Mustard Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Brocollini, Black Beans, Rice and Avocado

Drew visits his mother for the few days leading up to his birthday but makes sure to get back in time for whatever Raul has created for a birthday dinner. Raul does not disappoint. The main is mustard crusted pork tenderloin but, as Drew had previously fantasized, the tenderloin has been sliced thinly and thickly breaded resulting in what Raul would dismiss - if he wasn't so proud of his creation - as schnitzel.

Raul sides the "schnitzel" with brocollini (steamed and buttered), black beans and rice. The garnish is chunks of avocado that provide an opposite texture and ease the heat of the fiery bean concoction.

Drew is flattered and even forgives Raul's not-as-tonally-congruent rendition of "Happy Birthday."

Breakfast Sandwich - Burrito-style

"Why don't you make Heuvos Fagiole and I'll take the morning off?" suggests Raul.

"No problem," says Drew. "I'll make it spicier this time. I don't really feel like pasta but maybe I'll get corn chips and put them on a bed of them. Or torilla chips."

"We don't have processed chips in the house," notes Raul.

"Have you ever had chili in a corn chip bag?" asks Drew while Raul heads to the kitchen. "I had it several times at that Cowgirl restaurant in New York. It was delicious but probably not at all good for you or practical. I could go and get tortillas and . . ." Meanwhile Raul is working the mini-food processor.  He blends up some of the fagolie sauce to create a paste and then fries it into refried beans Portuguese-style. Three eggs are beaten together with parsley and green onions and then fried into a verdant thin omelette. An avocado is whirred into a paste. The three elements are spread onto a pita and rolled up tight into tasty burritos. "Maybe tortillas would be too crunchy," muses Drew.

"Breakfast is served," says Raul.

Steak Sandwich with Roasted Peppers, Avocado and Basil

"Well that was time consuming but delicious," says Raul while chewing. "It all goes back to taking a two dollar cut of meat . . ."

The sandwiches' genesis began when Drew, realizing they were out of staples, milk for the coffee and dog food beyond boring kibble, raced to Food Basics at the crack of dawn, despite the pouring rain, to prepare for the day. While racing through the supermarket he noticed deeply discounted round steaks. On a whim he purchased two plump looking steaks for only $2.75. Raul shook his head and warned that round steak is not a prime cut. "But if we marinate," he mused.

The steaks are sliced into thinner slices and immersed in red wine, pepper, mixed herbs, a dash of hot sauce and garlic, and left for close to six hours. As the afternoon progresses Raul creates the other fillings while Drew is sent, in the pouring rain, to the corner store for fresh crusty buns. Raul takes two whole peppers, one yellow and one red, and pops them on the bbq. When they char black he removes them and places them in a covered bowl for 20 minutes to steam them internally. "It is traditional, and best, to put them in a paper bag," says Raul. "They steam more evenly and don't dry out. But where do you get paper bags these days?" Raul scrapes the blackened skin off the peppers, it slides off with ease, and chops them into slices. He caramelizes onion slices, fries chopped mushrooms and blends an avocado with a spoonful of Miracle Whip in the mini-food processor. The avocado spread is slathered on the crusty buns and covered with large basil leaves from the balcony garden.

The steak slices go on the bbq and quickly cook through. Raul layers them on the waiting bun and then piles on the peppers, onions and mushrooms. The result is messy but delicious with the basil adding a fragrant but very subtle kick.

"Should the steak have marinated longer?" asks Drew who notes that, though it in no way affects the taste, it is a tiny bit tough.

"Next time we'll leave them overnight," suggests Raul. "But you don't seem to be having a problem finishing yours." Drew is about to retort but his mouth is full.

The dog insists he could not possibly wait overnight, he has already waited too long for the few scraps R&D are deigning to save him.

Empanadas and Guacamole

"They're gluten free," says Raul.

"Does that matter?" asks Drew.

"Not really," says Raul. "I love gluten. It's how you get lightness and air pockets. But these shells are made of two cups of Instant Corn Masa Flour with one and half cups of hot water and a half teaspoon of salt. They're basically Doritos with meat sauce."

The resulting dough is rolled into balls, covered with saran wrap and left to sit for an hour to reach room temperature. Raul presses each ball into a flat disc using the six-inch tortilla press he found at the thrift store for $5. The press is also used for oatmeal cookies because there isn't enough space in the kitchen to roll out the dough properly. And it means no extra flour is needed. "It's all about process for me," says Raul. "Getting the maximum uniformity out of repetitive efficient actions."

Empanadas can be filled with almost everything and every culture has a variation. Though the Portuguese variation often contains fish or seafood, Raul goes with a Columbian theme and uses ground beef. First he dices onions, celery, green and red peppers, carrots and garlic. All is microwaved for three minutes to soften and then sauteed. He spices only with salt and pepper to keep the flavours neutral as he knows Drew will go overboard with toppings, sides and/or dipping sauces: guacamole, salsa, sour cream, peanut sauce and wasabi mustard have already been floated as ideas. Raul then puts the vegetable mixture into the mini-Cuisinart - another gift from Drew's niece and nephew - and blends it into a puree. This idea came from the big girls small kitchen site and it works wonderfully. A pound of lean ground beef - to make eight empanadas - is browned and then stirred into the vegetable puree.

Raul places the filling in the center of the pressed dough discs and then folds them into a half moon shape. They are baked for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Fortunately, despite being gluten-free, they do not crack as he feared. No air pockets are needed, just a satisfying crunch.

Drew is entrusted with making the side and, after several discussions, guacamole is the compromise. Drew dices two ripe avocados and mixes and mashes them with a commercial salsa and lime juice. Then he adds a squirt of wasabi paste, a spoonful of horse radish, a squirt of hot sauce and three diced green onions. A mixture of coriander, basil and chives from the garden also go into the bowl. "That doesn't look very traditional," complains Raul.

"It's mamacita opera singer Helene Ducharme's flawless recipe with Crackpuppy guitar-slinger Patricia Wilson's accents," says Drew defensively. "And maybe a few flourishes of my own."

"Basil? In guacamole? It's unusual but it looks . . . delicious," says Raul diplomatically.

The results are delicious and Raul not only eats his words but an extra empanada because he can't bear to see his helping of guacamole go to waste or to the dog.