Roasted Chicken Thigh

Hooray I got to cook dinner!!! It's been a rarity since I usually get home so late from teaching and I've started working at Kohls on the weekends. I made this during one of my work from home days. This recipe was not only easy but very delicious.

1. Heat oven to 400F. Thoroughly clean the chicken legs with warm water and drain. Make a couple of slits on the meaty part of chicken thighs. Peel 2-3 potatoes and cut into wedges.
2. Cut up about a cup of butternut squash, 3 garlic cloves, and one onion. Place everything in a shallow baking dish.
3. Place the cleaned chicken legs on top of the potatos, rub some poultry seasoning on the chicken and place the bacon strips on top of the chicken.  Add in rosemary sprigs and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes until chicken and potatoes are fork tender. Brush the chicken with maple syrup and broil for 5-10 minutes.

Mango Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ salts
• ¼ cup cold butter cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 7-8 tbsp mango jam for filling (or if you prefer a different flavored jam that works too)

Instructions:
1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.

2. Now add the butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter till it resembles bread crumbs.

3. Add the sugar.

4. Pour ½ cup milk and mix till it forms dough. If the mixture is looking too dry add the remaining 2 tbsp milk.

5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Divide it into 2 equal parts. Roll them both into roughly 6 inch circles of ½ inch thickness. I used just my hands by you can also roll it with a rolling pin.

6. Spread a thick layer of mango jam on one circle then cover it with the other circle.

7. Cut it into 8 triangular pieces.  Place them on the baking sheet with some room between the pieces.

8. Bake them at 350°F for 15-20 minutes till the bottom is golden brown and the top looks cooked.

Pumpkin bread

It feels like fall in the northern hemisphere. What a better way to celebrate than with some yummy pumpkin bread. This recipe only makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz) of pumpkin puree
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• tsp allspice
• tsp ginger
• tsp nutmeg
• 2/3 cups of light cream
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 5″ loaf pan.
3. In large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth.
4. Add milk and beat until well blended.
5. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
7. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Let the loaf cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then remove from pans.

Kinilaw

I <3 Kinilaw!! For those that are familiar with ceviche it's pretty much the filipino variation. It's a really quick recipe and you can use other types of fish, depending on your preference.

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes 
• 1 lb tuna steak
• 1 red onion  
• 4-5 tbsp vinegar
• 5 tbsp coconut milk
• 3 tsps salt
• 1 inch ginger
• 1-2 jalapenoes depending on spice preference
• 5 limonsitos

Toss all of the ingredients together and let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a simple sauce that can be used as a marinade or a dipping sauce for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina, home of the tastiest meat I've ever tasted. It has quite a kick to it, from all of the garlic. So be aware of the garlic breath that will result after consuming.

Ingredients:

• 4 minced garlic cloves  
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 cup of parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• lemon juice (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Chop up all of the parsley, onion, and garlic. If you have a food processor you can also pulse the ingredients until they are all chopped but it shouldn't look like puree.

2. Incorporate the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.

3. Season with salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes.

Grilled steak with some chimichurri sauce.

Filipino Adobo

Adobo is a very popular dish in the Philippines with each island and often times familes having their own take on the dish. Although the word adobo comes from the Spanish this cooking technique ,which involves marinating a meat in vinegar and garlic, browning in oil and simmering in marinade, does come from the indigenous people.  This is my family's version on this Filipino classic.

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 whole roughly chopped onion
• 2 tbsp Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 Bay leaf
• Whole pepper corn
• 3 diced Tomatoes

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil and saute the garlic, chicken, and onions together for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the other ingredients and let simmer until the sauce becomes thick, about 30 minutes.
3. Serve over steamed rice.

Pie de Limon

So Pie Approximation Day came around last month and I was seriously craving something a little tart. I was also feeling rather nostalgic so I decided to whip up some pie de limon. Sadly I no longer have Jessie and Alvaro around to help me make the merengue but I have been reunited with my Kitchen aide mixer.

Crust Ingredients: 2 cups flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp of baking powder

Crust Instructions:

1. Preheat the ovento 375 F
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl or food processor.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour either with your hands or using your food processor, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Whisk the powdered sugar, eggs together and add to the mixture to make a firm dough.
5. On a lightly floured bench or board knead the mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
6. Handle as little as possible to prevent the pastry from becoming hard when baked.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured board or bench carefully roll out half of the pastry until it’s approximately 5 mm thickness.
9. Line a 23cm pie dish and prick the surface with a fork, line the inside of the pie shell and fill with baking beans or rice.
10. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden and cooked through.
11. Remove the baking beans and set aside.

Lemon Filling Ingredients: 1 cup sugar, zest from 2 lemons, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon, 4 tbsp of butter, tbsp of cornstarch, 1.5 cup of water


Filling Instructions:

1. Place the sugar, cornflour, cold water and finely grated zest in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Over a gentle flame heat the curd, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken.
3. Add the beaten eggs and butter and continue to heat and stir through until very thick.
4. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, adding more to taste as desired.
5. Pour the lemon curd into the cooked pastry shell and top with the following meringue.

Merengue Ingredients: tsp cream of tartar, 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Merengue Instructions:

1. In a very clean and large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer place the 3 egg whites and cream of tartar.
2. Whisk until soft peaks form and then gradually add in the sugar a little at a time until the meringue is thick, smooth and glossy and all of the sugar has dissolved.
3. Spoon or pipe the meringue over the lemon curd filled pie shell and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until the meringue is golden.

Scallop and Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
1 red onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 zucchini
2 tomatoes
3 fresh basil leaves
tsp of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 cup broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 pound of scallops
1/2 pound of shrimp
tbsp of butter
box of spaghetti or your pasta of choice
lemon (optional)

Instructions:
1.Cook the pasta to you desired tenderness.

2. Coarsely chop the onion and mince the garlic.

3. Heat a tablespoon of oil on medium heat and then saute the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes.

4. Add the zucchini and tomatoes and continue to saute for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add half of the basil, the pepper flakes, wine, broth, and paste to the mixture.

6. After 5 minutes incorporate the butter, scallops and shrimps. It should take about 5 minutes or so to make sure that the shrimp and scallops are cooked. Don't overcook the seafood or it will become tough.

7. Toss the pasta in the sauce adding lemon, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the rest of the fresh basil on the pasta when you plate it.

Banana Bread

So most people know that I'm not the biggest fan of bananas. I don't really like the texture and how for me it seems to overpower every other flavor in a recipe.  But per my mother's request I made a banana bread.

Ingredients 
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tablespoons heavy creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 drops of almond extract

Instructions
1. Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
4. Drizzle in oil.
5. Add mashed bananas, heavy creme, almond extract and vanilla.
6. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Caramelized Ginger Shrimp

This recipe is a rather quick and easy shrimp recipe. Well it's rather quick after the brining stage. Brining is a process in which you submerge meat into a salt water mixture to give them some added flavor. It can take anywhere from a few minutes up to to hours depending on what and how much you are brining. This recipe only involves about 15 to 20 minutes of brining.

Instructions
1. In a metal bowl mix about 1/2 a cup of salt, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 quarts warm water, 1 large chili cut up into pieces, and about a pound of shrimp. Let the shrimp sit in the brine for about 20 minutes.

2. Mince 4 garlic cloves.

3. Peel and mince about two tablespoons of ginger.

4. Heat about 4 tablespoons of canola oil in a saucepan.

5. Saute the garlic and ginger, adding a little salt. Saute the mixture until the garlic turns into a golden color. DO NOT BURN the garlic.

6. Add 3 tbsp of sugar and 2 tsps of paprika to the mixture.

7. When the sugar looks like it is mostly dissolved add in the shrimp.

8. The shrimp shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to cook.

Quick Tilapia

Ingredients

• tilapia steak 
• juice from half of a lemon
• paprika 
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper 
• cumin 

Instructions
1. Rub the lemon on both sides of the tilapia.
2. Sprinkle the different spices liberally over the fish.
3. Massage the spices so that they are evenly spread out over the fish.
4. Heat about 2 tablespoon of oil on a a pan. Make sure the oil is really hot before putting the fish onto the skillet.
5. Cook the fish for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
6. Place a top on the skillet and turn off the heat.

Microwave Cake

I'm so excited about having a microwave again. I've been dying to try out the microwave mug cake and it's awesome for my chocolate cravings. Granted it's not as amazing as some of my other cakes but it's great in a pinch.

Ingredients
1. 3 tbsp flour
2. 2.5 tbsp sugar
3. 2 tbsp cocoa powder
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1/4 tsp baking powder
6. 1 egg
7. 1 tbsp oil
8. 2 tbsp milk



Instructions :
Combine whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour content in a coffee mug.

Cook for about 2.5 minutes on full power in microwave. (Cooking time may vary a little with the power of your microwave)

Variation:

This tastes great with berries and almond cream. For the almond cream mix 1-2 drops of almond extract with whipped cream.

Leche Flan

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
10 egg yolks  (yes 10 and yes just the yolks, you canmake a scramle with the egg whites)
1 tbsp of vanilla
1 tsp of cinnamon

Instructions:
1. In a small skillet melt the sugar with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Wait until it bubbles a little before stirring it.

2. Pour the mixture into your pan (I used a silicon pan) and spread it out evenly. Set aside to cool.

3. In  a large bowl mix together the vanilla with the egg yolks.

4. Next incorporate the evaporated milk and condensed milk. Mix for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the pan.

5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place the pan into a water bath. Place the bath into a 400 degree preheated oven.

6. Steam/Bake for about 45 minutes. Take the flan out of the oven and let cool. Refrigerate after it cools.

Variations: I've seen recipes where they use 6 whole eggs instead. However I believe this is the traditional Filipino recipe.

orange biscotti

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups of flour

Instructions:
1. Grease a baking sheet or dish.
2. Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix the sugar, oil, vanilla, orange zest, and eggs.
4. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. The dough shouldn't be that sticky. If it is put it in the fridge for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and form two logs.
6. Place the logs on the baking sheet and press it down a little so that it's about 3/4 of an inch thick. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until slightly brown.
7. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the two logs cool for about 10 minutes.
8. Put a log on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut the log with diagonal strips. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet with the cut side up. Bake on each side for about 5 minutes.

For the chocolate dip:
1. Melt 1 tbsp of manteca.
2. Stir in 1 tbsp of powdered dark chocolate.
3. Squeeze half an orange into the mixture.
4. Stir everything together, take off the fire and dip the biscotti.

Peanut Butter Lava Cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
5 tbsp milk
tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of baking soda
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp peanut butter
1tbsp powdered sugar





Instructions 
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an oven proof bowl.
2.. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, and baking soda.
3. Add the butter, eggs, and 3 tbsp of milk.
4. Whisk together the ingredients until everything is incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into the bowl.
6.In a smaller bowl mix the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and 2 tbsp of milk until it is nice and smooth.
7. Drop the peanut butter mixture into the middle of the chocolate mixture.
8. Place into the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Bake until the top and sides are cooked but don't overbake unless you want a brownie instead.
9. Let the cake cool outside the oven for about 5 minutes.
10. Use a spoon or knife to seperate the cake from the sides of the bowl.
11. Invert the cake onto a plate and dust with some powdered sugar.

Chocolate everywhere!! Yummy dark chocolate covered strawberries

So I accidentally asked for half a kilo of dark chocolate powder in La Vega. I completely forgot how much that actually was, so I've been finding different ways to utilize all the chocolate.

For example: Dark chocolate covered strawberries

1.In a double boiler like set up, melt 3 tablespoons of manteca(lard).
2. To the mixture add 1 tbsp of powdered sugar and 2 tbsp of dark chocolate powder.
3. Dip the strawberries in the chocolate and place on a parchment paper covered plate.
4. Stick the strawberries in the fridge and normally the chocolate shell hardens within 5-10 minutes.


Coming soon!: chocolate peanut butter lava cake, chocolate cake with peanut butter glaze, chocolate almond dip, chocolate zucchini muffins and much more.

Pastel de Choclo

Oh Chile how I wish you had yummier food. This dish is actually one of the few dishes that I actually like. It takes a lot of time to prepare each part but in the end it is deliciose. Granted some people are weirded out by the combination of ingredients in this dish.

Corn: Grate 5-6 large ears of corn. Mix with a cup of milk, a tbsp of sugar, a tbsp of dried basil (6 to 8 fresh basil leaves), and a tbsp of manteca. Heat in a skillet for about 3-5 minutes.

Ground Beef: Mince two garlic cloves and one large onion. Saute the garlic and onions with the ground beef. Flavor with a little salt, pepper, and cumin.

Chicken pollada style: Rub some paprika and cumin on a large chicken breast. Place on a really hot, oiled pan. Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and let the steam cook the rest  of the chicken for about 10 minutes. Afterwards cut the chicken into strips so it can be evenly distributed between the 4 bowls.

Hard boiled Egg

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a baking dish, or a Pomaire bowl layer: 1st layer (bottom) the ground beef; 2nd layer: egg, chicken, raisins (optional) and black olive (optional); 3rd layer: corn mixture

Place the bowls or baking dish in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the corn looks set.

Serrano Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

• 7-8 pieces of serrano ham
• 3 large chicken breasts 
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 tbsp butter 
• tbsp paprika or merken
• red bell pepper, chopped
• small red onion, minced
• half a zucchini cut into small pieces 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Sautee the veggies and onions in the butter. 

2. In a seperate bowl work the paprika into the softened cream cheese. 

3. Butterfly the chicken and place it on the ham.

4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chicken and then spread some of the veggie mixture on top. Sprinkle with a litte salt and pepper.

5. Roll the ham over the chicken and secure with toothpicks. 

6. Place the rolled chickens on a buttered baking dish.

7. Bake in 325 F degree oven for 15-20 minutes. 

The most amazing food in Chile

This past summer I went down to Punta Arena and tasted some of the best food that I´ve had in Chile. It was so pretty too! The place was called La Marmita. Its the first place in Chile where I´ve asked for tap water and they brought me a jug of ice water with lemon wedges floating in it. I was in heaven! I loved it so much, I went twice. Unfortunately when I went for dinner there wasn´t enough lighting so my pictures didn´t really come out. My pictures for lunch turned out better.

Orange and beer marinated pork chops. There were potatoes hidden underneath the pork chop.



The chocolate pyramid had a harder outer shell with chocolate berry mouse inside.



Rainy Day Food

Normally Sundays are lazy days for all of us. This past Sunday it was also the first rain of the season (oh how I dislike winter). We decided to watch Saved (to educate Lizzie about the religious atmosphere found in the middle of the states). I was too lazy to leave the house to get ingredients so I used all the veggies I could find and some stuff in my pantry to make chili!! It also worked out that Katie brought over homemade pesto bread.

It was an amazing, unplanned, and delicious coincidence.

Pi Day (3.14)

Pi Day this year was a success! So many delicious pies (both savory and sweet).

Jorge was late to the festivities so we saved him portions of each dish, except for Katie´s deep dish pizza because that dissapeared quickly.

So I gave up baking for Lent (so much harder than I anticipated). I had to figure out what to contribute since I couldn´t bake any quiches or pies. I settled for a no bake peanut butter pie. For the crust I crushed some vanilla and chocolate cookies sprinkled in some brown sugar and used about 4 tbsps of melted butter so everything could stick together. I pressed the muxture onto the pan and I created  chocolate ganach with some heavy cream and cocoa powder and spread it over the crust. I put it it in the fidge while I made the filling. For the filling I took 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of milk, 3 tbsp sugar, and a bar of cream cheese and whipped everything together. After everything was whipped up I incorporated some whipped cream until there was enough for the pie filling (about a cup). After pouring the filling into the pan I let it chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.  

Swedish meatballs



When I think of Sweden I immediately think of IKEA. I love the cheap and stylish furniture that helped me get through college. When I think of IKEA I also think of their food court and their swedish meatballs. If only I could get a hold of some lingonberry sauce to make this perfect. Mmmm. 

For the meatballs:

• First preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. 

•  Mince a small red onion and a spinng onion. In a small skillet melt tbsps of butter and saute the onions with a little salt and pepper for about 2 minutes.

• Peel a large potato and boil for about 10 minutes. Once the potato is cool enough grate it.

•  In a large bowl mix the potato, onion mixture, 1 kilo of ground beef, 1 egg, tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of milk. You should be able to form little balls with your hands. If it´s too wet add a little more flour and if it´s too dry add a little more milk.

• In a large skillet melt some butter. Brown the meatballs 4 to 5 at a time before putting them in a 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Use a slotted spoon because you want to reserve the juices for the sauce.

For the sauce:

• You will need a 1/4 cup of flour, 2 tbsp a cup of butter, a cup of sour cream, 2 tbsp rosemary, 3 cups of stock and a tsp of pepper.

• Whisk in the flour with the drippings. After the flour is browned add the other ingredients and whisk for about 2 minutes until it reaches a simmer.
• Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.

• Serve over pasta.

Humba (a healthier version)

 So one night I decided to create a Filipino feast for everyone. God I love Filipino food. I was originally going to make lumpia but I couldn´t find the right wrappers here. I´m still a little scared of making my own wrappers from scratch. Instead I made humba and pancit.

This version of humba (sugar braised pork belly) doesn't taste exactly like the normal kind but it still has an amazing flavor.

Ingredients: 

1 kilo of pork (I used a mixture of tenderloin and pork chop) 

3 cloves garlic minced

1 red onion minced

about 2 tsp of fresh ginger minced

3 to 4 bay leaves

5 to 6 dried mushrooms

2 tsp whole peppercorn

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/2  cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup dark soy sauce

2 cups water

2 tbsp flour

Instructions:
1. In a bowl mix together the vinegar, soy sauce,  water, sugar, and peppercorn.
2. Take the pork and cut into large chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In the pot that you will use to braise put a little oil and brown the pork pieces. Set the pork aside on a plate.
3. Add a little more oil to the pot and toss in the garlic, ginger, and onions.
Make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
4. Put the pork back into the pot. Incorporate the
the sauce from step 1.
5. Put a lid on the pot and put the pot in the oven (use the lowest setting). Keep in the oven for 1.5 hours.
6. Take the pot out of the oven and put on the stove top. Simmer for 20-30  more minutes. At this point incorporate the flour so the sauce can thicken. You can also take the mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces.

Serve over some steamed rice.
Pancit recipe coming soon!

Orange Currant Scone

According to Wikipedia scones are a type of quick bread that first originated in Scotland. Of course when I think of scones I think of England, but huh who knew? So here was my attempt at making this wonderful tea time snack:

Ingredients for the scone:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

125 g butter softened

1/2 cup currants

zest from 1 orange

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

For the glaze:

1 egg white

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and baking powder.  

2. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the orange zest, butter, yogurt, egg, and currants. Fold everything together.

3. Create a a round ball and flatten. Place in your springform pan. The dough shouldn´t be touching the sides of your pan.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes.

5. Create the glaze. Take the scones out of the oven and brush the glaze over the scones. Put the scones back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes.  

6. Let the scones cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

My half eaten scone with my coffee. Come on off course it´s coffee.