Fricase de Pollo

2 tbsp.olive oil
1 red or yellow pepper
6 recao leaves, chopped
2 ounces ham, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. capers
1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tsp. Adobo Seasoning with Pepper
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (15.5 oz.) sweet peas, drained, liquid reserved
2 cups beer
pimientos morrones

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the ham and brown. Add the onion, pepper, garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, reduce heat to medium,low, add recao, oregano, cilantro and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato sauce, bay leaf, olives, capers, vinegar, adobo, and potatoes. Combine the liquid from the peas with beer, and add. Mix well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally. Stir in 1/2 of the peas and pimientos. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency.

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Caribbean Style Potato Salad

6 big potatoes
8 cups chicken broth from cubes
1/2 cup fresh mint
salt

2 apples
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 minced garlic cloves
1 cup corn
1 red pepper cut into very small pieces
1/2 red onion cut into very small pieces
2 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional) Spicy
salt and pepper to taste

*you can also add celery, peas, carrots, bacon bits (be creative)

Peel potatoes. Boil chicken broth, add potatoes, mint, salt and cook until done. Drain potatoes, cool (to room temperature) and cut into 1/2″ cube pieces, set aside. In a bowl mix rest of ingredients and gently fold potatoes into the mix. Serve at room temperature or place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until serve. Serves 10

Spaghetti alla Limone

1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves smashed to puree
2 lemon juice
1 lemon zest
1/2 cup good parmesan cheese at room tempetature and some more for garnish
1 bunch chopped fresh italian parley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl big enough to serve the pasta mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook pasta ardent and pour hot over mix. Stir well and top with lemon zest, parmesan cheese and parley. Serve warm

Shrimp and Lobster Rice

1 pound of raw shrimps divined
2 lobster tails
3 cups of white rice
3 tablepoons olive oil
1 big onion
1 red pepper
6 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon oregano(bold flavor) or parley)
2 1/2 cups of seafood broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon azafran
sea salt and pepper to taste
lemon for garnish

Cut onion and pepper into small pieces. Heat oil over medium high and saute onion, pepper, garlic with salt and black pepper for 5 minutes, stirring each minute. Add tomato sauce, oregano and rice and cook for 2 minutes. Mix broth, azafran and wine scraping the bottom of pan, bring to broil then add shrimp and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and cook until done about 8 minutes. Boil lobster tails in sea salt water for 15 minutes then remove the meat from the inside.
Transfer rice to a serving pan and garnish with lobster pieces.

*perfect with a piece of Steak on the side

Pork Chops with Tamarindo Sauce

6 pork chops
4 tablespoon canola oil
garlic salt and pepper

Sauce
1 cup water
4 peeled tamarind fruits
5 tablespoons honey

Season pork chops with garlic salt and pepper. Make sauce by heating water in a sauce pan, add tamarinds and cook for 4 minutes. Remove pulp from seed, and discard seeds. Add honey to the pot, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Puree sauce in a mixer.
In a shallow pan heat oil over medium high and fry pork chops until golden brown. Remove from pan, set on paper towel before placing on serving plate. Pour sauce on top and serve with your favorite rice.

FYI- Tartaric acid dense tamarind fruit is a powerful anti-oxidant that has many health promoting properties. **This tangy fruit pulp is stomach friendly due to its high non-starch polysaccharide content (gums, hemicelluloses, mucilage, pectin and tannins) which prevents constipation. Tamarind juice is often used as a remedy for nausea, vomiting, biliousness and bile disorders. Tamarind decoction has an anti-helminthic property which helps to expel stomach worms.

The vitamin C along with phytochemicals like limonene, geraniol, safrole, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylate, pyrazine and alkyl­thiazoles present in tamarind help to improve overall immunity of the body. These Phytochemicals are known to have anti-bactericidal action.

Italian Style Meatballs

Today I continue to use what I can find at home so I can start a fresh refrigerator and pantry for the new school year. This is what I came up with and it turned out YUMMY!

1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
3 minced garlic cloves
2 eggs
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup good quality parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

For Sauce;
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 small onion cut into small pieces
1 28oz can italian crushed tomatoes or plain crushed tomatoes adding a tablespoon of italian spices
salt and pepper

In a bowl mix meatballs ingredients very well. In a deep pan heat olive oil over medium and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic, cook for 3 minutes stirring accordingly. Pour tomato puree and stir. Make meatballs using an ice-cream spoon. Throw them in the tomato broth, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Serve with pasta

Puerto Rican Style Waffle Cones with Chicken in a Yogurt Sauce

4 chicken breast halves
1 chicken stock cube
24oz plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 cup diced fresh mint
1 cucumber peeled and cut into small pieces
1 medium celery cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
waffle ice cream cones
salt and pepper

Optional
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of honey for a sweet and sour touch!

In a tall pan boil water, cook chicken with cube and plenty salt. Lower heat to medium and boil chicken for 15 minutes. Cool chicken and shred. In a bowl mix chicken with rest of ingredients and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Serve the mix with cone on the side so people can fix the cones as needed. Making the cones ahead of time can make them saggy. Serves 8 to 10

*This recipe is a very popular appetizer in Puerto Rico. The original recipe is well kept but my version is equally good, and fun!

FYI- Yogurt is a very good source of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin-vitamin B2 and iodine. Yogurt also emerged from our analysis as a good source of vitamin B12, pantothenic acid-vitamin B5, zinc, potassium, protein and molybdenum. These 10 nutrients alone would make yogurt a health-supportive food. But some of the most interesting health information about yogurt comes from a different context—its potential inclusion of live bacteria.

Pork Chops with Pear/Blueberry Sauce – Recipe

8- pork chops
4- pears cut into thin pieces
15- blueberries
4- tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2- tablespoon olive oil
4- tablespoon lime juice. I use fresh limes
1- teaspoon cinnamon
1-teaspoon mustard seeds
1- cup apple cider vinegar
1- whole clove
3- tablespoon honey
1/4- cup gold raisins
1- teaspoon red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl mix the pears, blueberries and lime juice. In a pan over medium, mix the vinegar, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, mustard, clove, raisins and salt to taste. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the pears and berries and cook 15 minutes. Set aside. Season the chops with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet with olive oil over medium high until brown. About 3-4 minutes each side. Serve with sauce on top. Serves 8
Tip: if you do not want the pears to change color just add the blueberries after the sauce is done.

*Fruits and pork always a good match!

Great with white rice on the side. COQUI!

Sorullitos de Maiz

1 cup of water
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 cups corn meal
2 eggs
2 tablespoon butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded hard cheddar or gouda cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat a pan over medium and mix water, butter, cheese and vanilla until melted (do not over cook). Add corn meal and stir until is mix well and turn heat off. In a big bowl mix eggs and milk. Fold and stir corn mixture well. Form the sorullitos by picking up the mix with a soup spoon and forming cylinder shape sorullos. Deep fry until golden and serve with sauce

Sauce
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
for spicy add 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

5 tamatillos cut into pieces
1 chicken breast
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 diced yellow onion
6 smashed garlic cloves
2 jalapeños cut into pieces without seeds
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup corn
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
fresh tortillas

Garnish with any of;
shredded cabbage
avocado
cilantro
sour cream
limes
fresh mexican white cheese

Heat oil over high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Saute chicken in oil until both sides are browned, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken, and set aside.
Lower to medium heat, add onions and garlic to saucepan, and sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatillos, jalapeño peppers and sauté for 10 minutes. You can use this time to shred the chicken. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add cilantro and puree. Return to pot, add shredded chicken and corn, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about 5 minutes. Garnish as desire and serve with warm tortillas

FTY; Tomatillos are rich in vitamins and minerals and are considered to be good for health. You can eat them raw or add to soups and salads for a tasty meal.