Salt free – COCO COOKS

Quick and Easy Soft Corn Tortilla Beef Tacos in less than 20 minutes

June 11, 20091 Comment

Summer time means less time in the kitchen for many people.This is just a quick recipe recipe I threw together with what I had on hand. Bear in my mind I don’t claim to be the voice of authenticity, but rather the voice of improvising and using whats on hand.That being said what does one do with frozen thin sliced Shabu Shabu style beef(from the butcher in Chinatown), onions, tomatillo sauce, and cheese? Make a taco! But if you have a few mouths to feed or even feed just one and have little time, this is a quick one for you.

Components:

Corn Tortillas

Sour Cream

Tomatillo Salsa

Cilantro

Beef or Chicken ( ground versions work well to0)

Onions

Queso Fresco

Spices( salt or salt free seasoning, pepper, chipotle,Chili powder, garlic,etc)

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots

Brown your meat and onions in a lightly oiled skillet. Season to taste with salt, pepper, chipotle, etc. Set aside. Heat corn tortillas on each side in an ungreased skillet. Dress each tortilla with meat, cheese, sour cream, tomatillo, and cilantro. Garnish with lime.

* I made mine salt free with salt free seasonings blend. The lime and tomatillo add flavor as well).

Green Hummus From Fresh Garbanzo Beans…MLLA11

May 17, 20091 Comment

While looking on at clearance fruit and vegetable racks at Pete’s the other day, I came across a huge bag of fresh Garbanzo beans.

I had to ask the clerk what they were exactly. See, I’m used to the dried yellow variety or the ones in cans. The lovely Caron Golden, an expert on the many uses of fava and Garbanzos sent me her link to some great recipes. She advised to savor the garbanzos alone as snack to ‘taste the green’, and boy was she right!Be warned the shelling and popping takes a while, but the result is worth the effort. I decided to do a simple ‘hummus’ variation, served with quartered baked tortillas. I’m submitting this to Lori Lynn for My Legume Love Affair Eleventh Helping, created by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

Fresh Green Hummus

2 cups shelled Garbanzo Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Spike salt free( I am restricting my salt intake)

or sea salt to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

chili oil to drizzle

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Tortillas baked and cut into quarters.

Shell Garbanzo beans. Lightly steam until just tender. Remove from heat. In a glass bowl with an immersion blender, puree beans, spices, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice. Place in serving dish. Drizzle hot chili oil on top. Serve with baked tortillas that have been quartered.

Please vote for me in Ile De France Recipe Contest.

Garafalo Pasta… Roasted Balsamic Vegetables and Penne

May 14, 2009

Garafalo contacted me last month and offered me some samples to try. Who am I to say no? What I didn’t realize upon delivery was that I have been using this product for the past few years. Their packaging is distinct, but the small script label never registered with me. Certain Someone and I always stock up on Garafalo while shopping at Costco. In these lean times it can stretch a meal and provide me lunch at work. So I guess this cant be called a review because the product has been in repertoire for some some time. Not only did they send me Penne, but Spaghettini as well. Garafalo has 21 Signature Neapolitan pasta offerings . Costco normally mixes up a few in their multi packs.

I have made some changes to my diet on doctors orders. I’m pre hypertensive and need to control my salt intake. As a result I am using balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Non salt blends in my cooking. In less than 2 weeks my taste buds have become accustomed to the natural flavors of food. Tricks like roasting really coax out the goodness of vegetable and more than make up for the lack of salt. When tasting processed or prepared food now, I can taste the excessive salt. So its good that I’m adjusting.

One of my favorite ways with pasta is a simple toss of pasta and my roasted balsamic vegetables. Certain Someone is more of a meat and heavy cream man. But I like it on the light side.

Penne with Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

1 head Cauliflower

1 zucchini

1 pint mushrooms

Green or Red Peppers

1 large Onion

1 carrot

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Dried herbs of your choice ( oregano, thyme,basil)

Garlic minced

Cracked Black Pepper

1 package Garafalo Penne

Clean , seed,and chop, or slice vegetables into pieces. In a large glass bowl toss vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.Let rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F. Boil water for pasta. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

In a roasting pan or cast iron skillet place the vegetables. Roast for 40 minutes or until caramelized and soft .

Toss the pasta in the pan with the vegetables until well Incorporated and coated . At this pint you can add your salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a shaving of Parmesan cheese.

Thanks for all the entries for the Military Wives Cookbook. I drew a name out of a hat…and the winner is Junie Moon! Congrats!