Gastronomous

We LOVE potato chips!  We love the crunch, the taste and , like any finger food how much fun the are to eat!  We also love chips make with other vegetables like parsnip and turnip. But our favorite chip that is not made with russets is the sweet potato chip. Potato Chips come in baked or fried versions. Most commercial versions are fried in soybean oil and laden with salt.  So we tried to produce a chip just as delicious without as much oil by baking them in a mix of olive  and canola oil. The result: delicious! We flavored ours with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cinnamon, they are the best side for a nice panini.

Ingredients ( for 2 LARGE portions)

2 medium sweet potatoes sliced in setting 1 on a mandolin
1 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp canola oil
dash of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and arrange rack to middle.  Meanwhile, toss  sweet potatoes with the oils and gently mix with both hands  trying not to break the thin potato slices. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle sheet with salt and pepper. Arrange slices on sheet, not letting overlap or touch. Sprinkle top with more salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or till the sides begin to toast, remove from oven and turn potatoes once with the help of a spatula or cooking tongs. Bake for 3 more minutes and remove from oven.  If you like ,sprinkle with rosemary or the spice of your choice.  Let cool and enjoy!

Tools:

Kyocera 10.5-in. Double-Edged Ceramic Mandoline Slicer with Handguard, Black   Get the advantage of ceramic using this Double-Edged Mandolin, the perfect tool for quickly and evenly slicing vegetables and fruits. Made by Kyocera, leading manufacturers of professional knives, the double ceramic edge is second only to diamonds in sharpness and holds it’s edge 10 times longer than stainless. So sharp, it makes it a cinch to create paper-thin slices of food like potatoes, carrots, jicama, cucumbers, squash or apples, to name a few. Won’t discolor or rust. Safety handguard included. Dishwasher safe.

OXO 16-in. Mandoline Slicer  OXO’s very versatile V-Blade Mandoline slices fruits and vegetables with ease. Four blades and a simple height adjuster let you make straight slices, crinkle cuts, French fries and julienne strips in a variety of thicknesses. The blades store on board and are easily removable for cleaning. We’ve added bonus cubing blades for large or fine dice too! A textured surface keeps food from sticking to the Mandoline and the food holder securely holds food and protects your fingers. The handle and turning knob are soft for comfort and non-slip feet keep the Mandoline secure on your work surface. Fold the feet and lock the Mandoline for compact and safe storage. Hand wash the blades; the Mandoline body and food holder are dishwasher safe. Features Include: Sharp, V-shaped blade of hardened stainless steel easily slices both firm vegetables like potatoes and soft fruits like tomatoes Straight and wavy blades for straight or crinkle cuts Four easily adjustable slice thickness settings: 1.5mm, 3mm, 4.5mm and 6mm Julienne blades for French fries or fine julienne strips Straight, wavy and julienne blades conveniently store on board and remove for cleaning Bonus cubing blades for large or fine dice store in a handy box Soft handle and turning knob for comfort and non-slip feet for safety Textured runway keeps food from sticking Food holder securely holds food and protects fingers Mandoline locks closed and feet fold in for safe and compact storage Hand wash blades. Mandoline body and food holder are dishwasher safe

We LOVE potato chips! We love the crunch, the taste and , like any finger food how much fun the are to eat! It is believed that the first potato chip (as Americans know them) appeared in the 1950’s.  Potato Chips come in baked or fried versions. Most commercial versions are fried in soybean oil and laden with salt.  So we tried to produce a chip just as delicious without as much oil by baking them in a mix of olive  and canola oil. The result: delicious! We flavored ours with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and rosemary, or try using paprika for a fun twist.

Ingredients ( for 2 LARGE portions)

2 medium potatoes sliced in setting 1 on a mandolin
1 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and arrange rack to middle.  Meanwhile, toss potatoes with the oils and gently mix with both hands  trying not to break the thin potato slices. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle sheet with salt and pepper. Arrange slices on sheet, not letting overlap or touch. Sprinkle top with more salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or till the sides begin to toast, remove from oven and turn potatoes once with the help of a spatula or cooking tongs. Bake for 3 more minutes and remove from oven.  If you like ,sprinkle with rosemary or the spice of your choice.  Let cool and enjoy!
 

I love chicken wings, but was looking for a more “figure-friendly” version. So I asked myself  why not try making my very own by baking them? I had to find  the right combination of technique and ingredients that would give taste and crispiness to satisfy the most demanding palates (not interested in their figure) . After many tries… here it is!

They can be make with fresh or frozen chicken; if using frozen increase cooking time by 15 mins (total) . For a low-carb version, use a low carb sweetener instead of sugar. The best part is that you have the freedom of making the wings as hot or as mild as you like, even within the same batch!

Enjoy with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing, or whip up a batch of honey-mustard sauce.

Ingredients: (4 to 6 servings)

5 lbs chicken wing sections
salt, pepper and or seasoning to your taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil such as canola oil
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls sugar or artificial sweetener
Hot sauce to your taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt, pepper and or condiment chicken wings, place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn wings over once and let cook for another 10 minutes or until wings are brown.

In large sauté pan, melt the butter and slowly incorporate the vinegar and the sweetener. Add hot sauce to taste, start with a tablespoon and remember to taste often. Once the sauce is to your desired heat incorporate 1/4 the wings, turn to coat with the sauce, let cook for a minute and remove with thongs. Incorporate another batch and repeat the operation.
Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!

These wonderful pocket pastries have multiple incarnations among several cultures. Our Savory version are a recipe that is typical from Spain and the former colonies  South America. Seasoned browned meat meets the sweetness of cumin raisins and the right touch of chopped olives.  Look for pre- made pastry dough in the ethic section of the frozen food aisle or  make 2 large ones with prepared pie crusts . Can’t find empanada rounds? Get frozen pizza dough and cut 12 equal squares.  Stretch a tad to get a 5 inch square and follow recipe to make lovely triangle- shaped empanadas .ENJOY!

Ingredients ( for 1 dozen or two large pie crust size)

1 1/2 pound ground lean meat
1 large onion chopped
3 Tbls canola oil
1/4 cup of raisins soaked in 1/4 cup water
10 green olives, chopped
1 1/2 TBSP cumin
2 Hard Boiled eggs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten for wash  
1 package empanada rounds or 2 pie crusts (*)

In a large skillet on medium high heat brown meat with cumin. Remove meat from pan, keep the drippings and add the oil and chopped onion. Cook till onions are translucent but not brown. Turn heat to low and add chopped olives, the raisins. stir in well. Turn off heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, then gently add the chopped eggs.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take dough out of package  and fill each round with 2  Tbsp of mixture. Moisten edges using your fingertip dipped in water.  Fold each round in half and seal either by braiding the edges, by squeezing or pinching in a zig-zag fashion with your fingertips, or by pressing down with the prongs of a fork. Place pies on a baking sheet and brush on egg-wash. 
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or till  edges are golden. Remove from oven , let sit for 5 minutes s and serve . Enjoy as part of a tapas display with  a lovely Spaniard Tempranillo or an interesting Argentinean Malbec .

(*) please pay attention to ingredients for food allergies.
Can’t find empanada rounds? Get frozen pizza dough and cut 12 equal squares.  Stretch a tad to get a 5 inch square and follow recipe to make lovely triangle- shaped empanadas . ENJOY! 

Oh the wonders of Spain! Part of their culture is to have a late, late, late dinner. Why? they have tapas (starters) some hours before.

Tapas are small servings of wonderful dishes both hot and cold. Some are as simple as spiced olives, cheeses and sliced chorizo, and  some more elaborate as tortilla, fried scallops or pork dishes.

Our dish is inspired in Jamon con Melon ( literally translates as melon with ham). The traditional tapas uses Jamon Serrano, a type of cured jam similar to the Italian Prosciutto and ripe cantaloupe.

It is quite expensive and is not readily available in generic grocery  stores; I did find it online at La Tienda.  It is Well worth the expense! We has fun and used what ham was on hand, a naturally cured cooked smoked ham , and It worked!

The traditional dish cuts the cantaloupe in wedges and drapes slices of ham on top. Our take is a fingerfood-like and cuts the cantelope and mellon to smaller bite-size pieces. Enjoy as an appetizer with some nice wine and other tapas.

Ingredients ( for 4 portions)

6 slices of serrano ham, or the ham of your choice

12 1-inch cubes of ripe cantelope

long toothpicks to secure

Take a slice of ham and cut legthwise, roll into a 1-inch curl and secure with a toothpick. Then take a cube of cantelope and secure

Repeat with the remaining ham and melon, sit on a pretty dish and ENJOY!