La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

I slept in and made this delicious breakfast tart using some delicious Camembert brie cheese, and a simple ratatouille. For the tart crust, I opted for a traditional flakey tart crust, rather than my traditional savory tart crust. The main difference between the recipes is less flour and more butter. I will post separately with that recipe. The advantage of the flakey tart crust is the omission of pre-baking the crust. You can simply mold the crust into the tart pan and add your filling. The baking time is also less, which is especially important in summer when it can be too hot outside for baking inside.

For the ratatouille, basically a French version of random vegetables sauteed and sometimes roasted in an oven afterwards, I used the produce I found in my kitchen, including 2 plum tomatoes, 1/2 white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of a yellow and red bell pepper, and dried herbs de Provence. Rather than labor over stove and onion, I decided to quickly sautee these vegetables in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat to give them a quick browning. I cooked them for about 8 minutes and turned the burner off, letting the juice from the vegetables evaporate as the pan cooled down. You don't want watery or mushy vegetables, so this process of eliminating the moisture from them is key to keeping your tart intact and prevent it from breaking up.

After molding my crust, I layered the vegetables first, then slices of the Camembert brie cheese (I tried the brie version, and frankly, didn't like it as much as the other brand that was more firm). I poured in 4 eggs I'd whisked with 1/2 c of cream. Bake the tart at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. The result is rather amazing, considering all the butter put into that flakey tart crust! Enjoy.

Labels: bell pepper, cheese, eggs, herbs, onion, tart, tomatoes

Penne never gets old--especially dressed with some red onions and balsamic vinegar. This pasta is best served just warm, but you can also make it cold. I decided to use tri-colored bell peppers for this recipe as green peppers tend not to be as sweet and tender as the yellow, red, and orange pepers.

You will need:

- 4 cups of cooked penne pasta
- 3 thinly sliced bell peppers
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar whisked into 4 tbsp of olive oil
- seasonal herbs such as chopped fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh basil.
- 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Step One: In a saute pan, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, the garlic, peppers, and onions. Cover this pan with a lid or piece of foil and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still have a crunchy bite.

Step Two: Add the herbs and balsamic/olive oil mixture and cook for another 3-5 minutes until warmed through. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked penne pasta and Parmesan cheese, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Serve while still warm.

Labels: bell pepper, herbs, onion, pasta, spices

Looking through the recipe index for this blog, I realized that the noble bell pepper has been sadly neglected. To remedy the situation, I give you the Fajita post. I know some of you reading this blog do not eat meat or fish, so feel free to simply exclude the shrimp detail because these tri colored bell peppers are the star of these fajitas.

And for you gluten-free/lactose free eaters? Corn tortillas (check ingredients on the back to ensure that no flour was used to finish them off), and beans make this meal healthy and edible for you too. Now how about that? A dish to please all the picky eaters/diet restricted types in your life. Don't thank me, just pass on this URL to your friends.

You will need:

- 3 bell peppers: green, red, yellow, sliced
- 1 red onion, halved then sliced
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 1/2 lime
- large handful of chopped Italian parsley or cilantro
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 lb of deveined shrimp
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 pkg of corn tortillas

Step One: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until oil begins to spatter. Add the garlic, onions, jalapenos, and bell peppers. Season with salt. Cook this, stirring every few minutes, for 8-10 minutes or until the bell peppers begin to tenderize.

Step Two: Add the deveined shrimp directly into the veggies, and squeeze the lime over them for added flavor. Cook this only for 2 minutes, stirring, and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro or Italian parsley, tossing everything about. Cover with foil.

Step Three: While things are heating up with the bell peppers, take another skillet or a comal and heat to medium. "Cook" each corn tortilla on each side for 45 seconds, or until the tortilla becomes very soft. You MAY NOT heat these tortillas in the microwave because they will become dry and brittle. Heating the tortillas one-by-one in a skillet on each side will ensure the proper pliability for eating the fajitas like little tacos.

Step Four: In a small pot, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 clove of minced garlic over medium heat until oil is hot. Add the can of beans and season with salt. I cooked these beans for about 7-10 minutes while the vegetables cooked and they were perfect for my fajitas.

Serve these veggies in a big bowl, with the side of warmed tortillas covered by a clean dish towel to retain heat, and the side of beans. I ate these fajitas with tomatillo salsa and guacamole. They are oh so yummy for the end of summer.

Labels: bell pepper, corn tortillas, fajitas, seafood, shrimp

This dish reminds me a lot of my sister Raquel. She hated bell peppers more than any other vegetable, and for that I dedicate this dish to her memory (even though she would totally gross out).

You will need:
- 2 bell peppers,
- 1 1/2 c of green lentils,
- 2 sprigs of green onion diced (may substitute with white onion),
- handful of grated paremsan,
- 1/3 c of diced or crumbled feta cheese,
- handful of chopped flat leafed italian parsley,
- 3 tblsp of olive oil,
- pinch of oregano (optional),
- 2 minced garlic cloves,
- spring greens

Step One: After picking through the lentils and removing rocks and rinsing, place them in a medium pot with 3 1/2 c of water. Cook on medium high with a lid on until soft. Like rice, this takes about 20-25 minutes to cook. Test for tenderness - if they need more water, add it 1/4 c at a time until soft but not mushy. Set aside.

Step Two: cut the bell peppers in half, remove the core, and place in pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water. Color should be bright green - not yucky avocado green.

Step Three: combine your cheeses, olive oil, onion, parsley, and oregano in a bowl, stirring so all ingredients are mixed in.

Step Four: Spread greens on a plate, place lentil mixture inside of the bell peppers and serve a grated parmesan on top.

Oh so yummy.

Labels: bell pepper, lentils, salad

Sorry for these late postings: cooking calls.
I love curry. If you enjoy eating chile, curry is something you should try - at least once. This green curry recipe is simply wonderful and it practically makes itself.
You need the following:

Cookware: 1 large skillet, 1 medium sauce pot for rice.

Ingredients:
- 1 green bell pepper,
- ¼ white onion,
- 1 clove of garlic (or more if you'd like),
- 1 tsp of fresh chopped ginger (optional),
- 1 cup of fresh sliced bamboo shoots (canned),
- 3 tbsp green curry paste,
- 1 can of light coconut milk,
- 1/2 c veggie stock,
- 1/2 c white wine,
- olive oil, cilantro (optional),
- 1 lb shrimp, tofu or chicken.

Step One: Prep the following before doing anything else: Cook the rice (1 cup of rice cooks in 2 cups of water, bring this to a boil in the medium sauce pot with a dash of salt and then cover immediately with foil or a lid, and reduce heat to LOW). The rice takes about ½ hour, the entire cooking time for this meal. Also, peel and devein 12 pieces of shrimp (you can buy it deveined). Shrimp should be raw and ready to go.

Step Two: In the skillet, add your ¼ white onion (slice it thin), 1 bell pepper (remove the seeds and slice long pieces), 1 c of bamboo shoots, crushed garlic, 2 tbsp of olive oil, ginger. Cook this for 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat. Be sure to stir it up.

Step Three: Add the shrimp or chicken (raw, boneless, cut into small pieces). Add the ½ cup of white wine. Cook this for 3 minutes (if cooking chicken, cook this for 5-7 minutes).

Step Four: Add ½ cup of veggie stock, 1 can of light coconut milk, 4 tbsp of chopped cilantro, and 2-3 tbsp of green curry paste (add more if you like it spicy). Cook this on medium heat so it simmers (a slight boil) for another 5-7 minutes. If you prefer tofu, add it here (chopped into squares, I like the extra soft texture). Make sure the meat you added is cooked through before you serve.

Step Five: Serve this yummy curry over a scoop of rice and salt to taste.

A tip about curry paste: This is essential to the dish. Your local Asian grocer will have a variety of curry pastes. Read the ingredients for purity (the paste should consist of recognizable ingredients like garlic, ginger, lemon grass, chile, lime leaves, etc). The paste I bought is very mulchy and dark, much better than that awful “Thai” brand (the tiny glass jar that costs 5 bucks a pop). There is a picture here of some basics I use over and over to cook. From the left to the right: capers, miso paste, tom yum paste for thai hot and sour soup, olive oil, green chile salsa from Bueno, green curry paste, butter (the real kind with cream), veggie stock, red wine vinegar.

Oh so spicy . . .

Labels: bell pepper, coconut milk, curry, shrimp, tofu