Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Yellow Rice)

Growing up in a Hispanic family I ate a lot of Hispanic food! My mom is a first generation American but her parents were Cuban; my dad is from Nicaragua, so I must say I have the best of both culinary worlds. The foods from both of these countries are delicious. Throughout my childhood, I grew up next door to my grandmother (maternal) and she cooked dinner everyday, thus my mom cooked dinner everyday too. I suppose you can say I learned it from these two ladies that dinner at the table every night is a must. My grandmother, to me, like all grandmothers, was an amazing cook. She thought her cooking was horrible which I never understood. As a kid, I would watch her prep for dinner and dump everything into a pressure cooker (an appliance I finally bought to try). The rest of the afternoon I would hear the whisper of the pressure cooker in the kitchen as it would also fill her house of the delicious dinner that was a few hours away. One meal she made that I never seemed to like was Arroz con Pollo. I have never been a fan of yellow rice and to this day I never understood why I never enjoyed this dish. This weekend I decided to make this dish myself to see if maybe with age (ha!) I would change my mind. I certainly did! It was moist and yummy. I do think my grandma would have been happy with the way it turned out. You will see in the recipe I added tumeric, do not despair it is just for coloring, it has no taste. The mayonnaise is my twist and it makes the rice moist; if you prefer a drier rice omit the mayo. Enjoy!

Recipe:
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed into 1 inch pieces
olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped (or any color you have on hand)
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup rice
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1/2 cup beer
1/8 teaspoon saffron
1 (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon tumeric
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1. In a pan over medium-high heat, add oil, brown and cook the chicken pieces. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, add the pepper, onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir together for about 1-2 minutes.

3. Stir in broth, beer, tomatoes, saffron, salt, pepper and paprika. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. After the rice has simmered, add the turmeric for extra color. Put the chicken and its juices back into the pan with the rice and stir to combine. You can now also add the mayonnaise to your liking.

5. Serve with Sweet Fried Plantains and an avocado salad. Enjoy!

Simple Creamy Leek Soup

Now that we are getting "cooler" weather in Florida, and by that I mean in the 70's and breezy, it's time to break out my recipes for soups, stews and generally all-around heartier meals. I am starting off with one of my very favorite Simple Creamy Leek Soup. Aside from the leeks, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. What I like about this soup is how simple it is to make, and how beautifully the flavors of the leeks shine through. It is hearty, rich and truly satisfying. This recipe will serve four as part of a multi-course meal or two if it is the meal. I love to serve it with buttered, toasted baguette slices and a mixed greens salad, simply dressed with oil and vinegar. It's a great meal to have on a lazy Sunday afternoon and then take a snooze on the back patio ... like we all did today, including our dog, Lennon. 

Serve 2 - 4

1 stick of butter, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Leeks, thinly sliced. Use only white and pale green parts*
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 celery rib with leaves, finely diced
2 small red potatoes, peeled and finely diced (1/4" dice)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat a deep sauce pan over medium-low heat, add butter and allow to just slightly bubble but not brown, add oil, followed by leeks, onions carrots and celery, add a small pinch of salt to sweat the vegetables. Saute for 8-10 minutes, reducing heat, as needed, to keep from browning. Stir frequently.
Stir in potatoes, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Bring up to a low boil, cover and reduce to heat to simmer, cook until potatoes are tender.
Using a blender or an immersion stick blender (my personal favorite), process soup until thick and smooth. You can pour through a sieve if you want an even smoother consistency, but for me it is fine as is. If you are using a blender work in batches and take care to vent to avoid scaling yourself. Keep soup warm.
Using a whisk or hand-held blender, whip cream until thick.

Ladle soup into deep bowls and add a dollop of two of the cream. Serve with buttered and toasted slices of french bread.

*Save green parts in freezer to use in home-made stocks.

Pumpkin-Banana Walnut Bread with Butter-Whiskey Glaze.

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 

Anytime I have over-ripe bananas, I have to make my favorite bread, Pumpkin-Banana Walnut Bread. And if that isn't irresistibly delicious on it's own, I use my Butter-Whiskey Glaze all over it. Well, I don't just glaze it, I let it soak in to the warm bread.

This produces an almost bread pudding like custard-y texture, that is warm, gooey and the whiskey in the glaze provides a nice little kick. The pieces of  toasted walnuts scattered through out, add an unexpected delightful crunch, coupled with the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, making it a slice of heaven on a fork. 

Serves 8

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups AP* flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup toasted* walnuts, chopped

Simmered Beef Tips and Carrots

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 
Ever been in a cooking bind where you didn't plan on cooking but somehow wound up having to make dinner on the spot? That was me last week. Tuesday night I took out a pound of eye-round to slow cook the next day. When my boyfriend comes home from a long day Tuesday night, he tells me he will be home late Wednesday to not worry about making dinner. Now I had already taken out the eye-round but I just figured I'd season it and just use it Thursday for the slow cooker... it'll be marinated for a whole day so it'll make for a great stew. I go about my Wednesday, running errands, jogging, then I get a phone call at around 6pm. It was my boyfriend, telling me he'll be home on time, that it'll be Thursday when he's late. Now, obviously, we could have resorted to buying food but to me, it's an expense that can be avoided and unnecessary. So I told him, oh don't worry, I'll whip something up! I went into panic mode! What do I do?? I'm used to planning my meals. I opened my fridge and just starred at it then it all hit me. I saw my eye-round meat (cut into 1-inch pieces, marinating in salt and pepper and red wine) from earlier that day, a half full bottle of barbecue sauce, onions, tomato paste and carrots. It all started coming together. I was taking a risk, mixing ingredients that I'm not used to mixing, but I figured today was the day to experiment...we could always have take out if my experimenting failed! I felt like a mad scientist working in the kitchen, working fast and frantically moving around. I don't know about you, but there is a certain time of day where even your kitchen closes, it just becomes a "quicky mart" for milk or cookies. Within about hour I had finished my culinary experiment; behold a recipe that we both enjoyed! I think I enjoyed it more though, because I went crazy trying to figure it all out. I hope you enjoy this "on a whim recipe" that turned out to be very tasty!

Recipe:
1 lb eye-round, cut into 1-inch pieces, marinated overnight in 1 cup of red wine with salt and pepper.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 carrots, cut diagonally
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon barbeque sauce (any of your choosing)
1 can beef consomeé 10.5 oz (or homemade, if you prefer)

Pineapple Pork and Long Bean Stir-Fry

My garden has finally started producing some beautifully delicious vegetables! I had an abundance of Chinese long beans and Chinese cabbage and what better way to put these delectable vegetables to good use than in a Pineapple Pork and Long Bean Stir-Fry. I love how tender the pork becomes when tenderized with baking soda, then marinaded in ginger, garlic and soy, with a little heat from a few Thai chilies! The Chinese long beans, similar to string beans, add that a mild asparagus-like flavor. The Chinese cabbage, similar to bok choy, is sweeter and softer than green cabbage. Not only is this dish beautiful to look at, it has a very big "yum" factor, that I think you will enjoy! And, The Hub, my eternal taste-barometer, barely came up for air, and when he did it was to ask if there was enough for seconds. Yup, it's a hit!

Serves 4-6

To super tenderize the pork:
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 pounds pork loin, sliced into bite size strips

Sprinkle over top of pork and with clean hands, massage into strips. Allow to tenderize for 30 minutes. Rinse pork strips under cold water, repeat once more to make sure all traces of baking soda are gone.
Want to learn more about tenderizing with baking soda? Check out my post Baking Soda as a Tenderizer.

To marinate the pork:
2 pounds pork loin, sliced into bite size strips
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1-3 Thai chilies, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped (optional)

Spicy Coconut Curry Grilled Shrimp

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 

The last few weeks of extended daylight are within reach, which means I won't be using the outdoor grill as often during the weekdays. By now you probably know that we love curry, coconut and Thai chilies and what better way to use these beautiful and fiery spices and ingredients than with grilled shrimp! A little time to marinate, a few skewers, a scorching hot grill and you are on your way to the most delectable shrimp dish my Spicy Coconut Curry Grilled Shrimp. I love pairing this with sliced avocado wedges and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 2 - 4

1 pound of large shrimp, peeled* and deveined
1 tablespoon coconut milk solid
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1-3 Thai chilies (or to taste) finely minced
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger root
1 tablespoons of minced cilantro
4 tablespoons of toasted coconut flakes
1 lime cut into 8 wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Hearty Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato & Ham

A Two for Tuesday Recipe 
Ah lentils. They are delicious little nutritious morsels, that I believe are a legume that has gone overlooked. Lentils are hearty not mention that they have a lot of nutritional benefits. Want to know what they are? Here are a few fun facts about lentils: lowers cholesterol, full of fiber benefiting your heart, blood sugar and digestive health, good source of protein, increases energy and can help lower your weight by making you feel full. If those aren't some great benefits to get lentils in your life I don't know what is. To me, it's a power food. The recipe I've provided compliments the lentils with added vegetables to make this meal heartier. Obviously, to make lentils you will need some type of liquid... you can choose water or follow my tip; half ham stock and half chicken stock. Ham stock you ask? I use Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate; they are little packets of granulated ham that you add to water. Voila: ham stock! I like to use chicken stock as my other half of liquid to add even more flavor. I use this recipe with split peas as well (green or yellow). You can use pieces of cut sausage in this soup as well as regular potatoes instead of sweet potato. Edit as you wish but do try this recipe it is delicious!

Recipe:
1 16oz package lentils
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham hock
1 ham steak, cubed or cubed ham
4 cups ham stock
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
splash of white wine (optional)
2 sweet potatoes, chopped