I love being a mom-in-law!  Today my beautiful daughter (in-law) sent me a text asking for a recipe for her office (she’s a wonderful dentist) “Cinco de Mayo” party next week.  I guess you can say she knows where to turn when looking for a recipe.  I immediately thought of one that I wrote for a cookbook several years ago, however that recipe never made the final cut.  Here’s the recipe…

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup tomato salsa
2 tablespoons Weber Gourmet Burger Seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or to taste1 to 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle in adobo
1 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Cumin
2 tablespoons Mazola Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ to 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack or Queso Fresco cheese
Tortilla chips for dipping

Directions:

Combine black beans, salsa, burger seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, and oil in a blender or food processor; pulse until blended but still chunky.DSC_0035DSC_0038

Place bean mixture in a two-quart casserole dish.  Top mixture with shredded cheese.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden and bubbly.  Serve with chips for dipping.

Note:  Tonight when I made this dip I was out of canned chipotle peppers, so I substituted 1 tablespoon Chipotle Pepper Seasoning and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke!  It rocked!!!

Quick Facts:
Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  15-20 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
Great dip or use as a topping on eggs, fajitas or sandwichesDSC_0043

Kinta’s Famous House Margarita

1.5 ounces Tequila (Reposado)
1.5 ounces Triple Sec
1.5 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 cup Ice
1 lime
kosher salt

Rub the outside of 1 glass with cut lime. Dip into a plate of Kosher salt.
Combine the Tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice and ice into a cocktail shaker, shake well
and pour into prepared glass…..

Recipe courtesy of Kristopher Wallenta
Kinta’s Restaurant

margarita

Happy Cinco De Mayo

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This one is for all my gluten free and vegetarian friends…an easy and very flavorful side dish, or even as a main meal.

Spaghetti squash (also called vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, vegetable marrow, spaghetti marrow, and squaghetti) is a group of cultivars of Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo.[1] The fruit can range either from ivory to yellow or orange in color. The orange varieties have a higher carotene content. Its center contains many large seeds. Its flesh is bright yellow or orange. When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash; when cooked, the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons or strands like spaghetti.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

You will need:

1 2lb. spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for drizzling over squash
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
red pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, strained & rinsed
2 tablespoons Panko Breadcrumbs

Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half, lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds from center of the squash.  Place squash cut side down in a microwavable pan.  Add 1 inch of water to the pan.  Cover the squash with plastic wrap, microwave for 10 minutes.DSC_0045

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.  When oil is hot add chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (to taste), cook over medium low heat until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  DSC_0050

When cooked, remove squash from microwave.  Place squash on a cutting board; use a fork to remove the strands of the “spaghetti” squash, place in a mixing bowl.DSC_0051 DSC_0055

Add chopped parsley, basil, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, salt and freshly ground black pepper to spaghetti squash.  Mix until combined.  Fill each squash skin with mixture, divided evenly.

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Top each half with 1 tablespoon Panko bread crumbs.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (if desired).  Place squash in a preheated 350° oven, bake for 15-20 minutes or until squash is golden brown.  DSC_0065 Buon Appetito!!!

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Baked Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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2015 Galena’s Cucina Calendars

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Just in time for the holidays, the perfect gift for that “foodie” in your life.  Monthly recipes along with beautiful photos.  Now available for ordering, first 25 orders will receive a free recipe collection. Special price of $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

Deliveries will be available after November 20, 2014.  Click on the “Order Form” to place your order.

Order Form

Galena's Cucina 2015 Calendars

Galena’s Cucina 2015 Calendars

A New England Lobster Favorite

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Rob & Jen with a day's catch

Rob and Jen with lots of a day’s catch

Having lived on the coast of Long Island for many years, lobstering was my husbands hobby, and what a great hobby that was!  I learned how to open a lobster in no time flat and how to cook lobster many ways.  My daughter, Jenny, had a favorite.  We called it “lazy man lobster roll”.  Pretty simple to make once you have removed the meat from the lobster.  Simply heat a skillet, add some butter (more is better), melt butter and add your cooked lobster meat, heat over medium high heat until lobster is heated thoroughly.

This July, for Bob’s birthday, I decided to fly in some lobsters from Maine for a special birthday treat.  Days of going out and pulling pots have long been over.  Since I was also appearing on CBS affiliate WREG “Live at 9” the morning of his birthday, I decided to prepare Jen’s favorite for the segment, “lazy man lobster roll”, along with a very yummy Asian Slaw.  Hope you enjoy the recipes as much as we enjoyed eating our lobster dinner birthday night.

Bob's BD Dinner

Bob’s BD Dinner

 

Asian Slaw Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package coleslaw mix (preferably an Asian blend)
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Ground Ginger
½-1 teaspoon wasabi powder
¼ teaspoon Spice Islands® Garlic Powder
¼ cup Mazola® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Spice Islands® Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted*

Instructions:

Empty slaw mixture into a medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, wasabi powder and garlic power. Whisk until well blended. Slowly pour in oil, whisking continuously to emulsify dressing. Add sesame seeds and pour over greens. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight, if possible.

*To toast sesame seeds, place in a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat and toss until lightly golden.IMG_3236Buon Appetito!

 

“Live at 9” – 3 Delicious Vegetable Dishes

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Spinach, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, grape tomatoes, leeks, butternut squash…oh my…vegetables can be the center of your meal. Check out my latest “WREG Live at 9” demonstration to see how easy these vegetables are to make and just how yummy they are to eat!

Italian Spinach

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound baby spinach, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Over medium high heat, melt butter and oil until melted. Add red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook 30 seconds (do not let garlic burn). Add chopped spinach and sauté until wilted. Add beaten eggs and toss until egg is cooked. Stir in parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Italian Spinach

Italian Spinach

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Weber® Just Add Juice Herb & Garlic Marinade

1 package Weber® Just Add Juice Herb & Garlic Marinade Mix
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
½ pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with pan spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss until completely combined. Place vegetables on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

Oven Roasted Veggies

Oven Roasted Veggies

Crispy Cauliflower Galette

1 head cauliflower
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup Pankos (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon chives
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to taste)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons corn oil, divided
Sour cream, if desired

Cut cauliflower into florets and cook in salted boiling water, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash cauliflower with vegetable masher. Stir in cheese, pankos, chives, egg, white and cayenne pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. When butter and oil have heated, press cauliflower mixture into skillet and cover. Cook over medium heat until crisp on the bottom, pressing occasionally with a spatula, about 5-10 minutes.

Place a rimless flat dish on top, large enough to cover pan, and invert the galette onto the dish. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and oil to the same pan, then slide the galette, browned-side up, back into the pan.

Cook until crisp and golden on the second side, about 5 minutes longer. Slide galette into serving dish, cut into wedges, and top with sour cream, if desired.

Crispy Cauliflower Gallete

Crispy Cauliflower Gallete

Buon Appetito!!!