Pineapple Pork and Long Bean Stir-Fry

My garden has finally started producing some beautifully delicious vegetables! I had an abundance of Chinese long beans and Chinese cabbage and what better way to put these delectable vegetables to good use than in a Pineapple Pork and Long Bean Stir-Fry. I love how tender the pork becomes when tenderized with baking soda, then marinaded in ginger, garlic and soy, with a little heat from a few Thai chilies! The Chinese long beans, similar to string beans, add that a mild asparagus-like flavor. The Chinese cabbage, similar to bok choy, is sweeter and softer than green cabbage. Not only is this dish beautiful to look at, it has a very big "yum" factor, that I think you will enjoy! And, The Hub, my eternal taste-barometer, barely came up for air, and when he did it was to ask if there was enough for seconds. Yup, it's a hit!

Serves 4-6

To super tenderize the pork:
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 pounds pork loin, sliced into bite size strips

Sprinkle over top of pork and with clean hands, massage into strips. Allow to tenderize for 30 minutes. Rinse pork strips under cold water, repeat once more to make sure all traces of baking soda are gone.
Want to learn more about tenderizing with baking soda? Check out my post Baking Soda as a Tenderizer.

To marinate the pork:
2 pounds pork loin, sliced into bite size strips
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1-3 Thai chilies, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped (optional)

Spicy Coconut Curry Grilled Shrimp

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 

The last few weeks of extended daylight are within reach, which means I won't be using the outdoor grill as often during the weekdays. By now you probably know that we love curry, coconut and Thai chilies and what better way to use these beautiful and fiery spices and ingredients than with grilled shrimp! A little time to marinate, a few skewers, a scorching hot grill and you are on your way to the most delectable shrimp dish my Spicy Coconut Curry Grilled Shrimp. I love pairing this with sliced avocado wedges and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 2 - 4

1 pound of large shrimp, peeled* and deveined
1 tablespoon coconut milk solid
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1-3 Thai chilies (or to taste) finely minced
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger root
1 tablespoons of minced cilantro
4 tablespoons of toasted coconut flakes
1 lime cut into 8 wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Hearty Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato & Ham

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 
Ah lentils. They are delicious little nutritious morsels, that I believe are a legume that has gone overlooked. Lentils are hearty not mention that they have a lot of nutritional benefits. Want to know what they are? Here are a few fun facts about lentils: lowers cholesterol, full of fiber benefiting your heart, blood sugar and digestive health, good source of protein, increases energy and can help lower your weight by making you feel full. If those aren't some great benefits to get lentils in your life I don't know what is. To me, it's a power food. The recipe I've provided compliments the lentils with added vegetables to make this meal heartier. Obviously, to make lentils you will need some type of liquid... you can choose water or follow my tip; half ham stock and half chicken stock. Ham stock you ask? I use Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate; they are little packets of granulated ham that you add to water. Voila: ham stock! I like to use chicken stock as my other half of liquid to add even more flavor. I use this recipe with split peas as well (green or yellow). You can use pieces of cut sausage in this soup as well as regular potatoes instead of sweet potato. Edit as you wish but do try this recipe it is delicious!

Recipe:
1 16oz package lentils
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham hock
1 ham steak, cubed or cubed ham
4 cups ham stock
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
splash of white wine (optional)
2 sweet potatoes, chopped

Drunken Tres Leche Cupcakes

 A Two for Tuesday Recipe 
There is a lot of speculation as to where Tres Leches Cake (Cake in Three Milks) originated. A quick search online will produce a myriad of answers (I'll wait while you search). Back? See, what did I tell you! The first time I had Tres Leches was at my in-laws, who happen to be Nicaraguan, and at around that time Tres Leches started to appear on the Miami food scene. This happened to coincide with the (mass) immigration of Nicaraguans to Miami in the early 80's - so my biased conclusion - it's a Nicaraguan dessert! If you've never had Tres Leches Cake, it's basically a sponge or yellow cake that is soaked in three milks; heavy cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk and then topped with a thick, creamy meringue. To say that this dessert is sinfully rich and delicious is an understatement. I wanted to make a more portable, not as "soaked" version, of this creamy cake, I also wanted it to have a bit of a "kick" in the form of a little rum (okay, a lot of rum). So after a few tries, my Drunken Tres Leches Cupcakes were born. I don't like a mushy cake and the batter that I use in both the cupcake and cake version stands up very well  to soaking. The texture and mouthfeel are perfect - not too dry and definitely not mushy. As to the rum, use a good quality rum and if you've never tried Nicaraguan rum, give Flor de Caña a try, it's become one of my favorite rums. Putting this decadent dessert into a cupcake makes it way more appealing for on the go eating or just all around anytime eating!

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
6 eggs + 3 egg yolks, set aside the egg whites for the meringue.
2/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt

Slow-Cooked Kale and Ham

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 
I don't know about you but sometimes I may order a meal because of the sides it comes with.  I recently had a delicious kale cooked with ham at a local eatery that was out of this world. So, of course,  I set out to recreate the kale I had and I am really thrilled with how delicious it was. My version has a wonderfully smokey scent and the taste ... hammy with hints of bacon ... is comfort food all the way. Warm, and hammy, it's a perfect side dish.  Because this is a slow cooked kale, the bitterness that turns some folks off of kale, disappears and the kale itself takes on a slightly spicy taste that is simply amazing. If you have your doubts about kale, this recipe may turn you into a fan!


1- 1 pound bag of kale
2 quarts of ham stock*
1- 2 ham hocks
8 ounces of  ham steak, diced
1 package of center cut bacon*, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 or more Thai chilies (optional), cut in half and lightly smashed

Tropical Citrus Grilled Chicken

The last days of daylight lingering around till seven are slowly starting to disappear and before that happened I wanted to savor a simple, yet delicious grilled chicken, my Tropical Citrus Grilled Chicken to be exact.

This is one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes because it has all the flavors that I associate with a meal that is inspired by a tropical climate ... citrus, pineapple, garlic and cumin. This recipes starts out roasting in the oven and is then finished off on the grill.  I've found that this combination keeps the chicken from overcooking on the grill and produces a much juicier and flavor packed chicken. I use bone-in and skin on chicken thighs in this recipe. I think chicken thigh is the best part of chicken because it tends to not dry out, and it certainly packs a whole lot more flavor then chicken breast. Once you've tried this recipe, I think it'll become one of your favorites too!

Serves 4

4 limes - zest grated and juiced
2 lemons - zest grated and juiced
2 sour oranges - you can substitute with 1 medium orange, zest grated and juiced
8 ounces pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds of chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
Additional limes to squeeze over cooked chicken

Peeling Ginger Root Effortlessly & Without Waste

Did you know a grapefruit spoon is perfect for peeling ginger root? 
It really is! 

I had just finished eating my morning grapefruit and was going to start prepping tonight's dinner which uses ginger root, when I realized my grapefruit spoon was the perfect gadget to peel it.

In case you don't know or have never seen one, a grapefruit spoon has a serrated edge almost all the way all around and is very pointy. I've used a regular spoon to peel up ginger root and it works fine except around the corners and nubby parts. It just doesn't reach in enough and either you end up cutting it of and trashing it or it breaks off. The grapefruit spoon does an excellent job of removing the peel and getting into those corners and around the nubby parts. If you use a knife or peeler to remove the peel, you are probably cutting/peeling off way more ginger too than you need to. If you have a grapefruit spoon lying around in the back of a kitchen drawer, give this a try, I think you'll be pleased with how easily it comes off and you'll have a lot less waste too!