black bean and guacamole sandwich

mood: redolent
listening to: orbital :: never/wonky

this is a really simple and healthy dish to make. i was looking around for something different and found this recipe online, but they referred to this as 'torta' which doesn't really make sense as this preparation uses a baguette and the majority of places say that a torta is a circular bread that is not similar to bread. anyhoo, enough of this breadology 101. this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish and can be used as a simple snack or as part of a meal. this dish can be served warm or cold and i, of course, added in some of my own ingredients to jazz it up.

Ingredients: 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/8 cup of salsa 1 serrano pepper, diced i tsp of ground cumin 1/4 cup of minced cilantro 3 gloves of garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, diced 1 avocado, pitted 1 lime, cut in half and juiced 1 baguette, cut in quarters 2 cups of shredded cabbage

Preparation:
- first, canned black beans contain a lot of sodium, so to reduce this, run the beans under water.
- in a medium size bowl, mash the black beans, salsa, pepper, cumin and garlic together.
- in a separate bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, cilantro and onion together.
- remove the soft bread from the bread pieces.
- if you choose, you can warm up the black bean mixture or you can spread it directly on one side of the bread. spread the guacamole mixture on the other side.
- lay some of the shredded cabbage on top and put the sandwich together and enjoy.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 sandwiches.

aloo gobi

mood: chimerical
listening to: high on fire :: serums of liao/fertile green

happy 2012! i just noticed that that's what i lead off my last posting with, so i guess i'm doing better than last year! i finally feel comfortable posting this dish which i've been working on in some form or another for the past few months. for all of you who keep asking for some indian recipes, i'm obliging once again and i'll say that this is the first of many that will be appearing here, cause i finally feel comfortable cooking my heritage food. this is a simple healthy dish and is full on vegetarian, which is pretty standard for the majority of dishes from my parent's home state.

Ingredients: 3 tbsp canola oil 2 pinches of asafoetida 1 pinch of mustard seeds 1 pinch of cumin seeds 1 small onion, diced 2 thai chilis, sliced 1/2 tsp of ginger paste 2 tsps of ground coriander 1/2 tsp of chili powder

2 pinches of paprika 1/2 tsp of turmeric 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp of garam masala 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets 1/2 tsp of garlic paste salt (seasoned to taste)

Preparation:
- in large pot, heat 3 tbsp of canola oil on medium-high. add in mustard and cumin seed and asafoetida and heat until seeds begin to pop.
- stir in onion and heat until slightly brown.
- reduce heat to medium and add in thai chilis and ginger paste and fry for 1 minute.
- add in paprika, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne pepper and ground coriander and stir till you can smell the aroma.
- add in potatoes, stir and then cover for 5-10 minutes.
- add in cauliflower and salt and cover for another 15 minutes.
- continue to stir until slightly brown and potatoes and cauliflower is tender.

serve with rice and naan or tortilla.

arroz con pollo

mood: phlegmatic
listening to: sleigh bells :: tell 'em/infinity guitars

happy 2011! ha ha, it's been a long time. while it's september and this is the first time i'm posting anything, i've been making some new dishes. for whatever reason, i haven't been taking pictures and i'm been hella lazy. in any case, this is a dish that i got to try while in costa rica and it's got some crazy flavor. you can adjust the measurements as you like as it is a pretty simple recipe to make. i even made the dish into a formation of a volcano with lava coming out of it... just like they did it in CR.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 green pepper, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups brown rice 1 lime, squeezed 14 oz can chicken broth	1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 1 ham steak, cubed

Preparation:
- slice chicken breasts into 1 in. cubes and the sprinkle pepper, salt, cumin and paprika over top
- heat oil at medium heat and then put chicken into saucepan. cook until chicken is light brown
- add in sliced green pepper, onion, ham steak and garlic into saucepan
- cook for a few minutes and then add brown rice, chicken broth and wine and stir
- cover the saucepan for about 20 mins on medium heat, stirring occasionally

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