Roasted Vegetables on Spaghetti with Pesto

Roasting has quickly become one of my favorite ways to prepare veggies. Before roasting, I marinate them with a mix of spices, herbs and oil. It helps bring out the flavors and also helps with the caramelization process.
This particular recipe has roasted bell peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes served on top of a bed of pasta with Pesto, but you can use any vegetables you like. I like to roast my vegetables under the broiler.
Serve the roasted vegetables on top of pasta with Pesto, and the mouth-watering combination of the bitter basil and caramelized veggies will have you scraping the last bits from the bottom of your bowl.

Ingredients:
2 large bell peppers, cut in strips (any color will do, I like to use orange or red just for the color)
1 large white onion, cut in strips
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (any tomatoes work too)
1/2 cup Basil and Spinach Pesto
1 pound spaghetti (any pasta will do)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme

Preparation:
Chop all your vegetables and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and the olive oil. (You can also use a prepackaged Italian herb mix instead.) Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 1 hour.
Boil and drain your pasta according to the package instructions, then mix in the pesto.
Spread the vegetables on a foil-covered baking pan, then place under a medium-high broiler setting (4 to 5 inches from the top) for 20 minutes, or until the vegetable skin starts to wrinkle and you see small burnt spots.

Presentation:
Put a bed of pasta with pesto in a bowl and cover it with a large scoop of the roasted vegetables. You can also sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Photograph by Michael Findley

Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice)

When you think of fried rice, you usually think of a side dish to some Asian saucy meat, or just something thrown in for the purpose of soaking up the sauce. But in my house, fried rice is the main dish, a complete meal on its own.
And when you see what all goes into making it, I think you’ll agree. It truly is a complete meal. It has fiber (rice), meats (ham, chicken, bacon), vegetables (green onion, mushroom) and egg.
Don’t be afraid to go crazy with your veggies either, this is the perfect dish for doing so. I also like to use julienned carrot, sweet peas, bean sprouts, snow peas, whole kernel corn, broccoli, and celery. This is a good way to use veggies that might go bad.
I didn’t use garlic in this particular recipe (amazing if you’ve read any of my other recipes) and although I missed it, I think it held its own with just the ginger. The nice thing about fried rice is that you can make it a dozen different ways and never get tired of it.
I’m not sure, but I think the term chaufa originated in Peru. It means Asian style food. Paired with the Spanish word for rice — arroz — the dish gets its name.
This recipe is a lot simpler to make if you own a wok. Without it, you’ll probably use several pans.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked white rice
3 eggs, scrambled
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 to 1 cup shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
4 tbs thinly sliced and chopped ginger
1 tsp salt
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken breasts
4 large slices fried and crumbled bacon
3 tbs soy sauce

Preparation:
Cook the bacon to you liking, then put on paper towels to drain.
Drain the grease into a small container but leave a little in the pan to cook the scrambled eggs. Remove the scrambled eggs into a separate bowl. Add a little olive oil or bacon grease to the pan and saute all vegetables. Don’t overcook.
Add the rice and mix everything well. Add soy sauce, scrambled eggs, and shredded chicken. Mix well.

Prepared on 2011-06-08 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

I’ve been wanting to try veggie burgers for years now, but I thought if they weren’t going to taste as good as regular hamburgers, then why bother?
But I stand corrected. Even though they don’t taste like meat, these patties were so good that after I ate my burger and fries, I ate 3 patties all by themselves. Now I plan to use this same recipe to make meatballs for spaghetti sometime soon.  I can already taste the marinara sauce on the black bean meatballs.
I’ve seen them made with various different beans and lentils, but I chose to use black beans because I thought they might look closer to real beef.  After I looked at the pictures I was surprised at how much these patties look like my mom’s meat patties with vegetables.
Serve this burger along with some crispy potato wedges for a truly yummy meal.

Ingredients:  Makes 8 bean patties
2 15 oz cans black beans
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 large white onion
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili
2 tbs crushed garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped yellow and red bell pepper
1 large jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped

Preparation:
Drain and rinse the beans. Pour into a bowl and smash with a fork.
In a food processor place the cilantro, parsley, onion, seeded jalapeños, garlic, and bell peppers.
Pulse a few times until everything is well chopped.
Add the spices and half the mashed beans. Pulse a few more times. Don’t puree the mixture, just mix it well.
Empty the contents of the food processor back to the bowl with the beans and mix thoroughly with fork. Add the eggs and bread crumbs. Mix everything well with a fork and form patties.
Heat olive in a large pan on medium-low heat. Cook patties till they’re golden brown and crusty on the outside.

Prepared on 2011-08-20 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

Chili Dogs On Toasted Buns

I’m not a huge fan of hot dogs, but every now and then I do get a craving for them. Especially since I still had some slow cooked chili leftover in the fridge.
These took very little time to make, and I served them with Hassleback baked potatoes.
I like to cut slits lengthwise on four sides of the hot dogs. That way, when they cook, they will open up along these cuts and crisp up even more. Although I used the oven to bake the hot dogs and toast the bread, the grill would work just as well.

Ingredients:
4 hot dog buns
4 beef or turkey hot dogs
1 cup slow cooked chili
2 tbs chopped cilantro (optional)
2 tbs diced white onions
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
mustard
ketchup

Preparation:

Cut a slit along the edge of the hot dogs; do this on 4 sides. If you’re using an oven, bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. Once the the hot dogs start to brown and crisp up, they’e ready.
Toast your buns for about 2 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees F. (Toast these just before you’re ready to serve them, while the oven is still hot from baking the hot dogs.)
Spread your favorite condiments on the bread — mustard, ketchup and/or mayonnaise. Add your baked hot dog with the largest opening side facing up, and spoon chili on it. Add shredded cheese on top and return to the oven for about 3 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with onions and cilantro, or fresh homemade salsa.

Prepared on 2011-05-15 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

Fettuccine Alfredo With Broiled Chicken Breasts

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of those comfort foods I always try when I go to a new Italian restaurant. I love the Alfredo sauce and I’m a big pasta fan.
When I make it at home I usually grill the chicken, but this time I broiled the chicken because I ran out of gas for the grill. The chicken actually turned out juicier.
I just discovered why Parmigiano Reggiano is so expensive — apparently it literally comes from Italy. You can buy a block of Parmesan cheese instead (just make sure to get the kind that is hard to the touch).
Although I love this recipe, I only make it a couple times a year, because it’s so rich with the heavy cream, butter and cheese that I’d feel guilty if I ate it more often than that. (Not to mention I’d never hear the end of it from mom, telling me how many calories it has in it.)
I love the garlic in the sauce, and it adds just the right kick, but don’t go overboard. It can quickly overpower the flavor.

Ingredients: (makes 3 to 4 servings)
17 oz package Fettuccine Pasta
1 pound boneless chicken breast

Chicken Marinade:
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs white cooking wine
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
juice of one lime
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt

Alfredo Sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
2 medium garlic cloves smashed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/3 tsp black pepper

Preparation:
Start by combining all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl, and whisk vigorously until combined. (This has a tendency to separate otherwise.)
Dump the chicken into a ziplock bag then pour in the marinade. Seal and remove as much of the air as possible. Work it with your hands for a few minutes and then set it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before use.
Bake the chicken for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then switch to broiling the chicken on both sides until it turns golden. While the chicken is baking, start the sauce.
Start by adding the butter to a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the garlic. Whisk the garlic for about 30 seconds or so; you don't want to give the butter time to turn brown. Add the cream and whisk together with the butter. Once it’s heated all the way through, add the salt, white pepper and black pepper. While whisking rapidly, start adding 1 cup of the cheese, a pinch at a time, while working it into the sauce. If you add too much, it might clump up. Once the cheese has been fully incorporated into the sauce, stir for a minute or so, cover and remove from the heat.
When the chicken is done, remove and cut into chunks or strips to be used as a topping for the Fettuccine Alfredo.
Add the pasta to about 4 quarts of water and cook according to the instructions, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Once it’s cooked al dente, drain and immediately return to the pot, ladle some of the sauce into the pasta and stir until its well coated. (Keep a bit of the sauce for the presentation.)

Presentation:
Ladle a large portion on a plate or bowl. Lay several pieces of chicken on top. Sprinkle a bit of the sauce on top of the chicken, then sprinkle some more of the cheese on top.

Prepared on 2011-05-18 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

Crockpot Lentil Soup

One Monday, while on vacation in Peru, I was served a plate of lentils and told “for your good luck this week.” I didn’t think anything of it. Over the next three Mondays I’d be served with lentils cooked in some form or other, and always told it was for my good luck. So one day I asked Mari, who works at my grandma’s house, why we ate lentils every Monday, and JUST on Mondays. She told me that if you eat lentils every Monday, then you are guaranteed to have enough money in your pockets, and enough food in your belly for the rest of the week. Soon after that, I discovered that everyone in my grandma’s house subscribes to that superstition. Since then I’ve done a little digging and found out that its not just in my grandma’s house, but in all of Peru. Although this recipe did not come from my grandma, it was inspired by all the different lentil dishes I had in Peru every Monday.
Since I pureed half the batch, it’s both a smooth and chunky soup.
Oh and by the way, I ate it on a Tuesday; I wonder if it will still bring me luck.

Ingredients:
1 pound lentils
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2/3 cup finely chopped bell peppers (green, yellow, or red)
2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 quarts vegetable broth (use a bouillon if you don't have the broth)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tbs butter (optional)
2 tbs olive oil

Preparation:
Add all the vegetable ingredients to the bottom of a large crockpot, then add the spices, butter and olive oil. On top of this, add the lentils and then the broth.
Cook on high until it starts to boil, then turn to the crockpot’s lowest setting and simmer for 3 or 4 hours until the lentils break apart when mashed against the side of the pot. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Let the lentil soup sit for an hour to cool down.
Puree half the mixture in a blender and return it back to the crockpot and stir one final time.

Presentation:
Ladle soup into a soup bowl. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice on top and garnish with grated parmesan cheese, cilantro, and diced green onions.

Prepared on 2011-05-17 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Aji De Pollo (Creamy Shredded Chicken with Turmeric)

My mom calls this dish “Picante de Pollo.” Everyone else I know — including my grandma — calls it “Aji de Pollo.” I guess it doesn’t really matter since “picante” means “hot” and “aji” means “hot pepper.”
This is a classic Peruvian dish and one you’ll find in many restaurants in Lima. For me, it’s the turmeric that makes the dish so special. The habanero gives it a slight kick, although in Peru you’d use aji amarillo instead.
Many people like to eat it as a dip for crackers and/or toasted French bread, but I prefer to serve it with rice.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 people)
6 cups cooked rice (1 1/2 cups per serving)
1 pound chicken breasts
3 hamburger or hot dog buns
1 1/2 cups milk (Any milk will do, I used skim)
1 large white onion diced
3 large cloves garlic smashed
1 chicken bouillon cube (if the broth is too weak)
1/4 habanero or 1/2 aji amarillo finely diced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
olive or canola oil

Preparation:
Start by breaking the buns into small chunks. Soak the chunks in a bowl with the milk.
To make a broth, boil the chicken in about 3 cups of water for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set apart on a plate. Into a small container, pour the broth. Break the breasts apart with a fork or your fingers until you have small strips of shredded chicken, no more than an inch long.
In the same pot you cooked the chicken, saute onions along with garlic in a drizzle of oil; add the chicken bouillon, pepper, habanero or aji amarillo, and turmeric.
When the onions and garlic are sauteed and translucent, add about 1/4 cup of the broth. Add the shredded chicken and mix well. Cook 2 or 3 minutes.
Mash the bread and then add it to the pot; cook for about 5 minutes. If the cream gets too thick add more of the broth.
Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove.

Presentation:
When serving with rice, I like to add a side of green beans or spinach fritters, but any kind of vegetable side will work.

Prepared on 2011-04-10 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Egg Salad Sandwich

This is a really simple sandwich to make, perfect for those days when you don’t feel like cooking a whole meal. On the day I prepared this sandwich I’d been working for several hours in the backyard and was tired, hot and hungry. Less than 15 minutes after walking into the house, I was eating the sandwich. It helps that I like to keep at least 2 hard-boiled eggs in the fridge at all times.

Ingredients: (Makes 2 sandwiches)
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried dill
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1 tbs finely chopped onion
4 slices of your favorite bread

Preparation:
Remove both hard-boiled eggs from their shells and put into a medium-sized bowl. Cut into quarters and mash with a fork. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Let it rest about 10 minutes, so the flavors have time to blend.

Serve with your favorite sliced bread.

Recipe cooked on 2011-03-25 (Tulsa, OK), photographs by Michael Findley

Tallarines Verdes (Spinach Pesto)

At my grandparents’ house in Lima, Peru, I had a green pesto-like dish called Tallarines Verdes. It’s essentially a green pasta dish with a green cream that tastes like pesto — but not exactly. Now, pesto is something I love to eat but it’s expensive to make and the ingredients are difficult to find. For example, fresh basil leaves are rare in American grocery stores. Then there are pine nuts, which are not really all that expensive, but are so rarely used that they sit in your pantry forever before you use them again (if you remember you have them in the first place).
My grandma told me she was making this dish, which I remember from my childhood in Peru, but for some reason I never made the connection to basil pesto until I saw it had a few (less than a quarter of a cup) basil leaves. I used to make pesto every week during the summer a few years ago when I grew basil in my back yard.
This is not a dish that is commonly served on its own. My grandma served it alongside breaded beef steak, with cut green beans and a potato.
I present to you 'Tallarines Verdes' — which loosely translated to English means 'Green Pasta' — although we can call it Spinach Pesto.

Ingredients:
1 pound of sirloin or loin steak
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 pound fettuccine, or any string pasta
2 cups cooked spinach (about 5 cups fresh spinach, before its cooked) and 1 cup of the water it was cooked in
1/2 cup queso fresco (a white cheese commonly found in large American grocery stores)
2 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large potatoes with the skin left on
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup raw green beans cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces.
salt, pepper

Preparation:
First, prepare the spinach pesto, since it’s the easiest to make. Basically, the only cooked ingredient is spinach; everything else is fresh.

You can add all the ingredients into a blender at once, although I usually start with the dry ingredients like basil, garlic and cheese, and pulse these a few times with the vegetable oil and about half the cup of spinach water. Add the spinach, a little at a time to keep it from clogging the blender, and add the rest of the water as needed (shoot for a more liquid consistency than the basil pesto you’re probably used to). Once this is done, set the blender aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.
With whatever method you use to steam vegetables, put the potatoes in first, since they take about 40 minutes to steam, and add the green beans about 30 minutes later.
While heating a thin layer of oil in a frying pan, pound the beef steaks to 1/4-inch thickness. Rub salt and pepper into the meat with your fingers and dip the meat into the breadcrumbs. Brown both sides of the meat. Since it’s thin, it shouldn’t take long (about 3 minutes on each side).
Cook the pasta with your own method, about 8 minutes does it for me. Drain and put it back in the pot. Add 3/4 of the pesto from the blender to the pot and mix it well.

Presentation:
Start by placing the green pasta on the plate, then layer some green beans on top. You can serve the potato slices on the side, leaning them up against the pasta, then pour some of the pesto on top of the potatoes and green beans. Add the meat. Garnish the whole plate with Parmesan cheese and a hard-boiled egg wedge.

More pictures in order of preparation:

Recipe prepared on 2011-02-11 (Lima, Peru). Photograph by Michael Findley.

Slow Cooked Chili with a secret ingredient

This is one of my favorite prepare-and-forget dishes, because the prep time is, at most, 15 minutes. The crockpot does the rest. It’s a dish that can be slow-cooked for 6 to 8 hours.
I’ve been making chili in crockpots for years now, but this is a recipe I got from my brother when I went to Columbus for Thanksgiving week last year. The secret ingredient is cilantro as a garnish, but I know people either love cilantro or hate it, so it is optional. It’s also the first time I’ve had garbanzo beans in chili (now I’m addicted to it) so I guess there are really two secret ingredients.
The picture above was taken with chili I made with beef. The intent was to use ground turkey, but I defrosted the wrong meat so I used that instead.
Chili makes for excellent leftovers. In fact, I sometimes think the chili tastes better after a day or two in the fridge. You can even use it to make Frito pies or chili dogs.
I also make chili completely from scratch. I’ll share that recipe with you in the future.

Ingredients:
3 or 4 cans of beans:
Any beans will do; the quantity depends on the size of your crockpot. For this recipe I used:

• 1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can mayocoba Peruvian beans 

1 1/2 large white onion
1 jalapeño
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 package McCormick Mild Chili Spice
1/2 package McCormick Hot Chili Spice
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 bunch green onions diced
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
2 tsp tomato paste (optional)

Preparation:
Dice the onions, garlic and the jalapeño. Add these to the bottom of the crockpot, then add the raw beef or turkey and about 3/4 of the spices and the can of stewed/diced tomatoes. Stir a couple of times then cover and cook for the first 3 to 4 hours on high, then turn the heat to low and add the rest of the spices and the beans. Cover and finish the cooking; if you have time, stir it occasionally. About 30 minutes before the chili is done, add about half the green onions.

If the consistency after cooking is too runny, add about 2 teaspoons of tomato paste to thicken the chili.

Presentation:
If you like cilantro as much as I do, use it as a garnish to get a whole new twist to the chili flavor (one I’ll be using for years to come). Whether or not you use cilantro, top the chili with remaining green onions. Other fun toppings are cheese, croutons and sour cream.
I usually serve my chili on rice, but you can just serve it in a bowl.

Prepared on 2011-03-18 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Lomo Saltado (Saltadito)

Lomo saltado has to be one of my all-time favorites. Maybe it’s the way the meat is marinated, or the seasoning (or even the fact that the dish includes fries) but one serving is never enough. The dish itself is not all that complicated. The type of beef you use depends on how much you want to spend, as long as the beef can be cut into 1½-inch thin strips. The only thing that takes time is chopping and cutting the ingredients and frying the potatoes (and the dish actually works well even without fries).

Everyone in my family has his or her own way of preparing lomo saltado (also commonly known as saltadito — at least in my family). For example, my aunt who lives in Peru leaves off the potato and adds several other vegetables. My mom here in Tulsa adds the fries only part of the time, and she also spices the dish in a different way.

The key to a successful saltadito is to quickly sear the meat, to trap all the juices inside. Don’t overcook the meat. It’s small enough that it won’t take long. Remove the meat and use that same pan to saute the vegetables. (It adds to the flavor.)

Ingredients: (You can click on the red ingredient links to see more information, including where to find them)
2 cloves garlic
1 aji amarillo or jalapeno (optional)
1 pound sirloin steak
4 or 5 medium potatoes
2 large red onions
2 medium tomatoes
salt, pepper
1 tsp aji panca
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 cups of white rice
vegetable oil

Preparation:
Cut all the vegetable ingredients and separate them into individual bowls. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, the onions into thick slices and dice the aji amarillo, then peel the potatoes and cut them into french-fry-size pieces. Combine the onions, tomatoes and garlic into a large bowl and marinate them with the vinegar, oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, salt, pepper and about 1/4 tsp cumin. Cut the steak into 1 1/2 inch strips, about 1/4 inch thick. Rub a little salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and aji panca on the meat, and sprinkle about half the red wine vinegar and 1 tsp of soy sauce. Set this aside for a few minutes. If you’re serving fries with this dish, I recommend preparing them first (along with the rice) since it’s best to serve the meat soon after its cooked.
For the fries, pour about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a pan (its not necessary to completely cover the fries in oil) and turn it to medium high. After a few minutes, take one of your potato strips and dip the tip into the oil; if it sizzles, then it’s hot enough. Put the potatoes in, one layer at a time, and use tongs or a fork to turn them until they’re crisp on all sides and fully cooked through. Dry them on paper towels and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Coat a large pan with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil and set on high heat. When the oil starts smoking, drop the meat in. Stir constantly until the meat is brown on all sides. When you can’t see any more red on the meat, transfer it to a bowl.
Into the pan you just emptied, place the marinated onions, tomatoes and garlic; saute about 3 or 4 minutes. Drop the meat back into the pan and lower the heat to low. At this point, the meat and veggies don’t need to cook longer, just kept warm until serving time.
Mix the fries with the meat and veggies, or just place them on top. I like it both ways.

Presentation:
Put a healthy mound of rice on a plate and then ladle the saltadito on top or to the side of the rice. I prefer to put it on top so the rice can absorb some of the veggie and meat juices. If you mixed the fries with the saltadito while in the pan, you’re done. If not, add a few on top. Enjoy!

Some pictorial sequence pictures

Recipe cooked on 2011-02-13 (Lima, Peru). Photographs by Michael Findley.