Cuban Franks with Yellow Rice - Arroz con Salchichas

*A Wednesdays with Eryka Recipe*

Franks with yellow rice Arroz con Salchichas ( salchichas pronounced sal-chee-shas) is an old school Cuban recipe that is so easy to make it is almost unbelievable!

This recipe is a throw back to what a typical Cuban housewife would of made (back in the "old-school days") if she had nothing in her pantry but white rice, some azafran (saffron), Vienna sausages and maybe some stock. It's kind of the equivalent of making spaghetti with "souped-up" jarred sauce, because that's all there is in the pantry.

Wednesdays with Eryka

Classically the recipe calls for Vienna sausages but seeing as how I have a bad relationship with Vienna sausages, from over eating them when I was a kid, I put my own twist by using turkey franks. I also add green beans, an ingredient my co-worker told me she adds to hers. It is literally a one pot meal and it is so good!

Recipe:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 -  8 oz bag yellow rice with saffron
4 turkey franks*, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup green beans
2 cups water* (or as indicated on rice package)

1. In a pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Pour in the rice with the seasoning. Brown the rice for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If needed, lower heat to medium to keep the rice from burning.

2. Add in the franks and the green beans and brown all together for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the water, stir and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer; simmer for 20-25 minutes depending on how dry or mosit you'd like your rice.

4. After 20-25 minutes, check the rice to your liking, stir and serve. Enjoy!

Serve with bread and a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Now your talking ... old-school Cuban dinner.

*Recipe Notes:
Want to try it the original way, use two cans of Vienna sausages and cut each in thirds, saute as directed in step two.
Added more flavor by using chicken or beef stock to the rice instead of water.

Best of The Fork's Seasonings, Marinades and Rubs

Memorial Day Weekend has always been the quintessential start to the summer.
It means warm, sunny days, lots of rain if you are in Florida and the grilling season. Although for me it's always the grilling season. Today I am posting the best of my seasonings, marinades and rubs for your weekend, weekday and summer long enjoyment. Cheers to summer!

Achiote Paste - Make Your Own - This has become my "go to" for everything grilled, roasted or sauteed!

http://goo.gl/hChVPE

Beef & Pork Marinade Version 1 & 1.1 - One marinade two versions, what more could you ask for?!

http://goo.gl/Hg6EhP

My Parent's Authentic Cuban Roast Pork - You can use this marinade on anything and it will be delicious.

http://goo.gl/ilCUUO

Brine, Brine, Brine That Turkey! - And anything else your heart desires.  Brining will make even the toughest cuts juicy and flavorful!

http://goo.gl/AAnVFB

Succulent Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb - Not just for leg o' lamb but lamb chops, lamb shanks, lamb anything!

http://goo.gl/xvsnKt

Make Your Own Cuban Sazon Completa / Adobo Seasoning - Skip the MSG hidden in the store bought kind and make your own Sazon Completa. This stuff is is great on anything - even grilled fruit.

http://goo.gl/bduUql

Eryka's Sopa de Chicharos - Cuban Split Pea Soup

A few years ago I went to a local restaurant here in the Miami area called La Carreta. It is a major Cuban food chain down here and I have noticed people either really like it or dislike it. I personally like it. plus I have some good memories there with old friends. So a few years ago I went to this restaurant with my best friend on a Saturday. We were about 19 years old, broke, hungry but didn't want fast food. We had heard they have daily specials that were affordable and so on that Saturday night they had Chicharos for $3.95 a bowl. I was in heaven. I fell in love with the dish. When I got home that night I told my mom about it, which of course she had heard of, but she also told me how my grandmother used to make it for me when I was a baby. I embarked on a mission to recreate this delicious soup, aside from Broccoli Cheese Soup, this is my favorite soup. It is a meal, it is homey, it is comforting... all the things I represent in my culinary point of view! I searched for many different recipes, tried different ones, experimented and voila have come up with the recipe I am sharing with you today. I serve this with white rice but you can certainly eat this alone or with some nice bread or crackers. I personally puree the soup at the end because I like the smooth finish but you can definitely go rustic! I hope your enjoy this remarkable soup!

Recipe:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped into small bits
2 celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz dried split peas (green or yellow)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash of cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pork bone, ham bone or ham shank
2 cups cubed ham
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2-3 potatoes chopped

1. In a large stock pot, heat oil on meidum-high heat and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook until carrots are crisp and onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook together for about 2 minutes.

2. Add the peas, bay leaf, paprika, cumin and salt. Cook together with the vegetables so that the peas become fragrant, about 2 minutes. After that, add the pork bone, cubed ham, stock and wine. Stir everything together and make room to add the potatoes; add the potatoes.

3. Bring the soup to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about an hour, checking it occasionally. When the potatoes are fork tender the soup is done. Discard the bone and bay leaf. You can either puree the soup or leave it as is. Serve and enjoy!

Cuban Meat & Potato Stew - Carne con Papa

There are so many beef stew recipes out there it is sometimes hard to keep up not to mention it can be overwhelming to choose a recipe. Do a Google search on beef stew and the results are endless. There are many renditions of it, but today I'd like to offer the Cuban version of it and it is my personal favorite. My grandma used to make this when I was growing up but sadly I don't remember what it tastes like and also I never learned the recipe from her... that lady could cook up a storm! According to my mother, this carne con papa recipe is exactly how my grandmother used to make it. To me that is a huge compliment that it does, because this meal and another famous Cuban meal called Picadillo reminds me of her. I'm not sure if it's the paprika, the tomato sauce, the wine that makes this particular beef stew rich in flavor and much added depth,but what I am sure of is how much my family enjoys it whenever I make it. The recipe calls for potatoes but I used sweet potatoes for my boyfriend (pictured) and yes it does work the same!

Serves 4

1 1/2 - 2 lbs beef stew meat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
2 or 3 large potatoes, chopped in medium cubes

1. In a large skillet, brown the stew meat until browned on all sides with the oil. When the meat is browned add the salt, paprika, pepper, bay leaf, onion, garlic and green pepper.

2. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes or until the onions are wilted and somewhat translucent. Add the tomato sauce, wine and water. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, covered.

3. After 10 minutes add the chopped potatoes, stir together and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe Round-Up December 30, 2013 - January 3, 2014

It's time for the Weekly Recipe Round-Up at the Fork Ran Away with the Spoon!
This was an odd week, with a break right smack in the middle for New Years, and then back to work for the rest of the week.  It really threw me off, I couldn't seem to get into the swing of things. The first official full week of the new year, will see me back to running 3 - 4 times a week (I miss my running) and lot more meal planning.  The holidays just ran right over me and at one point I just gave up on everything! It's time to get back on track.

This week's Recipe of the Week was Creamy Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Crepes.  It had the most shares and likes by our awesome followers and for that we Thank You!  Here's what was cooking in the kitchens of The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon this past week.

Featured on Monday:

Creamy Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Crepes

The ingredients for the stuffing, turkey, cream cheese greens, are fairly straightforward but when put together they create a creamy, luscious meal that your family will want often. The use of ground turkey really lightens up the crepes and keeps the meal feeling light. Pair it with a light salad, a glass of white wine and you have a well-rounded and satisfying meal.

Featured on Tuesday:

Top 7 Most Viewed, Liked and Shared Recipes of 2013

The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon's "Top 7 Most Viewed, Liked and Shared Recipes of 2013". Why seven? Simple it's my favorite number and let's face it everyone else will be doing top 10 or 13. Click to see which recipe got over 5,000 pageviews in one day!

Featured on Friday:

Monteria Cubana - Roast Pork in Cuban
Criollo Sauce

This classic Cuban recipe, Monteria, uses left over Cuban roast pork, and is cooked in onion, peppers, garlic, seasoned with oregano and cumin. It is then simmered with raisin, olives, capers and a tomato-y "vino seco" sauce. It's absolutely delicious and the aroma will having you wanting to dig in ASAP!

Monteria Cubana - Roast Pork in Cuban Criollo Sauce

Monteria ( pronounced "moan-teh-ree-ah") is a dish from the area of Cuba known as Camaguey.  It's east of the town my mom grew up in, Camajuani. Monteria is Cuban country food, farmer's food, peasant food, whatever you want to call it. Traditionally, this is made on December 25 and January 1st, the days after Christmas and New Year's Eve, when, again, traditionally a whole roast pig is made to celebrate. The day after the celebration all the remaining parts of the pig, (head, feet, visceral parts, skin etc) are used to make Monteria. Now, hold on, don't click off the page, we aren't using pig head or feet for this recipe, I am just sharing the origins.  What we are using is left over Cuban roast pork, that is cooked in onion, peppers, garlic, seasoned with oregano and cumin. It is then simmered with raisin, olives, capers and a tomato-y "vino seco" sauce.  The results are out of this world delicious. This is how my mom made it and one of the dishes The Hub always looked forward to after the holidays.  He would always ask my mom if she was going to make it, he could never remember the name but she knew exactly what dish he was describing. For many years after my mom passed away, I never made it, then one year after the holidays, I had a good amount of roast pork left over and I surprised The Hub by making it just for him.  He, of course, gobbled it down, and he loved it because it reminded him of all the times she would make it just for him. My mom spoiled my husband (a.k.a. The Hub) rotten... seriously she did! If he wanted a particular meal all he had to do was half mention it and the next day she was at the door, meal in hand. They had a great relationship, something I know is pretty rare, and I am always thankful for. And because of this, I am dedicating this recipe to my mom and the Hub.  Cheers!

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds of cooked Cuban roast pork, medium dice
1 tablespoon olive oil or pork lard
2 large onions, medium dice
2 bells peppers (any color) medium dice
1/4 cup minced garlic
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 to 1 cup juice from pork roast*
1 generous teaspoon cumin
1 generous teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 - 1/2 cup green olives, plus 2 tablespoons brine
1/4 cup non-perils capers
1 cup vino seco* (no salt added)
2 tablespoons sour orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 generous palm full Italian parsley, chopped

Heat pan over medium heat, add oil or lard, onions, peppers and garlic. Saute, stirring often for 5 minutes or until onions become soft and translucent. Stir in tomato paste and once incorporated into vegetable mixture, gently stir in roast pork. Pour in pork juices, stir gently and then add remaining ingredients, except parsley. Allow to come to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Before serving stir in parsley.

Serve over white rice, along with sweet fried plantains. Enjoy!

*Recipe Notes:
If you don't have pork juices from the roast, you can use chicken stock or if you have it ... pork stock.
Vino Seco is a Cuban cooking wine.  Normally I never use cooking wine but there is something that Vino Seco adds to the flavor that just can't be duplicated by white wine.  I buy the Spanish brand Artañan because they make a "no salt" version  It's a bit pricey but I think worth it. However, if you can't find it at your local grocery store, then by all means use a dry white wine or sherry.

My Parent's Authentic Cuban Roast Pork

When I was a child, then a teenager and into my late 20's, I would watch my parents prepare Cuban Roast Pork for our Christmas eve dinner celebration. It led, on many occasions, to little friendly battles between my parents (Aida & Eloy) about how much of any one ingredient to add to the Mojo Sauce (pronounced "moe-ho"). When one parent would leave the kitchen, the other parent would sneak in more of the ingredient he or she thought the sauce needed more of. Believe me, this was funny and pretty darn entertaining to watch. In the end though they managed to pull off the most crazy good and delicious Cuban Roast Pork ever. It was so good that their friends would actually call them to make it for parties that they were hosting or going to. It took me many years to figure out the right ratio of garlic, spices and seasonings, because of course nothing was ever written down or measured. It was always a bit of this, a bunch of that, a palm full of this and that. I do have a few of my own tweaks that I think elevate the flavor, like the brine process, but the flavor is the beyond delicious, and the memories those flavor and smells evoke are always welcome and priceless. My brother and I carry on their tradition of celebrating on Christmas eve with roast pork, Cuban black beans, and yucca drenched in garlic-mojo sauce, it's how we pay respect and honor our cultural traditions.  So ... Feliz Navidad to all our readers and followers!

A few recipe notes: Prep time is at least 72 hours before the actual cooking time, so be sure to plan ahead.  This is one recipe where the brine and the  marinade (the Mojo sauce), need  time to do their thing, which is what makes the pork juicy, tender and divinely flavorful. Don't skip or rush any part of this recipe. The time investment is well worth it.

1 - 10 pound pork shoulder

For the Brine:
6 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 head of garlic smashed up (no need to remove peel)
Water

In a microwave safe bowl, add four cups of water, heat until the water boils (about 3-4 minutes). Add salt and sugar, stir until dissolved, then add garlic. Allow to come to room temperature. Place your pork shoulder in a small Styrofoam cooler, add ice, the cooled brine solution and enough water to cover the pork shoulder. Brine for 12 - 24 hours, adding ice, if needed. Once the brine time is up, discard solution and go to the next step.

Tip: I have found that plain old Styrofoam coolers stay colder and the ice lasts way longer then insulated plastic coolers. If you don't have or want to buy a Styrofoam cooler and you have the space in your fridge then by all means use your fridge.  Space is a premium in my fridge so it's hard to have a large piece of pork, in a brine solution, in the fridge.


For Mojo (pronounced "moe-ho") Sauce 
30 cloves of garlic
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 onion chopped, finely
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
2 cups of sour orange juice
3 limes juiced
2 1/2 cups olive oil

Using a mortar and pestle, crush and mash up the garlic, salt and peppercorns.
Add the next 5 ingredients to a blender or food processor and the garlic mash from the pestle. Blend or pulse until smooth and all ingredients have been liquefied. Heat the olive oil until it reaches a temperature of about 220-225 degrees. We aren't frying here, we are infusing the flavors into the olive oil. Add in the liquefied ingredients, stir and gently heat through for 1 minute, then take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

Tip: Make the Mojo sauce the same day you begin the brine process, because the longer it sits, the more the spices, herbs and seasoning will meld!  Be sure to store it in the fridge. Take out a few hours before using so that it comes to room temperature.

To Prepare the Pork:
1-2 heads of garlic, cloves separated and skins removed.
Mojo Sauce
1 Large heavy duty turkey injector

Begin by straining the Mojo sauce to remove any bits that may clog your injector.  Do NOT throw out the bits captured by the strainer. Set aside.
Score the skin in 2 to 3 places. Do not remove the skin. The scoring will allow the fat underneath the skin to baste the pork as it cook and it makes for the most heavenly crackling you will ever taste. (Fights have broken out over the crispy crackling at my home!) With a very sharp pairing knife, deeply puncture the pork meat in several places and insert a garlic clove or two as you go. Once you have used up the garlic cloves move on to the flavor injector. Think of the surface of your pork as a grid and starting on the skin side begin injecting the Mojo into the pork. Turn it over and continue injecting until you have used up all the sauce. Remember this captured bits? Rub them all over the skin side.
Place the pork in a large container, skin side up and allow to sit in the fridge, covered, from 12-24 hours. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

To Cook:
Remove from fridge at least 2 hours before cooking so that it comes to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Remove pork from container, reserving the Mojo sauce that will have oozed out during the marinating process. Pat pork dry, and season generously with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Place pork skin side up on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. Place in oven and cook at high temperature for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 325 degrees for 3 - 4 hours or until internal temperature reads 170 degrees. Use the reserved Mojo sauce to baste the pork as it cooks. Be sure to boil the Mojo sauce for a few minutes, so as not to contaminate the pork with raw pork juices, as you baste.
Once cooked, take out of the oven and allow to rest, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Break apart the crispy crackling and set aside and then begin to break up
the pork meat into long thick shreds or chunks. Now, it's time to party!

Serve with Aida's Cuban Black Beans, white rice, yucca* and fried sweet plantains*, Cuban (preferably) bread, and your favorite beer and wine and of course ... Cuban Flan* (*Recipes coming within the next week). ENJOY!

Cuban Bistec en Cazuela (Braised Steak in a Pot)

A Wednesdays with Eryka Recipe

Cuban Bistec en Cazuela is basically a braised steak in a pot. As most of you know Cuban food is one of my favorite foods of all time. It is food I could eat everyday and be content. Most, if not all Cuban food, is peasant food, which makes for very simple and cheap ingredients. My grandmother used to make this dish, however, I don't remember it much anymore, so this recipe is for her. As you may remember from a previous post, I now live in her house and any time I cook up a traditional Cuban meal I think of her because I want to make her proud. The steaks used in this recipe are very thin thus they cook up rather quickly. Make sure you are watching them, counting the minutes per side because an extra minute or 30 seconds can make a difference! That being said this recipe is another great weeknight meal due to how quickly it cooks. The sauce produced from the steak and the marinade is amazing when served over rice. I think you will fully enjoy this meal!

Recipe:
1 1/2 top round steaks, in 4 long thin strips or 8 smaller thin pieces
1 onion, sliced in rings
1 green pepper, sliced length wise
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sour orange juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock

1. Combine the steak, onion, pepper, garlic, sour orange, wine, adobo salt and pepper in a dish or zip bag to marinate for at least 1 hour or more. Take out about an hour before planning to cook to let the meat come to room temperature.

2. In in large skillet over medium high heat, heat up the oil and brown the steaks. Brown the steaks in batches. When finished browning all the steaks place all the steak pieces back into the pan.

3. Add to the pan the marinade, juices and vegetables. Cook together for about 3 minutes then add the tomato paste. Stir until paste has dissolve into the vegetables. Cook everything together until the liquid from the marinate starts to evaporate then add the chicken broth. Simmer for 3 minutes. Serve over white rice with sweet fried plantains. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:
Can't find sour oranges or juice in your local market? Make your own by following our simple recipe for home-made sour orange juice.

Weekly Recipe Round-Up - November 10th - 16th

Can you believe that we are already half way through November? Just this past week alone flew by at what felt like an insane pace!
This week's Recipe of the Week was Zippy Ketchup and Mustard Chicken featured on Wednesdays with Eryka. It had the most shares and likes by our awesome followers and for that we Thank You!  Here's what was cooking in the kitchens of The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon this past week.

Featured on Monday:

Potaje de Garbanzo / Cuban Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

The recent "cool" weather inspired me to make one of my favorite Cuban potajes (stew) ... Potaje de Garbanzo.  I think of a potaje (poe-tah-hey) as not quite a soup, not quite a stew and not quite a porridge. It's a hearty chickpeas (garbanzo), simmered with Spanish chorizo, ham, smoked pork shank, Cuban calabaza and potatoes. To me, the perfect spoonful has a piece of chorizo, calabaza, and chickpea swimming in the smokey, paprika infused tomato-y broth.

Featured on Wednesdays with Eryka:

Zippy Ketchup and Mustard Chicken

It may surprise you that the main condiments used to cook the chicken in this recipe are ketchup and mustard. It's an incredibly easy to make, budget friendly and mostly importantly absolutely delicious dish - and that's makes it's a Wednesdays with Eryka recipe.





Featured on Friday:

Grilled Chicken with Corkscrew Pasta in Preserved Lemon and Garlic Sauce

This recipe starts by marinating the chicken in preserved lemon, the lemon brine and lots of garlic. It is then grilled to perfection. While your pasta cooks you create a luscious, lemon and garlic infused creamy sauce that will coat the ridged, corkscrew pasta. Those lovely ridges are what help hold the sauce onto the pasta and deliver the most amazing bite.

Potaje de Garbanzo / Cuban Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

The last week brought about some cooler temperatures to South Florida and believe me that is quite a relief! This delightfully cool weather inspired me to make one of my favorite Cuban potajes (stew) ... Potaje de Garbanzo.  I think of a potaje (poe-tah-hey) as not quite a soup, not quite a stew and not quite a porridge. It's a hearty chickpeas (garbanzo), simmered with Spanish chorizo, ham, smoked pork shank, Cuban calabaza and potatoes. The taste takes me back to the days of sitting in my mom's kitchen, talking and watching her prepare this divine "potaje". It's funny how so many of the memories of my mom, that mean so much to me and that I hold dear, took place in her kitchen. A little choked up and a big sigh inserted here! Anyway, back to the "potaje". To me, the perfect spoonful has a piece of chorizo, calabaza, and chickpea swimming in the smokey, paprika infused tomato-y broth. Add your favorite bread to dunk in the savory broth or white rice and your meal has just graduated to a traditional Cuban meal. This is nothing short of absolutely, positively delicious! I am pretty certain that my favorite Potaje de Garbanzo may become one your favorites too!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large bell pepper chopped
4 small dried and cured Spanish chorizo* links, sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon sweet, smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
1 laurel bay leaf
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 dry white wine
1 pounds of garbanzo beans
1 1/2 pounds of smoked pork shank
8 oz ham steak cubed
1/2  Cuban calabaza squash (or butternut squash), peeled and diced into large pieces
1 - 2 large red potatoes, peeled, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Soak the beans 24 hours ahead of cooking time, change water whenever possible.
Place the rinse beans and place in a pot with enough water to go about 2 inches above beans. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 5 minutes on high. Cover and turn off heat. Leave in water for 1 hour. Remove and rinse beans set aside. Throw out water.
Heat a deep, heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, pepper and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, add sliced chorizo, paprika, bay leaf and garlic powder stir well to incorporate. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, making sure the chorizo has expelled it's oils. Add tomato sauce, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, covered. Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the salt, and stir to combine. Cook for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender. Add salt and cook for another 1/2 hour.

Serve in deep bowls along with crusty Cuban or French bread and/or, as served traditionally, with white rice. Enoy!

Recipe notes:
*Do not substitute Spanish chorizo with Mexican chorizo, the flavor profiles are completely different.
I like to to dice my calabaza (squash) in large pieces so that I actually have pieces of it remaining in the stew once it is done cooking. It tends to break down considerably during the cooking process.
Easily to adaptable to slow cooker cooking. After sauteing and simmering vegetables and chorizo in the tomato sauce, transfer all ingredients, except salt, to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours OR on low for 8-9 hours.  Half hour before cook time is up add in the salt.
I never add salt to beans until they are almost done. It is my experience that salt added to the beginning of the bean's cooking process will keep the beans from softening.  See my post Salt Will Keep Your Beans from Softening for more information on bean cookery!

Stuffed Cuban Meatloaf

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 

My mom use to make Cuban Meatloaf when I was kid and I was always fascinated by how she got the egg into it and made it not only taste great but look so pretty. My mom would always wave me off when I complimented the dish and she'd say "eh that's just picadillo with an egg in the middle, nothing special", but it was to me! Her comment is how I figured out how she made it.

My parents came over from Cuba in 1960 and I am thinking this may very well be a Cuban-American recipe, not sure that I've ever seen this in a Cuban food cookbook, but I use to see it at a few Cuban restaurants. The flavors are reminiscent of a Cuban Picadillo, one of my favorite of Cuban meal, which is a ground beef dish that simmers in onions, peppers garlic and lots of seasonings in a rich tomato sauce. But I digress, so back to the meatloaf! The meatloaf stays very moist because of the cooked onion, peppers and garlic that are added to the raw meat. It packs a big flavor punch that is a result of the blend of spices in my homemade sazón completa seasoning.  When you cut into it, you see a perfectly cooked egg, hugged by a blanket of pimientos and dotted by Spanish green olives, it's really impressive and is just so flavorful and delicious! If you have leftovers it's great the next day in a sandwich or you can make my cheesy biscuit empanadas!


1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound of ground pork
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 small pinches of salt
1/4 cup dry white wine or Vino Seco
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablesspoons Cuban sazón completa {you can make your own*}
1/2 cup finely grated Cuban cracker or panko breadcrumb
1 egg
Grated zest and Juice of 1 lime

A Spectacular Sunday and What to Expect in The Week Ahead

It's Sunday and for the first time since The Hub and I got back from San Francisco (May 21st) it's not raining! A dear friend of the family, George, is in town from Colorado and we haven't seen him in about 10 years, needless to say we are very excited!  Like my family, George is a Cuban-American and of course we are treating him and his daughter to a Cuban Feast. What makes up a Cuban feast? Authentic Cuban Roast Pork, Cuban Black Beans, Yucca in homemade Cuban Garlic Mojo Sauce, and Flan. Recipes coming up this week! It's going to be a spectacular day because in the end there is nothing like celebrating with family and friends and delicious food!
I hope you all have a spectacular Sunday. Peace.

Cuban Ropa Vieja or Cuban Shredded Beef in Sauce

"Ropa Vieja" literally translates to "old clothes".  This refers to the stringy, twisted look of the beef in this dish.  This is a classic Cuban dish.  The smells of the "sofrito" as it cooks and permeates the air, takes me back to my moms kitchen. It's memory evoking aroma is bittersweet. The main portion of this dish cooks very quickly, however, the meat needs to cook in water first before it is transformed into Ropa Vieja. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do at our home.


Serves 4-6

To prepare the meat:
2 1/2 - 3 pounds eye round roast, cut into long chunks
1 large onion quartered
3-4 garlic cloves crushed
1 large green bell pepper
2 quarts of water





Place all of the ingredient into a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can simmer the meat for about 2-3 hours, until fork tender. Once cooked, pull the beef like you would string cheese so that you have beef strings of different thicknesses. Set aside to make Ropa Vieja. TIP: Do no throw out the yummy stock the beef made while it cooked. Simply cool, remove any fat, strain and freeze in portions as needed.

To make the Ropa Vieja

Fricase de Pollo Cubano - Cuban Chicken Fricassee

I am not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination, I leave that to my daughter. However, I've been told and have read that this dish has French origins because of a Haitian migration to Cuba during the 1800s. And so, today we have Fricase de Pollo Cubano or Cuban Chicken Fricassee. In this recipe, you'll find chicken that has marinaded in spices and sour orange juice and then simmered in a rich tomato based sauce with potatoes, olives and raisins. Hungry yet? Read on or better yet get cooking!

Fricase de Pollo Cubano

Serves 4 

Marinade:
2-4 sour oranges, enough to make 1 cup. See sour orange recipe substitute here.
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
black ground pepper to taste

8 pieces of chicken or 1 whole chicken cut up into eight pieces.
1/4 cup olive oil
3 red medium potatoes, peeled cut into chunks
2 medium or 1 large yellow onion

Aida's Cuban Black Beans - Frijoles Negros Estilo Cubano

Aida's Cuban Black Beans

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart.  In the last few years of her life I was able to get my mom to sit down and give me a usable recipe for her famous and absolutely delicious Cuban black beans and a few others too! I say usable because I never saw my mom measure anything. All her recipes were add a little of this, a splash of that, or a handful of this. Her food never varied in taste, the flavor was always consistent. To this day I will not eat Cuban black beans at any restaurant. They just don't compare - they lack the "life and soul" that they need to be truly magnificent. So here's to my mom - Aida - thanks mom for being you and making the most mouthwatering meals ever!

Serves 4 - 6

To Cook Beans:

1 lb of black beans
6 cups water or stock