Arroz Con Pollo - as promised :)

So my recipe is probably nowhere near as good as Bobby Flays and definitely not as good as Jorge Ayala, but its simple and easy and tastes good to me! :)

What You Need:
- 3 cups of Goya’s Canilla extra long grain white rice.
- chicken pieces (my mom likes to throw all the pieces of a chicken in there - legs, thighs, etc. but personally, i love this dish best with only chicken breast pieces. so try the breast of a 3 lb chicken - cut into pieces, for starters)
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Corn Oil
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 8oz can of Goya Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Adobo
- 3 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito


What To Do:
- Rinse the rice clean at least three times. NOTE: you don't want any starch from the rice in this dish. it will be way to sticky.
- Season your chicken pieces with the adobo, sazon - and if you have any, a little bit of garlic powder.
- NOTE: try to season the chicken at least 15 minutes before you start cooking. you want the seasoning to really saturate the meat.
- Heat the oil in a 8 quart rice pot over medium heat.
- Add the sofrito and saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir. Saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and 2 cups of water.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the rice and more water to cover everything in the pot. Stir. Cover and allow to cook for 30 more minutes.
- Stir one last time.
- Cover once again and cook for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy this one pot dish!!!!


Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 55-60 minutes

La Fonda Boricua - A Great Recipe on the FoodNetwork

Recently I was channel surfing and happened to stop on the Food Network to catch Throwdown with Bobby Flay. For those of you who don't know, its basically a show where Bobby Flay will challenge someone who is particularly skilled at a particular recipe. He'll challenge them by creating the same recipe and judges get to pick out which dish came out best.

In this particular episode, Bobby Flay challenged Jorge Ayala - head cook at La Fonda Boricua in New York City. Of course, Bobby loses (because you can't challenge a Puerto Rican at Arroz con Pollo!) but everyone has a good time.

La Fonda Boricua is a fantastic restaurant with AMAZING food! And I encourage everyone who's in the New York area to give a shot.

Tomorrow I'll be throwing down my own recipe for Arroz con Pollo - so check it out!

Piñon or Beef/Plaintain Casserole

The first time I had this dish was at a friend's house - and I have to tell you that I practically ate the entire dish by myself! The combination of sweet and savory will make your mouth explode with delicious-y goodness! Try it out!

What You Need:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of Goya Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of White Vinegar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 Yellow Plantains (see picture in previous blog)


What To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a small bowl, using a fork, crush together the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Once crushed, mix in the oil and vinegar.
- Add the ground beef to the seasoning mixture.
- In a frying pan, fry up the ground beef until thoroughly cooked and brown. Set it aside for now.

- Peel the plantains and slice (at an angle) into 1/2 inch slices.
- In a frying pan, over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, fry the plantain slices until golden on each side. (about 5 minutes per side)
- Grease a casserole pan.
- Place a layer of plantains on the bottom of the pan.
- Top with a layer of ground beef.
- Continue this layering until all the food has been used.
- Pour the eggs over all layers.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

ENJOY!!!!

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours.

An Odd Tradition...

So because this tradition still boggles my mind, I thought I'd put it out there for the rest of the world to know about and discuss...

Ever since I was little, my mom & dad (and just about every adult I knew) would put cheese in their coffee!! I kid you not!
If my dad sent us to the store to buy breakfast, he would always say, "don't forget the queso de papa!". Check out this picture I found:



Of course, there are different brand names, but queso de papa is actually a cheese common in the Caribbean that is similar to a Colby cheese. I also thought it was plain old American cheese!

So we'd buy this cheese for our parents, and they'd cube it up and drop 2 or 3 cubes right into their hot cup of coffee. I still don't get it! I guess cheesy coffee is the way to go, but for me, I'll just stick to milk & sugar.

Along those Seasonal Lines...

So after writing about Spring, I decided to kick my summer plans into high gear! In my family, you have no choice - they don't know how to plan anything! And so, I've decided that I'm going to keep up the Perez family tradition of heading to Coney Island on the 4th of July. Heads up though - if you're going to do the same, make sure you get there insanely early!

Following my thought path...thinking of the beach, made me think of all the Hispanics you usually see at Coney Island on the 4th, and I wanted to point out a few things you might notice while there:

1) The party starts on the train to the beach, lol. I once wrote an entire paper in college about the antics aboard the D train to Coney Island. The loud stereos, the kids jumping all over poles, and the amazing scents of Latin food everywhere!

2) Don't be afraid of the loud music! I don't know why, but Hispanics (especially my family) have the weirdest tendency to make the entire world know about our music tastes! We will not only blast the music loud enough for us to hear, but loud enough for practically the entire beach to enjoy. But don't be afraid - usually the loudest music leads to the most fun!

3) We bring everything but the kitchen sink. No seriously, if we could, we'd probably bring the sink too! I don't know about most of you, but I grew up in a family of 7 going on 17 when you added all the cousins, aunts/uncles, etc... So when we went to the beach there was no possible way our parents would spend a ton of money on Nathan's Hotdogs! So don't be surprised if you see a Hispanic mom pull an entire pot of rice out of her cooler at the beach. We cook, we eat, we enjoy all the comforts of home right at the beach!

4) We take up a LLAARRGGE area! Instead of bringing towels to the beach, as most people would, Hispanics take up larger sections of the beach by bringing bedsheets. I'm not kidding here! My mom would pack up at least 5 bedsheets and spread them all around. It was just like being at home!

5) Last but not least, the hard boiled eggs. I have no clue how this started or why it even goes on, but most of the Hispanics I know actually bring a tupperware full of hardboiled eggs to the beach with them! My father used to actually go so far as to bring the entire container of salt with him just to have it on his eggs. It's weird but its actually extremely delicious - give it a try one day!

So I hope I haven't scared you away from Coney Island anytime soon. Maybe if you go on the 4th, you'll see me and my crazy family there! We'll be the ones with the hard boiled eggs!

Enjoy!!

Spring is Coming - BBQ Time!!!

So anyone who knows me will definitely tell you that I am a SPRING girl. I was born in this Spring, love Spring weather, and usually all good things happen to me in the Spring - its just the way it is. But one of my absolute favorite things to do once that thermometer goes above 60 is a BBQ. So I thought I'd just give you a few tips on spicing up your next BBQ on that beautiful Spring day!

1) Never ever forget the Adobo! This is a must have! And its actually always funny to me that alongside all the millions of things a Hispanic host has to remember for a BBQ, they never forget the adobo. Basically sprinkle it on both sides of your burger right before grilling and you will keep coming back for more!


2) Sangria is a must! I've posted a great recipe for Sangria on this blog that you should definitely check out. It's just a great drink for everyone to relax a little and still cool down.
NOTE: If you have kids coming to the BBQ, still make the sangria, but without any liquor. Use lots of free fruit that the kids will LOVE eating right out of the bowl!


3) LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! There is absolutely nothing worse than getting ready to have a great BBQ in the city, and realizing that there's nowhere to set it up. Yes, there are some parks that are great, but they get so crowded so fast that its nearly impossible to snag a grill or a table. So take my advice: grab whichever of your friends has a car and head up to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park. It's only about an hour from the city and is totally worth it! If you get there early enough, there are plenty of tables to go around, and the seclusion is fantastic for all kinds of parties!


4) And last but not least - make it a FEAST! Don't be afraid to bring foods that aren't traditionally at a BBQ (rice and beans, anyone?). Your hosts or your guests will love the fact that there are so many options besides whats on the grill.


I LOVE THE SPRING! I hope that you all do too!

Birthday Madness! :)

So it appears as if I forgot to put up a blog post yesterday - but I have a perfectly good excuse! Yesterday was my mother's and two of my brother's birthdays - Happy Birthday to Them!!

Yes, on March 12, 1984, my poor mom gave birth to two of my brothers ("the twins") on her own birthday. :( Ever since then, she's had to endure sharing her special day with two others, and most of those days ended with a birthday cake for all three of them to share.

But thinking about cakes made me want to point out to you the BEST bakery in NYC - Valencia Bakery!

Ever since I was a little girl, every single occasion that required a cake in our household came from Valencia. Their cakes are so delicious and perfect and made however you'd like it.

Valencia only has around 3 or 4 locations in NYC, and yet they never go out of business - and let me tell you why. If you ever ask any Hispanic were they get their cakes from, I can guarantee you they will all say Valencia. It's amazing what such a small company can produce!

Anyways, I'd like to post up a few of the cakes we've gotten from Valencia recently just so you can see how delicious they look, and try the bakery out for yourself!

Bacalaitos aka Codfish Fritters!

In my house, we were strictly a family stewed-Bacalao eaters. But my husband's family loved to have their Bacalao fried! Bacalaitos will actually be easier to feed to your children cause they'll never know its fish within the batter!

What You Need:
- 1/2 pound of Goya Bacalao.
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of Pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- 3 tablespoons of Achiote Oil (NOTE: achiote oil has quite a process if you try to make it at home. I've yet to see it on my supermarket shelves, but you might have better luck. It's used in this recipe mainly to add a yellow color to the batter, but it's okay if you must do without)
- Goya Corn or Vegetable Oil
- Water


What To Do:
- Rinse the visible salt off of the bacalao.
- Place the Bacalao into a 8 quart pot. Cover with water.
- Allow the water to come to a rolling boil (really really boiling)
- Strain the water from the bacalao. Replace with fresh water.
- Allow that water to come to another rolling boil. (This process allows all of the salt to be removed from the fish).
- Once cooked, use a fork to finely flake the fish.
- Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, pepper and garlic powder) in a small bowl.
- Add 1 cup of water to the seasoned flour to make your batter.
- (At this point, you'd add the achiote oil and stir until the color is distributed evenly)
- Add the bacalao to the batter.
- In a frying pan, over medium, add the oil. Make it about 1/4 of an inch deep. When the oil becomes extremely hot (375 degrees), lower the heat.
- Drop 1/8 cup of the batter into the frying pan. It will spread out and look like small silver-dollar pancakes.
- After a 2-3 minutes on each side, remove the Bacalaito, drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and

ENJOY!!!

Total Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Cook Time: 5-6 minutes per fritter.

Bacalao aka Stewed Codfish

I find it appropriate after Pollo Guisado, to tell you about another Stew recipe that my family adores. Stewed Codfish or Bacalao is a Puerto Rican treat! I've actually seen my 20 year old sister beg my mom to make this for her because it is just that good!

What You Need:
- 2 bag of Goya Bacalao. (usually weighs around 3lbs. And can be found in the Meat/Fish section of your grocery store - frozen. Make sure it states "without bones" or "Sin espinas")
- Goya Olive Oil
- 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced into rings
- 1 tablespoon of Goya Sofrito
- 2 packets of Goya Sazon
- 2 cans of Goya Tomato Sauce
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes.


What To Do:
- Rinse the visible salt off of the bacalao.
- Place the Bacalao into a 8 quart pot. Cover with water.
- Allow the water to come to a rolling boil (really really boiling)
- Strain the water from the bacalao. Replace with fresh water.
- Allow that water to come to another rolling boil. (This process allows all of the salt to be removed from the fish).
- In a frying pan, over medium heat, coat the bottom of the pan with oil.
- Fry the onions until soft & transparent. Usually takes about 10 minutes.
- Add the bacalao to the frying pan.
- Add the sofrito, and Sazon. Stir.
- Add the 2 cans of tomato sauce.
- Lower the heat, and simmer - covered - for 20 minutes.
- NOTE: While all of this was cooking, you should boil the potatoes in a separate pot until fork tender. For the last 10 minutes of cooking time, add the potatoes to simmer with the fish.

ENJOY!!!


Total Prep Time: 20 minutes (boiling the codfish and potatoes)
Total Cook Time: 25-30 minutes.

Pollo Guisado or Stewed Chicken - Yum!!

One of the reasons this recipe is so great, is because it is so versatile! You can use any chicken you have on hand for this. My mom used to buy chicken parts already cut up - thighs, legs, etc. My husband's mom would buy a whole chicken and cut up the parts she didn't need for meals the rest of the week. Use whatever you have, and enjoy! You can eat this chicken as is, but I suggest placing it over white rice. Delicious!


What You Need:
- About 2 pounds of chicken parts
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 8oz can of Goya Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Adobo
- 3 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quarted
- Water

NOTE: So far, this is all the ingredients I would use for my Pollo Guisado. However, you can also add green/red peppers, diced onion, minced garlic or a bay leaf - all for extra flavor.


What To Do:
- Rub the Sazon, and Adobo all over the chicken parts.
- Place the chicken in a large saucepan. Best if you use your rice pot.
- Cover the chicken entirely with water.
- Bring the water to a boil, than lower to medium.
- Cover the chicken and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add Sofrito, Tomato Sauce, Potatoes (and anything else you've chosen) into the pot.
- Cover again, and cook for another 1/2 hour.
- Serve over rice, and

ENJOY!!!


Total Prep Time: 5 minutes (depending if you cut the whole chicken yourself)
Total Cook Time: 55-60 minutes.


NOTE: This recipe is also great for busy moms with

Sunday Breakfast

So this recipe is not really Latin, but boy is it delicious! As a child, this breakfast is what we would always call our "Sunday Breakfast". We still do to this day, actually. :)

Note: This isn't a breakfast for dieters! :)

What You Need:
- 1 Italian bread
- Butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 can of Spam


What To Do:
- Split your Italian bread in half. You actually want half of the bread per person!
- Cut each piece lengthwise and butter both sides.
- Slice the Spam into slices that are about 1/4 inch thick.
- Fry the Spam until brown and a bit crispy on both sides.
- While the Spam is frying, in a separate pan, fry your eggs.

NOTE: Technically, you can have your eggs however you'd like (omelet, scrambled, etc), but this dish works best with sunny side up eggs.

- Place the eggs and Spam into your Italian bread - creating a breakfast sandwich.

NOTE: The reason you want sunny side up eggs is because once the yolk breaks inside of your Italian bread, it will drip down onto your plate, giving you a sauce to dip your sandwich in. I know it sounds weird, but it is SOOOOO GOOD!!!

Serve while hot, and alongside coffee or orange juice.

Enjoy!!

P.S. - If you're like me and absolutely LLOOVVEE Spam, check out my friend's website: http://spamwithspam.wordpress.com

Adults Only - Yummy Cocktail Drinks!

Every once in a while, we all need to get away from the kids, right? Whenever you decide to throw an adults-only night, try some of these Puerto Rican cocktails! Enjoy!!

*Casa Blanca
- 1/4 cup of coconut rum
- 1/8 cup of lime juice
- 1/4 cup of pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup of Triple Sec

Mixed with ice, and shake well.

*Mariposa
- 1/8 cup of dark rum
- 1/2 oz of brandy
- 1/4 cup of orange juice
- 1/8 cup of lemon juice

Mix with ice, and shake well.

*Pina Colada
- 1/8 cup of cream of coconut
- 1/4 cup of pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup of rum

With cracked ice, mix together in a blender for about 20 seconds.

Easy as Pie - Flan!

So I've yet to meet anyone who's never tried Flan before. But if that's you - then you absolutely need to try this recipe! Flan is just one of those desserts that are so light, fluffy, sweet and makes you want so much more! You will love this, I promise!

What You Need:
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cans (14 oz each) of sweetened, condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 cans (12 oz each) of evaporated milk
- Cinnamon
- A tall, round baking dish.
- Another baking dish - large enough to fit your round one into.


What To Do:
- The hardest part of this entire recipe is going to be caramelizing the sugar, because you definitely don't want it to burn!
- Start out by placing the cup of sugar in a saucepan over low heat.
- Stirring often, the sugar will slowly start to turn into a caramelized syrup. Once all of the sugar has been dissolved into syrup, take it off the heat and place in a tall, round baking dish. This sauce will end up being the top of your flan.

- Mix the sugar, eggs (beaten), condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla and cinnamon into a bowl.
- Once everything is incorporated, pour the batter into the round baking dish, over the caramelized syrup.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place your round baking dish into your larger baking dish.
- Add enough water in the larger baking dish to basically come halfway up the length of your round baking dish.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Allow to cool.

- To remove the Flan:
- After the flan has sufficiently cooled, place the bottom of the baking dish
in a tub of hot water. You just want to have enough heat to re-caramelize the
syrup. If not, it will stick to the bottom of your baking dish.
- Place a plate over the flan, and flip the entire baking dish upside down. The
flan SHOULD pop out easily. I'm sorry if it sticks a bit and comes out
uneven. Trust me, no matter how it looks, it will be delicious!!

Enjoy!!!

All About Pasteles

Let me tell you honestly, that I have never made a pastele in my entire life. Nor would I ever want to - simply because it is insanely time consuming. I will never forget, as a little girl, watching all the women in my family sit in the kitchen making pasteles from scratch. Each would have their own job, and they could easily be in that kitchen for hours!

But the reason I'd like to blog about pasteles is because they are delicious and definitely worth buying! :) In my family, we usually eat them on special occasions, with some ketchup on top. But you can try them whenever you'd like.

Here are some of the main ingredients used to make a pastele: pork meat, ham pieces, spanish olives, capers, tomato sauce, roasted peppers and chick peas. Cooking these together will end up giving you the filling.

To create the outside, you'd then need green bananas, yautia (a root vegetable, very starchy), potatoes, and achiote (a sauce made from the juice of annato seeds).

Once everything is prepared, you'd wrap it all up in a plantain leaf - I told you this was complicated! Then it is either boiled to be cooked, or frozen and saved for future use.

As complicated as all of this sounds and as weird as they look, I want to reassure everyone that pasteles are amazingly delicious and definitely worth trying.

Enjoy!!

Arroz con Gandules - Rice with Pigeon Peas

Okay, okay. So pigeon peas is not exactly the most appetizing thing you've ever heard. But trust me, these are so delicious! Actually, they're the only kind of beans i'll eat on a frequent basis. And they're so small that I'm sure your kids won't even realize they're eating something good for them!

This recipe is extremely similar to that of Arroz con Salchichas - and that's because you do almost the exact same things. But I wanted to post it separately anyway - in case someone wanted to print or try out one and not the other.

What You Need:
- 3 cups of Goya’s Canilla extra long grain white rice.
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Corn Oil
- 1 can of Goya Canned Pigeon Peas
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 8oz can of Goya Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Adobo
- 3 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 4 ¼ cups of water.


What to Do:
- Place your rice pot on medium heat.
- Rinse your white rice with regular tap water until the water comes out clear.
- Place the oil into the pot, making sure to coat the bottom of the pot evenly.
- Add the Sofrito and let that heat up for a few minutes.
- Drain the water from the can of Gandules. Add to the pot.
- Add the Adobo, Sazon, Tomato Sauce and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the rice into the pot and stir. Make sure to coat all of the rice in the seasonings. Turn the heat up as high as it can go.
- Add the water into the pot, and stir.
- Wait for nearly all of the water to evaporate. (Usually takes about 10-15 minutes). When this happens, stir the rice one more time.
- Cover the pot and turn the heat to as low as it can go.
- After 15 minutes, stir the rice – be very careful not to grab all the way from the bottom of the pot. Re-cover.
- After another 15 minutes, your rice will be yellow, fluffy and ready to serve.

Enjoy!!!

Total Prep Time: 0-5 minutes
Total Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Dessert Time! Rice Pudding!

Rice Pudding is such a great treat for kids! It's different and it's healthier than most other desserts out there. Some people like to serve it at room temperature, but I personally love it right out of the fridge.


What You Need:
- 1/3 cup of Goya’s Canilla extra long grain white rice.
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup of raisins (your favorite brand - the raisins really MAKE this dish)
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon


What To Do:
- In a medium saucepan, over high heat, mix together the milk, rice and salt.
- Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the rice is tender. (This should take about 20 minutes)

NOTE: You need to stir constantly so that you don't end up with half of your rice stuck to the bottom of the pot!

- In a small bowl, mix together the egg and brown sugar.
- Using a tablespoon at a time, mix 1/2 cup of the the rice into the egg/sugar mixture. This will slowly increase the temperature of the egg without cooking it.
- Once done, add the egg/sugar/rice mixture back into the pot with the rest of the rice and stir.
- Keep the heat on low until thickened. About 10 minutes.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon.

ENJOY!!!

Total Prep Time: 0-5 minutes
Total Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Puerto Rican Pot Roast aka Carne Mechada

Carne Mechada is one of those comfort dishes that go great with almost any side - but especially with rice or a hearty vegetable, like broccoli! :) It's a family favorite, and although it can take a little bit of time, I hope you give it a try!

What You Need:
- 3lbs of pot roast meat, or boneless chuck
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon of White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of Goya Adobo
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 medium spanish onion (peeled and sliced into rings)
- 6 small potatoes (peel, washed and quartered)
- 1/2 cup of Goya Olive Oil
- 1 8oz can of Goya Tomato Sauce
- Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 cup of water


What To Do:
- Rinse the meat.
- Using the garlic, adobo, sazon, vinegar and oil, mix together to create a paste.
- Next, you want to take a sharp knife and make piercing holes all around the meat. Just large enough to get the tip of your finger into.
- Take the paste and place it in all of the holes you have made. If you have any leftover, just rub it all over the outside.
- Let the meat stand for at least 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours (refrigerated) if you want to prepare this ahead of time.
- In a large stock pot, add the vegetable oil. Over high heat, you want to fry each side of the pot roast in order to brown the skin. (About 2 minutes on each side)
- Next, add the onion slices, water and tomato sauce.
- Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Next, add the potato pieces, and another 1/2 cup of water.
- Cook this for another 20 minutes, covered.

ENJOY!!!


Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours.

Great For Children! Crema...umm...it's kinda like oatmeal :)

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law and is even one of the few things my picky-eating-son enjoys! Hopefully you're kids will love it as well! This recipe is for 1 bowl.

What You Need:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of Cornstarch
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon


What To Do:
- In a small saucepan (over NO heat), whisk the milk and cornstarch until there are no lumps.
- Turn the stove on to medium-low heat.
- Add the sugar
- Continue to stir until the crema thickens up. This will probably take about 10-15 minutes. You want it to be the consistency of pudding.
- Pour into the bowl and sprinkle with the cinammon.

ENJOY!!!


Total Prep Time: 0 minutes
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes

For a Special Occasion...Or Whenever! Pineapple Flavored Ham!

This ham is a MUST at all family occasion in our house! It's so simple to make, tastes sooooo good and adds a little spice to any plate.


What You Need:
- 1 Shank Portion Ham (this Ham is not spiral cut)
- 2 cans of Pineapple Slices (keep the juice)
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- Whole cloves
- 1 jar of your favorite Ham glaze


What to Do:
- For this recipe, you'll need the tallest stock-pot you own. It needs to fit the entire ham as well as enough water to cover it.
- After rinsing the Ham, place in the stock-pot and cover with water. It's fine if you there are few inches of the Ham uncovered by the water.
- Allow the Ham to boil in the water for about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs.
- Take the Ham out of the pot, and place it in a roasting pan. Feel free to use an aluminum one if you want.
- In a small bowl, mix the juice of the 2 jars of pineapple along with the brown sugar. Taste it. If it needs more sugar, feel free to add.
- Pour the mixture all over the Ham and allow to sit at the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Take the whole cloves and stick them into the Ham - about 2-3 inches apart from each other. You want to put the cloves EVERYWHERE!!!
- Take the pinaeapple slices and place them all over the Ham as well as the bottom of the roasting pan.

- NOTE: If you are preparing this ahead of time, now would be a good time to place the ham (covered with foil) in the refrigerator. You can leave there up to 24 hours.

- Cover with aluminum foil and into the oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
- Un-cover and add the ham glaze. Allow to cook for an additional 30 minutes - getting crispy and golden and delicious!

ENJOY!!!

Total Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Cook Time: 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

Getting Thirsty Yet? Try Sangria!

What's a great party without some great mixers?! Sangria is one of those drinks that can easily go in a punch bowl, look beautiful and have your guests dying for more. Check it out!

What You Need:

- 1 bottle of red wine (I've even used that wine-in-a-box stuff and this still turned out great!)
- 1/2 cup of vodka (this is very NON-traditional. But I love it! Usually, Rum is used)
- 1 one-liter bottle of ginger-ale (this is optional)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 apple, cored and sliced
- Any other fruit you can think of works well with this drink!
- Ice


What to Do:
- If you're serving the same night: You want to stir all of the ingredients (including the whole fruit slices) into a punch bowl with plenty of ice.
- In my opinion, it's best to make this the night before and let it chill in the fridgerator overnight. It just gives the drink a chance to become more fruity, sweet and delicious.


ENJOY!!!

My Mama's Potato Salad

So this isn't what most people would consider a traditional Latin recipe, but I absolutely had to put it on here. This potato salad is my ABSOLUTE favorite recipe in the entire universe! When I was pregnant, I swear I ate it nearly every day!

It's so incredibly simple, but so delicious! Try it out - I'm sure you'll fall in love with it.


What You Need:
- 3 large Idaho potatoes
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of yellow mustard
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- 3 large eggs


What to Do:
- Peel and chop the potatoes into bite size pieces.
- Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and place into a bowl.
- To make it easy on yourself, boil the eggs in the same water as the potatoes.
- When the potatoes have cooled, add slices of the eggs.
- Add the mayonnaise and the mustard.

NOTE: I'm not 100% sure about the amount of mayonnaise to place in this dish. I usually just eyeball enough mayonnaise so that the potato salad is "white". :) My mom always says "if it's not white, there's not enough mayo". Put however much you feel comfortable with, but I always say - the more the better!

One Last Note: In an effort to eat healthier, I have tried to make this dish with low-fat mayonnaise, and in my opinion, it just doesn't taste the same. As a treat to all dieters out there - try it with regular mayonnaise first. And then the low-fat. Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.

ENJOY!!!!

Total Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Arroz con Salchichas! - Rice with Vienna Sausages

This recipe is almost as easy as cooking regular white rice - since all you need is one pot. I like to serve it alongside some porkchops or fried chicken, but its up to you. Check it out!

What You Need:
- 3 cups of Goya’s Canilla extra long grain white rice.
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Corn Oil (You can also use Goya Olive Oil)
- 1 can of Goya Vienna Sausages
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 8oz can of Goya Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Adobo
- 3 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 4 ¼ cups of water. (We take away 1 cup of our usual amount of water because of the additional 8oz of tomato sauce)


What to Do:
- Get out your rice pot and place it on medium heat.
- Cut the vienna sausage into 1/2 inch slices.
- Rinse your white rice with regular tap water until the water comes out clear.
- Place the oil into the pot, making sure to coat the bottom of the pot evenly.
- Fry the vienna sausages with the Sofrito just until brown.
- Add the Adobo, Sazon, Tomato Sauce and let simmer for 3 minutes.
- Place the rice into the pot and stir. Make sure to coat all of the rice in the seasonings. Turn the heat up as high as it can go.
- Add the water into the pot, and stir.
- Wait for nearly all of the water to evaporate. (Usually takes about 10 minutes). When this happens, stir the rice one more time.
- Cover the pot and turn the heat to as low as it can go.
- After 15 minutes, stir the rice – be very careful not to grab all the way from the bottom of the pot. Re-cover.
- After another 15 minutes, your rice will be yellow, fluffy and ready to serve.

Enjoy!!!

One of my favorite chefs...

Since I've only just begun this blog, I know that there are a TON of recipes out there that you might want to look up or try that hasn't made its way to this blog. For these recipes, I want everyone to go to my favorite chef: Daisy Martinez.

I remember seeing Daisy Cooks! for the first time on PBS, but recently I also spotted her on the Food Network. All of her recipes are delicious and her cookbook is amazing! I recommend everyone go out there and buy it!

Check her out at:

http://www.daisycooks.com/pages/main.cfm

Enjoy!

Nice and Easy: Corn Beef

Here's yet another recipe that goes perfectly on top of white rice. Although...I hate to admit it, but I've actually eaten it as is. It's just soooo good! In this recipe, you will use Sweet Plantains. They look exactly like the plantains used for tostones, but they are yellow and not green. This makes them sweeter. Here is a picture of the two different plantains side by side:



What You Need:
- 1 can corned beef
- 1 can Goya Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Goya Adobo
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 1 Yellow/Sweet Plantains
- Goya Corn Oil for frying


What To Do:
- Peel and slice the sweet plantains. Slice them at a diagonal and about 1/2 inch thick.
- Coat a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. (Maybe about 1/4 inch of oil)
- Fry the plantains in the oil just until brown on each side. Be careful, they will get very tender.
- Once all the plantains are fried, remove them from the frying pan, but leave the oil. You will use this oil to fry the corned beef.
- Place the corned beef, seasonings and tomato sauce in the frying pan and allow to heat up for about 10 minutes.
- Place the plantains back into the same pan so that they can blend in with the corned beef. At this point you can serve whenever you'd like, but I'd like to leave

One of My Absolute Favorites: Empanadas or Beef Turnovers

So you will not believe how delicious these are! Or even how easy there are too make! You can make tons in a short amount of time, and they would be a great hit at parties or any kind of get-togethers.

Empanadas have many different names. You might find them called Beef Turnovers, Pastelillos or Stuffed Meat Pies. And of course, there are different spanish names depending on what country you're in.

What You Need:
- 1 package of Goya Pre-Made Dough (also called Discos). They come in White or Yellow.
- 1 package of ground beef (about 1/2 lb or so)
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon
- 1 tablespoon of Goya Adobo
- Goya Corn Oil
- Alternative: If there are any vegetarians in your family, you can easily substitute the beef with shredded American cheese. I love making both versions, they are equally delicious!!


What To Do:
- In a large saucepan, saute the ground beef until it is brown and cooked through.
- Add the seasonings. Take the pan off the stove.
- Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ground beef and place in the center of your dough circle. (If you are using cheese, you'd also place it into the center of the circle dough.)
- Fold the circle over so that it resembles a half-moon shape.
- Pinch the sides together with the tines of a fork so that no meat can escape while frying.
- In another frying pan, heat up about 1 inch of oil.
- Fry the empanadas in the oil just until they are golden brown. It will take about 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Serve while Hot! This recipe should make about 15 Empanadas. Enjoy!!!


Total Prep Time: 20 minutes (this includes cooking the ground beef)
Total Cook Time: 10-20 minutes (depending on how many Empanadas you're making)

Drink Time...Mori Sunando

So I have to be 100% honest with you, and tell you that I am not the hugest fan of this drink. But my three brothers swear by it, and begged me to post it for the rest of the blogger world.

Morir Soñando (or Mori Sunando) actually translates to "die while dreaming" because this drink is just that wonderful. It is a drink that I'm sure will sound unusual to some of you, but I'd say test it out and see what you think for yourself.

What You Need:

- 2 cups of Orange Juice
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of milk
- A few cubes of Ice.


What To Do:
- Mix the sugar and milk together until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour the orange juice and milk mixture into a blender with the ice for about 2 minutes. Voila! Instant foamy, creamy and refreshing drink!
- If you don't have a blender, crush up the ice as best you can, and stir that in. You want the drink to be as cold as possible.

Enjoy!!!

Total Prep Time: 0 minutes
Total Cook Time: 2 minutes.

All About Sofrito

When it comes to Sofrito, you will meet an amazing amount of people who swear by a certain brand, or certain texture (fresh or frozen) or those who refuse to use it if isn't homemade.

Me, I'll take it any way I can get it. I've used it frozen, fresh, home-made and even ones that weren't Goya (when I was desperate!). Why, you ask? Why go through all this craziness? Well...because simply put...Sofrito is the best seasoning ever invented.

So what's exactly in it? Well...I went about posting this blog in order to tell you when I discovered myself that there actually many, many different variations depending on where you are. Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Spain, Latin America and even Italy all have different versions. So, I'm going to give you the ingredients that my mom used to use when she made her sofrito at home.

Cilantro, Green Bell Peppers, Garlic, Onions, Sweet Chili Peppers, Recao (which is small, green-stemmed herb. But sometimes my mom would use parsley if she couldn't find Recao), Tomatoes and Oil.

I'm only giving you a list of ingredients and not a recipe because honestly, I don't know anyone who makes sofrito from scratch anymore. I'm sure that it is done somewhere, but my family - including my mother, the Matriarch - have realized that store-bought Sofrito tastes just as good and is nearly as fresh. But I thought that since you will be seeing Sofrito used in nearly all of my recipes, you'd want to know what it was you were actually eating!

Enjoy!!!

Tostones or Fried Green Plaintains. Yum!!

When I was in High School, I did my junior year abroad - in Spain. While it was an amazing experience, one thing that I missed over there so badly was just plain Puerto Rican food. So one day, I made Tostones (or fried green plaintains/bananas) for my host-family and they ate every last one! Cooking the tostones and showing my host-family a little bit of my culture made me so proud of myself, and also helped me feel closer to home. So try it out, and see what you think!


What You Need:

- 3 Green Plaintains. You can find these in the produce aisle, usually next to potatoes. They are always next to yellow plaintains which tend to be sweeter, so make sure you don't grab those. They are also surprisingly inexpensive. My supermarket usually sells them for 3 for 1 dollar.
- Goya Corn Oil
- 2 small, heavy plates


What To Do:

- Place a small layer of oil into a frying pan. You don't want to deep fry the plaintains, but you will need enough oil to fry them quickly.
- Cut off the ends of the plaintains and peel.
- Slice them into 1/2 inch slices at a diagonal.
- By this time, you're oil should be hot. Go ahead and place the slices of plaintains into the oil. Allow them to fry for about 2 minutes on each side. You're just trying to give them some color, and soften them up a bit.
- When you take them out, you want to lower the heat on the frying pan, but keep it on. You want the oil to stay hot.
- Take the just-fried plaintain slice and place it on a small plate.
- Take another small plate and place it on top of the first. Basically, I want you to squish the plaintain slice until its thin and looks almost like a fat potato chip.
- Take the smashed slice, and place it back into the oil and let it fry until it becomes crispy.
- As soon as you take them out of the hot pan, toss some salt onto them and you're done!


Note: They have actually invented plaintain smashers called Tostoneras. You can purchase one if you like, but I prefer the two-plate method.

Another Note: Many tostone lovers will tell you that you have to eat tostones with the special garlic sauce that is usually sold with them in cuchifritos. But in my family, we grew up eating tostones without this sauce, so I'm not exactly sure how to make it. I will ask around, and if I find out, I will definitely post it!

Enjoy!!

Total Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.

Too Tired to Cook Today?

So we are young women - full of energy and life every single day, right?

WRONG!

There are days when the last thing I want to do is go into the kitchen and turn on that stove. So, let me tell you what you do. Have you ever heard of a Cuchifrito? Let me tell you - it will be such a lifesaver!

To put it simply, a Cuchifrito is a restaurant or diner that sells Puerto Rican cuisine. Usually, no one goes in to eat the food in the store, but instead to carry it out to their families and homes.

Now, I know that I've personally seen an abundance of Cuchifritos all over New York City and especially the South Bronx. But I have also spotted them in Chicago and Boston. So I'm venturing to say that you'd be able to find them in any major city, or anywhere you can find a large Hispanic population.

Cuchifritos sell almost anything that you can think of! And if they don't have it on the menu, they'd probably make it for you if you asked in advance. And PLEASE, do not be afraid of going inside if you don't speak Spanish. Even though, i'm Puerto Rican, I don't speak Spanish and I was always so afraid of saying something wrong, or coming out with something strange-looking! But once I went in for the first time, and realized that either they understood English (or I could just point :) ), it only became easier and easier.

And on an even better note: Cuchifrito food is better for you than most other take-out places, and it's A LOT cheaper. So, Google Cuchifrito or Spanish Cuisine Restaurant and find one near you.

Enjoy!!

Pernil A.K.A. Pork Shoulder - A little Taste of Heaven

On absolutely every holiday, and special occasion in my family, someone, somewhere is cooking a pernil. I know that a lot of people look at pernil (or pork shoulder) as something difficult to make or even un-appetizing because it just looks so weird! I even heard an HSN person call it the meat of the "underclass" because its so inexpensive. While I found that kind of offensive since Pernil is considered such a delicacy in Hispanic cooking, I also just let it go - because whoever doesn't eat it, is definitely missing out!

While this dish takes a while to cook, I PROMISE, PROMISE and SUPER PROMISE that it is well worth the wait! You will never have a special occasion without it again!

This is a picture of a pernil uncooked (I'll explain the slash marks in a sec)

What You Need:
- 1 Pork Shoulder (says it just like that in the supermarket)
- 2 packets of Goya Sazon seasoning
- 4 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito (the fresh kind, not frozen)
- 1 Bulb of Garlic - crushed. (if you want to buy it in the jar - already crushed, that is fine)
- 1 bottle of apple cider vinegar


What You Do:
- After you bring home the pork shoulder, make sure you wash it. (Basically, rinse if off well in the sink)
- Next, you want to take a sharp knife and make piercing holes all around the pernil (see picture above). You can make the holes everywhere - on the fatty side and underneath. You will be putting your seasoning into these holes, so they don't need to be huge. Just large enough to get the tip of your finger into.
- Make the rub: Take the sazon, adobo, sofrito and garlic and mash it together until it becomes a paste-like consistency. Take this paste and place it in all of the holes you have made around the pernil. If you have any leftover, just rub it all over the outside of the pork.
- Finally, once your pernil is in the container you will cook it in (usually I just use a disposable aluminum pan), you want to bathe it in the apple cider vinegar. When I say bathe, I mean drench it! The vinegar will make the meat tender and delicious!

Note: You will want to season the pernil at least 4 hours before you plan to cook it. But it is actually easier and more preferable to do this the night before and just leave it in the fridge marinating.


- When you're ready to cook: Place the Pernil in the oven at 375 degrees for three hours. You'll want to have it covered with either a lid, or aluminum foil.
- Afterward, take off the cover, and leave it in the oven for 1 more oven so that it can get crispy.
- Let it rest for at least a half an hour after you take it out the oven. Carve it up and ENJOY!!!

Tell me that doesn't look amazing!

Total Prep Time: 30-45 minutes.
Total Cook Time: 4 hours.

Let's Talk About Stew

So even though this recipe is called Beef Stew - it's not actually the kind of stew you're probably thinking of. This is more of a beef-in-gravy type dish that goes over white rice (I told you - many a recipe can go with white rice!).

Anyway, this dish is delicious and can actually feed up to 5 people - depending on how many pieces of beef each person wants. Growing up in a family of 7 (including three ever-hungry boys), my mother LOVED to make beef stew. It was easy, and simple and even got us kids eating vegetables! Check it out:

What You Need:

- A small pack of beef stew meat. (You'll find it in the supermarket, already cut up in cubes for you. If you're not sure what to look for, ask the grocer. It might also be called Chuck Beef Stew Meat).
- 3 small or 2 medium potatoes (any kind will do) - cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 packet of Goya Sazon seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of Goya Adobo seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito
- 1 green pepper - diced (with seeds removed)
- 1 carrot - chopped

Directions:

- Grab a 6-8 quart pot - basically, just like the one you'd use for your rice. And place it over medium heat.
- Sear the beef stew meat (without any seasoning) just so that it can have a little color on each side.
- Once the meat is seared, add 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
- Allow the meat to boil for 20 minutes.
- Next, add the potatoes, sofrito, adobo, sazon, tomato sauce, green peppers and carrot. Stir.
- Finally, let that boil for another half-hour to 45 minutes.
- Place over white rice and ENJOY!!

Note: Once plated, one of the best ways to eat Beef Stew is to mash the potatoes into your rice. It makes the meal thicker and more fun to eat! :)

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 50-65 minutes. (I know this sounds long, but there's really not a lot of babysitting. This is a meal that lets you do other chores while cooking)

Red Beans: The Easiest You Will Ever Make

Now that I’ve told you how to make the perfect white rice, I’d like to let you in on white rice’s perfect complement: Red Beans. These are super easy to make and only take about 10 minutes.


You Will Need:

- 1 can (15.5 oz) of Goya Red Kidney Beans
- 1 small Spanish onion
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning.*
- 1 packet of Goya Sazόn.
- 4 oz of Goya Tomato Sauce.

Directions:

- Grab a medium sauce pan, put it over medium heat.
- Add the entire can of Kidney Beans.
- Cut the onion in half and place both halves (whole) into the beans. You will take this out right before serving.
- Add the Adobo, Sazόn and Tomato Sauce.
- Let it simmer until heated thoroughly.
- Serve on top of white rice.

ENJOY!!


* Note on Adobo. There are so many different kinds of Goya Adobo out there: Low Sodium, with pepper, without pepper, etc… Just pick the one that is right for you and your family. I prefer the one without black pepper, and then I just add my own freshly ground black pepper.


Total Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Plain White Rice...It's Not as Hard as You Think

Alright Ladies! As I’ve mentioned before, this site is all about the easy, the quick and the delicious. One of the best recipes you could learn to have in your box is – believe it or not – plain white rice. As a Latina, I can’t tell you how many times in my life my mom has created the most creative and delicious recipes by starting with plain white rice. And when you’re in a rush to feed a big family and you have the pickiest of kids, white rice can be your lifesaver! So here’s the recipe, and please feel free to let me know what you think!

This recipe is for a family of 4:

You Will Need:

- 3 cups of Goya’s Canilla extra long grain white rice. (Note: the extra long grain is important, because medium or short grain tend to get too mushy when cooking. Great for Chinese sticky rice – not for Latin cooking).
- 2 tablespoons of salt. (You can take this out if you’d like)
- 2 tablespoons of Goya Corn Oil (You can also use Goya Olive Oil)
- 5 ¼ cups of water. (Basically, its about 1 ¾ cup of water for every cup of rice)

Directions:

- Get out your rice pot (if you’re unsure what this is, just grab a wide 6-8 quart pot) and place it on medium heat.
- Rinse your white rice with regular tap water until the water comes out clear. (Note: rinsing the rice is important since it gets rid of the starch around the rice – which only makes your rice stickier).
- Place the olive oil into the pot, making sure to coat the bottom of the pot evenly.
- Place the rice into the pot and stir. Make sure to coat all of the rice in the oil. Turn the heat up as high as it can go.
- Add the water into the pot, and stir.
- As soon as the water comes to a boil, add the salt.
- Wait for nearly all of the water to evaporate. (Usually takes about 10 minutes). When this happens, stir the rice one more time.
- Cover the rice and turn the heat to as low as it can go.
- After 15 minutes, stir the rice – be very careful not to grab all the way from the bottom of the pot. Cover.
- After another 15 minutes, your rice will be fluffy and ready to serve.

ENJOY!!


Total Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 40-45 minutes

Easy Latina Cooking Introduction

Hello Ladies!

Whether you're Latina or not, everyone wants to put a little flavor and spice into their dinners, right? In this day and age - between money worries, family chaos and busy jobs - who has the actual time or energy into trying something new or different? Well, not anymore!

Easy Latina Cooking is going to be a way for you to treat yourself and your family to some delicious meals that are also good for you! Granted, some of them might take a little longer than others, but just save those for the weekend. Trust me, the longer one of my recipes take, the more it's worth it, I PROMISE!

But you know who else this site is for? Those of us Latinas who just can't seem to be able to cook the foods that we loved and enjoyed as kids. Yes, I used to be one of them! You want to cook Mami's rice and beans, but have no idea where to start. Blame it on our generation, blame it on America, blame it on whatever you want, but its time to stop the blaming and start cooking!

So sit back, relax, and enjoy some finger-licking good recipes. Read them, try them, its up to you. Just keep coming back and leaving comments whenever you want! I'm all for feedback.

Hasta Luego!

Maria