Thanksgiving Recipe Fennel Slaw

Mix it up this Thanksgiving with a recipe that's a twist on the old classic... try this delicious Fennel Slaw

Pasilla Chiles con Queso

SUMMER SIDE DISH ALERT!!! 

Pasilla Chiles con Queso

1/2  Package Cotija Cheese

1/2  Package Queso Fresco

Smoke your Pasilla Chiles either over the BBQ or if you want the easy way out, throw them directly over your gas cooktop and char away!!! Make sure you get a black char on the outside... don't be afraid... the smokier/ more charred the better!!! 

Place in a plastic grocery store bag and tie it in a knot.  Let them sit for 15-20 minutes... (this is a really important step! Don't skip it!)  

Crumble both cheeses together and combine well. 

Remove the charred skin from the Chile on the outside.  Cut a slit down the middle and make an opening.  Remove the inner seeds completely. 

Stuff with a fair amount of the cheese blend. 

Cook in the oven on 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

**sidenote** 

The purpose of putting the Chiles into the plastic bag and knotting it is to allow the pepper to steam... the steam will do 2 fold, it will #1, help the Chiles to cook and soften a bit more with out making them soggy so they still have that "bite" and #2 most importantly the steam will help release the skin and char from the outside easily so that when you go to peel it the skin will just fall right off! 

Mediterranean Mama Ceviche

I love me some Ceviche and I hope you will love you some too!  Here's an easy, tasty recipe that's always in my Rolodex (yes, I still have a Rolodex) of recipe repertoires!
Enjoy
xo
MM

Med Mama Ceviche 

1 pound of firm fresh red snapper cut into small ½ inch pieces 

½ pound bay shrimp

½ pound bay scallops 

½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice

¼ cup lemon juice

1 of each-red & yellow bell pepper finely diced

1 red onion finely diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

½  jalapeno finely diced

½ bunch cilantro chopped

Pinch of Cayenne or Tabasco

• In a glass bowl (do not use aluminum, as it is reactive and will discolor the fish as it’s macerating) Place the all the ingredients together and mix well using a wooden spoon.  
• Cover and place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least one hour.  
• Remove after an hour give it a another stir and put it back into the fridge for at least another hour…. the longer the fish is exposed to the citric acid, the tastier it’s going to be and it will absorb the all of the flavors. 

**side note** 

The fish will turn color while it’s marinating.  It will start off as a pink raw looking color and slowly turn into a white opaque color.  

It can sit for up to 24 hours before serving! 

Chopped avocado is always a great accompaniment! 

Serve individually in martini glasses with some tostada shells! 

Mediterranean Mama Marinade

Mediterranean Mama Marinade

A marinade perfect for summertime BBQ'ing.  I've been using this recipe for over a decade!  

I promise you,'ll never try anything out of a jar or can ever again. Perfect for beef, poultry, pork or veggies, its flavorful and delicious.  It's so easy too and requires nothing more than a food processor or blender! 

Enjoy 

xo

MM

Mediterranean Mama Marinade

1 bunch of curly or flat leaf parsley
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 whole or 1/2 large onion
1 whole green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tbs red pepper flakes
1 tbs garlic powder
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup oil (can use olive oil, canola, corn)
salt & pepper 

OPTIONAL:Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Jalepenos 

1. Wash and roughly chop parsley, peppers, onion and other fresh herbs. 
2. Put all ingredients into the food processor and slowly add the oil and mix until everything is emulsified. Pulse to desired consistency. I usually blend it into a thick purée.
3. Pour onto your meat, fish or chicken and marinate for at least an hour. The longer you marinate it the more intense the flavor will be. 

Can marinate up to overnight for best flavor.

Let me know what you think about it! I'd love to hear feedback! 

A Souvlaki Story....

Chicken Souvlaki & Tzatziki

A recent trip to Mykonos, Greece has reminded me just how much I love those Mediterranean flavors and nothing says OPA! more to me than a great Chicken Souvlaki & Tzatziki like I had just a few days ago!  

Here's one of my go-to's for easy summer entertaining! 

Chicken Souvlaki

2 lbs of skinless boneless chicken (breasts and thighs) cut into 1 inch cubes

2 red onions cut into quarters 

1 green bell pepper & 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch squares

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 tbs. good olive oil

2 tbs. lemon juice

Salt & black pepper 

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onions, peppers, oregano, olive oil, salt & pepper. 

Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours, up to overnight.  

Skewer the chicken alternating with the peppers & onions.  Take remaining oil and mix with the lemon juice in a container.  Use this as a basting for the chicken while you cook it on the bbq... be generous with the mixture, coating the skewers frequently.  Should take about 15-18 minutes for them to cook... don't over cook or else it will dry out!  

Serve with pita bread and this amazing Tzatziki recipe! 

Tzatziki 

2 Cups of plain Greek Yogurt

1 Cup of plain Yogurt

1 Cucumber peeled & grated on a cheese grater (drain excess liquid in a colander) 

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbs. finely chopped fresh dill

1 tbs. finely chopped fresh mint

3 tbs. good olive oil

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Make sure that the cucumber is well drained and no liquid is remaining or else your tzatziki will be soupy.  Mix well and cover.  Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.  

Serve with your Chicken Souvlaki or use it as a dip on it's own with Pita bread or crudité! 

Chicken Curry Salad Lettuce Cups

I just love this recipe for Chicken Curry Salad!

It’s full of flavor, has tender chicken and great crunch from the lettuce!

Curry Chicken Salad on Hearts of Romaine Lettuce

Ingredients

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• Romaine Lettuce

Directions

Bake chicken in the oven on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes covered with alumnium foil.  Cut chicken into small dice, set aside and keep covered to retain moisture in the chicken.

In a large bowl combine: 

• 1/2 Onion, Diced Small
• 1-2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Currants (or Craisins)
• 1 Green Apple, Diced
• 2 Stalks of Celery, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Light Mayo
• 3-4 Green Scallions, Diced
• Coarse Salt & Pepper

Directions

Combine well and then add the chicken.  Place in fridge for about an hour.  The longer this sits, the better the flavors! Spoon into romaine lettuce wedges. YUM!

Enjoy! 

HOW TO "QUICKLY" DEFROST A TURKEY

Let's face it... a turkey is a BIG bird and there really is no easy way to defrost it quickly... however short of giving it the traditional 2-3 day thaw slowly, here are a few tricks just in case you get caught in a last minute bind to get that turkey defrosted and ready for family and friends to devour!

How to quickly defrost a turkey

THINGS YOU’LL NEED:

TURKEY

WATER

MICROWAVE

REFRIGERATOR

Step 1

Refrigerator defrost: First of all, you do not want to just put it on a counter to defrost because of bacteria. The best way to defrost it is to do it in the refrigerator. The math is 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey, so a 10 pound turkey would take 48 hours and a 20 pound turkey would take 96 hours or 4 days. So, buy an average size frozen turkey on Sunday and put it in the refrigerator and it will be defrosted Thanksgiving day.

Step 2

Microwave Defrost: If you do have a microwave that is big enough for a turkey you can defrost it, but you have to cook immediately after you defrost it. Take off the wrapper, take out the giblets and so forth and put it in the microwave. Every microwave varies but in general it takes about 6 min. per pound of turkey at a medium setting. Also, be cautious as a microwave may defrost one area and cook another. (I find this to be gross... but if you must, then do it) 

Step 3

Defrosting in sink: Leave the plastic around the turkey and put it in a sink full of water. You will have to change the water every 30 minutes and it will take 30 minutes for every pound of turkey, so you are looking at about 8-10 hours to defrost, along with you changing the water every 30 minutes. It's a day's commitment, but the best option. 

Check it out right here! 

A Cranberry Thanksgiving - Three Recipes for the perfect stress free day!

Thanksgiving is literally biting me in my ass at this point.  The stress of knowing that I will be responsible for feeding 30 of our “closest” is no small feat. I’m lucky that I actually like most of my family members.  (Note to family members, please do not ask if you are part of the most list on the table this year)

Luckily I will be armed with something fabulous that will keep my stress, my heart and my health under control.  You’re in luck too… this Thanksgiving, I’m in the spirit of giving!  Three fabulously delicious recipes that should be staples on your table!  All with one of my favorite ingredients… CRANBERRIES! 

Cranberries rock.  They do. I’m not lying.  Cranberries are actually among one of the highest-ranking foods when it comes to proven health benefits.  We all know they come to the aid in a snap when you’ve got a bladder or urinary tract infections… at least we did back in our early 20’s when we were having crazy amounts of sex. (Yes, you’re reading a Thanksgiving recipe post that’s talking about sex. Move along now…) But here’s some facts about those berries that you might not have known. 

·     Cranberries are known antioxidants… meaning they have great anti-aging properties. They actually can give you glowing skin!

·     If you have an ulcer, some studies have shown that drinking unsweetened cranberry juice for a few months can actually kill the bacteria that causes them.

·     Cranberries are proven to relax the blood vessels, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help prevent heart disease. 

Here’s a recipe for my absolute all-time favorite all-in-one Thanksgiving…

Cranberry Stuffing Recipe

         1 small onion, diced

         1 cup of diced mushrooms

         3-4 stalks of celery, diced

         1 stick of butter

         1 package of seasoned stuffing (I use Mrs. Cubbison's)

         1-2 cups chicken broth or water (per box instructions)

         1 package of fresh cranberries (may use canned if fresh unavailable)

         Fresh thyme

Note: If you would like to follow step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe, just click here.

Directions

Melt the butter on a medium heat and add the onion and celery. Allow them to sweat and turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the fresh cranberries. Don’t worry about the cranberries cooking down too much… you’re not looking for them to turn to mush just yet! They’ll cook down once they’re in the stuffing. Just give them about 3 to 4 minutes to cook.

Now add the stuffing mix straight outta the box. Any brand that you happen to like… I usually use seasoned stuffing mix… it just adds more flavor. Add broth and combine thoroughly.

Transfer mixture into a Pyrex or baking pan that has been coated with non-stick spray or butter. Sprinkle the top with some of the fresh thyme and bake in the oven covered on 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, remove the cover and allow the top to become golden brown.

Cranberry-Apple Dressing

1          12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

3          Tablespoons sugar

¼         Teaspoon ground cinnamon

2          Medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled and diced

2          Teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼         Cup Orange Juice or Water

In a saucepan place the cranberries, sugar, and cinnamon and add juice or water- just enough to bring the cranberries to a float. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then drain, but leave a small amount of liquid in the pan.

Add apples and cover mixture for 5-10 more minutes or until apples are tender.  Stir in lemon juice.

Allow cooling - then transferring dressing to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.  Serve chilled.

Makes 3 cups

Cranberry Twist Cocktail

4 ounces Cranberry Juice

2 ounces Vodka

2 ounces Ginger Ale

½ ounce Lemon Juice

1 ounce Simple Syrup

In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients. Shake. Shake. Shake.

Serve over ice or martini style!

Seafood Linguini

Mediterranean Mama Style Seafood Linguini 

½ Pound of Large Shrimp Raw

½ Pound Calamari Cleaned and Sliced into 1" Rings

1 Pound Black Mussels

1 Pound Clams (Butter or Little Neck)

1 Can of Chopped Tomatoes

¼ Cup Dry White Wine

2 TBS. Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic minced

Fresh Basil or Parsley

Linguini Pasta

Cooking Directions:

In a large sauté pan that has a lid add oil, garlic, tomatoes, let cook for a minute, add the wine & salt & pepper to taste- allow to come to a simmer.  Let cook for at least 10 minutes.

Then add the clams & mussels- cover and let it cook until they open   (3-5 minutes)

Add remaining seafood and cover for 3-5 more minutes

Place over Linguini and add a chiffonade of your favorite herb-

*Red Chili Flakes (optional but oh so yummy!)