Cook on the Run

Shrimp N' Sherry

2010-11-22T00:12:00.000-05:00

Here's to truly cooking on the run! This has only 4 ingredients and takes no more than 10 minutes to make.

Shrimp N' Sherry

1 lb. of shrimp
1 head of garlic
1/2 cup of dry sherry wine
1 cup of flat leaf parsley

Clean and devein shrimp. Mince garlic (that's one notch smaller than a chop). Lastly, chop up some flat leaf parsley. Sautee garlic in olive oil for about 1.5 minutes on med heat. (Careful not to burn) Add in the shrimp (make sure it's towel dried). Lastly, add in the dry sherry wine after about 30 seconds. Cook for another 1.5 - 2 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Add in the parsley. You Are Done!

Cookontherun on Hiatus...

2010-08-30T00:08:00.002-04:00

Check back in late fall!

Roasted Beets and Brussel Sprouts

2010-08-09T23:30:00.001-04:00

You either love beets or you hate them. The Obamas just made headlines saying they don’t like them. Some even say they taste like dirt; and, they do, if you are eating them raw. But cook them right and there is no masking the sweetness and texture of the beet. Roasting any vegetable brings out its natural sugars and intensifies its flavors. It’s the perfect way to prepare vegetables you normally wouldn’t eat. So this is the perfect vehicle for the beet. If your only experience with them has been from a can or from a purple abyss on your stove top, try this!

You’ll need:
4 medium beets
2 fennel bulbs
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large baking dish, toss the beets and fennel with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until tender. You may need to cook it a bit longer, depending on done you want your vegetables, but don’t kill them!

Try it a different way:

Make a brunch salad out of this and toss in some walnuts and a bleu cheese (Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Maytag Blue, Roquefort)
Try it a different way Add an apple and toss some honey.
Try adding herbs like thyme, tarragon

Sushi / Sashimi!

2010-07-25T23:06:00.006-04:00

Inspired by the many nights per month I chow down on sushi, I decided to make quite the sushi platter the last time I entertained. 2 realizations: Boy is this easy and boy is this cheap! I bought 8 ounces of fresh sushi-grade tuna from the Japanese market and happen to have sushi rice at home. This is very easy, very healthy, and will surprise your guests next time you have them over. Give it a try!

The Rice (the most complex part of this!)

Most important, purchase the correct rice. Sushi is usually made with special Japanese white hulled sushi rice. Everyyday supermarket rice or "converted" rice from the supermarket won't come close and will not bind together properly. So do yourself a favor and spring for the sushi rice.

Measure the rice out (2 cups rice, 2 cups of water). Next, wash the rice a few times until the water runs clear when draining. Transfer the rice to your pot or electric rice cooker and add the measured water. Once cooked, add in 1/3 cup of sushi vinegar. If you don't have it, 1/3 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tbs. sugar, and 1 tsp. salt. (sushi vinegar is packaged seasoned with salt and sugar) Place the rice in a non-reactive bowl (non-metal) and let it cool for a few minutes.

The Fish

Using a sharp knife, cut the fish into 1/4 inch by 1 inch thin slices. (see above) Place over rolled up rice and serve.

Easy as can be!

Green Beans with a Twist

2010-07-18T22:57:00.006-04:00

First segment in some time! Very excited to be getting back into the live cooking. Different kitchen, same great food!

This recipe is real quick one. Green Beans with a twist. Check the video to find out what it is!

Catch where I say sardines! I meant to say anchovies.

Heirloom Tomatoes w/ Prosciutto

2010-07-12T00:17:00.002-04:00

Here is a quick tomato dish that easily serves as a side dish or my personal favorite, a topping for an awesome salad. As ususal, my day began at six and ended at 9:30pm. I needed a barely 10 minute meal. All I had in the fridge were some heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto, and butter lettuce. Lightbulb went off and I decided on this warm topper for the salad.

Real quick: Take olive oil (use the pump spray to minimize the amount you use), and brown the prosciutto, for about 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat. Add in halved grape heirloom tomatoes, continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Splash some balsamic vinegar in the pan, and drizzle this over salad. Crack the salt and pepper if you'd like!

Low carb for a late dinner. Simple and sophisticated enough for family and company. Gotta love it.

¡Buen Provecho!

Feta Burger and Chickpea Salad

2010-05-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

I’m going to be very honest, unless it’s 3am and my judgment is a bit impaired, there is absolutely no way I eat fast food. It’s just not good for you, period. Tempting as it may be, the bad in most fast food far outweighs the good in terms of nutrition. Most of us eat on the run and find it easy to grab something from the local fast food restaurant. But if you have specific nutrition and weight goals, it is crucial to fill your fridge with real, unprocessed food and plan ahead; and, if you can’t stay away from the fast food, do your best to mimic the meals, which is what I do. Doing that is what helped me drop over 60 pounds 7 years ago.

This is where this recipe fits in. I had rugby practice and needed a very simple post workout meal. Just take ground beef (97% lean) and season it salt and pepper. That’s it. Add/substitute other seasonings if you want (garlic powder, soy sauce, etc)

Because it was late, I kept it low carb with a very easy salad. I just threw in what I had and because I keep my fridge full, I have options.

Recipe to come soon.

Stir Fry Done Right!

2010-05-11T05:45:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick meal that took only 13 minutes. I've gotten pretty good at whipping things up in a matter of minutes and it can take you about the same amount of time, just cook, cook, cook, and don't get discouraged. Eventually, even the most untrained cook can make huge gains in the kitchen.

The trend the past couple of weeks has clearly been color, and lots of it! So today is no different. Not only will you start to taste the difference, but you will start to feel a noticeable difference. My travels exposed me to such a plethora of different cuisines and flavor and the shared traits amongst all of them was the use of fresh, simple ingredients. That's the key: Keep it simple, and not simple as in opening a frozen box of food, or heating up some manufactured meal; but, simple in the ingredients you use.

After a 6am wake up call for the gym and 7pm rugby workout, I ended up eating at 10pm like I normally do. I needed to keep it low carb, low fat, and of course quick. I decided on stir fry (healthy of course). First, I started with a mix of both broccoli slaw and green cabbage. This makes up the base of the meal. From there add whatever you like. I added chopped bell pepper, peanuts, garlic. The options are endless. After about 3 minutes on a very hot pan or wok, you remove the cabbage and heat up soy sauce marinated tofu and chinese 5-spice.

Stir Fry

1/2 green cabbage chopped
1 12 oz. bag of mixed slaw
Tofu
2 tbs. sesame oil (toasted tastes best)
Soy Sauce
Chinese 5 Spice

Optional ingredients (recipe is great without them)
Fish Sauce
Honey/Cane Sugar

Because of my travels in Thailand, I use fish sauce when it's appropriate. It's completely optional, so is the protein you use. I opted for tofu because it's quick to prepare and is heated through in about 2 minutes. Obviously chicken, shrimp, steak is going to take longer.

Grilled Chicken over Summer Slaw

2010-05-05T00:14:00.003-04:00

I finally came home after a 16 hour day which included work, graduate school class, and a workout. Needless to say, I was quite famished.

Most of us get caught in this predicament: It’s late, so what’s the best thing for me eat? First things first, simple or complex, keep the carbs low. In general, try cutting out starchy and simple carbs after 6pm (fruit, rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, etc); and, make sure to stick to lean protein sources & veggies (low carbs).

Below is a dish that is high in protein, fresh, colorful, and simple. This is an amazing group of words that should describe the food you often prepare. I had some time to whip something up, but let’s be real, I’m not about to flip on the stove at almost 10:30 at night. I decided on grilled chicken over a citrus slaw.

First, I grabbed grilled chicken from the fridge. (QUICK TIP: I had grilled a batch of chicken on Sunday night so I could use during the week in various meals) Next, I took out a bag broccoli slaw from the fridge. I recently discovered this at Trader Joe’s. They sell slaw made of the stems of broccoli, so if you want to mix it up, or don’t like cabbage slaw, this works great! Now this is where you can get creative. Add whatever ingredients you want, within reason of course. I grabbed a cashew, almond, & cranberry mix and some pear. Then I mixed up a citrus vinaigrette. Again, use what you got! I used OJ, lime, orange marmalade, and olive oil. And of course salt and pepper.

Like I said before, keep it fresh, keep it simple. Be creative! Hope this spurs some ideas. Till next time!

Tuna Salad Nicoise Style

2010-05-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

I approach everything in my life the same way: How can I make things better, more enjoyable for myself and everyone around me? So food is no different. Why would it be? It is what people love, it is what I love. If you have been reading this site for the past 10 months, you already know that is why I come up with these recipes.

I eat tuna fish often and it has been a staple in my diet for most of my life. More so now because it has heaps of protein. *One of my favorite meals of all time is still tuna on toast with tomato and glass of chocolate milk to go with it (an odd pairing, but awesome). I needed to change it up a little and was inspired when I backpacked the South of France years ago.

Niçoise salad (French pronunciation is "ni'swaz") The Italians refer to it as insalata nizzarda. It is a specialty of the Côte d'Azur region of France, also most commonly known as the French Riviera (SE corner). It originated in and was named for the city of Nice. By the way, if you have not summered in this part of the world yet, skip your yearly trip to the closest shoreline and head straight here, it's incredible. This is where in fact I had my first Salade Nicoise, and, I should add it was the absolute best one I've had to date.

I need a meal like this more than ever before. With rugby Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays and school on Tuesdays, I need to save time and money. I make it on Sundays and have enough for the week when I'm on the run. If you're on the hunt for a quick healthy lunch, look no further as this powerhouse tuna salad that packs a flavorful punch. No need to travel to France for Nicoise salad! Preparing this salad is easy enough and takes only minutes.

Niçoise Tuna Salad
2 cans of tuna (use albacore)
1/4 small red onion
3 celery stalks
1/3 cup of mayonnaise (low fat)
5-10 Niçoise olives (Kalamata olives work well also)
2 tbs. of dill (fresh is always better!)
S&P

Drain the cans of tuna. Chop both the red onion and celery stalks. Combine the first three ingredients with the mayonnaise and dill, and you're all set!

Easiest recipe ever! Mix all the ingredients together and you're all set.

Colorful Cobb Salad

2010-04-05T09:59:00.008-04:00

Most people do not realize it, but the color of your food can be the difference between a successful eating plan and a failed one. Growing up, there was always something green and fresh on the dinner table and to this day I make sure to add a little green to my dishes somehow. Our daily food consumption is unfortunately dictated by three things: taste, cost, & convenience. Take quick inventory of your daily food intake and you will be able to see where you can inject a bit of color in your diet. Remember, they don't just look good on your plate, vibrant foods give you energy.

So time to try another salad! I am well into rugby season and with work as busy as ever, this leaves me only a few days during the week to cook, so I have to make sure to prep one meal and repeat it a couple of times a week. I'm the type who can eat the same thing day in and day out, but if you're not, be creative and mix it up with this salad. Just make sure you use most of these ingredients, otherwise you can't call it a Cobb Salad: lettuce, tomato, bacon, chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado, and some kind of blue cheese (Roquefort, bleu, gorgonzola etc.)

As I've written before, keep it simple and keep it fresh.

Cobb Salad
Lettuce (arugula, spinach, red leaf, etc.)
2 tomatoes
1 red onion
Bacon (leave this out if you’d like)
4 chicken breasts (no skin)
4 hard boiled eggs
2 avocados
Blue Cheese

Cut up up all the ingredients and layer each one on a plate. It not only makes for an attractive presentation, it makes the salad easier to eat, too.

Tips
To repeat the dish during the week, I put each ingredient in its own container and just throw it together. It takes only a few minutes to put together from there.
If you're tired of chicken, use shrimp, tofu, steak. No rules.
For some change, mix up the lettuce or dressing (if you use it)

UPDATE!

2010-01-15T07:52:00.008-05:00

I have taken some months off to travel and come up with new ideas. Last month it was Buenos Aires. Today it's Thailand. Next month, Montreal and Guatamala. I will definitely be back in April/May on a regular basis. Please stay tuned!

Keep on cooking!

All the best,

Christian

Be Back after Thanksgiving

2009-11-11T07:57:00.003-05:00

hi there! unfortunately i have to take a small break. Because of scheduling I am unable to shoot web shows for a couple of weeks. I will be back after Thanksgiving with a ton more videos. make sure to check back!

Lime-Cilantro Shrimp

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Get away from the prepared sauces and get cooking with real ingredients that taste way better than the aging teriyaki syrup you have sitting in the rear of the cabinet. Pick up some fresh herbs on the way home from work (which is how I operate) and start livening up the food you eat day in and day out. I use a lot of cilantro when I cook so naturally I gravitated towards it. It goes best with the lime, so give it a try.

Here' s a recipe for you that really takes 10 minutes to make. (add some time if you're making rice or pasta)

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

Juice of 1 lime

1 bunch of cilantro (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 lb. fresh uncooked shrimp (about 15)

Rinse the cilantro thoroughly, pat dry, and chop up. In a bowl, add salt and pepper to the shrimp and the juice of 1 lime. Add the cilantro to this. Let it sit for a few minutes. (not too long--citrus juices and anything acidic cooks seafood) Heat a medium pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or better yet, spritz the pan using an olive oil sprayer. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and cook for three minutes or until the shrimp is a pale pink. ALL DONE!

Gorgonzola & Apple Baguette

2009-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a very quick dinner idea (or dinner party idea) Takes about 15 minutes.

1/3 lb. Gorgonzola Dolce
1 small baguette
1 apple
honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the baguette in half (lengthwise) and spread (as best you can) the gorgonzola on the bread. Cut the apple in small slices and heat on the stove top with 4 tbs water and tbs of sugar. Let it cook for about 7-10 minutes on medium heat until the apples start to soften up and get some color.

While this is happening, put the bread with the gorgonzola in the oven for about 5 minutes or until you see the cheese melt. Take this out and place the apples over the bread evenly. Pour honey over the apples and you're done!

Gorgonzola Dolce is a milder version of gorgonzola. It's a bit wetter and is a bit more spreadable than traditional gorgonzola. If you're trying to ease into the bleu's, try this one for starters.

NYC Food & Wine Festival

2009-10-25T17:44:00.002-04:00

Teaching a Cook on the Run Fan

2009-10-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

Colombian Arepas

2009-10-21T06:30:00.003-04:00

I created this site and these videos to show people how to cook very simple meals literally on the run. I also created these videos as a sort of time capsule for my family to learn how to make dishes that we grew up with.

Eating arepas with cafe con leche on weekend mornings is one of the special food memories held deep in my soul. I still to this day reminisce with my cousin about waking up in Paterson, NJ and starting out my day with both of these (yes, drinking coffee at the tender age of 4 is quite normal in certain Hispanic families)

What makes this recipe special is that years of wondering how they got the egg in the arepa, I decided to give it a try. It's one of the easiest recipes. It's not the healthiest, but damn is it good. To my family, now you know how to make! To everyone else, enjoy some of my Colombian culture.

Italian Comfort Mac N Cheese

2009-10-20T06:10:00.007-04:00

I've mentioned before, I'm part Italian. What draws me to Italian cooking is the ease at which you can have an incredible meal using very few ingredients. Italian cooking is about simplicity. It's about using what's fresh, what's available, and most importantly, good quality. Again, as with many of my recipes, this was one I learned and stripped down to its most basic elements.

The recipes is 4 ingredients: Fennel, cherry tomatoes, mascarpone cheese, & parmesan cheese. (garlic is optional) From the time you walk in the door, dinner should be on the table in 20 minutes.

Fennel, Tomato, Mascarapone Sauce

2 Fennel bulbs

2 cups of cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

8 oz. of mascarpone cheese

Parmesan cheese

Cut the tops off the bulbs and rinse. Afterwards, cut in half and slice. Saute the fennel in a little olive oil (remember to add salt and pepper). Do this for 8-10 minutes or so on medium heat. Once the fennel becomes translucent, add in 2 cloves of sliced garlic and 2 cups of cherry tomatoes. Cook both the fennel and tomatoes for another 5 minutes or so until the tomatoes soften up. Once this happens, take a flat spatula and flatten the tomatoes.

Next up, add in about 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese. Mix it all together. Add in the parmesan cheese. Quick tip here: The sauce may be a bit thick, so add in about 1/3 cup of cooked pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit. Add it a little at a time and eye it. You'll know what's good) Serve this over penne or your favorite pasta. It made a great topping over chicken breast.

Quick tips/thoughts

Add in some fresh basil for a bit more depth of flavor.
Great substitute for the same old Mac n Cheese! - Use elbow macaroni for the kids.

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Pears

2009-10-19T06:00:00.020-04:00

Time for a different salad green. Salad on its own can often times be quite boring. So quit using only the iceberg, romaine, and boston lettuces etc. Arugula, one of the more aromatic salad greens, packs quite the punch of flavor. You will notice it has a pepper, mustard flavor and slightly bitter taste (but good!)

It was another late night at the office. I swung by the store to pick up arugula and pears and was all set for dinner. I happened to have gorgonzola and lemon and olive oil at home and it was all I needed. 8:10 I walk through the door. 8:25, I'm eating a great dinner. I don't specify how much cheese to use, because it's such a strong flavored cheese. Taste as you go. (I used about 1/2 cup crumbled)

Keep your food simple and you'll notice a big difference in how you feel. When food gets complicated is when people tend to throw in the towel (or apron!) This simple salad goes a long way in terms of flavor and quality with just a few ingredients.

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Pears
1 bag of arugula
Gorgonzola cheese
2 pears (peeled and sliced)

Quick lemon/olive oil Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I like the darker the better)
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Quick tips/thoughts

Close matches to arugula are dandelion greens, escarole, endive, and watercress.
If arugula is too strong for you, mix in some boston lettuce, romaine, or spinach to balance out the the strong flavors.
For a quick side dish, sauté arugula in olive oil (remember to heat the olive oil first) for about 30 seconds. Add some salt and pepper and you're done.
Use any cheese that you want. Here's a few recommendations: Bleu, goat cheese, feta.

A little lesson...

Arugula is very low in calories and is a good source of vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, & magnesium. (just one note, on this...it's about 3-5% for each and not bad for a green, but it's no where near what you need in a day)

Other names for this green are rocket, Italian cress, roquette, Mediterranean rocket. (why rocket? It's the closest word to roquette.)

Hi there

2009-10-15T10:25:00.002-04:00

I'm back. I've been absent from the posting a while. Dislocated my right finger during a rugby match. So there wasn't much cooking/typing. I'll be back on Monday 10/19 and everyday thereafter with recipes and videos. Start following me on twitter then for tips and very quick recipes.

Bet You Didn't Know

2009-09-23T06:15:00.001-04:00

I was just messing around in the kitchen unpacking things one day and proceeded to do the below two things when my two friends told me they had absolutely no idea about this!

I'm deviating from the cooking because I get a surprised reaction everytime. It involves aluminum foil and hand wipes. Comment if you didn't know!

Asian Southern Mash Up

2009-09-17T22:10:00.006-04:00

Hi there! I've been away on a little vacation. But I'm back. With temperatures dropping these days, I have a scorcher of a recipe (literally!...check out the flames in the video) I came up with this recipe after I bought a bottle of Maker's Mark and created a night's menu around this most awesome bourbon.

First, I made the Devils on Horseback (check out the recipe below). Then I decided to mash up cultures. (It's what I do! My ancestry is basically a mash up of cultures, so I run with that) I took some of the South, some Irish, some Asian and created this great meal.

My mom used to make Potatoes Colcannon growing up. For those of you who don't know, it's essentially mashed potatoes with cabbage. My mom used to add scallions to it. (It's also not a bad way to sneak in those greens for kids) I love to make it, but I instead chose to use Chinese cabbage, baby bok choy, and scallions. I added a bit of sesame oil to it as well, and normally top it off with toasted sesame seeds, but I forgot to in the video.

Hope you enjoy it. It's one of my favorites.

Whole Wheat Couscous Salad

2009-09-03T21:48:00.001-04:00

Last week I posted an orzo salad. Real quick. Real simple. I use the basic same ingredients and change up the dressing a bit. I'll post the recipe and some tips this week!

Summer Orzo Salad

2009-09-01T22:35:00.003-04:00

I'm in the midst of a busy season, so I'm on the go and need something that's healthy and able to carry well. I threw a bunch of ingredients together one day and same up with this salad.

I say Couscous, but it's really an Orzo salad. (not sure where my head was!) I'm going to post a video where I use couscous. This is a great jumping off point, so go ahead and get creative with what you put it into the salad.

Back on Monday!

2009-08-29T14:24:00.001-04:00

Hi there!

I'm in New Mexico for the weekend! I'll be back on Monday with new recipes!

New Twitter

2009-08-26T08:35:00.005-04:00

Follow me on Twitter. Check it out!

http://www.twitter.com/cookontherun

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

2009-08-24T22:38:00.005-04:00

Check this very quick video on how to make homemade tzatziki sauce. For those of you who don't know, it's a Greek appetizer made of yogurt (plain), cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and mint. It's that side of white sauce served with your gyros ;)

I eat a lot more of it because it's a quick snack high in protein (use greek yogurt b/c it contains more yogurt)

Check out my new Youtube Channel

2009-08-24T06:55:00.001-04:00

I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe, but check out my new Youtube page, all the videos from this site will be on there. Check it out.

Fiery Hummus

2009-08-20T07:55:00.000-04:00

Here's another take on the simple hummus. As I mention, if you want to add a 1/4 cup of tahini to the hummus go for it. It's just ground up sesame seeds. Adds a different layer of flavor. Anyway, the crew loved this one. Spicy!!

Hummus With Kalamata Olives

2009-08-18T14:06:00.003-04:00

I've been making my own hummus for a few years now. I learned how to make it while working at a bar in Hell's Kitchen years ago. Since then, I rarely buy hummus from the store. It's so easy, takes only a couple of minutes to make, and tastes more fresh than what you buy at the store. Check it out below!

This Past Weekend

2009-08-17T10:20:00.001-04:00

Here' s a taste of what we filmed this past weekend. I'll be posting a new recipe tomorrow! Stay tuned

Become a Follower

2009-08-13T14:39:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all the great feedback and emails! Don't forget to become a follower of the webpages. It's on the bottom right-hand corner of the page!

Relaunch

2009-08-13T11:35:00.001-04:00

I've relaunched the site! Thanks for all the feedback, support, and comments. Hope you can all use this as a resource. Enjoy!

Devils on Horseback

2009-08-13T06:35:00.002-04:00

Bacon pretty much rocks. I eat healthy most of the time, but this is one of my weaknesses. Nothing goes better with bacon than something sweet (check out the post from July 12th) I had something similar at the Spotted Pig, an awesome gastropub in the West Village (on W. 11th & Perry St.) --> my rugby teammate and good friend Robinson works there...give him a hello! The dish is called Devils on Horseback. Traditionally, these are prepared using prunes, but remember something...food is open to interpretation. These actually are the cheaper version of a dish called Angels on Horseback which uses oysters instead of prunes.

So for my version of Devils on Horseback, I'm using dates. I steep the dates in bourbon, black tea, nutmeg, and a couple of dried chilis. Now steeping simply means soaking an ingredient in a liquid until it is saturated. (think of steeping tea leaves) I speed up the process by slightly simmering the dates in the liquid and letting them sit for a few minutes. Once soaked, I wrap them in bacon and bake. I take the liquid that I just used to steep the dates in and reduce it to a thick sauce.

Now go ahead and make these bad boys just like I prepared them or better yet come up with your own version. Use prosciutto or turkey bacon or better yet stuff it with mango chutney, almonds, or goat cheese. I've tried them all and they taste great...just be creative!

Devils on Horseback
40 dates
20 pieces of bacon
1 cup of bourbon
1 cup of black tea
½ tsp. of grated nutmeg
2 dried red chilis

Combine the bourbon, black tea, nutmeg, and red chilis and pour over dates. Simmer on low/med for 20 minutes. Strain the dates and reserve the liquid. Cut the bacon in half so you have 40 pieces as well. Wrap each date with a piece of bacon and pierce with a tootpick. Repeat this 39 more times. Place on a broiler pan and bake at 350º for 25 minutes (or to your liking). While the bacon is in the oven, take the liquid you just strained from the dates and put on low/med heat and reduce it down to a thick sauce.

Take the Devils on Horseback out of the oven and place on a platter. It’s optional whether or not you want to remove the toothpicks. Lastly, either pour the reduced sauce over the dates or use as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!!

Maple -Mustard Pork

2009-08-12T06:25:00.004-04:00

I was up in Montreal last month and discovered the Canadians love of maple. Maple syrup is everywhere there...on t-shirts, mugs. Here's a bit of history: The National Flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf and l'Unifolié (French for the "one-leafed"), serves as a symbol celebrating the nature and environment of what is now Canada since the 1700s.

Well, how it ties into this recipe is quite simple. You'll get a sense of how I come up with recipes. I got home late the other night and needed something quick. I was thinking about my recent trip and thought about maple syrup (go figure!) I had a pork tenderloin at home and some sweet potatoes and nothing goes better with these two ingredients than something sweet. Maple syrup is not just for pancakes and waffles. Make sure you don't use those labeled "pancake syrup", "waffle syrup", "table syrup", etc. High fructose corn syrup is the main ingredient. It not only tastes awful but is so overly processed it barely resembles the real stuff. Your waste-line will thank you too.

Below is a recipe I came up with years ago. It uses maple syrup, whole grain mustard, and ground ginger.

Maple-Mustard Pork

¼ cup real maple syrup
2 tbs. whole grain mustard
3 tbs tamari (soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. of ground ginger

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over pork tenderloin. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes. Bake @ 425º for 25 minutes. The 4 sweet potatoes were peeled, cubed, and thrown in 2 quarts of salted water. Once drained, I mashed them up how I normally would (up to you how you like them -->milk, cream, butter...up to you). I then added 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. This ties both the pork and potatoes together. Grill up some asparagus and almonds and you're good to go! Enjoy.

Website Name Change

2009-08-11T07:14:00.002-04:00

Sabor So Simple is now http://www.cookontherun.com

Pass it along!!

A taste of the Colombian Coast

2009-08-11T06:45:00.000-04:00

Here is what I consider an authentic Colombian coastal dish. It's Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk w/ Cilantro. If you are Colombian you've certainly had arroz con coco. I've prepared the coconut milk the same way and then sautéed the shrimp and garlic in the browned coconut cream. Then I add the rest of the coconut milk and shrimp and top it off with a bunch of cilantro...my favorite. The dish took me under 30 minutes to cook (because of the rice) but if you're on a low-carb plan and don't need the rice, it will take you under 20 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops in Lemon Cream Sauce

2009-08-10T06:00:00.001-04:00

As with most of my recipes, I came up with this one on the train ride home one day. What I want to accomplish with this post is show you exactly how I cook a quality and might I say damn good meal each night when I partially unwind from a full day at the office (and also how to perfectly sear a scallop). This dish took me less than 20 minutes from start to finish. I don't lie when it comes to the time it takes to cook a dish. I account for all prep time, so I'll be honest with you about it.

Scallops are one of those proteins people often times avoid cooking because perception is they are difficult to cook and get just right. It is true though, an extra 30 seconds on the heat and your scallops are tough, stringy, and just not as good. So make sure to pay attention to the tips I give in the video!

It's Friday...It's Drink Time

2009-08-07T16:55:00.003-04:00

It's been an awfully busy week at work and there's nothing better than a martini on a Friday night after over 50 hours of work, rugby, gym, and working on this site. If you like martini's with olives, try stuffing the olives with blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese.

Simply take a piece of cheese, stuff it in the olive and throw a few of them in your martini. It's one of my favorites. After two of them, there's no need to order an appetizer :)

Try it out and enjoy your Friday night! I'll have a great brunch recipe up tomorrow.

Simple Whipped Cream

2009-08-05T10:20:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in Monday's post, here is a simple simple recipe for whipped cream. Say adios to that whipped cream in the blue plastic container in your grocer's freezer section. This "stuff" is made of water, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Yep, my recipe is cream, but google high fructose corn syrup and your health and you'll see why this trumps that frozen whipped cream. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

2009-08-03T11:12:00.003-04:00

A strawberry shortcake to cure the Monday blues...recipe posted shortly. So so simple...

It's Friday...It's Drink Time

2009-07-31T21:23:00.010-04:00

If you want to have a one-of-a-kind drink, make sure you put Macondo high on your list this summer. Macondo in my opinion is one of the best restaurants in New York City and to top it all off, has landed itself the premiere mixologist in NYC. I've been bartending for about 6 years now and I have not come across anyone who has the skill Amaury Robayo has. His drinks and unique ability to mix even the most unusual ingredients together have landed him tons of praise from customers (especially the 20 or so people I've brought) and has garnered him recognition from one of my favority publications, New York Magazine, Check the review out here: http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/07/macondos_latest_drink_experime.html

In my honest opinion, this restaurant has it all: Great atmosphere, unique & inspired drinks, awesome music, & original Latin cuisine. Give it a try. I'll be writing a full review some time soon. In the meantime, visit http://www.macondonyc.com/

Follow the Site

2009-07-29T11:45:00.002-04:00

Starting next Monday, if you become a follower of the site, I will personally send an email each week with a recipe not posted on the site. Love the feedback. Thanks again!

Café con Leche

2009-07-29T00:27:00.007-04:00

Café con leche. One of my all time favorites. When visiting my dad’s house I’d wake up and head over to my aunt’s house and have breakfast with the entire family on weekends. If you’re Hispanic you know this means, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and then those you didn’t even know. I remember being as young as 5 and drinking this. It’s not uncommon for kids to be drinking this at that age…and they wonder why we were a bit nuts.

I don’t drink it too often, but when I do I make it with skim milk, soy milk, or almond milk. I lessen the amount of sugar usually, but as you’ll see in the video, I treat myself using condensed milk. Again, I do watch what I eat, but the keyword is moderation. Hope you like it.

Café con Leche
Any kind of milk you want
Instant Coffee

Heat the milk in a saucepan and add instant coffee. Again, add as little or as much as you want depending on how strong you want it. Pour over condensed milk (or not) and enjoy!

Note/Tips

Keep it healthy by using soy or almond milk and lessen the amount of sugar you use.

My Kind of Cornbread

2009-07-28T07:15:00.004-04:00

I don't like plain food so I'm always coming up with ways to change things around. When I was lifting weights in college I would make muffins to pack in my bag for a pre and post workout snack. Along with protein muffins, I'd make this if I had a heavy workout day and wanted to treat myself. It's cornbread with jalepeños and monterey jack cheese. I add something else to the cornbread which I hope you take away. Enjoy it.

Poached Pear Brunch

2009-07-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

One more way to use those pears. Makes a great breakfast or post workout meal. Check it out below!

I'm on YouTube

2009-07-22T11:52:00.004-04:00

Just created my own Youtube Channel!! I'll be posting all the videos there as well as some extras. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/Saborsosimple

Check it out!

Poached Pear Dessert

2009-07-22T06:05:00.005-04:00

Tired of chocolate syrup? So am I. I tried some of the poached pears over frozen yogurt one night surprised even myself with how good it was. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Poached Pear Salad Pt. 1

2009-07-21T18:35:00.003-04:00

We all go out to eat and I’m sure most of you often times think it’s too difficult or time consuming to make what you eat at a restaurant at home. Well, it’s not. I ate a dish similar to this at a restaurant and decided to give it a try. I played with textures and flavors and finally voila! I got this awesome salad.

This salad has it all! It has those pears I poached in yesterday's video, bacon, spinach, spicy almonds, poached eggs, & red onion. It's got to be one of my ALL TIME favorite dishes. It's spicy, sweet, salty...overall perfection. I've made this as an appetizer and as a main dish.

The video is about 5 minutes long…longer than most of my videos, but I show you step by step how to poach an egg. Here’s a secret: Although I knew how to poach an egg, I never actually did it before. So you’re witnessing my first attempt. Hope you all enjoy it.

Notes/Tips

Add chicken, shrimp, scallops or whatever you feel like adding.
Change up the types of nuts you use: I’ve used candied pecans, walnuts, the list goes on.
Use pancetta if you don’t like bacon (or go healthier and use turkey bacon)
The options are endless on this one…play around with it.

Poached Pear Salad Pt. 2

2009-07-21T18:00:00.001-04:00

Now here's Part 2.

Viva Colombia

2009-07-20T10:27:00.006-04:00

Today, Colombia celebrates its most important national holiday as it is exactly 199 years ago that we declared ourselves independent from Spanish rule!

Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine

2009-07-19T15:40:00.010-04:00

The word "poached" often times conjures up words such as bland, colorless, insipid, the list goes on. There's that image of a piece of pale, dull looking chicken sitting in a pan of shallow water waiting to be set on top of another uninspired salad. Well, I have a recipe that will hopefully reshape your understanding of this underused method.

Poaching ingredients is a process of cooking most people, and certainly myself included, avoid. But it’s as simple as 1,2,3. Gently simmer fish, eggs, poultry, fruit, or vegetables in a liquid such as wine, milk, stock, or water until it has been cooked through.

The recipe: Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine. These pears are simmered in red wine, sugar, & cinnamon. They become red, translucent, and full of wine flavor in the end. They are extremely versatile and work in a wide range of dishes. Use it on a salad, as a side, over dessert, for breakfast over granola, I could keep going on, but be creative and use it how you want to.

Check it out! Let me know how you make out. I will be posting two more videos over the next couple of days showing you how to use them!

Pho Sho'

2009-07-17T15:14:00.018-04:00

Summer Fridays are meant for long lunches. So down to Chinatown we ventured for something other than the standard midtown lunchtime fare consisting of 15 ingredient salads and Au Bon Pain. Destination: THÁI SO’N, an "I've died and woke up in Vietnam" restaurant. Don't be fooled. This unassuming hole in the wall houses what I consider one of my favorite New York City meals in recent memory. This isn't a restaurant for those who aren't slightly adventuruous as the lack of English both from the waiters and the menu may send you running back to the nearest cookie cutter hot spot. Seriously, how many different ways can you serve tuna tartar?

Thanks to Ken, my love of Pho has been reinvigorated. If you've never heard of Pho, it's a Vietnamese noodle soup. Noodles sit in a large tub sized bowl filled with a light beef broth made with scallions, onions, & mint and it's usually topped off with some kind of protein. Go for the beef, the best part is that it's served rare and the meat cooks while you eat it. Served on the side is by far my favorite part of the dish: a plate of basil, bean sprouts, lemon or lime, hoisin sauce & hot sauce. The Goi Cuôn, a summer roll filled with shrimp, vegetables and rice wrapped in rice paper is served cold with a side of sweet peanut sauce. The Bun Cha Gio Bo Lui, a filling bowl of grilled beef & spring roll served with sesame seasoning sits on a large bed of vermicelli noodles and lettuce. You can have a field day here, come back over 150 times and still not have tried everything on the menu.

This place is fast, cheap, an unbelievably delicious. Three people with appetizer included, cost only $27 dollars and I can honestly tell you I've paid over 3 times that for lunch and never left that satisfied. Do yourself a favor, high tail it over to THÁI SO’N and you'll get a taste of what an authentic Vietnamese restaurant feels like.

THÁI SO’N
89 Baxter St (btwn Bayard & Walker St)
New York 10013
Phone: (212) 732-2822

Weekend Drink Time -- Champán de Guayaba

2009-07-17T07:15:00.003-04:00

It's Friday & it's summer. So I'm sure most of you are going to be having a BBQ or picnic somewhere or like me, relaxing from a busy week. Either way, there's going to be some drinking involved. Here's a summer drink that won't disappoint. I combined my favorite drink, the white wine spritzer and one of my favorite fruits, Guayaba (guava). I came up with a Guava Champagne Spritzer

I was a bartender for about 5 years and during that time I would often experiment with different flavors and concoct what I thought were genius drinks. I approach cooking the same way I approached bartending. I experiment with flavors. I use more of what I like and less of what I don't like. If you don't explore and test things out you'll never get better. Remember, it's a recipe, what is the worst that could happen?

Guava Champagne Spritzer
1 bottle of champagne
16 oz. (2 cups) guava puree or guava nectar
16 oz. (2 cups) club soda

Mix all 3 ingredients in a pitcher and pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon.

Notes/Tips

Use white wine if you prefer
If you can't find guava nectar passion fruit works just as well.

Some word play...
I'm going to use a little bit of my German language skills that I picked up while studying German in Austria for two summers. Spritzer comes from the German word "spritzen" which means to squirt/sprinkle. In other words, by sprinkling a bit of extra soda water to the drink, you dilute the drink and in turn make a larger amount -->trust me, people don't notice. Plus, there's a bonus: you actually drink less alcohol b/c you're diluting the drink. This equals no hangover.

Confectioner's Sugar Quick Tip

2009-07-16T08:15:00.003-04:00

When I was baking these cookies, I ran out of confectioner's sugar. I thought about it for a second and knew I could make the same thing by grinding regular granulated sugar. Brilliant! Confectioner's sugar is just fine, powdered sugar. All you need is sugar and a food processor or coffee grinder. Watch the video below! Takes only 45 seconds!

Bet you didn’t know…

The confectioner’s sugar you buy in the yellow box contains a small amount of anti-caking agent…I know this stuff because I try and know what’s in the food I eat. The anti-caking agent, sodium aluminosilicate, is a man-made product. This prevents any moisture from building up in the sugar. Cornstarch, wheat flour, & calcium phosphate can also be found in your store bought powdered sugar. So if you don’t use it too often or just want to sprinkle it over a dessert or lets say a Tres Leche French Toast (see recipe below), grind your own sugar in a processor or coffee grinder.

Pignoli Cookies

2009-07-15T03:06:00.006-04:00

I used to have friends over, cook an extravagent meal, and then buy a pint of ice cream for dessert because I thought making dessert was difficult. I changed that for myself. All of my desserts, like all the food I cook, are simple.

I have two favorite cookies: Venetian Tri Colors & Pignoli cookies. Here's the recipe for the pignolis. They are made with pignoli nuts, or pine nuts, sugar, egg whites, and almond paste. That's it!

Pignoli Nut Cookies
12 oz. almond paste
1/2 c. granulated white sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 egg whites
1 ½ cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 325º. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix almond paste and granulated sugar in food processor until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and 2 egg whites; process until smooth.

You are going to set aside a bowl for the remaining 2 egg whites (slightly beat--this is what the pine nuts will stick to). Place the pine nuts on shallow plate. Spoon out the dough and with lightly floured hands roll dough into 1 inch balls. Coat balls in egg whites, shaking off excess, then roll in pine nuts, pressing lightly to stick. Arrange the balls on cookie sheets, and flatten slightly. Bake them for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Once they are done, let them stand on cookie sheet for no more than 1 minute (otherwise they will continue to cook). Then transfer them to wire rack to cool. 2 tips when making these: 1. Put the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. This way the sticky batter will be easier to handle. 2. If the cookies stick to the parchment paper, you can moisten the back of the paper and the cookies will slide right off.

Basil Tip

2009-07-14T06:04:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple quick tips regarding basil. I'm a big fan of growing herbs as you can see from the above picture. That's a shot of a rather large basil plant I have growing on the balcony. It saves money and it's not too bad of a hobby to pick up. Grab a look at the video and send in your comments or tips as well. As always...enjoy!

New Video

2009-07-13T11:24:00.001-04:00

I uploaded a a video from our first shoot on the June 16th post. Check it out!

A Sweet Tooth's Brunch

2009-07-12T15:31:00.024-04:00

I've been in NYC for almost 7 years and according to Seinfeld rules, I'm nearly a New Yorker. One thing I've learned is that New Yorkers take their brunching seriously. Waking up after a very late night and crawling to the nearest diner or new hot spot to hours of mimosas, bloody mary's, & a greasy meal to relief the hangover is something I'm all too familiar with...but times have changed.

I still brunch it on weekends, but I do it at home now. I have a brunch meal that will relieve any hangover, satisfy any sweet tooth, and if you make this for someone special, you can thank me later. The French toast has a couple of influences from my life. Being Colombian, I thought of a great way to use "tres leches" & living in Kew Gardens, Queens, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, Challah bread was a natural choice.

The candied & spiced bacon is something I've made since high school (it's for you Marissa). It's a huge hit back in the old neighborhood. It's got an awesome balance of sweet & salty.

I eat very well during the week, but I get to let loose a couple of meals on the weekends. It's total payoff for all the hard work I put into work & my fitness all week. Do yourself a favor, if you are watching what you eat and trying to slim down, reserve a day or a meal where you can treat yourself. I lost over 60 pounds 6 years ago & the only way I kept my sanity was when I gave myself a break

Tres Leches French Toast
1 medium loaf of Challah bread (use whatever you’d like)
1/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup of heavy cream
6 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Nutmeg & Cinnamon (optional)
4 tbs. of butter

Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until all ingredients are blended well. This is the time to add ¼ tsp of nutmeg and/or cinnamon. Take your slices of Challah bread (about 1 inch ---half your thumb) and dip it the mixture and let it sit for a few minutes. Heat 2 tbs. of butter in a pan (don’t let it brown) and add three pieces of soaked Challah into the pan. It’s going to take about 2 minutes to brow on each side, make sure they don’t burn. Repeat with the next two batches. Keep them warm in a 200° oven until they are all done! Top with maple syrup or condensed milk (my favorite) & then some powdered sugar.

Notes/Tips

Experiment with different types of bread. White bread makes the lightest French toast, but whole wheat, cinnamon raisin work very well!
Use a mixture of cream or half & half or just half & half…it’s up to you.
Top it off with fresh berries, bananas, nutella…get creative.
If you want to go eggless, soak the bread in maple syrup for 5 minutes and follow the cooking directions.

A little history lesson...
French toast, also known as "pain perdu" or "lost bread" in French is typically eaten as a dessert, but Americans love this for breakfast.

Challah bread Challah (also hallah plural: challot) is a bread eaten by most Sephardic Jews on the Sabbath & holidays. It traditionally uses a large number of eggs, fine white flour, water and sugar.

Candied Spiced Bacon
½ lb of bacon
½ cup of light brown sugar
These spices are optional but use them if you can…it will be worth it.
2 tbs. dry mustard
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cinnamon

Mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl or large plate. Coat the bacon slices in the mixture. Make sure you get the bacon coated pretty well. Twist the bacon a few times and place a non-stick cookie sheet. If you want, cover it with aluminum foil.

Place the sheet in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes. It all depends how you want your bacon cooked. I don’t like it too crispy so I take it out at around 17 minutes. Plus, remember if you use a thick cut bacon, it may take upwards of 30 minutes. But make sure to watch it when it gets close to finishing, all it takes is 2 minutes and you’ll end up with black bacon.

Working on Recipes

2009-07-11T15:12:00.001-04:00

I'm working on a ton of recipes this weekend. A lot of Colombian recipes! Arroz con coco. Arepa con huevo, sofrito, cafe con leche and going Cuban with ropa vieja. I'm doing my part in helping my cousins learn how to cook our family's food.

Also, made a savory brie en croute with tarragon and mushrooms. They're all very easy and they'll be on video very soon.

Quick & Juicy Pork Chops

2009-07-11T13:20:00.003-04:00

I workout a lot, so I need the protein. Most people I know stay away from pork chop because they tend to get dry. Keep them moist by searing them. It's a very cook meal. I can usually have something put together in 15 to 20 minutes. Sounds unbelievable, but you can do it just as easily. Just think ahead a few minutes and follow directions :)

Seared Pork Chop
2 pork chops
Olive oil
1 tomato
1/2 onion

I use my olive oil sprayer to coat the pan and once it reaches smoking temperature, add the pork chops and sear anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes on one side. (medium 1-inch will take about 3 minutes & 1 ½ inches will take about 4 minutes, and 2 inches will take about 5-6 minutes) once done, turn over and sear for 1 minute. Then transfer to a 400º oven for 6-8 minutes. Again, it all depends on the thickness of the pork chop. Once they are done, carefully take them out of the oven and transfer to a plate where they can rest. Another important note, let any meat you cook rest for a few minutes. The meat's juices will redistribute throughout and you will end up with moist pork.

Take the pan that just cooked the pork and put it back on the stove (pork chops are still resting). At this point you have two options: Deglaze the pan with a liquid (chicken stock or salted water works) and add tomatoes, onions, whatever vegetable you like or leave the pork chops plain.

Notes/Tips

Two rules about searing meats: 1. Make sure the protein is completely dry. Any moisture will prevent it from browning. 2. You need to use a searing hot pan (very hot).
To make this even more low fat, use non-stick indoor grill and go through the same motions.
Use the meat's juices that collects as it rests as a deglazing agent. I use it and it works!
Bone-in & boneless does not make a difference. Use what you like.

Caprese Inspired Dessert

2009-07-09T07:36:00.003-04:00

This is a continuation from both the June 8th and June 22nd posts. I take the same ingredients that I use in both the caprese salad and chicken dish and made a mighty tasty dessert. Yep, if you haven't taken a look at them yet, I use basil and balsamic reduction for a wicked sweet dessert. I'm used to the bewildered looks when I introduce it to people, but one taste and they love it...100% of the time!

Ice Cream topped w/ Strawberries, Basil, Balsamic Reduction
Vanilla Ice Cream
Sliced Fresh
Strawberries
Basil
Balsamic Reduction

Take whatever ice cream it is you prefer and scoop out 2 or 3 scoops. I'm more of a soy ice cream/frozen yogurt kind of guy, so that's what I use.

Top it with fresh strawberries. Use the balsamic vinegar reduction (see video from June 8th for directions). This is an awesome and healthy alternative to chocolate syrup.

New Video!

2009-07-08T07:05:00.000-04:00

I added a new video to the July 1st post. Check it out! Remember to always check in. I post every morning. Leave any comments, email me at saborsosimple@gmail.com, follow me on twitter or become a follower!

Lowfat Thai Green Curry

2009-07-08T07:00:00.004-04:00

Working out twice a day builds an appetite...but it's 8:50PM and I need to eat quick and healthy. I decided on making a quick curry. There is no shortage of Thai restaurants in New York City so I've been eating Thai curry on a regular basis for the past 6 years. I always have coconut milk in the house and happened to have to have green curry paste. Dinner was ready by 9:08. Another quick one!

Like the majority of the dishes I make, there is a lot of room for intepretation here. Unlike many Indian curries, where the dish is stew-like, in a Thai curry, the proportion of solids to liquid is small. These curries do not have to be spicy either. Keep it simple.

Green Curry
1 13.5 oz. can of low-fat coconut milk
1 tbs (or more) curry paste
1 tbs. fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp. brown sugar (regular sugar works fine)
2 chicken breasts cubed
1 potato
1/2 onion sliced

and any other vegetables you'd like to add

Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan. Add 1 tbs. or more of the curry paste. let it simmer for a couple minutes. Add the cubed chicken and sliced onion. In a separate pot boil the cut potatoes in salted water until tender. Add to the curry.

Once all the ingredients are in the pan add fish sauce (optional) and brown sugar (again, regular sugar works great)

Serve by itself or with rice.

Notes/Tips

Add chilis to heat up the dish.
Don't be scared of fish sauce. Thais use it as we would use salt & pepper. But if you must, you can leave it out.
It's up to you what vegetables you want to use. I've used eggplant, carrots, peanuts etc. Be creative.

New Video!

2009-07-07T07:33:00.002-04:00

Check out the new video on mulling wine in the July 2nd post!

All the thanks in the world to John! you are the best! Having a blast getting this off the ground. Can't do it without you!!

Shoot me an email if you have any questions! And don't forget to post comments!

Summer Scallops in 17 Minutes

2009-07-07T00:18:00.008-04:00

I came home last night at 9:13 and by 9:30 the above meal had been made. I had just finished my second workout of the day at the gym and needed something healthy and packed with protein but low in carbs because of the time. Scallops are an easy go-to protein that takes a total of 6 minutes to cook. I was just playing with textures and flavors here and it came out great!

Summer Scallops

1/2 lb. of jumpo sea scallops
1 avocado
3 vine ripened tomatoes
1 head of baby bok choy (chopped)
1/4 cup of balsamic reduction (see first video of how to make it)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices and salt and pepper. Add to a non-stick grill pan (Use the olive oil sprayer before---not Pam) and grill 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Chop the baby bok choy and add to a non-stick pan and sautee (again using the olive oil sprayer) and sautee for 2 minutes.

Pat the scallops dry* and salt and pepper. Spray a very hot pan with olive oil and add the scallops. Cook 2-3 minutes (depending on how big the scallops are) and turn over. At this point, they should be nicely brown. Put the pan in the oven to finish the scallops off for 3 minutes.

Take the scallops out, set aside and now it's time to begin putting it all together. Layer the tomatoes first, sliced avocado, baby bok choy, and then the scallop. Drizzle the reduction on top. DONE!

Notes/Tips

Scallops must be dry before you begin to sear them. They will not get brown otherwise.
Plan ahead, it can all be made in under 20 minutes if you have a game plan.
Substitute spinach or another leafy green vegetable for the bok choy.

Joan's So Simple Sangria

2009-07-06T07:30:00.007-04:00

I had the absolute pleasure of spending this past Fourth of July with some wonderful people in Montreal. I tasted the sangria and was pretty amazed at how refreshing it was. Sangria can be made in a variety of ways, but this was by far one of my favorites

If there's a kitchen, I'm in it! No matter where it is. I of course had to ask what was in the sangria and Joan first response was "It's so simple!" -->right up my alley.

Joan's Simple Sangria

1 bottle of red or white wine
1 can of frozen minute maid lemonade
Club soda

Works perfectly with a 2 liter bottle. Fill the bottle with the wine followed by the lemonade. Top with soda water!

That's it! Do yourself a favor and give it a try. It's the easiest summer drink.

Notes/Tips

Add some cut up fruit in each glass (apples, orange slices, grapes, etc.)
Add vodka or even brandy if you want an extra kick!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T09:00:00.007-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! I'm in beautiful Montreal for the weekend. Eating some incredible food....fondue, crepes, liver pate. Be back with some posts on Monday!
Here are a few pics!

Follow Me on Twitter

2009-07-03T09:01:00.003-04:00

Follow me on twitter! I'll be posting my update status there, as well as quick tips and recipes! Please check it out http://www.twitter.com/saborsosimple

Mulled Wine

2009-07-02T10:39:00.006-04:00

Sounds unappetizing huh? Well, it’s actually an awesome way to save leftover wine or that cheap bottle of wine someone brought over (not mentioning names!) Mulled simply means "heated with spices."

How did I get into mulling wine you ask? (This also works with cider. I’ll post a recipe in the Fall) I graduated college and good wine wasn’t an option. We’d buy the magnums and dare I say boxed wine and never finish them; so, rather than throw the wine out, I’d throw in my own mix of spices and have a great batch of this stuff. I can guarantee two things; most of you didn’t know what mulling was and I was probably the only 23 year old guy throwing spices into wine.

Again, what a great way to save! When you grow up in a Colombian family, you know not to waste what can easily be made into something else. Hope you enjoy it!

Mulled Wine Recipe
1 bottle of wine
1/2 of cup of sugar
2 tbs. of mulling spices

Pour all ingredients into a medium pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour over a strainer into a bowl and let cool. Chill & serve it over ice

Notes/Tips

For ½ of bottle of wine, use ¼ cup of sugar & 1 tbs of spices.
Be creative and make your own! Here's one: Cloves, cinnamon, grapefruit rind, & nutmeg.
You can even use brown sugar!
Use a tea infuser (see picture below) or cheese cloth for the spices. Less clean up.

A little history lesson

Back in the day, mulling wine was a way to save spoiled wine. Here in the United States we use spices such as cloves, allspice, & cinnamon. Well, check this out: In Romania, they use peppercorns & in Scandanavia they use almonds and raisins.

New Batch of Videos Coming Next Week!

2009-07-01T23:45:00.002-04:00

Been busy filming videos, but still working on getting them up! I have the new ones coming next week! I'll still be posting, but will add the videos on Tuesday. In the meantime, here are some pics from the last set of shoots!

Stay tuned!

-Christian

6 Minute Bruschetta

2009-07-01T03:22:00.015-04:00

With the Fourth of July coming up on Saturday, I thought I'd share a recipe that has consistently won over my friends at my dinner parties for years.

I've been making this for years and it's one of those dishes I repeatedly rely on for a quick appetizer. It's unbelievably easy and takes only minutes to make. Bruschetta is opened to interpretation and there are countless recipes for it. White bean bruschetta (see post from June) egg salad, even smoked salmon and dill. It's full of colorful, fresh, and fragrant ingredients that will make even the most stingy eater come back for more.

Tomato Basil Bruschetta Recipe
2 vine ripened tomatoes.
1 small red onion
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
S&P (Salt & Pepper)

Chop the tomatoes and onions and place in a large bowl. Chiffonade (see post from June 29th for a lesson) the basil and add to the bowl. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the salad. A little salt and pepper (never forget this step!) And you're done! Now let it sit and marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Notes/Tips

Try and stick to the red onion. I find they are the best to use b/c of their mild to sweet flavor.
If heirloom tomatoes are in season, use them.
Save and use over chicken, salad, or even eggs!

A little history lesson

Bruschetta actually refers to italian bread, grilled and brushed with olive oil. Bread would be grilled over fire, then rubbed with a piece of raw garlic, olive oil, and S&P. That has never changed. What has changed are the toppings that go along with this.

10 Minute Pasta in Parmesan Basil Cream Sauce

2009-06-30T11:55:00.011-04:00

Picky eaters...I've cooked for the worst of the worst. No one beats a 4 year old though. My little cousin Alexia (on the left), wanted macaroni and cheese. The mac n' cheese she's used to is orange and comes in a blue box. The Easy Mac was acceptable at 3am in college, but you won't catch me making it now. The sauce is made while the pasta cooks. I whipped up something in 10 minutes start to finish that she not only devoured, but was all smiles about!

Pasta in a Basil Cream Sauce

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup basil

1/2 lb. pasta (use penne or rotini)

S&P

1 tbs olive oil

Add your pasta to salted water. While the pasta cooks, on low heat, sautee the minced garlic for about 30 seconds. Add the cream. Cook on low for another minute. Add the cheese. Drain the pasta. Add to the sauce. Continue to cook all of the ingredients on low. Toss in the basil (see below). Done!

Notes/Tips

Always use fresh parmesan cheese. It makes a world of difference, trust me.
Add as much or as little of the basil as you want.
Always watch the garlic because it can burn easily.
Only use cream. The sauce will not have the same body if lower fat dairy were used.
Never rinse your pasta under water. The starches on the pasta help the sauce stick to it.
If you are making this for 2, cut it in half. If you're making it for 1, use 1/4 cup of cream, and 1/8 of cheese. Or do what I do, and make for two, freeze the rest.

Different Variations

Adding nutmeg adds another dimension of flavor. Grate some nutmeg (1/4 tsp.) over the cream, it's up to you.
If you don't have parmesan, subsitute gorgonzola or my favorite, Manchego.
Different herbs work well too, be creative, test different ones out.

Fancy Word Lesson!

Chiffonade is a cooking technique in which herbs or leaves are cut into long, thin strips. Stack the leaves (not too high), rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.

A Surprise Gem in the East Village

2009-06-29T09:55:00.007-04:00

I was at a great French restaurant in the East Village this past weekend, Resto Leon. It's a cozy French bistro on E. 12th Street (between 1st & 2nd). Not only does this place have a great vibe, but the staff is an absolute dream. Bartending and waiting tables for 5 years, it's always a great feeling to come across such wonderful people. Look out for Stephanie and Isabel. They are a delight! If you've been to Felix in SoHo, you'll fall in love with this place. It's not as crazy, but after 3 very good Manhattans, it felt just the same.

On to the food! The mussels in white wine, shallots, and thyme were fantastic. Served with French fries, this is the perfect amount of food for two people. Of course there was steak frites on the menu. Served in a wilted spinach and bordelaise sauce, the response from the group was a very positive one. Escargot, being one of my favorite dishes, served with garlic, parsley, & anise butter does the trick! The rest of the menu is a great mix of the standards: Roasted chicken, salad verte, and a crabcake made with peekytoe crab & smoked trout.

This got me thinking of a mussel dish I made this past Easter. It's mussels with chorizo and cilantro. These are two giant flavors I grew up with. It takes no time to make and is just as good as what you would get in a restaurant. Hope you enjoy it.

Mussels with Cilantro & Chorizo

2 pounds of mussels
1 large onion
1 pound of chorizo
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 bottle of dry white wine (chardonnay)
S&P
Olive oil
French bread

Remove the casing from the chorizo break it up. Brown for about 5 minutes in a large pot. Take it out and set aside. Add in the sliced onion to the same pot and cook in the chorizo's brown bits. Cook the onion for about 10 minutes until they are translucent. Add add a little olive oil if there is not enough fat in the pan to cook the onions in. (add S&P at this point) Throw the chorizo back in and add the mussels and white wine. Cook uncovered for about a minute and the cover until the mussels all open up (should be about 6-7 minutes) Add in the cilantro in the end.

Serve this with crusty bread and you are all set!

Notes/Tips

Cleaning mussels: Rinse them and scrub with a moist towel. Discard ones that are open (these are no good)
Add as much or as little of the cilantro as you want. I like to use a lot of it. It adds such great freshness to the dish.
Garlic is also optional, if you have it, use it! (3 cloves sliced)
Don't cook with wine you would not drink. (Drink the other half of the unused bottle)

Back on Monday!

2009-06-26T12:42:00.002-04:00

I'll be back posting on Monday!....We're off shooting some more recipes for the site! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Our 2nd Video/Photo Shoot

2009-06-24T21:01:00.007-04:00

This is our second video and photo shoot! Big thanks to John as always...and Johanna and mom! We got some great footage and photos.

Chicken topped with Tomatoes/Basil (Version 1 of 3)

2009-06-22T13:03:00.005-04:00

The next series of short video clips demonstrate the versatility of the ingredients I used in the first three versions of the caprese salads (see past posts). I use the same ingredients/sauces I used in the first course and use them in the main course. The below dish makes use of the tomatoes and basil oil I had used in the appetizer. Both utilizing the same ingredients but tasting entirely different.

The common denominator on all these dishes is the ease at which they are made. Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Birthday David

2009-06-18T00:52:00.008-04:00

Happy 27th Birthday to my brother David! He was born 1 year and 1 day before me. Have a good one!

Watermelon, Avocado & Feta Salad

2009-06-17T21:52:00.004-04:00

I usually come up my recipes on the train home from work. It was late and like always I needed a quick dinner. It's a pretty refreshing salad. Give it a whirl!

Base Salad
3 cups cubed watermelon
1 ripe avocado
1 cup chopped scallion
1/2 cup of cilantro
1/3 cup feta cheese (as much or little as you want)

Dressing
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup of light sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger (optional)
S & P (salt and pepper)

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Pour over salad.

Caprese Salad Asian Style & Entree

2009-06-16T11:46:00.005-04:00

Caprese Salad Asian Style (Version 3 of 3)

This is the last of the Caprese Salads. Again, I took the same basic ingredients of a caprese salad and changed the flavors around those ingredients to create 3 entirely different dishes. For the Asian style, I used sauteed baby bok choy, soy reduction, and sesame oil. I added toasted sesame seeds for a little crunch.

Apply this approach to any dish you reguarly cook. Like I've said before, use what is a part of you, your culture, your experiences. It makes cooking a lot more exciting!

Below is an entree using the same ingredients I used in the Asian version of the Caprese. I used the baby bok choy & soy sauce reduction and tossed it with some noodles & grilled chicken. Simple as that. Let me know how it goes!

Butterworth Cakes - Just the Beginning

2009-06-14T22:47:00.011-04:00

I spent the rest of Sunday baking my first batch of mini Butterworthy Cakes. They came out great! The batch below are my first set of mini Lavender-Vanilla Bean Poundcakes. I may be a bit biased, but they are pretty awesome. As you can tell, I have a blast when I bake! Email me at Butterworthycakes@gmail.com for more info!

Go Greek in Under 10

2009-06-14T22:20:00.005-04:00

This may be one of the quickest meals I make. I had this salad in Viktoria Square in Athens, Greece in 2005. It tastes exactly like what you would get in Greece. Everytime I eat it, it takes me back there!

Try it out. It's healthy. It's quick. It's easy. You can't go wrong with this one!

Greek Salad

1 medium cucumber
2 ripe tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes work well too)
1 medium red onion
feta cheese (as much or as little as you like)
1/4 lb. of mixed greek olives (about 15-20)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
S & P (salt and pepper)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with whole grain pita bread and there's dinner in under 10 minutes. I often times add grilled chicken to it. Again, add what you like.

Simple Simple White Bean Dip

2009-06-13T23:00:00.004-04:00

I came home excited to make hummus with chickpeas (yes I get excited). I realized I had no chickpeas (also called garbanzos), so I improvised and used white beans. Remember, I always say, there are no rules to cooking, use what you got.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Dip

1 can of white beans (15.5 oz) - You can drain the liquid if you want it thicker
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 roasted red peppers - use jarred roasted peppers
a little S & P (salt & pepper)
juice of half of a lemon
4 small dried chiles (crushed)

All you have to do is throw all the ingredients in a food processor until you get the consistency that you want.

That's it! Enjoy!!

Summer Wine Pick - Pick this up for the weekend

2009-06-12T11:36:00.006-04:00

I've stumbled upon an awesome summer wine! It's called Muga. It's a Rioja and is one of the best rosé wines I've tried in recent memory. Pick this one up and you will instantly become a fan of rosé! It is dry, light, pale, and very crisp! Perfect for summer!

Here's a little lesson on the wine: A rosé (From French: rosé, ‘pinkish’) wine has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wine in its native Spain. The name is comes from the Spanish word "temprano" meaning early. This is in reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes.

Also, do yourself a favor and check out a website run by Daniel Hoyos: http://www.beyondburritos.com/. If you love Latin food, you will enjoy his enthusiasm for the culture and food. Whatever type of Latin food you are in the mood for, he will lead you there with his awesome reviews. Check him out!

Caprese Salad - Latin Twist (Version 2 of 3)

2009-06-11T20:44:00.009-04:00

I am always looking to change up a recipe and one way I found for this recipe was to add a Latin twist to it. It is the same basic idea and just as simple. However, this time I use Latin flavors. I simply replace the basil with cilantro and the balsamic reduction with mojo. The basic recipe for mojo consists of olive oil & large amounts of garlic. Flavorings such as vinegar, lemon, orange or lime juice may be added. I also use grilled bell peppers in place of the tomatoes. Again, it is just a different variation of the traditional Caprese.

Be open to change! Mix it up using the flavors you like to use. As with anything, success involves a little risk and creativity. I've used queso fresco before, queso de Oaxaca, and even used tostones in the dish.

Enjoy!

Mid-Week Dinner Party for 4

2009-06-10T15:36:00.018-04:00

Hi there! I'm trying my best to write on this everyday, so here goes: Tonight I am having two of my good friends over for dinner and decided on cooking Italian. I'm leaving the office at 6 and will be home by 6:30. I have about an hour to cook, so I'm going for quick recipes. Each of the recipes are 5 ingredients or less and prep time is less than 5 minutes.

**Just a note: Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper are a given. Remember to always taste as you go!

First Course is made up of three dishes: Two Types of Bruschettas and Spicy Mozzarella. These are such easy appetizers. Bruschetta by the way is just grilled or baked bread rubbed with olive oil. The first is made with tomatoes, red onion, basil, & balsamic vinegar. The other is my favorite way made with white beans, fresh rosemary, olives, and olive oil.

These two should take no more than 10 minutes to prepare. Serve them in two separate bowls with slices of oven toasted french or italian bread and there you have it. **for a an extra twist, spread goat cheese on the bread.

I'm serving the Spicy Mozzarella along with the bruschetta. Take some fresh mozzarella (fresh works best!) and slice or cube it, however you like. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, throw in some red pepper flakes --->up to you how spicy you want it, & fresh oregano. That's it.

Dinner is just as easy, although it sounds fancy. Chicken Scallopini (flattened) in Hazelnut Cream Sauce.

Dessert is even more simple: Minted White Chocolate Ganache (fancy way of saying melted chocolate and whipping cream) over Bananas & Berries.

Caprese Salad (Version 1 of 3)

2009-06-08T20:18:00.027-04:00

Below is the first version of a Caprese Salad (I will be making 3 versions). I've been eating this since I was young but grew tired of the traditional plain olive oil and balsamic vinegar; so, I just tweeked it a bit and added my own twist to it.

Here is my version made with basil oil and balsamic reduction. It still uses the same ingredients, but it's prepared differently and it leaves the other one in the dust. I doubt you'll go back to the traditional way once you try it!

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad (w/ a twist)
Serves 2

Base Salad
2 Tomatoes (use on-the-vine tomatoes, beefsteak, it’s up to you)
1 medium ball of fresh mozzarella (bufala tastes best!)

Basil Oil
1 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Basil Leaves (remove stems)
Salt & Pepper

Balsamic Reduction
1 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar

First Video Shoot

2009-06-08T13:24:00.008-04:00

Here are some photos taken at my first video shoot. We had a blast shooting in my Queens apartment. You'll see the clips in the coming weeks! Again stay tuned!

-CG

My First Post

2009-06-07T23:20:00.005-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I will be adding recipes, video clips & photos in the coming weeks. I have a lot of recipes to share and you will notice that what I try to do is show how easy making incredible meals is using basic ingredients. I am always open to comments and feedback.

Also, as I mentioned in the bio section. I'm just starting out my newest venture, Butterworthy Cakes. This cake business has been a dream of my step-father, Dan Butterworth, for most of my life and now it's a reality! As with everything I do, I took a basic, but secret family recipe and put my spin on it. Currently, I am selling the Original Poundcake, Lavender & Vanilla Bean, Orange and Dark Chocolate, Tres Leches, Coconut Tres Leches. You can email me at butterworthycakes@gmail.com for more information. The website will be coming soon, but in the meantime, if you've had the cakes and have comments/feedback, please post them!

I'll be back this week with my first set of recipes. Stay tuned!

CG