Yucca con Mojo Cubano May 4, 2008

The first Mojo I learned about was this - the Cuban Mojo you eat with yucca or with black beans and rice.  The now famous drink in the diminutive, Mojito, has been an acquired taste in the last few years…  This Cuban Mojo over Yucca is a staple at ANY and EVERY Cuban household, and something my family in Miami always makes for me, especially now that I am vegetarian.

Cuban Mojo is delicious - the best “sauce” to pour over anything.  To me, it’s just glorious.  It’s the only decent accompaniment to eat with boiled yucca.  Once you learn how to make it, I am sure it will find its way pairing a lot more than just yucca.  I am almost sure this mojo is the culprit of why I need to squirt lemon juice on arroz moro (black beans and rice).

Try it today… you’ll be a convert immediately!!!

 

YUCA CON MOJO CUBANO

1 yucca root, peeled and cut and middle thread removed or a few pieces of frozen yucca

½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

½ onion, sliced thinly

3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated

The juice of 1 lime or limón criollo

Salt to taste, for the boiling water and for the mojo

 

1. In a medium pot with water, add the yucca root pieces and salt and bring to a boil.  Salt the water as if you were boiling pasta.  Water should only barely cover the yucca.  I am lazy, so I buy sometimes the frozen yucca kind.  It works very well and it always turns out soft when boiled.  Yucca can have a tendency to turn out hard; it’s a crap-shoot.  
2. While the yucca boils away, in a small saucepan over low heat add the olive oil, the onion and the garlic.  Let the onions and garlic soften and simmer slowly in the oil.  Add salt to taste.  I tend to season well, about ½ tbs, but I have to be honest, I do not measure.
3. 
4. When the onions are softened, the garlic is cooked, but none have gotten any color, turn off the heat and add the juice of the lemon.  The oil will cloud a bit, but that’s the measure of a true mojo… lemony tangy goodness with the punch of the garlic and onion… YUMMM!!!
5. 
6. When the yucca is fork tender, drain and serve with spoonfuls of mojo over it.

 

This is the perfect side dish with any Cuban dish… I particularly like it with black beans and rice.   And that’s an upcoming lesson.

Kamut Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce April 22, 2008

I am always on the lookout for simple delicious recipes.  And I am indeed a pasta lover.  Pasta dishes are usually simple, no?  I usually see the TV chefs creating their simple tomato sauces, which in my humble opinion are not that simple…  onions, garlic, celery , carrots.

I’ll be honest, I tried Giada DeLaurentiis recipe once, and I was not impressed by the flavor after the amount of chopping that went on.

I decided to take a stab at creating my very own simple version of tomato sauce.  I used something I am not very likely to have in my pantry, canned tomatoes.  I used a 28oz can of organic San Marzano tomatoes with the can lined with something white to prevent the tin metals to go into the acid tomato juice inside.  But I just have heard soooooo much about these San Marzano tomatoes I just had to give it a try.

I tried this sauce with a new kind of spaghetti I found at a specialty store - Kamut, a different type of grain, apparently available in Egypt since the time of the pharaohs.  I liked it a lot.  I read that Kamut is in the wheat family, very much like spelt, but better tolerated by people with wheat allergies.  I do not have those sensitivities usually, but there are times I want to experiment with other grains and give traditional wheat a rest.

 

 

 

Kamut Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce

28oz can of organic San Marzano tomatoes, whole

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

Basil - fresh preferably about 10-12 leaves, but I used dry - about 1 tbs - and worked great

Salt and Pepper to taste

¼ box of organic Kamut Spaghetti - I used DeCecco brand

 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, pour the olive oil and sauté the garlic slices and about 1 tsp of salt for about 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is taking some color.
2. When you open the tomato can, take kitchen shears and cut the tomatoes somewhat.  I have also seen Tyler Florence dumping them onto a bowl and smashing them with your own hands.  It sounds very appealing, but that’s another bowl to wash up.  When I have the kitchen staff Tyler has, I’ll do it his way.
3. Pour the tomatoes in the pot.   Add some more salt and pepper to taste.  Let the tomatoes simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Check the seasoning.  Add more salt or pepper if needed.  Add the basil - dry or fresh.  Let it wilt a bit for a few minutes.
5. With an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes into a pureed sauce.  The color of the sauce will change, from an intense red to an orangey color.  Don’t be discouraged by that.  The garlicky flavor rocks!!!
6. I just let it simmer about 5 minutes more and turn off the heat.
7. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water for the pasta.  Salt the water well before adding the pasta.  It takes about 12 minutes to cook al dente.

 

The sauce recipe makes way more sauce than for one serving of pasta… so I transferred most of the sauce to a container and transferred the cooked drained pasta to the pot with the remaining sauce.  Use the amount you deem necessary to dress your noodles.  

I dressed with a dollop of yogurt cheese instead of adding the traditional Parmesan cheese, given I am on a no-cheese-phase in my life right now… believe me, I did not miss the Parmesan and the tangy taste was a sure plus.

Buon Apetito!!!

 

The easiest Baked Penne… ever!!!! February 15, 2008

This is one of the easiest recipes… ever!!

The funny thing, it has not been even 24 hours since I learned about it.  I was perusing one of my favorite food blogs - Serious Eats… and in one of the Talk threads there was a discussion about making mac & cheese without boiling the pasta first.  Then, one of the participants - his/her name is hanak- mentioned this recipe for Baked Ziti without even boiling the pasta.  I always get stumped at what to do for lunch… so when I read this today, my lunch dilemma was immediately solved.  I would do this while I finished some stuff at the computer.  God bless  hanak and the Baked Ziti recipe…

I modified the recipe a little - as you know… can’t bear to make a recipe “by the book” not even once.  Here is the recipe as it was given to me today and with notes on the modifications I made to it today at 1PM:

 THE EASIEST BAKED PENNE

8oz whole wheat pasta - I used penne, but ziti or any tubular pasta would work

28oz can of crushed tomatoes - I used a 26oz carton of Pomi crushed tomatoes

6 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp chopped garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Mozzarella -  optional

Grated Parmesan cheese - optional

1. Soak the dry pasta in the olive oil for around 20 minutes.
2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

This is a picture of the pasta at this point.  It is DELICIOUS just like this!!!!  A bit oily to my taste, so maybe the next time I will try to see if I can cut the oil in half… but believe me, it’s been a while I tasted a pasta that I would eat as is, without any cheese.  This one is awesome.  I even bragged to my mom about it already…

 

I decided to use up some leftover fresh mozzarella cheese… so I added a few pieces in the dish, sprinkled some grated parm/romano cheese and put it back in the oven with the residual heat after I turned it off.  It is really good, but as hanak said… it does not need it.

Thanks a lot to my fellow online foodies, but specially to hanak and this awesome Baked Pasta recipe…  they are all a source of inspiration and hunger-relief. 

GRACIAS!!!!

Roasted Mustard Potatoes January 27, 2008

I love making this dish!!!  The smell of the mustard when it’s in the oven is divine…

ROASTED MUSTARD POTATOES

2 lbs red-skinned baby potatoes, cut in quarters or halved

6 tbs mustard - dijon, grain or spicy mustards will all work great here

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp Italian seasonings

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Canola oil spray

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the mustard, garlic, Italian seasonings, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
3. Place cut potatoes in the same bowl with the mustard mixture and toss to fully coat all the potatoes.
4. Move the mustard-coated potatoes into a  baking sheet sprayed with canola oil spray.
5. Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes until potatoes are tender when speared with a fork.

Nuggets with MayoKetchup January 8, 2008

Mayo what?????

People who are not from Puerto Rico usually ask me that question when I mention the Puerto Rican concoction MayoKetchup.  It’s exactly what it sounds like… a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup. 

Who invented it?  I don’t know.  I do know that some guy registered the name and the mixture, bottles it and sells it in supermarkets.  But why pay someone to mix something you already have in your fridge or cupboard?  I’ll show you how.

 

MayoKetchup

Egg-less mayonnaise

Ketchup

Garlic Salt to taste

1. In a bowl, mix 1 part ketchup to 1 1/2 parts mayonnaise… the thing is to have a bit more mayo than ketchup. 
2. Sprinkle and mix in some garlic salt to give an added dimension of flavor to the sauce. 

Use this to dip your favorite snacks…  I used it today to dunk some veggie “chicken” nuggets.  This is my version of fast food at home.  I also use it to dunk corn sorullitos, potato chips, and even as a base for a Thousand Island dressing.

 I hope you like it as much as I do.

Sofrito 101 December 25, 2007

Sofrito is the foundation of many Latin dishes… it’s a mixture of garlic, peppers and onions.  Very similar to the “trinity” from the South, where the foundation of many dishes is garlic, carrots and celery or even carrots, onions and celery…  I guess every culture has their own combination… this is ours.

 

SOFRITO

1 head of garlic

2 large onions

4 cubanelle peppers - we call them around here cooking peppers or “pimientos de cocinar”

1. Chop everything in a food processor.
2. Store in the refrigerator.  It will keep for a long time… you can even freeze it if you feel it’s too much amount to use in a few months time.

 I use this as a foundation for many dishes…  to start off any stewed dish, to give added flavor to a rice, to season a white “bechamel-type” sauce… you name it.  I wanted to share this basic recipe, because you’ll start to see it as an ingredient in many upcoming recipes. And, instead of having to chop onions, peppers and garlic  every time, sometimes you can shortcut by adding a few tablespoons of sofrito.

Garlic Parsley Breadsticks December 22, 2007

This is a great appetizer or accompaniment to any Italian dinner. 

 

GARLIC PARSLEY BREADSTICKS

1/2 package of refrigerated whole-wheat bread-stick dough mix

1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix in a small bowl the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.
2. Let it sit on top of the counter to marinate for about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Take the bread-sticks dough and spread the garlic parsley mixture on one side.
5. 
6. Twist the individual bread-sticks and place next to each other in a baking sheet.
7. 
8. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the bread-sticks are golden brown.
9. Serve warm.

You can definitely use this same garlic parsley mixture to make regular garlic bread… just spread it on a cut baguette and bake in the oven until crunchy.

My apologies… the bread-sticks smelled so good, I forgot to take a photo of them.

Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes December 14, 2007

This is one of my go-to recipes when I am hungry NOW!!! It’s super easy to make. I learned this recipe from an old Martha Stewart show where she cooked this with Oprah. That probably was about 10 years ago.

I like to make this pasta with spinach fettuccine, but you can use your favorite pasta. Noodles are nice because it’s a chunky sauce olive-oil based sauce and it coats them well, but any kind will do. This works as a main dish or as an accompaniment to others. I served this together with my Eggplant Parmesan dish.

PASTA WITH MARINATED TOMATOES

1/2 pound of spinach fettuccine, or any other pasta you prefer
3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Mix the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil in a bowl. Let marinate while you make the pasta. Stir a few times so the flavors meld and the fresh tomatoes break up a bit.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally. Cook pasta according to package directions, al dente.
3. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
4. Mix in the marinated tomatoes mixture in the hot pot.  The warmth of the pasta and the pot will warm-up the sauce.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

A few additional notes:

• I never peel the tomatoes, but you can if you prefer it. I just wash them really well using Fit.
• I’ve done this with regular tomatoes, vine-ripened tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes. The results will always be delicious. And if tomatoes are not in season, use jarred chopped tomatoes (Viter is a great brand because they have no additives or preservatives).  If using whole canned or jarred tomatoes, just don’t add the juice they come in… Just take the tomatoes and chop them finely.
• Make sure the sun-dried tomatoes do not contain sulfites… Sulfites are harmful to your health and a proved carcinogen.

This sauce is really versatile… later on, I’ll show you additional recipes in which yo can use the same marinated tomatoes in other applications.

Marinated Olives December 12, 2007

Last Summer I went to Spain and we ate olives as appetizers almost every night.  I love them.  The salty bite kind of gets your appetite going.  I use olives frequently in cooking, but not necessarily much on their own.  We’re having an office party this week and I thought it would be nice to take some marinated olives.

This is my interpretation, from what I can remember, of the marinated olives served at Olives, the Todd English restaurant.  He did the recipe in one of the old Martha Stewart shows.  I did the recipe a looooooong time ago, and this is what I came up with this time around.  Hope you like it.

 

MARINATED OLIVES

1 jar of manzanilla olives, with pits (just be careful when eating)

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (it could work with dry parsley too)

2 tablespoons rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

a few cranks of freshly cracked black pepper

1 piece of lemon rind or 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup olive oil

1. Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Let the mixture sit for a few hours so the flavors meld.  It’s even better if the olives can marinate for a few days ahead in the refrigerator.

 No need to add salt… the olives will be salty enough by themselves.  And you can play around with the spices if you don’t have all of them.  Just use what you have and see how it tastes…  tell me about it, OK?