Taco Salad

Ever wonder what to serve when your guests have a lot of different dietary requirements? 

No meat. No carbs. High carbs. High raw. Hearty and high calorie.

Taco Salad is a good thing to have when you're feeding a variety of eaters, everyone can build their own salad or tacos with whatever their food requirements are. You can make it fancy or simple with whatever you like.

Ingredients:

romaine and red leaf lettuce, chopped
pico de gallo--sweet & green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper & lemon--chop & mix
red and green cabbage, thinly sliced
avocado, sliced
spanish rice
ground turkey--seasoned with cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt & pepper
pinto or black beans

optional: olives, sour cream cheese, slivered almonds, corn, chile verde, grilled salmon, tortillas

 The avocados on our trees are just beginning to mature--this is the first one of the year--not much mature flavor yet, but after several months without them, they're so good!

 

Soon, there will be enough avocados to make guacamole!

 

 Canned olives and pinto beans--black beans are good in Taco Salad too--you can make your own beans to control the salt.

If I'm having a lot of people over, I might make Chile Verde too.

 

Or maybe some carne asada.

 

 Or grill some salmon--did you see the Fish Tacos post?

Taco Salad is a favorite at our house--letting everyone build their own salad allows for a diverse range of eaters satisfying their needs. On the top of my salad, I sprinkled a little bit of arugula I've got growing in-between the flowers in my front yard.

Itadakimasu!


***


Baseball season has begun!

 My nephew Colin is playing for Loyola Marymount University.
You might remember Colin made Meatball Sandwiches here on FOODjimoto.com.

 I like watching baseball when I know someone playing--and especially when it's Colin.

 Rick's a baseball fan. BIG baseball fan.

 

Proud Mom, Nancy.

 

Proud Pop, Bill.

 

Bachan came to the game, too.

O-Baachan and O-Jiichan both came to the game as well as Mr. & Mrs. Iriyama, their close friends. It's quite an outing to have the whole gang come out to support Colin.
Thanks, Nancy & Bill for lunch and taking care of us at the game--we had fun!


***

Taco Salad

Ingredients:

romaine and red leaf lettuce, chopped
pico de gallo--sweet & green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper & lemon--chop & mix
red and green cabbage, thinly sliced
avocado, sliced, diced or made into guacamole
spanish rice
ground turkey--seasoned with cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt & pepper
pinto or black beans

optional: olives, sour cream cheese, slivered almonds, corn, chile verde, grilled salmon, tortillas

Prepare each ingredient and place into separate bowls so everyone can build their own salad according to their own dietary requirements.

Easy Oven Baked Chipotle Wings

I made these oven baked chicken wings to take to a party last weekend--they were so easy--I combined ingredients I had in my spice cupboard to make a rub, liberally sprinkled it onto a pan of chicken wings and baked them--that's it!

 They came out nice and tender, a little spicy, and just about gone at halftime.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

4 cubes chipotle seasoning, crushed

1 tablespoon each--black pepper, salt, onion powder, chili powder, paprika

1 teaspoon each--cumin,  garlic powder and cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves

 This is the chipotle seasoning I used--the mini cubes are easy to crush.

 Cut the chicken wings into three pieces. Use the tips for stock so they're not wasted.

 Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray, lay the wings out, then liberally sprinkle the rub over the wings.

 

Turn them over and sprinkle the rub on the other side.

 

Cover lightly with foil and bake at 325ºF for 1 hour, uncover, then bake for 15 more minutes.

 

If you want the wings to get crispy, move the oven rack up and broil until the wings are browned.

 When one side is browned, turn them over and brown the other side. When they're under the broiler, watch them carefully so they don't get too brown--which could happen if you're talking on the phone with your son and not paying close attention to the wings.

 

The second side came out nicer than the first.

I was watching them closely.

 

The brown sugar gives them a nice glaze. Be sure to make the spice rub how you like it--mine is a little on the spicy side--but not too spicy that the people that aren't crazy about heat couldn't eat them.

What will make them really good is to make the rub according to your taste--maybe add some rosemary and thyme or sprinkle them with a little Tapatio or Tabasco sauce--whatever strikes your fancy.

Itadakimasu!

***

 These are our hosts, Mark and Pam. 

They are generous with their home and hospitality--always inviting us all over.

 

Here are some of the party goers--that's Brock, upper left, with his girlfriend. Brock made his Grandma's Best Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls here on FOODjimoto.com. To the right of Brock, there's Rick, Jessica and her friend Kelsey. Remember Jessica's Thai Chicken Salad? Bottom left is Coco--who makes a killer salsa--and Erika next to her. Bottom right are Natalie and Erika working hard toasting all the tortillas.

Upper left, clockwise, is Rick and Rick, Meghan and Natalie,  Hondo and Crystal, and Sue (have you tried her German Chocolate Cake?), Gail (Gail's Stew is her recipe) Bryan and Ramiro.

I wish I would have gotten a photo of everyone and all the food, but here are some highlights:

Pam made oven roasted chicken and shrimp fajitas.

 Top left, clockwise: oven roasted chicken & shrimp fajitas, Asian cabbage salad, corn pudding, pasta salad.

Left: Pam also made 'Cowboy Caviar' a corn salsa-type dip with black beans, to the right are chicken wings.

BIG THANKS to Mark and Pam for having all of us over, again!


***

 

 Easy Oven Baked Chipotle Wings

Ingredients for rub:

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

4 cubes chipotle seasoning, crushed

1 tablespoon each--black pepper, salt, onion powder, chili powder, paprika

1 teaspoon each--cumin,  garlic powder and cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves

Mix all ingredients for spice rub in a bowl.

Cut apart chicken wings and place onto rimmed baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle spices over both sides of wings. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 325ºF for 1 hour, uncover and bake 30 minutes more. If desired, broil during the last few minutes--a couple of minutes on each side--to brown and crisp the wings.

Potato Leek Clam Chowder

I've been craving clam chowder and bought a can of clams and some clam juice, but it's been sitting in my pantry--waiting--until now. I made Spaghetti with Clams, Leeks and Garlic Chives for a birthday party the other day, so with a bundle of clams leftover from the party and the canned ones in the pantry comes a perfect time to make some clam chowder!

You don't have to use fresh clams, in fact, I kind of prefer the canned ones--not the baby clams, but the chopped ocean clams. I bought the canned clams at Smart & Final.

I made the chowder with the canned clams, cooked the fresh steamers separately and added them to the top of each bowl.

I bought the fresh clams at Costco. It was the first time the clams I got there were a little gritty--up until this time they were cleaned and didn't have sand in them. To clean the clams so they don't have sand inside them, put them in a bowl of 4 cups water with 2 tablespoons sea salt dissolved in it (the water line should be so the clams are covered with water halfway up their shell), in the refrigerator for several hours. The clams will siphon the water in but then spit it out along with the sand in their stomachs. Soak them in freshwater for about an hour before serving so they're not too salty.

 I didn't take photos of the ingredients this time, but these are from the Spaghetti with Clams, Leeks and Garlic Chives recipe.

 Wash the leeks and chives well and slice thinly. The rest of the cooking instructions are in the recipe below.

Looking at the photos I took the last time I bought clams from Costco,  the clams in the picture above are farmed Manila clams. The ones I used this time are not the same variety, they're white shelled, where the Manila clams are brown. I didn't notice what variety the ones I bought this time were (reinforces the fact that I should have taken photos!) or if they were wild (which would explain the sand).

Potato Leek Clam Chowder

This recipe makes a 7 quart pot of soup, which will serve about 10-12, so you may want to cut down the quantities.

Ingredients:

1-51 oz. can Chopped Ocean Clams

1-51 oz. can Clam Juice

2 leeks, cleaned thoroughly and sliced thinly

1/2 cup garlic chives, sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 cups celery (be sure to include the leaves) chopped

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

4-6 medium sized potatoes, diced 

2 cup chopped carrots

about 4 cups half-and-half or milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup flour

thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

generous pinch chili flakes

salt and pepper to taste

optional: 4 - 5 pounds of fresh clams

If using fresh clams, clean by soaking them in salty water for several hours so the clams spit out sand, then soak for an hour in fresh water. Drain and set aside.

In a large 7 quart pot, saute chopped leeks, garlic chives, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until soft and wilted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour on vegetables and mix well, with the flour absorbing any fats and liquid in the pot. Add the can of clam juice and juice from the canned clams, mixing well until evenly incorporated. Add water if necessary to make the vegetables/broth ratio how you like it--I added about 5-6 cups water and spices.

Simmer about 30 minutes on medium/low heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the canned clam pieces and the half-and-half or milk. Taste and adjust seasonings. To make the soup thicker,  mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Stirring constantly, add, a the cornstarch, a little at a time, to hot soup (just under boiling) until desired thickness. Reduce heat and hold until ready to serve.

To steam fresh clams, boil about a 1/2 inch of water in a large frying pan, place clams in the pan, put the lid on and steam for about 5 minutes or until clams are open. 

Ladle hot soup into bowl and place steamed clams on top.

Itadakimasu!

***

I've been doing some knitting.

This little afghan is so simple to make, it only uses one stitch, garter stitch. You can use your leftover yarn or any collection of colors you like. I collected these colors for a little girl I have in mind and I wanted the blanket to look like a spring garden.

I'm using a 10.5 US gauge knitting needle, but I think it could stand to be a bit bigger since the afghan is a little on the thicker/heavy side, so a 13 or 15 might be better and make the blanket more airy. 

I cast on 100 stitches in the green, knit 6 rows to make an end border, change to a different yarn and knit 2 rows, change back to green and knit 3 rows. I'm using an odd number of rows between yarn changes so either side can be the right side. Repeat until you've reached desired length and knit 6 rows of green for an ending border. To finish, I'm going to make a fringe on the ends with matching yarns.

Meatloaf with Barbecue Sauce

 I haven't made meatloaf in a long time.

When I had it for dinner at our friend Sue's home, I had forgotten how much I like it and had to make some myself.

It turns out that my sister-in-law Nancy makes the same meatloaf Sue does--Lenny's Meat Loaf from Leonard Schwartz, the former chef at Maple Drive--and Sue got the recipe from our friend Pam. Pam is Brock's mother--Brock of Grandma's Best Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls fame here on FOODjimoto.com.

Meat Loaf
adapted from Lenny's Meat Loaf by Leonard Schwartz

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup each, finely chopped onion and scallion
1/2 cup finely ghopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1/2 cup milk or chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
l pound lean ground beef chuck
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1 cup rolled oats (or quick cooking oatmeal)

I didn't have any red bell pepper, so I used an orange one--but then thought about the red color--and chopped a few cherry tomatoes for color. I also chopped 1 cup of mushrooms.

 I love diced mushrooms in meatloaf.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and saute the vegetables until they're soft and wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Set aside to cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the vegetables are chilling, get the other ingredients ready to mix. We like the meatloaf less 'meaty' so I use a bag of stuffing moistened with milk or chicken broth until the bread becomes soft.

With the addition of the stuffing mix and the oatmeal, I made 2 meatloaves and also a pot of albondigas soup with the meat mixture.

Add the sauteed vegetables to the bowl and mix well, then shape into loaves.

Top with barbecue sauce--pour around the top and use a butter knife to spread it down the sides until the surface is covered.

Sue and Pam use a jar of "Homemade Red Chili Sauce" found near the cocktail sauce at the market. It's really good but more expensive than barbecue sauce.

Bake for 1 hour at 350ºF, let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

We had it with oven roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.

 

Itadakimasu!

Gary thought this meal was especially good.
I think it was because I gave our friend Robert a care package of meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, and he talked about how he really likes meatloaf--his mom used to make it when he was growing up and it was one of his favorite meals--so he was happy and excited to be taking some home.

The power of suggestion.


***


Remember Vaughn?

He's one of our favorite relatives--the one that brought Emmy over to visit.

I think this may be the biggest smile I've ever seen on Vaughn's face!

He won it for the work he did on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.

Everyone that comes over wants to have their picture taken with Emmy--even O-Baachan.
Vaughn is her sister's grandson.

 

That's Gary holding Vaughn--and that's O-Baachan in the second row on the left.

Vaughn and his family came to visit when Rick and Karen were born. Vaughn and his sister loved to draw, so I made sure I had poster board and markers for them to draw to their heart's delight. At that time, Vaughn was a Smurfs fan. He was also excited about a new cartoon--something called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Vaughn used to carry an array of Lego mini-figures in his pockets.

 This is college-age Vaughn and his then girlfriend, now wife, Goretti.
I was learning how to put a kimono on and Goretti was nice to let me practice on her.

This is Vaughn and me on his wedding day.

This morning, Vaughn called to say that he had just arrived at his new job, doing some free-lance work at Disney Studios--he's a storyboard artist. He wanted to call and say 'thank you'--he thinks it's because of us that he's working in animation. He does that often, calls to say 'thank you'.

I always tell Vaughn it's because of his talent that he gets the jobs he does. He is very talented--drawing and cartooning have been a passion for him as long as I've known him and I'm always an advocate for chasing one's dreams.

Vaughn sets such a good example for us--chasing his dreams, the success it can bring, and living life with such gratitude.

Best Wishes, Vaughn, on your new job!

Love you!

***

 

Meat Loaf 

adapted from Lenny's Meat Loaf by Leonard Schwartz

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup each, finely chopped onion and scallion

1/2 cup finely ghopped carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup diced mushrooms

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce, plus extra for topping

1/2 cup milk or chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

l pound lean ground beef chuck

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound ground sausage

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

1 cup rolled oats (or quick cooking oatmeal)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and saute the onion, scallions, carrots, celery, bell peppers and garlic until they're soft and wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Put the ground beef, turkey and sausage into a large bowl along with the eggs, barbecue sauce, milk spices, bread crumbs and oatmeal. Add the sauteed vegetables to the bowl and mix well with your hands, then shape into loaves. Top with barbecue sauce, spreading over meatloaf evenly.

Bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.