in Drinks, On the Road 0

Pineapple and Mango Spritzers

Playing bartender with 3 out of the 4 of my girls. We’re non drinkers but still love fancy glasses and fun drinks! With so much fresh fruit in Costa Rica we came up with some delicious concoctions. Sparkling water Lime juice Chunks of Mango Chunks of Pineapple Mint The key to good flavor is adding fruit, lime, mint, and ice first and “muddling it”. That means crushing it all together to get all the yummy flavors out. Then top with sparkling water. We all drink these fun drinks in the summer but I say get out your fancy glasses and bring a little summer today!

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in Breakfast, Brunch, On the Road, Side Dishes 0

Costa Rican Rice and Beans

Dreaming of this Cost Rican breakfast from Sunday as I’m munching on my Quest bar. Costa Rican Rice and beans (from what I gathered as I watched the cook) 2 cups cooked black beans, plus 3/4 cup bean cooking liquid 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 onion, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup diced celery 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp thyme S&P to taste Chopped cilantro for garnish Sauté onion, garlic, thyme, pepper, and celery in oil. Add beans, rice and liquid once cooked through. Continue cooking until incorporated. Serve with corn tortillas, eggs, avocado, and fried plantains.

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in On the Road, Snacks 0

Israeli Crepe

I got in a lot of trouble for taking this picture. This was a cross between a tortilla and crepe and was delicious! We opted for a savory one and they added: Goat cheese Extra Virgin Olive Oil (best in the world) Za’atar (ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices such as sumac might also be added) Chili paste

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in Breakfast, Brunch, On the Road 0

Tomato and Egg Bake

This has been one of my favorite breakfasts in Israel. It’s low-carb, healthy, and hearty! The chef explained the dish to me this morning and this is what I came up with. 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 Tb sugar ⅛ tsp cayenne +|- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped or crushed with hands 2 Tb tomato paste S&P Feta cheese, crumbled 6 large eggs Chopped cilantro, for serving Hot sauce, for serving Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté onion, peppers, and jalapeños for 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika, cayenne, and sugar and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and tomato paste and season with S&P; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes….

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in On the Road, Salads 0

Middle Eastern Salads

I added our leftover Middle Eastern salads to turkey burgers the other night and it was delicious! Serving the salads alongside grilled chicken breast and pita is great too. *All salads are better after refrigerating overnight. They also need to be served at room temperature so bring them out an hour before serving. Cabbage salad 1 head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced 2 lemons, juiced 3 Tb EVOO 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated 2 tsp salt Thinly slice cabbage and place in boiling water for 2 minutes or until just starting to wilt. Drain and add remaining ingredients. Carrot and Mint salad 2 bags of shredded carrots 1 lemon, juiced 1 tsp cumin 2 Tb EVOO mint leaves Mix lemon juice, cumin, and EVOO. Pour over carrots. Roughly chop mint leaves and sprinkle over salad. Beet salad Jarred or vacuum packed beets, quartered Add a dash of cumin, lemon juice, EVOO, and parsley.

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