I finally left Puerto Rico, but was not able to connect due to problems caused by hurricane Irene and ended up in Ft. Lauderdale which was great.  Had a chance to see my son, his family and my friend, Joan of FOODalogue.  Now I am home-bound and will be arriving tonight after being away for a month.  The joke is that when I arrive, my husband leaves for Boston the next day.

In Puerto Rico a neighbor gave me this Pana and wanted to share it with you.  I made two simple dishes with it.  We were staying at a vacation condo, not like home where we have our pantry, our favorite pots, gadgets and the run of your own kitchen.

While in season,  Pana is used much like a potato.   I was told that you can make flan (custard) out of the fruit, but was not given a recipe.  I see myself experimenting real soon.

The first dish I made was tostones de pana.  They are twice fried as you would do with green plantains (will post at another time).

Ingredients:

1/2 breadfruit, peeled, cored, sliced and cut into about two-inch pieces

salt to taste

bowl of salted water

Oil for frying

Instructions:

Heat oil and fry breadfruit pieces until tender on the inside and golden on both sides.

Remove from oil and lightly smash using a press (tortilla press, plantain press, or bottom of a plate if no press is available).

Dip into the salted water, remove and pat dry.

Working quickly but carefully, return to oil.

Fry until crispy and golden brown.

Place on paper towel lined plate to soak excess oil.

Sprinkle with salt and if you wish a little garlic powder.

Serve hot.

The second dish was boiled pana and served with a bacalao salad (salted cod).

BUEN PROVECHO AMIGOS! 

My friend, Lulu, is very brave and a talented young woman.  She has asked a while back that I do a Piñón post.  You see Lulu fell in love and picked up her bags and moved from New York City to Kenya.  Hopefully, when she sets her wedding date, I will be flying out to see her.  So here goes Lulu…this one’s for you!

This is a classic dish from Puerto Rico and the best way to describe it is by calling it a lasagna because of its layers.

Instead of using lasagna noodles, we use fried  sweet plantains.   The meat is spiced ground beef or as we call it picadillo.  Picadillo came to us via Cuba and we have adopted it because of its versatility.  I usually make a batch and divide it.  One part to make our famous empanadas or meat patties by adding other ingredients to the meat.  As time goes by I will show you the wonders of picadillo.

I made this dish a while back and I found it so hard to photograph and now  this time I had the same problem.

Ingredients:

4 cups of picadillo

6 ripe plantains, peeled and cut (depending mold you are using)

vegetable oil for frying plantains

6 eggs beaten and set aside

1- 2 cans of french style string beans

Picadillo: 

Adapted from Wilo Benet recipe

4 lbs. ground beef (sirloin)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seed and white ribbing removed

1/2 cup of sofrito or more to taste

1 envelopes of Sazón Goya

1-1/2 cups Spanish tomato sauce

6 cloves of garlic, pound to paste

kosher salt/pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the onions cooking them until they are soft and translucent.  Add the pepper, garlic and sofrito and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.  Stir in the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper for another few minutes.  Add meat breaking up the meat as it cooks.  Continue cooking until meat is done and liquid has evaporated..not dry.  You will need a little moisture.

Preparation:

Heat oil, add the sliced plantains and cook until golden.  Drain n paper towels and set aside.

Pour half of the beaten eggs on a greased mold.  Start to layer the plantains to cover bottom of mold.  Put a layer of the meat and the a layer of the string beans. Continue layering until last layer is the plantain.  Pour the rest of beaten egg over plantain layer and prick with fork to be absorbed and not sitting on top.  You do not want t to look like an omlet…you want the shine of the egg.

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees. Place mold in oven and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes until egg has cooked and meat is heated through.  The surface of the piñón should be golden and springy to the touch.  Here are two versions.

Invert, slice and serve.

Wait until you taste this.  You have the sweetness of the plantain and the saltiness of the meat….

BUEN PROVECHO!

When we think of Puerto Rico we usually think of beautiful beaches, piña coladas, rum punch, great music and our Caribbean cuisine, of which mofongo is sometimes considered the star attraction.

Mo-fon-go por favor pero con mucho, mucho “chicharrón”. That is how I order my mofongo. Please with lots and lots of pork rind.

Every Puerto Rican restaurant has mofongo on the menu. It’s a must try for first time visitors who want to claim to have sampled the local fare. Mofongo is mashed fried green plantains into which a combination of seafood, meat, or vegetables can be added. It is also  served as a side or a main course.

I like mine the old fashion way. Mashed with garlic a bit of olive
oil, salt and that artery clogging chicharrón. The best chicharrón comes from a town called Bayamón. These pork rinds, affectionally called “chicharrón de Bayamón” or “chicharrón volaó” are delicious. Here is a picture from one of my trips to Bayamón.

When I make this dish, which is not often, I make a big pot of stewed chicken so that I can use the stew to soak my mofongo.

How to peel a plantain:

There is a saying in Puerto Rico: Soy Puerto Riqueño porque tengo la mancha de platano = I am Puerto Rican because I have the stain of the plantain. When you are peeling the green plantain for this dish it always leaves your fingers stained.  After washing your hands a few times the stain will go away.

You will need your “pilon”  (mortar and pestle).  Every Puerto Rican home owns one or two.

Mine is quite new…here comes another husband story.  I owned about 6 different “pilones”.  I had them given to me or inherited from an
aunt and one from my mom.  I loved those two because they were already cured and mainly because they had history.  I wanted to put them in storage while we were moving into our new condo.  At the time I made boxes to donate to the church and the box that had to go to storage.  I guess you can figure out what happened…yes he did… he gave them to the church.  I ran to claim them, but they were all gone. Every time he sees me take out my “pilon” he quickly leaves the room.  He gets the laser look and this has been going on for close to six years.  Never mess with a Puerto Rican woman’s “pilon”.

Ingredients (makes two main and four sides):

olive oil
3 green plantains
1/2 lb. fried pork rinds
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for frying the plantains

Preparation:
Peel the plantains and slice into 2” rounds as shown above. Heat oil in a frying pan at medium-low heat. Oil should be hot, but not sizzling. The plantains should be cooked through, but not browned.

Drain your plantains on a paper towel.  In your “pilon” add minced garlic equal to ½ a clove or a bit more depending on how much you like garlic, about 6 pieces of plantain, a teaspoon of olive oil and your pork skin.  Begin to mash until all the ingredients are combined, the resulting mofongo is shaped into half spheres, according to the mortar or bowl.  Once plated pour your gravy around the bowl.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Carne mechada is the national dish of Venezuela and also very popular in Puerto Rico and Cuba.  This version is  adaped from Wilo Benet’s cookbook, Puerto Rico – True flavors.  If you want to see Wilo’s creations, go to Foodalogue where my friend Joan had the pleasure to meet Wilo and visit his two restaurants in Puerto Rico. We were supposed to go together, but hurricane Irene screwed it all up. Grrrr!!!!

We are using eye round which is inexpensive, versatile and flavorful.

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. beef eye round

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 Spanish choizo, cases removed and crumbled

2-3 tablespoons of adobo and sazón Goya mixed

4-5 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup sofrito

1 large onion, diced

24 olives stuffed with pimentos

5 -6 cilantro stems

2 cups cooking sherry

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce

3 Idaho potatoes sliced 1/2 inch pieces

4 carrots, sliced thick - 2 inch pieces

4 quarts of beef stock

Instructions:

Make a crosscut incision on the center of the meat; make sure the incision goes all the way through to the other end. I used my stainless steel knife sharpener.

Insert chorizo into the hole until it reaches the other side.

Season the meat with adobo and sazón.

In a large casserole heat olive oil and sear meat on all sides, remove and set aside.  Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent.  Add meat and all ingredients except for potatoes, carrots and olives. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer covered for about 2 hours
turning meat so that part that is exposed does not dry.

Add potatoes, carrots, and olives.  Cook without the lid for an additional 15-20 minutes at  simmer or until vegetables are tender.

Let meat stand for 20 minutes and cut in slices of ½ ” thickness.

BUEN PROVECHO!

I hope your New Year was wonderful.  A happy, healthy and prosperous to you all.

Everyone makes resolutions and very few are kept.  I know, I am one of those people…weak and lazy at times.  But this resolution I will keep.  This year I will bake cakes, make cookies, pies and yes BREAD!  Before I do that I must buy some baking equipment.  The only things I own are a few heart shaped pans and a spring form pan.

While I was vacationing in Puerto Rico last year, we went to the Bacardi Rum Distillery.  You go on a free tour, they give you two drinks and then they drop you off in front of their gift shop.  I thought what they charged for their rum cake was a little too pricy.

I don’t know if this is called real baking because, unfortunately, this cake is made by using cake mix and pudding mix.  Let’s call this taking baby steps.

Cake calls for a bundt pan.  I used a spring form so the nuts are on the bottom of cake not top.

Also, I made fresh whipped cream flavored with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar and zest from one lemon.

Ladies and Gents this cake is packed full of flavor and light so by the time you have a few slices you will be seeing double.  So eat responsibly!

Ingredients:
Adapted from ask.com
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 -15.25 oz box  yellow cake with pudding in the mix
1 – 3.4 oz box Jell-o vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
4 eggs
½ cup cold whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup Bacardi Dark Rum

Glaze:
½ cup butter
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
½ cup Bacardi Dark Rum

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour pan (12 cup bundt pan).  Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan.  Beat well all wet ingredients then beat in dry ingredients.  Pour into pan and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Cool and invert on serving plate.  Prick top with a fork and then drizzle glaze over top of cake.  Use brush or spoon to put extra drippings back on cake.

Glaze:  Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add sugar and water  and boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in rum.  The rum will cause steam so be careful not to burn yourself as I did.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Arroz con Gandules is the traditional dish of Puerto Rico.  It is usually served along with our roast pork, Pernil. 

You will find this dish being served during the holidays and when having a party, it is sure to be the main attraction.  It is delicious and quite filling.

You will need your caldero.  Every Puerto Rican home owns one or more.  Mine is at least 20+ years old.

Ingredients:
2 cups of long grain rice
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons of achiote (annatto) infused oil
2 chorizo, 1/2 inch slices.
1 15 oz. can gandules or a bag of frozen
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup of alcaparrado (mixture of olives, capers and pimento)
1 envelope of  Sazón Goya
1/2 cup of sofrito
Plantain leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
In your caldero heat the oil and add your chorizo until you have rendered its fat then add the sofrito, alcaparrado, tomato sauce, gandules and sazón.  Cook for about 5 minutes and stir in your rice, salt and pepper.  Once this comes up to a slight boil add your water.  Bring to boil again and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Once absorbed, fluff rice with a fork then cover the rice with the plantain leaf and put top of pot on.  Lower the heat and cook the rice for about another 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

If you make it right some rice will stick to the bottom of pot which we call “pegao” or also known in Spain as socarrat.  The chorizo, infused oil and plantain leaf adds a smokiness flavor to the rice.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Note:  I am trying to catch up on commenting on your blogs, but I am having a few problems with some of you as I think that my comments are going to your spam folder.  Please check.  Just don’t want you to think I have forgotten you.

Hola!

Today I am treating you to one of Puerto Rico’s favorite desserts.  Children love it because once molded it trembles-jiggles (temblar means to tremble and this is how it got its name). I love it because it’s easy, sweet and delicioso.

It reminds me of my childhood when our nanny would make it for us and she would let me sit in a corner making sure I scraped the pot clean of all leftover pudding.  Sweet memories.  I still scrape the pot…old habits never die.

Ingredients:

4 cups of coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
garnish: ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, toasted coconut

Preparation:

In a sauce pan mix dry ingredients and cinnamon stick. Over medium heat whisk the milk making sure scraping sides to have a smooth texture. Continue to cook using your whisk until thick. Pour into molds or a bunt pan. Place in refrigerator and let set for at least and hour or more depending on the mold you use.

Serve and garnish.

GRACIAS POR SU VISITA!

(thanks you for your visit!)

The dynamic duo of 5 Star Makeover, Natasha and Lazaro’s August makeover is a Tea Party.

We leave Greece, where the Olympics originated and make our way to London as we count the medals our Olympians have brought back home.

This makeover brought back sweet memories of my childhood.  I remember Daddy taking me on Sundays to the El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico for tea and we would listen to a harpist or at times chamber music.  I would be wearing a pretty dress, lace socks, patent leather shoes and that God-awful bow on my head.  I hated that bow, but felt so special.

London has a very big Latino community and I came up with the idea of what Latinos would serve at their tea parties. Here is a small menu and a few recipes.  Also, I have linked the other recipes for you.

Tea infused Sangria

Pastelillos de Carne, Cuba

Empanadas de  Guayaba y Queso – Puerto Rico

Arepa Reina Papiada, Venezuela

This is so easy to make.  All you need is about a cup of shredded chicken (breast), one avocado chopped, 1 small diced onion, salt/pepper to taste and a few tablespoons of mayonnaise.  Mix and serve with arepas.  If you want a good arepa recipe visit Erica - My Colombian Kitchen who I consider to be the Arepa Queen.

Cherry, Honey, Rum Cake – Dominican Republic

Sandwiches de Miga, Argentina

Recipe:

Tea infused Sangria:

Two cups of chilled white tea, 15 mint leaves, crushed, 3 sprigs of thyme, 2 cups of Cava.  Add your fruits (lemons, strawberries, mango, blueberries and kiwi were used) to tea and when you are ready to serve add the Cava and ice.

Pastelillos de Carne – Cuban Meat Pasties:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. chopped beef
1/4 cup sofrito
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
about 20 Spanish olives diced
1 envelope of Sazon Goya
4 sheets puff pastry
egg wash
simple syrup ( I used orange blossom honey)

Instructions: 

In a frying pan, add the ground beef, cumin, oregano, sofrito and Sazon Goya, cook for about 10 minutes.  Add tomato sauce and diced olives and cook for another 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully evaporated, but the meat is still moist.

Build your pastelillos:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Brush pastry with egg wash.  Once they are golden, remove from oven and brush again with simple syrup or honey and return to oven for another few minutes.

CHEERIO AND BUEN PROVECHO!

“Guineitos Verde en Escabeche” is one of our most popular dishes.  You would say its a ”Jíbaro” dish.

Jíbaro is a term used to refer to mountain people, who lived “in-land” in the heart of the island, and are the backbone of the Puerto Rican culture…

Carmen Aboy Valldejuly is the raining queen of Puerto Rican cooking.  Her book, Cocina Criolla – Puerto Rican Cookery, is considered the bible of our kitchen.  The first edition was printed in November 1954 and now about 40 more editions have been printed.  I have it in both Spanish and English and my copy is from 1983.

I am not adapting this recipe…its coming straight from her book.  This is the way my mother made it and we continue to follow the recipe to the letter.

When I make this dish I always make it with a salted cod salad and some avocado and cilantro, of course.

A.  Pickling Sauce or escabeche Sauce:

2 cups of olive oil
1 cup of vinegar
12 peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 pounds onions, peeled and slices
2 cloves garlic, minced

B.  10 green bananas (available in latin american grocery stores)

C.  8 cups of water – 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

In a heavy pot, mix ingredients included in A and cook over low heat for an hour.  Allow to cool.

Trim ends of bananas and slit just the peel, lengthwise, on both sides.

In a deep pot, bring to a boil water to cover bananas.  Add bananas, cover and boil over low heat for 15 minutes.  Drain and peel.

Fill the pot with ingredients included in C and bring rapidly to a boil. Add peeled bananas, cover and boil for 10 minutes. Add one cup of water and boil for another 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Cut bananas into one inch rounds. Place in a deep glass bowl, alternating with the escabeche sauce. Marinade for 24 hours.

BUEN PROVECHO!

I think I am going bananas. It seems that the past few posts bananas and plantains are the main focus of my posts.

When last in Puerto Rico we had stopped at a restaurant and the first thing that we were served was this soup and I vowed to make it.  It was simple, but yet so rich.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sofrito
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock.
4 oz tomato sauce
2 plantains peeled and shredded – saving 1/2 of a plantain for the arañitas
Salt/pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Vegetable oil for frying arañitas

Instructions:

In a large pot warm the olive oil and add the sofrito and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes, add stock, tomato sauce, salt/pepper and bring to a boil.

While stock is heating, peel and shred the plantains.  Lower heat and stir in shredded plantain, leaving half for the arañitas.

In a frying pan, heat about 2-3 inches of oil.  Gather little bundles of the reserved shredded plantain and drop into the hot oil.  Fry for a few minutes on each side or until golden.

Make sure to stir the soup to prevent the plantain from sticking to bottom of pan.  Cook for about half an hour.  Use a blender or hand blender and purée.

Serve and garnish with the arañitas and cilantro.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Growing up there was a lot of dishes prepared with cod.  My mom would make salads, stews and fritters.

I remember her version of Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Basque style cod-fish) this version which I am sharing with you today.

Ingredients:

1 package of salt cod, soaked for 24 hours, water changed 3 times

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 large green bell peppers, seeded sliced

1 cup green olives, pitted (used kalamata and green)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)

Preparation:

Drain and dry the salt cod well. Trim it of any excess skin and bones. Cut it into small pieces then shred it with your fingers.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions, garlic and peppers for about 5 minutes and then cod and remaining ingredients.  Stir mixture and cover .  Cook under low flame for about 15-20 minutes.

You can serve this over rice or boiled potatoes.  Some of the cherry tomatoes will still hold their shape and will burst in your mouth…so good!

BUEN PROVECHO!

This month’s Creative Cooking Crew’s challenge is cooking with spirits.  This was an easy challenge for me  because as the holidays approach, I start to make my “coquito” Puerto Rican eggnog.

The idea came in a flash – Coquito French Toast.

We are always reading our posts and looking at all the beautiful pictures, but rarely have the chance to taste our creations. While in Florida I had the opportunity to invite Laura Lafata and Joan Nova to a small gathering where I served my dish as dessert.

Busy with preparations, Joan volunteered to shoot the pictures.   Thanks “amiga” for a job well done.

Laura, Joan and Me!

My Coquito Recipe:

1 quart store-bought eggnog
1 cans of coconut cream (Coco Lopez)
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
cinnamon sticks (one for each bottle)
1/2 cup of Puerto Rican white rum
1/2 cup Coconut Rum
1/4 cup Bacardi 151 proof rum
1/2 coconut grated or 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes and coconut shaving for garnish

Makes about 8-10 bottles, depending on size.

Mix well all  ingredients, bottle and store in refrigerator.  Serve it with a  cinnamon stick and a bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Please note that as you are making this you will be tasting and adjusting  for your own taste…be careful not to sip too much.  Once I ended up on  the couch snoring quite happily.

Coquito French Toast Recipe:

1 Challah bread sliced about an inch thick
2 cups of prepared coquito and 4 eggs
cinnamon for dusting
butter for the frying pan

BUEN PROVECHO!

Our Creative Cooking Crew took December 2013 off for the holidays.

Here we are starting 2014 with a great challenge:  Let’s tackle some internationally known ethnic dishes – and present them in new, creative and exciting ways.  The star this month is “dumplings“.

An old Puerto Rican dish that packs a lot of flavor and can be described as “comfort food”.

I know it’s not pretty, but I have never had luck photographing brown and green foods.  Just believe me when I say it is absolutely “delicioso”.

Ingredients for Gandules:

1 14 oz. bag of frozen gandules (if using fresh, frozen or dried, boil until softened)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup sofrito
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 packet Sazon Goya
1/2 cup smoked cooking ham, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 bay leaf

Bollitos:

2 green plantains, peeled and grated (using smallest holes on hand grate. If you have a food processor it would be best…you would get a smoother batter).

Salt and pepper to taste
1 packet Sazon Goya (see picture)
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions for gandules:

Heat oil in pot over medium high heat. Add ham, sofrito, tomato sauce, and sauté two or three minutes until fragrant. Add sazon, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf and continue to cook for another two or three minutes then add gandules and chicken stock, bring to a boil.

Once you gandules are tender, drain and put aside.  Bring stock to a boil.

Meanwhile, mix ingredients for the dumplings (bollitos). With a tablespoon or ice cream scoop carefully add dumplings into stock. Lower heat to medium low and cook covered for about 15 minutes the add gandules and cook for another 15 minutes or until dumplings are firm.

Serve with white rice and if available a slice of avocado.

BUEN PROVECHO!

The challenge for March from Creative Cooking Crew is “The Perfect Bite”.

I had my perfect bite, but one of my friends raided my refrigerator during the middle of the night and ate it.  She gave it a thumbs up, but no pictures.

Just got back from a week in Puerto Rico and found another perfect bite.  I did a post on tembleque a while back.  It is one of my favorite childhood deserts.

When I saw it on the menu, I had to order it especially when it was served with a cilantro sauce.  The Chef promised to e-mail me the recipe and forgot.  I then thought of adding the mint.

All you have to do is make a simple syrup and once the syrup has cooled  add 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves and about 20 of mint then blend…must say it worked out well and I got to eat it this time.

BUEN PROVECHO!

I am here visiting my cousin Patty and her daughter Kristin in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kristin is a beautiful girl that when I am with her she fills my life with joy and anyone that meets her feels the same.  When she asked for bread pudding, her wish was immediately granted.

Bread pudding is a big deal in our family and mother’s was always the best. This is my first time using croissants and I must say that I like this version better than using day old bread. The croissant’s are buttery and flaky and you can taste the difference in the finished product.

INGREDIENTS:

16 croissants (which were purchased in bulk @ Costco’s)
2 cans evaporated milk – 12 oz.
1 can of milk (using evaporated can as measure) – 12 oz.
1 can condensed milk – 14 oz.
6 eggs
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons of butter
4 oz raisins (4 one ounce box)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Break up croissants with your hand in one inch pieces and place in a well buttered baking sheet. Add raisins and mix. In a blender, blend all other ingredients including butter. Pour over the croissant pieces and press so that bread will soak up and let it sit for about 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake until pudding is golden brown. The electric oven I used took only about 1/2 and hour.

Note: The bread pudding lasted 2 days.

BUEN PROVECHO!

The theme for our Creative Cooking Crew for May is:  Fish n’ Chips and take it some place it’s never been before and make it your own.

We are going to the tropics… to my “Isla del Encanto” Puerto Rico, you lovely Island….

Bacalaitos with Batata  and lavender Yautia chips.

Bacalaitos are one of Puero Rico’s traditional snacks.  They are served at the beach, parties and holidays.  They are delicious when accompanied by a cold beer.

I used my mandolin to make the chips and deep-fried them until crispy, drained on paper towels and sprinkled with pink salt.

The Bacalaitos are usually served in a round shape.  Normally, the original fish n’ chips are battered and fried.  We make the batter and add the cooked and flaked cod fish to it.

Yautia Lila being my favorite is speckled with purple and if you boil them they have a lavender hue, but thats another post coming up.

Batata on left – Yautia Lila on right

Yautia Lila on left – Batata on right:

Bacalaitos:

1 lb. salted cod fish or bacalao (about 2 bags)
1-1/2 cups of flour
1-1/2 cups water
2 packages of Sazon Goya with Achiote
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
salt/pepper to taste
Lard or vegetable oil for deep-frying

Rinse cod and cut into two inch pieces and boil for about 15 minutes to remove excess salt,  drain, flake and set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients with water until it has the consistency of pancake batter, if too thick add a bit more water. Add the cod and incorporate into batter.

Heat lard or oil until hot.  Drop batter length wise and fry until all sides are crispy, drain and serve immediately.

BUEN PROVECHO!

This is the Puerto Rican version that is a year-round favorite but mostly enjoyed during Lent.

This recipe comes from the queen of Puerto Rican cooking, Carmen Aboy Valldejuli.  Her book “Cocina Criolla” or the English version “Puerto Rican Cookery” is to me considered the bible of our kitchen. This book was written 1954 and as far as I can see the second edition was in 1955 and 37 more seditions until 1982.  I am sure there are more as my book is from 1983.

This is my contribution to Sofrito Magazine which is a digital interactive experience for the food lover with a Latin flair.  It is available for download on IOS and Android in Spanish and English.

Ingredients:

(A) 1 lb. of dried, salted codfish fillets
(B) 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced thinly
(C) 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 caned pimento, chopped
1/4 cup olives stuffed with pimento
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup seeded raisins (I did not use them in recipe)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves

Instructions:

Soak codfish in water to cover for 4 hours. Drain well and boil rapidly in 2 quarts (8 cups) of water for 15 minutes, drain and discard bones and skin and shred codfish.

Mix ingredients included in (C)

In a large frying pan, alternate layers of codfish, sliced potatoes, sliced onions and shredded codfish. Add ingedients in (C).

Bring to a boil. Cook over low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

IN SPANISH:

(A) 1 libra de filete de bacalao
(B) 1 libra de papas, mondadas y cortadas en rebanadas muy finas
2 cebollas medianas. mondadas y cortadas en rebanadas finas
(C) 1/2 taza de salsa de tomate
1/2 taza de aceite de oliva
1/2 taza de agua
2 pimientos morones cortados en pedazos
1/2 taza de aceitunas rellenas
2 cucharaadas de alcaparras
1/2 taza de pasas sin semillas (yo no las puse en esta receta)
3 granos de ajo picaditos
2 hojas de laurel

Ponga el bacalao en agua a remojarse por 4 horas antes de hacerlo. Despuès escúrralo bien en dos litros de agua (8 tazas) y póngalo a hervir, a fugo alto durante 15 minutos. Escúrralo y quítele bien las espinas y el pellejo.

Mescle todo en (C)

En un caldero ó sartén grande, coloque camadas de rebanadas de papa, cebolla y bacalao. Agregue (C) y cueza a fuego alto hasta hervir. Reduzca a fuego bajo y cueza tapado durante 30 minutos ó lo necesario para cocer las papas.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Our Creative Cooking Crew challenge this month is “chocolate”.

When I was younger my Mom used to make this for Three Kings Day (January 6th).  Not having a recipe I went to cakecentral.com and found one that I thought was like the one she used to make.

This is my contribution to our challenge and I decided to add fresh fruits and mint to the finished product.

Recipe:

Caramel:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Flan:

1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:

1/2 box of super moist Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix
1/2 butter stick (melted)
1 egg
3/4 cup water

Instructions:

Melt the sugar with water in a non-stick pan over low heat until golden in color. Inmediately pour over a bunt  pan and swirl around to cover bottom and sides of pan. Pan will be HOT careful. You will have to be quick because it will start to harden as it cools down.

Blend all ingredients for the flan in a medium bowl until completely mixed, set aside.

Blend all ingredients for cake in a medium bowl until completely mixed, set aside.

Pour the flan mixture thru a metal strainer right into the caramelized pan. Now carefully spoon the cake mixture on top of the flan mixture. It will float so make sure you cover the entire surface. If gaps are visible just swirl the cake carefully with a fork until entire surface is covered. Bake at 350 for about one hour. Test if done by inserting a skewer or knife in the center and it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes. Run a butter knife to loosen up edges and invert onto a plate. Add fruits and…

BUEN PROVECHO!