go ahead and give this one a go. Or if you're not feeling up to making it, I still have half a cake in my fridge. Come on over before Walter gets to the rest of it.

Uncle Paul's Gelatin Poke Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg white cake mix (I used vanilla)

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg (3 oz) Jell-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed (I used real whipped cream)

Directions:

Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package (9 x 13 inch pan). Cool cake in pan 15 minutes. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2 inch intervals.

Add boiling water to gelatin and mix in small bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Frost cake with Cool Whip, refrigerate 1 hour.

This is also a perfect cake to top with strawberries or blueberries as my uncle Paul always uses to make an American Flag on top for the 4th.

Buen Provecho!