Soba Noodles with Spring Vegetables and Teriyaki Sauce

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour and can be prepared in various hot and cold dishes. Soba dishes are very popular in Japan, available from specialty restaurants to fast food places at railway stations. Soba noodles are available in dried form in U.S. supermarkets.

Contrary to its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, nor it is a cereal grain. It is a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel, making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. Therefore, it is both gluten-free and grain-free! Always check the packaging on soba noodles to make sure no other flours are added if you follow a 100% gluten or grain free diet.

Since spring is finally here, I prepared this dish with spring veggies and then added a homemade teriyaki sauce. This dish is extremely easy to make and will be ready in 20 minutes or less. Your homemade teriyaki sauce will take a little longer to cook, but you can make it ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.

SOBA NOODLES WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND TERIYAKI SAUCE

Serves 4

For noodles with veggies:  1 tablespoon canola oil
2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)
5 slices fresh ginger
1 bunch green asparagus (washed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 bunches scallions (washed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
1/2 cup peas
8 oz. soba noodles

For teriyaki sauce:
1 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce

Cook noodles in a pot of salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and  rinse noodles under cold water. Drain well.

Heat a deep sauté pan or wok over high heat and add canola oil, ginger and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is golden brown; remove using a slotted spoon; reserve garlic and discard ginger.

Add asparagus, scallions and peas and cook over medium-high heat until tender (about 4 minutes). Season to taste with salt.

Add cooked noodles and toss to combine. Transfer to a bowl and add teriyaki sauce.

For the teriyaki sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and gently simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened (about 40 minutes). Let cool.

Enjoy!!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This moist and tender cake makes a perfect breakfast, brunch or even dessert. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. It has a cinnamon, brown sugar and walnut layer running through the cake and streusel on top. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and the rest is oven time.

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

For the streusel:
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

For the cake: 
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter (room temperature)
2 egg whites
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Combine the brown sugar, chopped walnuts and cinnamon and set aside.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy and well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg whites, 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream.

In a different bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture until just combined; do not over mix.

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Spread half of batter in the pan, sprinkle half of the walnut streusel over batter. Spread the rest of the batter over streusel. Top with remaining streusel.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Spanish Omelette (a.k.a. Tortilla de Patatas)

If you have ever been to Spain you have for sure tried the Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Omelette); you can find it in every restaurant, tapas bar, supermarket, even at fast food places. It is really popular in Spain and I apologize to all my Spanish friends for posting this recipe since everyone in Spain knows how to make a Spanish Omelette. But here in the U.S. I have been asked for the recipe many times. It is really easy to make and I usually make it when I haven't been to the grocery store and have nothing in the fridge. There are always potatoes, onions, eggs and olive oil at a Spanish house, those are true staples of the Spanish cuisine.

Also, if you want to have a tapas party this will be the first step. There is no tapas party without a good tortilla. You can cut the tortilla in cubes, put a toothpick on each tortilla cube and have everyone pick their own piece; it will last only a few minutes! You can also cut the tortilla in small triangles and put it on top of a slice of baguette, which is called a "pincho de tortilla".

To cook the tortilla, the potatoes and onions are slowly cooked in lots of olive oil. There will be plenty of olive oil left, but don't worry, you can reuse it when you make another tortilla.

Tips: The most important gadget you should have to make the tortilla is a good nonstick skillet that distributes heat evenly; otherwise you might end up with a tortilla with runny eggs on one side and cooked through on the other side.

I like to add the egg-potato mixture to the skillet when the olive oil is hot, then reduce heat to low; do the same when you flip the tortilla.

The best way to enjoy your tortilla is at room temperature with a crusty baguette; you can also add a side of salad for a quick lunch.

SPANISH OMELETTE (A.K.A. TORTILLA DE PATATAS)

Serves 4

6 medium russet potatoes or 3 large russet potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
8 eggs (beaten)
salt

Peel the potatoes and slice thinly; chop the onion.

Heat olive oil in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and onions and stir to coat potatoes with oil. When oil begins to bubble reduce heat to medium-low and cook, turning frequently until potatoes are tender but not browned (about 20-25 minutes depending on how thin you sliced the potatoes).

Using a slotted spoon drain and transfer potatoes and onions to a bowl; let cool down for a few minutes. Add eggs (beaten) and salt to taste and stir to combine. You will have about 1 cup of leftover olive oil which you can use for your next tortilla.

If this is the first time you are making a tortilla, I would suggest you divide your potatoes in half and combine with 4 eggs each half.  Following the next steps you can make two small tortillas instead of one large tortilla. It will be easier to flip; you will need a medium skillet.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of remaining olive oil in a large deep nonstick skillet over high heat (it is important that the skillet distributes heat evenly for best results). Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes.

Invert a plate (same size or larger than the skillet) over the skillet. Using oven mitts hold plate firmly over skillet and flip, releasing tortilla onto plate. Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and heat over high heat. Gently slide the tortilla back into the pan, reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes. Again, invert a plate over the skillet and flip to transfer tortilla to the serving plate.

Invert a large plate over the skillet to flip tortilla

Finished tortilla

Enjoy!

Bistro Bacon & Egg Salad

This classic French bistro salad is a perfect light and quick meal. Thick-cut bacon and a poached egg turn a quick salad into a supper.

BISTRO BACON & EGG SALAD

Serves 4

4 thick-cut bacon slices (cut crosswise in thin strips)

1 shallot (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons of red wine or sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 head of frisee salad (washed and chopped)

1/2 day old baguette (cubed into bite-size pieces) plus 3 tablespoon of olive oil for croutons
4-8 eggs

Salt and pepper

Vinaigrette: Place bacon in a cold sauté pan and heat over medium heat until crisp. Add shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for a couple of minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and scrape up any brown bits clinging to the pan. Add olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Poach eggs: Fill a large, heavy, shallow pan with 3 inches of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to water. 

Crack each egg into a small bowl and slide into the poaching water. Cook until the egg whites turn white and the yolks begin to cook, about 4 minutes. Remove egg with a slotted spoon and drain excess water.

Croutons: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Toss bread and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a parchment-lined oven sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Assemble salad: Arrange 4 individual bowls. Toss frisee salad and vinaigrette in each individual bowl. Add egg and croutons.

Enjoy!

Creamy Sunchoke Soup

We still have time for one more soup before the weather gets better in Chicago!

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, are neither an artichoke nor do they come from Jerusalem. They are a species of sunflower native to North America. Jerusalem artichokes were first cultivated by Native Americans before the arrival of the Europeans.
The flower of the sunchoke plant is yellow and the tubers (edible part of the plant) is elongated an uneven.
The flavor of sunchokes resembles the artichoke and cardoon, sweet and nutty. It is now one of my favorite veggies for its versatility and delicate flavor. You can roast, boil, sauté them or simply slice and eat raw. Also, they have many health benefits and are recommended as a potato substitute for diabetics.

Try this soup, I promise you will not regret it and will add it to your easy-to-make delicious
soups!

CREAMY SUNCHOKE SOUP

Serves 4

1 lb Sunchokes (peeled and cubed)
1 sunchoke (to garnish) (peeled and sliced)
1 large shallot (chopped)
1 yukon gold potato (peeled and cubed)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of vegetable stock
red pepper

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add sunchokes and potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes and add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and cook covered over low heat for 30 minutes.
Transfer to blender, season with salt and blend until creamy.

Serve warm in individual bowls and garnish with freshly ground red pepper and fried sunchokes.
To fry sunchokes, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add thinly sliced sunchokes and cook over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel and season with salt.

Enjoy!

Tuna in Escabeche

Escabeche is a method used to preserve foods consisting in cooking in a vinegar stew. Long before there were modern methods to preserve food, escabeche was widely used in Spain. It originally came from the Muslim occupation that took place in Spain during eight centuries. Nowadays it is widely used in Spain and South America to cook vegetables, fish or meat. The main ingredients used for escabeche are vinegar and olive oil. Vinegar allows to control the growth of bacteria hence preserving the food.

You can use the same method used in this recipe to cook other foods, some of my favorites are: turkey breast, mussels, partridge or sardines.

Tip: Cook tuna over the lowest heat possible for a juicy fish.

TUNA IN ESCABECHE

Serves 4

2 lb tuna (in one piece)
1/2 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs of thyme
4 garlic cloves (skin on)
2 bay leaves
1 onion (peeled and chopped)
3 carrots (peeled and chopped)

In a large pan put the olive oil, water, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, onions and carrots. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for another minute.

Season the tuna with salt and transfer to the vinegar mix. Simmer, covered, over very low heat until cooked through or slightly pink (about 30-35 minutes).

Let cool down in its "escabeche". Serve at room temperature in 1 inch slices with the escabeche and a salad.

Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

It is still winter in Chicago and a soup is always welcome at my house. This traditional French soup is an inexpensive way to give your family a treat and warm them up after a cold winter day. This is a soup with very simple ingredients, but if you follow my advice you can have one of the best French onion soups. I have two secrets when making French onion soup. The first one is browning the beef bones in the oven before making the beef stock. By browning the bones first, you will get a dark broth with a robust flavor, perfect for the soup. The second one is to caramelize your onions with butter. You will have to be patient while caramelizing the onions, it takes time (about 1/2 hour) but it gives your soup a great sweet flavor, dark color and consistency. You can make the broth and caramelize your onions ahead of time and when its time to serve you will only have to arrange the soup in the individual bowls, top it with toasted bread and gruyere cheese and broil it.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Serves 4

For the beef stock:
2 and 1/2 lbs. beef bones
2 carrots (chopped)
1 celery stick (chopped)
1 onion (quartered)
4 quarts of water

For the soup:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions (sliced)
1/2 cup of dry white wine
2 teaspoons of all purpose flour
4 cups of beef stock
8 slices of toasted bread
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Start by making the beef broth: Preheat oven to 500ºF; place beef bones in an oven-safe pan and bake for 15 minutes or until well browned.
Transfer browned beef bones to a large pot and add carrots, onion, celery and water. Bring to a boil and cook covered over medium heat for one hour.
Discard beef bones and vegetables and strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. If you refrigerate your broth the fat will solidify at the top, you can then remove the fat and will have a fat-free broth.

Browned beef bones

Ingredients for beef stock

Continue by caramelizing the onions: In a Dutch oven melt the butter with the olive oil and add onions. Cook the onions over medium heat stirring occasionally until very soft and caramelized (about 35 minutes).

Caramelized onions

Add dry white wine to deglaze the pan and cook over medium heat until wine has been absorbed (about 1-2 minutes).

Add flour, stir and cook for another minute.  Add 4 cups of beef stock and bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Season with salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.

Prepare 4 individual bowls:

1. Fill with onions-broth mixture
2. Add 2 slices of toasted bread to each bowl
3. Top with grated gruyere cheese
4. Preheat oven to broil and cook a couple of minutes until cheese has melted and browned.

Enjoy!

Natillas (Vanilla-Lemon Custard)

Natillas is a very traditional Spanish dessert; you can find it in the menu of every restaurant in Spain, in the refrigerated section of every supermarket and in every home. It is a custard dish made with milk, eggs, vanilla bean and lemon zest and it is traditionally served with cinnamon on top. It differs from the custard used in French cuisine for crème brûlée since its consistency is much lighter.
I find it an easy dessert to make and if there are children around they will lick the bowls until clean. It is packed with calcium and it is gluten-free!

Tips: You will get a richer custard if you use either whole milk or 2% milk.
You need to constantly stir your custard while it is over the heat or it will become lumpy and the result will be terrible. Never let your custard boil or it will also get lumpy.
You will have to cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scratch inside with the tip of a knife to get all the seeds out and into the milk. If you cannot find fresh vanilla bean, you can substitute for 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

NATILLAS (VANILLA-LEMON CUSTARD)

5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
5 cups milk (whole milk or 2% preferred)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vanilla bean
zest of one lemon
ground cinnamon

Place milk, lemon zest and vanilla bean (cut in half lengthwise) in a saucepan and heat at medium-low until about to boil. Do not let milk boil, separate from heat and cover pan; let rest for 5 minutes to infuse vanilla and lemon flavors.

Before heating

After heating; cover and let rest for 5 minutes to infuse flavors

In a heavy bottomed pan add egg yolks and sugar and whisk for about 5 minutes until pale yellow. Add corn starch and mix well.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow, then add cornstarch whisk again

Remove and discard lemon zest and incorporate milk into egg-sugar mixture little by little.

Place custard over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until custard begins to thicken and reaches desired consistency, about 2 and 1/2 minutes.

Immediately transfer to a glass or ceramic bowl or to individual bowls.

Let cool to room temperature and sprinkle some ground cinnamon when ready to eat.

Enjoy!

Tomatillo-Chilpotle Salsa

I usually make this sauce when making Tacos con Carne Asada. You can also make it as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips (see photo below). It can also accompany any grilled meat or chicken, veggies, potatoes, etc... As you see it has many uses!

This sauce has a smoky and spicy flavor from the chilpotle pepper that combines perfectly with your tacos. Chilpotle or, more widely known in the US as chipotle, is a smoked jalapeño used in Mexican cooking. You can find it dried, powdered or canned. I am using the canned version for this recipe, which you can usually find in the international section of your grocery store.

Tomatillo is a fruit that resembles a green tomato. It grows in a paper-like husk that has to be removed before cooking. Tomatillos are a staple of Mexican cooking and you can easily find them in US supermarkets.

Tips: The spiciness in this sauce comes from the chilpotle. If you don't like your sauce spicy, you should remove all the seeds from the jalapeños and skip the chilpotle.

TOMATILLO-CHILPOTLE SALSA

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1lb tomatillos (husks removed, rinsed and quartered)

1 medium tomato (quartered)

1 red onion (quartered)

2 jalapeños (seeds removed and cut in half lengthwise)

2 garlic cloves (peeled)

1-2 canned chilpotle peppers

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)

salt

Preheat broiler to high. Place tomatillos, tomato, onion, jalapeños and garlic on a baking pan, add the olive oil and mix well.  Place the baking pan in the oven on the top rack and cook until tender and slightly charred (about 25 minutes), turning the vegetables occasionally.

Ready to go in the oven

Vegetables are tender and slightly charred

Place the vegetables in a blender and pulse a few times until roughly blended. Stir in the cilantro and pulse again. Season with salt to taste.

Place salsa in an oven safe dish and bake at 450ºF with goat cheese for 10 minutes. Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Tacos de Carne Asada with Caramelized Onions

The only secret to this Mexican dish is to marinate your flank steak. I like to marinate mine for about 2 hours in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before grilling. A mix of acidic, sweet and spicy marinade is perfect for this type of meat and will bring a tender, flavorful and well browned steak. You can grill your flank steak in one piece which adds more convenience. For the tacos, flank steak should be sliced very thinly against the grain; it should be cooked rare or medium-rare. Well-done flank steak is dry and rubbery. Always remember to allow meat to rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board before carving. Finally, don't worry if you have leftovers from your grilled flank steak. You will be able to use it in sandwiches, salads, more tacos the next day or just eat them straight out of the fridge with mustard.

The queen of this taco is the sauce, spicy and smoky, yields an incredible flavor to this dish. You can find the recipe to make the Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa here.

You can add whatever garnishes you like to your taco, including avocado, guacamole, queso fresco, micro greens, cilantro leaves, Mexican crema or sour cream, lime wedges, etc...

To warm your tortillas you will need to:

1. Preheat skillet or pan and warm one tortilla at a time; or
2. Place 6 tortillas in the microwave separated by a damp paper towel and heat for 30 to 40 seconds.

TACOS DE CARNE ASADA

Serves 4

2 lbs flank steak
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 red onion (sliced)
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 teaspoon tabasco
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

12 corn tortillas (warmed)

Garnish with: queso fresco, avocado, guacamole, micro greens, cilantro, sour cream, lime.

Marinate and cook flank steak: Place meat in a shallow dish and add juice of lemon, lime, orange, the garlic cloves, red onion, tequila and tabasco. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Bring meat to room temperature. (While meat comes to room temperature you can start cooking the caramelized red onions -see below-) When ready to grill, pat dry meat with a paper towel and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Heat a grill pan over high. Grill the steak over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board. Slice very thinly across the grain.

Cook the caramelized red onions: Heat a pan over high-medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add red onions from your marinade and reserve liquid. Cook onions for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, then add reserved liquid and cook over high until liquid has completely absorbed.


Place meat in warm tortillas and serve with caramelized red onions, Tomatillo-Chilpotle Salsa and other garnishes.

Enjoy!

Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa