I felt the need to add this post because FRESH cooking is the only way to cook and you can't make it fresh if your not clean!
*Try your hardest to stay away from frozen ingredients especially frozen meat. The flavor and quality is just not the same.
*Be aware of brands that are known for poor quality and check expiration dates on all groceries prior to purchase.
*Wash your hands:
For 20 seconds with water as hot as you can stand.
After using the restroom.
After sneezing or coughing.
After touching face or hair.
Before and after handling ANY food, but especially raw meat, poultry, or eggs.
*Always keep your raw food (Veggies, Meat, Bread etc.) separate to avoid contamination.
*Use this order when washing dishes:
Rinse and scrape the dishes first.
Wash the glassware.
Wash the silverware.
Wash the pots and pans last.
** Always disinfect surfaces BEFORE, DURING and AFTER.
But most of all, the most important ingredients for SAFE and DELICIOUS food are FRESH FRESH FRESH ingredients. Got it?
Chicken Stir-Fry
This recipe was an easy one. I came up with it one day when I just had a major craving for chicken and rice.
Easy and Quick Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 4
1 tsp Vegetable oil
4 skinless/boneless Chicken Breast
1 pound of stir-fry vegetables (Broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts... whatever your heart desires)
½ pound mushrooms
1 bunch of chopped green onion
1 minced clove of garlic
8-12 oz of Stir-fry Sauce (Not marinade!)
Heat oil in large skillet on HIGH.
ADD Chicken and cook ½ way.
Throw vegetables on top and let steam with sauce.
Stir-Fry! Stir several times.
Serve over jasmine rice.
Easy and Quick Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 4
1 tsp Vegetable oil
4 skinless/boneless Chicken Breast
1 pound of stir-fry vegetables (Broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts... whatever your heart desires)
½ pound mushrooms
1 bunch of chopped green onion
1 minced clove of garlic
8-12 oz of Stir-fry Sauce (Not marinade!)
Heat oil in large skillet on HIGH.
ADD Chicken and cook ½ way.
Throw vegetables on top and let steam with sauce.
Stir-Fry! Stir several times.
Serve over jasmine rice.
Ropa Vieja (Plus savory soup w/ beef stock)
Also a delicious recipe from Yennisha. Use the Picadillo recipe for the sauce. Dont be scared to get your hands dirty! I find that just diving into a big piece of meat with your bare hands is the most efficient way to pull or shred. (But dont forget to wash them first!)
Ingredients
Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
Quarter of a Green Bell Pepper
Quarter of a medium onion
Dash of Cumin
Season all salt
Small can tomato sauce
Red cooking wine
Flank steak
Directions
In a large pot put the flank steak to boil. Usually takes about half and hour. If it is still a little red that’s ok. It will finish cooking later. (if you cut it in big pieces it takes less time to cook) Once the flank steak has cooked remove from water and set it aside until it cools.
While it cools, get the Sofrito ready Once the meat has cooled shred into little pieces and set aside. In a pan add the olive oil and brown the Sofrito
Add the meat, tomato sauce, cooking wine, cumin, and the Goya seasoning pack (if you can find it) Depending on how much sauce you like you can add more sauce or wine…just play around with it.
* if you want to make a soup with the leftover cut up some bell peppers, onions and throw a couple of garlice cloves in the water where the beef is boiling. While it boils you will see some nasty brown frothy foamy stuff collect on the top. Just spoon it out as it cooks. Once you take the meat out drain the broth to remove the vegetables. Then just add some seasoning to the broth. I add another pack of the Goya seasoning to this…I splash a little wine…season salt and the angel hair pasta. And voila!
Ingredients
Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
Quarter of a Green Bell Pepper
Quarter of a medium onion
Dash of Cumin
Season all salt
Small can tomato sauce
Red cooking wine
Flank steak
Directions
In a large pot put the flank steak to boil. Usually takes about half and hour. If it is still a little red that’s ok. It will finish cooking later. (if you cut it in big pieces it takes less time to cook) Once the flank steak has cooked remove from water and set it aside until it cools.
While it cools, get the Sofrito ready Once the meat has cooled shred into little pieces and set aside. In a pan add the olive oil and brown the Sofrito
Add the meat, tomato sauce, cooking wine, cumin, and the Goya seasoning pack (if you can find it) Depending on how much sauce you like you can add more sauce or wine…just play around with it.
* if you want to make a soup with the leftover cut up some bell peppers, onions and throw a couple of garlice cloves in the water where the beef is boiling. While it boils you will see some nasty brown frothy foamy stuff collect on the top. Just spoon it out as it cooks. Once you take the meat out drain the broth to remove the vegetables. Then just add some seasoning to the broth. I add another pack of the Goya seasoning to this…I splash a little wine…season salt and the angel hair pasta. And voila!
Picadillo
This recipe was given to me by a friend named Yennisha. She is a Cuban mamma and a superb cook! She made this dish for dinner while I was visiting her and my big brother in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Ingredients
Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
Quarter of a Green Bell Pepper
Quarter of a medium onion
Dash of Cumin
Season all salt
Small can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
Splash of red cooking wine
1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
Directions
-Put garlic cloves, bell peppers, and onions in a food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped. (just do by hand if you don’t have a food processor).
-In a pan head up approx 2 tablespoons of olive oil on med heat.
When the olive oil is hot add the garlic cloves, bell peppers, and onions (The mixture of these 3 ingredients is called Sofrito and it is basis for almost all Cuban/Spanish dishes….you will need to make the same thing for the other dish)
-Heat the Sofrito until it starts browning slightly…you might need to add a little bit more olive oil if you notice that its drying out and burning.
Add the cumin and season all to the Sofrito as it is cooking in the olive oil.
Once the Sofrito has cooked add the meat and cook until done
Once you have browned the meat add the bay leaf (not super necessary) and the can of tomato sauce…I usually add some red cooking wine to the can and stir it around so I can get all the tomato sauce out of it…plus the wine adds some good flavor. Not too much though
* I’m sure you can get pretty much any Hispanic seasoning … I also usually add a pack of Goya seasonings to step 7. They come in a little box and each box brings about 10 little packages in it. Not super essential but if you can get it, I’d recommend it.
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