cilantro and garlic infused salsa

mood: catalytical
listening to: meat beat manifesto :: luminol/mnemonic

the slacker in me has come out again, but this time it was due to a lack of creativity. i couldn't think of anything to make and nothing sounded inspiring. there are a ton of recipes that i've wanted to try out that my father is quite the proficient master at, but i needed to know a little more about the creation process. finally, i have some insight into a fantastic one and i'm re-purposing it, courtesy of pops.

this salsa is not for the meek... it's easy to make, inspires creativity and is fully customizable to your tastes!

Ingredients: 2 cans, tomatoes 2 bunches of green onion, sliced 1.5 bunches of cilantro, sliced 8 large garlic cloves, sliced	8 thai chilis, sliced lemon juice chili powder salt

Preparation:
- after all vegetables are sliced, begin to mince tomatoes by hand in a large bowl, leave juice in can.
- add in cilantro, green onions, garlic and chilis, mix ingredients together by hand.
- add lemon juice, salt and chili powder to taste

costa rican gallo pinto (rice and beans)

mood: galvanized
listening to: front line assembly :: angriff/release/pressure wave

so it's been a long while since i've posted anything and since i'd even cooked anything. bit of lost inspiration, coupled with summertime activities and some travel and accounted for the massive timesuck. it's like a vortex where time just spirals away... but none the less, on a recent trip to costa rica, i was introduced to a new and beautful treat by the name of lizano. if you've heard of this stuff, you know what i'm talking about it. it's got a nice tangy zesty flavor that's not spicy and it just gives everything a little added kick. i've officially dubbed this as the national condiment of costa rica.

and with this loveliness comes a new and extremely easy dish to make. the costa rican's call this "gallo pinto," but we know it better as rice and beans. they literally eat it for all meals of the day and i totally understand why. it's delicious... even when i make it. it doesn't take a lot and it's a real easy dish to make.

Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 6 green onion stalks, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 can, black beans 2 cups, cooked brown rice cilantro

1 tsp, ground fennel 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp, cumin dashes of worcestershire sauce 2 tsps, hot sauce 6 tbsp, lizano sauce canola oil

Preparation:
- cook 2 cups of brown rice and set aside.
- heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat and adding peppers and onions. stir until soft then add the fennel, cumin and garlic.
- add in beans, undrained, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 2 tbsps of lizano sauce and stir on medium.
- transfer bean/pepper mixture into a large pot and add in rice and mix. add 4 tbsp of lizano and salt, as desired.
- sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

mexi-turkey pasta salad

mood: asphyxiated
listening to: the blood of heroes :: chains/salute to the jugger

as i've been working on different culinary masterpieces and some not-so-masterpieces, i realized that almost everything if not all of the things that i've posted here have been warm recipes. well, i decided to change things up with a recipe that could be either warm or cold, but personally... it takes a lot better cold. this is meant to be an appetizer and something to be shared by many people. it's easy, rather quick and can be adjusted to your particular fancy.

Ingredients: 16 oz. of fusilli pasta 1 tbsp, olive oil 1.25 lbs, ground turkey taco seasoning mix 24 oz. jar of salsa 8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing

1 green pepper, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 8 green onions, chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced sm. can of black olives, sliced 8 oz. of cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat; when boiling, add in fusilli and cook pasta till malleable
- in a separate pan, brown turkey meat and drain; add in taco seasoning mix; set aside and let cool
- in a large bowl, mix together salsa, ranch dressing, green onions, green/red/jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and olives
- when pasta is ready, drain and put pasta under cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in large bowl or pan, mix together salsa mixture, turkey meat and pasta
- cover and place in refrigerator for an hour before serving

stuffed pasta shells with ricotta cheese

mood: perspicacious
listening to: high on fire :: snakes for the divine/frost hammer

i have to admit that i've lost some motivation to cook lately, mostly due to the fact that nothing i've seen or thought of has been intriguing enough for me to try my hand at and therefore, the long delay. a friend made this dish a while back and it was so good, i decided that i would try my hand at it. this might be the first time where i didn't go overboard with injecting all kinds of spices and extra ingredients into something that doesn't need a whole lot to give it some flair.

Ingredients: 16 oz., jumbo pasta shells 32 oz., ricotta cheese 2 eggs, beaten 2 garlic cloves, minced 12 oz., shredded mozzarella cheese

dried basil dried oregano dried parsley 8 oz., shredded parmesan cheese 26 oz., spaghetti sauce

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat
- in a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, eggs, garlic, 1 tbsp of parsley, basil and oregano and stir evenly
- add shells to large pot and cook till shells become malleable
- remove shells, drain and place shells in cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in separate pot, combine spaghetti sauce and 3 tbsps of parsley, oregano and basil on medium-heat
- preheat oven to 350°
- grease a casserole pan and put light layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom
- spread shells close together and facing up
- sprinkle parmesan cheese and remaining sauce on top
- place in oven for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly
- serve with garlic bread, a nice pinot noir and a salad for a full meal

garlic shrimp pasta

mood: vitiated
listening to: health :: in heat/die slow

my slacking this time is completely warranted as i have moved now for the 3rd time in 3 years. hopefully, i like this place enough this time to not move next year around this time. anyways, with that said, get read to see a new background in the dish pictures. my means are a little bit antiquated, but i think that it actually makes for a home-ier feel to everything. while i've been unpacking, i've been trying to find some decent with a garlic tinge to it. as always, i've altered something that i found with my own bit of culinary flair.

Ingredients: angel hair pasta 1 sm can, sliced olives red bell pepper, sliced orange bell pepper, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 in. ginger, minced 2 tbsp, margarine 2 tsp, ground fennel 2 tsp, ground coriander

salt, pinches 2 tsp, olive oil 1 lb cooked med. shrimp, peeled 2.5 tbsp corn starch 4 tbsp, cold water 1/2 can chicken broth 1 cup, fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup, fresh basil, chopped 3 tsp, lemon juice chili powder, pinch

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water and olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat
- add noodles and reduce heat to medium
- in medium pan, heat margarine and add ginger, garlic, coriander and fennel on medium heat; stir for 2-3 mins
- add in peppers, olives, broth and half the amounts of parsley and basil; continue stirring
- in small bowl, mix up corn starch and water until smooth and add in to pan
- reduce heat to medium-low and add in shrimp, salt, chili powder and lemon juice; stir
- remove heat and add rest of parsley and basil
- drain pasta, serve portion and add shrimp mixture over top

low-carb turkey tacos

mood: dissectional
listening to: russian circles :: enter/new macabre

the slacker in me took over again, although this time, it wasn't completely my fault! this work thing keeps getting in the way and it removes every ounce of motivation or energy that i normally have and pushes me in the direction of the kitchen. also, i hadn't found anything that sounded the least bit exciting and i couldn't come up with any alterations of old favorites and so the blog went unattended.

but... i had a stroke of genius this weekend with the extra time off. initially, this was to be a low-carb version of tacos, but as the recipe began to take shape, it began to resemble more of a mexican version of chinese lettuce wraps. either way, they are good and this is a meal that could be a dinner or a tangy appetizer.

Ingredients: canola oil ginger, minced lg garlic clove, diced cracked peppercorns 4 green onions, chopped 2 jalapenos, chopped red pepper, chopped turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp 1 lb ground turkey

taco seasoning ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp 1 cup water 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp white vinegar splashes of hot sauce lettuce guacamole salsa

Preparation:
- in large pan, add canola oil and sauteé ginger, garlic, onions, both peppers, turmeric and paprika for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat
- remove and set aside
- cook ground turkey till meat is whitish color
- add seasoning, coriander, garam masala, worcestershire sauce and vinegar
- add water and hot sauce to desired preference, so that all seasoning is mixed thoroughly
- peel layers off lettuce head and cut to desired size
- add meat, guacamole and salsa

i don't know which one sounds more appealing, but if you have a thought... let me know, i'm open to changing up titles

"balls to the walls" pesto chicken pasta

mood: mystified
listening to: flying lotus :: beginners falafel/melt!/gng bng

first off... i cannot take credit for the name of this recipe. i was experimenting in the kitchen, throwing some ingredients together, and when it was finished, i had a hard time coming up with a name. one person suggested 'balsamic pesto chicken pasta', which is great, but someone else blurted out this name which was too good to be true and there is the etymology of the dish name.

this is relatively easy dish to make, which came out very tangy and the marinade held quite well in the chicken. you may want to use more pesto than i did. i purposely used less, because it can get overwhelming and the amount i used was perfect for me.

one note: because it's warm out here, i was able to use the grill. if you live in a cold weather climate, the possibility of this may be less likely.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
balsamic vinegar
garlic powder, sprinkle
worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
green onions, sliced
1 small jar of pesto
artichoke hearts
whole grain rotini pasta

Preparation:
- in a bowl, marinate chicken in worcesteshire and balsamic mixture with garlic powder sprinkled over top, overnight
- once marination is complete, cook on grill till you have some good grill lines on chicken
- in a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in pasta on medium heat
- in a saucepan, add garlic cloves and green onions and cook till slightly brown
- add in pesto sauce and artichoke hearts
- when chicken is done, cut into pieces and add to pesto mixture
- serve mixture over top of pasta

you could just as easily marinate it in italian dressing as well.

breakfast burrito

mood: dauntless
listening to: mudvayne :: closer/heard it all before

happy new year to all! one of my resolutions was to attempt some more easy and difficult recipes, so we'll see how close i come to carrying that out.

not sure what your situations were on new year's day, but this guy was quite hungover and in need of something delicious to put me back to sleep/remove the hangover. i decided to make a simple, yet tasty little morning treat to get my 2010 off to the right start. this is a healthier, non-mcdonalds based dish that anyone can make!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
splash of milk
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 ham steak
pinch, paprika
pinch, cumin
pinch, garlic powder
shredded cheddar cheese
hot sauce
tortilla
light sour cream

Preparation:
- crack eggs, add milk, onion, ham, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and mix
- grease a nonstick pan and pour mixture in over medium-high heat
- cook eggs until slightly brown
- on a tortilla, add small layer of sour cream and cover with eggs
- add cheese and hot sauce on top, roll closed... and enjoy!

there are a lot of things that could've been added to make this even more of a masterpiece, but as i said... i was looking for something quick and delicious to douse my hungover a final blow.