RECIPE: Zucchini Hummus

A friend of mine is a hummus addict. She has a right to be - she makes good hummus. I have not tried this particular version as of yet, but mutual friends have raved, so, on their recommendations, I present to you, Zucchini Hummus!

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans

1 zucchini

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper


What To Do:

1) Heat the garbanzo beans on the stove in the water from the can, so that they blend easier.

2) Then, throw them into the blender along with the diced zucchini, minced garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lime juice.

3) Blend.

4) Extra Tips: If using dried garbanzo beans, soak two cups in water overnight. Be careful though, they expand. A lot. Also, if you don’t like zucchini, try roasting a red pepper on the stove, scrapping off the burnt skin before tossing it in the blender.

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: "Oreo" Frosting

I don't know a single kid (or adult, for that matter) who doesn't love the frosting inside an Oreo Cookie better than the chocolate cookie part on the outside. Finally there is a solution!

Ingredients:

- ½ stick (2 ounces) butter (unsalted)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cups sugar (confectioners works best)
- 2 tspns vanilla extract

What To Do:

1. Beat butter and shortening together at medium speed until a smooth texture is achieved.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla while continuing to beat the mixture.

3. Continue beating for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the filling is light and fluffy.

Sergio del Limonar

BOOK: 'Wich Craft

Tired of that boring old bologna sandwich or PB & J for lunch? It will be well worth it for your taste buds to check out Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio's book, 'Wich Craft, devoted solely to the art of sandwich-making.

While it would take months to sample all the delicious recipes included within this inventive book, two have already become favorites of mine. The smoked ham sandwich with avocado and butter is just as smooth and satisfying as it sounds. Also, the meatloaf sandwich with cheddar, bacon and tomato relish is a meat-lovers new best friend. Although I can't speak from personal experience, I am excited to explore the dessert sandwich section as soon as possible!

Sergio del Limónar

RECIPE: Mango Ceviche

I've had some bad ceviche experiences in my life. Things that are a secret between me and the porcelain throne. This recipe, however, is the cheater's way out of enjoying the seafood treat without the risk of illness, mostly because there is no uncooked fish!

ingredients:

-ketchup
-lemon juice (the fresher the better)
-2 mangos
-1 onion
-cilantro

what to do:

1) slice the mango into thin strips about an inch to two inches in length
2) cut the onion similarly
3) put the mango slices and onion in a bag or sealed bowl with the lemon juice to "marinate" overnight
4) the next day, drain the lemon juice and mix the cilantro in with the mangos and onions
5) add enough ketchup to allow for everthing to stick together but not be swimming in a sea of red
6) serve chilled

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: Mango Dessert

ingredients:
2 ripe mangos
4 tablespoons of honey
200 mL bucket of whipped cream
400 mL plain yogurt
2 tablespoons of sugar
crushed almonds (optional)

what to do:
1 - cube the mangos
2 - heat the honey and mango cubes in a frying pan
3 - roast the crushed almonds in a different frying pan
4 - mix the cream and the sugar until they are the same consistency as the yogurt
5 - mix the cream/sugar and the yogurt together
6 - add the mango cubes
7 - serve in a dessert cup or glass and garnish with roasted almonds on top

YOUTUBE: The Yippity Yo Cooking Show

Forget Rachel Ray, Gordon Ramsay, Emeril Lagasse or The Iron Chef. Zaylee Jean and her The Yippity Yo Cooking Show are set to take them all down. Gimicky? Yes. Coached and heavily edited? Most definitely. Cute? As a button. Want her in your house? Not so much.

With her high energy and clearly in the midst of being a know-it-all toddler (she's 3 years old according to the video), Zaylee shows us step by step how to make her Grandma Wendy's Chocolate Chip Cookies, with a few distractions along the way. There were probably too many chocolate chips in that bowl for the cookies anyways, right? You'd think her schtick would get old quickly but this girl is a ham and her biting one-liners have got to keep her parents busy. Never has "Let's get serious" sounded so threatening. I've never heard Ramsay sound as frightening as this pint-sized baker when she screams "I will break you!" And "son of a biscuit," well, that needs to be copyrighted to get this one though college in 15 years.

The recipe for the cookies is at the beginning of the video so pause it, as you won't be able to follow what the host is doing as she flings flour and eggs shells onto the floor and decides her mother will clean it up. Zaylee Jean seems to think the cookies are good, so they might be worth a try; just don't have your pre-schooler make them.

Sergio del Limónar

RAIN WEEK: Lemon Drop Martini

Part 5 of 5
Following the old children's rhyme, about April showers bringing May flowers, ZONINO! presents seven of our favorite "rain-themed" things.

I remember going to my grandma's house as a kid and looking forward to, among other things, raiding her ever-present candy dish filled with delicious lemon drop candies. I imagine that is one reason why I love a good lemon drop flavored martini to this day. Grandma was never one to hit the bottle so its a little strange that sipping one of these tasty cocktails reminds me of her, but that is my Pavlovian connection!

Ingredients*:
1 1/2 oz. (good) vodka
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 tsp superfine sugar (used in drinks because it dissolves well)
3/4 oz. lemon juice (fresh is best)

*If you look online, there are many different variations. I've used this one before but you'll find others that also include orange liqueur or citrus-flavored vodkas.

What to do:
1) Fill a martini shaker half-full with ice cubes.
2) Pour all the ingredients into the martini shaker.
3) Shake until blended (the "rule" is anywhere between 35-45 shakes, depending on the bartender you ask).
4) Strain into a (sugar rimmed) glass and enjoy!

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: Guinness Cake

A friend of mine served this at her St. Patrick's Day party this past week. She wouldn't tell me the recipe and when I finally got it out of her it turns out she was embarrassed for to reasons. One, she found it on YouTube, and two, it is from a Spanish cooking show (in Español, no doubt). Thank goodness for "subtitulos."

I know this is a little late for this year, but print yourself a copy and make one next year; its worth planning ahead for! Slainte!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Guinness dark beer
- 10 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup chocolate powder (coco works fine)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (35% MG)
- 2 eggs

- 8 ounces cream cheese (for frosting)

- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)

- 1/2 cup heavy cream (35% MG) (for frosting)

What To Do:

Watch the video.

Buzzy

RECIPE: Tori's Tasty Tuna Salad

I had a roommate in college who would make the best tuna salad. She used no recipe. It was more of an emptying of the fridge followed by a half hour taste-testing session that culminated with a finished delicious salad and an already full stomach. I was reminded of this frequent bi-weekly event recently and attempted to recreate the spirit of Tori's culinary masterpiece; here's the basic idea:

Ingredients:

- 2 cans of dolphin-safe tuna
- mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
- an apple (Granny Smith works well) cut into cubes
- chopped celery
- 1/4 large onion, chopped
- shredded parmesan cheese
- oregano
- anything else you want, really!

What To Do:

1 - Put tuna into a large-ish mixing bowl or tupperware container.
2 - One at a time, mix in the other ingredients to your liking.
3 - Whatever you haven't eaten by the time all the ingredients have been mixed in, place the rest in the fridge for another day!

Sergio del Limónar

RECIPE: PB Banana Tortilla Roll-up

This is a fantastic breakfast option or even just a snack. It is super easy to make so show your kids and then let them do it themselves!

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter

Tortilla (flour or wheat)

1 Banana

What To Do:

Sorry, you might be an idiot if you can't figure this one out, which is a shame since it is so delicious! Watch this video starting at about 1:43 and bon appetite!

Buzzy

RECIPE: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies

Still need something for that Super Bowl Party tonight? Well, this ZONINO! treat will be the guaranteed talk of the town; even better than any commercial Budweiser puts out. And a lot less expensive.

I must still be salivating from the January's Bacon Explosion (which, by the way, work wonderfully and tastes great - a few friends and I tried it last week) because I went looking for other delicious bacony treats and found these Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies. (Click the link for the recipe.)

The kick of the jalapeño peppers balanced with the cream cheese and saltiness and grease of the bacon create a fantastic flavor fiesta in your mouth. These are best if you can keep them bite-sized so try and use small peppers. Though simple, preparation can be tedious, but the end result is worth it!

Sergio del Limónar

RECIPE: Bacon Explosion

This is incredible. Incredibly bad for your arteries. Incredibly delicious. An incredible amount of meat.

It should be stated that I have not attempted this BBQ monstrosity yet, but I do plan to. Some recipes are so obviously ZONINO! before you even taste them that its okay to post about it before testing it out.

This write-up from BBQ Addict provides a fantastic step by step instruction for creating this loaf of bacony goodness along with photographic proof that it can be done. Also check out this article from the New York Times regarding this grilling trend.

Now, go run a few dozen laps around the block!

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: White Chicken Chili

This twist on the classic chili recipe will definitely keep you toasty on a cold winter night.

Ingredients:
1 – 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken, diced in bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can chopped green chilies (Old El Paso brand works well)
14 ounces chicken broth
3 cups cooked white beans
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. red cayenne pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce

What To Do:

1) Sauté chicken on medium-high heat in a Dutch oven until outside is cooked.

2) Add onions and garlic and continue to sauté about 5 more minutes.

3) Lower the heat to medium and add the chilies, the seasonings, the broth, and then the beans. Stir well.

4) Bring to a boil, and then simmer at least 10 minutes—the longer the better.

5) Can be thickened by mixing 1/8 cup cornstarch to ¼ cup of cold water and then adding into soup.

6) Best served with tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and hot sauce.

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: Apricot Crisp

Happy National Apricot Day! (No, really. January 9th is National Apricot Day. Seriously, look it up!)

Ingredients:

*8 apricots (halved)
*1 cup of flour
*1/2 cup of sugar
*1/3 cup of ground almonds
*1/2 cup of butter (cut into cubes)
*salt
*1 tablespoon of flour
*2 teaspoons of vanilla

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Combine the sugar and flour.

3. Add butter to sugar/flour mixture using a mixer.

4. Add the almonds and salt to butter/sugar/flour mixture and stir well.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the apricots with a tablespoon of flour and 2 tsp. of vanilla. Mix until the apricots are well coated.

6. Spoon the coated apricots into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and pour crisp topping mixture on top. Pat down firmly.

7. Bake at 375°F for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown.

RECIPE: Quinoa Soup

Winter weather is the perfect excuse to boil up a pot of delicious soup to warm up. This recipe, a known staple of many in the highlands of Peru, will do just the trick!

Ingredients:
* 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
* 2oz Quinoa (or couscous if your local grocer doesn't carry this rice-like grain)
* 1 Carrot, diced
* 1 Stick Celery, diced
* 2 tbsp finely chopped Onions
* 1/2 Green Capsicum (sweet pepper) diced
* 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
* 960ml Water
* 2 Large Tomatoes, finely chopped
* 2oz Green Cabbage, chopped
* Salt and Pepper
* Freshly chopped Parsley

What to do:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the quinoa, carrot, celery, onion, pepper and garlic and fry, stirring, until browned.

2. Add the water, cabbage and tomatoes, mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.

Thanks to Peru Travel for the recipe!

Sergio del Limonar

YEAR IN REVIEW: RECIPES

This is the fifth in the YEAR IN REVIEW series. Each day we will profile a different topic and choose out top 5 recommendations for the year. The ZONINO-iest, if you will.

1 Strawberry Spinach Summer Salad
2 Sad Apple Pizza
3 Coconut Banana Bread
4 Chicken Pesto Pizza
5 Fries Cuatro Queso Dos Fritos

RECIPE: Pizza Burger

When I was younger, my father would take my brother and I to visit his old home town. It wasn't the one stop sign, the fact that everyone knew everyone, or that Zuba pants were still in fashion here that mesmerized us though. The town drive-in had one of the most delicious things a 10 year old could ever dream of - the pizza burger!

Now, I haven't had one, let alone the desire to have one, since those glory days of my youth, however upon feasting my eyes on this monstrosity, I might have to change my tune. Just follow the artery-clogging instructions and you'll be on your way to a glorious food-coma in no time!

Sergio del Limónar

RECIPE: Candy Cane Cookies

When I was little my Great Aunt Ida-Lynne would make those ever-present Christmas dessert-platter staples, the Candy Cane Cookie. I remember caring more if my Great Aunt would serve the cookies or not and if there would be enough of them (amidst the choco-coco balls, powdery Russian tea cakes, and red & green sprinkled sugar cookies) to go around between all the dinner guests almost more than I anticipated opening presents!

Well, I haven't had a Candy Cane Cookie as good as my Great Aunt used to make them. My grandmother's were good but, bless her heart, not the same. The closest I've come myself is from that master chef, Betty Crocker. It's a lot of work, but if you get good, you can live eternally in the minds of those you love as the one who made the best Candy Cane Cookies EVER. Not a bad way to be remembered!

Buzzy

RECIPE: Avocado Drink

I love avocados. I've made ordering decisions at restaurants based solely on whether a dish had the creamy green fruit in it or not. If you have any similar type of feeling, please do not crinkle your nose in disgust over the thought of this recipe before you try it. For avocado-lovers, this is an incredible addition to the already myriad uses of the fruit.

Ingredients:

2 avocadoes (4 if you are using the Mexican variety)
1/2 cup of honey
1 L of milk
1 orange
ice

What to do:

1) In a blender combine the avocados with the orange.
2) Once thoroughly blended, add the milk, honey, and ice.
3) Blend again.
4) Serve immediately so that it remains cold. Warm avocado is gross. Even I won't eat that.

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: Wine Cake

Wine Cake. "If you serve this once, my friend Oneida says, "it will become 'Whine Cake' because everyone will be whining if you don't make it every time." This actually isn't her joke, but her mother's. Even with this tempered warning, however, Oni didn't learned and exposed more of us to its deliciousness over Thanksgiving.

I'm just here to pass on the same sage advice in hopes that you too do not follow it.

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow cake mix
2 small boxes of Jell-O vanilla pudding
1 cup oil
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sherry wine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sherry wine (yes, again)

What to do:

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Take the first five ingredients and mix them together.

3) Bake in a greased bundt (I love that word) pan for ~50 minutes.

4) Time to glaze: Without popping the cake out, poke the exposed part (the bottom) with a fork. Pour the glaze over the holes until it soaks inside.

5) Wait until the glaze soaks in. Then, pop the cake out of the pan onto a serving dish

6) Repeat poking the rest of the cake, but for the top. Also repeat the glazing process.

7) Cool.

8) (Optional) If you want to have a thicker glaze on top, add more sugar to the glaze and pour some more on after the cake cools.

Buzzy