American's in London.

Tis the season of the summer Olympics! It's Katy's pick this week and she chose England! London, really but we told her London wasn't exactly a country. Every year our family joins together during a few key nights of the Olympics to share a meal. 4 years ago, we themed our meals around Asian dishes. This year it's England!

Last night we kicked off the week American-style with BLTs and Corn on the Cob. Felt it appropriate to begin with who we are... Americans. And we must eat what we harvest since summer is so short in Iowa.

Another reason to enjoy this meal is the fact that we dropped Elie off at camp on Sunday. We kicked off the no Elie days with Sushi from Wok in Motion Sunday night. Then because of her dislike of BLTs and Corn, it was a no brainer for Monday's meal. Tonight it's a toss between an English Pie or Tuna Melts on English Muffins...

Fresh tomatoes and corn. Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa. Happy is.

Fire-up for gymnastics and swimming tonight!

Cleaning out the Fridge.

My intentions were solid, I swear. But the time was just not quite there. I tried to experience Peru. But my Ceviche ended up tasting like poo. So I threw in the towel and cleaned out the fridge. And we ate a mix of a little bit of everything.

We are ending day 2 or session 6 in Iowa City this weekend for Iowa USA long course state swimming meet. Hence the abrupt ending of dining in Peru. I feel so bad. My dear neighbor brought over a beautiful Peruvian cookbook to browse through along with aji peppers and a bag of candy from Peru. All of which I've used zero of. I really thought summer was going to be easier to manage our world tour. I was wrong. It's been crazy busy. My work in advertising has been crazy busy. Is the economy shifting?  Or are companies realizing that staying idle isn't bringing them more business? Whichever the case, I feel blessed that work is steadily growing, though causing a slight blip in my travels!

Hannah is the only one swimming this weekend. Between suffering with her knees, allergy congestion, being tired and having an attitude, all is going as well as can be. We do enjoy hanging out in Iowa City. (I'm not cheating on you, ISU). Our favorite lunchtime restaurant is The Mill. This old dive bar and food joint next door to the Sheraton downtown. I crave the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich with a side of mixed greens with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. Yum.  Last night we dined at the Airliner. Had their popular Pizza and watched the Olympics opening ceremony.

Tomorrow we watch more swimming in the morning and then take Elie to Soccer camp in Grinnell which is on the way home. It doesn't get luckier than that. Well then again, maybe it does... we arrived in Iowa City at 7:00 am for warm-ups yesterday. I decided to drive down to the Sheraton to get put on the early check-in list for the afternoon. Jokingly I said, "well I know I can't check in right now since the guests are still sleeping".... sure enough, they had a room available! Jackpot, record check-in at 7:15 am... it's as if we stayed the night for FREE. Dropped our bags, went to breakfast, stopped back at the room and walked to the pool. Happy Is.

Hot Night.

We enjoyed  one of the most well known traditional rocoto dishes in Peru last night, the Rocoto Relleno (stuffed hot peppers). I know, call me crazy. Hot food on the hottest day of summer with a heat index of 110 degrees.  I call it a good weight loss plan. I relaxed in the air conditioned kitchen, mixing up this delightful dish and wasn't hungry when it came time to eat. I sampled on a small pepper, almost like a popper and it satisfied the palete.

It was a little labor intensive, I will admit. But doing this again, I can easily be better prepared. Like already having my egg hard boiled for starters. Pre-chopping the onion and olives and de-seeding the peppers would all save time. And you could even make up the meat mixture ahead of time. For that matter, you could make the entire meal and refrigerate and just toss it in the oven when you get home from work. I wonder if you could cook the peppers in a crock pot and skip the boiling? Do you see where this is going? I will be making these again. They were delicious. Hannah liked them, though hates olives I learned.

The recipe called for Rocoto peppers which are actually an extremely spicy pepper, not easily found in the United States. So I opted for Red Bell Peppers. I would possibly add more spice to the meat mixture to kick it up a notch.   I made Elie take one bite of the meat mixture just so she could say she dined in Peru. She said, "not bad,  but I wouldn't want it as my main meal". So pesto tortellini for her and a Hot Dog for Katy. Short order cooking. Maybe that's why it took me so long to prepare dinner last night...

Rocoto Relleno
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raisins
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chile peppers (anaheim or similar), seeds and veins removed, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup beef broth
1 hard boiled egg, coarsly chopped
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
4 red bell peppers

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them plump in the water for 10 minutes.
3. Sauté the chopped onions, garlic, and peppers in the olive oil until soft and fragrant.
4. Add the cumin and paprika and cook 2 minutes more, stirring. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
5. Drain the raisins and add them to the ground beef. Add the beef broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until most of the liquid is gone.
6. Stir in the hard boiled egg and the black olives. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove beef mixture from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco.
8. While the beef is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Slice the tops off of the peppers and reserve. Clean the inside of the peppers, removing the seeds and veins.
9. Cook the peppers in the boiling water until bright red and just tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. Drain peppers and blot dry with paper towels.
10. Fill each pepper with some of seasoned ground beef mixture. Top with remaining queso fresco.
11. Place the peppers on a baking sheet, with the tops alongside them (but not covering the filling). (I Used a Meat loaf pan so they stayed upright while baking and didn't bother baking the stems) Bake the peppers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is heated through.
12. Serve warm.

Tikka.

A belated post this week due to a regional swim meet our team was hosting and I was the co-meet director at. Earlier in the week we enjoyed a recipe given to me by my niece, Ashley who posted a reply from Magic Spice post. It was perfect timing as I've had no time and a crock pot recipe was a perfect solution.  Tikka is a type of Indian food, referring to a piece of meat, using curry and other spices. It has also been called out as a very famous dish in British restaurants. The only ingredient common in most recipes is the chicken


Though I was missing Hannah which is typical this summer based on summer life guarding mixed with being 16. She is our better explorer of different flavors.  Elie and Katy were fine with this meal, though I did serve it without much sauce for them. It was tasty. Kind of feeling Italian until the unique spices took over the flavor. 


We are not used to Indian spices or flavors so for us, it was a stretch to our normal. I will say though, it was very flavorful and worth trying. Who knows, the more we experience the ethnic cultures of the world, our palate's may open wider to what the world has to offer.


Chicken Tikka Masala 
- we often double the sauce portion of the recipe (everything but the chicken)

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (we use breast meat) (about 8)
1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice
1/2 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
Directions
1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
2. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice.

Mystery Meatballs.

It's funny, I think every country has their own version of the meatball. I even got the "Mom, why can't we have Swedish Meatballs" from Elie. My simple reply, "Sweden can be your next country pick"... so where do they come from? It's a mystery, really. Nobody can quite pinpoint the true origin. Some say it was the Italians.

Chef John Piso described it as: "Meatballs originated in some Italian's kitchen when she found that she had some ground beef left over. I could just see some nice Italian housewife ready to make a tomato sauce and find some left over ground meat in her ice-a -box-a. .. She must have felt a surge of lightning that hit her with this idea. Ground meat, garlic, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, and some beaten egg to hold it all together. Fry it in oil; drop it in the sauce and Bingo! Two courses in one pot - pure genius!"

The meatball doesn't stop in Italy. Grecian, Japanese, called hanbâgu; Swedish, Polish, the size of oranges; Mexican and Spanish, 'albóndigas; and even Albania where they often use a mixture of feta and meat.  The list goes on, but so must I. Blogging has taken its toll on me lately. Time is NOT on my side these days. I keep waiting for summer to slow down. Maybe in August. 
This Indian version of Meatballs was very simple. And the kids gobbled them up (thank goodness). The India inspiration is really in the yogurt sauce. The meatballs have a distinct asian influence. 


Grilled Meatballs with Indian-Spiced Yogurt Sauce

Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1 large red onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Indian Spiced Yogurt Sauce
1 pint yogurt
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish
2 tablespoons minced curly parsley


Preparation
Meatballs
1. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, soy sauce, eggs, ginger, salt, and pepper in the bowl. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they are well blended and hold together well.
2. Preheat the broiler (low).
3. Brush the baking sheet with 2 teaspoons of the oil (I used cooking spray). With your hands, form the meat mixture into 24 round balls and place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. (Each ball should weigh about 1/2 ounce.) Lightly moisten your hands before forming each ball to facilitate rolling. Brush the meatballs with the remaining oil and broil them, 4 inches from the heating element, 6 to 8 minutes, turning them once, until they are cooked through.
4. Place the meatballs in a shallow bowl with the Indian-Spiced Yogurt Sauce on the side, or cut off the top of a small round loaf of bread, remove the insides, and spoon the meatballs into the bread. Dust with chopped parsley for color.
Indian Spiced Yogurt Sauce

1. Line the strainer with the cheesecloth. Place it over a bowl and spoon the yogurt into the strainer. Allow the yogurt to drain in the refrigerator for 3 hours (I skipped this step).
2. Transfer the drained yogurt from the cheesecloth to the other bowl and blend in the garlic, lemon juice, oil, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Note the kid-friendly version here. No sauce. Just plain sticky rice and meatballs. Simple to please. Happy is.

Magic Spice.

We have arrived in India this week. It has been awhile since we enjoyed a Sunday night meal at home. At a decent hour. Very productive catch-up day. I really love it when the only agenda is getting organized for the week.  Laundry. Grocery shopping. Picking up clutter. Cooking. Sounds dreadful now that I write it... but sometimes the normal routine tasks are comforting. Kind of like mowing the lawn. Satisfaction with finishing something and showing results.

Well, India was my choice this week. I must confess, I spent yesterday trying to connect with Belgium. But knowing the 95+ degree weather before us this week, it wasn't working for me. Hence the final switch to India. Now, we may not be serving up all the authentic foods that India exemplifies, we will be adding the influence of flavor in our meals this week. As I've said before, if Andy and I were traveling solo this year, our meals would be much different. Just trying to balance the kids palates in our meal plans.

Comfort food was the focus so Salmon was the main ingredient. We are so religious with our Salmon preparation and have only ever strayed from our lemon garlic dill to a campfire BBQ. Tonight, we introduced a new flavor. Indian spices. Garam Masala. I will admit, a few months back, there was a recipe that called for the same spice. I thought it was a liquid, like soy sauce. Marsala maybe:)

Apparently, it's really the "magic" spice, the heart of most Indian dishes. A combination of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and cardamom makes it spicy treat. We served the salmon with a store bought chick pea salad that was oh so refreshing, with a hint of mint.

I will confess, this is the first time we have ever prepared Indian food at home and I can't really recall ever dining out in an Indian restaurant either. So far so good. A delightful evening with a light and flavorful meal. Happy is.

Grilled Salmon with Indian Spices and Raita

1/4 cup coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger 

1/8 cup vegetable oil plus more 

1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoons ground cumin 

1-pound center-cut piece of boneless salmon fillet, skin on

Raita (yogurt sauce)

110kKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled, seeded cucumber 

1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish 

1 scallions, finely chopped 

1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Purée ginger, 1/4 cup oil, 1 tablespoon garam masala, garlic, coriander, and cumin in a blender until coarse purée forms. Put salmon into a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Coat salmon with ginger pureée. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir yogurt, cucumber, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon garam masala in a medium bowl. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush the grill rack with oil. Brush off marinade for easier grilling, or leave it on for a better crust. Grill salmon, turning once, until it just begins to flake in center, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to a platter. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with raita.

Churrasco Fantastico.

Our next Cuban meal this week was a Churrasco Cubano Cuban Skirt Steak, though I had a hard time finding in the grocery store so I settled for flank. I had 12 oz. of skirt steak in my freezer so I decided to make this meal all about comparing meat cuts. The flank won!  It has so much more flavor and denseness to it vs. the fattier cut of skirt. Both cuts of meat come from the same area of the cow between the ribs and hip. The skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle, long and flat with a tendency for toughness. The flank is the traditional cut used for London Broil. It too is long and thin and full of tough connective tissue. For this reason, marinading is mandatory if you wish to enjoy your steak.

I marinated the meat overnight and prepared a chimichurri sauce to accompany the finished meal. The flavor both with and without the sauce was so good. And we had plenty of meat left over to have our third Cuban meal a day or so later.

The day or so is funny, really. I had grand plans to come home and prepare Fajitas and Cuban corn. I stopped to say hello to our neighbors and finally was talked into having a beer. Well, lets just say we ate frozen pizza that night. Funny how life turns off road. Maybe it's really a sign to slow down in the path of the journey. I must remind myself that it's about the journey, not getting to the end of my checklist.

Last night we enjoyed our Cuban corn. We didn't however enjoy our kids going to Panda Express as Andy was prepping dinner. And actually asking for money? Really? We are having dinner!  I find that our kids have turned wicked on us this summer. Queens of the castle. Or should I say the Bed and Breakfast Inn that they've been camping out in. So I admit, I lost my bubble. I roared. I glared. They might be a little scared. Probably not. I closed down their laundry folding service and they will now be receiving their clean clothes, crumpled in a ball and thrown on their own beds to fold! I need to put the bridles back on them. For I am woman. I am invincible. I am strong. I am woman here me roar!

Churrasco Cubano Cuban Skirt Steak

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (I used mostly flank)

Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
15 garlic cloves
1 /2 large onion, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt an pepper
Mix together and pour in a zip lock freezer bag with the steak. Marinate in fridge overnight.

Chimichurri sauce
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vinegar (I used white wine vinegar, though would have used red if I had it)
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped (I used 2 Tbl dried)
1/3 cup olive oil
Whisk together and set aside. Pour over steak.

Grill steak to likeness. Slice and serve with rice and black beans.

Cuban Corn
Sweet Corn
Mayo
Chili powder
Chihuahua or Cotija  Cheese (I used a shredded mexican white blend)
Fresh lime

Directions:
De-silk the corn, leaving the husk on. Soak corn husks in water for 30 minutes. Prepare grill. Grill, turning for 15-20 minutes. Remove husks. Paint the mayo on corn. Sprinkle with chili powder and cover with cheese. Finish with fresh lime squeeze.

Cuba has been good. Hurried but a perfect country to enjoy in the summer. Enjoy-

Love at First Bite.

We are settled in Cuba this week and learned a little history about the Mixto Cubano, aka Cuban Sandwich. This isn't exactly from Cuba as one would think and is somewhat controversial in the exact origin in Florida. Some would claim Tampa while others would say Key West. In the early 1900s, it was very easy for Cubans to travel frequently from Cuba to Florida for work and pleasure. It's said that they ate these sandwiches in Cuba over lunch hour while working in Cigar Factories and Sugar Mills and the transport of culture ended up in Florida. Others would say the Cuban Sandwich we know today came from the Tampa area where it appeared in factory cafe's.

Whatever the original place, it serves as a delicious warm yummy, stemming from the influences of Cuba. It was an easy pick. It may be because we had a pan of smoked pulled pork left over from Rib Fest. And the buns to go with it. And it was Monday; therefore simple was the key, not to be confused with Key West which make me want to go back. So Cuban Sandwiches it was.

Cuban Sandwich (my version)
Buns, foccacia, bread to place in a panini
Deli ham, sliced
Sandwich pickles
Spicy mustard
Swiss cheese

Assemble
Heat up Panini maker
Smash down
Eat

52nd Street.

We live in one of the best places on earth. On a little street in the middle of America. It's true. Every year for the past four we have gathered with our neighbors and a few friends to hang out over the 4th of July holiday. Sometimes on the 4th, other times near it. Four years ago, we had a friendly bantering as we gathered friends and family to compete in a casual rib cook-off. And because our family tends to put a theme on everything fun, Rib Fest was born.

We take this casually serious. We have judges, there are winners. And a traveling trophy for the winning Ribs. Which this year goes out to Matthew, our neighbor who has been perfecting his recipe since he fell short of the trophy last year.

Now in its 4th year, it has grown. We went from ribs to adding on a pie contest. T-shirts are now uniquely designed each year. Then the kids pie eating contest was added and kickball. Finally, this year topped it all. Live music was added with a young up and comer, Lilly. A dunk tank, face painting and water balloon toss. With the exception of a bumped head from the dunk tank and a firework burn, smiles surrounded the night.

Last year Channel 13 visited to cover the event, this year the Police Department came to say good night to our fireworks! Oh yeah. The theme was amped up to Rockin' Rib Fest.

Memories in the making for our families and our friends. And we couldn't hand pick a better neighborhood to live in. A slice of America at home. Can't wait for next year!
Happy is.

Stars and Stripes.

Well, I'm still playing catch-up mode for the week. Yes, it's technically Sunday but I must capture the moments of our week. After the Olympic Trials whirlwind, it was time to go back to work for a day. And then another day off. Too many Monday's this past week...

The kick-off to celebrating the 4th of July began on Tuesday, watching the West Des Moines parade. It was only 110 degrees outside as we gathered with friends, cooler in hand. The kids collected candy and the adults chatted and complained about the heat. It was much too hot to go down to the end of the parade celebration party so we opted for Mi Mexico with our group in honor of America.

The 4th of July was a great next day. We visited Andy's uncle Morley in the hospital and then joined the same group of friends with all the kids at the pool for a day of fun in the sun. The only way a person could stand to be outside was to sit in water, sipping on cold beverages.

After the sun, we had everyone over to our house and served up an All-American Meal of Grilled Chicken Bacon BBQ and Corn-on-the Cob. Let's not forget the fresh basil pasta salad and sliced watermelon. It's funny how food traditions are assumed. Like buttering your corn. I don't remember exactly when it started but we have always taken a stick of butter and placed it on a plate. Then you roll your corn. It seems normal. My friend Beth thought otherwise. And she's a corn queen!

The evening ended with fireworks and a quick night of sleep before our second Monday wake-up call.

America. God love you!

2012 Olympic Trials.

This week has gone by so fast. We arrived home from vacation last Sunday and hit the road running.  Work on Monday came quickly and then I was off to Omaha with the girls to watch the 2012 Olympics Swimming finals. What an incredible experience. It was a short night for racing, around 15 minutes. The 50 Meter for Women, over in 25 seconds and the Mens 1500 Meter. It was a tease, really since we are used to sitting in a pool area for 2+ hours at a time.

We arrived and went straight into the Aqua Zone. A room of corporately sponsored exhibits that engaged in everything from simulators to signing posters to meeting a few athletes. This was my favorite backdrop, the American flag made out of lane ropes! The girls met up with Cullen Jones for a picture and the next photo is actually the side of a bus. It looks so real!!

It was now time to hit the pool area to watch the show. And a show it was. They had flames shoot up on the sides of the pool after every race and a huge backdrop waterfall that was like a electronic board with names dropping through the air.

The event I was so excited for was the 50 Meter with Dara Torres. She is my age, people. Incredible. Pictured here, Dara is wearing a blue cap. She gave it her all but came up a few hundredth's short, placing 4th overall. What a great journey she has had in the sport of swimming. Very inspiring.

After the 15 minutes of racing, the Beatles cover band popped up on stage and we were entertained with a concert. It really did feel like the entire event was like being at a concert. From announcing the athletes to recognizing the winners, what a great time. Michael Phelps pictured, shaking hands after earning the most points at the Trials.

The closing was dedicated to announcing the 2012 Men's and Women's Olympic Swim Team. 

All the athletes appeared and we clapped and cheered like proud American's. 

An experience we can cherish for years to come, or at least until 2016 when we cross our fingers that the Trials come back to Omaha. 

Happy is.

Home Sweet Home.

We made it home like clock work. No travel woes to be told. It was a culture shock to see the lush corn fields and pigs and cows on our drive home from KC. Not a palm tree or pelican in site...

Sunday was a day to get back to normal. Seven loads of laundry and grocery shopping was the order. It was so nice to stay home and eat-in for dinner. Usually salmon is my comfort food, but steak was the summer craving after seafood week. So Andy grilled a thick NY strip and served it up with sauteed mushrooms. And of course our healthy parmesan garlic potatoes and a side of healthy fresh green beans.

Such a midwest meal.

Now we're off to Omaha this afternoon to watch Dara Torres swim the 50 meter freestyle!

Happy is.