Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

2 Bell peppers, green or red

2 ½ Cups plain bread crumbs

1 Large egg, beaten

½ Cup grated Romano cheese

¼ Olive oil

4 Garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ - ½ Cup water

2 Sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

3 Large basil leaves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Pan Sauce

1 8oz Can tomato sauce

2 Garlic cloves, finely minced

½ Small onion, sliced thin

½ Cup water

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F

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!

Homemade Curry

 

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. 

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients

1 Medium onion, diced

1 Stick unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons bacon grease (or unsalted butter)

½ Pound ground beef

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ Pound bacon, chopped finely

1 14.5oz Can chicken broth

¼ Cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

½ - ¾ Pound Yellow American cheese (or cheddar)

1 Quart half and half

1 Packet of Goya jamon (optional)

Salt and Black pepper to taste

Directions

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! 

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Pound dry lentils

½ Medium onion, finely diced

1 Cup carrots, finely diced

¼ Cup bacon, finely chopped (optional)

1 Package frozen chopped spinach

1 8oz Can tomato sauce

3-4 Medium potatoes

3 Garlic cloves, finely minced

1 Chicken bouillon cube, knorrs

Salt and black pepper to taste

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!

Paul’s Rubbed Ribs

This rub is best on beef or pork ribs!

Determine the amount of ribs you

will need for the amount of people

you will be serving.

Rub Mixture

Ingredients

¼ Cup Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)

¼ Cup Paprika (Darkest pakrika you can find)

2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

4 Tablespoons Onion Powder

4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Teaspoons Ground Mustard Powder

Brining Liquid

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ Cup apple cider vinegar

4-5 Cups water

½ Medium sweet onion, optional

Directions

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.

Latin Rice And Beans

Ingredients

½ Cup achiote (annatto) oil, recipe follows

I Medium sized onion, finely diced

2 Dried bay leaves

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

½ Cup sofrito, store bought

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.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

2-3 red bell peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 Large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 large ripe tomato, roughly chopped

1 – 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 package of Goya sazon,

1 Tablespoon Adobo Sauce, optional

1 large chicken bouillon cube, crumbled

6 tbsp. of olive oil

black pepper, to taste

½ Large lime

Marinade

¼ Cup olive oil

2 ½ Large limes

½ Teaspoon kosher salt

¼ Teaspoon black pepper

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).