La Cucina di Christina

18/11/2021

Preserving fresh chicken eggs in lime bath for up to one year.

14/08/2021

I think I've been missing Costa Rica and the fresh food so I decided to make our dinner tonight which brought back memories for us.

I made tuna and shrimp ceviche based upon this recipe:
https://www.cookingclassy.com/ceviche/

Safeway sells Ricante brand hot sauce. Tonight we used the mango salsa.

Then I thought how delicious it would be to serve it over grilled nectarines...my favorite! I softened and toasted halves on the stove in coconut oil. This is definitely going to be a repeat dinner! Next time I want to try ceviche over grilled pineapple circles.

28/04/2021

My handy food chopper.

18/04/2021

Tonight’s dinner was a savory surprise. I decided on a Moroccan eggplant recipe with lemon juice, date syrup instead of honey, cumin, hot sauce, garlic and ginger.

https://www.bunsenburnerbakery.com/moroccan-honey-glazed-eggplant/

08/04/2021

This is one amazing oil - Purify. It has 100% Lemon Peel, Siberian Fir Needle,
Citronella Grass, Lime Peel, Tea Tree Leaf, Cilantro
Herb essential oils.

https://media.doterra.com/us/en/pips/doterra-purify-essential-oil-blend.pdf

After cooking for 10+ hours yesterday which ended with seared salmon, the house was overwhelmed with many odors. Not bad but needed a clearing. I put 3 drops of Purify in my diffuser, set it next to the stove and there was no fish smell in 15 minutes. Leaving it on all night, the house smelled completely fresh and pure as though the windows were open all night but better. 250 drops in a 15 ml bottle. Ask me how to purchase it for $20!

08/04/2021

I love leftovers...you can make a different combination of foods when there are several choices and good fresh ingredients for salads. I'm on a health mission and on a path to take off additional pandemic/grief pounds. I appreciated comfort food then but it's time to move on...it always starts with gut health. And a trip to Costa Rica!!

If you see something you like on any of my posts and want the recipe...just ask!!

08/04/2021

What can I get done in 10 hours?
Spaghetti with meat and mushroom sauce; Zucchini and Corn Fritters with a cilantro, lime, jalapeno sauce; Garlic mashed yams and red potatoes; Chicken Piccata and gravy; steamed broccoli and homemade herbed bread.
I even managed to make salmon for our dinner after making a weeks' worth of food for someone else!

04/04/2021

Your kitchen space does not have to be large for you to have the tools that you need. It’s having the creativity to work with whatever space you have and to be efficient with it. Here are some ideas.

https://removeandreplace.com/2015/02/18/35-ideas-for-kitchen-efficiency-compact-kitchens/

02/04/2021

https://www.pamperedchef.com/personality-quiz?fbclid=IwAR0h0IXOACTTF4kKuwQET-3x-KK4xn2ADBAtDB0F_fiC47DXjGzPsp5jfvo

I'm an Explorer!

Are you a warrior in the kitchen? A strategist? A maker, explorer, or helper? Find out with Pampered Chef's Cooking Personality Quiz!

02/04/2021

A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian meal which consists of small portions of several foods, served warm or cold. These may include whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice, plant proteins such as chickpeas or tofu, and vegetables. However, it can include meat and whatever sides you like. Think Chipotle style. We like to create our own bowls...adds to the fun.

Brown rice with the Mexican blend of essential oils from doTERRA was our base. It contains avocado, lime, cumin, black pepper, cilantro and marjoram oils. If you haven't tried their seasoning blends, you need to!

01/04/2021

Italian Herb Bread served so warm I didn’t get a picture! 🤣🤗 I’ve tried a lot of bread recipes looking for one that doesn’t turn out dense. Here you go! 😋

https://sumofyum.com/recipe/italian-herb-bread/

This Italian herb bread recipe is made in a bread machine and comes out perfect

31/03/2021

This is my homemade gravy recipe. Ideally you'd start with the neck and giblets, 1/2 cut onion and salt; simmer with water to cover for 1 hour. Add with broth (2 cups total) to make the pan gravy.
Ingredients:
Broth
Crushed garlic
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Flour
Salt to taste
A good whisk!
You can add a pad of butter and milk or cream if you wish to make it extra rich.

27/03/2021

Easy Vegetable Frittata

In an ovenproof skillet, sauté vegetables of your choice; season to taste.
To the skillet add 10-12 beaten eggs with 1/3 - 1/2 cup milk or cream. Season with salt, depending on how salty your cheese is.
Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until center isn’t jiggly.
Buon Appetito!

27/03/2021

Have you ever wondered...

26/03/2021

How do you store your celery? If it's in plastic bags in your refrigerator, I'll bet half the time it's limp. I've been using this method for many years and it works!

Like all plants, celery releases a gas called ethylene which helps it ripen. When you keep your celery in a plastic bag, the ethylene gets trapped and causes the celery to over-ripen.

By storing the celery in aluminum foil, the ethylene can still escape but the moisture stays in, leaving your celery crisp and fresh. Pretty cool, right?

25/03/2021

Prep for a roasted chicken. I'll be cooking 2 side by side this week. Who wants to know how to make a low fat, homemade gravy? I can show you the richer version as well.

22/03/2021

We all have to change out our kitchen tools from time to time. I needed to throw away my garlic press and replaced it with a much better quality one from Pampered Chef.

21/03/2021

Shrimp Scampi Risotto

This video demonstrates adding 3 cups of broth to arbrio rice 1/4 cup at a time. This recipe is Very delicious, rich and easy to make!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68741424669/

20/03/2021

Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, decrease triglycerides and reduce cholesterol levels — all of which may lower heart disease risk. Their potent anti-inflammatory properties may also help reduce high blood pressure and protect against blood clots.

The color as a result of this way of cooking onions looks so savory to me:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/844493665327175/

Discover even more ideas for you

20/03/2021

Can avocados be frozen? Yes! There are many ways to do this but I like this one...

Mash with lemon juice by hand or a mixer. Scoop with a small or large cookie/ice cream scoop onto a cookie sheet. Place in freezer till firm, 3-4 hours. Take them out and put into freezer ziplock bags. That's it!

This tool will make the job easier, especially if you are doing multiple avocados at a time:
https://pamperedchef.widen.net/view/video/abgy7h0zqi/video-marcom-Avocado-Tool-Demo-short-clip-usca.mp4?t.download=true&u=ggdlw3&x.share=t

19/03/2021

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to use salt. You don't have to overuse it...be cautious but know that salt is used to enhance the flavor of a dish. Recipes never explicitly state all the times you should be seasoning your dish as you cook, so here's a tip: Season as you go. This is what I call layer seasoning. The flavor of food changes as it blends together. Give it time between layers, even a sauce that you simmer for 2-3 hours. At the end of the day, you can't take away salt, so go slowly.

18/03/2021

My new Mix ‘N Chop tool:

Today I was combining ground grass-fed beef and organic chicken to make a giant meatlof for my son. I used my new tool with hands free of all the meat fat. It was very useful.

18/03/2021

My standby meatloaf recipe:

Sometimes I use only turkey meat according to the recipe, but occasionally I like to combine grass-fed beef and organic chicken or turkey as I did today. You can certainly cut the recipe in half or today I made 2 lbs beef/2 lbs chicken for my son. Also a nice meal idea is to make meatloaf muffins and top some with ketchup and some with Sriracha.
The pan drippings were put into a small bowl to slightly cool which enabled me to easily skim off the fat, leaving meat juices. I put that into a small pot on the stove with more chicken broth while adding broth into a small bowl and whisking flour into it, which was poured over the simmering broth. Once thickened it made a nice homemade gravy without all the fat.
https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/barefoot-contessas-turkey-meatloaf-77992

16/03/2021

The most vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are the richest in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Multicolored small bell peppers are sweet treats and easy to prepare. I use olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to coat the peppers while warming the oven with them in my Pampered Chef stoneware baking pan at 450 degrees. The stoneware helps to keep things crisp! Occasionally turn the peppers while closely watching after 15 minutes to take out before they get too dark.
Buon Appetito!

16/03/2021

If you use parsley and cilantro often enough and want to keep it fresher and lasting longer, put it in water and enjoy how pretty it is. You’ll be more tempted to use it in recipes and for garnishing. Just rinse and change out the water 2x/week.

16/03/2021

“If you are a chef, no matter how good a chef you are, it's not good cooking for yourself; the joy is in cooking for others”.

16/03/2021

Recipe for Alaskan Salmon:

Rinse and pat dry fillets. With flesh side down, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and 21 Seasoning Salute (Trader Joe’s). Place in hot olive oil on med/low until salmon becomes pink 1/2-3/4 up, depending on thickness of fillet. In the meantime, sprinkle same spices plus dill over the flesh side before flipping over. Once turned over, your timing is going to make or break a delicate piece of fish. You only need 2-3 mins on low heat setting to “just cook” it through. If in doubt cover the pan but check often. Squeeze half lemon over fish and into pan just before pulling off. You can open a flake here or there to see that the meat is still Slightly uncooked because it continues to cook once you’ve taken it off. If in doubt take it off the heat and let sit for a minute. Do not overcook.
Once you’ve plated the fish, to the hot skillet add a generous splash of white wine and 1 T butter to the pan drippings. Cook for 1-2 minutes and drizzle over the salmon fillet. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley. In the photo, the salmon sits on baby kale and super greens wilted in olive oil with chopped onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Mixing bitter and regular greens such as spinach is a nice combination.
Last night I made a sauce consisting of a small amount of avocado mayonnaise, plain yogurt and Trader Joe’s Cilantro dressing.
Buon Appetito!

15/03/2021

I tried my new manual food processor for the first time for you to see. Big tools are wonderful but if you don't need to take out the big electric food processor...and clean it, this is your solution. You can learn while I learn...

14/03/2021

Tonight's dinner (because I hadn't eaten all day) started with a frozen arugula and tomato pizza which I pumped up with more vegan cheese shreds, browned Impossible burger meat, thinly sliced purple onion, tomato and zucchini. I served grilled salmon, sweet potato and salad for the "real" dinner. But the pizza was great appetizer!

14/03/2021

Today I got to unbox half of my new business shipment from Pampered Chef. The feeling was similar to a guy and his new garage tools! Once I've received all of the products I'll do a reveal. Stay tuned for lots of tips, recipes, fun and fast tools to use in your kitchen!

11/03/2021

11/03/2021