Andy's Diner

Faked 'Em Out...

Two of the kids are battling the onset of the flu. It was time to get them full of healthy nutrients without them suspecting it!

Amazingly enough, my kids LOVE beets - especially in salads. So, this is actually escarole salad with beets in a honey mustard vinaigrette. They devoured it.

Since 2 of them didn't want anything heavy, I made a haphazard Spanish-style tortilla with eggs, onions, Yukon Gold potatoes and Manchego cheese. I think I got most of the food groups in there tonight and they didn't even realize it was as healthy as it was!

Ahhhhh... the Best of Both Worlds!

Those of us who work long days and still have to cook for kids LOVE realizing that we left something to marinate the night before... It means that there will be a meal that will have the flavor of a long preparation, but that can be executed quickly.

Chicken that was marinated the night before in mojo (narnaja agria, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, sea salt, olive oil) and the side to end all sides:

Tostones... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. To die for!

Starting the Week Off Right (and Cheap!)...

First off was a tribute to the Big Easy, in this most wild of weeks for everyone there:

A little Red Beans and Rice... oh to be able to find real andouille! Tuesday night then was the Italian version of "Arroz con Huevo":

Spaghetti ala Carbonara... quick, cheap and TASTY! Another "Bueno, Bonito and Barato" - I can't wait to see what my food budget works out to be this month!

Who Needs the Sum of the Parts?

The parts will do just fine on their own! There are certain foodstuffs that never play a central role, but are so good they could stand on their own whenever, wherever. Case(s) in point:

Yukon Gold Potatoes, roasted in the oven with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh rosemary. The carb-lovers equivalent of candy.

Fresh Cuban Ham Croquetas, begging to be placed between two slices of Cuban bread and eaten as a sandwich with cafecito for breakfast.

And the wine.. oh, the wine... My sister lives in Napa and has made friends with a Sommelier from Krypton who hooks her up with wine to send her brother. I will do ANYTHING I need to in order to keep this relationship going! This one is AMAZING.

Guest Chef: "El Viejo and His Angel Hair with Lobster"

There are a million reasons I long to be on Cape Cod... this is one of them! My Dad knew I was swamped with work and sent me some content for the blog!

Like all great cooks, he has his "mise-en-place" ready to go... garlic, vermouth, lobbie, fresh angel hair pasta... This dish is as delicious as it is speedy to make.

Olive oil, (ok, maybe some butter) garlic, maybe some shallot and fresh parsley...

The precooked lobster knuckles added to the mix. My dad has his "connection" with a fish market in town, and they sell him just the cooked knuckles on the cheap. Those who know, know that the knuckles are arguably the tastiest part of the lobster.

"A Tavola" with a nice fresh green salad and a glass of white wine. El Viejo knows how to live!

One More Time...

Do we ever get tired of the Red Sauce/Pesto combination?

Um, that would be a big "NO"!

A Match Made in Heaven...

These flavors are not new to Miami, nor is this combination new... but the sum total is just AMAZING.

No description needed... but where is this going?

In the middle of a coconut bundt cake... Coconut and Guava are MADE for each other.

Are you getting the picture? Hope so, but there's one more element to go.

Some vanilla frosting (and I refrained from the toasted almonds to please the kids) and the cake is complete. This will be made over and over and over again.

Mass Quantities...

Sunday was a day of marathon food prep; getting plenty of meals ready for the week. I love being able to come home and find that there are a ton of options for dinner and all I have to do is reheat and serve.

A Jamie Oliver classic of Cauliflower Risotto - that the kids love. I also made a huge pot of red sauce with Italian Sausage which sure came in handy for some workday lunches...

Then there was a little Chilean tribute: Corvina in a cilantro/garlic/white wine reduction...

And a very Chilean salad of "apio palta" (celery and avocado) with lemon juice/olive oil dressing.

Waste Not...

We've always been a fan of the "cucina povera" that wastes nothing, but in this economy??? We're totally committed!

Some leftover maiale with rosmarino and Cuban black beans in the background. Yup, Italian style pork and Cuban beans... I'm loving the combo! ;)

The "Knock Off"...

My sister makes a Shrimp Sambal recipe that is out of this world... This is my ghetto version of it, using (in this case) turkey breast and the ever-essential coconut milk and cilantro...

Oh, it is soooooooo good. And it makes everyone long for Auntie to come and do damage in the kitchen!