Luca

Sweet and Sour Beef Tenderloin

Recipe

Total Time: 45 min

Servings: 10
Ingredients
7 pound beef tenderloin
1 cup soy sauce
2 eight oz. cans sliced pineapple
2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar

Steps

Oil and sugar

Season the tenderloin with garlic salt, soy sauce and the juice in the pineapple cans. Season the tenderloin one day before cooking. If this is not possible, season it at least 2 hours before cooking
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Heat a frying pan on high heat. Add oil and sugar
Place the tenderloin in this same frying. Set aside the juice in which you seasoned the tenderloin for future use
Sear the tenderloin on all four sides for about 15 minutes, with the canola oil-sugar mixture
Place the tenderloin in a glassware pan

Electric knife cut

Bring the sauce used for seasoning and some of the oil-sugar mixture to pour over the tenderloin
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes if you like the meat pink or longer if you prefer it more well done
Cut even slices using an electric knife
Garnish with halved pineapple slices

Serve with

Vegetarian Thai Rice (To be published January 11 2013)

Baked Mashed Potatoes (To be published January 11 2013)

Tastiest Salad Ever (To be published January 11 2013)

Egg Sandwich

Recipe

Total Time: 30 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp butter
1 Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt, divided
4 English muffins
4 eggs
4 slices Canadian bacon
4 slices muenster cheese
4 tsp cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 twigs oregano
Balsamic glaze

Steps

1. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl until the mixture is thickened
2. Add the mixture to a double boiler containing barely simmering water (water shouldn't touch the bottom of the top bowl)
3. Continue to whisk rapidly and slowly pour 1/2 cup of butter until the sauce is thickened. The temperature shouldn't be too high or the eggs will scramble

4. Remove from heat and add a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes
5. Cover and keep warm. Set aside
6. Split open the English muffins and spread 1 tsp cream cheese to each top of 4 halves
7. Place Canadian bacon slices over each cream cheese topped half
8. Square cut the cheese slices into 4 smaller squares each. Place cut slices over the remaining 4 halves muffins
9. Bake the 8 muffin halves in a 300 degree oven until cheese melts
10. In the meantime grease a frying pan with 2 tsp butter and fry the 4 eggs adding a pinch of salt to each egg

11. Place each egg over 4 halves muffins topped with the Canadian bacon slices
12. Close the sandwiches with 4 halves muffins topped with melted cheese slices
13. Place sandwiches over a baking tray and pour 4 tbsp of the warm sauce prepared in steps 1-5 to each sandwich. Add some mozzarella, covering each moist sandwich
14. Broil the sandwiches until mozzarella cheese melts and acquires a golden brown appearance
15. Garnish with oregano and balsamic glaze

Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

Recipe

Total time: 30 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 box pasta

6 roma tomatoes, chopped

3 small white onions, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup butter

24 basil leaves

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved

Steps

1. Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water over high heat. Cook until tender but firm to the bite (Approx. 10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and the butter in a large frying pan over high heat

3. Add the onions as soon as the butter melts. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes or until they become soft and begin to change color

4. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper

5. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 10 more minutes or until some onions turn brown and tomatoes strained

6. Remove the lid and add the garlic, worcestershire sauce, ketchup and 20 basil leaves

7. Stir and let the ingredients mix for 2 more minutes

8. Place these ingredients in a blender until smooth

9. Pour the obtained sauce over the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese
10. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves

Toasted Almond Rice

This mediterranean recipe has run in my family for many years. It reminds me of childhood flavors that I can now bring back to enjoy with my husband and children. It doesn't require much work and its simple ingredients and condiments make it a family favorite!

Recipe

Total Time: 90 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups white rice, uncooked
1 red onion, shredded
1 tsp cinnamon powder
10 tbsp butter, divided
4 oz slivered almonds
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp salt

Steps

1. On a large pot pan season chicken with 2 tsp salt, onion and cinnamon. Thoroughly combine these ingredients with your hands
2. Add water until it covers the chicken. Put a lid on the pot and boil over high heat until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender (Approx. 30 min.)
3. Remove chicken from water and let cool. Save water for later use

4. Cube chicken with scissors into small pieces
5. Add chicken and 8 tbsp butter to a large pot pan and cook over medium heat. Constantly stirring, lightly brown most chicken pieces. Remove from heat and set aside
6. Heat 2 tbsp butter and saute almonds in a pot until browned

7. Remove almonds with a straining ladle, leaving the butter in the pot. Set almonds aside
8. Bring rice to the pot with butter. Add 1 tbsp salt and 4 cups of the water in which the chicken was cooked. If there is not enough liquid for the 4 cups, substitute with regular water

9. Bring to a boil over high heat until the rice dries out. Stir and cover, cooking over low heat for about 30 min
10. Serve on a tray and top with chicken pieces and almonds. Garnish with parsley or mint leaves

Serve with

Tabouleh (Published January 11 2013)

Middle Eastern Cabbage Rolls (Published January 10 2013)

Middle Eastern Cabbage Rolls

Recipe

Total Time: 3.5 hours

Servings: 5

Ingredients

1 head of cabbage

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup uncooked rice

1 red onion, minced

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

6 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 garlic head, peeled and minced

2 pork hocks

1 red onion, sliced

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

1 garlic head, just peeled
1 lime or lemon, cut in half
1 garlic head, peeled and minced
1 tbsp salt
8 tbsp lime juice

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil

2. Wash the cabbage and with a knife, cut around the core of the cabbage as much as the knife allows you, but without cutting it through

3. Immerse the cabbage in the water with the core facing up

4. Cabbage leaves will start to loosen apart. Use tongs to gently remove leaves from cabbage and boiling water. After the first leaf is separated, you'll need to wait a couple of minutes in between each leave for these to be ready for removal. If leaves stop loosening easily, remove cabbage from water, repeat cuts around the core and immerse in water again

5. Place 20 loosen leafs on a tray and set aside. Don't discard extra leaves, you'll use them later

6. In the meantime, mix beef, rice, minced onions, chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 6 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 minced garlic head

7. Take each cabbage leaf and cut the upper and harder part of the main vein, so you can roll it easily

8. Lay the leaf on a flat surface and place about 1 to 2 tbsp's (according to the size of the leaf) of the beef mix about one inch from the edge of the harder part of the leave

9. Tuck in the sides of the leaves and roll. Set the rolls aside until you get about a total of 20 rolls

10. Line the bottom of a large pot with the unused leaves and veins
11. Clean hocks with half lime or lemon and place over cabbage leaves

12. Place one layer of about 7 rolls (with the opening facing down,) on top of the unused cabbage and hocks

13. Cover with 1/3 of the peeled garlic, sliced tomatoes and sliced onions

14. Repeat with another 2 layers of rolls topped with another 2 layers of 1/3 of the garlic, sliced tomatoes and sliced onions

15. To keep the rolls submerged while cooking, cover the rolls with a lid smaller than the circumference of the pot

16. Pour enough water to cover the rolls, through the space in between the pot and the lid

17. Place a couple of weights on the lid to increase pressure and keep the rolls from moving while cooking. (You can use a couple of stones folded in aluminum foil)

18. Add more water while cooking, if they start to dry out

19. Cook on medium heat for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After 2 hours, mix 8 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp salt, 1 garlic head (minced) and 1 cup of water. Remove the lid and pour this mix over the rolls. Cover again and cook for 30 more minutes

20. When the rolls are cooked, remove from fire and take off the weights and lid

21. Let the rolls stand for a few minutes and serve