Fourth of July Party Fare

Fourth of July is another fun holiday for traditional fare. This year we are celebrating Independence Day with our friends, the Schultzes, and our parents. Everyone is contributing to our meal and we're eating poolside. A tradition in my family is making this Berry American Flag Cake. It's a fun project for kids of all ages! This year we're adding some homemade Chocolate Gelato for dessert made with Mom and Dad Lazo's new ice cream maker. If it's going to be a sizzlin' 105 degrees, we've got to incorporate something cool. Bon Appetito!

Here's Today's Menu:

Blackberry Lemonade

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Tossed Green Salad with Farmer's Market Veggies

Mom's Famous Armenian Pilaf

Grilled Corn with Cilantro Butter

Grilled Salmon/Chicken with Tropical Salsa

Berry American Flag Cake

Chocolate Gelato

The Recipes:

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS DIP

7 oz. dried garbanzo beans or 1 15 oz. can
2 large garlic cloves
7 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini (ground sesame seeds found in paste form in most grocery stores near the peanut butter or in the Middle Eastern food section)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 oz. of Fire Roasted Red Peppers (available at Trader Joe's in a jar)
paprika, cilantro, and/or salsa for garnish


Directions:
1. If using dried garbanzo beans, boil for 45 minutes to soften. Then combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor except items for garnish. Whirl until smooth.
2. Add roasted red peppers to blender.
3. Serve with vegetables cut into sticks like carrots, celery or cucumber or even pita chips or blue tortilla chips. Top with a few whole marinated red peppers for garnish.


GRILLED SALMON WITH TROPICAL SALSA

1. Coat 1 large salmon filet big enough for your family (We get it from Costco or Trader Joe's - You can substitute in the kind of fish of your choice. Mahi mahi is another one of our faves.) with olive oil.

2. Sprinkle with herbs, such as basil, oregano, coriander, garlic, lemon pepper and/or chili pepper.

3. Add sea salt and pepper.

4. Let salmon sit in a dish or on a platter and prepare the salsa in a small bowl.

5. Chop 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 1 orange, 1 cup pineapple, 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and 1 mango. Make sure everything is in bite-sized pieces or smaller and stir together. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. (You can make this salsa ahead of time and reserve in ziplock bag)

6. Grill the salmon approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on your grill and the size of your filet. Watch for when the white fat juices start to ooze out the top and the salmon meat is flaky at the touch of a fork. Then it's done. You only need to grill on one side.

7. Top with tropical salsa and serve with rice or potatoes for a colorful, fabulous summer dinner.

Recipes of the Week: Persimmon Party

Wondering what to do with all those extra persimmons? Have you seen this elusive orange fruit in the grocery store or at the farmer's market and wondered how to employ it in your favorite dishes. According to Eating Well magazine, persimmons provide half the Vitamin C and one quarter the fiber we need daily. The "fuyu" persimmon is like an orange, squatty tomato and firm when ripe. These are great in place of apples or pears in your fave dishes. The "hachiya" persimmon is the acorn-shaped variety that becomes mushy to the touch when ripe and can be squeezed out to use in smoothies or for baked goods like cookies and breads. Here are some of our recipes using the persimmon. (Please share some of your creative uses for the persimmon!)

Baby Greens Salad with Fuyu Persimmons

Ingredients:
1 package mixed baby greens or fresh organic greens of your choice
2 thinly sliced fuyu persimmons
1 thinly sliced small red onion
1 container 4 oz. feta cheese or goat cheese

1. Arrange salad in a bowl.
2. Make dressing. Easy Dressing: Add 3/4 salad oil to a small mason jar.
3. Mix in 1 T. apple juice, 1 t. lime juice and 1 t. mixed herbs (1/4 t. basil, 1/4 t. oregano, 1/4 t. rosemary, 1/4 t. mint)
4. Shake jar and pour over salad.


Baked Salmon with persimmon salsa

1 large-2 medium salmon fillets

sea salt & pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Salsa:

1 red onion

1 red or yellow pepper

1 orange

1 cup fuyu persimmon

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 jalapeno or pepper of your choice, depending on how much heat you want

1. Coat 1 large salmon fillet big enough for your family with olive oil. (We get it from Costco or Trader Joe's - You can substitute in the kind of fish of your choice. Mahi mahi is another one of our faves.)

2. Sprinkle with sea salt & pepper

3. Rub on mix of herbs, such as basil, oregano, coriander, garlic, lemon pepper and/or chili pepper.

4. Let salmon sit in a dish or on a platter and prepare the salsa in a small bowl.

5. Chop 1 red onion, 1 red or yellow pepper, 1 orange, 1 cup fuyu persimmon, 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and 1/2 jalapeno (or pepper of choice) finely minced. Make sure everything is in bite-sized pieces or smaller and stir together.

6. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. (You can make this salsa ahead of time and reserve in ziplock bag)6. Grill the salmon approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on your grill and the size of your fillet. Watch for when the white fat juices start to ooze out the top and the salmon meat is flaky at the touch of a fork. Then it's done. You only need to grill on one side.

7. Top with persimmon salsa and serve with rice or potatoes or other favorite side.


Persimmon & Honey Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, organic softened
3/4 cup honey
1 egg
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or other flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup persimmon pulp (2-3 soft & peeled)

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet or carob-sweetened chocolate chips, optional

1. Cream together butter & honey.
2. Beat in egg.
3. Sift dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
4. Stir in nuts, raisins and chocolate chips.
5. Lightly grease cookie sheet and drop tablespoons full onto sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Cooking Club: Hawaiian BBQ Menu

Tonight we hosted our monthly Cooking Club. Since the temperatures still soar in the 90s here in Fresno but the evenings are pleasant and cool, we decided to host a Hawaiian Luau Barbeque on our patio. Move over L&L Barbeque! We decided to pick some healthy versions of the classic luau recipes. Here's the menu and recipes we featured. A-LO-HA!

Hawaiian Luau Menu:

Chips with Peach Salsa
Tropical Smoothies
Macaroni Salad with a Healthy Twist
Hawaiian Sweet Bread
Grilled Chinese Chicken Wings Appetizer
Coconut Baked Fish
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tropical Salsa
Sweet Potato (Piele) Casserole
Pineapple Haupia Cheesecake


Chinese Chicken Wings
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-2 green onions, chopped
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-1 tablespoon white wine
-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup honey
-12 chicken wings (hormone free, cage free)

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken wings as a marinade. Whisk together in 9x13 pan.
2. Add chicken wings. Allow to marinade minimum 1 hour.
3. Grill and serve.

Coconut Baked Fish
(Adapted from A LITTLE HAWAIIAN COOKBOOK by Kelly Malone)
-4 tilapia or other white fish fillets
-1 small onion, peeled and cut in wedges
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tomatoes skinned, de-seeded and diced
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
-1 pinch dried chili pepper flakes (to taste)
-salt & pepper
-1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 9x13 baking dish, arrange the fish in a single layer.
3. Saute the onion in the olive oil until transparent.
4. Add tomatoes and red pepper to saute. Continue sauteing for additional 5 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk and heat until just warm.
6. Pour the coconut-vegetable mixture over the fish.
7. Cover dish and bake 20-30 minutes until fish is flaky.
8. Serve over rice.

Hawaiian Sweet Potato Casserole
(Adapted from A LITTLE HAWAIIAN COOKBOOK by Kelly Malone)
-1 tablespoon butter
-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
-4 bananas, peeled and sliced
-4 apples, cored, peeled and sliced into rings
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
-1/2 cup rum
-2 tablespoons mint, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease large casserole dish with butter.
3. Boil sliced sweet potatoes for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Layer sweet potatoes, bananas and apples.
5. In a small bowl, blend coconut milk, brandy and mint. Pour over casserole.
6. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Uncover dish for 10 minutes and allow to brown.

Dorina’s Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tropical Salsa
-4 fillets mahi mahi fish
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-olive oil spray
Salsa:
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-1 cup mango, chopped
-1 cup pineapple, chopped
-1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
-1 pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)

1. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Spray grill with olive oil spray.
3. Grill fish fillets for approximately 12-15 minutes until flaky.
4. Meanwhile, assemble salsa.
5. Top fish with salsa and serve.

Recipe of the Week: Cinco de Mayo Mahi Mahi Enchiladas

Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse to share one of my new creations this year - Mahi Mahi Enchiladas. I've always loved the tangy bite of green enchiladas. This recipe takes a traditional Enchiladas Suizas recipe and turns it on its head by adding mahi mahi fish and using chopped chard or spinach. Who can resist a great enchilada? !Estoy satisfecha!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

8-10 large tomatillos, husked & rinsed

3 large anaheim peppers

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon honey or evaporated cane juice

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

Filling:

1 bunch swiss chard or fresh spinach, chopped

2 tablespoons organic butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1-8 oz. package organic cream cheese

2 tablespoons raw milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 filets mahi mahi (approx. 2 cups chopped or 1.5 lbs.)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)

1 dozen whole wheat tortillas

1 can sliced black olives

1. Cover baking sheet with foil. Roast anaheim peppers on baking sheet at 450 degrees for 15 minutes until skins are charred. (Turn over halfway through so both sides are blackened.) Remove from oven and fold tin foil over and seal edges to form an envelope. This steams the peppers and loosens the skin. Set aside.

2. Boil tomatillos in water for approximately 8 minutes or until tender. Drain water. Add tomatillos to blender or food processor.

3. Add cilantro, garlic, chicken broth, honey/sugar, black pepper and sour cream to blender. 

4. Open tin foil and peel off skin of peppers. (Note: I cover my hands in plastic bags to avoid touching the actual chile pepper. This prevents the spicy juices from getting into your skin.) Add peppers to blender.

5. Blend sauce and transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Set aside.

6. Meanwhile, sprinkle fish filets with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. 

7. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil in groups of 4-6. Heat in oven with fish.

8. For fillings, cook onion in butter until tender. Add chard or spinach until sauteed. Stir in cream cheese, milk and cumin. Flake fish and add to mixture. 

9. Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling onto tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pyrex or casserole dish. Top with sauce and cheese. Sprinkle black olives on top.

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and serve.

4-6 servings.

January-February Menu Planner

Each week we will offer new ideas for planning a healthful dinner menu for your family. You can always return here for an archive of menus to browse through at your leisure. The newest line-up will be on the sidebar at the right and the notes from the last week will be here on a post. We will include one-dish meals, Farmer's market features and ethnic foods for the adventurers. We will also include links to recipes we find and notes on where to buy ingredients. Feel free to steal our ideas & e-mail us with questions about recipes or feedback at dorinakailani@yahoo.com.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24-March 1

sun
Spinach Spanokopitas
Baby Greens salad with pomegranate seeds & goat cheese
Garlic Italian Bread
Chicken Marsala with cheesy whole wheat shells

mon
Squash-topped cottage pies

tues
Spinach salad with strawberries & red onions
Chicken tortellini alfredo with red peppers & butternut squash
Mocha Chocolate Cake

wed
Lamb-lentil stew
Quinoa

thurs
Flat bread pizzas
Broccoli salad

fri
Maple Glazed Walnuts
Caesar Salad
Butternut squash lasagna
Turkey-beef meatballs
Rasberry-chocolate bread pudding

sat
Luscious Leftovers*

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17-23

sun
minestrone soup (I love Giada's recipe minus the pancetta. You could substitute some turkey bacon for that meaty flavor if you're trying to avoid pork.)
Honey cornbread
Dark chocolate Lava cakes

mon
Feta lamb pita pocket sandwiches
Hummus dip
Cucumber-tomato salad

tues
Indian Tandoori-grilled chicken
Garlic Naan (purchased from Trader Joe's or a local Indian market)
Spinach-chickpea curry
Basmati Rice with Dried apricots and craisins(a long grain rice available at most grocery stores)
Yogurt Raitha (Meilani calls this "dip" or "deep" in her speak. It's a great yogurt sauce for cooling the spicy Indian flavors. Chop up some cucumbers or tomatoes and add it to plain yogurt for a quick version.)

wed
Crockpot lentil-turkey chili (I added some ground turkey to this lentil soup recipe and did it up in the crockpot.)
Whole wheat sourdough bread (They sell this in Fresno at Le Boulangerie in Fig Garden. Stop by between 5 to 6 p.m. and all the day's bread is half off. It's a steal!)

thurs
Tortellini with sun-dried tomato sauce
Roasted butternut squash
Baby greens salad with blood oranges & goat cheese

fri
Spinach & Artichoke Chicken pizza

sat
COOKING CLUB - Food 4 Red Hot Lovers
Chile Relleno appetizers
Kung Pao Chicken
Brown Jasmine Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy
Chili Brownies


WEEK OF FEBRUARY 10-16

sun
Crockpot beef stew
with potatoes, carrots & onions
Whole Wheat rolls

mon
Dorina's Tortilla Soup
served with blue corn tortilla chips, salsa, cilantro and sour cream
Mixed organic green salad with black beans, olives and cotija cheese

tues
Stuffed eggplant with quinoa, kidney beans, peppers & mozarella cheese

wed
African babootie
Brown Rice


thurs -Happy Valentines Day!
Filet mignon with gorgonzola cheese sauce
Italian mushroom risotto
Roasted orange cauliflower
Coconut chocolate chip cupcakes

fri
Cori's Kicked-up Chicken salad sandwiches
Chocolate Pizza

sat
Dorina's Mahi Mahi Green Enchiladas
Costa rican gallo pinto (beans & rice)

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 3-9

sun
Dorina's Rainbow Vegetarian Lasagna
with butternut squash and purple kale
Garlic Bread

mon
Maple-glazed Salmon
Zucchini "no crab" Cakes
Roasted potatoes with parmesan cheese

tues
Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
Brown Rice

wed
Thai chicken & Coconut Soup
Leftover Brown Rice

thurs
Turkey & Bacon Chowder
Whole Wheat Rolls

fri
Caesar Salad
Spinach-stuffed Manicotti Shells
Topped with Marinara Sauce
Herbed Foccocia Bread

sat
Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza
Baby Greens salad with sliced pears and walnuts
Whole Wheat Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

WEEK OF JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2

sun
Dorina's Italian Chicken Sausage & Kale Soup (I've been reading lots of great stuff about kale and it's health benefits so I decided to make a soup that used this unique in-season veggie.)
Split pea dip & Trader Joe's Everything crackers (We have this dip and crackers on hand every day of the week. It's a great snack for kids while they are waiting for dinner or after an trip to the park when they're ravenous.)

mon
Tilapia with Purple Potato Crust and Chive Oil (I saw Giada making this one on her Food Network show and I wanted to lick the screen. So yummy, especially coupled with this adult mac & cheese.)
Gouda & Spinach Mac & Cheese

tues
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (Whip up an easy marinade with one part honey to one part low-sodium soy sauce.)
Brown Jasmine Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy

wed
Spinach salad with dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese
Cumin, Honey and Mint-marinated Lamb Chops
Whole Wheat Couscous (available at Trader Joe's and other local groceries)

thurs
Whole wheat penne pasta with pesto sauce (I grow basil in my yard and freeze it for a quick pesto sauce during the cold days of winter. Fresh basil is also available at our local farmer's market or at Trader Joe's this time of year.)
Sauteed peppers & zucchini
Garlic Cheese Bread

fri
Asian Chicken salad

sat
Grilled Turkey Burgers (Why not try ground turkey for your next burger extravaganza. The taste is a little lighter and turkey is much healthier than most beef.)
Grilled Zucchini Spears with Goddess Dressing (I pretty much invent stuff to put my Goddess Dressing on. It's a mix of ranch with hummus taste because of the tahini. Just love it!)
Blue Corn Tortilla chips and Double Roasted salsa (Find these healthy munchies at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.)


WEEK OF JANUARY 20 - 26
sun
Dorina's chili pizazz (See recipes in previous post)
Cornbread

mon
Roasted salmon with grapefruit shallot sauce (Looking for ways to use those grapefruits in your your yard or from your neighbors? This winner recipe is from Food Network's Ellie Krieger. It's a wonderful melding of light flavors with a spicy kick, depending on how much red pepper you add.)
Brussel sprouts with pistachios (I have never eaten brussel sprouts before and I'm definitely converted after trying this recipe in the Green Issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I'm wondering why this vegetable has such a stigma. They're great!)

tues
Garlic chicken quinoa stir fry (I found this recipe on the back of the quinoa box from Trader Joe's. This grain originally from the Incas in Peru is packed with flavor and protein.)
with peppers

wed
Grilled mahi mahi
Sweet potatoes with cranberries & walnuts
Sauteed Broccolini (A fabulous find at the Vineyard Farmer's Market in Fresno)
Harvest Blend pilaf (Find it at Trader Joe's)

thurs
Baby greens salad with cucumbers, red onion and mandarin oranges
Butternut squash lasagna (This recipe is to die for - although I did ditch the cookies??)
Whole wheat herb bread

fri
Make-your-own beef burritos
Brown Mexican rice
Whole grain tortilla chips & Guacamole

sat
Chicken Tikka masala (I am a sucker for tikka masala; I always order it when we go out to Indian food. Found this in one of my Ethnic Cookbooks and just had to try it.)
Naan (We get ours from Trader Joe's or a local Indian grocery store.)
Spinach & garbanzo curry (I looked this recipe up on Epicurious while the chicken was cooking and made it right away. It's a snap!)