Ensalada de Camarones (Shrimp Salad)

Ahahahahahaha!  Today when I woke up my buns where burning and I am not talking about some baked good I put in the oven, I am talking about my own personal buns.  No, it’s not because I sat in a batch of hot jamaican peppers it’s because I did a new class yesterday at the gym and it kicked my butt.  I felt the burnnnnnn.

It was an awesome class and one of the instructors was a trip.    He was from Texas, loud, buff, about 50 years old, in blue and white spandex and with a personality that would barely fit inside the state of Texas.  He had me laughing, while at the same time turning my legs into jello with every squat.

I was beat after that workout and I needed to get dinner together quick.  This is one of those I am tired and don’t feel like making an effort, toss together, and get dinner on the table quick meal.  The bonus is that Obed loves this and so he is happy and I have saved myself time and energy. The only problem about this dish is because it is a “throw it together” meal I have never paid full attention to my measurements when making it, so some of this will be a guesstimation.

In a hot skillet drizzle about 2 Tbs of olive oil and drop in 4 tbs (cubes) of sofrito.

While the sofrito breaks down, thinly slice 1/2 a large onion.

Add an additional 2 Tbs of olive oil, 1 Tbs of white vinegar and onions to the hot skillet cook at a medium-high heat until they begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes.

Once the onions begin to soften, but not too much because you still want a crunch, add the 1/2 bag of medium shrimp, about 30 shrimp.

Cook shrimp and onions together until shrimp turns pink and curls.  Once the shrimp is cooked through set aside in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar and set aside.

Dice a large tomato, two hard boiled eggs and cube an avocado.

To cube the avocado cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit.  To remove the pit gently tap the pit with a knife with enough force so that the knife edge wedges into the pit, then twist your knife and the pit will pop out.  If you need tap it again but be careful not to miss and loose a finger.  Then using a small knife cut the flesh into a cube grid and use a spoon to scoop out the pieces.  For a more detailed tutorial check out this post by Simply Recipes.

Add diced egg, avocado and tomatoes to shrimp mixture and drizzle desired amount of dressing over top.

Toss everything together and add salt and pepper to taste.  You can serve it immediately or refrigerate and allow to marinate.

I have served this salad with white rice, boiled roots like yucca or on a chopped bed of spinach.    It is full of flavor and super easy and when the temperature finally decides to rise this will be a great dish to toss together.

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Ensalada de Camarones (Shrimp Salad)

• 4 Tbs of sofrito
• 3 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbs white vinegar
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 30 medium shrimp
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 eggs, hard boiled and diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In a hot skillet drizzle about 2 Tbs of olive oil and drop in 4 tbs (cubes) of sofrito.

While the sofrito breaks down, thinly slice 1/2 a large onion.

Add an additional 2 Tbs of olive oil, 1 Tbs of white vinegar and onions to the hot skillet cook at a medium-high heat until they begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes.

Once the onions begin to soften, but not too much because you still want a crunch, add the 1/2 bag of medium shrimp, about 30 shrimp.

Cook shrimp and onions together until shrimp turns pink and curls. Once the shrimp is cooked through set aside in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar and set aside.

Dice a large tomato, two hard boiled eggs and cube an avocado.

To cube the avocado cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit. To remove the pit gently tap the pit with a knife with enough force so that the knife edge wedges into the pit, then twist your knife and the pit will pop out. If you need tap it again but be careful not to miss and loose a finger. Then using a small knife cut the flesh into a cube grid and use a spoon to scoop out the pieces.

Add dice egg, avocado and tomatoes to shrimp mixture and drizzle desired amount of dressing over top.  Toss everything together and add salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve it immediately or refrigerate and allow to marinate. I have served this salad with white rice, boiled roots like yucca or on a chopped bed of spinach.

Posole: Pork and Hominy Soup

Yesterday I posted Carnitas in an attempt to revolutionize taco night.  Because that is my job….my purpose…..no!  My reason for living!  Taco night ¡Revolución! *fist in the air*  

Ok I may have taken that a wee-bit too far, but you get the idea. 

I had quite a bit of carnitas leftover from my taco night ¡Revolución!.  It was to be expected, 3 pounds of pork shoulder for 2 people is a little much, but I was sure to make good use of my leftovers.  To be honest the whole purpose of making the carnitas was to make a posole soup.  I am ashamed to admit that I was not motivated by trying to start a taco night ¡Revolución!, it was my own selfish need to try posole soup.  But this fact should not diminish the taco night ¡Revolución!.

Ok I have used up my quota for the use of the word ¡Revolución!.

The whole thing started while watching an episode of Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives where they visited a place that made a posole soup.   Obed is a huge fan of soup so I made a mental note to find a recipe and try it.   When I went on my search I found a recipe on Chaos in the Kitchen, which gave me the idea of the slow cooker which brings us here today.  I credit her with the seed that planted the idea for the ¡_____________!(remember quota met)

This worked out perfectly.  I got everything together in the morning before heading out for church and when we got back we had a warm savory soup waiting for us.  It is a very filling soup, the pork is soft and tender and the hominy adds to the texture of the soup.   Next time you make carnitas, make extra and plan for a posole soup. 

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Posole: Pork and Hominy Soup (adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen)

• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
• 3 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups cooked pork, like carnitas
• 1 cup roasted green chilies (canned or fresh), diced
• 1/4 cup green salsa, medium
• 2 (15 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• juices from carnitas
• 1 qt chicken or pork stock to cover
• tabasco or sarachi sauce (optional)

Melt butter over medium heat and add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and spices. Saute until veggies are soft.

Add vegetables in a slow cooker with pork, green chilies, salsa and hominy. Add and reserved juices from the carnitas and stock to cover.  Cover slow cooker and set on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 3 1/2.   Add tabasco or sarachi sauce to your taste and serve with desired garnishes.

If you prefer to do this stove top saute veggies as directed and combine everything into a large heavy pot.  Bring the soup to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover, simmer for 2 hours until flavors are well combined.

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.

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos (Chicken Noodle Soup)

Tired and lazy here, thought I would let you know I am alive……..

It is definitely getting chilly in these parts and when it’s chilly it is time for soup.  This is a soup that I make for Obed on chilly days like today.  He loves soup, in fact he had about three bowls of this soup and was sad when there wasn’t enough for a fourth.  This is how Mami(es) in Puerto Rico make chicken noodle soup.  First of all we use bone in meat, none of that dried shredded chicken breast stuff here and of course the secret ingredient sofrito.  Sofrito gives all Puerto Rican food its distinct flavor.

This is very simple to make and it just a warm and satisfying meal on a cold or rainy day.  Make it with love and it cures the common cold.

Print Recipe

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos (Chicken Noodle Soup)

• 1 whole chicken, cut in pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (1 reserved)
• 2 quarts of chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 3 tablespoons sofrito
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 large potato
• 1 envelope Sazon con Achiote
• 1 large bay leaf
• Angel hair pasta

Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and oregano and one teaspoon olive oil and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy pot sauté the sofrito purée, onions and celery with remaining olive oil, for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Brown the chicken pieces to seal in their flavor. Add the chicken stock or water to the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Raise the heat and bring to a boil once more; add carrots, potatoes, sazon and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until carrot and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. During the last 5 – 10 , minutes add the angel hair and cook until pasta is done.

Gazpacho

How many of you ladies have a husband what will not consider a meal, a meal if there isn’t some meat on his plate?  That when you order pizza it has to be the meat lovers or nothing.   He won’t even consider the veggie pizza.  How many times have you been making dinner as he has hovers around asking, “Is there any meat in it?”  I am sure I have many fellow sympathizers.  My man is a hard core carnivore, not only does there have to be meat in it but it has to be chunks of meat.  For example if  I am making something with sausage he protests if I cut the casing to break up the sausage, he wants it in slices. 

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1/2 large cucumber, diced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 zucchini, diced
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1 Jalapeno, Finely minced
• Sliced avocado
• Cilantro
• 8 large shrimp
• Dash of Cumin
• Pinch of kosher salt

In the food processor, combine the minced garlic with red onion, cucumber, tomato, zucchini,  tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, and a dash of salt. Pulse until all ingredients are blended well.

Pour into a large bowl, stir mixture together and check seasonings, adding salt if needed. Chill soup for at least a 1 hour; soup need to chill to allow the flavors to marinate.

Remove the soup from the fridge and stir. Check seasonings one last time.

Season shrimp with cumin and salt, drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Grill on grill skillet until pink.  Drizzle a thick slice of wheat bread with olive oil and grill on grill skillet.

Ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with remaining diced vegetables, a slice of fresh avocado and cilantro. Finally, place a grilled shrimp on the top and serve with grilled slice of bread.

Spanish Bean Soup

You know how in every family each family member has a “signature” dish? This soup is my “signature” dish according to my Hubby’s family. Usually my mother-in-law would ask me to make it on Sundays after church if she had a busy weekend or my brother-in-law would harass me into making it. I would say beg, but he doesn’t beg he harasses. Actually we like to harass each other. You know call each other names, make fun of each other, it’s really a loving and well balance relationship. Although it may look a little hostile if you don’t know us. I am saving up for the next time I see him, guns blazing.

I have no clue why it took me so long to post it. It is such a delicious and simple dish. The first time I ever had Spanish Bean Soup was at the Silver Ring in Downtown Lakeland, FL. It is a little mom & pop sandwich shop that has been there for years. It has a very simple menu and is cash only. It doesn’t look like much from the outside….or the inside for that matter, but don’t let that fool you. Their daily special is half of a Cuban sandwich with a cup of Spanish Bean or Black Bean soup. Some days I would get the special but most of the time I would just get a big bowl of Spanish Bean soup with bread and butter, it’s divine.

I cannot tell you how many times I digged around the bottom of my purse for change, to have enough for just a cup of their soup. I finally got wise and tried to make my own soup. Which is a good thing I did because I’m not finding any Spanish Bean Soup here in Tulsa.

It has been a while since I made this soup. Yesterday it popped into my head and I just had to have some. I know it is summer and most people don’t think soup in the summer, but I don’t care what season it is, when I crave something I make it and eat it.

I absolutely love this soup and can eat it over and over again. The broth is full of flavor and tons of aroma. You will want to soak up every drop with a some bread. The garbanzos are firm against the tender potatoes and you get just a hint of spice from the sausage. If you want to make it even heartier, drop a spoonful of rice in the soup.

Devour with vigor and enjoy!  Don’t forget to wipe your chin.

Print Recipe

Spanish Bean Soup

• 2 Cans of Garbanzo Beans (not drained)
• 1 qt of Chicken Broth
• 1 Andouille sausage, cut in half and sliced (can also use Kielbasa or Chorizo sausage)
• 3 Red potatoes, quartered & thinly slice
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/4 cup of Sofito (3 Cubes)
• 1 envelope of Sazon with saffron
• 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
• salt to taste

Heat 1 Tbs of olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat, add 4 cubes of sofrito (1/4 cup), cook until it breaks down, abt. 5 mins.

Add sausage & onions, cook until onions are soft and translucent, add potatoes and garbanzo beans (undrained), chicken stock & an envelope of Sazon con Azafran, stir.

Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serve hot with bread and butter.

Bacalao (Salted Cod Salad)

Bear with me while I write the post.  I am suffering from a lack of sleep after piping that I think where 1,500 petals last night on to some cupcakes, which I will be posting later.  Me very sleepy, fingers a little cramped.

When I was a kid my grandmother would make this salad and it was one of the few things I would refuse to eat.  Great way to start off a food post huh? Of course I don’t think anyone can successfully feed a child salted cod.  If you have please let me know.  After much protest from both me and my sister this was no longer  offered in our household. 

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Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

If you didn’t know apparently the southern part of the Midwest is in the clutches of a heatwave…and it’s not burning in my heart.  Did you get that? It’s a little joke.  You know like the song…..ok maybe it wasn’t so great, sorry moving on.  Needless to say it is hot, like really hot, like if you wear shorts and sit on a leather seat or worse pleather seat, you and the seat are sure to become one and in this case it does not end in happly ever after.  Not to mention you may have 1st degree burns.

Well this heat doesn’t give me much of a desire to cook.  Especially since my kitchen is so well ventilated…..NOT!  Unfortunatly in order to say alive we must consume some form of sustanance, which therefore requires me to cook.  In an effort to keep myself and Hubby alive and well norished, while at the same time trying not to pass out from a heat stroke, I came up with this light yet filling dish.  Oh and there is a bounus, it is actally healthy.  I stayed away from anything heavy, starchy,  cheesy or fried. 

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Basil and Mint Melon Salad

Holy HOTNESS! No not talking about me, talking about the weather today.  Let me sum it up for you really quick.  It consisted of the following; flat tire, riding in a black car with leather seats and no air conditions, a heat index of 120, busted air conditioning at the office,  rocking the fan blown hair and riding in a VERY HOT black car with leather seats.  Not so fun.  

On such a hot stinking day a treat like this is guaranteed to hit the spot. It is utterly refreshing, sweet and the mint subtly cools your mouth.   Oh and it is so stinking, extremely easy.  It is definitely a win-win.

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Coconut Shrimp Soup, Some Like It Hot…..

It has been a little crazy these past few days.  Yesterday, I was at my church playing Bunkopalooza, which was a ton of fun. However, I got home late and I was starving.  I didn’t really want to take the time to cook because: first, I was starving and second, Hubby had worked late and was on his way home.  So, I ran out to the grocery store.

I have to be honest and tell you that I did not go to the grocery store to buy missing ingredients for this soup.  I didn’t make this soup yesterday.  I made it on Monday.  I am taking this time to confess that I ran out to the grocery store and bought……well, I got…..I GOT A FROZEN BAG OF BERTOLLI PASTA DINNER AND GARLIC TEXAS TOAST…….okay, I feel better now.   Yes, it is true! I bought something pre-made and frozen and it wasn’t  pastry dough.  Dude!  What can I say? I was tired and hungry. Any food blogger out there that says they have never bought a frozen bag of something or other for dinner is probably a fibber.  

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