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Welcome to my Food Blog. I am the Editor-in-Chief of El Boricua, 100% Puerto Rican, born in Río Piedras and raised between there and Cayey. I'm a very busy person. I have a 'real' 9 to 5 job. I have to drive at least one hour to and from work daily. I have a husband, a family, two dogs, and two grand-dogs to look after. I don't have a maid, so I have to tend to my house with a lot of help from my hubby. I love writing and container gardening. And I'm pretty sure I like cooking, for sure I love writing about it. Most
of my writing and editing ideas come to me in the morning when I am getting ready
for work somewhere around 6:30 am (thus this photo). | |
Ivonne's
Food Blog
April 2013 - I love these long-sliced platanutres, they taste the same as the ones we are used to but they seem so much more fun, don't they? I've seen these in restaurants as appetizers, but they are so easy to make at home too. I use a Mondoline slicer to slice into perfectly equal trips. Make sure to use very green plantains (or use very green bananas, guineitos verdes). Peel as usual. Slice in the Mandoline slicer. Drop in warm salted water. Heat the oil, drain a few slices at a time and fry until crispy. Have a splatter screen ready because you will need it. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with garlic salt right away, while still moist with oil. Serve with Puerto Rican Salsa Rosa, which is simply one part ketchup and three parts mayo with a sprinkle of garlic power and a tiny sprinkle of cayenne pepper, mix it well and serve for dipping |
April2013 - Carne Mechada . . . . only in Puerto Rico. This is the most tender roast beef you can prepare. It is a stuffed roast. Que divino! Looks dificult but is not - it is just several steps. Buy the least expensive roast, eye round. I always wash meats before preparing them. Rinse and dry with paper towels. Using a long sharp knife, cut long deep slits on the meat. Be careful here with the sharp knife (speaking from experience). Seasoning mixture: First combine all the stuffing ingredients and stuff the meat. Combine the seasoning ingredients and spead all over the meat. Let it rest for about 30 minutes or so, covered, in the fridge (en la nevera). Meanwhile preheat the crockpot to high. Slice the meat; return it to the sauce at the crockpot & cook it for additional 10 minutes so that the meat soaks up the sauce. |
March2013 - The other day I decided to try to make what my mother called Tortitas de Bacalao - which are sometimes called Croquetas de Bacalao. These are bacalao fritters made with potatoes and eggs and herbs and are absolutely delicious - as is all Puerto Rican food. The first step is to desalt the bacalao, which is easy to do - just time consuming. 16 ounces salt cod (desalted) These are delicious for lunch with a green salad and they also make great appetizers. The mixture can be prepared ahead and fried later just before serving.
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Tostones are one of the favorite foods in Puerto Rico and are made with green plantains. But did you know you can also make tostones de pana or Breadfruit? Not the At abuela's house in Cayey there were a couple of Pana trees in the yard. These tall trees produced a lot of fruit and my grandmother would share the fruit with friends and neighbors. The round solid fruit often fell from the trees on its own. Pana or Breadfruit can be found on the east coast in areas heavily populated by Caribeños. Or you can have a relative ship you one of two from the island. Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges, then slice off the rim and slice off the middle section with the pits. Slice up each wedge into 2-inch pieces and process as if you were making tostones. Fry the first time to get them cooked inside over medium high heat. Fry about 3 minutes or so on each side, turning only once. Drain on paper towels. Mash down between two pieces of a brown paper sack and use a saucer to press down to flatten or using a tostonera. Drop these in salty warm water. Drain just a bit and fry a second time until they begin to turn golden (be careful with oil splatters). Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with garlic salt. Tostones are served as a side dish, appetizer, or snack. If you want a dipping sauce, use Puerto Rico's MayoKetchup sauce or plain Mojo de Ajo or even ketchup. It's sinfully delicious!
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This is a super delicious Puerto Rican soup. The main ingredient is salchichón or hard Salami. Puerto Rican soups are hardy and help you stay warm. I like making soups because they are easy to make and I can usually leave it in the crock pot for after work or make it earlier to serve later. Yes, islanders, even with their tropical weather, eat lots of soup - and not just in the cooler months of our winter here. Start with a medium large caldero and fry or saute 3 cups sliced and chopped salchichón in about 1 tbp olive oil. This brings out the flavors in meat. Then add 1 medium onion - sliced, 2 fresh garlic cloves - diced and mashed in a pilón, 3 tbps sofrito and saute another 3 minutes or so (garlic burns fast, keep you eye on it). Next add tomato sauce and 1 can beef broth then cook this for a couple of minutes. Add 2 packets Sazón, 2 tbp sliced olives with peppers, 4 recao leaves - minced, 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Once the liquid comes to a boil add 3 chopped potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the noodles and cook for another 10 minutes until noodles are done. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste ( I like to add a bit of pique - just a bit). And you're done! Once you turn on the stove, don't turn it off again until the soup is done. Just keep adding ingredients and then cook until done. Sounds like there a lot to be done here, but really it is just plain prep work. What I do is gather up all the ingredients on the counter, chop, slice, dice, peel, clean etc. I measure what I need and put everything away except what I need for the dish. That way when I'm done I've already got an almost clean kitchen. Once this is done, then I find the right sized caldero and start adding ingredients. Then it's soup time! Serve with French bread.
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Pavochón is a pernil flavored bird and it is finger licking good. All you have to do is season it right and into the oven. No big deal. El sabor lo dice todo. Add to this delicious turkey some mofongo stuffing and Ay, Díos Mio! Season it with garlic, salt, black pepper, and oregano (3 parts garlic, 1 part each salt, pepper, and oregano). Stick a cleaned head of garlic inside along with an onion and your house will smell like a restaurant. Our side dishes include root vegetables like llame, yautia, cassava or a rice dish like arroz con gandules or arroz junto. Salads are often served along with a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal, Ensalada de pulpo or ensalada de macarones con mariscos. Our desserts will include casuela ,arroz con dulce, flan or rum cake.
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In fact, a tostón sandwich dispenses with bread entirely. In its place is green plantain that’s been sliced lengthwise, fried, pressed flat and fried again. Still warm, the golden crispy discs can embrace anything from shredded beef, roast pork, chorizo, chicken or even simply cheese. But why dispense with the bread? Well, we are plantain lovers - that's why. We can eat plantains for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and even dessert! Perfect with a glass of wine or even a cold beer. |
Years later I figured out that what I was making was Puerto Rican potato salad. Not only does it include a red apple, but also olive oil. I did not realize that the rest of the world did not use apples in their salad. So what exactly do I put in my Puerto Rican potato salad? Cooked potatoes, mayo, sliced olives with pimentos, more roasted pimentos, a bit of celery, bell peppers, peas, diced red apples (sometimes I peel them, but often don't), yellow onions, a bit of olive oil, a little squirt of mustard, chopped hard boiled eggs, diced pickles, chives, salt and peppers. First I dice and chop, then I mix everything together except the potatoes, and add the potatoes last. Then back in the fridge for at least 4 hours for the flavors to blend. Lately I've also been adding a bit of Adobo, it enhances the flavors. So now you know. Puerto Rican potato salad includes a red apple.
This is a recipe that I adapted for crock-pot cooking. It is delicious and just plain finger licking good. Not only that, it is almost effortless. The ribs cook in the crock-pot it cooks while you're at work and then you get to come home to this fantastic dish. You could make side dishes ahead and even be brave enough to have company over! 1½ lbs beef short ribs, ¼ cup orange juice, ¼ cup olive oil, juice of 1 lime, 3 tbsp minced garlic, 1 pkt Sazón, ¼ cup sofrito, ½ cup red wine, 1 tp capers, 1 tb sliced salad olives with peppers, 1 cap full apple cider vinegar, 4 small chopped potatoes, salt and pepper. Dump everything in the crockpot the night before. In the morning put pot on the base and cook on low all day long. Stir fry some veggies together, onions, red and green peppers, mushrooms, a bit of cilantro and serve on the side. I sliced and dice the night before and refrigerate in a baggie. In Puerto Rico this would be served with white rice and a green salad and perhaps boiled green plantains. Note the meat will fall off the bone. |
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2 cups of water, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 tbps sugar, 1½ cup cornmeal, 6 oz shredded Edam or Cheddar cheese, 2 cups vegetable oil In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in salt, sugar and cornmeal. Return to heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the dough does not stick to the pot. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Let sit for 5 minutes -or until you are able to handle the heat- and roll 1 tablespoon balls of dough into cigar shapes. In a large deep skillet, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Cook Surullitos 4-6 at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan, until lightly golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve immediately. The sauce is equally simple. Mix together 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon mayo, 1 minced garlic clove, and maybe a bit of Cayenne pepper (optional) |
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Those raised in the island are used to eating celery root or apio, not to be confused with celery we buy at the store in the US - yes it's in the same family and the shoots and leaves are similar but not really edible. Celery is a vianda, which is the root
of a plant. Wash, peel, diced and then boil it about 15 minutes. It can be served
in a dish called vianda, or added to soups or stews, etc. Add a layer of the crab meat over the first layer of apio. Top with the rest of the apio. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, then brush the pie with melted butter and bake another 10 minutes or so until golden. Let the pastelón rest on the counter for about 20 minutes before serving.
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Dulce de Leche Bars. 1 large ready to use graham cracker crumb pie crust (can select regular with cinnamon or even chocolate crumb) For the filling you will need 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature, 1 cup suga,r 2 large eggs, ½ cup ready made Dulce de Leche, and 1 tsp vanilla extract Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, for about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Next, swirl with additional Dulce de Leche liquid, let it cool completely and and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Either cut into wedges or cut into squares. Yum!
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The batter is prepared using the broth from the bacalao, otherwise they are almost flavorless. Seasoning for this fritter is simple, only garlic, salt and black pepper. They should be a bit salty (from the water) and crunchy on the edges. All you have to do is buy the bacalao fillets, soak them in water overnight, then boil them twice, tossing the first water and reserving the second to use as broth for the batter. Once the bacalao is processed take each piece of bacalao and separate it with the fingers so that you end up with a bunch of little pieces or hand shredded bacalao. My mother used to just separate the bacalao into larger pieces, make the batter, then she would place one piece of bacalao in each scoop so that each bacalaito had a large chunk of fish. I rather separate it into a bunch of tiny pieces for more flavor. You must remember that it must be hand shredded or you will end up with a matty mess that will have to be discarded. Processing the bacalao is simple enough, the rest is even easier. Measure out the amounts called for in the recipe, the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, and garlic, add the broth and stir, then add the hand shredded bacalao and stir again. How easy is that? I like to add some pique to my batter - just a little. (see recipe for measurements). The batter may be refrigerated until ready to fry or even frozen for later use. The next step is frying. Add enough vegetable oil to a heavy frying pan to fill about ¼". Stir the batter and add about ½ cup and add as many as will allow for easy turning in the pan. I usually can only fry 3 bacalaitos at a time. Fry them at Medium heat and don't turn them until the bottom separates from the pan and is brown. Turn only once. Drain on paper towels. This photo shows a traditional island bacalaito. It is thin, crunchy around the edges and well seasoned. Bacalaitos should be thin, as in this photo. However, I've had thick bacalaitos that are still delicious. For thin bacalaitos the batter must be thin. I've had plenty of non traditional bacalaitos and they are all delicious. Some people add a packet of Sazòn, others add sofrito, and some people add pique.
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Mami loved making it because she was raised eating this delicious and simple Puerto Rican dessert. It is inexpensive to prepare, all you need is a few ingredients and day-old bread. Growing up in Puerto Rico I watched Mami prepare this dessert using old and stale French bread. We did not use sandwich bread, only French loaves. She would tear the bread into small pieces and let it soak in the rich cream custard. What she added differed from time to time. She would add a can of fruit cocktail at times but it was usually the traditional recipe with raisins. I loved it when she added pineapples. Mami would bake it in a caramelized pan, like a flan, sometimes. No matter how she prepared it the result was liking good - always. Today this is known as an old-fashioned dessert. It is still delicious. I like to add a bit of rum and I like to serve mine with a warm butter rum sauce. It's easy to prepare. You will need 1 lb bread, French bread, sliced bread is ok, Allow the bread to sit on the counter - outside the plastic, so it dries out, at least overnight and use old stale bread. Prepare the custard first by mixing together 4 cups evaporated milk and 4 cups whole milk, ½ lb melted butter, 2½ cups sugar, 6 eggs, ½ tp salt, 1½ tps ground cinnamon, and 1 tb vanilla. Blend that together well using the slow speed on a hand mixer. Then add 1 cup of raisins and ½ cup rum - stir a few times and that's ready. The rum is optional. Now all you have to do is to take the bread and break it into pieces and drop it in the bowl - no need to remove the crusty rim on the bread. Let the bread soak up all the liquid - it should sit there about 15 minutes, at least. Then sit once more and pour into a greased mold, 9'" x 13" is good. Bake for about 1½ hours in a 375° oven. You will know it's done when it passes the knife test. Once that is out of the oven you can prepare the rum sauce. It is easy also, just whisk together a 12-oz can evaporated milk, 3/4 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup sugar, and in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Once that is hot add 4 tbs butter and stir until melted. Next place 2 tbs cornstarch in a small bowl and dissolve with 4 tps cold water. Once the milk mixture is hot, add the cornstarch slurry, and then stir slowly and constantly until it reaches a thin, gravy like texture and a few bubbles rise to the surface. Turn off the heat, stir 4 tbs rum, and serve over warm bread pudding. Not your grandmother's recipe. Enjoy!
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As you know I always try to make things easy for myself, but always flavorful. In a bit of olive oil I brown 2 Italian sausages that have been skinned, then I slice them and set aside. In the same pan and drippings I add 4 slices of bacon and cook them until done - not too crispy, chop those and set aside - saving the drippings. Again in the drippings I saute 1 small diced onion, ½ diced bell pepper, and 1 diced tomato. When the veggies are almost done I throw in about 3 tsps minced garlic, cook that for a couple of minutes and then I add about ¼ cup recaito and cook that for a couple of minutes. Then I add back in the chopped bacon and sliced sausages, salt and pepper. At the end I add 3 cans pinto beans and 2 cans beef broth, 1 packet Sazón, salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper for kick. This I simmer for about 20 minutes and it's ready. When serving, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro. A perfect blend of two kinds of bean dishes. Yum! These beans can be stored in the fridge for about 5 days. They are tastier the next day. They are perfect for cover dish parties, easy to carry in a crock-pot and keep warm, and can be frozen. The perfect dish on a cold wintry day - the perfect party dish, serves a bunch and can be doubled without much effort.
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I already knew what the steps were, just needed a little reassurance. Peel plantains, slice for tostones, drop them in salted water. Careful frying them because the oil is hot and the plantains are wet (that was before the mesh splatter-cover lids we have today). Fry them a couple of minutes on each side, remove from the oil, drain on paper towels. Now, find a small saucer, place plantain between a piece of folded wax paper or paper grocery sack and mash them down; put them back into the salted water, refry them - remove from heat, drain on paper towels and salt. By this time I was already tired and more apprehensive as ever, hubby comes along and says 'What's that?' - 'something you will like' I said. I had mashed the plantain in the pilón often enough, but still not having Mami by my side made me apprehensive. Cooked some diced bacon. Peeled and mashed fresh garlic, one medium size clove for each plantain. I then began the mashing procedure, mash 4 tostones, add some garlic, mash again, add bacon bits and some grease, repeat and repeat until they are all mashed and mofongo is done. Now . . . shape into balls and serve! 'Wow, this stuff is great!, he said. I smiled and ran to the phone to tell my mother.
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When frying resist temptation and don't turn them until the bottom is crispy or you will have a mess. So the 'secret' is to let the bottom cook until crispy and turn carefully and repeat until all sides are crispy. Of course, it is better to deep fry them that way you don't have to turn them. I use a very small sauce pan to fry these in. That way I only have to turn once. But since I am using a small sauce pan I can only fry 2 at a time. Also, make sure the mashed potatoes are very firm and solid when you prepare it. Don't make 'regular' mashed potatoes. The potato dough should not be too moist- so use less water to prepare the potatoes. I use instant potatoes.
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How about Arrañitas de Platano verde? All you need is oil for frying, fresh minced or mashed garlic, salt and about 3 green grated plantains, black pepper and about ¼ cup minced cilantro leaves. Mix all the ingredients together and form 'loosy packed' balls about 1½" in diameter. Fry these and serve immediatedly. An easy, inexpensive and delicious snack. A traditional Puerto Rican treat.. |
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Pour in the blender with 2 recao chopped leafs (or 4 sprigs chopped cilantro), the juice of 2 limes, 1 tsp salt and a few sprinkles of pique (or a bit of cayenne pepper). Run this thru the blender just a bit. Some people like it smooth, I like mine chunky. Stir and serve in a small bowl at room temperature with tostones and even pork roast. You might need a bit more salt, depending on your taste - so salt to taste. Refrigerate unused portion in a glass jar with a lid (not in plastic). This is something you will need to stir everytime before serving. Soooo . . . simple. |
| Carne
Bif Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, in Puerto Rico and later after we moved to the states, one of my favorite dishes was Carne Bif. Mami made it just about every third week and she always served tostones and white rice with it - and we loved it! Once we moved to the states I learned that 'carne bif' is the Puerto Rican equivalent of Irish Corned Beef. There are many families in the island with Irish roots, including mine - we were Solivan's from way back on my mother's side. In Puerto Rico this is eaten by everyone, everywhere - poor and rich, young and old. It is one of our classic comfort foods. Of course, once adopted by islanders the dish became Puerto Rican or criollo, prepared with seasonings and ingredients used locally, and sofrito was an integral part of the recipe. If you've never made 'carne bif,' it's about time you try it. 'Carne bif' is extremely easy to prepare and ready in a 'dos por tres' as my mother liked to say. In thirty minutes or less you can have this traditional dish on the table. Buy canned corned beef at the store. The recipe calls for tomato sauce, onions and peppers, and sofrito, along with a few potatoes. It is even simpler to prepare now that you can have boiled canned potatoes, ready made sofrito, and frozen tostones to go with it. Click here for the recipe.
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2 T olive oil, ¼ lb diced cooking ham, ½ cup chopped yellow onions, 5 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup chopped sweet green pepper, ¼ cup chopped sweet red pepper, 6 recao leafs, chopped 1 t salt, ¼ t freshly ground black pepper, 2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped, ½ cup sofrito 1 ½ lbs. beef chuck, tips or flanken (cross-cut ribs), cubed into 1-inch pieces,8" longaniza or smoked sausage, sliced- 1 cup each (at least 3 of these); chopped green plantain, calabaza squash, potatoes, carrots, chayote, yuca, yautía, or malanga, 1 ear of corn, cleaned and chopped, 1 can garbanzo beans, 4 quarts beef stock, 8 oz tomato sauce Heat oil in a large caldero and cook the ham for a few minutes turning often. Add onions and meat and cook until onions are translucent and meat is browned on all sides. Add half the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer until the meat is tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and cook at a bare simmer until the vegetables are soft. Sancocho can also be prepared in a crockpot, just sauté the ham first, add the onions and meat and cook until the onions are translucent and the meat is browned on all sides. Dump it in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients - cover the pot and put in the fridge until morning when you can put it to cook while you are at work.
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 February
2012 - One of the simplest and most SABROSA soup I prepare is Garbanzo
y Chorizo Soup. It is so fast, simple and easy! You need 2 cans of Garbanzo beans with the liquid, 2 thinly sliced carotts, 1 small diced onion, 1 tsp minced/mashed garlic, 2 tps Spanish Paprika or pimentón, about 5 onces minced Spanish Chorizo, 1 small diced potato, ¼ cup sofrito and 2 cans chicken broth. Dump everything in a medium caldero, bring it to a boil then simmer for about 30 minutes. That's it! Serve this with hot buttered French bread as they do en la isla. I like to chop cilantro and sprinkle it on top once served in bowls. Note that cilantro is something not used that often in Puerto Rico, they use recao. In the states we substitute. You can actually get all the ingredients in the caldero the night before, cover with foil and refrigerate until you get home from work the next day. First thing when you walk in the door is put it on the stove. |
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Alcapurrias hints. When processing the guineitos and yautias in the food processor, make sure to simply grind them. If they are over processed the masa becomes too soft and moist. Take out any large lumps and put them back in the processor with the next batch. I grease my left hand, add half a cup of masa and spread that a bit, then add the stuffing, and begin to close my hand to close the alcapurria. Usually I end up having to add just a bit more masa here and there to close completely. Practice makes perfect. The more often you prepare them, the easier and faster it will go. Peeling the veggies is the hardest part. But hey, you only have to peel 5 green babanas and about 2 medium size yautias for one batch and you're done. Not that hard. Go easy on the salt. |
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I love to make soup on the weekends, especially cold weekends. One of my very favorite recipes is Caldo Gallego. It is a rich flavorful hardy soup made with a ham bone, beans and potatoes. I also like to prepare my meals fast and easy so I take plenty of shortcuts, but my shortcuts never diminish the original flavor of a dish. Every Christmas, at one time or another, I serve a spiral ham. I save the bone and bits of ham in the freezer for soup later. Put the ham bone in a large crockpot full of water. Add just a bit of salt and garlic and cook over nite. In the morning turn it off and let it sit on the counter until you are ready to prepare the soup, or refrigerate for later. Pour the broth and bone into a large caldero. Always leave the bone in the soup. Bones give food, rice, soups, etc a richer flavor. Add 4 onces cooked minced ham, 2 - 15oz cans of cannellini beans, 1 can diced potatoes, about half a cup of sofrito, fresh mashed garlic, lots of chopped fresh or frozen recao, 1 pkt Sazón with achiote, olives, capers, chopped green onions, minced chorizo español, and a bit of cayenne pepper to give it a nice kick. . Bring it to a boil then let it simmer for at least one hour and it's done. How easy is that? I've seen internet recipes that call for chicken or chicken stock. Forget that. This is basically a ham soup. Some recipes call for greens but I skip that. If I were to include greens I would use fresh baby spinach. Serve with tostones and enjoy!
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Thanksgiving Week 2011 - What tasty delicous dish can you prepare using left over turkey? Pastelón de pavo y amarillos, of course. It is so easy and simple. Using packaged products will simplify the recipe and make it almost effortless. This recipe fits in a 9" pie plate. Preheat the oven to 400° You will need a 1-lb box of Goya amarillos (or you can buy fresh amarillos and wait until they are extremely ripe - spotted, then fry them) and 1 lb minced turkey meat (no skin), sofrito, oil, onions, peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, capers, the usual stuff. You will also need one large egg and shredded cheese. Putting it together is un guame! First make a guiso with the minced turkey, add sofrito and the usual ingredients, make sure not to add too much tomato sauce. This should be very moist but not watery. Next grease a 9" pie plate. Then heat up the amarillos in the microwave so they will be easy to mash. Add a little less than half the amarillos to the plate and lightly mash them down and together so you have pretty much covered the bottom of the plate. Now add half the meat mixture. Then sprinkle some cheese on top. Next add another layer of amarillos. What I do first is lightly mash the amarillos in a dish then add them on top of the cheese. Can't mash them while sitting on top of the cheese. So this next layer might have a few small spaces in between the plantains - here and there but that's ok. Add the remaining meat and another layer of cheese. Beat a whole egg with 1 tbp water and a bit of salt until frothy. Carefully pour the egg over the cheese, yes, it is enough. But don't worry it you were not able to cover everything with the egg, it spreads around on its own. Now bake this until the egg is cooked. About 15 to 20 minutes. The amarillos and the meat are already cooked, so you are waiting on the cheese to melt and the egg to cook. Now it's ready to serve. I like serving dish with a green salad. Delish! |
| Pasta Criolla I've been cooking
this criollo style pasta since I was married, over thirty years now. Bring a large caldero of water to boil. Add a bit of oil and salt then dump the pasta (1 lb), cover leaving the lid off to the side so there is about an inch open (to preventing boiling over). In the meantime the beef must be prepared. Preheat a heavy frying pan for a couple of minutes, on medium/high setting. Adding meat to a cold pan will make the meat stick to the pan and will be harder to work with. So, be patient and preheat the pan. I only cook with iron skillet and canderos - that's it. All my other pans just hang pretty, like new from my pot-rack in the kitchen. I have two large iron skillets, one small iron skillet and several calderos in various sizes. Add 1 lb ground beef to the preheated skillet and then use a wooden spoon to mash and stir and twist and turn the meat so that it gets broken up as it cooks. Sometimes adding a bit of water help, it will help break it up and then evaporates. This should cook until it is almost all brown. I usually buy lean ground beef, if yours is not lean, just drain the grease carefully. Like a good Puerto Rican cook, I always use our preferred condiments, so I add diced onions and peppers, add freshly mashed garlic or garlic powder. Let this continue to cook for a bit until all the beef is brown. Add sofrito, stir, and cook another minute or so. Then add sliced olives and capers. I like using Salad Olives, they are nicely sliced and have chopped red peppers in it. The last step is sprinkling it with Sazón and Adobo. The pasta should be ready just about now. Drain it and add it back to the same caldero or pot used to boil it in. Add the ground beef. Add one large can of spaghetti sauce (26-32 oz/more or less), half a cup of water, and a cup of shredded cheese. Stir and cook over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. Now it's ready to serve. I like serving my Pasta Criolla with a fresh salad. It is delicioso!
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November
2011 - Adjust oven rack to the lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack
and heat the oven to 450 degrees. You will be preheating the baking sheet. Toss them with 2 tbps olive oil, plenty of adobo and dried parsley flakes and toss vigorously using a metal spoon for a 2-3 minutes. The tossing will rough up the potatoes which will help them get crispier. They will look like they are covered with a starchy pasty. Add 2 more tbps oil and toss again, just for a bit. Bake directly on the metal pan, don't use foil or parchment paper for crispier potatoes. Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the surface. Carefully transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer, skin side up. Bake until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown and crisp, about 15 – 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. If the underside is crispy enough the potatos will not stick. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and using a metal spatula and tongs, loosen the potatoes from the pan, carefully flipping each slice. Continue to roast the potatoes until the second side is golden and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes longer, rotating pan as needed to ensure that the potatoes brown evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
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What I use is my mother's mold which is simply an old saucepan that lost it's handle. It is about 7 inches tall and smooth on the inside - just a plain old metal pan without handles. It will need to be a diameter that will fit in your serving plate. I use a glass pie plate as my serving dish, so my pan or mold had to fit in the pie dish. My mold is about 6" in diameter. Once I tried making the caramel directly in the mold, but the caramel burnt because since I didn't have to switch pans it continued to heat up. I learned to make the caramel in a Teflon covered pan because it will slide our beautifully. When the caramel begins to bubble and gets golden, then I pour it into the mold and swirl it around to coat the sides. You can use glass or Pyrex and I have used those in the past, however the last time I used Pyrex the mold cracked when I poured in the hot water for the baño de María, so that was that. Once my flan is done, I let it get to room temperature on the counter and then I refrigerate it in the mold. I leave it in the mold until time to serve. I also leave it in the mold if I have to take it our of the house, then flip it over unto a pie plate and let it sit there until it drops. It is easy to travel with. Then I still let it sit there another few minutes to make sure all the caramel drops too. To recap. Find a good metal pan to use as a mold. It could even be a tall round cake pan. Prepare the caramel in a Teflon covered pan so that it slides out easier. Let the flan come to room temperature on the counter. Refrigerate in the mold. When ready to serve flip it over, letting the mold sit for a couple of minutes to make sure all the caramel drops on the flan. That's it!
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| When I turned 13 Mami decided I needed start learning how to cook. The first thing I learned to make was arroz blanco. The second was aceite con achiote. The third was arroz amarillo using the achiote oil. Puerto Rican culture comes from Spain but Spaniards use Pimenton or paprika in food preparation. Achiote however, is a Taíno product. Taínos used it in food preparation as well as for body paint and for art. Achiote oil is made from annatto seeds and olive oil. It's used to flavor and color many dishes such as yellow rice. This recipe is so simple, you'll wonder why you haven't tried it before. You can keep achiote oil in a jar with a tight lid at room temperature for 4-5 days, and longer in the refrigerator. Use in most of your Puerto Rican recipes instead of plain oil, especially when preparing rices. When using achiote oil it is not necessary to use tomato sauce. Preparing aceite con achiote will take you 10 minutes max. You will need 1 cup olive oil and 2½ tablespoons achiote seeds. Heat the oil and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the seeds begin a steady bubble. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for a minute. Strain the oil or simply use a slotted spoon to remove the seeds. It is important not overheat the oil and seeds. The oil will turn bitter and will be ruined. Extreme overheating will turn the seeds black and the oil green - but it is ruined way before that point. Just heat the oil over medium heat, you will soon see the oil change color as the seeds begin to bubble. Now you can find achiote powder and achiote paste. If you can't find achiote use tomato sauce. Tomato sauce tends to be a bit sweet and will flavor the dish differently than achiote would. |
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Start by using bone-in-chicken with skin. The bone and skin ad a lot of flavor. I use a large chopping knife to make sure each piece has a piece of bone and also some skin. There will always be a few pieces without bone, but each must have some skin. You must cut up the chicken so that it cooks faster while it is getting crunchy on the outside. Then pound the pieces to make them a bit more flatter. I prefer using chicken thighs for this. Next rinse the meat and dry with paper towels. I like to rinse the meat to make sure no foreing matter is on the chicken. Then I oil the chicken with olive oil and heavily sprinkle it with a mixture of Sazón, Adobo, garlic powder, and often Cayanne pepper. It is best to season the meat and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Fry in plenty of oil over high heat for about three minutes then lower to medium and fry another 3 minutes, then back to high until crispy crispy - turning the chicken now and then. The more chicken in the pan the longer it will take. I like to put as many to fry at once as will fit in the pan, even though it might take a bit more time. I prefer that all the chicken will be done at once. A deep frier is best, of course. Yummy!
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To make all your dishes taste their very best, make sure you shake on Adobo before cooking. Adobo is a perfect blend of garlic, oregano, onion and spices and is the perfect seasoning for all your meat, poultry and fish dishes. We are finding new uses for this addictive seasoning every day. A simple shake is all it takes to give your food 'our' delicious flavor. |
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What to serve with this rice? I like to top it with a fried egg, over medium. Yum! My husband, a non-Puerto Rican, loves this dish with the egg on top too. It is an easy to prepare hassle free dish. I
use about 6-8 ounces of tocino, diced and cooked, and I save the grease to use
in the rice. You will To start, dice the cocino and cook in the caldero you will be using. Cook the tocino until done. This photo shows the tocino almost done, all sides need to be golden. When the tocino is ready, don't drain the grease. Add the rice to the caldero and fry the rice for a minute or so, stirring. Then add the hot water (just enough to cover the rice one inch above the rice line), and then add the salt. Resist temptation and stir just once or twice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Don't stir this any more, you know it will get amogollao, or sticky. Just let it boil until the water evaporates. Cook another 25 minutes or so over low heat, covered. How easy is that? |
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I have a very old caldero that was my grandmother’s and that’s what I use to cook most of the time, rice or soups, it doesn’t matter, even habichuelas are cooked in Mami Ana’s caldero. I’ve had it for years and years now and she owned for years and years, so it must be really old. Calderos don’t break or wear out. Making Asopao de Gandules is so easy; on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult, this recipe is a 2. Practically all you have to do is dump all the ingredients in a large caldero, bring to a boil, and simmer for one hour and you’re done. How easy is that? I had all the required ingredients on hand; canned gandules, sofrito, beef or chicken stock, and even a ham bone in the freezer. The only item I didn’t have is West Indian pumpkin, which is a rare find where I live, even at Fiesta, the local Hispanic Market. I decided to use a ham bone I had in the freezer and needed to get that ready by boiling it over medium high heat for at least one hour in about 6 – 8 cups of water to make a delicious broth base. If you don’t have a ham bone use ham seasoning, Goya makes it, or use a beef of chicken broth or even bouillon. If you are using fresh ham, dice and mince it, then sauté in a bit of olive oil, add sofrito and cook that another couple of minutes then add the rest of the ingredients. This asopao is good even without any meat – and in that case even faster to prepare. For my family I use approximately 7 cups of broth, ¾ cup of sofrito, about 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup uncooked rice, 2 cans of gandules, and if I’m using vegetables like pumpkin add about 3 pieces, diced. Then finally I like to add about 1 medium onion sliced, ½ cup sliced olives with pepper, about 2 tbp capers, 2 envelopes Sazón with Achiote, about a cup of stewed tomatoes Italian Style, 1 tbp tomato paste, and 3 tbps minced recao. Don't add any salt until it is done because the olives and cappers and other ingredients often are salted, so just wait until it is done then taste it and add salt if it needs it.
I like mine with a bit of pique and sliced of avocado on top. I served my asopao with tostones, yummmmm . . . . ! But you can make super delicious plantain balls by shredding 2 large green plantains, adding 2 mashed garlic cloves, and salt – mix together well and form into balls about 1” in diameter or so. Add the balls to the pot when the asopao begins to boil. This
is also delish with Mofongo, just shape into balls, serve the asopao and drop
a monfongo ball on top. See the recipe on our website . . . Asopao de Gandules
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The Piña Colada
is then re-introduced in Puerto Rico on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s
Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico by its alleged creator, Ramon “Monchito”
Marrero. Apparently, the hotel management had expressly requested Monchito to
mix a new signature drink that would But it doesn’t stop there, also laying claim to the invention is the Barrachina Restaurant in Puerto Rico which claims in 1963 that while on a trip to South America, Mr Barrachina met a bartender who he worked with to create a drink containing pineapple juice, condensed milk, coconut creme, and ice in a blender. ….. As with anything else, there are variations to this very Puerto Rican cocktail. But the basic recipe is (all measurements are approximate) 1½ cup ice in the blender, followed by ½ cup diced pineapple, add 2 ounces pineapple juice, then 2 ounces Coco Lopez Coconut Cream and then finish with about 3 ounces Puerto Rican rum. Run this thru blender until smooth and frothy, serve in nice tall glasses and garnish with fresh pineapple slices. Keep cool this summer with a Puerto Rican coctail, Piña Colada. ¡Que rico!
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| Tembleque is a classic Puerto Rican dessert that is dear to our hearts and is usually served at Christmas. It is a coconut milk pudding with a jello like consistency.
The name of this pudding translates as “trembling,” and it does indeed jiggle in a way that some people find quite delightful. Typically in homes tembleque is poured into a glass casserole, refrigerated until set, then sliced into squares and served. And
it turns out this is a Vegan Recipe. If you are looking for a recipe easy to make,
gluten-free, soy-free and To make this pudding ingredients are cooked in medium heat and stirred frequently until it thickens. After the pudding starts to congeal, it is stirred about a minute and then poured into a wet mold. Find the recipe in our recipe section. Tembleque Mami used to make the best and most perfect tembleque and I was always hesitant to even try it. But after my first try years and years ago I realized there was nothing to it! Almost a fail-free recipe there are no real hints to post here. Just use a wooden spon to stir, moisten the mold a bit before pouring tembleque. When unmolding slide a butter knife around the edges to loosen it. The perfect summer dessert - every single time.
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Tony Rivera in Phoenix sent us these recipes. This is what Tony and his wife Laura serve at their once a month Friday night Poker Parties! No children are allowed, just aperitivos and these frozen cocktails. Bacardi Frozen Torched Cherry Colada Recipe: •Fill a blender almost to the top with ice cubes •Add in Bacardi’s piña colada mixer •Fill the container that the piña colada mixer came in halfway with Barcardi Torched Cherry Rum •Add in a dash of grenadine •Blend until smooth Another delicious frozen
'adult' cocktail is Frozen Mojito Slush For every 4 slushes, you will need: In a blender, combine 1/2 pint sorbet or 1/2 can of lime ade with 4 shots of rum, 1/4 cup mint leaves and 1/2 tray of ice. Pulse, then blend on high until lime-mint slush is smooth. Pour drinks into 2 large cocktail glasses using a long handled spoon and repeat with remaining ingredients.
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May 15, 2011 - One of my favorite things to do with basic seasoned ground beef is pastelón. It doesn’t take a lot of active prep time (although it does require oven time in addition to stove top time) and it is a warming dish that will take everyone to their happy place. The more meat you use, the thicker it will be. You can also substitute Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken - criollo style, of course), or make picadillo using ground pork. Anyway you prepare it is delish! Our basic traditional pastelón is made using layers of fried amarillos and meat. This time I am making it using mashed yuca and pork picadillo. It is yummy! Use fresh or frozen yuca, boiled in salted water until soft and remove the spinny center. I prefer frozen yuca, which is already peeled (such a hassle to peel). Prepare the pork picadillo the same as beef picadillo. The recipe for picadillo is on our site. Once you have the yuca prepared and mashed and the picadillo ready all you have to do is put it together. Lightly oil the bottom of a large pie plate or baking dish. Begin with a layer of yuca, then meat and continue until the dish is full or the ingredients are all used. Smoothing out the yuca over the meat is kind of tricky, put a large spoonfull on your oiled hand and mash it down flat, then lay it over the meat - continue until the meat is covered. Last, scramble an egg and pour over the last layer spreading it carefully over to the sides. Add shredded cheese (optional), and then bake at 350° until the egg is cooked, about 20 min. That's it!
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June 5, 2011 - So, the question is what do Puerto Ricans typically eat for breakfast? Probably the same thing that everyone else eats, more or less, since cultures seem to be meshing together now a days. But if you ask about traditional, that's another story. Traditionally islanders start with a very hot and strong up of Espresso, often Latte (with boiled foamy milk - always whole milk) and maybe sugar. What is the preferred brand? Almost anything local, but New Yorkers like Bustelo. I prefer Café Yaucano. Most often this is accompanied by warm, freshly baked buttered French bread. In the old days however, the meal included baked batatas (Caribbean sweet potatoes, which are a bit different than what we eat in the states). Mami Ana, my abuela prepared fried amarillos with fried eggs for Papi Domingo, my abuelo. The eggs were soft and Papi would run the fork with amarillos thru the yolk. I make these sometimes. Omelets in Puerto Rico are known as tortillas or tortillas de huevo. We cook ingredients then add the egg. It does not get stuffed and folded in half. If making a tortilla de huevos, cook the ingredients first and then add the eggs stirring just a bit to spread the egg around. Cover it so the top gets cooked or just flip it over. Mami Ana often prepared the children a tortilla de guineitos niños (finger-bananas, about 4" in length, rippened). That was delish. My mother would sometimes make us tortilla de guineitos maduros (rippened banana and eggs). These tortillas are delicious. For my family I like to prepare a tortilla made with diced bacon, onions, bell peppers, green sliced olives with pimentos, and diced tomatoes. Sometimes I add diced cooked potatoes (Spanish style), and sometimes I add chopped cilantro. |
The house will have that boiled bacalo scent which is unpleasant for most people - especially kids - but it is gone in no time. Rinse the bacalao in warm water to remove excess salt and then boil it in plain water for about 20 minutes, drain the water, add fresh water and bring to a boil again, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Now your bacalao is desalted and ready to use. Take any skin off the bacalao (assuming you purchased boneless fillets, if not take the bones out) then chop the flesh into small pieces.
same taste but also delicious. 
For plantain lovers, like us, a toston sandwich, also known as a jíbaro or jibarito sandwich, may be the best thing since sliced bread.
What
can I say that has not been already said about one of our ultimate favorite foods,
Bacalaitos? Let me reassure you, they are easy to make. 
My
husband and I both love beans and love Puerto Rican and Mexican food. One day
I tried to combines Habichuelas Guidasas and Frijoles Charros (Mexican cowboy
beans) and came up with a most delicious and interesting bean dish. I make it
often now. Hubby eats it with tortillas and I like to eat it over rice. 
Puerto
Rican Sancocho; A Centuries-Old Stew Still a Classic Today. Easy to prepare, practically
a ‘dump and cook recipe’ This satisfying meat stew is thought to have been brought
by Canary Islanders who immigrated to the island centuries ago. It is a hearty
stew of meat, sometimes fish, and vegetables, largely root vegetables, and plantains,
to mention just a few of the main ingredients. Simmered a long time, the fragrant
mouthwatering savory soup goes a long way to satisfy a lot of hungry people. Every
family has its own version. A perfect ‘crowd’ dish. 
It
is one of my family's favorite dishes and it is simple to make. It does make a
huge quantity, but then I had a husband and two sons, as well as two daughters
to feed. The boys made sure there were no left overs. 
October
2011 - One of our most often asked questions is what is a flan pan or flan mold?
The answer is easy. Anything that is about 5 inches tall and smooth on the inside
(that is not Teflon covered), and about 6 inches in diameter. 
I
was always nervous to over heat achiote because it would turn bitter. But it was
easy. Achiote in an integral ingredient in Puerto Rican cooking. Every island
household has achiote in the cupboard. The small achiote seeds that look like
little red pebbles are sold in jars and are heated in olive oil to release their
red color, flavor and aroma. 
Chicharrones
de Pollo
August
2011 - Arroz con Tocino is one of those 'basic' Puerto Rican recipes, a dish found
in small cafes and such in Puerto Rico. It is salt-pork rice, and it is easy and
delicious. If you can't find salt-pork use bacon.
need about 3 cups of rice, I use medium grain. Boil enough water, about 6 cups
or so (probably won't need it all). You'll need to add enough hot water to cover
the rice about one inch above the rice line. Also you will need about 2 tsps salt.
August
2011 - Yesterday it rained, something we had not seen for months. Immediately
I thought about making a delicious Asopao de Gandules. Yes, in the terrible heat
of August, in Texas, I decided to make soup. After all we were under a ‘cool wave’
only 99°! 
This
is brought to a boil, then simmered for about one hour or so. The asopao will
thicken as it cooks and that’s the way it is supposed to be, otherwise it is a
soup not an asopao. If your sofrito does not have oregano then add some at the
end. If it’s too thick add a bit of water and let it come to a boil again. Now
it is ready to serve.
August
2011 - Piña Colada is Spanish for “strained pineapple”, and has a bit of
a muddled history. Legend has it that it’s creation dates back to the 1800's where
Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, to boost his crew’s morale gave them a beverage
or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple and rum. This was what would be
later known as the piña colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe for the piña
colada was lost.
delight
the demanding palates of its starstudded clientele. Monchito accepted the challenge,
and after 3 intense months of blending, shaking and experimenting, the first Piña
Colada was born. 
Tembleque
is also the perfect summer-time dessert with no baking and only a little time
on the stove. It is a cool refreshing dessert and takes practically no time to
prepare. 
dairy-
free this classic Puerto Rican dessert "Tembleque" is what you need for the summer.
July
17, 2011 - So what can we do to cool off during the intense heat of this summer?
Try a frozen Bacardi drink. Adult refreshing cocktails, perfect for hot summer
nites. 
•1
pint lime sorbet or 1 can limeade from frozen juice section •8 shots Puerto Rican
rum •1/2 cup mint leaves •1 tray ice cubes 
