BY ANN CIPPERLY
OPINION —
Having a love of cooking for her family, Tina Gibby enjoys preparing healthy after school snacks and hearty dinners using recipes from her family’s Italian, Hungarian and Panamanian backgrounds. While Tina and her husband, Jeff, stay busy with their work and attending activities for their children, Adam and Tatum, they enjoy time around the table with homecooked meals.
Tina is a home loan consultant at Valley Bank in Auburn, while Jeff is the director of safety at Bailey-Harris. He retired in 2019 from 20 years in the Air National Guard after serving in several key operations overseas. He was honored as Alabama’s First Sergeant of the Year by Gov. Kay Ivey.
Tina grew up in a military family. Her father is Italian, and his parents and grandparents were Italian and Hungarian. Her mother grew up in Panama City, Panama. When Tina was 2 years old, her parents moved from Louisiana to Italy, where they lived for eight years.
Then they moved to Panama to be near her mother’s family for three and a half years. In 1990, the family moved to Montgomery where Tina met Jeff, whose family was also in the military.
When they married, Jeff was serving in the Air National Guard. He was activated and deployed overseas after Sept. 11, 2001. It was a difficult time being newly married. When he returned home, he served in various roles, including as a Security Forces member. The couple moved to Auburn when Tatum was 3 years old.
“Our kids were raised with the one rule about food,” Tina said. “You have to try it once before you can say you don’t like it. Now, the kids pretty much eat everything except collard greens, but they will have a bite on New Year’s Day.”
With Adam being a quarterback on the Auburn Junior High School football team, Tina prepares healthy afterschool snacks. Favorites include hummus with carrots and celery, Frozen Yogurt Pops or Cups, Greek Yogurt Cookie Dough and Ham and Cheese Pinwheels.
Tatum is a student at Southern Union and Auburn University, majoring in education. She is also starting her third year working at the Dean Road Elementary Afterschool program, and she worked as a nanny for some kids during summer. She works at checkout since she knows the kids by name and the parents.
Tatum is learning how to cook her mother’s recipes and helping in the kitchen. Tatum especially enjoys making Spaghetti Carbonara and prepares it for friends.
Tina cooks dishes from scratch the way her mother, Luris Gladys Villamonte De Giackino, taught her to cook. “My mother was always in the kitchen cooking,” she said, “and I was the youngest and hence was always her helper in the kitchen. She never really cooked with recipes, adding just a pinch of this or that to taste.”
Her mother always used fresh garlic and would use a rock to pound the garlic in between aluminum foil and then crush it. After Tina married, her mother gave her a smooth round rock that she uses to chop garlic just like her mother did.
“From being in the kitchen with Mom,” Tina said, “I took on a love for cooking once Jeff and I got married to show off my cooking skills. Jeff grew up more as a meat and potatoes guy, while I grew up with pasta dishes and rice with beans and a meat, such as baked pork chops or pan seared ribeye. The side was usually a vinegar and oil salad, or sliced avocados or platanos.
“Jeff has now become a total rice man. We only make mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Tina is sharing the recipe for her mother’s Fried Sweet Plantains (Platanos Maduros) that she serves with the Arroz Rico Rice. While Tina orders the rice from Puerto Rico, the plantains can be served with a long grain rice. She also serves a green salad with avocado tossed with a vinegar and oil dressing, as well as making variety of Italian dishes that the family enjoys.
During football season, they will get together with friends for a shrimp boil or grilling brisket and ribs.
The Gibbys enjoy gathering around the table for meals. They remember when Jeff was deployed to Southwest Asia in 2017-18. MSgt. Gibby served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.
“As we counted down the days of Jeff’s departure, there was an aura of sadness in our home,” Tina said. “The latter part of 2018 was a very difficult time for us. It was the first time that our children didn’t have their Dad home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and our son’s 6th birthday that was also in December.
“We had to put a tree up that was too big for us and had to enlist the help of friends here in Auburn to help us,” Tina added. “We were fortunate to have such a support system during that time.
“Now we cherish Jeff being home more than ever. He is the rock of our family, and we know he made the sacrifice for our country. He is our hero.”
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
A hearty after school snack
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. green onions or chives, finely chopped
1 lb. cooked ham, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
5 burrito-size flour tortillas
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ham, Worcestershire, Dijon, brown sugar, cheddar and green onions or chives. Mix until everything is well blended.
Spread about 1/4 cup of ham mixture evenly over each tortilla, covering the entire surface.
Roll each tortilla up tightly, ensuring mixture is evenly distributed and holds it shape. Use toothpicks if necessary.
Chill rolled tortillas for 30 minutes to allow the filling to firm up. Once chilled, trim ends of tortillas and slice into 1-inch rounds. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Frozen Yogurt Pops or Cups
A refreshing after school snack
3 (8-oz.) cartons flavored yogurt of choice, divided
3/4 cup orange juice, divided
3 Tbsp. honey, divided
9 paper cups (3 oz.)
Wooden popsicle sticks, optional
In three separate bowls, stir together one carton yogurt, 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon honey. Pour each mixture into paper cups, filling about ¾ full. Place in a pan to keep them steady and put in the freezer.
Once they have started to freeze in about an hour, place a pop stick in the center of each cup or skip the stick to eat with a spoon. Freezer for 3 hours.
Remove paper cup before serving. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to slightly soften.
Greek Yogurt Cookie Dough
A healthy, no-bake protein treat for an afterschool snack that will be ready in 5 minutes.
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop whey protein powder (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut, almond or cashew butter
Sweetener of choice, to taste
1 tsp. chocolate chips
Add Greek yogurt, protein powder, peanut butter and sweetener to a bowl. Mix well until thick and smooth. Add milk only if needed. Fold in chocolate chips.
Serve immediately or chill for a firmer texture.
Spaghetti CarbonarA
14 oz. spaghetti
Salt for pasta water
5 oz. guanciale, pancetta or bacon, sliced into thin strips
4 large egg yolks
3.5 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, grated Pecorino Romano and a generous amount of black pepper.
Add a splash (about 1/3 cup) of hot pasta water to egg mixture and whisk until smooth. This tempers the eggs and helps create a creamy sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook meat until crispy. Remove from heat and set aside, keeping rendered fat in the pan.
Add drained pasta to skillet with the fat. Toss to coat.
Remove pan from heat and quickly stir in egg mixture, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency. Add crispy guanciale or bacon; toss gently.
Plate immediately and top with extra Pecorino and black pepper. Serves four.
Luris G’s Chicken Parmesan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. cream or milk
¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley, divided
1½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil for frying
1 quart marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
Pound each chicken breast to about ½-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Season with salt and pepper.
To bread the chicken, set up three trays: one with flour, one with beaten eggs mixed with cream and half the parsley, and one with breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan.
Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip in egg wash, then coat with breadcrumb mixture.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Fry each cutlet until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a layer of marinara sauce in a baking dish.
Arrange chicken cutlets in a single layer. Spoon marinara over each cutlet.
Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining parsley on top.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.
Serves four to six.
Fried Sweet Plantains (Plátanos Maduros)
This is a side dish my mom always cooks for a dinner with long grain rice. (She uses Arrow Rico Rice.) Mom will also serve beans and lentils, and the meat could be anything such as breaded fried baked pork chops or a pan seared ribeye.
Prep the plantains:
Peel plantains by slicing off ends and making a shallow cut along the length of the skin. Slice them diagonally into ½-inch thick pieces.
Heat the oil:
Pour about ½-inch vegetable oil into a skillet. Heat over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking.
Fry the plantains:
Add slices in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for two to three minutes per side, or until golden brown and caramelized.
To serve:
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Serve warm as a side dish or snack.
Tips:
Ripeness matters. Use very ripe plantains that are mostly black with a bit of yellow for the sweetest flavor.
Serve with rice, beans and grilled meats.
Traditional Spaghetti and Meat Sauce Italian Style
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 lbs. at least 85% lean ground beef or 1 lb. each of ground beef and ground veal
4 – 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. pepper, plus more to taste
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
28 oz. can ground peeled tomatoes
28 oz. can tomato puree
2 Tbsp. finely chopped basil, or it can be torn
2 tsp. sugar
Cooked spaghetti noodles of choice for serving
In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent for about 5 to 8 minutes. The longer you cook the onions, the sweeter they become.
Add garlic and cook just until fragrant.
Add beef and veal, if using, and cook until browned. Drain fat.
Sprinkle granulated garlic, salt and pepper; stir well.
Stir in tomato paste and cook until it loses its bright red color. Add ground peeled tomatoes and tomato puree, sugar and basil.
Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust for more salt and pepper. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles.
Spanish Style Green Beans
1 cup green beans, diced into ¼-inch pieces
1 Anaheim pepper
1/4 onion, white, yellow or purple
2 crushed garlic
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. chicken bouillon, optional
Start by cutting onion, Anaheim pepper and green beans to a similar size. I used my vegetable chopper to make this step easier.
In a bowl whisk eggs; add salt and pepper.
At medium heat, add oil to a pan, then add onion, garlic and Anaheim pepper. Mix well and let it cook for about three minutes.
Add green beans and stir. You can add the bouillon at this point. Using a lid, cover pan, and let it cook for about five minutes at low heat. This will help soften the beans. You don’t want the beans to be too soft, so keep checking to make sure they have the consistency you like.
Add egg mixture to pan and stir, until eggs are cooked. Do not over cooked eggs, keep stirring the mixture until eggs are barely cooked.
Serve as a side with rice, your choice of meat and sweet plantain or sliced avocado, if desired.
Meatloaf with Hard-Boiled Eggs in the Middle
For the meatloaf:
2 lbs. minced beef
4 cups breadcrumbs
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 tomato, grated
1 onion, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sweet paprika
½ tsp. allspice, grounded
1 ¼ tsp. fine salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. baking soda (optional, it tenderizes the meat)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan, optional
5 hardboiled eggs, peeled
For the potatoes:
About 3 lbs. potatoes, cut in wedges
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup water for the pan
For the light tomato sauce:
½ cup tomato paste
¾ cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place a large piece of baking paper for the work surface. Lightly oil a large, deep pan.
Place all meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well with your hands for 5 minutes until well combined. Can add couple of tablespoons of water if dry.
Place mixture on the baking paper and form a 12-inch by 9-inch rectangular layer.
Align eggs in the middle and roll, using baking paper, into a log. Press gently to seal seams, but don’t overdo or it may ruin its shape.
With the help of the baking paper, transfer it into the pan.
Mix potatoes with salt and pepper, oregano and olive oil; place in the pan. Pour ½ cup water into the pan or enough water to cover the bottom.
Combine tomato paste with ¾ cups water to form a light sauce, and pour it over the meatloaf and potatoes.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Add a splash of water into the pan during baking if most of the juices have evaporated.
Panamanian Lentils
1 cup dried lentils
1 tsp. butter or 1 tsp. oil
4 cups water
1 red pepper or 1 green pepper, diced (I do a combo)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic or 3/4 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper
Wash lentils thoroughly. Put them in saucepan and cover with water; add butter or oil.
Cover and bring to a natural simmer over low heat. This takes a little while but prevents lentils from breaking. Once at a low boil, you may need to tilt the lid slightly to release steam and prevent overboil.
Add onions, peppers and garlic and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.
Drain lentils in a strainer with a measuring cup beneath to catch the excess liquid.
Pour off all but 1 cup of the liquid (keeping the last cup gives the best texture) and return to the pan with bouillon cubes until dissolved.
Return lentils to pan and cook 15 minutes more, adding salt and pepper.
