MY BBQ BABY LAMB CHOPS, with BLACK BEANS SALAD, PAN ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS and SWEET POTATO2/28/2019  This is a small feast friends. The baby lamb chops are so tender and when you BBQ them with a simple seasoning, the flavor is elevated to a high level. Not to mention the cost per serving, ridiculous! Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes Approximate Cost: $22.94 or $7.65 per serving Difficulty Level: ________ Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 3 Ingredients for the BBQ lamb Chops 7 Baby lamb chops ($11.97) 1 tbsp. olive oil (.45) Lemon salt and pepper (.10) Ingredients for the Veggies 2 med-size sweet potatoes peeled and cubed. ($1.15) 2 c. Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and sliced ($2.33) 1 tsp. olive oil (.35) Ingredients for the Salad 1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed (.99) 1 ½ c. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and sliced ($1.00) ½ c. Cilantro, chopped (.30) ½ white onion, chopped (.15) 2 ½ c. baby spinach ($1.75) 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (.15), 2 tbsp. olive oil, (.90) = ($1.05) Salt and pepper to taste (.10) 1 avocado ($1.25) Directions Prep the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes as mentioned above and as follow: Soften the sweet potatoes in water until tender; however not done, drain, set aside. Clean the lamb chops, remove all the visible fat and season with 1 tbsp. olive oil and lemon salt and pepper. BBQ the chops until the thermometer reads 140 degrees F to 145 for medium-well. While the lamb cooks, prepare the salad: chop the cilantro and onion; slice the tomatoes; drain and rinse the beans, spin them dry and add all the aforementioned ingredients into a salad bowl. Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette, whisk well and drizzle over the salad. To plate in a small soup bowl, add a handful of baby spinach, then top it with the beans salad and garnish with cilantro leaves. In a sauté pan with olive oil, sauté the Brussels sprouts until golden brown. Remove. In the same pan, sauté the sweet potato cubes until golden brown as well. Remove. Serve 2 lamb chops per plate with sautéed veggies and avocado. DONE!
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 You don’t need a basket of shrimp to satisfy a seafood craving. Jumbo shrimps are large enough that just 3 of them in a nice dish will fit the need. Smile. Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes Approximate Cost: $15.65 or $7.83 per serving Difficulty Level: Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 Ingredients 1 poblano pepper, rinsed, cut lengthwise, seeds veins removed and charred ($1.35) 6 Jumbo Shrimp ($8.70) 2 large garlic, (1 chopped) (.20) 1/3 c. Angie’s Basting Oil ($1.35) 1 ½ tsp. Angie’s dried seasoning or the one of your choice (.30) ½ roasted red pepper (.30) ½ onion, chopped (.20) 2 tbsp. lemon juice (.60) 1 rosemary spring and 1 garlic clove for the broth (.10) 1 tsp. paprika (.10) 1 pk. Of Seeds for Change Seven Whole Grains rice ($2.45) Directions
 I’ll tell you a secret, I love pigeon peas so much that I prefer to eat them stew without rice or anything else. So, I came up with this recipe to delight my soul. Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Under 30 minutes Approximate Cost: $7.85 or $3.93 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 to 3 Ingredients for the Chicken Tenders ($5.55) 6 to 8 chicken tenders cleaned and pat dry ($4.50) 1 tsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs (.25) 2 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (.65) 1 Rosemary spring (.15) Directions for the Chicken Tenders Cleaned, pat dry and season the tenders with Roasted Garlic and Herbs, basting oil and the Rosemary spring. Refrigerate. When the pigeon pears are ready and cooked, start sautéing the tenders (in their own marinate) in a skillet, until golden brown. Ingredients for the Pigeon Peas ($2.30) 1 15 oz. can of green pigeon peas, drained and rinsed ($1.20) 1 tsp. olives (rinsed) (.15) 1 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (.40) 1 tsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs (.25) ½ tsp. Sazon (.10) 1 frozen Molido disk (rosemary, cilantro, Cuban oregano water) (.20) ½ c. water (0) Directions for the Pigeon Peas Start by draining and rinsing the peas. Add them to a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients listed under the peas ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low cover and cook for about 8 minutes until the sauce reduce. You are ready to plate.  I found frozen Breadfruit (Mapén) tostones at Publix and my happiness went sky rocket. I love this veggie fresh; however, I don’t find it fresh anywhere in the mainland. So, I am grateful to GOYA for making it available, even though it’s frozen. At first I was skeptical; however, my worries disappeared when I fried and tasted them. No Mayo-Ketchup needed, just plain crunchy MAPEN tostones! Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes Approximate Cost: $11.45 or $5.73 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 (of 3 large tostones per plate) Ingredients 2 salmon steaks ($4.50) 2 c. broccoli florets steamed briefly in salted water ($2.00) ½ c. olive oil (to fry the breadfruit tostones) ($1.25) 1 tbsp. olive oil (to season the fish) (.40) 1 tsp. Roasted garlic and herbs seasoning (.30) 6 large frozen Breadfruit tostones ($3.00) Directions Pat dry and season the salmon with olive oil, roasted garlic and herbs seasoning. Steam the broccoli florets just until bright green. Remove and place in iced water. In a skillet, over medium-high, add ½ c. olive oil and carefully, add the Breadfruit tostones just as you would do frozen French fries. Fry the pieces until golden brown and tender. Using another skillet over medium-high, Sauté the salmon filet in their basting oil seasoning until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove, let them rest while you prepare to plate the meal.  My grandkids love to bake and since cookies are yummy anytime during the year, we decided to have fun making them whenever we wanted. Brilliant! The dough is a simple sugar cookie and the icing is made with Merengue Powder, you can find it in any craft store, also at Walmart. The easy icing recipe is in the back of the container. Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Few hours of Family FUN! Approximate Cost: $12.00 Difficulty Level: Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: The number of cookies will vary greatly depending on how thick you roll the dough and the size of your cookie cutters. The smaller cutters will yield more cookies, the larger cutters, less. INGREDIENTS for the Cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened to room temperature ($2.00) 1 cup sugar (.50) 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 tsp. almond ($1.00) 1 large egg (.16) 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ($1.00) ¾ teaspoon baking powder (.10) ¾ teaspoon salt (.10) INGREDIENTS for the Icing* 3 tbsp. Wilton Meringue Powder ($2.00) 4 c. confectioner powder sugar (sifted to prevent lumps) ($1.99) 5 tbsp. water or milk (.50) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or either almond or lemon extract. ($1.00) Food coloring to taste depending on your planned designs (. 15) sprinkles for decorating (optional) (.50) For the icing directions follow the container instructions *(this icing recipe makes about 2 ¾ c. of icing for a large number of cookies, and enough to flood them. You can make ½ of this recipe if you want to make few cookies or you can refrigerate the icing for about a week to make more cookies at later time.) DIRECTIONS for the COOKIES In a bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until totally combined. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet until completely combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer half of the dough onto the wrap (be aware that it will be quite sticky). Wrap, seal tight and mold into a disk. Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of cling wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours. After the chilling time, let the dough rest at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before rolling it flat. Meantime, preheat your oven to 350 F. Use a baking silicon mat or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Dust a clean surface (generously) with flour and bring one of the chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll out to 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies). Continue to add flour as needed both on top of and under the dough so that it doesn't stick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to your baking sheet. Bake on 350 F for 9-10 minutes or until edges begin to turn lightly golden brown. Allow cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheet before moving to apply frosting. Remember, the icing directions are in the back of the Merengue Powder container.  Rule of Thumb: Even if we are in a hurry, cook healthy and don’t sacrifice flavors. So, I came home after playing a round of golf with my husband and didn’t feel like eating out, it was cold outside and I just wanted to shower and get on my jammies. I still had no idea of what to cook. Upon arrival I checked my fridge and hallelujah, the night before, I had purchase a rotisserie chicken, removed bones and skin. Well, there it was, looking at me. So, I decided on chicken turmeric and whatever I have in the freezer soup. Don’t laugh at my ingredients because the soup was healthy-delicious! Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: under 30 minutes Approximate Cost: $7.50 or $3.75 per bowl Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 to 3 Ingredients 1 rotisserie chicken breast and 2 thighs, boneless and skin removed ($2.00) 2 celery sticks sliced at an angle (.25) 1 large carrot peeled and sliced (.25) 1 tbsp. of olive oil (.30) 1 tsp. Adobo (.15) 1 tsp. turmeric (.10) 1 tbsp. Webber Herbs and Roasted Garlic Seasoning (.30) ¼ c. Sweet peas (.25) 2 c. Tater Tots (.75) 2 ½ c. Fresh chicken stock (or purchased) ($1.50) 1 handful of cilantro, chopped (.30) 1 cube of frozen molido (garlic, onion, rosemary, basil) (.10) 1 avocado ($1.25) Directions Peel and slice the carrots. Rinse and chop the celery. Saute in olive oil. Shred the chicken parts and set aside. Add the chicken, 1 tsp. Adobo, turmeric, Webber Herbs and Roasted Garlic Seasoning, sweet peas, Tater Tots, fresh chicken stock (or purchased), frozen molido (garlic, onion, rosemary, basil) and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve in a soup bowl with crackers, an avocado slice and sprinkle chopped cilantro over. DONE!  This was a productive and healthy Vegetarian week to please everyone, vegetarians and non-vegetarians. This whole meal incorporates most of the nutrients that we need for a day in a meal. Furthermore, the flavors are intense, since the dry shitake mushrooms deliver a meaty flavor as well as a nice texture. You can eat these stewed beans alone or add either cauliflower rice or brown rice. Enjoy! Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 35 minutes Approximate Cost: $7.31 or $3.66 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 to 3 Ingredients for the Stewed Shitake Beans ($2.68) 1 (15 oz.) can of Goya pink beans, drained and rinsed (.98) 2 large dry Shitake mushrooms cut in half (.40) ½ small onion, chopped (.15) 2 garlic cloves, chopped (.10) 2 small Potatoes, peeled and rinsed (.20) 1 tbsp. olive oil (.40) 1 tsp. Sazón (.20) ¼ c. Tomato sauce (.15) 1 c. Water plus 1 frozen cilantro and rosemary cube (.10) Ingredients for the Salad ($4.63) 2 c. baby spinach ($1.50) 1 large Roma tomato (.33) 1 zucchini (.40) ½ small sliced red onion (.15) Salt/pepper/chopped olives, oil, vinegar, Feta cheese to taste ($1.00) 1 Avocado ($1.25) Directions Drained and rinsed the pink beans, set aside. Peel and chop the garlic, onion and potatoes, break the dry shitake mushroom in half and set aside. Add the olive oil to a skillet and sauté the chopped potatoes, onion and garlic. Add the beans, Sazón, tomato sauce, water, mushrooms and the frozen cilantro and rosemary cube, stir and cook for about 5 minutes in medium to allow the sauce to thicken a bit. Meantime, prepare the salad and slice the avocado. Done and moreover, Delicioso!  I could eat guacamole for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no complaints! How about you? No meat necessary and it’s all super healthy. Think about it, garlic, avocado, olive oil, and tomatoes, what’s not to love. Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 20 minutes Approximate Cost: $4.71 or $1.57 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 3 to 4 Ingredients 1 large avocado ($2.00) 1 small onion (.30) 2 garlic cloves, chopped (.15) 3 small tomatoes (.60) 1 tbsp. Olive oil (.45) 2 limes (use 1 tbsp. lime juice for the guacamole and cut the other to garnish) (.66) Salt and pepper (.10) A handful of cilantro (.15) 1 small jalapeno sliced, seeds and veins removed (.30) Directions Rinse, peel the avocados and mash carefully, leaving good size chunks, add lime juice, olive oil, mix well, cover tightly and refrigerate. Chop tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Add to the avocado mix, except the jalapeno. Mix all well carefully to keep the avocado chunks, and serve with crackers and lime wedges.  Surprise your honey tomorrow with my Breakfast Avocado Egg Toast. Yes, no need to make reservations in a fancy restaurant to please your love one on this special day. You just need about 20 minutes in the kitchen. Only few minutes to spare to prepare my simple recipe and it will only cost you few bucks. Brilliant! Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes Approximate Cost: $3.90 or $1.95 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 Ingredients 1 large avocado (or 2 small) ($1.25) 2 eggs (poached or you can cook them sunny side up) (.32) 1 loaf of French bread, cut 2 servings to taste ($1.00) 2 lime (1 for juice and 1 to garnish (.43) 1 tsp. olive oil (.30) Salt and pepper (.15) ¼ tsp. Smoked paprika (.15) A handful of Cilantro (.15) Hot sauce, optional (.15) Directions Rinse, peel the avocados, mash, add lime juice to taste, olive oil, mix well, refrigerate. Slice the bread and toast it. Meantime, poach or fry the eggs. When the toasts are done, spread mashed avocado mix generously. Top with the eggs and sprinkle salt, pepper, paprika and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. Add hot sauce optional.  Sick and tired of eating broccoli the same way forever? Yes, I was too until I decided to coat it with Tzatziki sauce (which I used in a lot of dishes instead of mayo), lemon pepper, hot sauce, chopped garlic, and broil the florets. The result was surprisingly flavorful and good looking for a side dish, smile. (Some vegetarians eat fish, therefore, you could use fish to pair with your broccoli as well). Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes Approximate Cost: $4.00 or $2.00 per serving Difficulty Level: X Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced Servings: 2 INGREDIENTS 2 ½ c. broccoli cut into florets ($2.00) 1/3 cup Tzatziki Sauce (.70) 2 tablespoons Angie’s basting olive oil (.70) 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (.30) 1 tsp. of Lemon Pepper seasoning (.15) 2 chopped garlic (.15) ½ tbsp. hot sauce to taste (0) DIRECTIONS
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ABOUT THE AuthorI am a blogger, a photographer, a jewelry designer, a gourmet cook, and a recipe book writer. I am also a flea market flipper, an avid gardener, an interior/ outdoors designer, an avid golfer and traveler. Categories |
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