Casa Vanessa

Dear all, please welcome me back from my [almost] six month blog hiatus. My intention was not to abandon you. However, sometimes a brilliant law student is faced with only two options. To balance a full course load - including her first real trial  - with a part-time job or to enjoy cooking and blogging. Clearly, I opted for the former.   Luckily, as all in life, that too, was temporary and here I am thinking of you as I explore vegetarian cooking.  This recipe was originally posted by Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times about a year ago. I tweaked it a little and here it is.  Ingredients    2 tbl of Virgin Olive Oil 1 small onion finely chopped 1 large carrot, diced 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp of red pepper flakes 1 can of grated tomatoes 1 cup of lentils water (obvious but just in case) 1 small escarole bouquet garni: bay leaves, thyme, cilantro, parmigiano romano rind   Preparation Heat oil in dutch oven (or any pot) ...

A trip to Costco's meat department inspired this succulent recipe that reminded me of my typical meals growing up where beef and salsa were a MUST at the dinner table. BEEF Arrachera cut is the best for this dish. I am not exactly sure if it is flank steak because it is not tough as flank steak is supposed to be yet the translations all have arrachera as flank. Here is what it looks like: You can marinade this beef anyway you want it.  This time I just used salt and pepper because I knew my salsa would give it a lot more flavor later. This recipe is so easy yet so great! First, dab a little oil with a napkin on the cast iron grill.   Then place the beef on the grill, turn it, and take it out when your heart desires. Simple as that. SALSA Oh! Salsita hmmmm just even writing about it gets me excited. This is just one variation of the always welcomed Mexican salsa. First boil three tomatoes and two jalapeños. Once they are boiled peel the tomatoes and remove the ends to...

This week we go from Casa de Vanessa to Chez Nina...   Nina had the pleasure of collaborating on Vanessa's culinary adventure recently, and they enjoyed a dinner of pear/ham/arugula appetizers, pizza made from scratch, and salad. For the appetizers, take two pears and cut each of them into 8 wedges.  In a large bowl, toss the pears wedges with 2 teaspoons (about 2 squeezes) of fresh lemon juice.  Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a small piece of blue cheese onto a piece of prosciutto, and roll the prosciutto around the pear-arugula-cheese.  You can also use melon, peaches, and cantaloupe as a substitute for the pears.  The end product should look something like this: The first step in making the pizza is to prepare the crust.  You can either use a readymade one or make your own.  Here is a link to a simple pizza crust recipe:  http:// thepioneerwoman.com/tasty- kitchen/recipes/main-courses/ basic-pizza-crust/ . Put the crust in the ...

Hi all, I had been craving my gramma's picadillo so I e-mailed her for the recipe.  Her response (below) was interesting but it got me Picadillo.  Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries. It is usually with beef, tomatoes, and other ingredients that vary by region.  Cubans, however, make it with pork. It is typically served with rice and tortillas. The name comes from the Spanish word "picar," which means "to mince" or "to chop". From the horse's mouth: Se pone a cocer la carne Puede ser arriachera o lomo ( te recomiendo arriachera ) Se pone a cocer con un pedazo de cebolla y 2 dientes de ajo, se le saca despues la cebolla y el ajo, se pone a desebrar. Luego se pone a cocer chile rojo california "seco" ancho y se muele en la licuadora y lo cuelas en el colador. Despues cortas la cebolla por mitad y cortas julianas (como lunas que se desgajan) las apartas despues cortas tomatillo tambien como la cebolla ...

Today is one of those days when I need an outlet; a conduit for expression to liberate this energy.  So I create this blog to share. To share what has begun to bring me great joy, pleasure, and relaxation. Cooking is starting to become my therapy and my hobby. I want to share my adventures in the kitchen with you. Here are some pictures of what I've been cooking recently.  Preparing Pozole: Chile and Hominy Breaded fish for tacos & coctel de camaron. Grilled Salmon Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas Chilaquiles for breakfast Fajita style shrimp and Mexican rice Fish tacos, fries, and white rice with chinese green stuff My goal is to post the recipes to these and other delicious dishes here. Please make your requests. I take great pleasure in cooking. Good night.