Pollo Sofrito

Yesterday I got some good news.  My camera should be home in 1.5 weeks!  Although this little point-and-shoot has gotten me through the last few weeks and has a great macro lens, I will be happy to have my camera home where it belongs.  It was in fact a bad shutter and it is a $178 repair but I don’t care.  She is coming home!  It’s like the prodigal son….well daughter, because my camera is a girl.  :D   I am even more excited because right before my camera got sick I had bought a new 50 mm F/1.8 lens and have yet had a chance to give it a try.

Enough rambling about my camera let’s move on to the food.

I thought I would share one of my go to, easy, no fuss, no muss dinner options.  I call it pollo sofrito because all I use basically is chicken and sofrito.  I love dinners that come together will minimal ingredients, minimal effort and requires minimal hovering over the stove.  This qualifies as one of those dinners.   I used 5 chicken thighs because that is how I roll, but you can use any cut you want.

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.  Remove the skin from your chicken and season with my personal favorite magical seasoning, Goya Adobo.   I usually eyeball it, I would guesstimate about 1 Tbs, which was 4 – 5 circles over the chicken.

Whisk together, 4 Tbs of sofrito, 3 Tbs of olive oil and 1 Tbs of distilled white vinegar.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat, lightly brush chicken with sofrito mix and brown chicken in skillet in batches, about 5 minutes.  Transfer browned chicken to glass baking dish.

When done browning chicken, deglaze the skillet with 3 Tbs of choice of broth, beer or white wine.  Be sure to scrap up all the yummy brown bits.

Pour broth with yummy browned bits over chicken.

Generously brush chicken with remaining sofrito mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clean, basting periodically.

This is a delicious, juicy and flavorful chicken.  I serve this chicken with rice or rice and beans and some fried plantains.  DE-LISH!

This is suck the bone clean chicken, which is even better then finger licking chicken and it is easy!  Who doesn’t like that?!

Print Recipe

Pollo Sofrito

• 5 chicken thighs
• 1 Tbs Adobo
• 4 Tbs sofrito
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs distilled white vinegar
• 3 tbs of chicken broth (or any liquid of choice)

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Remove the skin from your chicken and season with my personal favorite magical seasoning, Goya Adobo. I usually eyeball it, I would guesstimate about 1 Tbs, which was 4 – 5 circles over the chicken.

Whisk together, 4 Tbs of sofrito, 3 Tbs of olive oil and 1 Tbs of distilled white vinegar.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat, lightly brush chicken with sofrito mix and brown chicken in skillet in batches, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned chicken to glass baking dish.

When done browning chicken, deglaze the skillet with 3 Tbs of choice of broth, beer or white wine. Be sure to scrap up all the yummy brown bits.

Pour broth with yummy browned bits over chicken.

Generously brush chicken with remaining sofrito mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clean, basting periodically.

Serve this chicken with rice or rice and beans and some fried plantains.

Rum Glazed Cornish Hens Stuffed with Sweet Plantains

This Christmas Obed and I spent our first Christmas alone…..well really our second Christmas, since we spent our first Christmas in the hospital.  Last year I was hospitalized on Christmas Eve with chest pains.  Turn out it was a pulmonary embolism, in laymen’s term….I had a clot in my lung. FUN!   Let me tell you that sucker hurt, but the doctor’s were kind and pumped me full of drugs.   The hypothosis was that the clot was brough on by the “I don’t want to get knock-up pills” that I had started taking 30 days, to the day, prior.   Obed and I got to spend our very first Christmas as a married couple in the hospital opening presents.  Although we did have quite a parade of friends and family come to visit.  No worries though, everything is back to normal, clot gone and treatment done.

So I consider this Christmas our first “real” Christmas, since we managed to stay out of the hospital this year and actually open presents under the Christmas tree, but it was our first Christmas away from family.  I wanted to make it a little special so I thought I would get “down-home” and a little “fancy” with some Cornish hens.  Although we were far from family and friends this year, it beats last year’s Christmas without a doubt and it was a white Christmas to boot. 

Let’s cook shall we……

In a blender combine garlic, onion, orange juice and lime juice with seasons sugar, cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt and cilantro.  Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.

Divide marinade and marinate Cornish hens in large Ziploc bags for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.  Trim the ends of the ripe plantains and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until skins are dark and begin to split. 

The plantain will also push out the ends.  Remove from oven and cool.  Once cool enough to handle, peel plantains, slice and place in a medium bowl.

Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, garlic and rum in a small bowl.  Add 3 tbs of the butter rum mixture to the plantains.  Using a fork or potato masher, mash the plantains and set aside. 

Try not to eat them straight out of the bowl….you will be tempted.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Remove Cornish hens from marinade and pat dry.  (Advisory:  This is a photo before marinating.  I forgot to take a photos after marinating….oops.)

I will confess that I thought these were so funny and cute I held them up by the wings, sang a little song and made them dance.  I was sure to call Obed over to watch.   He asked if I had taken any medication. 

Now brace yourself, this is when it starts to get frisky.

Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the hen, season the hens under the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper, then rub the butter rum glaze under the skin and in the cavity.   Reserved half of the butter rum mixture for basting.

Loosely fill the cavities of the hens with mashed sweet plantains.  Tie up the legs with roasting twine.  (I was out so I used sewing thread….shhhhh…don’t tell)

Place in a roasting rack or pan and generously brush the skin of the hens with butter rum glaze.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hours, basting periodically with butter rum glaze and drippings, or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees.

Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes.

This chicken was fantastico!  I got many praises and grunts from the spousal figure.  He even took the bones of my plate and sucked them clean.  I know that sounds  a little gross, but well….whatever.

The chicken was tender and juicy, full of flavor and the glaze gave it a hint of sweetness.  You can easily do this same recipe substituting the hens for a whole chicken if you like. 

My favorite part were the sweet plantains.  They soaked in all the flavor of the chicken and were absolutely divine.  I will be making this again without a doubt.

Print Recipe

Rum Glazed Cornish Hens Stuffed with Sweet Plantains

Mojo Marinade

This marinade can also be used for steaks, pork and fish minus the sugar.

• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbs of sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano flakes
• 1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup olive oil

In a blender combine garlic, onion, orange juice and lime juice with seasons sugar, cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt and cilantro.  Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.

Divide marinade and marinate Cornish hens in large Ziploc bags for 2 hours or overnight.

Cornish Hens

• 2 3 lb Cornish Hens
• 3 large ripe plantains
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 3 1/2 tbs of brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of dark rum (I use Captain Morgan Spiced Rum)
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicon mat.  Trim the ends of the ripe plantains and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until skins are dark.  The plantain will also push out the ends.  Remove from oven and cool.  Once cool enough to handle, peel plantains, slice and place in a medium bowl. 

Whisk together butter, brown sugar, garlic and rum in a small bowl.  Add 3 tbs of the butter rum mixture to the plantains.  Using a fork or potato masher, mash the plantains and set aside.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Remove Cornish hens from marinade and pat dry.  Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the hen, season the hens under the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper, then rub the butter rum glaze under the skin and in the cavity.   Reserved half of the butter rum mixture for glazing.

Loosely fill the cavities of the hens with mashed sweet plantains.  Tie up the legs with roasting twine.  Place in a roasting rack and generously brush the skin of the hens with butter rum glaze.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hours, basting periodically with butter rum glaze and drippings, or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees.  (If skin begins to brown before hens are ready tent with aluminum foil.) Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes.

Serving suggestion :  Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)

Alcapurria

When I was a little girl my family was stationed in Georgia for several years and almost every year we would drive down to Florida to spend Christmas with my dad’s family.   My dad’s side of the family is a lively group and a lot of fun.  Every Christmas family and friends would pack into my Titi Denise’s house in preparation for the big Christmas Eve party.  She would spend hours in the kitchen preparing food for everyone.  One treat that I remember was alcapurria (Al-ka-poo-ree-ah), so warm and toasty.  I use to devour them when I was a kid.   Sadly though Titi Denise passed away unexpectedly about 6 years ago.   In remembrance of all the great Christmas Eve parties she hosted all those years I present you with the alcapurria.

Alcapurria is basically a fritter made of green bananas and yautia (taro root) and stuffed with meat.  I have also had them made with yucca (cassava root), which are extra tasty.  If you happen to find yourself in PuertoRico you can find them sold in the roadside kiosks and cuchifritos.  They are best enjoyed sitting on the beach drinking a nice cold malta.

Hold on this is a long post.

First you need 2 lbs of yautia (taro root) and 5 green bananas.  If the only green bananas you can find are very small, you may want to double up on the bananas.  I had to double up this time.

Make sure to give the yautia a good scrub, then peel with a potato peeler until you get to a clean white flesh.

Now peel your green bananas.  Peeling a green banana is much like peeling a plantain.  I recommend you wear some gloves though because they release a sticky sap when peeling them.

Grate the bananas and yautia using your food processor.  Mine was full up to the rim when I was done.

Change the blade on the food processor and puree mixture until dough like.  It may even turn into a ball in the food processor.

Add one envelope of very bright orange Sazon.  It is orange because it is Sazon con Achiote and the achiote is what makes it orange.

Add 1 tsp of table salt and 1 Tbs of melted cooled shortening.  I don’t have a picture because it was horribly blurry.  Like my 6 year old nephew took the picture.  That  is what happens when your lazy and don’t want to set up the tri-pod.

Finally add 1 Tbs of olive oil.

Mix everything together until well combined.  The dough should have an even orange tinge to it.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Now lets start on the filling.

Heat a large frying pan with 2 tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute sofrito and onions until tranlucent.

Add diced cooking ham and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 lb. of  ground meat to the pan.

Add the seasonings, 1/2 tps of dried oregano, 1/2 tps of Sazon with achiote, 1/2 tps of salt and 1/4 tps of black pepper.

Once the meat is nice and brown add 1/2 tsp of caper and;

8 chopped pimento stuffed olives.

Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more if it needs it.  Don’t worry it is a wee bit on the salty side it will balance out once you assemble the alcapurria.  Set filling aside.

We have now jumped into a time warp and it is now 3 hours later or the next day.

Take a piece of foil and brush it with oil. You can also use wax paper or if you want to be real hardcore, a banana leaf.

Spread a heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto the foil.  I kind of padded it down like a patty.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center.  Be careful not to put in too much filling or it won’t close properly.

Fold over one side of the foil and;

roll it and press it, kind of like your rolling a sushi roll.

When you peel away the foil, finish shaping it and pinch the ends to seal.

Gently slide the alcapurria into the hot oil and let them cook for 5 – 7 minutes, or until a deep golden brown and firm to the touch.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towel lined plate.

Eat to your hearts content but be careful it can be hot!

What I really love about these is that almost every bite is different.  The first bite is always crunchy but mostly all dough, when you get to the filling it really starts to sing and when you get a little bit of olive it’s like a tangy little surprise.

If 15 is too many for you all at one time, you can assemble them wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them.  Next time you want one just thaw out and toss in the fryer.

Print Recipe

Alcapurrias (makes about 15)

Masa (dough)

• 5 very green bananas (guineitos verdes)
• 2 lbs of yautia (taro root)
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 packet of Sazon with achiote
• 1 Tbs of melted cooled shortening
• 1 Tbs olive oil

Using a fine grater blade run the guineitos and yautia through the  food processor and then run again using the standard puree/chopping blade, you may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your food processor.  Process until smooth and dough like.  Transfer dough to plastic bowl, add the salt, Sazon and shortening and mix until well combined. Refrigerate for 3 hours or for best results overnight.

Picadillo (meat filling)

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 2 Tbs of sofrito
• 1 ounce of jamón de cocinar (cooking ham, I have substituted Oscar Mayer smoked turkey sausage before)
• 8 pimento stuffed olives (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp of alcaparras (capers)
• 1/2 lb ground beef or pork
• 1/2 tps of dried oregano
• 1/2 tps of Sazon with achiote
• 1/2 tps of salt
• 1/4.tps of black pepper

Heat a large pan over medium high heat with 2 tbs. of olive oil, saute onions and sofrito.  Stir in cooking ham, olives and capers, allow to cook for about 2 minutes.  Add ground meat and remaining ingredients. Once browned stir well then cook at low heat for 15 minutes. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more salt if needed to taste.

Assembling & Frying

Quesitos de Guayaba (Sweeten Cream Cheese and Guava Pastries)

This is one of my favorite easy sweets to whip up for company or because I need something to eat with my coffee.  In every bakery back home in Puerto Rico you will find a pastry we call “quesito” (ke-see-toe)which basically translates to “little cheese”.   A “quesito” is basically just sweeten cream cheese wrapped in a puff pastry and dusted with powder sugar, you can also do a thin glaze in place of the powder sugar.    If you go into a bakery early in the morning you will find people having a “quesito” with a small cup of cafe con leche otherwise called a “posillo” (poe-see-jo).  Another variation is to toss in some “guayaba’ (guava) with the cream cheese.

Unfortunately I am having a difficult time finding my choice guava out here in the Midwest.  I can find guava paste with no problem but I prefer pureed guava shells for this pastry, because it is not as sweet and sugary as guava paste.   Fortunately my wonderful husband came to the rescue (although I suspect he deduced some benefits for himself) and picked up 3 cans of guava shells when he was in Florida on business.   Although they almost didn’t make it because Obed packed them in his carry-on.  Obed refuses to check-in his luggage when traveling and because of this refusal my guava shells almost didn’t make it.   He had to explain to the suspecting TSA agent how his beautiful wife (that would be me, just to clarify ) in Oklahoma really needed them and can’t find them anywhere in Tulsa.  The agent then checked with her supervisor before letting Obed pass with the guava shells.   Obed said that the supervisor looked Puerto Rican so he must have sympathized with our predicament.  It was a close one folks, but I got my guava shells.  Score!

Another bonus was that I got a coupon in the mail from Foodbuzz.com for a free Pepperidge Farm product, so I marched myself….actually I sent Obed, to the store and got a package of puff pastry sheets.  For free mind you….double score!

Well now that I have my guava shells and my pastry sheets lets make “Quesitos de Guayaba”.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper.

Pour 1 can of guava shells into a blender or food processor with half of their syrup and 1 tsp of lime juice.

Blend or puree until smooth, set aside.  Cream together 12 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup of powder sugar, set aside.  (no picture available because I forgot to take one, oops)

On a lightly floured surface roll out thawed pastry dough to about a 12 x 12 square. 

Cut the pastry sheet into 4 x 4 squares.  You should get 9 squares from each sheet.

Spread a heaping table spoon of cream cheese at an angle, running corner to corner, on each square.  Then top the cream cheese with guava puree. 

Wet the corners of the pastry squares and fold over the filling like a burrito, you can trim the peak or tuck it in if you like.   Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until puffy and golden in color.  Immediately dust with powder sugar and serve with a ”posillo” of cafe con leche.   

These are the perfect ending to a heavy meal because they are light and not too sweet.   I think I may be going for a second round this evening after we put up our Christmas tree.   I have two more cans of guava shells, what should I do with them?  Any ideas or suggestions? 

Print Recipe

Quesitos de Guayaba (about 18 pastries)

• 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 can of guava shells (can substitute for guava paste)
• 1 tsp of lime juice
• 12 oz  cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powder sugar

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheets with silicon mat or parchment paper.

In a blender or food processor pour in guava shells with half of their syrup and lime juice, blend until smooth.

Using a hand or stand mixer, whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy. 

On a lightly floured surface roll pastry sheets out to about 12 x 12 inches.   Cut the pastry sheets into 4 x 4 squares, you should get about 9 squares per sheet.  Spread about 2 tbs of cream cheese mixture down the middle of the square at an angle, running corner to corner, then top cream cheese with 1 heaping tbs of guava.  Wet the corners of the square and fold over over the filling, like a burrito.  You can now trim the peak or fold it in. 

Place pastries on prepared baking sheets and bake in the oven for 25 mins or until puffy and golden.  Keep an eye on them. Remove from oven and immediately dust with powder sugar. 

*If you decided to use guava paste, simply dice the paste into small cubes and spread out over cream cheese.

Chicken Chilaquiles

When I was still a single gal living in Virginia Beach there was this restaurant that me and my girlfriends would go to after church.  It was a Mexican restaurant named “El Camino Real” on Indian River Rd.   I think we went there every other week, it was a bit obsessive.  One of my favorite dished that they had was Chicken Chilaquiles or “Chilaquiles de Pollo”.  

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish.  Corn tortillas cut in quarters and fried are the basis of the dish. It is then topped with green or red salsa or mole.  The mixture is then baked or simmers on the stove top until the tortilla starts softening. Eggs (scrambled or fried) and pulled chicken are sometimes added to the mix. The dish is then topped queso fresco and/or sour cream, and it is served with refried beans.

Over the weekend I had a sudden craving for some chilaquiles.  I decided I would kind of wing and do them my own way.  This is what I came up with. 

Let start with seasoning the chicken with cumin, chili powder, coriander salt and pepper.

Give the chicken a good rub and make sure it is seasoned evenly, set aside.

In a dutch oven or heavy pot heat 1 tbs of olive oil at a medium high heat, add onions and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes or until they begin to become translucent.  

Now add your chicken to the pot and brown evenly on all sides.  This should take about 7 minutes or so. 

Once your chicken is nice and brown add the diced tomatoes.

Add green and red salsa. 

This reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George are in the coffee shop talking about how salsa is now the #1 requested condiment and how much it sounds like selzer. 

It went something like this:

GEORGE: Why don’t they have salsa on the table?

JERRY: What do you need salsa for?

GEORGE: Salsa is now the number one condiment in America.

JERRY: You know why? Because people like to say “salsa.” “Excuse me, do
you have salsa?” “We need more salsa.” “Where is the salsa? No salsa?”

GEORGE: You know it must be impossible for a Spanish person to order
seltzer and not get salsa. (Angry) “I wanted seltzer, not salsa.”

JERRY: “Don’t you know the difference between seltzer and salsa?? You
have the seltezer after the salsa!”

It is a little odd how often I can compare my own life’s moments to Seinfeld episodes…..moving on.

Now add some cilantro and;

a good squeeze of half a lime.  Give it all a good stir and bring to a simmer. 

Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins.

Once the chicken is done, transfer it to a plate, remove the bones and shred the chicken using two forks.

Return to the pot and stir it in with the sauce.

Take a stack of tostadas and break them up, you will need about 3 ounces.  You can use tortilla chip instead if you have them.

Start layering a 4×4 baking dish.  First layer with 1/2 of the tortilla chips.

Second layer is half of the shredded chicken.

Then 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese.

And repeat….tortilla chips,

shredded chicken;

and 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese.

And in case you don’t have enough cheese, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of queso fresco over top, because it is yummy and it looks good.  I am all about being superficial and looking good. 

Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees.  In 20 minutes this cheesy dish of deliciousness will emerge from your oven.

Cut yourself a fourth or a half, no one here will judge you.

Begin the heavenly decent upon your plate.  Serve with Mexican rice and garnish with cilantro and avocado.

These turned out better then I expected.  In fact I made them twice in one week.  I made them first on a whim on a weeknight because it was an easy dish to put together and I loved it so much I did it again on Saturday, so I could take pictures and post it.  I felt compelled to share it with you.   What  I loved about the dish was the different textures, some of the chips become soft and some keep a bit of a crunch.   It was the perfect dish for a chilly afternoon.

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Chicken Chilaquiles

• 3 chicken thighs, skinless bone-in
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp course salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup roma tomato, diced, about 3 tomatoes
• 1 cup mild red salsa
• 1/2 cup medium green salsa
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1 chipotle pepper, minced (optional)
• 4 cups of broken tostadas or tortilla chips, about 3 ounces
• 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
• 1/4 cup queso fresco

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken thighs in a medium sized bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Season the chicken with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Give the chicken a good rub and season evenly.

In a hot dutch oven or heavy pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a medium high heat.   Add onions and garlic to the pot, cook for a few minutes until onions and garlic begin to become translucent.   Add seasoned chicken to the pot, brown evenly on all sides, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Once the chicken is nice and brown add the diced tomatoes, salsas, cilantro and lime juice. (You can also toss in a chipotle pepper if you want to turn up the heat) Stir and bring to a simmer, once it comes to a simmer lower heat to medium and cover.  Cook for about 20 minutes. 

Transfer chicken to plate, remove bones then using two forks shred the chicken.  If it is easier you can wait for chicken to cool and pull the chicken with your fingers.  Return shredded chicken to pot and reheat. 

To assemble: Take 4×4 square pan, start with a layer of half of the tortilla chips, then half of the chicken, followed by 1 cup of cheese Mexican blend cheese and repeat.  You want to finish with chicken and cheese on top, sprinkle with queso fresco. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  When done serve immediatly and garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado.

Sancocho (Puerto Rican Beef Stew)

It has been gloomy and rainy for a week now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up till maybe the weekend….so says the weatherman.  What is really annoying is that it isn’t even a real rain, it’s a mist, I feel like I am in London or something.  Cold and drizzly weather like this calls for a warm hearty stew.  This particular dish has to be my favorite cold weather dish, no doubt.  The name of this dish, Sancocho, literally means stew.  In Puerto Rico when a person has spent all day under the hot sun, it is said that they are “sancochao”,  which means stewing in the blistering heat.  

This stew goes back at least 400 hundered years to when the Spaniards brought African slaves over to the island.  The slaves would make a huge pot and let it stew all day and have a hearty meal ready after a long day of labor.  The tradition continued on to the poor farmers, which were call “Jibaros” and it is still here today.

Sancocho is made up of beef tips, beef stock and a variety of starches that are both native to the island and to Africa.  Although plantains are associated with Puerto Rican cuisine, the plantain is originally from Africa.  My favorite starch in this stew is the yucca root, which is native to Puerto Rico and was use by the native Taino Indians.   I was lucky enough to find frozen yucca at my local Asian market.  You can switch starches in and out if needed.  If you are missing something, add a little more of something else, but do not leave out the corn.  The corn is one of the best parts.  I always save my corn for the very end, it is almost like a savory dessert.  I remember when my sister and I were young we use to fight over the last piece of corn in the pot.  She is a scrappy one, but I didn’t go down without a fight.

This stew is just heaven and reminds me so much of home.  Obed was very excited to come home to a huge pot of sancocho.  It is very filling and bursting with flavor.  If you have any left, refrigerate it and save it for later.  This stew is even better the next day after it has been marinating overnight.  I think Obed and I ate from this pot for three days.  You can also freeze it and have it on hand for a cold rainy day.   

To me, it’s a little piece of home in a bowl.

 Print Recipe

Sancocho (Stew)  Serves 6

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 lbs top round beef, cubed into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup green pepper, chopped
• 5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 4 quarts beef stock
• 1 green plantain, peeled and slice into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow plantain, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 3 medium new potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 ears of yellow corn, cleaned and sliced into 6 parts each

In a preheated dutch oven or heavy pot over low-to-medium heat, combine olive oil, garlic, beef cubes, and onions, stir until beef is brown on all sides and onions begin to caramelize. Add in chopped pepper, cilantro, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and 1 quart of beef stock. Cook down until stock is reduced by half about 20 minutes.

Stir beef, then add in all the remaining vegetables and beef stock. Continue to cook until meat is tender and the vegetables are soft.

Chuletas a La Jardinera (Garden Pork Chops)

In memory of all the gardens across our great country that are beginning to wither and succumbing to the cooler temperatures, these chops are for you.  This is a recipe that you will find in almost every Puerto Rican cookbook, but it is a dish that is under appreciated.   I think it is becaue when you look at it, it doesn’t “look” like a Latin or Puerto Rican dish.   It doesn’t fall within the stereotype of rice, beans and plantains.

I can sympathis with this dish, in a way we are kindered spirts, because I too do not meet the Puerto Rican “stereotype”.  At 5′ 8″, with green eyes, fair skin and straight as a board hair, people don’t seem to believe me when I say I am Puerto Rican.  Then to top it off I don’t even have an accent.  In high school I felt like Gulliver in the land of Lilliput sometimes, since all my girlfriends were no taller then 5′ 5″.

A lot of the recipes I found online for this dish called for canned mixed vegetables.  I do not like most canned vegetables, especially green beans, carrots and peas, they are just too briney for my taste.  If you are in a bind and must use canned I suppose that is ok, but if you can get fresh it is so much better.  The green beans and corn maintain that fresh crispness and sweetness that you can’t get from the canned variety.  The pork chops were very tender and the sauce has a great savory sweetness.  I served these chops with some yellow rice and it was fan-tabulous!

I am sad that I didn’t grow up eating more of these pork chops.  I don’t really remember my mother making them…ever.  I am sure she did at one time or another but I have no memory of it.  I would ask her but she is in the middle of the Mediterranean with my aunt right now.   Don’t worry she’s not floating out there aimlessly, she is on a 12 day cruise.  I wish I was on a 12 day cruise of the Mediterranean…Punk!

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Chuletas a La Jardinera (Garden Pork Chops)

• 6 Pork Chops, Center Cut, Bone-in
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 Tbs vinegar
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and chopped
• 1 large ear of corn, shucked

Rinse and clean pork chops. Dry with paper towels and set aside.

Combine garlic, oregano, salt, olive oil and vinegar in a mortar and pestle. Mash until well combined. Pour garlic mixture over pork chops and toss until all chops are well coated on both sides.

Heat a heavy deep skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chops.

After the chops have been browned, place all the chops back into the skillet. Pour tomatoes with their juices and onions over the top. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Add carrots and cook, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Add corn and green beans and cook covered for 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook, uncovered, for a final 10 minutes.

Serve pork chops hot with vegetables over top.

Crispy Indian Spiced Yogurt Chicken

Hey this ain’t no shake-n-bake!  Do you remember shake-n-bake?  Do they still sell shake-n-bake?  And, no I am not making any reference to the movie Talladega Nights.  This is not Ricky Bobby here.  My mother went through a shake-n-bake phase when I was a kid…..man am I glad that is over.

I have been on a bit of  a lazy streak lately.  Searching for dinner options that require minimal effort but are still interesting.  Earlier this week I was killing some time Stumbling during my lunch hour.  I like to stumble when I get bored, you find a lot of inspiration stumbling.  I stumbled upon this recipe for Crispy Yogurt Chicken from The Pioneer Woman.  (If you have never visited her site you must.  Homegirl is like blog royalty, check her out. ) I thought what a perfect, interesting & easy (ie. slacker) way to make chicken.

The recipe looks absolutly delicate and tasty, but when I see yogurt used in a savory dish I usually think Indian or Greek.  I thought to myself, how perfect would it be to put Indian spices in the yogurt, bread it and bake it.  It is like Indian “Fried” Chicken.  I am even curious about how it would turn out if I actually fried it, but that would have to be for another day.  I chose to use Greek yogurt because it is thicker and has less water in it, making the coating nice and thick.  I also used panko bread crumbs, not because the original recipe called for them, but they are my go-to choice for bread crumbs.  Panko breadcrumbs are Japaneese breadcrumbs, they are a much lighter and drier then regular breadcrumbs.  This produces a crispier and louder crunch then other breadcrumb

I was incredibly please with the results and don’t worry about a picky or suspicious eater, if they like crispy chicken they will like this.

The chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy, it almost had a creaminess to it.  The spices created a very warm and sort of cozy flavor to it.  It had just a smidgen of heat that was cut by the yogurt.  To top it off  a great crunchy crust that absorbed the all the flavor from the spices.  I scraped all of the crispy brown bits from the bottom of the pan, licked my fingers, patted my belly and called it a day.

I am honesly in love with this chicken!

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Crispy Indian Spiced Yogurt Chicken (2-3 Servings) (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

• 3 Chicken Thighs, skin removed
• 7 oz Plain Greek Yogurt
• 3 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 Green Onions, minced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1-2 Tbs Milk
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 1/2 Tbs Butter, divided in 3

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, butter baking pan and spray broling pan.

Combine 7 oz. of greek yogurt with 3 1/2 tsp of Gram Masala, stir and taste to check if you like more seasoning. Add green onions, garlic and milk, stir till well combined.

Dredge chicken in yogurt mixture and then in panko bread crumbs.

Place chicken in buttered pan, place thin pads of butter on top of the chicken & cover with foil, bake at 350 degrees for 35 mins. Tranfer chicken to broiler set to “NORM”, toast panko bread crumbs until golden brown.

Coconut and Pineapple Chicken Curry over Rice Noodles

There was a time that I hated curry.  In fact I would not touch it with a 10 foot pole.  The first time that I tried chicken curry I was 22 or 23 years old living in Washington, DC.  I worked close to Le’fant Plaza which has a sort of underground food court.  It was on the “specials board” at one of the sandwich shops, so I thought I would give it a try.  It wasn’t cool….in fact I thought it was disgusting.  I don’t remember what it was about this chicken curry that was such a turn off but I remember being seriously perplexed that my co-worker was scarfing it down like it was a fillet Mignon covered in butter.

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Lazy Woman’s Dinner: Almost Carbonara

It’s a new work week, it’s stinking HOT and I am tired.  What do I make for dinner when I get home?   I wanted to make something effortless and quick, because I did not feel like hanging out in my poorly ventulated kitchen.

Also I had been nursing the headache from H-E-double hockey sticks and just was not in the mood to do anything that required any kind of real effort. In summation I was tired, sweaty and I had an 8 ton elephant sitting on my head.  Do you know what it’s like to have an 8 ton elephant on your head and a yappy dog that won’t shut up?  Not pointing any fingers. *nodding towards Buster*

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