Arugula, Feta, and Pepper Muffins

1/2 C quinoa
2/3 C water
1 C white flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. paprika
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C olive oil
2 eggs
3/4 C milk
1 C sliced arugula
3/4 C feta
1/3 C sliced piquante peppers


Combine quinoa and water in a small pot.
Bring to a fast simmer over high heat, then cover with a lid and turn heat to low.
Cook for 17 minutes (or until water is gone), then set aside with lid on.
Combine white and whole wheat flours, baking powder, and paprika in large mixing bowl.
Whisk together sugar and olive oil in another bowl.
Whisk eggs into sugar mixture.
Whisk milk into sugar mixture.
Fold sugar mixture into flour bowl.
Fold arugula, feta, and peppers into bowl.
Fold quinoa into bowl.
Fill muffin cups (approx 14-15).
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Hummus Tortilla Snacks

Whole wheat tortillas
Hummus

Toppings (any/all):
Pitted olives (kalamata olives are good)
Feta
Herbs
Cucumber
Tomato

Heat tortillas 15 seconds in microwave.
Smear some hummus on each tortilla.
Add chopped olives, feta, herbs, cucumber, tomato, or whatever else seems good.
Roll up tortillas and heat another 15-30 seconds in microwave.

Tex-Mex Stir-fry

Marinade:
1/4 C lime juice
2 T yuzu vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
1 t garlic powder/flakes or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 t cayenne

Main:
1 lb shrimp or sliced chicken or sliced pork or diced tofu
stir-fry veggies of choice (e.g. asparagus, sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion)

Stir together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne.
Place the shrimp (or whatever) in the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.
Add additional sesame oil to wok and place on medium heat.
When hot, add veggies and heat until almost done (4-6 minutes).
Then add shrimp (or whatever) and marinade and continue heating until cooked (2-3 minutes).
Serve with rice.

Panko'd West Coast Dover Sole

1 lemon
1 chile serrano, thinly-sliced
1 thumb-size knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
chopped cilantro to taste
mirin to taste
fish sauce to taste
2-3 eggs
flour
panko breadcrumbs
12 oz West Coast Dover Sole
olive oil (or canola, sunflower, or other oil of choice)

Squeeze lemon juice into small bowl.
Add sliced chile, minced ginger, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro
Add mirin and fish sauce, taste and adjust
Crack eggs into bowl and whisk to combine.
Put flour into one plastic bag and panko into another.
Pat fish dry.
Dredge each piece of fish in flour, then dip into eggs, then dredge in panko, and place on a plate.
In a large non-stick pan, add oil to cover bottom. Set heat to medium-high.
When oil is hot, add fish to pan in single layer (might have to work in batches).
Cook fish 3 minutes per side, then place on paper towels and lightly season with salt.

Serve fish with the chile sauce on the side. Goes well with rice and roasted bok choy.

Greens and Fruit Salad

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

4 cups lightly packed lettuce or spinach

6 ounces plums/apricots/pears/apples, sliced

1/4 cup almonds or maple walnuts (1 1/2 ounces), coarsely chopped

2 ounces feta, crumbled

Whisk together oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add greens, strawberries, almonds, and feta. Gently toss until salad is evenly coated with dressing.

Pickled Eggs

2 C white vinegar

1 t salt

1 med onion, chopped

2 T sugar

2 t mixed pickling spices

hard-boiled eggs

beet juice (optional)

Boil above together for 5 minutes.

Cool and pour into a wide-mouthed jar.

Add as many peeled, hard-boiled eggs as will be well-covered by liquid.

Let stand at least overnight.

Add beet juice if color is desired.

Refrigerated, will keep for weeks.

Puerco Pibil

5 T. annatto seeds
2 t. cumin seeds
1 T. whole black pepper
8 whole allspice berries
1 t. cloves
2 habanero peppers
2 T. salt
8 cloves garlic
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. white vinegar
5 lemons, juiced
2 shots fine tequila
5 lbs. pork butt
banana leaves

Instructions:
Grind the dried spices (annatto, cumin, black pepper, allspice, and cloves), thoroughly (I'd use a blade-style coffee grinder, though not one that I ever intend to use for coffee again)
Mince the habenero peppers, after removing the seeds

Combine the orange juice, vinegar, lemon juice, tequila, dried spices, minced habenero, salt, and garlic in a blender and liquify.

Cut pork into 2 inch squares, place in a large ziplock bag, and fill with the marinade

Let the pork marinate for at least twenty minutes (overnight is fine, too)

Line a 9" x 12" pan with banana leaves, pour pork & marinade in, cover with more banana leaves, cover tightly with foil
cook at 325 degrees F. for four hours

Serve over white or Spanish rice.

Director Robert Rodriguez's Puerco Pibil recipe from his Ten Minute Cooking School on the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD.