Mother´s Day is around the corner, and food is being thrown at us from every direction. As we all very well know, moms tend to have a special place in their hearts for sugary treats, and buying baked confections or making them at home is high on the list of best gifts for her on this once-a-year event. But before the awaited dessert, a whole meal needs to be prepared for the family, and even though this is, in fact, Mother’s Day, most mamás put their aprons on and work away in the kitchen to get the job done. After all, this is why we celebrate them: because they care so much for us, that they won’t stop working even on their day to show how much they love us. Motherhood is a very special thing indeed!

Thinking of this, one of my favorite rice pilafs came to mind, since it’s so easy to make, and sure to please everyone. Making this pilaf is easy for mom, if she wants a hassle-free meal that will still allow her to relax a bit and enjoy all the pampering of the day. But it is also great for teenagers and husbands who want to take control of the kitchen for the day and please her. What’s great about it is that it is the perfect dish not only for this day, but for any other occasion, and it’s good for pros and beginners alike. All you have to do is mix the ingredients, add the delicious red wine syrup made with Holland House red wine vinegar, y listo! A healthy, nutritious, -and most importantly- delicious meal that will leave everyone satisfied and with a smile.

The very adaptable recipe also allows you to add or skip ingredients according to your family´s taste. I love it with lots of olives and roasted and fresh peppers, but you may add bacon, cheese, or any other vegetable, like green peas or artichoke hearts. Sometimes I even transform it into a salad, using the same ingredients, with added baby spinach and blue cheese (or goat cheese, which I love and goes amazing with red wine vinegar). When I do this, I splash the dish with a red wine vinaigrette, instead of the syrup of the pilaf…and just like that, you have a whole new dish!

Ingredients

2 cups white rice (Basmati or jasmine is fine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tablespoon onion, diced
1 cup green olives, sliced
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup raisins or cranberries
½ cup almonds, sliced and toasted
Salt and pepper

**
6 tablespoons Holland House red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir until aromatic. Don´t let them turn golden. Immediately add the rice, stirring for a few minutes, add salt and pepper (be careful with the salt because the olives are salty), and boiling water to cover. Put the lid on, lower the heat to a minimum, and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the red wine syrup: In a pan over high heat melt the sugar, add the vinegar, add salt and pepper, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes.

Uncover and stir with a fork to separate the rice grains. It should be fluffy. Add the green and black olives, red pepper, raisins, or cranberries.

Serve the rice sprinkled with the toasted almonds and the Holland House red wine syrup.

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Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored series to develop recipes using Mizkan products. All opinions are our own. 

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Last weekend I decided to indulge a little in the kitchen, and put some more effort than I usually do for my go-to dishes. Checking out some cooking videos for inspiration, I came across Peruvian chef, Flavio Solorzano’s fish empanadas, and decided to make a variation of this Latin American all-time-favorite food. And what better than cooking fish or seafood to make a meal special and extra nutritious, right? I found some beautiful meaty scallops in the supermarket, and filled the cart with “oriental” veggies for my stir-fry. Then, after looking at Flavio’s video on youtube a couple times, and once I felt I had mastered the art of making fried empanadas, I dove into it.

It really was as easy as it looked. I made the empanada dough without measuring quantities, but going more with how it felt in my hands (soft and maneagable like plasteline; not dry but not too sticky either). Then I did a good ol’ sauté with the veggies & scallops, plus added lemon, chili powder, and (my favorite) ginger. I filled the empanadas, fried them up, and what do you know? Oriental empanadas were ready to go!

They made a great weekend appetizer, but I think they would be fantastic also as an hors d’oeuvre at a dinner or lunch party. Easy and fun to eat with the hands, and bursting with flavor. I decided to go with Mitsukan’s Ponzu Citrus Soy Sauce to dip them in, since I always like to eat my seafood with a dash of lemon, and not to brag, but they were delicious!

Oriental Empanadas, with Citrus Soy Sauce (serves eight)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large carrot
• 1 bunch spring onions
• a handful mangetout
• 1 shallot
• 2 garlic cloves
• a piece of ginger
• 1/2 lemon
• 8-10 scallops
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• Oil for frying
• Mitsukan Ponzu Citrus Soy Sauce to dip

 Preparation:

-Chop all the vegetables and sauté in a pan or wok with oil, at medium/high heat, until cooked. Add the chili powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When ready, add the scallops (cut in small pieces), and cook for an extra 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

-To make the dough, mix flour and salt, add water and oil and knead with your hands. If it’s too dry add some more water. Make sure it’s easy to handle (not too sticky).

-On a clean and dry surface of your kitchen counter, spread some flour, and roll the dough until it’s thin and flat (about 1-2mm thin).

-Cut the dough in circles with a small soup bowl or large cup. A round cookie cutter is perfect for this.

-Put some of the vegetable/scallop saute on half the circle, and then fold the other half on top, and close the empanadas, pressing with your fingers. You can use a fork to seal the edge if you want.

-Heat a lot of oil in a pan, over medium/high heat (there should be enough oil to cover the whole empanada when you put it in the pan). When it starts to bubble and sizzle, add the empanadas, just 1 or 2 at a time. Fry for a few minutes until golden and but do not let them brown.

-Transfer to a dish covered with paper towels, so that it absorbs the excess oil.

-Serve hot, with Mitsukan Ponzu Citrus Soy Sauce on the side.

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Living in a border town like El Paso, Texas, it was not unusual to cross the border down to Mexico on a weekly basis. Mexico was ten minutes away and Sunday morning mass, breakfast and maybe even a haircut were our Ciudad Juarez family day trips. This was a custom for many families living in a border town. As we headed back to the U.S. the wait at the crossing bridge seemed an eternity as kids. We napped, read the latest issue of a Periquita comic or we enjoyed what the bridge vendors had to offer: Mexican candy.

Cocadas always stood out to me due to their bright pink color. I really wanted to recreate them exactly as I remembered. This February, we are steering away from the Valentine chocolate cliché and playing with coconut instead. This dessert is pretty simple and made in less than an hour. You little ones will enjoy stirring the coconut mixture and cutting out cocada shapes with plastic cookie cutters once the dessert has cooled. Enjoy and happy Valentine’s Day!

Cocadas for your Valentine

2-14 oz. cans sweetened, condensed milk
1-14 oz. bag of sweetened, flaked coconut
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
optional: red or neon pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line an 11” x 17” baking sheet with parchment paper and set lined pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add sweetened, condensed milk, honey and vanilla mix with a strong (preferably wooden) spoon.   Stir until all ingredients have been completely mixed.

Add a few drops of food coloring and mix well until desired shade of pink or red has been reached.

Spread the coconut and milk mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a flat wooden spoon, push the mixture evenly on pan, including corners. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top begins to lightly brown.

Cool for at least an hour.  Cut into squares or use a lightly oiled circle shape cookie cutter.  Enjoy or store in a tightly sealed container.

Makes approximately 20 pieces.

1. shredded coconut

2. add condensed milk, honey and vanilla

3. stir and mix well

4. add food coloring (optional)

5. stir until colored evenly

6. pour in baking dish and bake until golden

7. remove from oven, let cool completely and enjoy!

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