Coco’s Latest Bite

Episode # 32 Season Finale- Pantry Salsa in a Flash

My favorite kind of salsa is the smooth kind versus the chunky. Most Mexican Restaurants serve this style of salsa when you sit down to eat with warm chips. I love the fresh chunky pico style, however, for everyday eating and multi-tasking into different dishes, the smooth version fits the bill. Check out the video on my blog post here [https://www.arlenecoco.com/single-post/episode-32-pantry-salsa-in-a-flash]. SALSA DE SENORA Salsa de Senora means Lady’s salsa in Spanish. Yield: 2 cups Ingredients: 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies southwest style 1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic or  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 4 cilantro sprigs 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or less 1 tablespoon lime juice Directions: In a blender or food processor mix and puree all ingredients until smooth. Heat in a small saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Episode 31- Wild and Gathered Summer Salad

One of my favorite recipes of all time is this salad. I love it because it can be used all year round just by changing a few of the ingredients out. This week I share my favorite Summer Salad that can transform simple ingredients into a sensational salad. As always, check my website blog at www.arlenecoco.com for more information. [https://www.arlenecoco.com/single-post/episode-31-wild-and-gathered-summer-salad] Wild and Gathered All Seasons Salad with Spicy Pecans and Maple Vinaigrette Serves 10-12 I  call this an “all seasons” salad because I serve it all year long, I  just change the fruits and cheese for the season and serve a different version of it. I still serve it with Maple dressing and spicy nuts because it’s those flavors that make the salad special. Summer Salad 1- ½  pounds baby mixed or microgreens 6-8 ounces Bleu Cheese - Gorgonzola works well 1 pint of Fresh Blueberries (local is best) Fall Salad½ pounds of baby mixed or microgreens 6-8 ounces Goat’s milk cheese, crumbled 2 Granny Smith Apples, thinly sliced Winter Salad1 – ½  pounds of baby spinach or baby mixed greens 6-8 ounces Good Quality Parmesan cheese 1 cup dried cranberries or chopped dried figs Spring Salad1 ½ pounds baby mixed greens or microgreens 4 -6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1 quart of fresh strawberries, sliced Spicy PecansIngredients: 3 cups pecan pieces 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 teaspoons sugar Roast pecans on a cookie sheet at 350F for 15 minutes. Stir about every 5  minutes. When they start to smell like toasted nuts, remove them from the oven and set them aside. As nuts are roasting -Melt butter in a small bowl. Mix seasonings in a larger bowl. When nuts are toasted, toss in the bowl with the seasonings and add the butter. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and let them dry for about an hour. (can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container) Maple VinaigretteYields 2 1/2 cups Ingredients: 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup of onion, peeled and minced 2/3 cup of maple syrup 1 cup of canola oil 1 Tablespoon Brown mustard Instructions: Place all ingredients in a food processor except oil and blend on high for 30 seconds. Drizzle in oil slowly

Episode 30 - A Nightshade to remember

In this week's podcast, I give you my best-kept secrets on grilling Eggplant. You can see the transcript here [https://www.arlenecoco.com/single-post/episode-30-grilled-eggplant-for-a-flexitarian-feast] and check out the video of me grilling it. GRILLED EGGPLANT Dry Italian seasoning can be substituted for Herbs de Provence. Serving size: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 large eggplant 1/8 cup olive oil 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar 1/8 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoons herbs de Provence 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/8 cup barbecue sauce 1/3 cup water Directions: Slice eggplant 1 inch thick and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, herbs de Provence, and garlic in the bag. Mix the barbecue sauce and water together and add to the eggplant. Marinate up to 3 hours in the fridge before cooking. Grill over a hot fire, turning continually, charring the eggplant to your likeness. Eggplant will soften when it's off the grill as it sits.

Episode 29 Cooking over an open fire

In this episode, I talk about different techniques for cooking over an open fire. When I had my outdoor kitchen built, my blacksmith installed a big fireplace with a trammel or swinging black hanging iron arm with notches in it so I could hang a black pot over the fire with ease and adjust the temperature by moving the pot to a different notch. This return to “no-tech” cooking has given me a new appreciation for cooking over open fires. Click here to read the transcript [https://www.arlenecoco.com/single-post/episode-29-techniques-for-cooking-over-an-open-fire].

Episode 28 Tuscan Chicken under a brick

* In this week's episode, I give you the secrets of my sensational Tuscan Brick Grilled Chicken. It's my most popular blog post and I love making it for family and friends in the Summer when herbs are plentiful.  TUSCAN BRICK GRILLED CHICKEN The origins of this dish are from Northern Italy. For best results, marinate for 24 hours. Serving size: 4 Ingredients: 1 each whole chicken 1-2  bricks wrapped in Foil Marinade 2  oranges divided 2 lemons divided 6-10 cloves peeled garlic whole 3  tablespoons fresh rosemary divided 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1 cup white wine 2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped salt and pepper Directions: Step 1. Wash and dry the chicken. Cut out the backbone with poultry shears so that the chicken will lay flat. Turn the chicken over, skin side up and press to flatten the chicken as much as possible. Wrap the bricks in foil and set them aside.   Step 2. In a gallon Ziploc bag, squeeze and zest 1 lemon and 1 orange into the bag, and put the squeezed oranges and lemons in the bag. Add garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag to marinate for at least 3 hours, 24 is better. Bring out one hour before cooking to come to room temperature.   Step 3. Heat a 12-inch heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat on the grill. Very carefully place chicken in pan skin/breast side down. Add the garlic cloves to the pan placing them on top of the chicken.   Step 4. Place the foil bricks on top of the chicken. Grill for 30 minutes and check the bottom side of the chicken for doneness. If it's not a golden brown color, cook longer. Turn over the chicken and let it cook on the other side until the thermometer reaches at least 160F which will be about 15 minutes depending on your heat source. Use a thin metal spatula to pry chicken from the pan so as not to tear the skin.   Step 5. Remove chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Pour the wine in the pan and deglaze, scraping the pan to loosen the bits that are stuck to the pan. Boil for 2 minutes and place chicken back in the mixture. Slice the remaining lemon and orange into slices or quarters. Add lemon and orange slices, squeezing on chicken. Chop the remaining tablespoon of rosemary and sprinkle on the chicken along with the 2 tablespoons of chives.  Inside cooking directions: Cook on top of the stove for 15 minutes, turn over, then transfer to a 450F oven and cook for 20 minutes. Chicken is done at 165F but can come out of the oven at 160 F.