A Feast for a Festive Fourth!

July 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with a savory grilled steak accompanied by a peppery sauce, a salad bursting with color and flavor, and a warm toasted coucous to tie all the flavors and colors together. Food stylist, chef and cookbook author, Victoria Granof offers three of her favorite recipes that will liven up any celebration.   These recipes can be easily doubled or tripled depending on the size of your crowd!

 

Churrasco with Aji Sauce: Grilled Steak                  Avocado, Orange and Hearts of Palm Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Farofa: Toasted Couscous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about Victoria Granoff click here.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinner, Family Night Faves, Featured Stories, Great Sunday Suppers, Hosting and Holidays, Low-Calorie, Menus, Recipes, Romantic Dinners, Sides, Soups & Salads

Avocado, Orange and Hearts of Palm Salad

July 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

 

This simple salad is loaded with flavor and color.  The presentation of the orange in the avocado “bowls” makes this a perfect accompaniment or first course to any celebration.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 orange

1 can hearts of palm, drained

2 t extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or lime

Instructions:

  1. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.  Do this (carefully) by firmly striking the pit with the blade of a heavy knife; twist and remove.  Then you hit the handle of the knife on the edge of the sink and the pit will fall off.  DO NOT try to remove the pit from the knife with your hand!
  2. Use the avocado halves as little serving bowls;  Peel the orange and slice it crosswise into wheels.  Place two wheels on each avocado half.
  3. Drain the hearts of palm, slice them into rings and add as many as you like to the orange and avocado.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Squeeze lemon or lime juice over and enjoy immediately.

 

Filed Under: Healthy Options, Hosting and Holidays, Menus, Recipes, Romantic Dinners, Sides, Sides, Soups & Salads

Farofa: Toasted Couscous

July 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

 

 

In Brazil, one of the traditional accompaniments to the traditional churrasco is toasted cassava meal, called farofa.  It’s all but impossible to find in this country; this is even better (and much easier).  It’s a great accompaniment to any grilled or roasted meat or fish.

 

Serves 2

 

Ingredients:

¾ c. dry instant couscous

1 t olive oil

1 cup broth or water (canned chicken broth or 1 tsp. caldo en polvo dissolved in 1 c. water)

Instructions:

  1. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the couscous, stirring, until it is fragrant and nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
  2. Immediately add the olive oil and liquid. When it comes to the boil,  turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for 10 minutes.  It will absorb all the liquid.  Fluff it with a fork and serve.  Serves 2 generously.
Filed Under: Family Night Faves, Menus, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sides, Sides

Churrasco with Aji Sauce: Grilled Steak

July 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

 

 

From feeding a crowd to a romantic dinner for two, this classic version of a grilled steak with a piquant sauce is guaranteed to spice up any gathering.

 

Serves 2

 

 

Ingredients: 

For the Steak:

1 lb. hanger steak or skirt steak

Marinade:

3 cloves garlic

1 t kosher or sea salt

½ t black pepper

½ t dried oregano

Juice of 4 fat limes

3 T olive oil

Instructions:

  1. In a blender or food processor, process all the marinade ingredients until smooth.  Pour over the steak and marinate at least an hour.  You can do it in the morning and refrigerate, covered, until you are ready to cook it.
  2. Preheat a grill or the broiler.  Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry.
  3. Cook 6-8 minutes on each side for medium.

The Aji sauce:

This is best if made a few days in advance.

Ingredients:

1 red jalapeño, fresno or other hot red chile (you can use green jalapeño or serrano but it won’t be as pretty)

2 cloves of garlic

11/2 t kosher or sea salt

1 c of distilled white vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Remove the seeds from the chile and coarsely chop.  Coarsely chop the garlic and place all ingredients in a glass bottle.  Shake to combine.  Use immediately or refrigerate a few days, then puree in a blender until smooth.  This sauce is great on anything on which you would use Tabasco or Cholula.
Filed Under: Dinner, Family Night Faves, Great Sunday Suppers, Hosting and Holidays, Menus, Recipes Tagged With:

Chilled Mango-Lime Gazpacho

June 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 c.ripe mango, peeled and seeded

Note:  Ripe papaya can be substituted for the mango. Or you can use a combination of both.

1 large red or orange tomato, halved and seeded

1 small green or red bell pepper, halved and seeded

½ small purple onion, peeled and halved

½ cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 T jalapeno or fresno pepper, seeded and minced

2 c tomato juice

1 c orange juice

½ c. freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 t sea salt or kosher salt

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Dice ½ c of the mango and set aside, along with the avocado for garnish.
  2. Combine the remaining ingredients in an electric blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed.
  3. Chill or serve immediately, topped with the reserved mango and avocado.

 

To learn more about Victoria Granof click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Raw Squash and Kale Salad with Pepitas and Cotija Cheese

June 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped

2 T olive oil

½  t kosher salt

Juice of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ orange

½ t ground cumin, toasted in a dry frying pan until fragrant

3 T pepitas, raw or toasted

4 T cotija cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, massage the olive oil and salt into the kale until it wilts.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.

To learn more about Victoria Granof click here.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinner, Healthy Options, Low-Calorie, Lunch, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sides, Soups & Salads Tagged With: ,

Oven-Fried Sweet Potato Chips with Ancho-Chile Salt

June 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes,peeled  (about 1 lb)

3 T olive oil

2 t chile salt (see below)

Instructions:

For the chile salt:  

  1.  Combine ½ c. kosher salt and 2 T powdered ancho or chipotle chile.
  2.  Store in an airtight jar for up to 3 months.

For the chips:

  1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. With a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of sweet potato directly onto baking sheets in a single layer.
  3. Drizzle evenly with the olive oil and the chile salt and toss to coat.
  4. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy and browned.
  5.  Cool and store airtight.

To learn more about Victoria Granof click here.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Low-Calorie, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sides, Sides

Eat Your Colors! A Fun and Healthy Way to Improve Your Diet

June 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is the first in a series of articles showing how you can eat better and more nutritiously just by thinking COLOR!  If you match fruits and vegetables to each color of the color wheel, you’ll automatically get more vitamins and nutrients into your family’s diet.

This month, we start with ORANGE.   Orange fruits and vegetables contain beta carotene a powerful antioxidant that helps balance blood sugar level and promotes healthy eyesight.  In the recipes below, we’ll focus on a few of the nutrient rich powerhouses including sweet potatoes (a great choice for diabetics), mangoes (high in iron!) and papayas (helps the digestive system) – and the good news is that they all taste great.

 

OVEN-FRIED SWEET POTATO CHIPS WITH ANCHO CHILE SALT

 

 

 

 

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes,peeled  (about 1 lb)

3 T olive oil

2 t chile salt (see below)

 

Instructions:

For the chile salt:  

  1.  Combine ½ c. kosher salt and 2 T powdered ancho or chipotle chile.
  2. Store in an airtight jar for up to 3 months.

For the chips:

  1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. With a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of sweet potato directly onto baking sheets in a single layer.
  3. Drizzle evenly with the olive oil and the chile salt and toss to coat.
  4. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy and browned.
  5.  Cool and store airtight.

RAW SQUASH AND KALE SALAD WITH PEPITAS AND COTIJA CHEESE

 

 

 

 

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch of kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped

2 T olive oil

½  t kosher salt

Juice of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ orange

½ t ground cumin, toasted in a dry frying pan until fragrant

3 T pepitas, raw or toasted

4 T cotija cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, massage the olive oil and salt into the kale until it wilts.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.

CHILLED MANGO-LIME GAZPACHO

 

 

 

Serves 4-6

Note:  Ripe papaya can be substituted for the mango. Or you can use a combination of both.

Ingredients:

2 c.ripe mango, peeled and seeded

1 large red or orange tomato, halved and seeded

1 small green or red bell pepper, halved and seeded

½ small purple onion, peeled and halved

½ cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 T jalapeno or fresno pepper, seeded and minced

2 c tomato juice

1 c orange juice

½ c. freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 t sea salt or kosher salt

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Dice ½ c of the mango and set aside, along with the avocado for garnish.
  2. Combine the remaining ingredients in an electric blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed.
  3. Chill or serve immediately, topped with the reserved mango and avocado.

 

 

To learn more about Victoria Granof click here.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinner, Family Night Faves, Healthy Options, Low-Calorie, Lunch, Make-Ahead Meals, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sides Tagged With:

Iced Coffee Coolers to Help You Beat the Heat

May 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

The long hot days of summer require something cool and refreshing to balance out that intense heat.  What could be more perfect than a quartet of iced coffee drinks that are easy to make and taste delicious.  The other mothers will think you’re hiding a barista.

First of all, here are a couple of tips to bring even more flavor to your coffee drinks.  Pour cooled leftover morning coffee into ice cube trays, then freeze.  This way you won’t dilute your iced coffee drinks with regular ice.  Secondly, “French Roast” your own ground coffee for a richer, freshly roasted flavor:  Heat a heavy, dry skillet over medium heat.  Add a scoop or two of any ground coffee, stirring continuously, until fragrant and a shade or two darker.  Immediately transfer it to a large bowl or tray to cool quickly.  When cooled, store in an airtight container to preserve the flavor.

 

COLD-BREWED COFFEE CONCENTRATE

This process requires several hours of patience but it results in a smooth, very low-acid concentrate that can be kept refrigerated and used as needed.  I dilute it 50-50 with iced water, milk (evaporated milk and sugar makes a fabulous iced cafe con leche) or seltzer and a splash of cream for a New York-style coffee egg cream.

Ingredients:

The proportions are 4 parts room temperature filtered water to 1 part finely ground coffee.

Instructions:

  1. Combine and stir these together in a large glass jar.
  2. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 6 -12 hours.
  3. Stir again and strain through a coffee filter into another jar.
  4. Keep the concentrate chilled until ready to use.
  5. I make this at night and strain it in the morning; then I make my morning cafe con leche with some before I refrigerate it.

 

ICED CAFE DE OLLA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This delicious drink requires making a basic yet flavorful syrup.  The syrup is equally good drizzled over oatmeal, Greek yogurt or – if you must – ice cream!

Ingredients:

For the syrup:

1 c piloncillo or crumbled brown sugar

2 c water

2 sticks canela or cinnamon

6 cloves

½ t anise seed, optional

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.
  3. Boil gently for 5 minutes.
  4. Let cool and strain out the spices.
  5. Keep in a covered jar.

For the drink:

  1. In a large glass over ice, stir together ¾ c of cold-brewed coffee concentrate, ¾ c cold water, and 3 T of the cooled syrup.
  2. Add more syrup to taste.

 

BANANA BUSTELO FRAPPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes one large or two small frappés. (But who wants a small frappé?)

Ingredients:

½ medium sized ripe banana

2 t instant espresso coffee, such as Café Bustelo

4 T sweetened condensed milk

1 c ice cubes

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until frothy and smooth.

 

ICED “MOCHATOLE” WITH CAJETA WHIPPED CREAM

Atole is a cornstarch-thickened hot milk drink. Chocolate is the most popular flavor.  The drink is simple to make but it needs cooking to thicken.  I figured out how to use instant chocolate pudding to make this iced twist on the traditional favorite.  The addition of the cajeta and flaky salt will make the other iced caramel macchiatos jealous.

Ingredients:

For the drink:

4 T cold-brewed coffee concentrate

1 ½ c cold milk (almond, rice and soy milk work equally well)

3 T instant chocolate pudding powder

Few grains of flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

For the cajeta whipped cream:

4 T heavy whipping cream

1 T cajeta or dulce de leche

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl with a wire whisk, whip the cream and cajeta until fluffy.
  2. In a mixing bowl with a wire whisk, whisk all the drink ingredients except the salt together until smooth and thickened.
  3. Pour over ice into two glasses, top with the cajeta whipped cream, and sprinkle with a few grains of flaky salt.

 

SPICY CAFE GITANA FLOAT

This classic ice cream float provides a bit of a kick!  You can use any ice cream, but I like Haagen Dazs best.

Ingredients:

Large scoop of coffee ice cream.

A  pinch of cayenne pepper.

A pinch of salt.

Cold root beer or orange soda.

Straw.

Instructions:

  1. In a tall glass, place a large scoop of coffee ice cream.
  2. Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt over the ice cream.
  3. Fill the glass with cold root beer or orange soda.
  4. Add a straw and enjoy.

 

To learn more about Victoria Granof click here.

Filed Under: Drinks, Featured Stories, Non-Alcoholic