Mangoes On the Go

Ahhh! Mangoes! If you have a favorite fruit, you know what is like to crave and want that fruit, especially if is not common to certain parts... Or maybe I am just addicted and you have no idea what I am talking about! 

A mangoe to me is like an IV, a dose of adrenaline and comfort at the same time! 

How to eat it? Multiple ways:

I slice it, eat it with some lime juice, salt and or add a little hot sauce to give it a spike.... Or if fully ripened then eat as is, it is sweet already.

I grew up with mangoes in "our backyard" more like in our country areas. So for us, it was climbing a tree for it rather than going to a grocery store. Eating them up in the branches or taking them to the river... Of course, we always had a knife of some sort and a little salt on the side! If you eat them before the seed grow big and hard, then they are a bit tangy and sour...uhmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about them! However, note that if you do cut them small, dran the "milk" off them as soon as you cut them, and don't just bite right theough them, the seed is in there! Its solf, if you do bite into it, note you will never do it again, its quite bitter! Explore some and learn the fruit, its so delicious!! I used to make a type of "frozen" icycle with cut up mango and marañones (cashew fruit), mixed together, the sweet and sour tangy taste is like an explotion of flavours in your mouth!!! Your taste buds might faint though!

There are different types of mangoes, MANGO, some are small and "hairy" and no, not hairy on the outside it is more of a way to describe the pulp. Then you have others that are larger and smaller.

My mom used to prepare the mangoes in syrup (from sugar cane... That grew close by...)... Best thing in the world!! I will have to make them and upload a pic later.

How do you eat your fruits??

Do share :)

Patacones - A Panamanian Delight

So back in July I traveled to Panama with a great team from work.

We ate a lot different foods, the Sancocho was ok, my taste buds were not fond of the rare vegetable. 

There was one dish we had as appetizer that I took upon myself to recreate and perfect: 

Theirs: Patacones with chicken, had a layer of refried beans on the deep fried plantain, then the chicken, lettuce, and cheese topped with a red onion.

See plate below:

The patacones were good! Hence why I choose to recreate that dish.

Below is my first attempt:

What is different?

I added: I switched the chicken to be tastier, used the recipe of the Salvadoran Chicken Sandwhich for the chicken, then I chose cabbage over lettuce to make it crispier...also added pico de gallo (avocado, lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, red onion)

I also served with a side of rice. It was a hit!

Here is a second dish: same way as the first one, without the beans. Now, I prefer with beans as it gives it a contrast in flavour! 

And served with a bit more of yellow rice and avocado in the side.

You cannot go wrong with this. Choose other ingredients as you see fit and also make sure the Patacon or Toston will hold that much. I would add radish, and even a bit of beets to contradict the flavors as to have an explosion of tastiness!

Bon apetito!

Lazy dinners

When you are pressed for time and lots of things to do, often you just grab something, toss it together and call it dinner.

Or simply call take out. Which to me its not much of an option, not only because i am trying to eliminate useless costs and or indulge in better dinners than your average junk food... 

It really makes a big difference in your "diet" if you eat home made foods versus eating out. I do not consider my cooking extremely healthy, but its healthier than eating anything out there... We do not diet as we eat mostly fresh foods and moderately. I believe people get chuncky because they eat unhealthy meals and too often they eat out.

For me, I take advantage of my ability to follow the recipes and also get creative with ingredients. I do believe that while I take the time to prepare meals, I eat less than if I sat down and waited for it to be served and consume the fatty calories.

Often times I do eat larger portions and depends on what I am making or have made.

So I will leave you with this thought, dieting is different for everyone. 

I made some fried shrimp (caught fresh and cleaned at home) with garlic and fresh onions:

Served on a bed of rice (lots of starches, but every so often, eaten moderately, its ok):

Maria's Untraditional Chili

Ok. For all Chili lovers, I have tweaked the recipe for chili! From scratch, here's my colorful delightful chili!

I love to differentiate from others and be wild with colors and combinations. So give it a try, add your ingredient and make it your own! 

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb ground beef
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
4 garlic gloves (minced)
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 can green beans
½ bottle of salsa (medium - the taco salsa)
1 teaspoon Chili powder
3 table spoons of Mole - can be found on the Latin Isles of your grocery store (regular Mole) - Not necessary but gives it a great taste
1 table spoon of taco powder seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
2 table spoons of Tabasco or Texas Pete hot sauce (depending on your desire and taste for spicy food)
1 jalapeño - cut up without the seeds (if you add the seeds, it will be too spicy).

Most chili recipes call for you to drain the beans, I do not.  It adds more flavor to your chili

Preparation:

-          Cook the ground beef well, try not to leave large lumps

-          Add Onions, garlic, and green bell pepper as you are cooking the meat
In a Crock-pot, place the cooked meat, turn to high and add all other ingredients

Season with a ½ taeaspoon of garlic salt or sprinkle it on top, add about 1 table spoon of beef bouillon, mix well
You can add the "food coloring" the Sazon - Azafran with annatto (achiote).  Also found in the Latin grocery aisles.  Taste it as it is cooking to see if you need to add salt.

Leave on crock pot for about an hour on high heat, stir occasionally.

You can eat with crackers or chips or get creative with it.

I add green beans to make it more colorful, plus if gives it a good texture

Maria's sensational mixture: Bread pudding

Alright, any cooks out there? Bakers? 

First off, I am no baker. I can put a meal together and call it that, but when it comes to baking, I refrain from the yeast, baking powder, and flour. 

Nope. That's for the bakers! 

However, while visiting Orlando on a business trip, at the Rosen Centre Hotel I had the opportunity to try a bread pudding and loved it! So I had that in my head that I need to duplicate that recipe. 

Yesterday I browsed some sites, came across Paula Deen's heart-attack on a spoon bite, then came across the traditinal Betty crocker.

I loved the ingredients and concept from both. However, neither one convinced me to the fullest. 

So, I violated all fine lines and did the untraditional method of following a recipe. Instead, I combined both and recreated my own version. 

Paula Deen's called for 25+ hours of waiting to taste my new discovery of sweets, so I opted for the Betty Crocker prep time(and less sugar). 

Ingredients to follow later:

Here is what I came up with:

Using Sarah lee's cinnamon swirl bread, a handful of pecans, I used a food processor to reduce the size of the bread cubes (making the mixture fine).

And voila! Forgot I did have brandy or burbon for the sauce, regardless, this was a masterpiece!!

What has been your most adventurous tests? See, from above, am not that bad of a chef! Lol. Enjoy!!!

Empanadas de Platano

Empanadas de Platano

When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite types of deserts.  I would sit nearby and observe as my grandma or mom diligently boiled the plantains, pealed them, and prepared the sweet filling.  I loved to inhale the dreamy smell of cinnamon and plantains frying.

I would lied if I said that I tried helping.  There were certain things I helped with while with others, I made the perfect audience.

This is mostly a pastry, a delicacy eaten in El Salvador.  If you were to google Empanadas, you would get a vast array of types of empanadas varying from chicken filling, to ground beef, to pastry empanadas.

These being the most famous empanadas covered in sugar are super tasty when warm.  Since most items that are fried tend to retain some of the oil, its never the same when you have them warm than when they have sat for a few hours.

It is plantain with filling, covered in sugar

What do you need:

6 ripened plantains
cut and boiled (cooked) until they seem swollen and tender.

1/3 cup of maizena vanilla (you can find in the Latino section of your local supermarket)
about 2 1/5 cups of milk
Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon


PREPARATIONS:
in a large bowl, peel the plantains after they have cooled down some
use a fork or available tool to smash the plantains (to make a dough)
IF you notice they seems too watery, add about 1/3 cup of all purpose flour...add slowly, sometimes you might not need all it.

The dough should be finely rolled, you have to be able to make a "tortilla" circle to insert the filling.

FILLING PREPARATIONS
In a medium pan, put the milk on low heat, mix the maizena with some milk and the sugar (normally this depends on how much sugar you can consume.  No too sweet otherwise it will be too repugnant).
add the cinnamon to taste.  Some people are not fond of cinnamon or have allergies, so you can replace based on your family's needs.

Remember to constantly stir the filling otherwise it will be very uneven and create small balls everywhere.

Allow the filling to cool a little bit.  Fill in the dough and shape them. Use a little bit of warm water to seal the edges.  Use a medium sauce pan and place enough oil so they are covered.  Keep oil at a medium temperature, if they get golden too quickly, reduce the heat a little bit.

Serve rolled in sugar or plain. Your creativity.

The below is a simple image, but you can get creative! Throw cinnamon sprinkle or powder sugar.

Bonne appétit!

Choclo asado

What is a Choclo? Corn, maize, elote, maize! In every part of the world the name is different and it is essentially the same corn on the cob.

What's typical when you are grilling? especially during the summer season?
For me, grilling has to have a Corn on the cob grilled.

Depending on tastes, it is marvelous to eat when it is fresh of the grill.

Covered with mayo and parmesan cheese, such a delicious heart attack on a cob! I would say, be moderate, when you eat something in excess amounts than you can fear for your arteries.  Meanwhile, if you eat healthy, appropriate proportions and maintain a healthy habit, then you are ok. Now I am no doctor or nutritionist so don't run to your kitchen and lust over or indulge in something that could harm you.

But don't tell me you aren't one of the fair goers who pay a typical $3 for a "boiled" corn on the cob! really, people do pay that price!

They do make perfect fair snack! I enjoy them, but prefer to grill them myself and have as many condiment options as my pantry can allow my creativity to experience.  

While cooking or grilling burgers, toss a few corn on the cob on the grill, moving costantly so they do not burn.

Get to your grills and next time you see a gap or empty space, place a few of these! you can serve with plain butter if you like. :)

Rodizio -Boi Brazil

Whether it is business travel or pleasure, if you are in Orlando, you have to hit the local Brazilian Churrasquerias!

There's nothing more satisfying than dipping your fork into tender meats, fechuadas and the amazing salads!

Drink wise - a way to wash down all that goodness, select a Guarana! It cannot compare to anything, it is plain amazing! 

So I indulged into a black bean fechuada and potato salad. Excellent way to end a hard work day! 

Don't worry, if you don't speak Portuguese, no problem! The food speaks for itself :) 

Indulge!! Let your taste buds feast! 

Chivitos al Pan

Rainy days mean stay in doors and cook in doors. Weekends in the south you really want to fire up the grill, especially when you are in winter season and the temperature is right at 68degrees! Can't top that!

So, since the forecast is rain, we opted to make Chivitos al pan (sandwiches Uruguayan style).

Ingredients:

Thin cut meat

Hard boiled eggs / or fried

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Caramelized onions

Stir fried red pepper (or red peppers on can)

Olives

Avocados (your choice)

Cucumbers (optional)

Bacon

Ham

Bread

French fries

And mayo/ketchup

Write on the comments for if you will like to know specifics! 

This image courtesy of Maria Laura! Check out her facebook at https://m.facebook.com/Marialaura998

Frijoles Negros - Black Beans

Black bean "soup"

One of my ultimate favorites when I was growing up has always been Back beans with cheese (dry cheese) and some tortillas, home made.

I do not think there is much of a recipe here.  It is rather one of those light meals that give me a comforting feeling of being home.

In El Salvador, Rice, beans, corn are the staple of a household.  Everyone grows their own cattle, chickens, pork, and other animals for the general consumption.

We were used to eating beans, eggs, and all those normal farm grown items.  We made our cheeses, milked our cows, killed our own chickens.  Yes, you had read correctly.  The first time I killed and cleaned a chicken I might've been around 11 or 12.

There is no real science to cooking black beans.  It is simply beans and water, I add some garlic to give a hint and salt.

Back in our days, these were cooked in real fire and took longer to cook.  Now a days we have the pressure cooker and it takes less than 30minutes to cook.

If you are ever trying to make these to serve with your meals, rather than using canned beans, the flavors  are totally different and much healthier.

Sometimes it is the simple meals that mean  the most.

Just plan black beans cooked in a presure cooker

"Nothing says home than sitting down with a bowl of your root's goodness..."

Feel free to comment, leave me your thoughts.  What is that comfort food you are fond of? 

Dulce de calabasa

Pumking caremized

This is a simple story:

I remember how mom used to cut the pumpkin, we would clean the seeds to later roast and make a spice to go along for our fresh fruits, cannot remember what we called it but it was delicious.

The pumpkin is very different then the regular USA orange pumpkin. This has more texture, is firmer. She would boil in a mixture of water and sugar and sugar cane (atado de dulce).

In the end, the pumpkin would be deliciusly caramelized!  

This was mostly a tasty treat for holidays, such as Christmas season. Especially a treat when going into town to the fair. The smell of all the sweets, mangoes in honey, jocotes in syrup, coconut glazed candies! Oh, the sweet smell of Christmas on such a pleasant warm weather conditions! 

That meant fireworks non stop all night long, the comptetition of eating the most tamales and staying awake! Thats what this reminds me off! The sweet treats of holidays!

Enjoy!

Fried sweet plantain

Fried sweet plantains:

These are commonly eaten in El Salvador for breakfast with dried cheese, refried beans, and crema (cream cheese).

I remember as mom would wake early and make us breakfast. Thise are treasured memories for they have lasted many years and I was able to pick back up where I knew I had learnt to cook some things.

There was no "stove" it was all wood burning, clay stove, yet, that made these plantains taste even better. 

So share what you would eat them with! I have heard horror stories of people eating them with syrup... Ok...not me! 

Tell me about your type of plantains! How do you eat them?

Delicious!!! 

Plantain chips

Plantain chips:

Get about 4 green plantains, peel them, cut them thinly.

Fry them until golden! 

What to serve with? You can make a guacamole salad:

1avocado 

Cilantro to taste

3 table spoons Onion (white or red) diced 

1 Jalapeño devaines, seedless

3 or 4 radish minced

2 tomatoes diced

2 limes - juice

Sprikle salt to taste

You can alsoget creative and make other dios. These go well with shrimp or any seafood. Remember, the plantains have to be green!

Side story: there are different types of plantains, in different countries they are known by other names other than plantain. Do a little research, its interesting to learn about the diverse amount and cooking uses.

In here you will find I have created other dishes with them: tostones/patacones, used in soups, sancochos, as a desert, and of course as chips! They are healthy!!!

I used to have them as a kid for breakfast, deep fried, sweet plantain with refried beans, cheese fresh from home, and or some fresh "french bread" and coffee (also made from scratch at home).

You might read about that later along with fresh cocoa beans roasting over our "comal" (a clay griddle-closest resemblance).

Oh the stories of the chocolate days and coffee beans roasting! Soon to come! 

What would you eat these with?

Ceviche? Not too shaby! Great combination!!!

Yucca Nuggets

A desert to take your breath away!

It is traditional Salvadorian! The small is awesome, the taste phenomenal! It will captivate your taste buds!!! 

Raw yucca, grinded in a small processor.

Cheese, gelatin without flavor, two eggs, slat to taste, mixed well. Then fried in a small pan. 

Making the syrup:

2 cups of water in a sauce pan

1 or teo small portions of panela sugar

1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

Let it slowly cook and boil

Chicken Milanesa

Alright, for all those who enjoy eating frozen foods.  This might give you a different choice.

You can certainly get creative.  Why NOT!?! That's what keeps your kitchen feeling like a restaurant! Without spending the EXTRA dollar. 

Using real ingredients, fresh, and of course all in the comfort of your own home! 


Chicken Milanesas or breaded chicken: 

Filet it, rub garlic salt and fresh minced garlic. Sit aside. Make as much or as little, you can freeze these before frying them.

Take Italian Bread crumbs, lightly pat some onto the seasoned chicken. Then if you can either fry or freeze.

To fry: beat two eggs, run the semi breaded chicken with the egg, then add another thin layer of bread crumbs. Make sure the oil is not too hot nor too cold, warm it and keep it at med/low, otherwise the bread portion will burn and the chicken will not cook. 

Sit on a cookie sheet to let the excess oil drip. 

You can serve eith a tomatoe and cucubmber salad, black beans and rice or over pasta.  Its up to you!!! 

The great thing about making extras is leaving for your next day's work lunch. Sces you lots of $$

Its all about saving a buck or two!

If you have any ideas or suggestions on ways to save, please share in comments below!

Got a special recipe that you want to share and want to challenge me with?

Share the ingredients and I will do my best to recreate the masterpiece! 

Bon apetito!

EMPANADAS - Picadillo Style

"...Crossing the ocean..."

If you look at Latin America, you will discover that many countries have something in common other than just the language.  Empanadas! To each culture, an empanada can be sweet, a pastry, a desert, or part of a meal.

This recipe is a mixture of a Cuban flavors and my own.

The below are Beef empanadas, Cuban style - picadillo style.

Before Getting Started:  Check your fridge and see if you have the majority of the ingredients.  IT helps you save money and also use what you have before up dating your fridge ingredients.
Also, plan out your meals, sometimes that can give you creative ideas on how to make a great meal and be creative.

The ingredients really depend on the amount you are trying to make.  I normally make about 20 empanadas to save for work lunch, again, key concept, SAVE! Plus, these re-heated on a small oven are GREAT! 

What you will need:
 1 tray of ground beef (lean)
1 green bell pepper - chopped
1/2 of a small yellow onion - finely chopped
5 garlic gloves - minced
2 table spoons of oregano (add as you cook the meat)
1 table spoon of cumin powder
1/3 cup Olives - (seedless)
1 can diced tomatoes - if making a lot, use the large can or small
1 teaspoon of beef bullion 
1 potato cut in small squares
1 can green beans (optional)

Black pepper to taste
Garlic Salt to taste
Salt to taste
Empanada dough -[thawed]  this can be found at your local Latin American grocery store or at a nearby international food market, or if you live in the South, check out a local Publix.

In a medium sauce pan, add about 1 table spoon of oil.  In low heat, place onions and garlic to cook until clear.  Add the ground beef, move heat to about low medium.  If you are like me and like to get the ground beef finely chopped, stir occasionally with a spatula to eliminate big clumps.  Keep a close eye on the meat as it tends to stick on the bottom of the pan....depending on what you are using.  If you notice it is sticking reduce the heat.

As the beef is no longer pink, begin to add all other condiments, except the potato and green beans.  Make sure that the olives are in there - cut in small round portions. If you have picky eaters, chop finely on a food processor, they will taste them, but will not find them :)  Do not drain the meat, you need the juice to give flavor to the empanadas.  Unless you are trying to cut down on consuming high calories, drain it and add the beef bullion to give a bit more taste.

After you have added all ingredients, the last ingredient you add is the potato and green beans.  These are more specifically to give them texture and appearance. 

If you are like me, and have a food taster at home, have that person taste the finished product.  I always reserve the Salt FOR LAST! If you cannot taste the oregano or a hint of cumin, go backwards and a pinch.

Also note, Do not let the Potatoes over cook.  You want to have them just right. 

Normally, I do not measure anything.  It is all done by vision and feel.  As I keep this blog, I am having to do the following: measure, write down the ingredients, and of course work on presentations ;-)

CREATING the Empanadas:
After you have cooked the meat, allow for the mixture to cook for a bit.  You do not want to fill the dough while the meat is hot - why? Try it and let me know ;-)

Make sure the dough is thawed, if still frozen, when trying to fill they will crack.

Use a spoon to fill the dough, placing the filling in the middle.  Use your fingers to run moist (using warm water) along the edges of the dough and then fold over.  Using a FORK gently press the edges.

HINT: you can either Fry them or bake them.  Your choice.  If baking, you might want to use egg white to brush over the dough to give them a golden look :)

If frying, make sure the heat on the oil is medium low.  These can burn very easily. 

These are Fried

The top empanadas in this picture are baked, while the bottoms are fried. 

So try it out, let me know how these come out.  If you feel you did not get it right, comment or send me a private message.  I will be more than happy to guide you through the process.

Also note, that although I do not provide exact details about the ingredients used if chopped finely or whole, I hope you are able to pick up on the fact that there is no way you can put a whole of anything without chopping ;-) lol.

***PLEASE leave a comment! I would love to hear from you!***

MARIA'S CRAB CAKES

These are Maria's halfway famous crab cakes.  You can get creative and replace a few condiments to your taste.

Here is what you will need:

2 cups of crab meat
2 eggs
2 cups of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of minced onion (yellow)
1/3 cup of corn grains
1/3 to abou 1/4 cup of mayo
2 teaspoon of dried mustard
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt - to taste
2 table spoons of cilantro (chopped)
2 celery sticks (chopped)
1/3 Green bell pepper (finely chopped)
1 table spoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of worchestershire sauce
1 mini red pepper and 1 mini yellow red pepper chopped finely

garlic salt to taste
Old Bay seasoning to taste.

Chop all vegetables finely, use a small food processor or whichever one you have at hand.
In a large bowl, begin to put all ingredients together.  Mix as you add.  Take the Crab meat, on a separate plate feel for broken bones.  Normally I use Claw meat as it is much tastier and has a lot more, plus, it is less expensive.

Add the eggs, the crab meat, mix well.  Add the Mayo and mix well.  If you see that the mixture looks too moist, continue to add bread crumbs.  The Bread Crumbs use the regular bread, just use the food processor to finely grind the bread.  OR you could you some of the Italian style bread crumbs but the texture it is not the same.

After you have mixed all very well. Place a medium sauce pan to heat oil, approximately 1 cup of oil to help have enough for you to fry.  You can add the SALT and Black pepper to taste at the very end.  It is important to consider the condiments that already have salt added: garlic salt, mayo, worchestershire sauce, etc...

Use a cookie rack to place the crab cakes and so the excess oil can drip.

What to serve with?

Get creative and make a yellow rice, or white, whichever is your preference.  You can also use this to make the crab cakes for crab cake sandwiches. Let your creativity open up and serve something healthy.

I normally serve with Puerto Rican Yellow rice, broccoli, and a home made sauce.

SAUCE:

4 Table spoons of mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon of mustard
2 table spoons of pickle slices
2 table spoons of pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon of dill weed (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of old bay seasoning
1/2 table spoon of ketchup
2 table spoons of yellow onion chopped

Half of a mini red sweet pepper for color and appeal

In a food processor place all ingredients together and blend to taste.  If you like it watery, than add more pickle juice.

Note: you can add or replace any condiments as you see fit.  Also, the image is not the best, it is not burnt it is the picture my phone took :( I will work on those for next time.  And presentation wise as well.