Arroz con dulce/ Rice pudding - Ep. 19

Arroz Con Dulce

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups short or medium grain rice
4 cups water
2 anise
7 cloves
1 large cinnamon stick or 2-3 average size sticks
1 tsp. salt
2 cans coconut milk
1 cups raisins
1 cup sugar
2 tbl. sp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon


Instructions:

1. In a bowl add rice and fill with water so it covers the rice. Allow it to sit for 2 hours to soften the rice.
2. In a large pot add 3 cups of water, anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and salt. On medium low heat bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3.Discard the spices and keep the liquid in the pot.
4. Add remaining cup of water, 1 can of coconut milk and stir.
5. Discard the water the rice was in.
6. Add rice, vanilla extract, butter, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and stir.
7. Allow to simmer on medium high heat for 20 minutes stirring the rice every 5 minutes.
6. Add coconut milk and allow to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.
7. Serve in a pie plate or individual ramekins and allow to chill in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Enjoy!

Bacalao Guisado/ Stewed Codfish-Ep.18

Bacalao Guisado/ Stewed Codfish- Ep. 18

Ingredients:

4 pieces of Bacalao/ salted codfish

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup Olive oil

Half of a large onion sliced 

2 table spoons sofrito

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 packet of sazon

1/4 teaspoon adobo

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup Water

Instructions:

1.Fill pot with water and bring to a boil.

2.Add codfish in the pot to extract the salt from the fish. Boil for 15-20 minutes.

3.Discard water from the pot and transfer fish to a bowl.

4.Shred fish apart using two forks.

5.Switch to a pan and bring your heat to medium high. 

6.Add olive oil, sofrito, tomato sauce, sazon, adobo, black pepper, and simmer for 2 mintues.

7.Add onions and stir. Cook until translucent.

8.Add cilantro and stir.

9. Add garlic and stir. 

10.Add codfish and stir.

11.Add water and stir. Cook for 10 minutes and serve.

I served the stewed codfish with white rice and yuca (cassava) and boy was it delish! Enjoy! 

Chicken & Chorizo with Black Beans Burrito- Ep. 17

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
5 1/2 oz. Chorizo
1 15.5 oz. can of black beans, drained
3 Tb. Sp. Cilantro, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tb. Sp. taco seasoning
1 Tb. Sp. Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
Large tortillas


Instructions:

1. In a large skillet on medium heat add olive oil allow it to warm up for a few seconds.
2. Add chicken.
3. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine.
4. Add onions and cilantro and stir to combine.
5. Squeeze lime juice and stir.
6. Add garlic and stir.
7. Add Chorizo and break it up using with a wooden spoon.
8. Add black beans and stir.
9. Add mixture onto large tortilla and top with your favorite fixings and fold sides and roll into burrito.

Enjoy!

Tip: I added two Mexican cheeses one was Queso Fresco and the other was Queso Chihuahua and I also layered some guacamole and sour cream. The flavors were delicious!

Breakfast Bowl- Ep. 16

Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients:
4 medium size Idaho potatoes cubed
7 slices cooked turkey bacon roughly chopped
8 slices cooked hard salami roughly chopped
1 small onion diced
5 cooked scrambled eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. adobo
3/4 tsp. sazon
3 tbsp. olive oil



Instructions:

1. In a pan cook turkey bacon and hard salami. Once cooked. Roughly chop and set aside.
2. Peel, wash, and dice potatoes.
3. Add olive oil to hot pan and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender.
4. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper,adobo,sazon to potatoes.
5. In a separate pan scramble eggs and lightly sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, adobo and sazon.
6.Add turkey bacon, hard salami, scrambled eggs to pan with potatoes. Stir.
7. Spoon mixture in to bowl and sprinkle cheddar cheese and repeat a second layer. Enjoy!

Coquito/ Puertorican Eggnog- Ep. 15

Coquito
Ingredients:

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 15 oz. cream of coconut
1 12 oz. evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups Rum
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. cinnamon





Instructions:

1. Fill half of a pot with water on medium high heat bring to a boil.
2. Place can of cream of coconut  to melt down the coconut (the whole can).
3. In a blender add evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, egg yolks, cream of coconut, egg yolks, and cinnamon and blend.
4. Add Rum and blend.


Tip: While the coquito will taste delicious as soon as it's made I would recommend that you allow it to sit in your refrigerator for at least 1 daysas it'll allow the flavors to develop and make for a much better coquito. Also add 1/4 cup of water if you'd like to thin it out a bit. Store in a glass bottle. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Tex-Mex Taco Casserole- Ep. 14

If any of you are like me Sundays are a day to rest, relax, bake (ha-ha) and prepare for the upcoming work week. I was feeling a bit sluggish last Sunday and wanted to put together a simple meal and came up with this amazing Tex-Mex Taco Casserole. The texture and flavors were absolutely amazing! It's not the healthiest recipe however I don't eat like this everyday, and if we're simply going to be judging on taste alone, then it was a home run! It's also perfect to serve on game day as well. It really is a crowd pleaser and goes a long way. Everyone at home loved it, they even went back for seconds! Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. Cooked Ground sirloin
1/2 Bag corn chips
2 Cups shredded blend Mexican cheeses
1 15.5 oz. can Pinto beans- smashed
1 15.25 oz. can whole kernel sweet corn
1 Cup black beans
1 Avocado- diced-to top off
1 Dollop Sour cream- to top off


Instructions:

1. Lightly spray 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray
2. Place a layer of corn chips to
casserole dish.
3. Add a few dollops of the smashed pinto beans.
4. Add layer of ground beef.
5. Add layer of black beans.
6. Add layer of corn.
7. Sprinkle shredded cheese.
8. Repeat the steps to add a second layer.
9. Bake at 400F for 20 mins.
10. Add diced avocado's and dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Piononos/ Sweet Plantain Meat Pie- Ep. 13

Piononos are another Puerto Rican favorite. They are fried  sweet plantain pies that are stuffed with  Puerto Rican picadillo  (ground beef) . They are  typically fried twice however considering I felt guilty frying them the first time I decide to bake them for what was supposed to be the second fry and they came out absolutely amazing! I just love the combination of the sweet plantain and the savory flavors of the picadillo, it simply tastes so good! Piononos are delicious on  their own as well as alongside of some white rice with beans or yellow rice with pigeon peas.   Enjoy!

Piononos

Ingredients:

Sweet Plantains- cut into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise
Picadillo (cooked ground beef)
2 Beaten eggs
1/3 Cup shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese 


Instructions:

1. In a skillet add enough oil to coat bottom of pan on medium heat. 
2. Add sweet plantains and cook until gold brown on both sides. 
3. Form plantains into a cylinder. Secure them in place using a toothpick. 
4. Fill tops and bottoms with ground beef. 
5. Pour beaten egg on top. 
6. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
7. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. 
8. Add piononos to baking dish. Bake at 375F for 20 mins. 

Enjoy!