Moroccan-Inspired Grilling with Bobby Flay … Perhaps?

March 1, 2010

Tesia grilling outside with snow in the background for video clip to submit to Grill It With Bobby Flay -

I recently found out about an opportunity to be on Grill It with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. The network is currently looking for guests to appear on the show for its 3rd season and asking for recipes and 3-minute video clips of contenders doing their thing on the grill.

While getting on TV or having a cooking show had never been a particular aim or objective of mine since I began my journey into food blogging, when this opportunity arose, I thought, why not? Making a TV appearance with Bobby Flay would be a great experience and way to share my recipes with a broader audience as well as learn from a great chef and one of the best food TV personalities around.

Image 1: Chermoula sauce in the bowl of a large food processor sitting on a brown cutting board; Image 2: Grilled shrimp and vegetable kabobs on skewers along side grilled chermoula marinated mahi-mahi all sitting on a stainless steel baking sheet

So I created my recipes all centered on a Moroccan theme because I love various cuisines from around the world (Moroccan being one of them) and this North African country is known for a fragrant herb marinade (chermoula sauce) that goes deliciously with fish.  Grilled mahi-mahi with grilled shrimp and vegetable kabobs along with a fruity couscous and an appetizer of grilled roasted red pepper pita wedges is a tasty and interesting menu that I think will be great for TV and your grills this coming spring and summer.

Thanks to the generous help of my tech and video savvy uncle, I was able to put together a brief clip of me demonstrating the main dish of Moroccan-Inspired Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Chermoula Sauce.  Take a look at the video and let me know what you think! We’ll see what happens, but either way, you’ll get the recipes soon – either on the Food Network or FlavorDiva.com.

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Filed Under Flavor Notes, Seafood, Vegetables | 3 Comments | Print This Post

A Stir for Haiti: Diri Et Pois Coles
Haitian Red Beans and Rice

February 18, 2010

Diri Et Pois Coles (Haitian red beans and rice)

Familiar foods, recipes and approaches to cooking are a real comfort to most of us. They remind us of home, childhood, and good times with loved-ones. They’re guaranteed to satisfy our taste buds and “hit the spot.” However, I’ve realized through my passion for adventure and exploration, that flavors and cuisines from other countries can add a new enjoyment to our meals and even provide a window into understanding other people of the world and their cultures.

The recent disaster in Haiti has me thinking about their foodways and dishes, which you don’t usually hear much about. Despite this, I’ve discovered that this tiny Island country has a diverse, yet simple, flavorful cuisine that reflects the country’s Caribbean heritage and historic ties to Africa, France and Spain.

Stir It! 28 Fundraiser for Haitian relief logo.

If you look at the names of dishes from cookbooks like A Taste of Haiti by Mirta Yurnet-Thomas and Fine Haitian Cuisine by Mona Cassion Ménager, you’ll see chili pepper spiced dishes, quiches, plantains, sweet potatoes, breadfruit, salt cod, and other seafood listed. Fowl, pork and beef, and a variety of rice and beans dishes are also major contributors to Haitian cuisine.

I found a simple Haitian red beans and rice recipe online that I made in thinking about the people of Haiti, their cuisine, and those in the country who currently don’t have the food and resources to fully nourish themselves or enjoy their familiar homeland’s dishes.

Although I already made a donation for Haiti’s recovery a while back, I plan to give more. As we all know, the need for aid continues. This Sunday, February 21st, food bloggers in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and L.A. are uniting to sponsor Stir It! 28, an evening of good food and cocktails where foodies contribute their best dishes to raise funds for Haiti. All of the proceeds will be donated to Yele Haiti and Share Our Strength.

While, I can’t be in attendance at what I’m sure will be deliciously entertaining events, I encourage anyone who’s in New York, Atlanta, Chiciago or L.A. to purchase a ticket and join in the efforts. If you too can’t attend, consider giving or giving again to organizations working for Haiti’s recovery (see below). And when you’re back home in your own kitchen, try out a Haitian recipe to remember the people and connect with their culture in a different way.

Haitian Recipe Resources

A Taste of Haiti (Book)
CaribbeanChoice.com – Haitian Recipes
Fine Haitian Cuisine (Book)
IslandFlave.com – Haitian Recipes

Organizations Acception Donations for Haitian Earthquake Recovery

American Red Cross
Salvation Army
Share Our Strength
Yele Haiti
Many others

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Filed Under Grains, Rice & Pasta, International Flavors | 1 Comment | Print This Post

Beef Stew for a Snowy Day

February 6, 2010

Beef Stew with carrots, peas, potatoes, tomatoes and herbs

When you’re stuck in the house during a major snow storm, you definitely want to make sure that your kitchen is well stocked with ingredients for warm comfort foods! As I write now cuddled up in the house with nearly 20 inches (if not more) of snow on the ground outside, I’m enjoying all the snacks one would need on a snowy day – cookies, fruit, popcorn, hot tea, and warm soup.

Little did I know when I prepared a hearty beef stew last Saturday, during another snowy day inside, that I would be snowed in once again while writing this blog post. So for those of you who may be snowed in as well, perhaps you have some beef, broth and vegetables on hand to whip up this filling stew. Regardless, beef stew makes a deliciously warm and cozy meal for any winter day.

Image 1: Ingredients for beef stew sitting on a brown cutting board - carrots, raw beef, red potatoes, canned tomatoes, oregano & time; Image 2: Diced onions and chopped carrots on a cutting board with a chef's knife, serrated knife and black measuring cup.

I hardly ever eat beef, but in preparing a meal for a meat-loving friend, I decided to try my hand at the classic beef stew and share FlavorDiva.com’s first beef dish with you. I started the stew with browning the pieces of beef in a little oil and then setting the meat aside to lay the foundation for the dish with a sauté of onions and garlic. Next, adding the meat back in along with beef broth, tomatoes, chopped vegetables, and spices, I lowered the heat and simmered all of the ingredients for one to two hours. This slow cooking gives beef stew a tender bite and allows the flavors to intensify and permeate throughout the pot.

Image 1: Beef stews with carrots, peas, potatoes and tomatoes simmering in a large stainless steel pot; Image 2: Beef stews with vegetables in a white bowl on a white plate with a wedge of cornbread on the side

Actually, becasue of the long simmering of the stew, this is a great dish to prepare and then leave the low heat to do it’s work while you relax and watch a movie or cozy up with a book. I hope this recipe gives you a little inspiration to prepare a warming stew for your next snowy (or simply cold) day inside. Enjoy!

Beef Stew1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. stew beef (chuck or other stew cut)
1 tablespoon flour (optional)
2-1/2 cups beef stock
1 28-oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes (keep juice)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
5 carrots, roughly chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (red or yukon suggested)
1 cup frozen green peas 

Heat oil in a heavy soup pot or dutch oven. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to pot to brown on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside. Leaving only 3 tablespoons of oil, drain off the remaining oil from the pot and discard. In the 3 tablespoons of oil, sauté the onions and garlic for about 8 minutes. Then, add the meat back into the pot along with the tomatoes (chopped and with its juice), carrots, potatoes, broth and seasoning.

Bring the stew to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. After an hour, add the frozen peas and taste the stew for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper or other seasonings if desired. Simmer for another 45 – 50 minutes. Serve with a side of cornbread, rolls or over rice.

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Filed Under Beef & Lamb, Soups | 2 Comments | Print This Post

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

January 27, 2010

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup in a white bowl

Staring in my cabinet at two cans of pumpkin puree that were left over from my holiday baking, I asked myself, “what can I do with this besides wait until next holiday season to bake with it, or cheat on my New Year’s resolution to cut back on sweets with an attempt at pumpkin cheesecake?” The answer: a warming and slightly spicy pumpkin soup.

Leaning on my love of coconut, cilantro and fragrant curry powder, I looked to those ingredients to add full-bodied flavor to this vegetarian and vegan friendly soup. A sauté of diced onions and garlic in coconut oil provide the foundation for the soup followed by the pumpkin puree, which is then made rich and smooth with coconut milk and vegetable broth. When creating this recipe I used full fat coconut milk that includes the thick cream, but light coconut milk will work perfectly fine as well.

Image 1: Ingredients for cocount curry pumpkin soup - canned coconut milk, canned pumpkin puree, teaspoon of curry powder, cilantro all on a cutting board; Image 2: Diced onions sauteeing in oil in a stainless steel pot with pumpkin puree on top in the pot

I shared this pot of soup for lunch with my fellow classmates in my yoga teacher training program and it was a big hit! Not to mention, just what we needed on a cold January afternoon. I hope you enjoy it too!

Note: There’s a debate among health and nutrition circles as to whether or not coconut oil should be a part of a healthy diet. I tend to lean toward arguments for coconut oil’s health benefits, but here are some helpful links – one of which discusses the arguments against coconut oil – so that you can inform yourself.

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
Serves 8

3 teaspoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder (mild or hot)
2 15-oz. cans pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Squeeze of  juice from 1/2 lime
3 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat, then add onions, garlic and curry powder and sauté stirring occasionally until onions are soft (about 8 minutes or so). Next, add pumpkin puree, then stir in coconut milk, vegetable broth and water followed by salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and add cilantro. Allow soup to simmer for about 25 minutes. Add lime juice and taste for additional seasoning. Serve and enjoy!

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Filed Under Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian/Conversions | 8 Comments | Print This Post

Orange-Pecan Wild & Long-Grain Rice … Quickly!

January 11, 2010

Orange-Pecan Wild and Long-Grain Rice in a white bowl

Over the holidays I hosted a get-together for a few high school friends when I went home for Christmas. My menu consisted of chicken saté with peanut sauce, water crackers topped with thin slices of smoked salmon and parsley cream cheese, spiced roasted nuts, herb-seasoned olives, an assortment of holiday cookies, St. Germain cocktails (my favorite drink right about now) and this orange-pecan wild and long-grain rice.

Image 1: Box of Near East Wild and Long-Grain Rice with a navel orange, toasted pecans and zester; Image 2: Tesia's hands holding and zesting a navel orange

Given that I was rushing around trying to put together this impromptu gathering to reconnect with old friends, while still enjoying some of my much needed vacation downtime, I definitely looked for delicious, yet quick short-cuts in preparing my entertaining menu. That’s when I thought about this wonderful rice I recently tasted from The District Chop House in D.C., which was flavored with a light hint of orange and toasty pecans throughout a bed of fluffy wild and long-grain rice.

Looking to recreate this dish without a lot of ingredients and in a short amount of time, I reached for a box of wild and long-grain seasoned rice mix from one of the few boxed rice brands that I like – Near East. I like Near East’s products because they tend to have the least amount of additives and preservatives (if any) when I compare ingredients lists.  In fact Near East marks all of their boxed mixes as 100% natural.

Image 1: Raw pecan halves on a baking sheet; Image 2: Sauce pan of cooked wild and long-grain rice with two teaspoons of orange zest in a heap and 1/4 cup of toasted pecan halves in a heap over the rice

The texture and flavor of the rice with this mix from Near East is delicious and the addition of the orange zest contributes an interesting and unexpected flavor that you might not have considered putting in rice before. I hadn’t before tasting the combination from The District Chop House.  And of course if you’re a nut lover, the crunch of toasted pecans adds both flavor and texture.

Using the short-cut of a high-quality seasoned rice mix with natural ingredients and adding just a few other fresh flavors can allow you to have a delicious side dish on your table quickly!

Orange-Pecan Wild & Long-Grain Rice … Quickly!
Serves 2 – 4

One 6oz. box of Near East brand wild and long-grain rice blend (original)
1-3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more to drizzle
1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest (preferably in thin strips)
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the wild and long-grain rice blend as directed according to the package. While the rice is cooking, spread pecans in a single layer over a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 – 6 minutes or until pecans become fragrant and turn a rich, toasted brown color. (Don’t burn them! Let your nose be your guide.)

Once the rice is cooked, fluff and gently stir in orange zest and pecans. Drizzle rice with a little additional olive oil if desired and serve! It’s that simple.

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Filed Under Grains, Rice & Pasta | 6 Comments | Print This Post

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