Yucca fries and Chimichurri Sauce...

A few months back I had the pleasure of eating at a Peruvian Restaurant, in Portland Oregon...I had no idea what kind of food Peruvian food was but was given the name of the restaurant by a gal at Powells Book store as a restaurant that had Gluten free food...so off my cousin and I went! It is in the Pearl District and the name of it is...Andina..oh what a surprise! it is the best food you have ever eaten, if you go, you are in for a real treat! They feature many different 'small plates'..when you are seated you get great bread and 3 different sauces, if you are gluten free you get yucca fries and chimichurri sauce...oh heavenly day!!! They are so good! The food in the restaurant is mostly gluten free naturally..every thing is full of tons of flavor! I long for the day to go back....in the meantime I have been busy researching the recipes..this one tops the charts!


Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3-4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves (can sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method
1 Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl.
2 Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving.

ingredients for the Chimichurri sauce...

follow instructions and viola! do this ahead of time so the flavors can meld if you get the chance...this sauce is used in South America on meats and also on eggs.....it is also used as a marinade....

          this is the south American Yucca....it is said to cure joint arthritis.... it is also used to make tapioca...

you must first peel the yucca root...Hard to peel with a knife..use a vegetable peeler, much easier...

cut your Yucca into french fry portions....

ready to go!

make sure your oil reaches 350 degree...

half finished! When they are done, place on paper towels and sprinkle with  kosher salt...

truly Good Eats!!! I guarantee you will love, love, love this!!!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Snowman...

This is what I did today, I made a snowman....I stopped and played outside in the snow, just like I did as a child..I loved every minute of it! The snow was perfect for snowmen and snowballs fights....

This is what I wish for you...to stop and play...

Cheers to Happy...

Homemade Laundry Soap update...

I have been making this soap for a few years now...I used Fels Napa for the sudsy part of the detergent...I had seen that you could use Zote soap. I startled looking for it because it was pink and very pretty....I found it in a store in the southeastern part of the United States, kinda far,...I could of ordered it on-line also, kinda expensive....so never did....

I found it at K-Mart! Wow, there it was all the time...I bought it. This last time I made detergent I used it! It is great...smells good...slightly scented (I am allergic to many scents, but no bother here) I love it! and so pretty and PINK!

Isn't that the prettiest soap ever?

http://cheerstohappy.blogspot.com/2009/10/homemade-laundry-soap.html

I know there is a clever way to link you to my previous blog about laundry soap...but I am not sure how to do that...anyway if you missed it, check it out...it is very inexpensive, works great and biodegradable...

Cheers to Happy  !!

Sushi...

I have loved Sushi for quite some time now...it is expensive and oh boy, can I ever eat my share plus someone elses...I have always wanted to make my own, but didn't know how, and thought it might be complicated...but after a little research I thought it looked pretty easy! I found it to be alot cheaper and you can add what you like! Sushi is so good for you and low calorie...Wouldn't a Sushi party be fun? Be sure to invite me, please....and thank you...

Sushi

6 cups of cooked short grain rice

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon salt

5 nori sheets...seaweed...

and all the fillings you would like....I used Krab, smoked salmon, cucumber, radish, avocado, hard boiled egg, pickled carrot...I have heard that tuna fish is good and fresh cooked spinach...

rice vinegar, sugar and salt...heat just until sugar and salt dissolve...then cool...

make about 6 cups of rice, I used the rice cooker....place the cooked rice in a bowl and cool till just warm...add the vinegar and toss lightly...if you stir to wildly the rice turns to mush...

this is the fun part...getting to go to the asian market...buy nori sheets...they are available at the grocery store also....

buy some sushi mats...they are cheap...99 cents....they look like little rattan screens...

buy some pickled ginger..you MUST have pickled ginger...

buy some wasabi...now about wasabi....Check out the ingredient list on the back of the tube...nope, not a bit of wasabi listed...just horseradish and some other stuff...very little wasabi is grown now...there is a farm in Oregon that produces most of the true wasabi used today...they got their plant starts from Japan...wasabi grows along the banks of streams and rivers...the farm in Oregon sells much of their wasabi back to Japan...pure wasabi is very expensive...

got everything ready...prepped the veggies and fish....this is something you can do while cooling the rice...

place on the counter your sushi mat..then your nori wrap....then about a cup of rice...spread the rice on the bottom 2/3 of the paper and out to the ends...

ready to go..this one is hard boiled egg....cucumber and smoked salmon....kind of a Swedish version!

I wish I could show how easy this is...this is a two hand process....just use the mat to roll it up.....

then time to cut...use a clean knife and wet the knife...and slice all the way though...cut each log into about 7 pieces....you will need to wipe the knife often to get clean cuts and keep it wet...

easy peasy...

this one is interesting....the rice on the outside! nori paper....on the inside...along with the goodies...

 bamboo mat, the nori...the rice.....

sprinkle the outside with roasted sesame seeds or poppy seeds....

place the other mat on top and flip...

take off the mat and you are ready to fill...

Krab, cucumber and avocado....

roll and time to slice.....

yay! That looks great...

this one is good...hey I am getting better at this....

I now have enough sushi for the neighborhood!

I love this..I take a little of the wasabi and mix it in a little soy sauce and then dip!..I got to eat my fill of all the sushi I could handle....

Cheers to Happy  !!

Roasted Apple Sauce...

I love, love, love fresh apple sauce...and this is a great way to use up winter apples...this recipe could be changed up so easily...just add what you and your family likes....you could grate fresh orange peel and juice the orange, I had the tangerines so added them whole....this is a take on Ina Gartens recipe...

Roasted Apple Sauce
4 pounds Fuji apples (or your favorite)
3 tangerines
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 Cinnamon sticks
1 tsp grated ginger
7 cloves
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 tsp of fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup water...
quarter and core the apples, add to a roaster pan...and all the rest of the ingredients...give a little stir, place in the oven at 375 degree oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours until the apples are soft...take it our of the oven, using tongs squeeze the juice out of the tangerines, and pick out the Cinnamon sticks and cloves and give the sauce several big stirs...it knocks the apples off their skins...now you can easily pick out the skins...

 apples in pan...

add all the seasonings and fruit....

put on the lid and bake....

after and hour and a half....this heavenly smelling apples goodness comes out of the oven....

after taking out all the skins and spices.....

place in a jar and store until ready to use...it is such a pretty color...

I had some with yogurt...but I will also have some with pork....it is so sweet and you can taste all the flavors that baked right in it!...

Cheers to Happy  !!