Puerto Rican Meatballs

Ingredientes:


¾ lb. lean ground beef

¾ lb. lean ground pork

Adobo with Pepper , to taste

1 cup dried bread crumbs soaked in 4 tbsp. milk

2 eggs Slightly beaten

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro to sprinkle..

You can add these to tomato sauce for pasta or serve them as appetizers

Beef Empanadas- empanadillas de carne

I love this recipe it is always good for something quick to eat and with lots of flavor.. warning this is very fattening but oh so delicious




Ingredients:
3 1/3 cup all purpose flour


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. baking powder1


1/2 tbsp. shortening (chilled) (I love Crisco)


1 egg (well beaten)


3/4 cup cold water or milk


Canola oil





Filling:


1 lb. ground meat


1tsp. dried oregano


1 medium garlic clove (diced or mashed in a pilon)


1/4 tsp. vinegar


6-8 chopped olives


1 envelope of sazón1


8 oz. can tomato sauce


2 tsp. sofrito



Directions
The Dough:Mix flour, salt and baking powder.Cut the shortening into the flour mixture.Using a blender, thoroughly mix the egg and water.Add the liquid mixture to the flour and thoroughly mix using a fork.Divide the dough into 10 pieces.Work each piece with a rolling pin until it is the size of a small plate.The





Filling:



In a deep pot, brown the ground meat.Drain most of the grease and add garlic, ham, oregano, vinegar,olives, sazón, sofrito and tomato sauce.Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes covered.Uncover and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally





Add 1 tbsp. of meat filling per pastelillo, coat the edge with a little water and fold over.Press down the edges with a fork to secure and seal them.Fry in plenty of oil so they will expand.Place on paper towels to absorb the extra oil.





RICAN WARNING!!!Handle these after being at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. They are hot and WILL burn your mouth and "bembas".Should make 10 pastelillos.



Tips
You can use ready-made dough which they call "plantillas", sold at Cuban grocery stores. They are made by Goya and Cubanita brands. They come in 2 sizes and in packages of 10 circles which you just have to stuff and seal.In Mexican grocery stores you can find them too. They are made by "La Salteña" and bring 12-15 "tapas".Try stuffing them with shredded cheese, shrimp, crab meat

Tembleque-- Coconut pudding

This desert happens to be one of my little girls favorite!!

Enjoy.. Buen Provecho!

Ingredients:
4 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
garnish: ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, or toasted coconut flakes

Preparation:
In a sauce pan mix together the cornstarch, sugar and salt.
Whisk in the coconut milk and simmer over low to medium heat.
Stir constantly until the mixture is thoroughly cooked and thickens.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour pudding into individual dessert cups.

Allow the pudding to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Garnish with sprinkled ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, and/or toasted coconut

Carne Guisada.. Puerto Rican Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1- 1/2 lbs. stew meat

2-3 medium potatoes

1 envelope sazón

1 tsp. adobo

2-3 carrots (optional)

1 can petit-pois (peas)

1 tsp. Manzanilla olives (3-4 olives)

1 tsp. capers (alcaparrado)

2 tbsp. cooking wine

1 tbsp. sofrito1

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1-2 laurel leaves

3 Cloves of garlic

1 4 oz can of roasted red pepper

1tsp of black pepper

Salt to taste

Directions
Season the stew meat preferably the night before or 15-20 minutes before cooking so the adobo can do its trick.In a pressure cooker*, place the sofrito, tomato sauce, sazón, capers, wine, and meat.Fill pot half way with water and seal the lid.Cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.(The 30 minutes start when the vapor starts to escape from the pressure valve)Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes (and carrots) and place them in a bowl of salted water.After 30 minutes, place the pressure cooker under a stream of running cold water to cool down the pot."VERY IMPORTANT":When ALL the pressure is out of the pot thru the pressure valve, it is safe to open it.Open the pot carefully and add the potatoes, (carrots), olives and laurel leaves.Cook (without the lid) for 15-20 minutes on medium heat oruntil all the veggies are soft but firm.Add the petit-poi (peas) 5-10 minutes before the stew is doneand stir carefully as to not mash the peas.

Tips
You can also cook the meat the "old fashioned way". Place all the ingredients in a deep pot (except the petit-pois) and cook on medium low heat until the meat is tender.Serve with white rice and tostones.

Alcapurrias

This one of my top favorite finger foods that you can find at any spanish restaurant..

The Masa: (Batter)

5 green bananas (Chiquita Bananas)

1 lb. taro root (yautía)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small envelope sazón with annatto (achiote) coloringLots of vegetable cooking oil for deep frying

The Filling:

1/2 lb. chopped meat (your choice i like to use chopped up pork or ground beef)1 tbsp. sofrito

8 oz. tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 small envelope sazón

6-8 chopped olives

1 tsp.of capers

1 medium garlic clove

2 oz. chopped cooking ham

1 tsp. dried oregano1/

4 tsp. vinegar

Optional:6-8 prunes2 tsp. raisins

Directions
The Masa:

Thoroughly wash the yautías then peel.Peel the green bananas and wash with salted water.Grate the bananas and yautías then add the salt, vinegar, oil and sazón.Mix well and set aside.The Filling:In a deep pot, fry your ground meat until all red is gone.Drain most of the grease and add the garlic, ham, oregano, vinegar salt, olives, capers, sazón, sofrito and tomato sauce.Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover the pot.Cook covered for 15 minutes.Uncover and cook another 15 minutes, stirring ocassionally.On the palm of your hand (or if you are lucky enough to have plantain leaves), spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture and make a shallow well. (You may also use wax paper)Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling mixture and cover the filling (meat) with the banana mixture all around. (At this time of the recipe, you can fry the alcapurria or store in the freezer for later use.)In a deep fryer or deep frying pan, heat lots of vegetable oil to cover the alcapurrias. Fry until slightly crispy.Drain the alcapurrias on a paper towel and let them cool off.RICAN WARNING:DO NOT TRY AND EAT THE ALCAPURRIA IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL BURN YOUR (BEMBAS) MOUTH FOR SURE.

Buen Provecho...

Chicken pot pie

This is definately one of those 45 min meals that tend to be a favorite at my house... buen provecho!!

CHICKEN POT PIE

2 (10 oz.) cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup orCampbell's Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie Soup2

(about 9 oz.) packages frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1 cup chicken broth combined with 2 tablespoons flour

2 Pillsbury pie shells

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix soup, vegetables, chicken, and broth. (The mixture should be sort of thick.) Place in pie shell.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden. (Cover pie edge if it begins to brown too quickly).

Arroz con Dulce--coconut rice pudding

This is by far one of my favorite holiday desert and it is served exclusively during the Xmas season in Puerto Rico.. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1½ cups short grain rice (best results if soaked overnight)
4¼ cups coconut milk

½ teaspoons salt

3 cinnamon sticks

2 ounces ginger

6 whole cloves
1½ cups sugar

½ cup raisins

Directions:
Wash rice and soak in water to cover, generously, for overnight hours. The rice will soak up the water so use plenty.
Combine the 4½ cups of coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a medium size caldero.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate, cover and boil for 15 minutes.
Drain rice thoroughly and add to caldero. Mix and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and cook unitl rice is completely dry, without stirring.
Add the sugar and raisins, stir, and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes, without stirring.
Turn heat to moderate and boil for about 30 minutes, or until rice dries again. In this cooking period, turn rice over occasionally and scrape bottom of caldero.
Remove spices. Spoon rice into a flat serving platter. Allow to cool at room temperature.
This is served cold.

Guineitos en escabeche y Mollejas..

We served this at my birthday dinner this past saturday and it was scrumtious.. It is a Puerto Rican favorite and it is served in most holiday or special occasion in our Island.. Thanx mom

Ingredients
5 lb green bananas
2 lb chicken gizzards
2 large spanish onions
1 head of garlic
1 8oz bottle of salad olives
1/2 cup olive oil and vinegar salad dressing
salt (to taste) pepper (to taste)

Directions
Boil the bananas in salt water until cooked, about 20 minutes. Boil the chicken gizzards in salt water, onion powder, and garlic powder (1 spoon of each), until chicken is very tender, about 2 hours. Drain the chicken gizzards and cut into small pieces. Cut onions into thin slices. Take garlic and puree in food chopper or blender add oil and vinegar salad dressing, salt and pepper to taste (you may add 1 envelope of plain sazon). Cut bananas into 1/2 inch pieces (straight circles). Add bananas, chicken gizzards, garlic,olives, onions and olive oil, mix well.
Remove and serve warm, this dish can be served with rice, meat, pasteles or alone.

Number of Servings: 10

Arroz Con Gandules--Holiday or any special occasion rice for Puerto Ricans

Arroz Con Gandules
It's easy - give it a try

Ingredients:

2 cups medium grain rice (rinsed) - long grain will work too

4-5 cups of hot water

1 pound of chopped up pork stew meat

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of parsley

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 plantain (grounded) I normally grind it in my food processor

appx.½ cup ready made sofrito

16 ounce can of gandules (cooked green pigeon peas)

2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (cappers and olives mixed together)

1 packet of Sazon with achiote

1 can tomato sauce

4 tablespoons of oil Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

In a medium size caldero add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado,garlic sofrito, sazon and pork meat. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1" above the rice line. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Stirring the rice after it has begun cooking may cause it go get sticky or "amogollao."
Any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot is called "pegao" and is crispy and tasty and a favorite of all true Puerto Ricans. However, not everyone is skilled is making pegao - it is an art. To make great pegao make sure to use plenty of oil. Cook for about 10 minutes longer so the pegao gets crispy and keep your eye on it. Each time you cook rice - check to see how long it takes to make pegao just the way your family likes it. Finally - if you want a lot of pegao - use a bigger caldero which, of course, will have a larger bottom surface.

This rice you can serve it with just about anything but in PR its typically served with Pernil (pork Roast) and a side of potatoe salad... I know too much starch but it is so yummy!

My super favorite dessert Interpretation..

I learned how to make this dessert because it was my fav desert from my fav restaurant...

Here is my version of Dessert Rosa from Carrabas... We will call it Banana split cake (its what it reminds me of)

Perfect for summer

Ingredients
1box of white cake mix
1/4cup butter
1cup strawberries (you can use the sweetened frozen strawberries)
2bananas, sliced
10oz crushed pineapple
1box vanilla pudding
10oz whipped topping

Directions
Mix white cake mix, butter (melted) and the fruit together. Bake as directed on cake box. Place layer of vanilla pudding along with fruit between layers and top with whipped topping.

Dulce de Mil Hojas..

This one is for my sweet Stepanie!!

Mil hojas means a thousand 'sheets' or 'leaves' (in this case, layers of pastry), and there are almost a thousand South American interpretations of this classic French dessert, the napolean. This dulce de leche variation is quick and easy, looks beautiful, and is simply delicious. Serve it with fresh fruit, or dress it up with a layer or two of pastry cream. Some people like to roll the edges in coconut (spread some extra dulce de leche around the the sides to help the coconut stick).

Ingredients:
1 package frozen puff pastry dough
1 cup dulce de leche
Powdered sugar
Fresh fruit
Vanilla pastry cream (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
*Thaw the puff pastry slightly and unfold it onto a floured surface.
*Working quickly, roll each sheet of the puff pastry into a thin rectangle, about 12 x 18 inches.
*Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and place a rolled out piece of puff pastry on each one. Cover each sheet of puff pastry with another peice of parchment paper.
*Place another cookie sheet onto of the pastry and parchment paper. Place a few baking pans to help weigh down the baking sheets.
*Place the baking sheets with the puff pastry sandwiched in between in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
*Remove top baking sheet and weights and bake for 5 minutes more, until the puff pastry is golden brown.
*Cut each sheet of the pastry into about 20 identical size squares or rectangles with a sharp knife.
*Spread one square of puff pastry with a thin layer of dulce de leche. Cover with another square of puff pastry. Repeat until you have 5 layers of puff pastry. Do not spread dulce de leche on the top layer.
*Sprinkle the top layer with powdered sugar and serve.

Some new recipes

Well I got some requests in from some friends so I decided that I was going to post them.. One of the most awesome and very talented besties of mine requested her favorite desert.. And I am going to throw in some of my own Holiday favorites not to mention my semi-homemade version of Desert Maria (carrabas) .. So if any of you have any requests feel free to leave me a comment or contact me through twitter and facebook!!! here you go...

Homemade Mac and Cheese with Semi Homemade Pineapple Ham

This recipe I learned from my ex-motherinlaw.. I was always hesitant to eat homemade mac and cheese because before I had Karen's they always seemed tasteless and chalky (well the ones I had in potlucks and what not). One thanksgiving in little falls NY I had hers for the first time and I was inlove!!! I had to learn to make that back home.. So here it is the recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 medium size box of Elbow macaroni or Shells if you prefer

1 pd of cubed extra extra sharp chedder (yellow or white)

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of finely diced onions

1tbsp of regular mustard (to add sharpness to cheese)

1/3 cup of bread crumbs (I prefer italian)

Salt to taste

In a a large saucepan add butter and onions to saute.. for about 5 min or until they have lightly caramelized. Begin adding milk and stir continue by adding the cubed cheese while stirring you dont want the cheese to get like gum so stirring as much as possible is key. Add mustard and continue stirring until cheese sauce thickens.

While your doing the cheese sauce cook your pasta in another saucepan until pasta is Al Dente (When cooking pasta for use in casseroles, make sure the texture is al dente, or slightly chewy to the bite)

When done mix together and let sit for about 15 minutes so the pasta and cheese sauce can marinate together. Then get a oven casserole pan so you can add mac and cheese to the pan.. Top it off with the bread crumbs and let cook in the oven at 325f for about 20 minutes.

Semi-Homemade Pineapple ham.

This has got to be one of the easiest and quickest way to make pineapple ham not to mention very tasty. I normally do this when I am cooking for a big group of people and have very little time.

Ingredients:

3 pds Presliced pre cooked ham (can be found in the deli freezer or in any meat section of your fav supermarket)

2 jars of Black and Crossley ham Glazed (this ham glaze is found in your condiment section of your fav supermarket and it is complete with all ingredients that a homemade glaze has)

1 can of pineapple slices

In a baking pan place the slices of ham , add the jar of ham glaze to cover completey the ham follow that with pineapple. Cover the pan and cook for about 30 min at 350degrees and there is your ham all ready for the hungry crowd...

This can be served with a light sprinkle of veggies or just buttery corn on the cob..

Buen Provecho!

Pollo Guisado

This recipe is normally a quick throw together type of stew that I make when I literally have a short time to get dinner done right right before my husband has to go to work.. Enjoy...Btw all of my puertorican style and recipes have been learned by my mother when i was growing up.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken pieces 1tsp.

dried oregano 1tbsp.

)2 oz. lean cured ham(Jamón)

1 medium onion, (peeled and chopped)

1 medium bell pepper, (Seeded and chopped) 2 sweet peppers (ajíes dulces-seeded and chopped)

2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)

4-5 culantro leaves

(cilantro-chopped)

10 to 12 pimiento stuffed olives

1 tbsp. white vinegar

2 bay leaves (Hojas de Laurel)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 lb. potatoes, (cut into 1-inch cubes)

2 1/2 cups hot water1 can green peas (16 oz.)

1/2 cup of wine (And a lil for the chef)

2packets of Sazon without achiote (you can find it in any supermarket hispanic or ethnic food aisle)

1packet of Sazon Con achiote.

In a heavy olla (Pan), Brown the diced ham.Reduce heat to low and add the dried oregano, onion, pimiento pepper, sweet peppers, garlic cloves and the culantro leaves.Sauté all the ingredients, for about 10 minutes or so, to bring all the flavors together.Increase heat to medium, add all the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes. (Rican takes a swig of wine)Add all the remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil. This is where you taste it to see if you added enough salt to your taste.When it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover it and cook it for about 45-50 minutes.Add the peas or your other favorite veggies like canned carrots etc, and boil uncovered until the yummy sauce thickens to your taste. (Rican takes another swig of wine)Serve with white rice and avocado slices or tostones (fried plantains or sweet friend plantains.

Buen Provecho!

My first blog

Well I am a blogger not as often as I wish I would be however blogging is an outlet for me as well as cooking amongst other things.. I will begin with one of my favorite recipes that I like to make at home and can be cooked in a few in about 45 minutes....