Cut peppers in half, deseed and rinse with cold water. Dry the peppers and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl mix bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, black pepper, oil and water. Start with ¼ cup of water, if filling is very stiff keep adding water until it’s the consistency of a soft play-doh. Taste mixture to check if you need to add any salt before adding the egg. Mix the egg in well, since this is your bonding agent.
Place your peppers cut side up in a baking dish, and coat the inside of the peppers with oil. Now spoon the filling into the pepper halves to the desired level. I usually over stuff my peppers. On the bottom of the baking dish, pour water, oil and ½ of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the onions and garlic over top of the peppers and into the cooking liquid. Spoon the remainder of the tomato sauce over the pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until tops of the peppers have browned and the pepper has softened. Remove from oven and enjoy!
Curry is actually flavorful combination of spices which is distinct to various countries and even to regions in each country. The basic ingredients remain the same, but each region have adopted indigenous spices and cooking methods to suit their own tastes and cultures. Below is my favorite Spice recipe.
Homemade Curry
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon cardamom pods, inner black seeds
½ - 1 large cinnamon stick
1 Tablespoon turmeric powder
½ - 1 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon mustard seeds
Directions
Heat up a small non-stick skillet, on medium heat. Add all the spices above, toasting for 1-2 minutes. You must constantly move the skillet or the spices will burn. Remove from skillet and set aside. Traditionally a mortar and pestle would be use to grind the spices but I use a coffee grinder (which I only use for spices). Once the spices have cooled, add to the grinder and pulse until the curry is finely ground. Remove from grinder and place in an air-tight container. If kept in a cool area, this curry should last you for months. Enjoy!
*TIP* To clean your coffee/spice grinder
1 slice of white bread
1 small pastry brush
Break the white bread into small pieces and place in the grinder, allow the grinder to run until bread is completely ground up, approximately 10 minutes. Dump the bread out and with the pastry brush, brush away all the bread crumbs and left over spices.
Melt butter and bacon grease in stockpot over medium heat and add onions, sauté until translucent. Add vegetable oil to a skillet on medium-high heat; add beef and bacon cook until browned. Remove beef and bacon with a slotted spoon, set aside.
Add the flour to the stockpot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and half and half, bring to a boil.
The mixture should begin to thicken, add beef, cheese, bacon and Goya seasoning (this seasoning will give the soup a smoky bacon taste). Stir to make sure your soup doesn’t clump. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve with chopped lettuce and diced ripe tomatoes. You can also place a buttermilk biscuit in the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over it. Enjoy!
10-12 Cups water (depending on how thick you want your soup)
Directions
Sauté onion, bacon, garlic and carrots for 10-15 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add lentils, spinach, tomato and potatoes and sauté for an additional 10 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, salt and black pepper, bouillon cube, and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until lentils have softened. Serve while hot, with crusty bread or crackers, ENJOY!
In a small saucepan mix 1 cup water, salt, sugar and onion. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once sugar and salt are completely dissolved, remove from heat and cool. When brine solution has been cooled add the vinegar and place in a container large enough to hold the ribs. Place ribs in brine solution and add enough cold water to cover the ribs. Allow ribs to soak from 1 hour to over night. Soaking meats in a brine solution makes for juicier meat. I wouldn’t skip this process.
Remove the Ribs from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you are ready to begin cooking (Total cooking time is between 2-3 hours, depending on your oven).
While waiting for ribs to get to room temperature, mix all the dry rub ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. This recipe makes a large quantity, which can be stored in an air tight container so you will always have it on hand when needed. Preheat oven to 425°- 450°F.
Remove ribs from brine and pat COMPLETELY dry with paper towels, wet meat doesn’t char’ as well as drier meat. Rub a generous amount of dry rub on the top and bottom of the ribs and place on the rack of a roasting pan (Meaty side up). Add about ½ of water to the bottom of the pan.
Place pan into the oven on the middle rack and bake at the high temperature for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until meat has browned. Reduce heat to 350°F cover pan with aluminum foil and turn the ribs over, check that there is still some water in bottom of the pan and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil turn ribs over (meaty side up) and continue to cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140° to 150°F.
Place ribs under the broiler to further char’ the outside. Remove and place on a cutting board, and allow to rest before cutting. When ready to cut the ribs, turn them over (boney side up), and begin to cut from the bone end. Meat should be cut as close as possible to the bone of the next rib to be cut. Serve immediately, Enjoy!
*TIPS* these ribs are so juicy that they don’t need any BBQ sauce but if you enjoy dipping, feel free to serve with your favorite sauce.
3 Tablespoons of alcaparrado (Latin olive salad), finely chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Teaspoon granulated sugar, optional
1 Packet of Sazon with achiote
16 Ounce can of gandules (pigeon peas), or your favorite beans
2 Cups long grain, rinsed
4-5 Cups of hot water
Salt to taste
½ Teaspoon black pepper
Directions
In a medium size stockpot add the achiote oil, onions, cumin, tomato paste, alcaparrado (and 2-3 Tablespoons of the brine), sofrito, bay leaves and sazon. Sauté, over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes.
Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1" above the rice line. Take a wooden spoon and dip the handle into the pot until it touches the rice, remove the spoon and hold up 2 fingers across the spoon where the water left a mark. If this water level is 2 fingers high, then you have enough water, if not add more water.
Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Add the black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook over medium to high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Achiote (Annatto) Oil
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
Directions
Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the seeds begin to sizzle. Careful not to over heat the seeds or they will blacken and make your oil green. Once the seeds begin to sizzle and the oil starts to take on a rich red/orange color, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Strain the seeds from the oil. You can reserve any leftover oil in an air-tight container for 1 – 2 weeks in your refrigerator.
*TIPS* sofrito can be stored in the freezer, for future use. I usually buy the largest jar I can find and I cut a large sheet of plastic wrap and empty the remained of the sofrito onto it. I smooth it out and wrap into a rectangular package, then fold it back and forth (kind of like a pack of post its) creating smaller packets so they are portioned for the next time. I also do the same with the tomato paste.
1 ½ - 2 Pounds boneless chicken breast, pounded to ½ inch thickness
Directions
Combine marinade and chicken in a medium bowl, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, Goya sazon, crumble up the chicken bouillon cube, salt and pepper to taste and cover with lid. Simmer on medium low heat until peppers become soft, and set aside.
Remove chicken from marinade, heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a grill pan until pan begins to smoke slightly. Add chicken and grill for approximately 6-7 minutes on each side (done when pierced with a fork and juices run clear). Once chicken is cooked remove from heat and let stand for 15mins, then slice into strips approximately 1-2 inches thick.
Combine chicken and peppers in a serving bowl and serve with warm wraps or pita bread, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and rice (rice recipe to follow).
Shred the almond paste with a box grater, this will make it easier to mix later. The bowl of a food processor add, butter, vegetable shortening and pulse 6-7 times until it’s all combined. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the almond paste and sugar, let the food processor run until the almond paste is fully broken down.
Transfer the butter mixture to a large mixing bowl and add, flour, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, mix with electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated.
Now it’s time to divide the batter into 3 bowls. I usually do this by weight, 14oz to a bowl. If you don’t have a kitchen scale you can gauge it by eye, making sure that you divide the mixture into equal parts.
Add yellow food coloring to 1 bowl, Green to the other and finally the red to the 3rd bowl and mix each. The amount of food coloring is up to you, make them as dark or light as you like. Now spread batter into the 3 pans. So you end up with 1 yellow, 1 green and 1 red.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can also tell when they are done, when the edges around the “cakes” are slightly golden, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Once the cakes are cooled, remove from pans. Line a cutting board with waxed paper or plastic wrap and lay the red sheet down and apply ½ of the raspberry preserves on top, and smooth it out. Then cover with the yellow layer, top with the remainder of the raspberry preserves. Top with the green layer and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes allowing the preserves to firm up.
Place the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a double boiler or a large heat proof mixing bowl over 1 inch of simmering water. Allow mixture to melt, stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from heat.
Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and spread a thin layer of chocolate on the top and sides. Return to the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so the chocolate can semi-harden. Take a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap that is larger than the cookies and lay it on top of the cookies and flip the entire thing over, so you can coat the bottom with a layer of chocolate. I usually skip this step, but then they would be 6 layer cookies and not 7 J
Return cookies to the refrigerator and allow chocolate to harden. Once hardened then it’s time to cut the cookies. I usually cut them 1- 1 ½ inches x 1 inch, but you can cut them as large as you like. Store in refrigerator, removing them 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!
2 Cups sugar 1 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour 3/4 Cup cocoa powder 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder 1 ½ Teaspoons baking soda 1 Teaspoon salt 2 Large eggs 1 Cup milk ½ Cup vegetable oil 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract ¾ Cup boiling water ¼ Cup freshly brewed coffee 1 Bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (crisco)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and hot coffee. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Once cakes are completely cooled, slice a thin layer off of the top to make it level. Place the cut portion of cake to the side for later use. Now to prepare the filling…
Filling
1/2 Cup unsalted butter 2/3 Cups cocoa powder 3 Cups confection sugar 1/3 Cup milk 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
Take the left over cake tops that you cut off, and crumble them onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Assemble the cake on a plate or cake stand... first layer with cut side down. Spread a large amount of the filling and level it out. Top with 2nd layer, smooth the filling that will begin to escape from the center. Wrap a sheet of plastic wrap around the cake (this will create a “wall” around the cake and stop the filling from escaping, and refrigerate for about 1 hour until filling has hardened a little.
While the cake is in the refrigerator, place the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a double boiler or a large heat proof mixing bowl over 1 inch of simmering water. Allow mixture to melt, stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from heat.
Begin spooning melted chocolate mixture over the cake, using a spatula begin working the frosting from the top of the cake down the sides. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect you will be covering the cake in the cake crumbs you made earlier. Once you’re done with the frosting, begin taking handfuls of the cake crumbs and pressing them into the sides of the cake until the entire cake is covered. Sprinkle the remainder of crumbs onto the top of the cake an you’re done. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Serve and Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large nonstick frying pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and set bacon aside for later use. Combine butter, water, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper, in a large saucepan. Simmer on medium heat until the butter melts. Add 2 cups of flour reduce heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, approximately 1 minute.
Pour mixture into a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer beat for 1 minute, allowing mixture to cool a little. Increase the speed, add one egg at a time and mix until each is well incorporated before adding the next egg. Batter will be firm but not runny, if needed add the remaining flour to stiffen the batter.
Fold in the cheddar cheese and bacon. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with paprika and serve while still warm.
*TIP* A pastry bag or a zip top bag with one of the bottom corners cut off can be used to pipe the dough onto the cookie sheet, making them more uniformed. Dough can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and left over puffs can also be frozen for later use.
In a small bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or a fork, until it resembles course bread crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center. Mix the wet and dry ingredients well.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Filling
Ingredients
¼ Cup unsalted butter
¼ Cup hot sauce
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
¼ Teaspoon paprika
¼ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ Teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, more if you desire (optional)
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
6 Chicken thighs, on the bone
4 Cups of water
½ Medium Onion
Directions
Rinse chicken and place it in a small stock pot, cover with 4 cups of water (add more if needed to cover the chicken. Add the ½ of onion and cook over medium-high heat, until chicken is tender (approximately 30-35 minutes). Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Once chicken is cool enough to handle with your hands, shred the meat off of the bones and place in a large bowl, toss in the crumbled blue cheese. Combine the butter, hot sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended, add the flour and stir to beak up any lumps. Allow to cool, add to the chicken and mix well. Now your buffalo chicken filling is ready. Time to work on the dough…
Divide dough in half, then roll out 1 half (keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle. With a Large biscuit cutter or some other 3 - 4” round cutting devise (I’ve used an empty can, wrap one of the open edges in foil) and cut out as many disks as you can. Set dough disks aside and repeat process with remaining dough. Once all your disks are cut it’s time to begin to fill and crimp your empanadas closed.
Brush a thin layer of the egg mixture on the edge of the lower half of the disk. Now place a large tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of the disk and fold the dough over. Crimp the edge closed with a fork. Continue until you have filled all the disks, and set them aside. Here is where you need to decide how you want to cook them, baked or deep fried?
If you’re going to bake them preheat your oven to 400° F. Brush the empanadas with the left over egg, bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Deep fry, heat oil to 365-375° F, fry until golden brown. Serve with Blue Cheese dipping sauce.
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
¼ Pound blue cheese or Gorgonzola
½ Cup mayonnaise
½ Cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce, to taste
In small bowl, mash the blue cheese, leaving some small lumps. Whisk in the mayonnaise until blended. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter, add the onions, garlic and bay leaves, sauté until golden brown (approximately 25minutes). Sprinkle flour over onions and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Now time to deglaze (adding a liquid to a pot to remove all the brown bits of goodness at the bottom of the pot). Add the brandy/Cognac and simmer for 5 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot. Stir constantly as to avoid having any lumps of flour. Add the white wine and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, make sure all the brown bits have dissolved.
Now it’s time to add the broths/water, bouillon cube, salt, pepper and thyme, bring to a boil. Continue to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and the stems from the thyme. Test if the soup needs additional salt.
Place a slice of the toasted bread in the bottom of each oven safe soup bowls/cups, and ladle in enough soup to nearly reach the edge of the bowl/cup. Cover the top of the soup with 1 slice of Munster cheese and 1 slice of Swiss cheese (more if you so desire). Move broiler rack to approximately 4-6 inches from the flame and slide your bowls of soup in, remove when cheese is melted and slightly browned. Careful they will be super hot… Serve immediately. Enjoy!
