Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ¾ cup slivered almonds
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

Sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and carrot, and cook 3 minutes more.

Stir in quinoa and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy.

In a bowl, toss quinoa together with almonds and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of lamb loin chops, about 8 chops, 1½ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup baking soda

Chimichurri Sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1½ cups fresh mint leaves, stemmed and packed
• 1 cups fresh parsley leaves, packed
• ½ cup stemmed fresh cilantro
• 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Directions:
Coat chops with baking soda and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Remove chops from the refrigerator, rinse well and pat dry.

Coat chops with red wine vinegar and let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Pat chops dry with paper towel and sprinkle on all sides with Kosher salt.

Set aside and prepare the chimichurri sauce.

Finely chop the garlic, mint and parsley, and put into a bowl.

Stir in the wine vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Stir in the olive oil.

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pan on medium high heat.

Sprinkle black pepper on both sides of the chops.

When the pan is hot, place the chops meat-side down in the pan. Leave space between the chops, do not crowd the pan.

Do not move the chops, just let them brown, about 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of your pan and the size of the chops.

Once browned on one side, turn them over and brown the other side.

Then quickly sear the fatty back edge of the chops.

Once the chops are completely browned, lower the heat and continue to cook until the lamb chops are done to your liking.

Lamb is best served rare, that means vivid pink on the inside, and never more cooked than medium rare. That means removing the meat from the pan at 120° to 125°F for rare, and 130° to 135°F for medium rare.

Some chops may cook faster than others, so check them as they cook, and pull them off the pan as they reach desired doneness.

Place the chops on a plate and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with chimichurri sauce.

Try these delicious little gems for your next BBQ, tailgate, or friendly cookout. They go great with a nice cold beer, and put a nice spin on the whole 'meat on a stick' tradition.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds of chicken hearts
• ½ cup of hot water
• 1 lemon
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons kosher sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for basting
• dash smoked sea salt, optional
• Lemon wedges as garnish 

Directions:
Wash and drain the chicken hearts.

Add one teaspoon of sea salt to the crushed garlic to make a paste. Add hot water to get a sauce. Let cool slightly.

Add lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the chicken hearts to the lemon/garlic sauce and marinate for an hour.

Put the wooden sticks in a pot with cold water and let it absorb more water (cold not to burn).

Put 5 or 6 hearts on each stick and then return them to the marinade for another 15 minutes. Remove and drip dry. Coat with salt, pepper and paprika.

Baste the grill with a bit of olive oil and put the skewers on at medium-high flame.

Roll hearts often so that they are nicely browned, but not burned.

Serve with lemon wedges. Note: I like to give them a light dusting of smoke sea salt after they come off the grill, then hit them with the lemon.

Gluten-Free and Vegan

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 5 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 extra ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. cashew butter
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. lime juice
  
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 large jicama, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch ‘french fry’ like sticks

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine mint, flax seeds, avocado, cashew butter, almond milk, sea salt and cinnamon; pulse until smooth.  Transfer mixture to a serving bowl for dipping.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice and cayenne pepper; mix well.  Add jicama; gently toss to combine until jicama is well coated with mixture.
3. Arrange coated jicama sticks on a serving platter. Serve with Lemon Lime Dressing.
4. Enjoy!

Look in the dessert section of the menu restaurants across central and South American restaurants,  and you will find fried plantains, or platanos fritos.

This version of plantains is quite versatile. I’ve served it as a simple dessert, but it pairs well many breakfast and lunch staples. If you’re able, make extra honey butter to reserve; it's a great spread that complements the plantains beautifully.

Ingredients:
3-5 small ripe plantains
2 tablespoons room-temperature butter, plus 2 tablespoons for frying
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon for sprinkling

Directions:
Mix 2 tablespoons softened butter with honey. Refrigerate until firm enough to spread.

Cut ends from plantains. Slice skin lengthwise and peel. Cut in ¼ inch slices and set aside.

Heat the remaining butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet. Arrange plantain slices in single layer and heat for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm with chilled honey butter.

This recipe combines fresh fish, coconut milk, lime juice, peppers, onions and garlic in a cumin-infused broth. The recipe makes enough to feed 8-10 people, making it excellent for larger gatherings. Cut the recipe in half for smaller groups or families. 

Ingredients:
2½ pounds tilapia, cod, snapper, or similar fish fillets, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
5 large bell peppers, sliced
2 can diced tomatoes, drained (16 ounces)
2 cans coconut milk (16 ounces)
5 tablespoons lime juice
1½ tablespoon ground cumin
1½ tablespoon paprika
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the tilapia and toss to coat.

Place into a non-metal container, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

Once fish is marinated, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until clear.

Reduce heat to low. Add bell peppers, fish chunks, and tomatoes to the pot in alternating layers. Pour the coconut milk over the ingredients. Cover the pot and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the cilantro and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until fish is fully cooked and flaky.

Serve with warm rice, hot corn tortillas, or both.

Crispy Plantain Patties (gluten-free)

Serving Size:
Makes about 4 large  patties

Patty Ingredients

• 3 cups mashed small green bananas (approximately 4 plantains)
• ½ Cup Gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• cooking oil
  

• ¾ cup grated carrot
• ¼  cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado sliced
  
• 3 green onions chopped into ¼ inch pieces

• 2 cups soaked cashews
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• ⅓ cup gluten-free soy sauce

1.  Do not peel the plantains yet. Cut off plantain ends and make cuts along the side by scoring the plantain.
2. Boil in large pot for approximately 20 minutes with peels (until you can  poke a fork through them).
3. Drain and let cool.
4. Remove peels and mash plantains.
5. Add flour and baking powder to plantains to create a dough.
6. Roll into four balls and then into 5” patties on a floured counter or cutting board.
7. Combine cashews, lemon, soy sauce, garlic, and  olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend  until smooth.
8. Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a skillet over medium and fry cakes until golden brown.
9. Add  nutty filling and veggie toppings to each patty and serve hot.
10. Serving suggestion: Serve with a side of beans and  rice for a traditional Puerto Rican meal.

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients and then add wet stuff. Mix together until it's the consistency of cookie dough or moist play dough. You might need to add flour or milk about 2 tablespoons at a time until it's right. It depends on humidity, how large the eggs actually are and other factors that I haven't figured out yet. You can refrigerate it at this point for up to an hour.

For rolls - you want it a bit on the moist side. Spray non-stick spray on your hands and shape into about 12 balls. (Or drop like drop biscuits.) Bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes.

For pizza crust - add a shake of garlic and a tsp. of Italian herbs to dough. You want it just a bit less moist than for rolls. You can either make it into one large pizza crust or 6-8 mini crusts. Put dough on cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Spray a piece of plastic wrap and place on top of dough. Roll with a rolling pin to about 1/3 inch thick. (For mini pizzas you can just use your hands to pat down to the right shape and thickness.) Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes, depending on size. Top with pizza toppings and bake until cheese is bubbly.

For cheese crackers - You want the dough to be more like Playdough. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before rolling out. Roll out on a cloth well dusted with tapioca flour, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 inch squares or with mini cookie cutters. Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes. Watch closely and take out when crackers start to brown. Store in tightly sealed container.

Ingredients:
1 pound white cheese (preferably Colombian cheese)
1½ cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
Grind the cheese. Mix the cheese with the cornstarch, eggs, brown sugar and salt. Make little balls, the size of a golf ball, and put into medium-hot vegetable oil and fry slowly. After a few minutes increase temperature and fry them until they are golden brown. When they are ready place them on paper towels to drain the oil. Makes 15 buñuelos.

1 medium sized cooked mashed potato
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoon rice flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
½ stick margarine (50g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients until workable and add more cornstarch if necessary. Open dough cut biscuits and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

This recipe comes to us from Paula Santos.

Ingredients:
3 medium sized cooked sliced carrots
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup oil
2 cups rice flour
½ cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 tablespoon baking powder

Blend carrots, eggs, sugar and oil for a few minutes, then pour mixture in a bowl, add flours, baking powder and beat. Bake at 350°F in a rectangular baking pan. Cover with chocolate sauce while its hot. Cut in squares.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
4 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoon margarine
8 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoon cocoa

Cook all ingredients at low heat until thick stirring constantly.

This recipe comes to us from Danna Korn.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ cup olive oil
1½ cups quinoa
½ cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
½ cup seeded and diced tomato
¼ cup sliced green onions, white part only
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Make vinaigrette by whisking together lime juice, pepper, jalapeño, salt and olive oil. Set aside.

Place quinoa in a fine sieve and wash under running water, rubbing with hands for a few minutes. Drain. In a large pot, combine 1 quart water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until quinoa is barely tender. Do not overcook. Strain, drain thoroughly and let cool. Do not rinse.

Toss with cucumber, tomato, green onions, parsley, mint and vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. Best served at room temperature. Leftovers will keep for a day or so in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving and add splash of fresh lime juice.

Serves 6