#178 Italy's Frittata with mushroom and spinach

This is so good to eat for breakfast! It has eggs, vegetables and fats in one baked dish. :) I love heavy cream and so I added it in my newly discovered Italian breakfast dish: the Frittata. This egg dish requires a little bit of work than simply boiling or scrambling your eggs in the morning, but it is beautiful and very tasty. I do not regret spending more time learning and cooking this awesome dish that the whole family enjoyed for a nice Sunday breakfast. :)

FRITTATA WITH MUSHROOM AND SPINACH 

Ingredients: 

6 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups heaving whipping cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp sliced onions
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or you can use baby spinach whole
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a pan, heat olive oil, sauté onions and mushrooms until cooked, then add spinach until wilted. Drain the water that comes from the cooked vegetables, set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat eggs, add heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper, 2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Open the oven and add 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the frittata. Close  the oven and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is set.
6. Enjoy! 

An italian expression: "hai fatto una frittata", means I made a mess. This comes from the fact that in Italy, a frittata is made from left overs at the last minute when nothing else is available in the fridge. Now I also learned one more Italian sentence! I also learned that in Italy you will rarely see Frittata in its restaurant's menu, because to the Italians, Frittata is a dish that is commonly  made at home, nothing special and can be made with any meat or vegetables from left overs. It's funny how I thought it is some kind of a fancy national breakfast food in  Italy and I can order it anywhere in Rome when I visit this year. Good to know. :) This dish is good, it's very healthy, the cream is optional so you can remove it from the recipe. 

I love my Frittata! It tastes great and very satisfying! 

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#177 Classic Ceviche

I finally learned how to make Ceviche! It's really easy, a first grader can prepare  it easily! It is similar to one of my most favorite Filipino dishes, the Kinilaw which is also featured in this blog almost 4 years ago. Like Ceviche, Kinilaw is a dish that uses raw fish as the main ingredient and it is "cooked" not by the use of heat  but with the acid from the lemon or vinegar, and then mixed with vegetables: cucumber, daikon radish, fresh ginger, onions and spicy chili pepper. I can say now that the two are actually very different dishes. The difference is in the flavor. This is due to the avocado, cilantro, lime and orange juice sweetness in the Ceviche and it's lack of what makes Kinilaw tastes great: the intense flavor of fresh ginger and chili with every bite. I also learned that there are many variations of the Ceviche from the Americas, and I made what is considered the "Classic Ceviche", the same way it is made in the country where it originated from: Peru. I used Tuna fish, because I am a tuna girl. Haha! I am just really loyal to tuna because I am very familiar with it, I grew up in a Philippine island where  Tuna was my main red meat, and so I know how to play with its flavor...oh how I miss eating tuna at fresh catch! Good old times. Here in California, I get my tuna from the Whole Foods Market, it is wild caught and imported therefore it is a little pricier, however, you can also use sea bass, halibut or snapper. Ready to make it? Here's how.

CLASSIC CEVICHE

Ingredients:

ocean fish, cubed (tuna, snapper, seabags or halibut)
1 1/2 cups lime juice
cilantro
onions
green olives, chopped
jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons orange juice
salt
pepper (optional)
ripe avocado, cubed

Directions:

1. In a small but deep bowl, add lime juice and cubed raw fish, mix gently to coat fish evenly. Cover and set aside in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
2. Using a colander, drain the lime juice from the fish.
3. In a big bowl, add the cilantro, onions, green olives, jalapeño or serrano peppers, orange juice and salt, mix well. Add the fish then mix. 
4. Before serving, add the avocado, gently mix. Add pepper to taste (optional). 
5. Enjoy!

It's very different from  what I expected but  is now also my favorite! I love it!

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, follow this blog as we will be posting 188 more recipes! 188 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and share to complete the goal of 365! 

Will I finish this task? Check back often to see my progress! xo Van

#176 I made a fancy yet simple Lamb dish for dinner: Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary

I can't count the many times I skipped buying a leg of lamb simply because, I always thought it's just too fancy, and thought it's so complicated to cook..until one day a couple of weeks ago, I decided to finally make a fancy leg of lamb dinner. Thanks to the internet, I learned that I can simply roast it in the oven and, surprisingly it's really easy to make! With the aid of my meat thermometer, I made sure it wasn't under or over cooked and I used fresh rosemary herbs. Wow, the marriage of the lamb and rosemary flavors is marvelous! Lamb meat already has that really strong flavor and all you really need to add are a few items to make into a delicious and fancy meal. Here's how  I made it with only a few ingredients: 

LEG OF LAMB ROAST WITH ROSEMARY

Ingredients: 

4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

5 approximate pounds of leg of lamb

Salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Slit lamb meat with knife, maybe 4 cuts across so you can rub the crushed garlic and insert in slits for the flavor to deeply penetrate the meat.
3. Add salt and pepper.
4. Place rosemary on top of the seasoned meat.
5. Roast meat for about 1.5 to 2 hours, to your desired doneness. For medium rare, meat thermometer should read at least 135 degrees F. Do not overcook! Lamb tastes better when it is slightly pink on the inside.

Roasting meat has long been observed by the British since the 1400s, their  "Sunday Roast" consists of roast beef or other meat, vegetables, pudding and gravy, this tradition gives the families a chance to get together after a long week of hard work, and enjoy a hearty meal after church. This tradition of beef eating is still observed in the UK nowadays, I am not sure how many families do it religiously every Sunday. It is said that the original "beefeaters" were the members of the royal guard during the reign of King Henry the VII, his Yeomen Warders were served roast beef every Sunday after church and this practice gave birth to many beefeaters over the years. I am a modern day beefeater who eats meat like there is no tomorrow. Too much, really. I am trying to curb my beef and lamb consumption for health reasons, as eating in moderation is key to a healthy weight. This "Sunday Roast" is  great idea, infact, this is a good tradition for us to start, roasting meat every Sunday and eating more fish, chicken and vegetables for the rest of the week.  I guess we're having another delicious roast tomorrow night! :) Happy weekend, hope this one brings you another chance to spend quality time with your most favorite people in the world!

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, follow this blog as we will be posting 189 more recipes! 189 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and share to complete the goal of 365! 

Will I finish this task? Check back often to see my progress! xo Van

#175 Sugar-Free Chocolate Mousse Cake

I love Chocolate Mousse! When I started looking for good recipes, I found out it's made of sugar, cream, chocolates of course and egg whites , but, what I didn't know is, that I can actually make a sugar free chocolate mousse cake using this bag of chocolate chips pictured below, and omit the eggs! Ready to make it too? Find recipe below....

SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Ingredients: 

16 ounces or 4 cups of heavy whipping cream
12 ounces of premium baking chocolate chips stevia sweetened (I used more than 1 bag of Lilly's dark chocolate)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of cream, vanilla extract, chocolate chips and salt. Melt chocolate with all ingredients in a double broiler. Stir. Once chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, transfer to bowl, and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. 
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 2 cups of chilled cream. Beat until a stiff peak forms. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture.
3. Transfer mixture to a pie plate and chill for at least 6 hours.
4. Before serving, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream until a stiff peak forms. Serve it with pie. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse originated from France in the 1800s. The basic ingredients of THE  original chocolate mousse are: chocolate, egg whites and sugar.  I plan to make "mousse au chocolat" next winter holidays. For the next several months, I will skip the sugar.  

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, follow this blog as we will be posting 190 more recipes! 190 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and share to complete the goal of 365! 

Will I finish this task? Check back often to see my progress! xo Van

#174 Vasilopita : Greek New Year's Cake

Happy New Year 2017!  It has been a while! I am happy to be back and cooking again. I want to dedicate more time to writing this year. What a crazy busy year 2016 was for me and I am very, very glad that it is DONE! So, cheers to a year of many changes, to abundance, to a year of being a better version of me, a year of great food and, maybe completing this project? Cheers to a new year of enjoying love and life to the fullest, to exploring the world right here in our kitchen and to actually visit countries that we've never been and where we will explore local dishes! I am excited to get closer to the goal of 365 items this year, it's not an easy feat with my schedule but I will try my very best. One thing I realized that I missed since my last posting in January of last year (wow, that long ago!),  is not only learning how to cook more dishes but, missing out on the fun in discovering each plate of food's origin with my daughter, and I really regret that I let my daily stresses get the best of me, and that I just let the year pass by choosing not to write and forgetting the very reasons why I started this blog almost 5 years ago. It has truly brought nothing but positive things into our lives,  it enriches my vocabulary with each post since English is my second language, it really has taught me how to cook and be better at it, and, most importantly, it created lasting sweet memories that I plan to put in print once I complete the goal of 365. It's also great how this blog has become very useful to me, for example, if I want to bake a cake, I just go on google search and type in "herglobalkitchen cake"  and google gives me results of recipes from this blog that I know works because I tried it! It also relaxes me every time I read it because it takes me back to that great day I discovered, and actually learned to cook and really fed the family a new and fantastic dish from another country! What a great feeling each time, all positive, all smiles and it brings me so much joy. So, it is time to create new happy memories at our global kitchen! 

So, what have I made so far this year? Desserts! I made it on New Years Eve. New Years Day is a special holiday for me and so I make a LOT of food. Now you know where to find Van on December 31st of every year! Her global kitchen! I cook all day, and plan days and days before, it's not even funny. Since becoming a mom, my "NYE parties" has always been in my fun kitchen. I do put on make up, fix my hair and dress up for my NYE cooking party, but never leave the house! LOL. This year I made desserts that turned out great! One of them is this famous cake in Greece that is made and served in homes every New Year's Day, traditionally the baker inserts a lucky coin in the cake.  Each member of the family gets a slice, the youngest member is served first and whoever gets the coin is believed to be lucky all year long! Vasilopita or Vaselopita, is a cake that pairs  very well with coffee. It is so good, very moist, every one loved it! I will make and enjoy it again on New Years Day in 2018! 

VASILOPITA (Greek New Year's Cake) 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
6 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup warm milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch round cake pan
2. In a large bowl, or in a mixer,  cream the butter and sugar together until light and well mixed. Add the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Then, carefully add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a separate medium bowl, combine the baking powder and milk, add to the flour and egg mixture, mix well. In a small bowl,  combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
4. Best when served warm, but it is also delicious even when the cake has cooled down. Enjoy!

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15723/vaselopita---greek-new-years-cake/

My friends, I wish you and your family a sweet, delicious, joyful, bright, healthy, prosperous and happiest new year ahead! 

If you enjoyed this post, follow this blog as we will be posting 191 more recipes! 191 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and post here to complete the goal of 365!  

Will I finish this big task? Check back often to see my progress! xo Van