Onion Marmalade (Caramelized Onions)

Tags

Balsamic Vinegar, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, Caramelized Onions, Cooked By An Angel, Kosher Salt, Onion Marmalade, Red Chili Flakes, Worcestershire sauce

So today I was able to stay home and make some lunch for my self and enjoy an easy day with a tasty burger, and the best part, the caramelized onions. They are the sweetest onions you will ever taste, with just a hint of spiciness. It’s not a burger for me without this easy to make condiment. Oh and the fries, these too, have to be prepared just right (twice fried) or it just isn’t a burger without them (better than a diner burger anytime!). Oh and yes, for those of you that are paying close attention, you guessed right, that is a couple of slices of toasted white bread (toasted one side only), that I toasted in the oven on a baking tray (jelly roll tray) while the burger was finishing up in the oven @ 400 degrees, to a perfect medium for my taste. Why medium?! well this isn’t your best grass-fed sirloin slash chuck. It’s Food Town quality, and while not bad, I’d still cook it just a tad longer just in case. All that said, this cooking adventure as it sometimes feels like, started with the burger but it soon became evident that the onion marmalade was the star of the show (quintessentially the show stealer). It’s so easy to make and with just a few ingredients you will have the best onions you will ever have. And if you don’t believe me come on over to my house. Well, just kidding about that part! Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients:

1 medium-large Spanish or red onion

1 tbs dark brown sugar

1 tsp honey (optional but oh so good)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Directions:

When you prepare this simple and delicious condiment or marmalade, you can double this recipe to make as much as you like, or halve it, to make as little as you like – as with most recipes; you know. When I prepare most dishes like most cooks, I don’t really measure but feel the ingredients and allow the feeling to speak as I prepare a dish, so taste as you cook to understand the amounts and the flavors you are looking for. It’s imperative that you do this to understand ingredients and how they work together (synergy). Cut the onion in half, and peel the paper or skin of the onion. Leave the root on while cutting. Now turn the onion on the cut side and cut into half moons. Separate the pieces before cooking or separate once in the skillet. Heat a skillet with about 2 tbs of olive oil. Bring to temperature and add the onion slices. Salt and pepper and allow to brown some before turning or mixing. Watch so that they do not burn. Some darkish areas or browning will inevitably, take place and this is good. This is flavor commonly called fond, but more technically called sucs by the French, and is important to the development of the dish. (Without it it just won’t work). Once you have some browning, add the rest of the ingredients, starting with the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili flakes and brown sugar. Also, you should have a bit of water on hand for deglazing if there is too much sucs stuck to the bottom of the pan. You need to deglaze to incorporate this flavor and rehydrate the onions and bring the dish together. Now we’re cooking and getting somewhere. This whole process by the way, will take about 20 minutes from start to finish, not counting the prep to complete. You are looking for white onions to completely take on a super dark brown to almost black color, for there to be any real flavor and the only way to achieve this end, is to let them cook down. If you need to, add a bit more water a little at a time to deglaze. A few table spoons will do. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula, to remove all of the amazing flavor from the bottom of the pan or skillet. That’s it. Serve immediately, or place in a small bowl or ramekin and serve when your burgers are ready for your guest. It’s that simple! Enjoy!

Pan Fried Tilapia (Aromatic Vegetable Wild Rice)

Tags

Aromatics, Beurre Noisette, Brown Butter Sauce, Cooked By An Angel, Crusted Tilapia Fillets, Pan Fried Fish, Thyme Bundle, Tilapia, Wild Rice, Wild Rice Pilaf

So when hungry, what do you do for dinner when there is nothing in your own fridge to eat?! You go raid your neighbors fridge and see what you can find, that’s what. Hee-hee! Well, it’s kind of like that with us, as her knowledge of my cooking abilities is very evident (pretty convenient I’d say). I feed her quite often and she’s not even my girl friend, nor someone I’m even remotely or intimately involved with. But all of that being said, food was scarce chez moi and I thought, hmm! where can I find something to eat. I know! Lorin left some fish behind: she’s a mutual friend that sometimes takes up residence next door; long story short. Food being in short supply here, I found these frozen tilapia fillets beckoning for some culinary adventurous type to create something with them. Here’s what I made…a crusted pan fried tilapia fillet with a beurre noisette and an aromatic vegetable wild rice that was out of this world and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. Clean and simple and so so satisfying.

Ingredients:

tilapia fillets (as many as you like)

1 cup of flour (or less if making small batch)

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

1 whole egg (or more if larger batch)

1/2 tsp black pepper (I use a pepper mill)

1/2 tbs kosher salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Prepare a dredging station using 2 or 3 stations for dredging (dusting) and dipping your fillets in the flour and egg. This time I just kept it real simple and had two stations going, because I mixed the flour and cornmeal together and seasoned with my seasoning ingredients. You technically should have 3 stations, but I broke the rule a bit here. You can set up your flour in one dish, the cornmeal in another dish and the egg in yet another dish. Preferred dredging order: flour then the egg, then the cornmeal. In a medium baking dish, mix the flour and cornmeal together and add your seasoning. Whisk one or two eggs together and place in a medium bowl or baking dish. After rinsing your tilapia fillets and patting them dry, slightly season your fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge them first in the flour and cornmeal mixture and pat them slightly to shake off any excess flour. Dip them in the egg mixture to cover completely. Shake off any excess egg before placing again into the flour mixture. Coat one last time in flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. You want to fillets coated well, but not dripping from either too much egg or flour. They should be nicely and evenly coated. Place on a dry and clean plate and set aside. In a large skillet, bring to heat with 4 tbs of cooking oil or extra virgin olive oil. I use a mix for this recipe. Just pour 2 tbs of each oil to combine in the pan. Once pan is hot, add your fillets and fry till golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes each side. Done! Make any sides your heart and palette desire and serve warm. If not serving immediately, keep warm by placing on a baking sheet or jelly roll tray covered with paper towel or parchment paper and place in a warm 200 degree oven to keep warm. To make a warm brown butter sauce. After pulling the fillets, add 2 or 3 tbs of butter to the hot skillet and allow the butter to melt and brown. Pour immediately over the fillets. They will crackle and snap and pop as you pour the beurre noisette over the fillets. If you time this meal right, it’s best to do this part just before serving. So make sure you have your side dish prepared in advance of the fillets being finished.

Tembleque (Cornstarch Coconut Custard)

Tags

Cinnamon Powder, Coconut Cornstarch Custard, Coconut Cream, Cooked By An Angel, Cornstarch, Milk, Organic Orange Flower Extract, Quenelle, Tembleque

Now if ever there were a favorite Puerto Rican dessert that I just love and consider one of my favorites, then this one is most definitely it. By far, one of the most recognized desserts in the Puerto Rican community and one of the all time favorites of most, is the Tembleque. Translated it means, to tremble (jiggle). My mom use to make it, and it dates back to my childhood and then some. I received this recipe from my aunt in Puerto Rico, on one of my visits a few years ago. She states that it was my grandfathers recipe from my fathers side, so it holds a great deal of sentiment and value. I made it and it was pure heaven and joy no doubt.

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut cream 15 oz

1 can of water using the can as a measuring cup

Add enough milk to make 4 cups total of liquid

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

1/2 tsp lime zest (optional)

2 tsp orange flower water extract (or vanilla ext. optional)

1/2 cup maizena (cornstarch) add water to make a slurry

Directions:

In a 3 or 4 quart sauce pot, combine the coconut cream, water and milk, salt and orange flower extract. (Optional lime zest). Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid and combine it with the 1/2 cup of cornstarch to make a slurry. Whisk the cornstarch and reserved liquid till thoroughly combined. Turn the heat up to medium and gently simmer the custard, do not boil. As the liquid is heating or coming up to temperature, add the reserved 1/4 cup of liquid and cornstarch (slurry), to the pot and whisk gently with a balloon whisk or rubber spatula to combine. Continue whisking as the mixture thickens, to prevent any clumping (very important). You can also add 1 cinnamon stick to the mixture as it is cooking. This part is optional too, but I like it as it adds a warm spiciness to the tembleque. It should be smooth and creamy. Once you see small bubbles start to form on the surface, the tembleque is done. Turn off the heat and pour the custard into a small 8″x8″x2″ square mold, or your favorite heirloom mold like I did; a gift from my aunt handed down to her by my grandfather, whose name sake I am. Note: Remove the cinnamon stick. Spread the custard to cover the mold evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon powder and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before placing it into the refrigerator. Allow the custard to cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Once chilled cut squares and serve. If you like you can make small quenelles and place on top of the serving for decoration and a nice finishing touch. My personal favorite way to serve. Done!

Note: You can let the can of coconut cream stand in hot water before opening to soften, as it can be a bit thick and waxy.

3 Cheese Mac And Cheese With Bacon

Tags

Bechamel, Elbow Macaroni Pasta, Fontina Cheese, garlic, Herb Infused Milk, Mac And Cheese, Mornay Sauce, pecorino romano, Thyme, Vermont White Sharp Cheddar

This recipe came about purely by instinct and I’m sure some other influence along my culinary trail. However it did come to be, it came along at just the right time, earlier yesterday, and not today. As I look up at the clock and realize that a new day has begun. My how time flies! So while working on the computer today researching job options and possibilities, I thought or remembered that I had: one, not eaten anything for lunch, and two, was well over what should be considered a plausible or reasonable lunch hour. So figuring out that much, I had to now conjure up something to eat and that would not take too long to prepare. But knowing me and knowing all too well how much I love well prepared food and also, knowing that I love to chef out when I can, it wasn’t long before I figured out what was available in the cold box and what I can do with those ingredients. So without further delay in my thinking process, I discovered that I had 3 different kinds of cheeses that had not been used and also, found a box of elbow macaroni. So to work I went on making this amazing recipe. Oh! did I mention that I also had bacon in the freezer?! I left that part out. Oops! Lo and behold, that dude (me), went right to work on this dish and it was so worth the effort and time it took to grate all three cheeses. Vermont white sharp cheddar, Pecorino Romano and lastly, some Fontina cheese. They were the perfect triumvirate, for this warm baked gooey macaroni dish. Have it with fried chicken, southern style with a crispy crust double fried. You won’t be disappointed I promise you.

Ingredients:

3 dry cups elbow pasta (chifferi pasta)

3 cups milk (low fat is okay!)

1/2 grated fontina cheese

1/2 sharp cheddar cheese ( I like the white)

1/2 pecorino romano

3 tbs all purpose flour

3 tbs butter

kosher salt

cracked black pepper

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 cloves garlic

5 sprigs thyme

1/4 cup chopped bacon

Directions:

To begin, prepare your mis en place, by chopping the bacon into small pieces. I usually freeze my bacon, and cut the bacon crosswise into strips and then cut again into 1/2 inch pieces. (Bacon is layered so once the bacon hits the hot pan, the pieces or strips will start to separate). Once that is done set aside. Bring a large 3 or 4 quart pot of water to a boil with 1 tbs of salt. Add the pasta and cook till aldente. To a 2 or 3 quart sauce pot or dutch oven, add the milk, thyme sprigs and crushed garlic cloves and bring to a simmer. (With the side of a chef knife crush the garlic cloves, leaving the garlic skin on).  Add 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and a few twist of fresh cracked pepper and the freshly grated nutmeg. In a separate pot or large sautée pan add the bacon with 1 tbs olive oil and sautée till the bacon is cooked and all the pieces have separated and browned slightly. Do not crisp! Add the butter and allow to melt, but not brown. Add the flour and whisk to combine and allow the flour to cook out. At this stage you are making a roux. A roux is equal parts butter and flour by measure that are cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Do not brown! A slight golden color is good (blond stage) as this is flavor, but you don’t want a brown roux. Once the roux is cooked, add the hot milk by straining it through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk the milk and roux to combine and make homogenous. You are making a bechemel at this stage. The bechemel should be smooth and creamy and should not be clumpy.  Whisk till the milk and roux come together and starts to thicken. Do not let get too thick. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon, “nappe”, (pronounced nappay) but slightly thicker. If the bechemel gets too thick, add a bit more milk to loosen. Once the bechemel has come together and is completed, add the 3 grated cheeses and combine by whisking in with a whisk or a rubber spatula. By adding the cheese to the bechemel you are making a “mornay” sauce. I know it’s a lot to take in, but so worth it knowing each step and process. Once the pasta has cooked, strain and add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss the ingredients together to combine well. At this stage season with kosher salt and pepper and a bit more nutmeg to taste. Pour the mixture into a gratin or baking dish of your choice. I used a le creuset oval 2 quart gratin dish, but a square 10″ x 10″x 2″ square baking dish  will work. Grate a bit more cheese of your choice, and cover the top of the mac and cheese with it, before placing into the oven to bake. This will create a lovely gratin top. I topped mine with Vermont white cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees, till the top forms a light brown crust. About 20-30 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary, so keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelet)

Tags

Aceite De Oliva, Cooked By An Angel, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Organic Eggs, Russet Potatoes, Spanish Omelette, Spanish Onions, Totilla Española

So when I got in today from walking the dog, I wasn’t sure what I was going to be having for lunch. So I decided to have a look inside my cold box, and find things that are readily accessible and available and that would save me money and time. I was able to find some russet potatoes and a very healthy Spanish onion, just calling for me to make a Spanish main stay of the Tapas bar scene, Tortilla Española. It was the perfect afternoon lunch without having to leave my apartment or spend any money. Sometimes, ingredients like these are just God sent; especially if you know what to do with them. Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

2 Russet Potatoes

6 Large Eggs

1 Medium Spanish Onion

2 Cups Canola Oil

Kosher Salt

Cracked Pepper

Peperoncino (Red Chilli Flakes)

Fresh Herbs (Optional): thyme, chervil, parsley, tarragon

Directions:

So to start, you first have to peel and cut up your russet potato, or other potato of your liking. I love russets, as they are cheap to buy, usually sold under the moniker of Idaho potatoes and are also for me, the perfect all around potato for most of my recipes. Yukon Golds are also great, but a bit more expensive and not as robust. (Never-the-less great!). After you peel your potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, from tip to tip or end to end. Do not cut them in the center or middle, if you want this recipe to be authentic. Now line the two cut halves side by side, and cut the two halves into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Peel and slice your onion. (Cut the root and stalk end of the onion with your chef knife, and cut in half straight down from the stalk end to the root. Once you remove the paper from your onion, cut the onion into slices by cutting along the grain line of the onion, to form half moon shaped slices. Place about 2 cups of cooking oil into a heavy bottom pan or skillet, with at least 2 inch high walls to cook your tortilla in later and also, fry your onion and potatoes. Once heated at medium/high heat, add your onion and potatoes, and cook till the onions are slightly caramelized on their edges and the  potatoes are slightly cooked through, but not brown: about 8 minutes. (Stir occasionally to keep from cooking unevenly). While the potatoes and onions are cooking, whisk together your eggs in a medium/large bowl and add the chilli flakes and herbs if you desire. Remove the onions and potatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon, and place them directly into the eggs. Pour out the oil into a measuring cup or bowl capable of withstanding hot oil, and reserve about a table spoon of the oil in the pan. Pour the potato, onion and egg mixture into the pan at medium heat, and cook to form a round edge omelet by monitoring the edges and making sure that the edges are not sticking to the sides of the pan. I use a commercial rubber spatula, used by most restaurants and professional kitchens. But you can use a wooden spatula and it will work just as good. While cooking, flatten and spread onion and potatoes evenly over the omelet to cover the egg surface. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side, before turning it out, but times could differ depending on the type of cooking pan or skillet used. (They all conduct heat differently). Now when you are confident that your omelet has the perfect amount of color and doneness on the first side, place a plate over the pan to cover the pan opening and to overlap enough to prevent any uncooked egg from running over the edge of the plate. Now flip the pan over so that the omelet drops down onto the plate. Return the pan back to the stove, and slide your tortilla, back into the skillet or pan to continue cooking the other side, for another 4-5 minutes. As it is cooking, use your spatula to form up and shape the tortilla, into a round shape along the edge of the tortilla. It should be round and well formed to create the classic look of a Spanish Tortilla. It should also, be fluffy and light in texture, so do not over cook. (A light browning on the bottom and top is what you should be after). Once cooked, turn it out onto a clean plate and serve immediately, with either roasted asparagus or fresh or roasted tomatoes, or your favorite chorizo and crusty bread (baguette) and enjoy with your favorite cerveza. It’s so darn good!

Chocolate Fondant (Molten Lava Cake)

Tags

Almond Vanilla Ice Cream, Bitter Sweet Chocolate, Chocolate Dessert, Chocolate Fondant, Cooked By An Angel, Dark Chocolate, Icing Sugar, Molten Lava Cake, Quenelle

Chocolate Fondant or Molten Lava Cake, is one of those desserts that you see on the dessert list, and find very difficult to say no to. That gooey chocolatey warm center, does it every time; it’s hard to resist. That’s what happens to me any how, when I spot it. Kind of like that commercial where the kid repeatedly says “can I, can I, can I, can I have it! Okay, bad example, but you get it. So here’s my take on this lovely chocolate dessert that is the perfect end to a fine dinner, or just perfect because it satisfies that irresistible chocolate craving; kind of like mine tonight. I enjoyed this warm chocolate fondant cake, with a quenelle of almond vanilla ice cream. Oh did I say it was good?! oh yeah, it was!

Ingredients:

4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate ( I used Hershey’s extra dark chocolate with 60% cocoa)

2 egg yolk’s

2 whole egg’s

3 tbs granulated sugar

pinch of kosher salt

1/2 vanilla extract (optional)

3 tbs cocoa powder

4 tbs all purpose flour

5 tbs butter

Directions:

Combine the eggs in a large mixing bowl with the sugar; whisking well with a balloon whisk, to combine (this is called blanching). Whisk about 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter to a separate mixing bowl and place over a sauce pot with simmering water, to melt the chocolate over a Ban Marie. Stirring to melt the chocolate and butter evenly. Remove from the heat once melted and combined. (Do not over cook or the chocolate can seize up and dry out). Add a small ladle of the melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture and combine to temper. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and whisk to combine the ingredients. Butter four 4 ounce ramekin’s, or three 6 ounce ramekin’s. You can also coat the ramekin’s with cocoa powder or granulated sugar once buttered, by  pouring a tbs of either and rolling the sugar or cocoa powder along the inside wall of the ramekins. You then pour the remaining sugar or cocoa into the next ramekin and repeat the process till they are all equally coated. Pour the batter into the ramekin’s and place the ramekin’s into the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes. Remove the ramekin’s from the fridge and place them into a Ban Marie and cook @ 425 degrees, for about 15-18 minutes (tops of cakes should be slightly crusty. The center of the cakes should be gooey and soft. Dust with icing powder (sugar) and serve with ice cream of your choice. Done!

Note: Sugar coating or dusting the ramekins with cocoa powder is optional, but makes removing the cakes easier and they also taste great.

Parsley And Cilantro (How To Store)

Tags

Cilantro, Cooked By An Angel, Herbs, Parsley, Preserving Parsley, Storing Parsley

To store parsley and cilantro, you must first rinse the leafy herbs under cold water, to rinse away any soil or small bugs that are collected in between the stems and leaves during the growth and harvest. Once rinsed, shake off any excess water from the leafy bunch and allow to drain over the sink in a colander or sieve. Once dry, (some moisture will remain but that’s okay) place the bunch on a cutting board and cut off the bottom of the plant just above the root end. Get a mason jar and add just enough cool water to cover just 2 to 3 inches above the cut end of the bunch. Place a clear plastic bag or zip lock bag over the leafy tops and place the whole thing into the refrigerator. (The idea is to create a small green house). That’s it! Now you will have fresh parsley when ever you need it for as long as the plant will remain healthy and this can be a very long time. I have kept some parsley in this state in my fridge for up to 2 months. (No joke!). You can treat cilantro in the same manner and have the same success with it. Just break off a bunch by clasping a few stems and tearing as little or as much as you need, and cover the rest. Change the water every few days (3-4 days) and the parsley will last even longer.

Arroz Con Pollo (Rice With Chicken)

Tags

Arroz Con Pollo, Chicken Stock, Cilantro, Court Bouillon, Cracked Pepper, Kosher Salt, Mire Poix, Recaito, Rice With Chicken, Tomato Paste

One of my all time favorite Puerto Rican dishes from my childhood, has to be arroz con pollo, that’s right this dish. I don’t get to make it very often, and in fact haven’t made it in years, but when I do, it’s like going back to my childhood and those wonderful years and memories, spending time and hanging with my brothers and sisters. We would sit by the television watching Charlie Brown or some other memorable cartoon from that period. My favorite has always been Rudolph the Red Nosed Rain Deer. Oh well, what can I tell yuh!

So while I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner last night, walking by the poultry section of the market made it a no brain-er. I thought at first that fried chicken would be the way to go, but with very little thinking, I re-thought the menu and recalled this amazing dish; arroz con pollo. Bing that was easy! I did make some changes to the original recipe, but boy am I glad I did. I used a classic mire poix, instead of the usual sofrito or recaito recipe, to prepare my dish and it made all of the difference. It was like night and day literally. The choice to chef out and veer off of the beaten-path, was just the thing that this recipe needed to kick it up a few notches, and bring it to the next level. Typically the dish begins with frying or sauteing some sofrito in some cooking oil, usually something like a corn oil, or more commonly now days, canola oil. But for me, olive oil is the way to go. Also, some tomato sauce in the form of a libby’s or goya tomato sauce. I’ve changed so much about my cooking style and technique that making this dish, has I think finally reached its zenith or pinnacle, at least for my taste buds. In place of the tomato sauce, I used tomato paste, and also, omitted the perfunctory sofrito. Not that this is wrong by any means. I’ve just been playing with different flavor combinations and introducing them into my traditional Puerto Rican dishes and seeing what if any improvement or enhancement, they can lend. The one thing I wish I did have with this dish, was some sweet plantains. And I do mean “sweet”! Here’s how I did it.

Ingredients:

For this recipe I used:

2 chicken legs (included thighs and drumsticks)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

3 cups water

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

4 garlic cloves

1 large celery stalk

2 fresh bay leaves (laurel leaves)

kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp red chilli flakes

3 tbs minced cilantro leaves

1 Knorr chicken bouillon (or 3 cups chicken stock)

1 1/2  tbs tomato paste

3 tbs cooking oil (olive oil)

Directions:

Cut the chicken thighs in half, separating the drums sticks and thighs. I took an extra step and removed the drum stick nubs, by cutting or slicing with a sharp chef knife along the circumference just above the nubs, and hacking the nubs off. It looks better this way for presentation purposes, but not a necessary step. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder all sides of the chicken. Prepare your mis en place of carrots, onion, celery and garlic by dicing and mincing and set aside in a bowl. Preheat a skillet and add the cooking oil. Once heated, add your chicken pieces skin side down. This part is very important as this provides huge flavor. (I use a 10″ lodge blackened cast iron skillet). Sear all sides till browned, but not cooked all the way through. About 4 minutes each side. (Brown food is flavor) Remove from the heat and set aside to rest on a plate. Bring to a boil 3 cups of water. In a small bowl, crumble or break up the chicken bouillon and add 1/4 cup of the hot water to dissolve. In a 4 quart dutch oven cast iron pot (I use le creuset 4 quart), heat up 3 tbs of olive oil. Add the mire poix (carrots, onion, celery and garlic) and a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Sautée till lightly colored and onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste and sautée for an additional 2 minutes. Add the rice, chilli flakes and ground cumin, and stir to combine with the tomato paste and mire poix, stirring till thoroughly combined and the rice has absorbed the color of the paste, about 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves and the chicken pieces to the pot. Add the dissolved chicken bouillon and the remaining hot water. Season the broth to taste. (Bouillons do contain salt, so taste as you go). Do not over salt but do not be afraid to season!  Stir the pot once and do not cover. Allow the water or broth to reduce till there are small bubbles remaining on top of the rice. Once most of the broth has been absorbed, reduce the heat to low and stir the pot once more, mixing the rice from the bottom to the top. (You want to form a small mound). Cover the pot with aluminum foil and place the pot lid on top of the foil to form a tight seal.

Cook for an additional 20 minutes till the rice and chicken are cooked and the rice is fluffy and the chicken is tender. Turn off the pot and allow the rice to rest with the lid on for 5 minutes before serving. Serve and garnish with the minced cilantro and a bit of finishing salt (Maldon’s Sea Salt)  for that delicious crunch and amazing texture (optional).

Espresso Panna Cotta

Tags

Cooked By An Angel, Dark Chocolate Shavings, Double Cream, Espresso Coffee, Espresso Panna Cotta, Gelatin Powder, Gelatin Sheets, Hershey's Dark Chocolate, Vanilla Extract, Whole Milk

So I came home from the gym last night, and remembered that my great friend and neighbor, had given me some whole milk that she didn’t want as she doesn’t drink a whole lot of milk. So what to do with it I thought. I know! I’ll make espresso panna cotta, I thought to my self. I had just a bit of double cream (heavy cream) left in the fridge, and also, just enough whole milk left over too, and I still had some left over espresso from the mornings requisite café con leché. So what better impromptu dessert than this delightful Italian treat, with some dark chocolate shavings (60% cocoa). It’s simple and fast and honestly takes no time to make or put together. The only wait time is allowing the  panna cotta to set up in the refrigerator over night. Well it can be done in less time, but it was pretty late after all (maybe 12 AM), and it’s not like I was going anywhere but to bed and sleep. So what an amazing dessert for dinner the next day or an after lunch treat. Either way, it was going to be great and it was! Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 package of gelatin (clear) or 2 gelatin sheets

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup espresso or 1 1/2 tsp of instant coffee

Directions:

If you are using espresso coffee, remember that the liquid in the espresso will make up a bit more of the liquid, so you can reduce the amount of espresso by 1/4 cup. So instead use 1 3/4 cups of milk. If you are using the instant coffee, then use the complete 2 cups of milk and or cream combo. In a sauce pot bring the milk to a scald or simmer, along with the sugar and the espresso. Add the gelatin by first dissolving in a bit of hot water in a small bowl. (Dissolve the gelatin in 4 table spoons of hot water). Add to the hot milk and stir to combine.  Add the vanilla extract and combine. Ladle the panna cotta, into 4 – 4 oz ramekins using a ladle or small pitcher with a pouring spout. Allow to cool before placing into the refrigerator for a few minutes, as hot liquids will cause your refrigerator temperature to drop. Allow to set in the fridge for up to 6 hours or over night. You can shave some of your favorite chocolate as I have done here with a vegetable peeler, over the tops of the panna cotta, and allow the chocolate shavings to spread for a dramatic effect. Enjoy!

Puerto Rican Pastelon (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)

Tags

All Spice, Cinnamon, Cooked By An Angel, Moroccan Spices, Pastelon, Puerto Rican Lasagna, Sweet Plantains

This recipe however great it is in its traditional sense, needed some tweaking to incorporate flavors to meet my standards, and also, the Moroccan or middle eastern flavors that I was going for. In other words, I was going for a cross or meeting of two food worlds and I think that I nailed it with this one. It was better than I thought it would turn out and even exceeded my own expectations. I finished prepping it about 4 days ago, and only last night was I able to finally finish baking it off (re-heat). I’m glad I waited, as the flavors had time to marry and develop. This small portion was gone in a minute, after my guest and I finally had a taste. I’ll need to make another one today and get some pictures of the making of this wonderful dish and of course, pictures of the (layers) innards of the pastelon, for a better understanding of this amazing dish and recipe. And also, because I need to have it again. I will post my recipe later today. Night!

So a bit of history for me at least about this wonderfully sweet and savory dish, that I so love, but rarely growing up did I get the chance to enjoy. Even though I am a proud cook and a fairly accomplished Puerto Rican cook at that, albeit, I now get why I took my time figuring out why I waited this long to make it. Most while delicious, were always lacking some unique flavor component, and were sometimes even too dry and were made with cheap cheeses that lacked any real flavor and did nothing to compliment the recipe. So recently while perusing the produce section of the local market, I noticed that they had sweet plantains on sale and thought, hmm, what can I do with these? They weren’t quite ripe and no length of time on a high warm counter, will ripen them quite as nicely to full flavor maturity as the plantains we get during the warmer months of summer. At any rate, what I did to develop that sweet flavor and coax the sweetness from them, is to macerate them, much like we do fresh berries. I first did allow them sometime to darken a few days and then sliced them length wise, into 3 separate planks or layers, and split each 1/4 inch plank in half, at its mid point. After prepping 5 plantains, I sprinkled each piece with plenty of granulated sugar and some kosher salt. I then allowed the plantains to macerate for at least 20-30 minutes, if possible, before frying. This technique worked for me and produced the necessary sweetness, I needed for this dish.

What I also wanted to do for my recipe or version, was to use restaurant style ring molds, but barring that concept, I had to work with what was readily available to me in my kitchen arsenal. So what I came up with was, a small round plastic bowl that I lined with some aluminum foil. I lined the edges of the sides of the bowl, with the fried plantain pieces and that created the perfected sphere for the look I was going for. I did forgo the beaten egg that gets poured over the plantain lasagna usually before it goes into the oven. The egg acts as a binder and holds the lasagna together. I preferred to skip this part and went with a fresher cleaner version. Of course you can try this recipe with the egg. Okay, time for the recipe.

Ingredients:

Will continue post tomorrow.