The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

New York Monday #122: Outside the Frick Museum

Paz — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:26:02 +0000

Outside the Frick Museum on Fifth Avenue.

Happy Monday to all!

Paz

Happy Mother’s Day!

Paz — Sun, 11 May 2008 02:04:43 +0000

Tulips found on the East Side

To all women out there! Happy Mother’s Day! Happy Sunday!

Paz

Zucchini and Eggs

Paz — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:30:33 +0000

I found this very easy and delightful Greek recipe on Laurie’s wonderful blog, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. I already had the basic ingredients (zucchini, eggs, lemons, onions, feta cheese. and bread) so I made it for dinner. With this simple recipe, I was happy I didn’t have to exert a lot of energy in the kitchen after a long day’s work. The only things missing were the olives and a glass of ouzo but my dinner was still delicious. ;-) Perhaps I shouldn’t point this out but the zucchini slices are supposed to be nicely browned but as I was preparing it, I was too hungry to wait for it to properly brown. It still tasted good — brown or not.

Paz

Zucchini and Eggs
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as part of an appetizer spread
Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska

2 medium zucchini (1 pound)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 1/4” dice
4 eggs
Lemon wedges

Cut the zucchini in 1/2” slices. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet and add half the zucchini in a single layer. Cook, without disturbing, until the zucchini is browned on the bottom; turn the zucchini over and brown on the second side. Remove to paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.

In the same pan, adding olive oil if necessary, sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until they soften and begin to turn golden. Add the cooked zucchini and gently mix the zucchini and onion. Spread the vegetables out evenly over the bottom of the skillet.

Whisk together the eggs, and pour evenly over the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover, turn down the burner, and cook over low heat until the eggs are set. Slide the Zucchini and Eggs onto a serving platter, cut into quarters, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.

Zafiris serves Zucchini and Eggs with slices of feta cheese, olives, bread, and a glass or two of ouzo.

New York Monday # 121: Let’s Go on a Carriage Ride

Paz — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:23:04 +0000

On Eighth Avenue, heading towards Central Park. Who wants a ride?

Paz (who’s never taken a carriage ride before)

Black Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro

Paz — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:25:34 +0000

I love salads. I may have already told you this. I’m not sure but I’ll tell you again. I love salads — all kinds of salads, not just your regular leafy green type.

Kalyn made a Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro that screamed at me to make it immediately. I liked all the ingredients but my favorite (and if you’re a regular reader, you’ll already know) is cilantro. It makes me do my happy dance in the kitchen when I chop it for use and sprinkle it on my food. This is a super easy salad to prepare and the best thing about it is that you can use any type of beans you want. Instead of pinto beans, I used black beans. I’m going to experiment with different beans. Awesome salad, Kalyn. Thanks!

Paz

Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro
(Makes 4 side-dish servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 can pinto beans, rinse and drain very well
4-5 tsp. white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 avocado, diced into pieces 1/2 inch square
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes (cherry tomatoes cut in half would be great too, but I had medium tomatoes which I cut in eighths)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1-2 T olive oil, or a bit more
fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Pour beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well until no more foam appears. Let beans drain well for at least 15 minutes. Then blot beans dry with paper towel, place in plastic bowl, and toss with white balsamic vinegar. Let beans marinate in the vinegar while you prep other ingredients.

Cut avocado into 1/2 inch pieces and place in small bowl. Toss with lime juice. Chop tomatoes, or if using cherry tomatoes, cut in half.

Chop red onion and cilantro. (I like to chop with a chef’s knife, but you could use a mini-chopper or food processor for this.) Mix onions and cilantro into marinating beans. Then use a large spoon to gently fold in avocado and tomato. Drizzle olive oil over salad and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt, and gently toss again. Serve immediately, at room temperature.

Variations: I think other varieties of beans would also be tasty in this combination.

New York Monday #120: Passing by the Tulips

Paz — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:04:59 +0000

Some white tulips near Lincoln Center. Have a great week!

Paz

Tepid Chickpea and Chicken Salad with Zucchini and Sundried Tomatoes or Insalata Tiepida di Ceci e Pollo con Zucchine e Pomodori Secchi

Paz — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:31:05 +0000

Ilva’s salads are always sure winners for me. And here’s another one that recently caught my eye — Tepid Chickpea and Chicken Salad with Zucchini and Sundried Tomatoes. I loved this one. I loved that the ingredients are simple and delicious. Everything went well together — the chicken, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, parsley and garlic. Mixed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, I had a lip-smacking time eating this salad. Oh! and it’s preparation time is fast, so that I didn’t have to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. Grazie, Ilva!

TEPID CHICKPEA AND CHICKEN SALAD WITH ZUCCHINI AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES or INSALATA TIEPIDA DI CECI E POLLO CON ZUCCHINE E POMODORI SECCHI

Lucullian Delights

3-4 servings

1 chicken breast
400 ml/1,7 cup cooked chickpeas
2 medium zucchini
2 whole sundried tomatoes on the large side
1-2 tblsp chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic
Black pepper
Salt
Mild vinegar or lemon/lime juice
Extra-virgin olive oil

- Mix vinegar, salt, parsley and olive oil and pour it over the chickpeas. Leave them to marinate while you proceed with the recipe.

- Put the sundried tomatoes in some tepid water to soak.

- Chop the garlic, cut or slice the zucchini into pieces and start braising them in a pan with some olive oil.

- Cut the chicken breast into small pieces and then salt and pepper them well, especially the last. Chop the sundried tomatoes finely.

- When the zucchini begins to be golden, add chicken and the chopped tomatoes and sautè for 4-5 minutes, it depends on how big the chicken pieces are.

- Pour away the excess oil and mix with the chickpeas.

- Let it cool down a little before serving.

New York Monday#119: Let Us Have Peace

Paz — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:10:45 +0000

This is the phrase that is placed above the entrance of Grant’s tomb, the largest mausoleum in North America. Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Civil War General and the 18th President of the United States and his wife Julia are entombed here. Let us have peace.

Paz

LiveSTRONG with a Taste of Yellow 2008: Corn Salad

Paz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:47:14 +0000

The Lance Armstrong Foundation provides the practical tools and information that people with cancer need to to live strong.

May 13, 2008 is LIVESTRONG Day, where different events are held worldwide to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer.

Barbara of Winos and Foodies is hosting LIVESTRONG Day event again this year. It’s a way for food and wine bloggers to show support for those battling cancer. Last year she organized the event and 149 bloggers participated. Wow! Wow! Wow! This is what I made last year for the event. Here is the roundup of 2007 entries. Check it out when you can, there are a lot of creative and delicious dishes.

Participants are asked to prepare foods in the color yellow. This year, I put together a corn salad. I love corn and I love bright food colors. Needless to say, I like yellow. For this salad, I mixed corn kernels, red bell peppers, scallions, and cilantro (my favorite! but you can use parsely). Then I added olive oil, white pepper, Kosher salt and some red pepper flakes (gotta add a little heat!). Oh, and some fresh lemon juice, I added lemon juice, too. I love my corn salad — healthy, tasty and colorful yellow. LIVESTRONG Yellow!

If you’re interested in participating in this event, it’s not too late. Please join us. April 19 is the deadline to submit your entry to Barbara. Go here for the guidelines.

I have two extra LIVESTRONG wristbands, which I’d be happy to send to anyone who’d like one. E-mail me if you’re interested. You can find my addy in the ABOUT section.

Thanks, Barbara, for putting this wonderfully supportive event together. If you visit Winos and Foodies on May 13, you can see the list of fantastic enteries that Barbara will put together.

Paz

New York Monday #118: Signs of Spring!

Paz — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:46:05 +0000

Flowering Callery Pear Tree

Signs of spring are all over the city. I see a lot of flowering trees. I must admit that autumn is my favorite season and I like cold weather (minus the snow), but I’m excited that spring is here. Yay! It looks and feels wonderful. Have a great week, everyone. Happy Monday!

Paz

Callery Pear Tree Flowers