Mr. Bijoy Writes

Salsa is one of those condiments, or sauces, if you like that nomenclature more, that is almost universal. A good salsa goes well with so many things. Try it on a burger, on eggs, on chicken, on roast pork, and, obviously, with some chips. I love experimenting with salsa recipes and styles. Much like barbecue sauce, salsa doesn't have a universal recipe or style. There's room to play, and I *LOVE* that. To add, it's generally quite healthy! So, try out one of my favorite salsa recipes and let me know what you think! What ya need: 4  medium ripe tomatoes, diced 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped 1 bunch of green onions, chopped 2 medium jalapeño peppers, minced (for less heat, use 1 and for flavor only, seed the peppers) 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped 1 ear of corn, cooked 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced 6 tablespoons of  freshly squeezed lime juice 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil Kosher sea salt, to taste Freshly ground bla...

Sometimes, you just need a super-easy recipe around the holidays. Big food holidays and all the prep required to put on such a show makes for delicious, easy meals like this to be truly appreciated, both by the people eating, and the people making the meal. I hope you enjoy! What ya need: 1 pound of quality orzo 1/2 pound of coarsely chopped sliced Serrano ham (2 cups) 1/2 pound of mild goat cheese, crumbled 5 scallions, thinly sliced Ok, so: Preheat your oven to the broiler setting. Grab a 3-quart oven-safe, preferably flameproof, baking dish. Most of these are about 2 inches deep. That's what you want. In a pot, cook orzo in salted water until al dente. Drain the water, reserving about 3/4 cup for later. In a bowl, toss the hot orzo with the remaining ingredients, reserved cooking water, and any salt and pepper you may want to add until the cheese is melted.Transfer this to your greased baking dish and broil until lightly browned. Thi...

Candied bacon. I don't think I really need to elaborate anymore than necessary here. Make it, eat it, be happy. What ya need: 1 pound of somewhat lean bacon, sliced 3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons of finely ground black pepper Nonstick cooking spray Ok, so: Preheat your oven to 325ºF. In a large bowl, incorporate all of the pepper into the brown sugar with a whisk. A whisk will break apart the clumps in the sugar and allow for the most even mix with the least effort. So use a whisk. Now, grab a large baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Then set an oven-safe cooling/wire rack, that you've liberally coated in nonstick spray, on top of that. Slice-by-slice, dredge the bacon in the sugar mixture and set it out on the wire rack in one layer. You may need two baking sheets and you may need to do more than one batch, that's ok. Bake this for 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and promptly remove from the wire rack. Set aside to cool on a larg...

Here's a great, nutritious side dish for recipe for you. I learned how to make this when I was working at a small bistro in St. Louis. It has it's roots in Italian cuisine, but has evolved here in America. It's tasty, healthy, easy, and a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal. I hope you like it! What ya need: 6 cups of fresh cut broccoli florets 2 bunches of fresh green beans, left uncut 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon of dried red pepper flakes 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Romano cheese, if desired kosher sea salt, to taste Ok, so- Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a roiling boil. Season this water, once boiling, with a few pinches of sea salt. Now, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Throw the broccoli in the pot of boiling water and let cook for 3 minutes. Immediately remove from the boiling water and toss it in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Repeat the cooking and shock...

A good meatball is a staple of great Italian-American food. Back in St. Louis, a good meatball was how you could figure out if a restaurant was worth a damn. For those that don't know, I started my crazy journey into the culinary world in St. Louis. This recipe hits home for me, and I want to share it with you. I really hope you enjoy it! What ya need: 1 egg, slightly beaten 3/4 cup of  soft bread crumbs (1 slice) 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary, crushed 1/4 teaspoon of salt ...