Puerto Rican Sofrito Shrimp

Puerto Rican Sofrito Shrimp 

Ingredients

1 24-ounce package fresh frozen large shrimp

1 clove garlic

¼ cup onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

Half of a medium onion

Half of a green pepper, seeded

1 clove of garlic

10 sprigs of cilantro

½ cup tomato sauce

1 packet of Sazón Goya*

Instructions

In a blender, make the sofrito sauce by adding the onion, green pepper, garlic, cilantro, sazón, and tomato sauce and blending until smooth.

In a large skillet, sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and soft.

Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink all the way through.

Pour the sauce on top of the shrimp, mix together, and simmer for about 5 minutes, letting the sauce seep into the shrimp.

Serve on rice with a side of vegetables or plantains for an authentic Puerto Rican meal.

Notes

*Sazón is basically saffron with more seasoning. You can find it in the ethnic aisle at your local grocery store. It adds extra flavor and the bright red color that everyone loves about this dish.

Chili rellenos pork enchiladas.

I used this recipe substituting pulled smoked pork for the chicken.  For pulled pork, see previous recipe.

Chile Relleno Chicken Enchiladas

hispanickitchen.com /chile-relleno-chicken-enchiladas/

Sonia Mendez Garcia

Besides preparing soups, when it’s chilly outside, I love to bake big pans of enchiladas when I invite friends over for dinner. My all-time favorite enchiladas are the ones made with chicken and salsa verde. My mom’s were filled with a simple poached shredded chicken, a quick salsa verde and a garnish of cheese. She rarely ever baked them covered in cheese like you see in most recipes. I still fix them this way for my husband, since I have not fully convinced him how tasty cheese can be, LOL! He would try it, if I asked nicely… For this chicken enchilada recipe I combined two dishes I love, chiles rellenos and enchiladas, the best of both worlds!

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

For Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pickled jalapeños, minced

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 2½ cups)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chile ancho powder or any mild chili powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt to taste

1½ cups chicken broth

2 to 3 tablespoons of the brine from pickled jalapeños

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded finely

*12 roasted and peeled Anaheim or New Mexico green peppers (I took a little help from the store and purchased them in a can, can’t always find fresh ones where I live!)

For Salsa Verde:

2 pounds tomatillos

4 chile serrano, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Handful of chopped cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt, to taste

You will also need:

12 corn tortillas

Olive oil for brushing corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese of choice (I used jack cheese)

Garnishes:

Diced onions, optional

Sliced serrano peppers

Chopped cilantro

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomato

Lime wedges

Directions:

1. For Filling: Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and pickled

jalapeños and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. In the blender, add the tomatoes, cumin, oregano, chile ancho

powder, pepper, pinch of salt, chicken broth and brine from jalapeños. Blend on high until smooth, taste for

salt.

2. Add the tomato mixture to the pan with onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add chicken, peas and

carrots. Cook at a low simmer until most of the broth reduces, about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and set

aside.

3. Peel and wash the tomatillos. Transfer them to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook just

until they turn from bright green to olive green. Drain them and transfer them to blender, add chile serrano,

garlic, cilantro, cumin and 1 teaspoon of salt. Blend on high until smooth, set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Add 1 cup of salsa verde to the bottom of a baking dish (9×13) and spread out

evenly, set aside. Heat a large griddle pan to medium heat. Brush the corn tortillas with olive oil on both

sides. Heat the tortillas for a minute per side or until you get some light golden spots. Stack the tortillas

onto a plate as you heat them.

5. Fill each pepper with just enough chicken filling so it still closes, do not over-fill. Wrap one tortilla around

each chile relleno as tight as you can and transfer them, seam-side down to the baking pan with salsa

verde. Cover the enchiladas with just enough salsa verde to cover, add cheese and bake in preheated

oven just until cheese melts. Garnish with any leftover salsa and any or all of the garnishes listed. Makes

for some very hearty enchiladas. Serve with your favorite rice.

Notes:

If you want to roast your own peppers, just roast under broiler for 5 to 6 minutes per side, let steep then

peel and remove seeds. If cooking for 2, just build as many enchiladas as needed and transfer to the plate,

top with salsa and cheese and heat in microwave until cheese melts. This is how I do it most times for us.

Pulled Pork

I am going to use this pulled pork, at least some of it in chili relleno pork enchiladas.

Smoking log for Pulled pork, June 14, 2015

3.43 lbs. boneless Pork Butt Roast 

Rub: apporx ` 1 part garlic powder

2 parts salt

4 parts black pepper

rub applied not too thickly. after setting at room temperature about 45 minutes and wiped dry.

1:00 PM put roast in smoker at 240º with double load of charcoal and one oak log. Chimney flue fully open firebox damper, 25% open

Bread loaf pan filled with hot water on grate just above firebox.  Pork roast in center of smoker. It has a netting to hold it together

1:30 @300. Closed damper to 1/8th open, opened smoker to let heat out and brought down to 265 degrees Time 1:38

1:50 290º closed damper

2:00 255º (one hour in smoker)

2:20 235º Opened damper to 1/8th open

2:30 235º added hickory chunks to use them up

2:45 295º started more charcoal

3:00  285º Added charcoal closed damper, (2 hours in smoker)

3:10 Rotated roast so top is on bottom and fire side away. @ 138 degrees Smoker at 235º Opened damper to about 1/8th open

3:20 265º damper 1/8 open

3:40 265º

3:45 260º Opened baffle to 1/4 open

4:00 265º (3 hours in smoker) roast at 154º  Wrapped

4:15 255

4:30 250º  Roast internal temp at 165º  Added last of hickory wood to use it up and

add heat until more charcoal can be added.  Started more charcoal 

4:50 Added charcoal, closed damper to 1/8th open.

5:00 245º (4 hours in smoker) raked ashes out of bottom of firebox. Roast at 175º

5:30 250º Roast at 180º

6:00 250º Roast at 182º  Started raining hard.  Brought roast inside and put in set oven at 265º

7:00 Roast at 188º (6 hours roasting) It feels soft and done but I’ll leave it in a little longer.

7:30 reading over 190 in some places, took it out of the oven.

Adobo Steak, Pineapple Salsa and Black Beans

Adobo Strip Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa 

225

Adobo Strip Steak Tacos

Summertime — that is the time to use your grill as much as possible! Somehow the thought of 30 degrees and grilling just does not sound very fun to me! I really enjoy grilling strip steaks because they cook so quickly and they really don’t require a lot of prep. So foodies, get outside and grill something to share with your family and friends. ¡¡Buen Provecho!!

1 pound yields 4 servings for tacos

Ingredients:

For the Adobo Steak:

3 chile ancho

3 chile guajillo

2 to 4 chile de arbol

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1 large Roma tomato

1 serrano pepper, stem removed

1/2 of a small white onion

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup water

Salt to taste

1 pound New York strip steaks, but marinade will be enough for 2 pounds

You will also need:

Corn or flour tortillas for making tacos

For theSalsa

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced

2 pickled or fresh jalapeño peppers, diced

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

1/3 cup red onion, diced

1/4 to 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (I like a good amount of cilantro)

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 to 2 tablespoons honey

Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

This resipe yields about 3 cups

This recipe yields about 3 cups

Directions:

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho and guajillo peppers. Remove just the stems from the chile de arbol, if any. Combine them in a pot, with garlic, tomato, serrano and onion. Cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Drain and transfer to the blender. Add the vinegar, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, 1/4 cup water and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend on high until smooth, taste for salt, pour out into a shallow baking dish so it can cool. Once it has cooled add the steaks and coat evenly with adobo. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 to 4 hours or overnight.

3. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 40 minutes before cooking so they come to room temperature. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the pineapple salsa, and taste for salt. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

4. Preheat grill to medium/high heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook steaks for just 2 minutes per side. They cook quickly; remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve as-is or slice against the grain for tacos! 1 pound yields 4 servings for tacos.

The Lazy Cook's Black Beans

About This Recipe

YIELD:

Serves 6 to 8 as a side

ACTIVE TIME:

30 minutes

TOTAL TIME:

2 to 3 hours

THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN:

The Lazy Cook's Way to Great Black Beans

RATED:

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over

8 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced in half, with enough of the root end intact that the onion doesn't fall apart

1 juicing orange, rinsed and sliced in half

Kosher salt

Place beans in a large pot and add water until beans are submerged by 3 to 4 inches. Add the garlic and onion, squeeze in orange juice, then add the squeezed orange halves. Cover and place over high heat until water comes to a boil, then uncover pot and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook until beans are completely tender and creamy, 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water if tops of beans become exposed.

Remove orange and onion halves. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to a thick, creamy sauce that clings to the beans, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve over rice or as a side with fresh cilantro and a dash or two of hot sauce.

Meatloaf

Our Favorite MEATLOAF 

    3 slices white bread, crusts removed 

  1/2 c. milk 

 2 tblsp. olive oil 

 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 

 1 rib celery, finely chopped 

 2 cloves garlic, minced  (3 or 4 cloves)

 2 carrots, peeled & finely grated 

1 lb. ground sirlion 

 1/2 lb. ground pork  ( 4 or 5 bratwurst) 

 2 large eggs 

1/4 c. roughly chopped parsley  ( or celery leaves)

 2 tblsp. Dijon mustard  ( honey dijon_

1 tblsp. coarse salt & more to taste 

 1/2 tblsp. freshly ground pepper & more to taste

 1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked bacon 

    1 lb. of fingerling potatoes, scrubbed 

    4 leeks, white & light-green parts only, split in half lengthwise & rinsed well 

    1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

    1 tblsp. Coleman's yellow ground mustard 

    1 tsp. tomato paste  Or catsup, honey dijon mustard and brown sugar)

    Heat the oven to 375F. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and place in a small 

    bowl. Pour milk over it & set aside for 5 minutes. 

    Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery & garlic; cook until 

    soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. 

    Place carrots in a large mixing bowl. Ad the milk-bread mixture, meat, eggs, 

    parsley, Dijon, salt, & pepper. Add onion mixture. Combine well using your 

    hands or a rubber scraper. 

    Place mixture in a large ungreased baking dish or roasting pan. Shape into a 5 

    X 12 inch loaf. Overlap bacon across the top, covering meat. Place vegetables 

    around loaf. Season with salt & pepper. 

    In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground mustard & tomato paste to make a 

    glaze. Brush meatloaf all over with glaze. 

    Bake, brushing every 15 minutes or so with glaze, until juices run clear when 

    loaf is pierced with a 2 pronged fork & the bacon is crisp, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let 

    cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Sukiyaki

SUKIYAKI

1 pound tenderloin,or sirloin beef cut 1/4x2 inches

2 tablespoons oil for browning meat

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sweet rice wine

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 pound mushrooms

1 bunch green onion sliced 1 1/2 inch

3 stalks celery sliced diagonally  substituted baby bok choy

1 can bamboo shoots drained

3 cups cooked spinach

hot cooked rice

corn starch and water

Brown meat, stir in liquid and sugar, add rest of ingredients except spinach, rice and dissolved corn starch.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes, add corn starch and water, simmer to thicken, add spinach, cover and cook 5 minutes. Serve with rice.