From SOLO: Breakfast Tacos

About SOLO:

SOLO is a commitment to eating well, even if you're flying, well, solo. A few months ago, I realized I was creating fantastic eats for other people, but never for myself! Many recipes created for four or more people. What I've attempted to do with SOLO is create great meals designed for one--meals that can be easily modified to accommodate an extra guest (or have enough for leftovers). 

Serves 1.

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic (minced)

½ yellow pepper (diced)

2 roma tomatoes (seeds and pulp removed, chopped)

½ small red onion (diced)

1 t sambal olek or other pepper sauce

1 egg*

2 taco-sized tortillas

1 T fresh cilantro, chopped, plus two extra small sprigs for garnish

avocado, sour cream, Sriracha chili sauce (for garnish)

*I like just enough egg to hold the vegetables together.  If you prefer more egg or are making this for two, add an additional egg when cooking.

In a cold pan add the garlic, onion, and oil.  Turn burner on low and sauté mixture for 5 minutes.  Raise heat to medium and add pepper, tomatoes, and pepper sauce. Sauté 5 additional minutes (or until vegetables are almost cooked through) stirring occasionally.  Raise heat to medium high and add egg directly to pan.  Stir to coat vegetable mixture evenly with egg.  Cook 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until egg is cooked. During the last 30 seconds of cooking, stir in cilantro. Remove pan from heat. 

If you have a gas stove, keep the burner on medium high. Place one tortilla directly on burner.  Count to seven, then flip tortilla using kitchen tongs. Repeat until both sides are lightly toasted and the edges browned. Repeat with second tortilla.  Place half of egg mixture on each tortilla. Top with avocado, sour cream, Sriracha (as desired). Top with cilantro sprig. Eat.

Passion Fruit (Chinola) Cheesecake

Creamy marscapone tempers the sweet bite of passion fruit. Bite-sized!

Makes: 96 mini cheesecakes

Graham cracker crust
4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I like to whirl mine in the food processor until fine)
2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (200g), melted
3/4 cup sugar

Filling
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup light sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
8 ounces marscapone cheese

Topping
8 chinola, pulp and seeds
3/4 c sugar

Hardware
Mini muffin tins--I recommend having at least two tins that make 24 mini muffins. This recipe makes 96 mini cheesecakes!
Aluminum foil
Food processor (in a pinch, you can crush graham cracker crumbs by hand)
Electric mixer

Prep: Cut or tear small squares of aluminum foil and individually line each muffin tin.  Foil should overlap at the top. This will make pulling the cheesecakes out of the tin much easier.
Seriously, get a friend or two to help you. This takes awhile.

Preheat oven to 350.

For the crust:
Whirl graham cracker crumbs in a food processor until finely ground. In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Thoroughly mix in melted butter. Press about a teaspoon (or a little more if necessary) of graham cracker mixture into each lined muffin tin. Press mixture so it firmly coats the bottom (and a little of the sides) of the muffin tins. Chill in the fridge while mixing batter.

For the chinola topping:
Remove pulp and seeds from all chinola and place in mixing bowl.  Over medium heat bring 1/2 of the chinola mixture and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit until room temperature. The chinola/sugar mixture should be the consistency of thin syrup.  When room temperature, mix with remaining fresh chinola.

For the cream cheese filling:
Cream together softened cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla.  Add sugar 1/4 c at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.  Continue to mix for about 3 minutes after adding all of the sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, incorporating them fully into the batter before adding another.  Add the marscapone and mix on low speed, until just incorporated.

Fill the muffin tins almost to the top with the cream cheese mixture. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave the cheesecakes inside for an additional 15 minutes, or until set.

Top with chinola mixture and chill for about 30 minutes.  Remove cheesecakes from muffin tin by carefully pulling up on the sides of the aluminum foil.  Remove foil and serve.

Habanero Pork Tacos con Mango Salsa y Cilantro Sour Cream

 Spicy, spicy, and cool.

The Pork
3 pounds pork butt, extra fat trimmed off
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
6 cloves of garlic
1 bottle Corona beer
Slow Cooker
10 taco tortillas (see grilling instructions below)

The Mango Salsa
12 small mangoes (the super tiny kind--tennis ball sized)
Other 1/2 habanero, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 medium white onion
1 1/2 T olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
pepper to taste

The Cilantro Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
2 T chopped cilantro

For the pork...
Cut garlic in half lengthwise
chop all cilantro (for pork and mango salsa)
Cut slits in pork, place garlic inside
Place pork in slow cooker set on high
Cover pork with habanero, cilantro, and beer
Cook for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, until pork falls apart

Meanwhile...
Cut onion in large pieces, soak in a small bowl with cold water for 10 minutes (takes the bite out of the onion).
Cut mango into one-inch pieces
Drain onion, pat dry, finely chop, and add to mango
Add habanero, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil
pepper to taste
cover and refrigerate until pork is ready

Meanwhile...
Mix remaining cilantro with sour cream
Refrigerate until pork is ready

When pork is ready it will flake/fall apart with a fork.
Pull pork apart with a fork in the slow cooker.

On an oven's gas burner (set on medium), grill tortillas, one at a time. Flip with tongs after about seven seconds. Flip once, cook until puffy, toasted on edges.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Place shredded pork, salsa, and sour cream in tortillas, serve immediately.

Karli Stuffed Mushrooms

Bad for the Belly, Good for the Soul

1 - 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (try to find a package where mushrooms are approximately the same size)
4 slices applewood smoked bacon
3/4 c white aged cheddar, grated
3 chives
4 oz cream cheese, softened
freshly cracked pepper
baking dish (large enough to accomodate mushrooms)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut bacon cross-wise into 1/2 inch pieces.  Cook bacon in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat until crispy.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Meanwhile, cut stems off mushrooms.  Using a teaspoon, scoop out the insides of the caps, taking care not to tear them.  Using kitchen shears, snip chives into 1/4th inch pieces.  In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and cheddar.  Fold in all but 1 tablespoon of the chives, and all of the bacon into the cream cheese mixture.  Pepper to taste.  Fill caps with cream cheese mixture, using enough so the tops are rounded.  Place in baking dish so that mushrooms are not touching.  Bake uncovered for about 5 minutes, or until bubbling.  Remove mushrooms from oven and let rest for five minutes.  Garnish with chives and serve. 

Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

These cookies stay chewy even after a round in the fridge!

1 1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 confectioner's sugar
2 1/4 c bread flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 T milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups chocolate chips

Place oven rack into middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  Be careful not to let butter brown.  Meanwhile, sift baking soda and flour together into a separate medium bowl.  When butter is melted, pour into mixing bowl with sugars and beat until well-incorporated (about 1 1/2 minutes).  Beat in egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla (30 seconds to 1 minute).  Slowly wisk in flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Cover dough and refrigerate until hardened (about 20 minutes).  Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each dough ball.  About six cookies will fit on a standard cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes, or until the cookie edges are just toasted.  Transfer to wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Chez Arsenio, Cabarete, Dominican Republic

Blink and you’ll miss the sign for Chez Arsenio on the road from Cabarete to Sosua.  Tucked away at Hideaway Beach just down from Encuentro, Chez Arsenio’s beachfront location and calm, quiet ambiance is like a deep breath of fresh air.  Chez Arsenio offers diners the choice of sitting in the open-air dining room or on a sweeping lawn dotted by palm trees. Both overlook a gorgeous stretch of beach, usually empty save for a few surfers.  Oh, and the food’s excellent too.

Arsenio’s serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all equally well.  For breakfast the three-egg omelet arrives loaded with fresh vegetables and cheese.  The sides include piping hot home fries and toast.  Add a freshly squeezed glass of juice (by fresh I mean mine was made-to-order) and it’s a meal that might take awhile to finish.  Luckily, you’ll have a good breeze and a stunning view to enjoy while your food settles.

Burgers are the best way to go for lunch.  Arsenio’s offers several different types, all cooked to juicy perfection and arriving with an array of accoutrements.  The Bleu Cheese burger arrives stuffed with, well, bleu cheese and topped with crisp bacon.  For those who enjoy something more picante, the Arsenio Heat offers a burger laced with Tabasco and smothered with cheese and jalapeños.  French fries or onion rings arrive burger-side straight from the fryer.  In fact, Arsenio and his gracious staff make sure everything arrives at fresh and at temperature.  The attention to detail is noticeable during every meal. 

Dinner begins with a basket of bread baked fresh on-site.  The type is varied. One night we received garlic bread, another tiny, airy knots.  Beef reigns again at this meal.  While you almost can’t go wrong with any of the entrees, the filet mignon is what keeps me going back.  Eight ounces of steak are well seasoned and served with a choice of sauce (pepper, wine, bleu cheese, mushroom) and sides.  My first night I asked for a sampler and the waiter cheerfully brought me all the sauces.  The bleu cheese and mushroom cream were my favorites--rich and luscious compliments to the already buttery-soft meat.  The extra? Perfect for the two mini baked potatoes on the side.  If you’ve got room for dessert, the banana flambé is presented flaming at the table.  To stuffed to move? The soothing landscape will make you in no hurry to leave.

Chez Arsenio

Entrees $180 pesos--$800 pesos 

Open 8am to about 10pm Tuesday-Sunday, Closed Monday

(809) 571-9948