Chicken Tostada Salad with Black Cuban Style Beans

Posted on April 28, 2011 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPE

My chicken tostada recipe is very easy and fresh tasting.  I think the secret is the lime onion mixture. This great low cost meal makes for a wonderful summer dinner on the deck for four people.

1 White onion diced, place diced onion in bowl and add juice of 2 fresh limes, add 1/4 tsp salt, stir, cover, and place in refrigerator.

1 lb. Skinless chicken breast filets, season with cajun or chili powder, and then grill on BBQ, or on stove in pan oiled with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil.

4 Flour Tortillas

1 – 15 oz can Cuban style black beans – cooked in small pot

1 – 7 oz jar Roasted Red Bell Peppers – cut into 1/3 inch wide strips 

2 Fresh Avocados – peeled and sliced into slender wedges

1 Head red lettuce – torn into bite size peices

1 Head green lettuce – torn into bite size peices   

Combine and toss lettuce with 1/4 cup Southwestern Caesar Salad dressing (get recipe in Easy Recipes archives) or use a purchased ranch style dressing.  

Assembly:  Place tossed lettuce on each of 4 plated tortilla shells,  make hole in middle of lettuce and add Cuban style black beans, place slices of grilled chicken on top of the beans, spinkle good helping of diced onion on top of the chicken (but reserve some onion). Finally, top the lettuce with red pepper and avocado strips, and sprinkle a little of the reserved diced onion to finish.

You will notice there is no cheese in this recipe.  I do not use cheese becuase the salad is very flavorful, and skipping cheese is an easy way reduce the fat content of the meal.  But, if you want to add some cheese for taste and looks, go for it. 

There you go, you just made a great and easy Chicken Tostada Cuban Black Bean Salad.              

AND STUFF

My oldest son started learning to ride the waves as a sponger (boogey board) when he was about 9. He became a competitive sponger, and his water knowledge and skills increased to the point he went on to become a surfer. But back when he was a young sponger his great vacation idea was to go to Baja because of the awesome waves he had read about. 

We started our journey camping on the beach just north of Ensenada, Mexico. There was a nice campground on the beach, with a little campground restaurant up the hill from the beach. To get started he would hop from rock to rock on a natural break wall and then, at just the right moment between waves he would jump into the ocean from the last rock and kick like crazy to get out before the next wave crested.

But, that was just the start.  At night, sitting by our tent, we could see Todos Santos Island off in the distance.  My son went on and on about how he had read in all the surf magazines how great the surf was off the island, and how he would so love to try sponging the spot.  Being the pushover that I am, I agreed to go into town and see if we could join a group to go to the Todos Santos.

We checked into a motel in Ensenada, and went to the harbor to locate a guide.  We found a sign saying “Surfos Todos Santos” and figured we had found the right shop.  After a little negotiating with the tour representative, we paid our fare and we were told to arrive the next morning for our boat ride.

My son was ecstatic the entire evening and after waking up early, and having a little breakfast, we were off to the tour shop to join the group. We found our tour rep and he directed us to a specific dock.  And then we noticed two things, there were no other “surfos”, and the “boat”.  My young son turned to me and said, “dad, this boat is a piece of crap”.  There must be a strong mental bond between a father and son, because at the precise moment I was also thinking that the boat was a piece of something. But, with my best foot forward I instead responded to the effect that the boat was not so bad, kind of neat getting a classic old 18 foot wooden boat.

Off we went with our guide in the little wooden boat.  We putted along out through the harbor, past giant freighters, and into the open ocean.  I figured between his sponge board and our life jackets we had a fairly good chance of getting back should the practically invisible little boat be hit by a freighter during our 12 mile crossing to the island. We were not sunk by a freighter, and the ride over was really fun. We got a nice view of the island as we motored past the south side of the island, and then we broke out on the west side of the island for our first look at the break.

The break is aptly named “Killers”.  As we came around the island and headed toward the drop off point in the ocean we watched one huge wave after another blast toward the shore intermittantly marred by huge rocks (anyone can sponge a monster wave onto a sandy beach).  About this time the guide pointed out some crosses on the cliffs above the shore, and advised us that those were for the “surfos” who hit the rocks and were never seen again.

Ok, this was looking bad from any perspective, let alone that of a dad. I was madly trying to figure out a way to put the brakes on the impending train wreck, when my son asked me to have the guide maneuver around some more so he could get a better feel for the best way to enter the lineup.

Then I noticed an opening for discussion.  I mentioned to my son that there were no other spongers or surfers in the water. Turns out, he too had been mulling that fact in his mind.

So far so good, he had not gone over the side of the boat and I had not had to put my foot down. After a few more minutes, my son finally said he did not think he wanted to go out if no one else was in the water. He wondered if it would be ok with me if he did not go out on this trip. Let’s see, hmm, well, and then with a straight face I responded that it would be ok since it would be kind of lonely in the water all alone.  Train wreck averted without putting my foot down!!

I yelled over to the guide that there would be no sponging today, and he yelled to us we had the boat for the day, would we like to see some whales.  Yup that would be just fine.

So off we putted further out to sea in our little boat, to find whales. And we did.

We were cruising along in our “crappy” little boat, with the water 3 or 4 feet below the side rail of the boat, when all of a sudden a grey whale surfaced and crossed by the side of the boat so close you could just about reach out and touch it. We could actually see the barnacles and scars on the side of the whale. Our driver slowly cruised around in the ocean, and every now and then a whale would surface in the distance or in some cases much nearer us.  It was a site to behold.

I suspect cruising around more than 12 miles out in the ocean in a small wooden boat, with grey whales surfacing in close proximity is dangerous on many levels.  But at that moment I was just enjoying the awesome spectacle with my son, glad that he too had a mental bond with his dad. We can do “Killers” some other time.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Crab Stuffed Avocado

Posted on April 21, 2011 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPE

This recipe is based on the original found in the 1954 cookbook entitled What’s Cooking In Walla Walla.  This would make a good lunch meal, or dinner starter salad.

Serves up to 8 depending on whether main course or dinner salad.

4 Avocados

8 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 clove garlic, sliced into 8

2 1/2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/4 Cup half and half

2/3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

dash of cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1 1/2 Tbsp grated onion

1/3 tsp Celery salt

2 1/2 cups Crab meat (canned ok)

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cut avocados in half, remove pit. In each half avacado place 1 Tbsp vinegar and 1 slice garlic and let stand for 30 minutes. 

In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add cream, cook at low temperature stirring constantly until it thickens.  Add worcestershire, onion, celery salt, and other seasonings.  Add crab meat and stir.

Drain the rice vinegar and garlic from avocados, fill with creamed mixture, sprinkle with cheese. 

Set avocados on a sided baking sheet, add 1/4″ water to baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with french bread and assorted fruit tray. Maybe a little Sangria too!  

This would be extra good for a nice summer lunch on the deck. 

AND STUFF

I was recently speaking with a friend who is new to the area.  He was grousing about all the people in his community going to Palm Desert for spring break.  He just couldn’t understand what the big deal was as Palm Desert is only 100 miles or so away.  In my friend’s view, a vacation is going to Europe or at least somewhere farther away than 100 miles. Knowing my family’s spring break did not start for another week, my friend asked me where we were going?  I responded straight faced, “Palm Desert”, and then started laughing from the look of embarssament and disbelief on his face.

Palm Desert is actually about 120 miles from where we live. But as they say, it is a world away.  The trip by car can take anywhere from 2 ½  to 6 hours depending upon the flow of traffic.  Cruising down Highway 91 is for the most part a blur of never ending tilt-up buildings, malls, and housing developments. But, then you exit onto Route 60, and you breakout into a beautiful stretch of curving road running through grass and tree covered hills and valleys. 

The journey is not over yet, because the next merge is onto the 10 Freeway, and in no time at all the terrain becomes bare and for the most part treeless; until entering the “windmill forest”. They tell me the windmills are evidence of progress.  Where there used to be untouched desert floor and foothills at the base of the mountains now stand hundreds of huge churning windmills.  As I drive through the “windmill forest” I find the swirling blades to be somewhat disorienting. But, after about 15 miles the windmills are in the rear view mirror, and desert sand and mountains are again all that can be seen ahead.

Exiting onto Highway 111 going toward Palm Springs takes us past sand dunes, and then we arrive at the first stop light, where we always open the roof.  It is uncanny, but as the roof opens and we slowly drive through the city streets, our work pressures simply dissolve. The pace of our city life slows down.

There is another tradition that further slows the pace of life.  Trust me, we are not alone in enjoying this tradition. We once mentioned this traditon at a soccer game and others immediately chimed in that they too were followers. Our first stop in the desert is always for lunch on the courtyard at Las Casuelas Terraza .  The view is great, the service and food wonderful, and the Cadillac Margarita requires two hands to lift!

This leads to our third tradition, a long post lunch window shopping walk up and down Palm Canyon Drive to buy a new hat or pool toy, while at the same time making certain the margarita has been tempered by time.

Next it is off to Palm Desert where we usually stay. In Palm Desert we slow down even further sitting by the pool, riding bikes, and golfing. The spring days are usually perfect, with the palm trees swaying and snow capped mountains in the background. 

True, it’s only 120 miles from home, but that means it only takes a couple hours to get from LA to a desert paradise.  That is the draw of Palm Desert.

Compare notes with your table guests. I bet you can come up with a number of wonderful places to visit very near your home.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Posted on April 16, 2011 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPE

Lois gave this recipe to me in the late 1970’s, and her grandmother gave it to her.  So, for all I know this could be the very first recipe for lasagna ever! One thing for sure the recipe is based on great family cooking. 

I have made this with noodles that need to be boiled and with the new version that do not require boiling.  While it is an extra step, I prefer the boiled noodle.  But, if you are in a hurry and don’t care, its a lot easier with the new no boil noodle.

Step by Step Recipe for Lasagna with Italian sausage:

1 lb spicy italian pork or turkey sausage

2 cloves garlic – diced

2 – 15 oz cans tomatoes – diced    

1 – 12 oz can tomato paste

2 cups onion – diced 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry basil

1 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 lb mozzarella cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

Brown the sausage with the garlic (drain excess fat), then set aside

Combine diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, salt, basil, and oil in a large pot.  Simmer 1 hour or until slightly thickened.

Cook the lasagna noodles per box direction (or just use no boil noodles). 

Beat the 2 eggs and add them to a bowl containing the ricotta cheese.

Line bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with a layer of noodles and then cover the noodles with 1/3 each of the sauage, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce mixture, and mozzarella, add 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, and a dash of pepper.

Do the preceeding step two more times.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove and let stand for 15 minutes before you cut into the lasagna.

While waiting, put together a nice salad.  Do yourself a favor, don’t make garlic bread, and with the fat and calories saved have a second serving of lasagna.     

AND STUFF

I think it was Sting who said an English gentleman never runs.  Not being English, nor even perhaps a gentleman, I prefer to say I only run when a tiger is chasing me. Which luckily for me has, to date, not been a problem.

Point being, I do not like to run.  To me there just doesn’t seem to be a significant purpose for running. I mean why go through all the bother. If I need to go somewhere, a car or bike is a much faster means of travel. If I want to exercise, the equipment at Gold’s Gym provides a more complete workout and there are flat screens everywhere.  And, if I just want to increase my cardio, drinking a cup or two of coffee while watching the TV news accomplishes the goal of elevating my heart rate while at the same time keeping me up to date on current events. 

I can only recall about 3 occasions where I found sufficient reason to run.

The first time was in Kauai when I thought a picture of me running on the beach would be funny, at least to me. So I had Sue take a picture while I “jogged” down the beach for nearly a half block! I would have run less, but at the blistering speed I run when I even imagine a tiger is after me, Sue needed that distance to position me in the camera frame. In any event the photo preserved a beautiful ocean scene, and cleverly provided me with indisputable evidence of me jogging.

My second “jog” was an early morning run across the Tower Bridge in London. I was alone, had jet lag, and could not sleep.  So I figured jogging across the Tower Bridge would be a good story and would provide me with a great retort whenever the little lady would later suggest a run.

And my final “jog” was early one morning while staying at the Vista Hotel in the World Trade Center in New York.  There is no photo of the run, but it was a nice memory.  

I especially recall running past the Twin Towers, and down toward the nearby waterway. I watched a young couple pull up to the dock on a very large sleek sailboat. Without barely speaking a word, they handed off the boatlines to dockworkers and simply walked away. It can’t get much cooler than that. 

Who knew, it would appear that I have at least one thing in common with the super rich and an English gentleman, we just don’t run.

So, what’s the point of this edition of And Stuff?  Well, I like the memories, and the imagery those stories of jogging brought to life for me. Also, I like the irony of the fact that while I cannot stand to jog, I have 3 great memories that are solely the product of running.  Huh, go figure.

I am guessing that while enjoying your lasagna dinner you can recall a story or two about something marvelous resulting from an activity you typically do not enjoy.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Special Edition

Posted on April 12, 2011 by easyrecipesandstuffc

Goodbye Mimi 

We said goodbye to a very special friend on Saturday. Mimi was so beautiful and petite, yet so strong.  She and her husband Gerard were the energy in any room they entered.  Both were loving, caring, and just plain fun to be with. 

Gerard first saw Mimi walking down a beach in Puerto Rico. He knew she was the one.  But Mimi was not instantly won over by the little Frenchman. Gerard persisted, and a love of romance novel proportions grew between them. 

Early in their marriage, while living in New York Gerard had his first heart attack.  Tiny Mimi literally carried Gerard to a nearby trauma center, saving his life. 

Eight years ago, Gerard had his last heart attack.  There was no saving him this time and he was gone. I think Mimi died that day as well.  She never fully got over the loss. But, there was much she still had to do. You see their daughter was in high school.

After Danielle graduated from high school, Mimi, now a single working mother, got Danielle into LMU.  In four years Danielle graduated. Mimi was happy and so proud that day. With Mimi’s loving guidance and spirit, her and Gerard’s daughter matured into a beautiful and special young adult.

A week ago Sunday, Mimi went to sleep in her and Gerard’s bed, in their house overlooking the Pacific Ocean, for the last time. No doubt she is now once again walking the beach with Gerard. 

It is ironic how two people with such loving hearts would both pass away through the failing of the heart, Gerard by a heart attack, and Mimi by an undiagnosed broken heart.

Goodbye Mimi,

Roger & Sue

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