1 cup almonds, skins removed

1 cup hazelnuts, skins removed

1 slice white bread

5 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 large red bell pepper, halved and seeded

2 plum tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Arrange the almonds, hazelnuts, bread, and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Toast until ingredients are aromatic and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Set aside to cool. Set the oven to broil.

Place the peppers and tomatoes cut-side down onto an oiled baking sheet.

Broil until the skins of the vegetables are evenly charred and the flesh is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Immediately transfer the vegetables to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool enough to handle.

Peel and discard the skins from the vegetables and transfer the flesh to the jar of a blender.

Add the cooled nuts, bread, and garlic to the blender along with the vinegar, parsley, paprika, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Blend until smooth, adjusting the consistency as needed with olive oil to create a pourable sauce, and serve.

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Ingredients

1 cup (168 g) quinoa or rice, thoroughly rinsed and drained

Scant 2 cups (460 ml) vegetable stock

4 large red, yellow or orange bell peppers, halved, seeds removed

1/2 cup (120 g) salsa, plus more for serving

2 tsp oregano powder

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 15-ounce (425 g) can black beans, drained

1 cup (168 g) whole kernel corn, drained

100 g mozzarella

Preparation

Add quinoa and vegetable stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy – about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.

Brush halved peppers with olive oil.

Add cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix to thoroughly combine then taste and adjust seasonings accordingly, adding salt, pepper, or more spices as desired.

Generously stuff halved peppers with quinoa mixture until all peppers are full, then cover the dish with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove foil, add shredded mozzarella to the top of each pepper and bake for another 5 minutes minutes, or until peppers are soft and slightly golden brown. For softer peppers, bake 5-10 minutes more.

Serve as a main meal with salad or alone as a snack. Best when fresh, though leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through – about 15 minutes.

Yield

Serves 4

The post Spanish Style Quinoa Stuffed Peppers appeared first on The Spice Chica™.

Ingredients

4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)

Salt

1 can of tomatoe or tomatoe paste

2 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

3 Tbsp. of Chimichurri “Original”

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp dry basil leaves, thinly sliced

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

Tip: Your sauce will only be as good as your tomatoes, so use a good quality canned tomato! We like San Marzano or Muir Glen.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chicken cutlets one at a time between two layers of plastic wrap or wax paper.

Use a meat hammer, mallet, rolling pin, or even a heavy empty wine bottle to pound or roll the chicken pieces to an even thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the cutlets.

In a shallow bowl (large enough to dredge the cutlets), mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and pinch of salt. In separate shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering (not smoking) and a piece of breading dropped into it sizzles. Working one cutlet at a time, dip the chicken cutlet into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs.

Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, place the dredged cutlets into the pan. Lower the heat to medium and gently fry the chicken cutlets until they are golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Spread enough tomato sauce to thickly coat the bottom of 9×13 casserole pan or baking dish. Once the cutlets are browned on both sides, arrange them on top of the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Spoon tomato sauce over each of the cutlets. Sprinkle the tops with basil. Then lay slices of mozzarella over each cutlet and sprinkle the 3 table spoons of Chimichurri dry spice and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese an

Bake in the oven at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the mozzarella begins to brown.

Serve with spaghetti and the remaining sauce, or in a large bread roll.

Yield

Serves 4

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The post Chicken Parmesan appeared first on The Spice Chica™.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of MELLINO CHIMICHURRI BLEND

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 large baguette cut into quarters

2 tomatoes (red or yellow)

8 fresh basil leaves

8 slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella

Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine Mellino Chimichurri blend, olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix.
Start by liberally spreading the chimichuri on the bottom half of the bread.
Add two big slices of tomato, then two big slices of buffalo mozzarella.
Finish it off with two big basil leaves and a dash of salt and pepper. Put the top on and serve.

Yield
Serves 4

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Ingredients

1/2-16 oz box (8 oz) Spaghetti (dry or fresh)

3 tablespoons of MELLINO CHIMICHURRI BLEND

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Garnish: chopped tomatoes

Preparation

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
Add olive oil, vinegar and Mellino Chimichurri Blend and salt in a large bowl and mix.
Boil Pasta according to directions on box. Drain and rinse briefly.
Add pasta to bowl with chimichurri sauce and toss.
Garnish with chopped tomatoes, sprinkle cheese and serve.

Yield

Serves 4

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Preparation

Use the standard 1-1-1 part measurements of olive oil and vinegar, along with the Mellino Blend
to create a quick & easy chimichurri sauce.

First add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and allow the mix to rehydrate for about 15 minutes before adding 2 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add more or less liquids in the proper portions to create a zingy marinade or rub.

Add salt and pepper for taste.

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The post Chimichurri Sauce appeared first on The Spice Chica™.

Preparation

Use as is or place Mellino Chimichurri Blend in a blender, all what remains is what you want to do with it:

Want the mixture to have a finer consistency? Give it a few pulses in a spice grinder or food processor.

Grind it into a powder, add more salt, and you’ll have a savoury chimichurri seasoning salt.

Rub it into meats before grilling or roasting, use with vegetables, sprinkle over pizza before cooking, create chimichurri hamburgers, or add to salads or dressings. Be creative!

Serving Suggestions

Rub all over steak before roasting; sprinkle over halibut fillets before pan-searing;

Make a marinade for roast chicken by whisking 1/4 cup rub with 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar.

In Argentina, this mix of herbs and spices is combined with oil and vinegar and used as a sauce for grilled meats.

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