Picadillo

A little known Mexican dish that is oh so yummy. This is the recipe my paternal grandma taught me. I've found other versions in cookbooks but they have way more ingredients that don't make sense to me (Cooking sherry? Really?). But this is so simple and delicious you don't need any of that mumbo jumbo.

Ragu Sauce

When we Americans think of pasta, usually spaghetti with a red sauce comes to mind.  Maybe a fettuccine alfredo. And that's it.  Friends say that after having lived in Italy I've become a "pasta snob," but when I've tasted so many amazing sauces and combinations, how can I not be?!  Since coming back, I find American Italian pasta dishes to be bland sauce on top of mushy pasta.  In Italy, all sauces are made fresh and delicious... nothing is canned or pre-made.  

When I was living in Italy, my Italian teacher has a friend of hers who was a chef teach us some real Italian recipes.  I'm still looking for the gnocchi recipe in my email somewhere, but here's the ragu.  

Kale & Spinach Smoothie

At the young age of 56, my mom started a health food kick. More so than she was already on. She came to visit last week, and brought a bag of spinach with her.  When I asked her what it was for, she said her morning spinach smoothie, which just sounds awful.  Don't get me wrong, but pureed spinach does not sound enjoyable.  But between all the weight she's been losing, and my boyfriend trying to lose weight too, I thought I'd give this a try.  That and the fact that my rabbit eats more veggies than I do.

Buttered Tortellini

I love pasta.  As a broke college student, it was always the cheapest and easiest thing to make.  But when I was living in Italy, it was even cheaper and easier to make than ever.  And there are just so many variations it's easy to find something that fits your budget, schedule and tastes.

Enchiladas

A friend at work says that Mexican food is a rip-off... it's the same 5 ingredients rearranged on a plate.  While there are a few staples, it's all so different.  And of that multitude of arrangements, enchiladas are probably the easiest to make.  This is how my mom taught me.  This one you MUST read the whole recipe first.  Being a recipe passed down over the generations, there's no such thing as measurements.  And it can get pretty messy so wear something you're okay with getting dirty.

TJ Style Hot Dogs

I love being Mexican. And I love Mexican street food. Pretty much anything made on a cart outside a soccer stadium or on a street corner is delicious. And probably pretty cheap. But my boyfriend, being a San Diego native, is far more familiar with Tijuana street foods and made these delicious hot dogs after a morning of tough yardwork.

Chocolate Mole

Mole.  Not the animal, the sauce.  From the Nahuatl word molli meaning "sauce."  You know, like guacamole.  The Nahuatl word for avocado is āhuacatl, which became aguacate in Spanish.  So ahuacamolli becomes guacamole, or quite literally, avocado sauce.  But back to mole.