After a long and stressful day, I logged into my account only to find the most pleasant surprise.  Alison of “Happy Domesticity” had nominated me for the “Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award”.  This was such an unexpected gesture and I am fully appreciative of the support and recognition.  Here is what she had to say:

“The Refined Palate” is a blog that reminds me of a glossy magazine.
And it inspires me, as do all the blogs I have listed here.
This blog has beautiful photography, beautiful recipes.
There is so much to say about this blog, discover for yourself what I mean.
The recipe I am most craving from here at the moment is: http://therefinedpalate.com/2013/01/17/ew-broccoli/
Simple but so delicious!

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Provide a link and thank the blogger who nominated you for this award.

2. Answer 10 questions.

3. Include the award logo within your blog post.

Here are the 10 questions:

1. What is your favorite color?  I love the color green.  In my opinion it symbolizes a free-spirit, creativity, light-heartedness and it also just so happens to be the same color as most of my favorite herbs.
   
2. Your favorite animal? My favorite animal is Charlie, my 3-year-old pit bull.  She is my best buddy and never fails to put a smile on my face.  I wish for one day to rescue all the pit bulls in the world and end breed-discrimination.
3. Your favorite non-alcoholic drinks? I love me some club soda, water and unsweetened iced tea.  I never really understood the term “unsweetened iced tea”. Wouldn’t it just be regular iced-tea since you can’t really unsweeten something if it was never sweet to begin with??  Mind blown…
4. Facebook or Twitter? I just can’t get into Twitter.  As for Facebook, I just like posting photographs.
5. Your favorite pattern?  I love simple clean elegance with a little funk thrown in the mix.
6. Do you prefer getting or giving presents?  I love giving.  That’s part of the joy of cooking.  I love giving people happiness through food.
7. Your favorite number?  86,400.  The number of seconds in a day.  Use yours wisely.
8. Your favorite day of the week? This is an odd question.  I would say any day that I really made the most of.  I love any day I get to spend with my baby niece and nephew.
9. Your favorite flower?  I love orchids and daisies.  They both scream freedom and have a peaceful quality about them.
10. What is your passion? This is a no-brainer.  Food, food and food.  I love to cook, eat, work in the kitchen, write about food and read about food.  Anything involving gastronomy and I am instantly hooked.  It is therapy.

And just because I can, I am adding one more question:

Why did you start to write your blog?

This last question is one that Alison added and I think it is the perfect question.  I started my blog because I love to spread joy through my food.  I wanted others to be able to take part in the same things I was enjoying so much at home.  I love writing, I love photography and I love cooking so food-blogging was a natural progression for me.  It continuously inspires me to create.

Here are the Bloggers I nominate:

1. Alison of “Happy Domesticity” was gracious enough to nominate me and I am sending a nomination back her way, not just because she nominated me, but because her take on traditional recipes and hearty comfort food is taken outside the box.  Alison has a great variety of desserts and savory dishes.  Originally from Ireland, Alison now resides in Canada and I love how her cultural influences play a huge role in her cooking style.  The next recipe I would love to try: “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” JAM TARTS.  Just the title alone should make you want to try them!

2.  ”Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide: A how to for everyone and everyone” was the very first blog I started following.  I absolutely adore this blog because the variety in types of food is so immense, there is always something to please everyone.  The photos provided show you the cooking process step by step; something that is helpful for those not completely familiarized with the world of cooking.  Not only does this blog offer delicious and creative recipes, it also provides exciting new drink ideas for those interested in an adult beverage once in a while.  Although this blog doesn’t qualify under “sisterhood”, I just had to include him.  Greg’s wife does make frequent appearances throughout the blog and I just love how they work as a duo.  Do yourself a favor and check out his blog.  The next recipe I would love to try: “ Stuffed chicken with prunes and feta“.  My little Greek insides are just going crazy for this one!

3.  My next nomination has to go to “The Southern Lady Cooks”.  I really appreciate this blog because being a “Yankee”, I’m not exactly an expert on southern cooking but this blog is definitely a good place to start.  Just browsing through it will make your mouth water.  I love how The Southern Lady stays true to her Kentucky roots and this is displayed all throughout the blog.  The recipe I would love to try next:  “Mashed Potato Biscuits”.  Shockingly enough, I have never experimented in biscuit making.  this will be my first go!

4.  “City Hippy Farm Girl” is a blog I just recently came across.  I absolutely love the idea behind this blog.  I often consider myself a city hippy chick so I can definitely identify with the viewpoint.  I absolutely love farm-fresh sustainable foods and this is what “City Hippy Farm Girl” is all about.  If you love simple and healthy foods, I recommend checking out this blog for some inspiring ideas and beautiful photographs.

After living in the Southwest for 6 years, I found myself completely immersed in the culture, both socially and gastronomically.  Regionally, the Southwest is known for having its own unique style of cuisine and flavors; flavors I have come to adore.  The climate in the Southwest does not always allow for hearty stews and soups, so when it’s winter here in New York, I still try to find ways to incorporate those same Southwestern flavors.  The flavors of this soup are very similar to a tortilla soup, but being that I am not a huge fan of most tortilla soups, I made it geared towards my liking.

What you’ll need:

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper,  deseeded and roughly chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 corn tortillas, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
4 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Garnish:

Chopped fresh cilantro
Limes
2 avocados

Note:  This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by using a vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and leaving out the shredded chicken.

Set your oven to broil at 500°
Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper.  I used Goya Adobo seasoning, but if you don’t have that in your pantry, salt and pepper work just as well.  Place the thighs in a pan and broil until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  When the chicken is fully cooked, allow it to cool enough so you can easily handle it.  Remove the skin and start shredding the chicken from the bone.  You can just as easily use a rotisserie chicken but it’s so easy to make your own.  Chicken thighs are always affordable and full of flavor.

While the chicken is cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic and green pepper and cook until tender and just starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes.  The butter is used to add flavor but the olive oil has a higher burning temperature allowing you to cook the vegetables longer without burning them.  Add the cut corn tortillas and spices; continue to cook a few minutes more.  Add the chicken stock and season with salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.  Remove the soup from the heat and puree it until completely smooth.  An immersion blender is the best way to do this, but since not everyone has an immersion blender in their kitchen, you can also use your blender; the same one you mix margaritas in.  If using a blender, please do this in batches.  If you put too much of a hot liquid inside a blender, it will explode out and leave an insane mess for you to clean.  After the soup is completely smooth, transfer the soup back into the pot and add your shredded chicken and chopped zucchini.  Simmer for another 10 minutes allowing the zucchini to cook through.  Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado.  Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy.

With    Love    Always, 

Xristina   Marie

© Xristina Miros 2013

Luckily, for my parent’s sake, I have never been a picky eater.  I was a child who loved things like octopus, lima beans and yes, even broccoli.  I’ll be happy to eat broccoli any way you put it, but there is something special about the crunchy little florets after they’ve been roasted in the oven.  Roasting is my favorite way to prepare vegetables.  The roasting maintains the vegetables integrity without turning them to mush and destroying all the flavor.  Not enough people eat the necessary amount of vegetables these days.  If you find that you or somebody you know has a disliking towards vegetables, you may just need to change the cooking method and find simple ways to make them more exciting.  This recipe is the perfect place to start.

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of broccoli
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes; chopped
2 garlic cloves; smashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450°

Start by cutting the bunch of broccoli into small florets.  Place them into a roasting pan and coat with the olive oil.  Take the two cloves of garlic and smash them with the side of your knife, just to break them and release the flavor.  Add the garlic to the pan, season with salt and toss everything together.  Place the broccoli in the oven for about 15 minutes until the tops start to brown.  After removing the broccoli from the oven, add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan.  Plate the deliciousness and enjoy!

x o x

THE   REFINED   PALATE

Xristina Miros ©2013

Don’t worry, it’s totally Kosher…

I love having fun in the kitchen and letting my imagination run wild, so when pork chops were on the menu for last night’s dinner, I was not allowing just any old pork chop to hit the table.  I knew I wanted to maintain some traditional elements while still incorporating some interesting and creative flavors to the meal I was dishing up.  The birth of my new favorite pork chop took place; a coriander and fennel rubbed chop served with a sliced fennel, onion and apple jam.  Coriander has always been one of my favorite spices and while fennel and I never really got along, I have absolutely learned to adore it within the last year or so.  Here it goes, my latest adventure…

Ingredients: 

4 pork chops; bone-in or out (I used boneless)
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
Bay leaves; 2-3
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Salt
Olive oil

For the jam:

Whole bulb of fresh fennel, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 red delicious apple, diced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°

To start, toast the coriander, fennel seeds, bay leaves and peppercorns in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes until warm.  Combine the coriander, fennel, garlic cloves, bay leaves and whole black peppercorns in a spice grinder and pulse a few times until the bay leaves are broken down.  By adding the garlic to the grinder, the mixture will be a little wet as opposed to a powder consistency.    Salt the pork chops on both sides before rubbing the spice mixture on each chop.  Heat a pan with olive oil over high heat.  You want to ensure the pan is hot because you are browning each side of the pork chop before placing the pan into the oven to finish the cooking process.  After browning the pork chops, continue cooking them in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  Take the pork chops out and let them rest.

In the mean time, heat a pan with olive oil and add the sliced onions and fennel.  Salt the onions and fennel and allow them to sweat, about 7 minutes.  Once translucent, add the chopped apples.  At this point, add the apple cider vinegar to the mixture and let it cook down.  Adding the sugar will help balance out the acidity from the vinegar.  There could not have been a better choice than to add the apple cider vinegar.  The cider vinegar is the perfect complement to both the jam and the spiced pork chops.  Once the jam comes together and the apples are slightly soft, remove from the heat.  Slice the rested pork chops and serve alongside the onion, fennel and apple jam.

If you are up for something new and interesting, I suggest you definitely try this recipe.  It is a recipe that I am proud of because it is taking the pork chop outside the box.  It is absolutely delicious and will excite the crap out of your taste buds.  Enjoy!

Xristina ♥ Marie 

with love ,
T . R . P

Xristina Miros ©2012

Definition: A traditional Salvadoran dish made of a thick, hand-rolled corn tortilla that is stuffed with an  assortment of fillings.

I was first introduced to Pupusa by some of my Central American friends who I grew close to from working together day & night in the kitchen.  On some days, we would bring food into work that could easily be shared between everyone in the kitchen; things like empanadas, tamales and pupusa.  The ingredients used to make pupusa are so common across Latin cuisine but for some reason, the concept seemed so foreign.  I was instantly obsessed with my latest culinary adventure and since my first encounter with Pupusa, I have been all over the New York area doing tastings.  So far, my favorite spot is in Yonkers.  I found this spot randomly one day while working in the area.  I walked into an unassuming convenience store on Park Hill, right off of Broadway, looking for something to quench my thirst when I saw a sign written in a Sharpie marker that read, “Pupusas El Salvador”.  This store was a delightful little surprise as it is equipped with a flat-top grill and a small menu consisting of handmade Salvadoran food.  Without hesitation, I ordered a bean and cheese Pupusa and was quickly rung up at the register for $1.75.  I watched in excitement, the type of excitement that only a complete food-nerd would have, as the man behind the counter scooped out a handful of Masa and proceeded to make my pupusa.  After a few minutes and a few flips on the flat-top, my fresh Pupusa was ready to go.  Pupusa is traditionally served with curtido, a pickled cabbage slaw, but this particular place took a fresh play on the traditional slaw.  Instead of pickling cabbage, they made a salad by mixing cabbage with red wine vinegar and oil, then seasoned it with salt, pepper and oregano.  This place is my little diamond in the rough.  Now, every time I am in Yonkers, I always make it a point to stop by and drop $1.75 on the best Pupusa I have tried to this day.

Now, time for my experience in making Pupusa for the first time at home….

Ingredients:

Maseca corn flour (follow instructions on the bag)
Black beans; canned
Queso Fresco
Vegetable oil

For the curtido:

Cabbage slaw; found in the bagged salad area
Red wine vinegar
Vegetable oil
Salt
Black pepper
Oregano

I also decided to make a skirt steak to accompany the Pupusa and curtido.  For the skirt steak, season both sides with kosher salt and cook in a hot, oiled pan for about 3 minutes on each side for rare.

Follow the instructions on the Maseca bag to make the dough for the Pupusa.  You want the dough to form a smooth ball.  If the dough sticks to your hands, add a touch more water.  There is no precise way to go about forming a pupusa.  I kind of just dived into the process and didn’t look back.  Place a small handful of the Masa into your palm and form it into a bowl; think back to pottery as a child.  Fill the “bowl” with the black beans and queso fresco and close the bowl around it.  Here is where it gets tricky.  You can either place the stuffed ball directly into a pan of oil and flatten it with a spatula, or you can attempt to flatten it before transferring it into the pan.  Considering this was my first experience with making pupusa, I flattened it before putting it into the pan.   It is probably much easier to place it in the pan as a ball and then begin to flatten it using a spatula.

To make the cabbage slaw, combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and mix them together.  You definitely want to put a little more vinegar than you normally would put in a regular salad because it is supposed to be a pickled cabbage slaw.

XoX, 

The Refined Palate

Oh, & it’s good to be back

© Xristina Miros 2012

Flying through Mexico

Arriving in my room

First visit to the beach

Seafood Cocktail: Octopus, scallops, calamari & shrimp.

Seafood Cocktail Garnish

Drinks on the beach while enjoying Mango & Jicama Salsa

Street food: shaved elote (corn on the cob) with chili powder, lime & Cotija cheese

Night on the town

Night on the town

Rock Art

Fresh Oysters

Pacific sunset

My adventure to the local Mexican grocery store. Look at all the choices for butter!

Carrots, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro & cactus petal. All fresh from the local grocery store.

Ocean view

Down on the beach

View from my room

I hope you enjoyed my journey through Mexico just as much as I did.  Thanks for coming!

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥

Xristina Marie

The Refined Palate

© Xristina Miros 2012

What you’ll need:

4 Cod fillets
4 ounces ginger root, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken broth
2 bags of pre-washed baby spinach
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Wondra flour
Salt
Fresh black pepper

* Reserve 1/4 of the shallots and garlic for the spinach sauté.

* I purchased the entire fillet of cod and portioned it myself at home.  Whatever I didn’t use for this meal is being used for a fish & chips dinner…get excited!

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a small pot.  Add the sliced shallot, garlic and ginger and allow them to sweat.  You do not want any color on the vegetables, you just want the flavor to infuse the oil.  After a few minutes, add the chicken stock to the pot.  Season with salt and take the broth off the heat.  Allow the broth to steep for a moment before straining it.  After straining the broth, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and scallions to the pot.  If necessary, lightly season the broth with salt.  Season your cod fillets liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle a thin layer of Wondra flour on each fillet.  If you do not have Wondra flour, you can use a small amount of all-purpose flour.  The reason I say to use Wondra is because it makes for a nice delicate crust when dealing with fish.  All-purpose flour has the tendency to become gummy.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan until it starts to smoke.  You want the pan to be really hot, this is the only way to get a good crust on the fish.  Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side.  If you are ever unsure about the temperature of your fish, insert a metal skewer into the center of the fillet.  If the metal is cold, the fish is raw; if the metal is warm, the fish is cooked perfectly; and if the metal is hot, the fish is overcooked.  Now, sauté the remaining shallot and garlic slices in olive oil.  Add the spinach and season with salt.  When the spinach is just about ready, splash in some soy sauce and remove from the heat.

For plating, place the spinach in the center of your plate.  Top the spinach with a piece of cod and spoon the garlic and ginger infused broth around the sides.  This meal is light, healthy and full of flavor.  It is easy to prepare, easy to cook and most importantly, easy to eat.

Xristina ♥ Marie

Thanks for stopping by!

© Xristina Miros 2012

Freshman year in college, my vegetarian roommate introduced me to a tasty brand of black bean burgers.  They smelled so good every time she made one so I had to try it.  It was love at first bite.  I instantly became a fan of the meat-less burger and I still stock my freezer with them to this day.  I am always down for a quick and easy last-minute meal and this is one of them.  Last night I cooked some black bean burgers on the grill for my family.  Surprisingly, my dad ate two burgers.  When a 60-year old Greek man eats two black bean burgers, you know they are good.

Ingredients:

4 Spicy Black Bean burgers (frozen aisle)
Whole grain/whole wheat hamburger buns
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo (depending how spicy you like it)
1 avocado
1 jalapeño (optional)
1/2 small red onion (optional)
1 tomato, diced (optional)
1 lime
Green leaf lettuce (any lettuce will work for garnish on your burger)
Mushrooms (optional)
Salt

In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and the adobo sauce with a pinch of salt.  This sauce will act as a mayonnaise.  In a separate bowl, mash the avocado and add the juice of one lime.  Season with salt.  If you want to make it more like a guacamole, go ahead and add the diced jalapeño, red onion and tomato.  If you decide you want to add mushrooms to your burger, quickly sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt.  The mushrooms just bring an added texture and flavor to the burger.

Cook your black bean burgers according to the cooking instructions.  You can either cook them in a pan or on the grill.  The only thing left to do is toast the buns and start assembling.  Spread the chipotle “mayo” on the bottom bun then stack on a piece of lettuce and the black bean burger.  Top the burgers with the avocado spread and start chowing down.

X R I S T I N A      M A R I E
The Refined Palate

© Xristina Miros 2012

It all started about three weeks ago when I decided I wanted to cut meat from my diet.  This is certainly not a permanent change, it is just something I wanted to challenge myself with.  Not eating meat as a part of my daily diet allows me to be more creative in thinking of different ways to execute a dish and incorporate new ingredients.  It also forces me to think before eating rather than mindlessly going about my daily food intake.  I am having so much fun with this new challenge I set for myself and I hope I can inspire some creativity in all of you, my readers.  Originally this recipe was intended to be vegetarian, but as I got near the end of the dish, I realized it is also vegan-friendly as I used no animal products to create it.

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers
3/4 cup wild & brown rice mix
2 Holland leeks, only white parts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 white onion, for tomato sauce
4 celery ribs, quartered and diced
7-10 button mushrooms
6 tomatoes on the vine; seeded & diced, 3 for stuffing, 3 for tomato sauce
1 bunch of green swiss chard, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 large can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, for tomato sauce
Fresh parsley

Cut the green tips and the roots from the leeks.  Cut the leeks in half and slice them into half moons to make for easier cleaning; leeks contain a lot of dirt and must be washed.  

In a large pot, sauté the leeks, garlic and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes until they are softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the rice, swiss chard and raisins along with the cumin, coriander and allspice.  Add enough water to cover the rice and season the mixture with salt.  Once the water comes up to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot.  Allow the rice to cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the water is gone.  Rinse the garbanzo beans and add them towards the end because they are already cooked.  I decided to add the garbanzo beans to the recipe at the last minute to add texture and protein to the meal.  After the mixture is cooked, add fresh parsley and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°, cut the tops off from your bell peppers and remove the seeds from inside.  Lightly coat the peppers in olive oil and season the insides with salt and pepper.  The idea is to cook both the stuffing and the peppers separately before assembling them.  Cook the peppers for about 20 minutes until they are slightly softened.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add the crushed red pepper flake allowing the spice to infuse into the oil.  Add 1 clove of garlic and the chopped white onion.  Sauté for a few minutes until the onions are soft.  Add the remaining diced vine tomatoes just before adding the can of tomato sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer while you wait for the remaining components to come together.

Remove the peppers from the oven and start the stuffing process.  Stuff these bad boys until you think they’re about to burst.  They can hold a lot of filling.  Spread some of the tomato sauce you made in the bottom of the pan.  Before placing the tops on the peppers, add some tomato sauce on top of the mix to ensure the rice mixture stays moist.    Place the tops back on the peppers and put the pan back in the oven.  Cook  the peppers for another 15 minutes or so; until the peppers are completely soft.

You must try this.

* Apologies for not having a photograph of the final product.  The peppers were ransacked by wild animals; wild herbivores.

*UPDATE:  My sister was kind enough to take some photographs for me when my mom delivered some peppers to her house the next day.  Enjoy!

xoxo

Xristina    Marie

The   Refined   Palate

© Xristina Miros 2012