![Caribbean Shrimp Salad]()
by Yvonne | Jan 3, 2013 | Appetizers & Snacks, Fish & Seafood, Latin, Mexican
I used to do a lot of traveling in the winter months- short escapes to warmer climates like anywhere in Florida or south of the border to Mexico. Coming from the Midwest, I was indeed a young snow bird of sorts. Sometimes I did it with the excuse of studying (i.e. taking intensive Spanish language courses in Merida, Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico; other times it was just a gift-to-self for studying so hard throughout a college quarter to places like Playa del Carmen along the Mayan Riviera in Mexico.
While I sadly haven’t been back to either places in a very long time, I still have fond and special memories of the food, the people and the experiences there. The fish, in particular was so fresh- coming straight off the Caribbean– that it was served as ceviche in restaurants just a short time after being caught. (more…)
![Quick Kidney Beans with Tomatoes, Onions and Cilantro]()
by Yvonne | Apr 17, 2012 | Gluten-Free, Latin, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
It’s true, I travel with food. It’s not because I’m a food blogger, a halal foodie or averse to outside food. It’s because I like to feel good and comfortable by eating what I know is healthy, especially when I have the time to relax and cook (yes, cooking is relaxing to me).
Quick Kidney Beans with Tomatoes, Onions and Cilantro (more…)
![Lamb Stew with Pumpkin, Plantain, Sweet Potato and Chickpeas]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Nov 13, 2011 | Dinner, Fall, Lamb, Latin, North African, Recipes, Red Meat Dishes, Slow Cook, Stews & Curries
When we look through recipes online or in magazines, what really prompts us to go out of our way to make a list and head out to the store with the intention of buying all the ingredients specifically for that recipe we enjoyed looking at so much? 
I look at food for a living, literally, and am incredibly delighted by the vibrant colors and gorgeous photography that exists in the blogosphere and in the publishing world. I can’t, however, make everything that awakens my stomach or inspires me to fly off the couch and dig into my cabinets for every spice listed in a recipe so that I, too, can make a gorgeous Thai noodle dish.
There is one Libyan dish, however, that prompted me to set out to use up our Qurbani meat to make this dish called Tbeikhet ‘Eid which features pumpkin, chickpeas and raisins. I liked the idea of using seasonal produce like pumpkin so much that I decided to give it a try, though digressing a bit by using other ingredients that I had at home that were in much need of being used: (more…)
![Roasted Pumpkin]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Nov 13, 2011 | American, Fall, Latin, Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter
If there’s ever one recipe that will help create even more recipes, it’s those for roasted vegetables. I absolutely love to fire up the oven and get my produce seasoned and roasted to eat them as-is, puree them into soups or throw them into stews. You can be as creative as you want to be or simply enjoy them straight out of the oven.
Vegetables with similar roasting times to pumpkin are acorn squash and butternut squash, depending on their sizes, of course. (more…)
![Chicken Soup with Cabbage & Sweet Potatoes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Mar 25, 2011 | Chicken, Dinner, Latin, Lunch, Poultry Dishes, Recipes, Soups
One of the reasons this soup is so delicious is because it creates a rich chicken broth as it cooks. Use a whole, cut up chicken with all its bones and skin to get the most flavor and nutrition out of the bird that has been sacrificed for our health benefit.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
one whole chicken, cut up
½ cup yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
½ cup tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons dried or fresh flat leaf parsley
Sweet Potatoes
Directions
In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the chicken and brown on one side, about 5-6 minutes. Gently turn and brown on the other side, another few minutes.
Add the onion and garlic and allow to brown with the chicken. Add the tomato sauce. Pour in the water to cover the chicken. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Add the sweet potatoes and cover, lowering heat to a medium-low flame. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and cover. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
Use tongs to remove the chicken to a plate so that it can cool. Once it’s cooled, de-bone each piece, reserving the bones for chicken stock (see recipe below).
Place the boneless meat back into the pot. Add the parsley and allow the meat to warm again.
Serve in soup bowls with a dollop of crème frâiche or simply a slice of rustic bread on the side.
![Feta, Avocado & Homemade Mayonnaise Torta]()
by Yvonne | Jan 7, 2011 | Condiments & Sauces, Latin, Mediterranean, Mexican, Sandwiches & Burgers, Vegetarian
Everyone has some sort of comfort food. Some people love cakes for soothing comfort; others love chicken noodle soup or a hearty chili. For me, it’s always a sandwich (aka torta, in Spanish): thick bread, a bit of mayo and mustard, and always some sort of cheese- extra cheese.
Recently, I spent over a month in Cleveland with my family. After a few days there, I ventured out to do a bit of shopping to gather up some staples, realizing that a winter snowstorm was on its way. My mom and I mapped out our rounds: first, the Puerto Rican store, La Borincana, for our Latin foods. Next, we hit up some of our favorite Middle Eastern grocers for their fresh, uniquely thick pita breads (Assad’s Bakery) and wonderfully fresh feta cheese (Al Madina Imports).
Homemade Mayonnaise
Makes 1 cup
Special Equipment
2 stainless steel bowls
saucepan (smaller than the bowls)
wire whisk
Ingredients
Bowl 1
2 eggs
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons water
Bowl 2
1 teaspoon ground mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Bowl 3
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Bring a small saucepan to a boil.
- In a small stainless steeel bowl, place the eggs, vinegar and water.
- In a separate bowl, add ground mustard , salt, pepper and sugar.
- Place bowl of egg mixture (from Bowl 1) over heat and whisk immediately. Whisk voracioulsy until mixture just begins to thicken. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add ground seeds mixture (from Bowl 2) and whisk rapidly.
- Pour the oil slowly into the combined mixture while whisking at the same time. Serve immediately or refrigerate if using at a later time. Will keep fresh in the refrigerator for approximately one week.
Big Fat Feta Sandwich
Makes 1/2 sandwich (but it’s hearty!)
Ingredients
3 slices Feta cheese, sliced thick and drizzled with olive oil and dried parsley
thick pita bread, or any type of hearty bread
chopped Romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced thick
yellow peppers, roughly chopped
Homemade mayonnaise (recipe above)
Directions
- Cut one large round of pita in half and half again, lenghtwise.
- Place Feta on one side of the inside bread pieces. On the other, place all the other ingredients.
- Warm the half with Feta cheese inside the microwave for 30 seconds or in a toaster oven for about 1 minute, or until the cheese is slightly melted.
- Bring the two halves together and enjoy some good old-fashioned, hearty sandwich comfort!
