Cuban Sandwich and Plantain Chips



Sandwich Cubano con Platanutre

 I think my favorite memories of growing up in Puerto Rico were the trips to el Pueblo.  Not for shopping, but for eating.  The mouth-watering smells of food. Yum, Yum.... I remember our trips to la Panaderia del Pueblo, the freshly baked bread, the sweets and those goey cheesy hot sandwiches.  Bread, cheese and ham heated using a flat press; somewhat like the panini press but without the ridges.  Esos olores y sabores son inconparables.  My challenge today is to make a Cuban sandwich. 

I am using Cuban bread, for us Puerto Ricans we know this bread as Pan de Agua...freshly baked!

A traditional Cuban sandwich does not contain mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes or any other sauce.  I am adding just a bit of mustard on mine.

Then come the pickles...as little or as much as you like....it's all about balance.

Next...the pork.  Instead of using the traditional roasted pork (pernil asado) I was short on time so I decided to go with pork loin riblet instead.  See below for recipe.

Ham slices....I heated the ham slices a bit to bring up the flavor.  Traditional ham to use is jamon bolo...which is sweeter than the regular ham.  I used cold cut ham sold at the closest deli.

Make it cheesy...swiss cheese.

One rule to follow is even proportion of pork, ham and cheese.  The different flavors need to be in harmony, not overpower each other.

Now is time for the press, o la plancha caliente.

This is the funniest part, I do not own a panini press...I am using my griddle and pressing down with a plate.  All you need is a flat surface pressing down...use a pan, a plate, a brick wrapped in aluminum foil or whatever gets the job done...Improvise:)

And a few zizzling minutes later, your sandwich is done.



For my plantain chips:

1 plantain thinly sliced.  Pan fry over medium high heat until golden brown.  Drain.  Season with garlic powder.

For my pork:

1 lb pork loin riblet

2 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves

juice of 1/2 orange

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 T ground oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2 t garlic powder

Procedure:

1.  Rub the garlic over the meat.  This gives it a special flavor.

2. Mix all your dry ingredients.  Rub over meat.

3.  Drizzle the oil over your meat.

4.  Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

5.  Bake at 400 degrees F for the first 30 minutes, covered.  Use the orange and lemon juice for basting the meat.

6. After the first 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350-300 F.  Cook until done, approximately 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Bone comes right off.

This was one of the best sandwiches I ever made.  My boyfriend seems to agree.  Too bad there are no left overs.

There is no greater satisfaction than seeing someone enjoy your cooking.  Love what you do.  Do what you love.

Buen provecho,
MJ

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Savory Polenta and Roasted Asparagus

This dish is an inspiration of a great school day...all the dishes we created in the Nutrition class came out smelling and tasting so good.  I decided to recreate and mix some of the recipes.

Roasted asparagus taste soooo good, my take on a savory polenta with fresh tomatoes and onions salsa, and a lemon-y grilled chicken breast....can you say  UMMM GOOD!

For my recipes today, I used sofrito.  Sofrito is the base for most Puerto Rican dishes.  It involves blending garlic, cilantro, recao, green peppers, spanish peppers, sweet peppers, onions, sometimes tomatoes into a puree.  Other ingredients might be used depending on the person making it. 

For these recipes my sofrito includes cilantro, onions and green peppers.



Polenta ingredients:



Savory Polenta (6-8 servings)

3 cups water, separated

1 c yellow corn meal

1/4 t salt

1 T butter

2 t chopped cilantro, green peppers, onion (sofrito)

1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Combine 1 c of water with salt in a small pot, mix well.

2.  Place pot on stove-top, medium heat.  Add 2 c boiling water.  Stirring frequently.

3.  When cornmeal starts to thicken, add sofrito.

4.  Continue stirring for 10-15 minutes until desired consistency is achieved.  The last minutes of cooking, add butter and cheese.

When you are ready to serve, top with tomato salsa.  Recipe follows:



Cooked polenta





Salsa ingredients:



Tomato Salsa (Yield:  about 1 cup)

3 oz tomatoes, chopped (I used cherry tomatoes, cut in half.)

1 oz red onion, diced

1 T white or red wine vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/2 - 1 chopped jalapeno (depending on level of heat you like)

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 t sofrito

This is simple, combine all ingredients.



Marinade mix and chicken breast



Chicken Marinade

the juice of 1 lemon

2 t sofrito

1 garlic, minced

2 t onion, minced

1 t sazon

1/2 t black pepper

1 whole chicken breast, (cut into 3 pieces)

1.  Combine all ingredients, add chicken breast and marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2.  You can either bake the chicken or use a grill to cook it.  About 15 minutes per side on the grill.



Cover and refrigerate until ready to use



Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes on a 375 degree oven.

Now put it all together and enjoy! All the flavors compliment each other, think of Mexican-Italian flavors with a Puerto Rican twist...LOVE it...Fusion in the kitchen...

Buen provecho,

MJ



Arepas de Coco Rellenas de Guayaba y Queso Crema

Arepas or Corn Fritters

Filling:  Guava and Cream Cheese

For those of you who never had an "arepa", these delicious finger food are corn cakes made of pre-cooked corn flour, salt and water.  You can be adventerous and add flavors to the batter and fill the inside with whatever curves your appetite.  You can also make them plain and split open "sandwich style".

Honestly speaking, I have never made arepas in my life.  My mom was the one always cooking this heaven sent delicias.  We had all types of Puerto Rican fritters:  pastelillos, empanadas, papas rellenas, tortas fritas, bacalaitos, arepas....  Ha, another blog idea just popped in my head...Traditional Island Fritters.....

Arepas are simple, easy to make and a staple in the South American and Caribbean cuisine.  If you are only making the standard version, all you need is a bag of pre-cooked white corn meal, salt and water.  I am using Masarepa from Goya.  I decided to make coconut arepas.  I am craving the flavors of guava paste and cream cheese together.  Here are my ingredients:

As per package instructions:

2 c Masarepa

1 t salt

3 c warm water

butter for grilling

My additional ingredients:

1/4 c sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 T brown sugar

1/2 c half and half (by adding this I reduced the amount of water to 2.5 c)

6 thin slices o guava paste

6 thin slices of cream cheese

(Besides the guava/cream cheese filling, I also used shredded mozarella to fill the arepas.  I got 10 arepas total.)

Procedure:

1.  Combine all dry ingredients (corn meal, salt coconut, sugar).

2.  Add liquids and mix until well combined.  Let the dough rest for 5-15 minutes.

3.  Now you are ready to make the arepas.  Trying for 4" round and about 1/2" thick size (as per package instructions).  This is how it was done:



Create a golf size ball.  Hint:  use plastic wrap to avoid sticking.



Flatten with your palm until you get the size you want.



Place filling in the middle.



Then use another flatten ball to cover the top.  Hint:  I rolled the ball in my hands, then flattened it large enough to cover my filling.  Then using the plastic wrap I extended the corners to cover the bottom one.  Used the side of my hand (cupping) to round the corners.

4.  Spread some butter on the griddle and cook until browned.  About 5 minutes or so on each side.

5.  Then, you must sit down, relax and enjoy them...

If you want a stronger coconut flavor add more coconut or use coconut milk instead of water/milk.

These are yummy...my griddle is heating up as I am typing....

Buen apetito.  Que las disfruten.

MJ

Penne Pasta with Tomatoes and Bacon

This recipe was a tweak from Chef Michael Symon's recipe in The Chew aired 8/10/12 (http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Bacon-Corn-Cavatelli-Michael-Symon).  I just wanted to feel like an iron chef. 

As I watched the show and witness his mouth-watering recipe I wanted to create my own.

Tweak....Tweak....Tweak-ing I must.....

...I switched from Cavatelli pasta to Penne Rigate.
...I omited the corn...not by choice...but completely forgot about my corn in the freezer...
...Omitted the parsley...there was no parsley at home...but decided on using dried Italian seasoning...A+
...Added garlic, scallions and asparagus to the ingredient list....THINK Healthy!


This recipe can easily serve 3-4.  Cooks in 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

-half a box  penne pasta                                -5 slices of bacon
-half a pint of sweet cherry tomatoes             -1 T butter
-half of 1 scallion                                           -mixed Italian grated cheese
-1T olive oil                                                   -6 asparagus spears

OK...so this is the procedure I followed:

1.  Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes.  This is less time as directed in the box.  Save a cup of the pasta water to later add to pasta pan.  This adds flavor back into the pasta, and the starch in the water helps with thickening of the final dish.
2. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, chopped garlic, asparagus and scallions.
3.  You can really omit the bacon or substitute for something else.  Chop the bacon and then cook it to a crisp in a medium size sauce pan.  Once your bacon is crispy, transfer the bacon to a separate container.  Remove the extra fat from the sauce pan.
4.  Using the same sauce pan, add the butter and the olive oil and your vegetables.  Sautee for about 2 minutes.
5.  Add the bacon and the pasta.  Sprinkle the Italian dressing, some cheese and add the pasta water.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes at low heat, just for the pasta to absorb all the liquid.

Well that's all the cooking for this week.  I need to go back to my books and study...
For now...take some time to know your kitchen equipment.  Create art in the kitchen.

Rub a belly!!!

Bread Pudding with a Twist (Budin de Pan)

Start licking your fingers now!This is an adaptation of the recipe "Budin de Pan Sencillo" from the book Cocina Criolla - Puerto Rico

WEPAAAAAAA!!!!

Original Recipe

1# white bread                   1/2 t salt                     

1 t ground cinnamon           2 t vanilla X                      

3.5 c milk                           2 oz butter

1 1/4 c sugar                      1/2 c raisins

3 eggs, whole (do not whip)

Procedure:

1.  Remove the crust from the bread.  Soak the bread with the milk until it gets soft.  Use a fork to crumble the bread.

2. Melt the butter and add to the bread-milk mixture.

3. Turn oven on @ 375F.  Butter the baking pan.

4.  Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and raisins to the batter.

5. Add the whole eggs to the batter.  Mix well and place batter in baking pan.

6. Bake for 1 1/4 hours.  Cool in pan.

My tweak-a-motion....

*I used about 1.5# of challah bread that I've baked the day before.

*I also added a small can of fruit cocktail and omitted the raisins.  Bare in mind the can fruit comes in a sugar syrup.  The juice was drained and sugar from the original recipe was dropped to about 1 c.

*I whipped my eggs, "shame on me", before adding them to the batter.

All other ingredients, I kept the same.  I rather let the bread soak the milk overnight.  Before I start mixing any ingredients, the first thing I do is turn on the oven and grease my pans.  I also melted my butter ahead of time, for it to have time to cool a bit.  My bread pudding started to brown to fast after an hour.  I reduced the oven temperature to 325F for the last 15 minutes.

I love Puerto Rican style bread pudding.  Yum Yum!

Chacho, este budin esta riquisimo....



Bread pudding exiting the oven





Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Salad

Typically, I enjoy my mashed potatoes completely covered with some type of gravy.  These potatoes are more in the bland side, but the extra creamy texture combined with the tart raspberry vinaigrette and the moist and crispy chicken create a happy marriage of flavors.

Currently I am taking a Nutrition class and decided to put into practice what I am learning in the classroom.  Good for you does not have to taste bad!  All those pre-packaged meals sold in the food markets DO NOT give healthy and tasty a good name.  I am a sucker for sweets, goey, messy food...my goal is to find healthier choices.  No I am not turning into a vegetarian.  I believe everything in moderation is the key to a healthier lifestyle.  I will be tweaking my favorite desserts for the health of my waistband and those I constantly feed....but that is another adventure in the kitchen....SOON!

For now let's go back to last night's dinner...  Low sodium...did you know dietary guidelines specify no more than 1 teaspoon of salt per adult in a day?!?

This is dinner for 2.  The ingredient list is simple, let's start with the chicken:



Crispy Baked Chicken



1 whole chicken breast (sliced thru the middle and cut in 4)

1 egg

breading (spices used:  1/2 c breadcrumbs; 1/2 t paprika, 1/8 t salt, 1/2 t garlic powder, 1/2 t adobo seasoning)

4-5 t canola oil

Procedure: 

1.  First mix the ingredients for your breading.  Then add the canola oil to the breading mix.  Drizzle the oil on top of the breading mix, and mashed it down with a fork to incorporate.  (Try to keep your fingers out of this, you have germs waiting to become part of your ingredients!)

2.  Dip your chicken in the egg, then in the breadcrumb mix - tapped down on both sides.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Chicken breast cooks fast.  Go take care of your potatoes....

3.  When you are ready to cook the chicken, you can either bake it or use a stove-top grill.  I used the stove-top grill, sprayed with Pam.  Cooked in less than 30 minutes.



Mashed Creamy Potatoes



2 large potatoes

1 oz butter

1.5 oz cream cheese

1/4 c milk (I am using whole milk, when flavor is a factor I cannot substitute for reduced fat or skim.)

So this is why your potatoes are bland, no salt!!!!, no spices!!!!  I believe a nice roasted garlic will go well with these potatoes.

Procedure:
1.  Boil potatoes until you are able to put a knife thru the whole potato.  This is an indication the potato is cooked.  I like to cook my potatoes whole (when not in a rush).  It keeps the nutrients in and the potato does not get extra soggy.  Yes, I added a bit of Kosher salt to my boiling water.
2.  When cooked, mash potatoes.  I do not own a fancy masher gizmo, I use my trusted fork.  I like my mashed potatoes to still have bits of chunks.  Add the butter and cheese (and some yummy roasted garlic!).  Get it all incorporated before adding the milk.

Make sure to time yourself, potatoes take a good 30-45 minutes to cook.  Cook your chicken while you wait for the potatoes to cook and prepare your salad in between.



Spinach, Arugula Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
















For my salad I just used up what was on my fridge and created my dressing.

Arugula and Spinach leaves (washed)
Mushrooms (cleaned and trimmed)
1 raspberry
olive oil
white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste.

I kinda rush thru this one.  Took my raspberry, smashed it added to the vinegar and oil, sprinkled salt and pepper, mixed and whala! my vinaigrette was alive.  I used 3 part oil to 1 part vinegar.  Remember do not saturate your salad with dressing.  It is only meant to enhance the flavor.  Drizzle over the salad.

Put all your components into a serving plate.  Grab your eating utensils (or hands) and dig in.

Simple homemade dishes are a money saving idea.  Remember to always add that extra caring touch when you serve your homemade meals (make it eye appealing, colorful and aromatic).

Now where's the bacon.....

Buen apetito!

Bistec Encebollado (Pepper/Onion Steak al Boricua)

I enjoy a good-hearty meal.  There are different ways to make "Bistec Encebollado" the Puerto Rican way.  Many people prefer a dry (no sauce) steak topped with the onions.  My personal preference is there must be some sauce to run over my rice, there must be green peppers to contrast the onion scent and I must taste the accidity of the vinegar.  Steak and vinegar, now that's amazing!

My trip to the supermarket was a bit disappointing.  Red meat seems to get expensive by the second.  Maybe it is a sign not to eat so much of it.  If you look closer, you get more of what you want at a cheaper price, if you are willing to do the extra work.  Depending on the meat cut you prefer, why not buy a big chunk of it instead of the pre-sliced cut. 

I was so into this dish. Friday morning my first instinct was "need to marinate my steaks". Usually I am heading to the coffee maker, half-asleep as soon as I get up. I was craving the smell of onions and peppers mixed with vinegar and garlic...yum to my recipe...

1 lb thin sliced steak
1 garlic minced
1 tbsp adobo
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp black pepper, ground (omit if adobo contains pepper)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small green pepper, sliced

Add all ingredients and rub all over steak, topped with onions and peppers, cover with plastic wap and marinate.  I did this in the morning and cooked it at night.  This was my reason to come home to Friday night.

1 cup chicken stock
1/2 can Goya tomato sauce
1 tsp cornstarch

I added more or less a cup of diluted chicken stock (you can add beef stock or just water) to cover above the meat.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat to just simmer.  This is when I added my tomato sauce and the cornstarch.  I am using cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

I made tostones and white rice to complete the meal.

Tostones:  1 green plantain (not a banana!) cut in slices, fry until golden brown both sides.  Then using the bottom of a cup or your palm (use a barrier, like a paper bag or plastic wrap, and make sure to let it cool down a bit) flatten the fried plantain.  Then you will fry again until crisp. Season to taste with salt & pepper, adobo, garlic....

Make sure you use the exhaust fan.  The smell of onion and peppers will overpower anything in your house.

Que rico!

Going Bananas

Have you ever thought of combining stuff you enjoy eating?  Sweet Banana Mama!

The picture doesn't show much details.  This is a sugar cookie cup filled with banana cream pudding topped with fresh bananas.  Finger licking good!

For the pudding, I purchased a box of instant pudding mix.  Add 2 cups of cold milk and mix for about 2 minutes.  Done.

For the cookie dough:  if you prefer the easy way, you can purchase already prepared dough and just bake.

...if you prefer to make it, here's my recipe (makes about a dozen, depending on size):

3/4 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/4 c milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Soften the butter. Combine the sugar and salt and add to the butter.  Mix on low until well combined.  Then add your liquids, still mixing on low, until all liquid is absorbed.  Finally add flour and baking powder.  Let the dought rest covered in plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes.  To bake use a muffin pan, 1/2 filled or about 2 oz with the dough.  This bakes fast 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Once out of oven, I dipped a wooden spoon handle in sugar and made a hole in the cookie turning the spoon inside the cookie.  Overfill the cup with pudding, add fresh bananas and whipped cream.

Bananoso!

Italian Sausage Sauce with Spaghetti

I love tomatoes.  One of my favorite dishes is spaghetti.  Many combinations...with meatballs, eggplant parmigiano, meat sauce...as long as is covered with a red gravy.  I like the natural flavors of the tomato to overpower the dish.  I do use spices, but to a limit.  My two favorite herbs to use with tomato are basil and oregano.  This sauce is simple to prepare and does not require hours of cooking.  You can opt for store bought sauce and just add the sausage...or get your hands dirty.  When I purchase premade sauce, I add tomato paste and fresh herbs to the sauce, just to bring it to life.

For my dish a trip to the food market was a must.  Thought of combining sweet and hot sausage, but since I was also cooking for my son, opted for sweet.  Allright let's see if I can get a bargain.  The price for the italian sausage (in casing) was about $5 for more or less a pound.  I shifted my gaze over to the left and there I saw it...italian sausage patties...price $1.99 for 1 lb.  Why not get the patties when I intend to remove the casing, plus I am saving $3?  Boom, got my deal of the day!

Pasta:  I go nuts over pasta...all kinds, but for my spaghetti dishes I prefer the thin spaghetti.  Angel hair disappears in my mounth, and the regular spaghetti feels odd.  This recipe can be made with any pasta, even used as a lasagna filler.  To each its own.

Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlics, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
about 1/4 tsp of the following:  dried oregano, crushed dried peppers, garlic powder
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 lb italian sausage
1/2 package thin spaghetti

Procedure:
In a skillet, crumb the sausage and brown.  Transfer cooked sausage to another container.  In the same skillet, using the dripping from the sausage, add your  carrot, onion and garlic, and cook until translucent.  Add your spices, sugar and tomato paste.  I am adding sugar to combat the accidity of the tomatoes.  Add the tomatoes, make sure you scratch the bottom of the pan (deglaze).  Season with salt and pepper.  You can opt to add olive oil.  It all depends on how much fat you have from the sausage.  Your choice, I eyeball it to about 1/4 tsp.  Once this mixture comes to a boil, add your sausage.  Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Simmer.  Cook pasta.

I topped with Parmesan Romano grated cheese and Italian bread.  Bread was cut in slices, topped with some of the sauce, mozzarella and parmesan romano cheese and baked for about 10 minutes.  An addition to this will be a green salad with a simple balsamic vinegar dressing.

Buon appetito!

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

When I got up this morning, I was craving something "fantastico".  Making sure to use ingredients I have at hand.  Sometimes I go to the supermarket and I get this "buy instincts".  I purchase groceries, and they just seat in my pantry or refrigerator for days with no future.  I mean stuff just goes to waste.  I am trying to become a savvy consumer.  It is so true about the commercial that tells us how much cash we throw in our trashcans on a daily basis.  Changing my ways.

Back to my breakfast...

I paid $4 for a loaf of Pepperidge Farm Swirl bread, NOT going to waste....I am already thinking of bread pudding with the rest of the bread....  I am only cooking breakfast for myself so feel free to double batter.

Ingredients:
3 slices cinnamon raisin bread
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp sugar
pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg
salt to taste

Beat all ingredients in a small bowl.  Dip the bread in the batter.  The most common fault in making French toast is not soaking the bread long enough to allow the batter to penetrate.  Chock that bread in the batter.  Hold it down, don't be afraid!  Using a griddle, melt about 1 1/2 tsp butter and brown both sides of the bread.  Use less butter if you prefer, healthy choice.  You can continue to cook in the griddle or you can transfer to a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes until cooked. 

Plating:  I cut bread slices in half, topped with a sweet and tart blueberry sauce, and dusted with confectioners sugar. 

Bacon slices and a cup of coffee made this a great breakfast to wake up to.  The bad part was getting up on a Sunday morning and cook. 

For my blueberries, I cooked a handful of frozen blueberries, simple syrup (which is equal parts of sugar and water) and some lemon juice.  Add a bit of cornstarch to thicken sauce.  Pour all over the french toast before you dust with the sugar.

Sweet and Tangy!

Thai Chicken and Vegetables Curry Sauce with Rice

How spicy?

The inspiration for this recipe came from watching "Ten Dollar Dinner Meals with Melissa d'Arabian" in the Food Network.  In the episode, Melissa created a simple curry sauce.  Sauteed onions, curry powder, minced garlic, lime juice, chicken, vegetables, chicken stock and coconut milk.  I figuered out I had most of the ingredients, was craving something spicy and the ideas started to flow.

I decided to prepare my own curry paste and chicken stock.  A trip to the food market was not on my plans.  A quick check of my pantry and refrigerator gave me the green light.  All is good, get in the kitchen.  In my opinion, when you decide to make everything from scratch, this is when you learn what ingredients go with other ingredients, to play around with food and cooking techniques. 

My first task curry paste.  Do I just use curry powder?  What makes curry powder...most recipes for curry include coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, red pepper.  Depending on the recipe ginger, garlic and other spices might be added.  Making it my own..

Red Curry Paste HOT!!

1 tbsp ground ginger

1/4 c diced onions

3 garlics, chopped

6 cilantro stems

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

a few drops of oil

juice of 1/2 lime

2 mint leaves

Put everything in the blender until smooth texture.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

**With any recipe, when you know what goes in it, you have control of the ingredients and flavors you desire.  Don't be afraid to experiment, there's always a trash can nearby if you need to regroup.

**Oil:  it is recommended vegetable oil, healthier and does not burn as fast.  Today, I only have corn and olive oil at hand.  For my chicken/vegetable curry sauce I combined both.  For my rice I used corn oil.  It is a taste choice.

Next, geez I do not have any chicken stock!!!  But wait I have chicken bones in my freezer.  By making it myself I am cutting down on the sodium.  It does take 3-4 hours for the best flavor to be extracted from those bones.  No matter, while doing house chores, my stock will be simmering, just in time for dinner.  Why do I have chicken bones in my freezer, you might ask... Do you know every 3-4 weeks chicken goes on sale on your supermarket?  What I usually do is take advantage of the "Manager Specials" deals.  I buy a whole chicken, cut in pieces and debone chicken breasts....I love to use my professional knives!  Store in the freezer until needed.

Chicken Stock

chicken bones

50% onions

25% celery

25% carrots

1 bay leaf

peppercorns

cilantro or parsley stems

2 garlics

3-4 whole cloves

Wash the bones in cold water. Use a stockpot. Fill with cold water, make sure bones are covered with the water, at all times.  Bring water to boil. Skim impurities on top.  Reduce heat just to a simmer.  Add your mirepoix (onions, celery and carrots) and your spices.  DO NOT add salt, not needed.  Remember this is just a base to your cooking greatness, not a meal!  Simmer, and skim for about 3-4 hours.  Add cold water as needed.  Once done, strain the stock.  Cool then store in the refrigerator.  If not using within 3 days, you can freeze for several months.

Now that I have my base, I can move on with my recipe....

Thai Chicken/Vegetables in Curry Sauce with Sticky Rice

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

1 tbsp curry paste

1 1/2 tsp oil

1 cup broccoli

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken stock, more as needed

1 can of diced tomatoes

lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: 

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the curry paste until it becomes aromatic.  Add the chicken, cook until it turns brown.  Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper.  Add the coconut milk and chicken stock.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the tomatoes.  When it thickens, squeeze the lime juice on top.  Serve with rice.

How long it cooks?  Until is done!

The rice of choice...sticky rice, Melissa d'Arabian's way.  For the rice, I am using what I have in my pantry, no jasmine or any other specialty rice...just plain conventional rice.  Let's look at it....for Jasmine rice I will pay about $5 a serving, conventional rice .99.  I need to save a buck...or four!  This rice is not sweet, has a hint of coconut and somewhat bland...add a bit of salt if you desire.

Sticky Rice

1 1/2 c rice

1/2 c coconut milk

2 c water

1/2 c chicken stock

tbsp oil

chopped cilantro

lime zest

Procedure:

Simple, combine rice, coconut milk, water, stock and oil in a small pot or rice cooker.  Cook until done!  Once all liquid is absorb add the cilantro and the lime zest.

I enjoyed the flavors of this dish.  Most important I saved myself a couple bucks just by using what I had at hand and/or making my own.  Thai cooking doesn't have to be so complicated.  Spicy, savory and defiant! 



Blueberry Muffins

This muffin is not sweet, and so simple to make.  Simple ingredients, and almost no mess.

Oven: 400 degrees    Cooking Time:  20 minutes     Makes: 15-18 regular size muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c bread flour

2 tblsp cornstarch

1 1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tblsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs (beaten)

1 1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz melted butter

1 1/2 c blueberries (rinsed and dry)

Procedure:

Before getting your hands into the mix, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  It takes approximately 15 minutes for your oven to reach the desired temperature.  These are simple steps, you will be saying Poom, Poom, Pow, Done!

Mix and sift all your dry ingredients.

Mix all your wet ingredients, including the melted butter.

Combine dry and wet ingredients.  Mix just to incorporate.  Do not over mix.  Batter will be lumpy and it is OK!

Add your blueberries.  I'm adding frozen blueberries. Just add the blueberries without overmixing.  I mean toss them in, and stir one full circle.  Put down the spatula, trust me.

  I love the smell of blueberries when they are cooked.  If you do not like blueberries, you can substitute for your favorite.  The key point here is to awake your taste buds and inspire your imagination.

I use a 2 oz ice cream scoop to fill my pans.  Use liners for easy clean up.  Do not waste any time, put the pans in the oven as fast as you can.  Your kitchen will smell fantastic, your imagination will start flowing, and sooner than you think you will be planning your next baking moment.

Once your muffins are done, remove them from the pan and place on a cooling rack. 

Go ahead and eat one, WARNING...blueberries will be Hot!

Enjoy!

ARROZ CON GANDULES, COSTILLAS DE LECHON, ENSALADA DE PAPA Y AGUACATE (red rice w pigeon peas, pork ribs, potato salad, avocado)

This is a very traditional plate for Puerto Ricans. Comfort belly filler!

Serves 4-6

For the rice:

• sofrito (pureed herbs...my recipe includes equal amounts of the following: green peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, pinch of salt and black pepper, 3 oz of tomato, couple drops of olive oil)
• frozen pigeon peas (to me it tastes fresher than can ones)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups dry rice (long grain or medium grain - NOT the precooked package)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 package of Sazon seasoning mix
• 1 1/2- 2 cups water
• 1/2 can tomato sauce (I prefer Goya brand)
• 2 tbsp corn oil
• salt to taste

Procedure:
Heat the oil in a caldero (heavy pot), add the sofrito, let it cook for about 1 minute. Then add the tomato sauce, the dry seasonings, and the green pigeon peas.  Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly not to burn.  Add the water and salt, let it come to a boil.  Wash the rice in water and then add to the pot and cover.  Stir the rice as water evaporates.  You might have to stir the rice a couple more times until it completely cooks to make sure all rice grains are cook.  Time it takes:  more or less 45 mnts- 1 hour.

Note:  Depending on how hard or soft you prefer your rice, you might need to add or reduce water.  I always look for about 1/2 inch water above rice.

For the Ribs:

• I use a dry rub that includes:  1 1/2 oz paprika, 1 oz chili powder, 2 tbsp oregano, 2 tbsp thyme, 4 tsp coriander, 4 tsp cumin, 2 oz salt, 2 tbsp black pepper.  It makes 6 oz, enough to use 2 or 3 times, just keep in ziploc bag until time to use.
• BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp of white vinegar (optional)

Get your ribs, make sure they are dry, rub a thin layer of the spice rub all over.  Refrigerate until time to use, let them absorb the flavors.  Turn oven to 300 degrees, place ribs in an oven pan and cover with aluminium foil. Bake for 1 hour.  After the hour cover the ribs with the BBQ sauce, all over. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, still covered. At this point I increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Then uncover the pan, add more BBQ sauce and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Let the meat rest before serving.

For the Potato Salad:

• 2 extra large baking potatos, cut into large cubes
• brunoise (extra small cubes) of onion, celery, carrot, green pepper - as much or as little you prefer
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
• salt, pepper to taste

In a medium pot, boil the potatos.  They will be cook when knife goes thru potato. Once cooked drain, and mash.  I do not have a masher gizmo, I use a regular fork.  Then add the vegetables, mustard and mayannaise incorporating all.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Avocados:  You will not get an avocado ready to eat from the produce store.  I always purchase the avocado 2 or 3 days in advance.  Store in a brown bag on top of the kitchen counter.  This trick seems to work all the time.  I do not purchase the little darker avocados, I always go for the big and bright green.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!  I must admit, the day I cooked this, I had left overs for breakfast the next day....