Tags
almonds, beef broth, bell peppers, Bread, chuck steak, fresh herbs, Garlic, honey, olive oil, olives, Onions, plum tomatoes, sherry vinegar, Spices, white wine
This sauce is incredibly complex and absolutely delicious, with flavors leaning well into Spain and wandering just a bit into Portugal. Sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, cinnamon, olives, orange and almonds are significant players in both countries, tracing their roots back to the Moorish habitation of the peninsula for some 700 years. Make certain you have good bread to mop. You don’t want to miss a drop! Continue reading
I’ve been toying with cooking steak from the freezer for awhile now. I somewhat regularly cook hamburgers directly from the freezer, but let’s just say that steak hasn’t been wildly successful. Until last night. The steak was a perfect medium-rare, so you can have steak for dinner, even if you forget to take it out of the freezer! 
When I made this there was a hurricane brewing out there in the Atlantic. And it hit North Carolina. It hit hard near the coast. Sadly, there are far too many people who suffered terrible loss at the hands of Mother Nature and will continue to deal with the devastation left in the wake of Flo. We were very fortunate that Flo changed her mind and lost some steam by the time she arrived inland. But, life goes on and you have to keep up your strength to brave the elements and repair the damage done. 
The Goddess has always been a huge believer in sampling local products and cuisine. She was there long before it became a “thing”. But, she’s darned glad it did become a thing. To that end, she found some Muscadine grapes at the Farmer’s Market. They are pretty much a wild grape, that’s indigenous to the Southern part of the US, in particular North Carolina. So she bought herself some and made preserves. 
This is a nice alternative to the typical shrimp cocktail. Also, it has dill. Dill is an underused herb and it’s a great foil for shrimp. Ketchup adds a little touch of sweetness and the lemon juice adds a nice little acidic bite…balance. It’s all about balance, Baby! 
This is the way you might find chicken prepared in a Portuguese kitchen. I found it surprising how much oregano is used in their cooking. I knew that cilantro and bay leaves were used frequently, but why not? It makes for some tasty dishes. 
This is the perfect foil for the Caribbean Pork Burger, but feel free to serve it with a pork roast, French fries, a wooden plank, steamed shrimp, grilled chicken or whatever you’re eating at the moment. It’s plain and simple, a great little sauce. 
The Goddess loves creamed spinach, but for some reason, she doesn’t make it too frequently. It’s particularly nice with steak, don’t you think? Well, she was serving steak with Bleu Cheese Butter and Mocha-Merlot Sauce with Shallots. So, creamed spinach seemed like a good idea…but then… 
No, you’re not seeing double. This isn’t yesterdays 
This is a perfect and perfectly delicious vegetarian entrée. Of course, you can stuff zucchini, but if you can get your hands on some patty pan squash, grab ’em up. They’re just so much more fun. These reheat well, so they can be prepared when you have time and then you can simply reheat for a nice mid-week meal. 
Goddess Cooks 