Asopao de Gandules con Bolitas de Plátano

 

Bolitas de plátano

2 large green plantains, peeled and shredded in food processor

1/4 tsp. crushed garlic
dash of salt
Asopao
2 cans gandules
2 quarts chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced cooking ham
½ cup sofrito
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups short-grain rice
½ pound West Indian pumpkin, peeled and diced
1/2 tablespoon salt, or to taste
olives and capers
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Form dumplings from 1/2 tablespoonfuls of shredded plantain, garlic, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large caldero, combine the gandules and the stock. Heat until boiling.
While the stock and gandules boil, fry the ham in the oil for a few minutes, then add the sofrito and cook about 4 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the ham and sofrito and the rest of the ingredients to the stock and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the soup has thickened. Add the cilantro just before serving.
Asopao is a thick soup - just perfect for February's cold temperature.

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Edamame on the Food Network

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Edamame

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 2 scallions
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 center cut skin-on wild salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 1 1/3 cups cooked edamame
• Lime wedges, optional garnish

Preheat the grill over medium-high direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Finely chop the cilantro and scallion and mix in the oil and ginger. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut two 3-inch long slits through the skin lengthwise on the bottom of the salmon fillets, going about halfway into the salmon. Evenly stuff the slits with the herb mixture. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Stir together the lime juice, soy and honey until smooth. Place the salmon, skin side up, on the grill and cook until well marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and continue to cook, brushing the tops with the sauce, until the fish is cooked through, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle the tops with the sesame seeds. Serve with edamame and lime wedges.

Broiler directions: Position an oven rack so that a baking sheet set on the rack is about 4-inches below the heat source. Preheat the broiler. Prepare the salmon as above and place the fillets, skin down, on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil, basting 3 to 4 times with the sauce, until just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Edamame on the Food Network

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Edamame

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 2 scallions
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 center cut skin-on wild salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 1 1/3 cups cooked edamame
• Lime wedges, optional garnish

Preheat the grill over medium-high direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Finely chop the cilantro and scallion and mix in the oil and ginger. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut two 3-inch long slits through the skin lengthwise on the bottom of the salmon fillets, going about halfway into the salmon. Evenly stuff the slits with the herb mixture. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Stir together the lime juice, soy and honey until smooth. Place the salmon, skin side up, on the grill and cook until well marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and continue to cook, brushing the tops with the sauce, until the fish is cooked through, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle the tops with the sesame seeds. Serve with edamame and lime wedges.

Broiler directions: Position an oven rack so that a baking sheet set on the rack is about 4-inches below the heat source. Preheat the broiler. Prepare the salmon as above and place the fillets, skin down, on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil, basting 3 to 4 times with the sauce, until just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Ingredients

• 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

What to Drink?
a nice Zinfandel wine

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours। Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

What to Drink?
A nice Merlot

Interesting Organic Food Easter's Perfect Pasta with Peas, Radishes & Lemon Cream

Written by Kimberley Stakal

Share36 This Easter recipe is just marvelous for brunch, lunch or early dinner. Use spiral-shaped tube pasta for a pretty aesthetic that contrasts beautifully with the shapes of the sliced vegetables and picks up the fresh herb-infused sauce. Make this the day before Easter if you like -- it's great out of the fridge, and the flavors really develop while it hangs out a bit. Makes 4 to 6 servings Ingredients Sauce: 3/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (may use a vegan sour cream/yogurt to make the recipe totally vegan) 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest, 1/3 cup juice) ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons chopped chives 2 tablespoons chopped dill 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 8 ounces radiatori or spiral-shaped pasta 8 ounces frozen peas (1 ½ cups) 1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup) 1 small bunch radishes, washed, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups) Freshly grated parmesan and freshly ground pepper, for serving Method Create the sauce: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper; chill until ready to use. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until just al dente; drain. Run under cold water and drain very well; set aside. Add a small amount of water to pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Add peas and shallots; cook until peas turn bright green, about 1 minute; drain well, set aside. Combine cooked pasta, peas and shallots with radishes and chilled sauce in a large bowl. Mix well until pasta is thoroughly coated. Season well; add ample parmesan cheese and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill up to overnight for flavors to develop.

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo

(rice with chicken in Spanish) is a traditional dish of Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic where it is called locrio de pollo.

The dish, which originated in Spain as a form of pilaf, is now a staple throughout Latin America.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Food writer Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, while pointing to the international aspects of the dish, notes that its origin in Spain already reflected international influences: chicken was brought from India and rice from Asia; saffron was introduced by Phoenician traders; tomatoes and peppers are natives of the Americas.^[1]

Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, about 2 1/2-3 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, with skin on, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup of flour for dredging
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika

Rice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
• 3 cups* chicken stock
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
• Pinch of oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Method

1 Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (a skillet that has a cover) on medium high heat. Put the flour in a wide bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. (You can skip the flour dredging part if you want. It just makes a nicer coating for the chicken.) Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside.

2 Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan. Then don't stir too much or you will prevent it from browning. Let it brown and then stir a little to let more of it brown. Then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, garlic and rice mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes.

3 Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package, until the rice and chicken are done. Fluff the rice with a fork. If you want you can sprinkle with some peas. Add more salt and pepper to taste.