Wouldn’t it be great to write something brilliant, funny, & touching for Mother’s Day? That was my intention earlier this week. How could I convey my thoughts about the most profound experience of my life without sounding cliche or sappy? I could try to explain what I felt when my babies were put in my arms for the very first time, and how, in that moment, I finally understood my own mother. Then all those sweet early memories: swaddling & nursing, Goodnight Moon & footie pjs, crying & boo-boo bunny,  butterfly kisses & belly laughs, legos & bitty baby, batman capes & pirate ships, princess dresses & tutus, and crying…did I mention the crying? Then the classroom cupcakes, soccer practice, Halloween, & homework. Oh, and puberty. Later, science projects, high school, homecoming & the college application process.  And did I mention puberty?  I forgot to mention poop & vomit earlier… and for those of you with girls, the gift that keeps on giving-periods and PMS.

Hey, I guess it’s NOT all sentimental & it’s not all pretty

This is for you all. For all of us…
Hang in there. In the end we can
only do the best we can. Tell them
every day that we love them. And pray
and never stop being a mother…
Please pass along to all the mothers in your life.
‘Home is what catches you when
you fall – and we all fall.’
Please pass this to a
wonderful mother you know.

 CEVICHE RECIPE by my friend,  Chef Christopher Miller

aka, the Galley Gourmet, SB

“It goes without saying that you should use only the freshest seafood available for this recipe. Almost any type of fish can be used provided it is fairly firm and free of  connective fibers and skin. We chose Halibut for this batch based on it’s being locally and freshly caught,  and just couldn’t help but throw a few wild caught shrimp in for good measure”. Chef Christopher Miller

Ingredients:

2 pounds of Halibut (or similar) Filet ¼” cubes

12 Shrimp Blanched, Peeled, Deveined, and cut in ¼“ Sections

Juice from 2 limes, 2 lemons, & 2 Navel Oranges

1 Medium Red Onion, Diced

2 Scallions ¼” Slices

1-2 Serrano Chilis (to taste) Diced small

Cilantro Chopped

1-2  Ripe Tomatoes ,Seeds removed, ¼” Dice

1 ripe (not overly) Avocado ¼” Dice

½ tsp Sea Salt  (to taste)

Green Napa Cabbage, Shredded

Tostada shells

Our baby ~ from the Santa Barbara Fish Market

Filet o' FIsh!

Directions:

Clean and cut halibut to ¼” pieces

Blanch shrimp in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove shells and vein. Cut into ¼” sections.

In a large mixing bowl combine citrus juices, red onions, scallions, cilantro, and Serrano chilis, and sea salt.

Lemon, lime, & orange juice, oh my!

Add the halibut and shrimp to this mixture and toss well.  Allow seafood to marinate (cook) for a minimum of  3-4 hrs.

Let the marinating begin!

Transfer Ceviche’ to a serving bowl and garnish with diced tomatoes and avocado.

Place a small amount of shredded cabbage on each tostada, add Ceviche’ and garnish with chopped cilantro.

The Kitchenista & the Galley Gourmet

Gazpacho ~ by my friend,  Chef Christopher Miller,

aka the Galley Gourmet, SB

This cold refreshing soup has always been one of my personal favorites, (so much so that I named my first dog Gazpacho, AKA Gus ) it is just perfect for the upcoming summer season. Gazpacho typically contains only raw uncooked vegetables and herbs, thus providing all of the flavors and nutrients of its ingredients. I visited Tri-County Produce in Santa Barbara and found all of the fresh organic vegetables I needed to make this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

6-8 Ripe tomatoes  Peeled, De-seeded, and diced/yields about 2 cups
2 large Cucumbers  Peeled, De-seeded, and diced/yields about 2 cups
2 Green Bell Peppers  Seeds and veins removed/yields about 1 cup
1 Red Spanish Onion  Diced /yields about 1 cup
3 Scallions   Chopped, white parts only. Save green parts for garnish.
4 Cloves Garlic  Chopped
½ cup Parsley   Chopped
¼ cup Basil    Chopped
1 Tbs. Tarragon  Chopped
2-3 cups Tomato Juice
¼ cup Lemon Juice
1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and dry all of your vegetables.

Combine all chopped vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl and add salt, pepper, and about half of your olive oil.

Toss this all well.

Place 2/3 of the vegetable mix in a food processor add ½ of the tomato juice and puree until well blended.

Return the puree to the vegetables remaining in the bowl.

Add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, the remaining tomato juice and olive oil and mix well.

Refrigerate for 2-12 hrs and serve well chilled.

You can garnish your Gazpacho with anything from Avocados to Mangos to Pine Nuts. Personally, I prefer the traditional garnish of a big toasty garlic crouton on mine. Most anything you have on hand will probably work out just fine. Let your imagination run wild here.

My Sangria recipe was featured in

Santa Barbara Dining & Destinations
Photo by the wonderful Matt Dayka

Ingredients:

2 bottles Red Table Wine

1 cup St. Germain liqueur

1/4 cup Cointreau (you may substitute Triple Sec)

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar & boiling water-mix until sugar is dissolved, let cool)

3 oranges sliced

This recipe was featured in Santa Barbara Dining & Destinations
~photo by the wonderful Matt Dayka

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cups (14 oz.) veggie broth

1 cup uncooked red quinoa

1 cup uncooked gold quinoa

1/3 cup olive oil

2 TB lemon juice

3 TB seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

1/2 gold bell pepper chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cup black olives

1/2 English cucumber quartered and cut into bite size pieces

1 cup quartered artichoke hearts (fresh or canned packed in water)

1/2 cup sliced baby heirloom tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Fresh ground sea salt & pepper to taste

In a medium-large saucepan, cook the quinoa in veggie broth for about 15 minutes or as directed on package. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil.

Gently toss the quinoa together with bell peppers, onion, olives, cucumber, artichoke hearts, tomatoes & parsley. Pour oil & vinegar mixture over the quinoa.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. You may serve immediately but it tastes even better if you let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours. This recipe is vegan and gluten & dairy free.

YAY!  Santa Barbara Dining  & Destinations features three of my recipes this month as part of their “Real Food Matters” issue ~ I’d say that’s right up my alley!  I came up with three of my favorites for Spring & Summer soirees, including my Rosemary Chicken Sliders. These babies are fun for an appetizer or hearty enough for an entree. You’ll love their size & flavor, plus it’s a nice departure from the typical burger.  I had the pleasure of working with the amazing Matt Dayka, who photographed all my dishes. I love his approach and he makes my food look ever so scrumptious! Take a look at his work at http://www.mattdayka.com/

The March Issue

Rosemary Chicken Sliders

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken (ask the butcher to do this or you may grind in your food processor)

1 TB fresh rosemary finely chopped

1/2 cup white onion finely chopped

1 TB worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

2 tsp olive oil

2 whole tomatoes sliced

Lettuce leaves-washed & dried

12 small slices of cheddar cheese

12 small buns ~ I got mine at D’Angelo’s Bakery on Gutierrez St, SB

Directions
Combine ground chicken, rosemary, onion, worcestershire sauce, pepper, & salt together until evenly mixed. Form into 12, 3 inch diameter patties. Let sit on plate for 30 minutes to take the chill off the meat–this will make your sliders more tender. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Place chicken patties in skillet–let brown on each side until thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Place cheese slices on top of patties and put lid on pan to melt. Slice and warm up buns in the oven. Place patties in buns and garnish with tomatoes & lettuce and serve. Feel free to add other condiments of your choice. I prefer them “plain”

Matt Dayka works his magic on my little sliders!

This gluten free recipe was created by my dear friend & guest blogger, Lauren Goss, aka “The Holiday Mamasita”. You may check out her blog at holidaymamasita.blogspot.com

Serves 8-10

• 4 links mild Italian sweet sausage
• 2 links hot Italian sausage
• 1/2 lb. organic ground turkey (dark meat, preferably)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup good quality finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tbs. dried minced onions
• 2 jars of your favorite gluten free spaghetti sauce (I use Classico Four Cheese)

*It may be challenging to find organic meat in your town, but if you
can, it is well worth the extra effort and cost. The more we demand
organic food, the more available it will become and it tastes so much
better. I use Lazy Acres, for this recipe because of all their organic
meat choices. The sausage is sold in the butchers case, where I get
it, by the link, but if you don’t have that option you can buy a 4 pack
of sweet Italian sausage in the meat dept. of your local grocery store.
You can buy the hot sausage in the same place, but you’ll have to
freeze the extra 2 links for the next time you make this recipe.

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk cheese and spices.
• Squeeze the sausage out of the casings into the bowl and mix well with your hands.
• You can make the meatballs any size, but I prefer for them to be golf ball
  size.
• Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and start rolling your
  meatballs.
• Put them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• To remove excess fat, drain meatballs on paper towels.
• In a medium to large sauce pan, combine meat balls with 2 jars of your favorite sauce,
  making sure it is gluten free.
• Simmer on low while you make the pasta.
• Cook 1-2 packages of brown rice pasta, according to directions.

The cooked pasta will look more yellowish than usual and very starchy.

Not to worry. Just rinse the cooked pasta and dive in. It tastes great!
(Nothing like that yucky wheat pasta!)
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mama Mia, (aka. Mamasita) that’s a spicy meatball!

This gluten free recipe was created by my dear friend & guest blogger, Lauren Goss, aka “The Holiday Mamasita”. You may check out her blog at holidaymamasita.blogspot.com

makes 12 parfaits

• 4 cups rinsed, hulled and sliced organic strawberries
• 12 strawberries, washed and completely dried
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbs. confectioner’s sugar (with a mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Don’t over mix.  On low, add the vanilla and sugar, just to blend.)
• 16 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Get out 12 nice stemmed glasses.  Presentation is important with this one.  Layer the strawberries and whipped cream, starting with the strawberries and ending with the whipped cream.  Cover each glass with plastic wrap, place on a tray and put them in the fridge.

With a bain marie or double boiler, simmer water in a pan while stirring chocolate slowly, in a glass dish, sitting over the water.

When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from heat continuing to stir until smooth.

Dip the paper towel dried strawberries into melted chocolate to cover most of the strawberry and set on wax paper lined tray to harden.

When ready to serve, remove plastic wrap from glasses and add a chocolate dipped strawberry on top.

~ gluten free decadence

The Holiday Mamasita & I enjoy a glass of vino together.