Back in the Kitchen

It has been a while since I've taken the time to try new recipes. This weekend I tried two new recipes and both were great! I found both of them on www.allrecipes.com which is one of my favorite go-to sites when I'm trying to figure out what to cook. One of my favorite parts of the site is the search function because you can search by the ingredients you have on hand and recipes will pop up!

The first recipe I tried is called 'Yummy Lemon Salmon Burgers'. I replaced the canned salmon with fresh salmon that I broiled and then cooled before adding it to the rest of the ingredients:

Yummy Lemon Salmon Burgers

Prep Time: 12 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 pinch dried basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the salmon, eggs, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of basil, and red pepper flakes. Form into 6 firmly packed patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the patties, and cook for 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
   
3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of basil. Use as a sauce for your patties.

The second recipe that I tried is called 'Creamy Asparagus Pasta'. I used half the amount of butter, half the amount of cream, whatever pasta I had on hand, and topped with grated Parmesan.

Creamy Asparagus Pasta

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pint light cream

1 pound linguine pasta

1 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a serving dish.
4. Stir lemon juice into asparagus mixture; pour mixture over pasta

Unique Training Spaces and Who's Out There?

Well, my week in Costa Rica has come to an end and on Friday I head back to DC. I was here to conduct a workshop for our NGO partners on how to use OFDA's Proposal Guidelines. The workshop was held in a casino that is connected to the boutique hotel that we're staying in. The meeting space was a card/slots room of the casino. At night it's a card playing, liquor drinking, cigarette smoking, slot playing space. During the day the card tables are removed and the slot machines are unplugged to make it a pretty decent meeting space.

Here's a picture of participants hard at work with the slot machines in the background:

The workshop went really well and the participants were active, cooperative, and fun to work with. When the participants are having fun I'm having fun and that definitely makes my job more satisfying!

I'm wondering if anyone is reading this blog - well, except for Oscar and Danielle since they already told me that they are - thanks guys! Oh, and note the new feature to the right - the "My Photos" section. I'll be adding more of my photos over the next couple of weeks.So, if you are reading the blog drop me a line every now and then. Blogs can be interactive you know. :-)

Ok, that's it for now. I have to get the rest of my food channel/HGTV cable fix before I fly back to my cable-free home.

Love, Alisia

The Costa Rica Adventure

After two weeks of some of the worst stress I've ever experienced I was very happy to pack and fly to Costa Rica. The adventure began early Sunday morning when I was picked up by a taxi that was already full of other people. Yes, it sounds odd but apparantly the taxi company didn't have enough vehicles on Sunday morning and decided to combine passengers. The driver was a bit nutty and as we flew down 16th St. we were also given a combination tour - DC history/how to save our souls. Ok, maybe it wasn't exactly a soul saving lecture but the gospel music, combined with the driver's lecture, defitinely made me feel like he was on a mission.

Jane and I arrived at the airport and found out that our flight was cancelled but that the earlier flight might have some seats available. So we were checked in and put on the stand by list. Luckily, we were given the last two seats on the flight to Miami. I did feel a bit guilty about taking the them because a couple heading to a cruise was also waiting for seats. However, I didn't feel guilty enough to give the seats away! We arrived in Miami, hung out for a few hours, and then got on the flight to San Jose. What I liked most about these two flights is that that entire travel time was less than half of that of one of my 'normal' trips to Africa, Asia, etc. Who knew you could get to a foreign country in less than 24 hours?? :-)

We arrived in San Jose and after being dropped off at the hotel decided to walk to a nearby park where an arts festival is taking place. Apparantly it only takes place every two years. We walked around the festival, bought some jewelry, had a snack, watched a parade (which ended at a Chinese culture center where the five olympic mascots are set up), and then walked back to the hotel. Here's a picture of a mask stall at the art fair:

After resting a bit we jumped in a taxi and went to a local seafood restaurant. The atmosphere felt like a beach boardwalk type restaurant with ok food. After dinner we came back to the hotel and I watched the food channel before heading to bed. Have I mentioned that one of the reasons I love to travel is that I get to watch cable tv (I don't have cable at home)? Yes a bit shallow but, oh, so much fun! Food has been a challenge here. Costa Rica is definitely a country of meat eaters so trying to find non-meat dishes has been a bit difficult

On Monday we went on a tour to Poas volcano, the town of Grecia, and the town of Sarchi. On the way up to the volcano we saw a sloth hanging onto electric wires on the side of the road - pretty cool!

After arriving at the volcano we hiked up to the crater of the volcano but because of low clouds and rain we weren't able to see the crater. We then walked up to a small lagoon where we were disappointed again because we couldn't see it due to the clouds.

After visiting the volcano we went to lunch and then drove to 'the cleanest town in Central America' - Grecia. Grecia also has one of the only metal churches in the world. Apparantly, the only other metal church is in Milan. The Cathedral de la Mercedes is a gothic style church made from metal pieces that were imported from Belgium in the 1890’s. It is a deep red color and is beautiful both inside and out.

We then traveled to Sarchi where we toured the ox cart factory. This town has been making ox carts for over a century. Here's a blurb from a Costa Rica city guide: "A national symbol of Costa Rica, the oxcart plays a key role in the country’s history, as they were used to transport coffee beans to nearby and faraway markets. Highly ornate, these oxcarts are elegantly craved and are usually painted with bright colors. The largest and oldest oxcart factory is also found in Sarchi. The Joaquin Chaverri Oxcart Factory was built in 1902, and is considered to be the birthplace of oxcart handicrafts in Costa Rica." Once we were done in Sarchi we drove back to San Jose and were dropped off at the hotel.

Jane and I decided to walk back to the festival where we had dinner - pupusa's, green mango, and churros (fried dough with sugar) - yum! That's it for now - time to double check that everything is ready for tomorrow's training ... enjoy the pics. More to come!

Love, Alisia