Coq au Vin

(Chicken) Coq au Vin made by my dad

Salmon and farfalle in walnut pesto

Sun-dried Tomato & Walnut Pesto with Salmon and Asparagus
from Mediterrasian.com

Mediterrasian.com is an interesting site I found a few months ago. It lauds the benefits of eating a version of the Mediterranean/Asian diet, full of pasta, grains, fish, and olive oil. There are a lot of intriguing recipes on the site, and this is the second we've tried. My sister also made the Sicilian Tuna & Basil Pizza a couple of nights ago.

Although I didn't get to taste the pizza, I heard it received mixed reviews. This pasta dish actually turned out pretty tasty. The strange thing about both recipes, though, is that everyone agreed they were a little bland, especially the pizza. It just seems weird to me that a recipe from the Mediterranean, which seems to be bursting with flavors, would be bland. We ended up sprinkling lime juice and red pepper flakes on the pasta.


Meanwhile, my dad prepared a seasoning rub for some ribs last night, and he decided to try it on the remaining salmon filets. I was skeptical at first, but....let me tell you, it tasted like dessert - melt in your mouth goodness.

Chiles rellenos and cilantro-lime rice (Father's Day)

Chiles Rellenos from Dave Harker
via Home Companion August 2002
(recipe posted below)


Cilantro-Lime Rice from Allrecipes


Our family has always loved the chile relleno. I remember when I was little my mom would always order it at Mexican restaurants, and at the time, I would just take a little taste, because that was when I was afraid of spicy food. Haha...

Anyway, for Father's Day lunch my sister suggested this chile relleno recipe with a twist: instead of breading, you use egg-roll wrappers as the crispy outer layer. I have to say, it was a lot easier than breading 11 chiles, and it was absolutely delicious. Really really good. Yum. Everyone loved it.

Along with it we served cilantro-lime rice, which my sister made and which is one of her favorite side dishes for Mexican food. Also good. For dessert I made a strawberry pie, which I will share soon in a follow-up post. :)

For now, here is the Chiles Rellenos recipe credited to chef Dave Harker (apparently Home Companion is no longer published...hmmm).


Chiles Rellenos
makes 6

6 poblano chiles
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, softened in warm water, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 C plus 3 TB chopped cilantro
2 TB shredded fresh basil
1 package egg roll wrappers
2-3 C tomato sauce
1 C vegetable oil, plus more as needed

(The chiles should be skinned to remove the tough outer skin. To do this easily, place them on a sheet of aluminum foil or broiler pan and blister under a preheated broiler, turning occasionally, until browned. Have a bowl of ice water nearby, and, when peppers are charred, place them into the water. Let them cool just briefly and then remove them and carefully peel off the skin. Try your best not to tear the chiles, but it's almost inevitable so don't worry about it. If chiles are ripped, they can be salvaged. Carefully split the chiles up one side without removing the stem. Gently rinse out the seeds. Drain the chiles cut side down on paper towels.)

Meanwhile, combine cheese-sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 C of the cilantro, and basil. Place stuffing inside chiles and carefully fold the edges closed, overlapping the edges slightly. They may not look too pretty at this point, but the wrapper will mask this.

Open egg roll wrapper package on two sides and remove one wrapper at a time. Cover chiles, leaving stem exposed.

Meanwhile heat 1-2 C of tomato sauce in a saucepan until hot.

Pour oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat oil on medium heat. When hot, fry the chiles, several at a time, gently turning them until they are browned on all sides. Adjust heat so they don't burn, adding extra oil as needed. When browned, place on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately on top of tomato sauce and garnish with the remaining 3 TB of cilantro.

Dad's Porkchops

Had a bad day yesterday. Well, at least eating-wise.... School was cancelled due to inclement weather, and I took the opportunity to be even more lazy than usual.

Anyway, I didn't make dinner last night, but my mom told me I had to photograph my dad's food. :)


Porkchops simmered with tomatoes, onions, and peppers; with whole-wheat pasta and a vinaigrette salad. This is what I would call one of my dad's signature dishes, the others being red chili, green chili stew, and pot roast.