Curry Chicken

This recipe is not your regular curry recipe. I've tasted so many different varieties and heard of so many different ways of making it, that I've decided to take the best tips and put them together with my own little spin on it. I must say that the best tips came from my husbands mom and grandmother, they showed me that the way to a good curry is through marinating the meat properly, and cooking down the spices correctly. The kind of spices and ingredients you use are also very important. I use Chief Curry Powder because that is what my husbands family uses, it's also my favorite curry powder. The herbs can be found at most Asian, Latin/Caribbean or Indian markets. Try your best to use fresh herbs instead of dry, they really make the difference.

So, take your time and indulge in the process of making this dish because it will result in amazing curry every time.

Curry Chicken

1 Whole Chicken cut into pieces

Juice of two Limes

1 Tablespoon each Salt and Pepper (I use my homemade Adobo but you can use Lemon Pepper seasoning or any seasoning salt you like)

1 bunch Cilantro (wash well as these tend to be sandy from the store!)

6 sprigs Culantro (also known as Recao and Shadow Beni)

1 Celery Stalk

1/2 cup Parsley chopped coarsely

5 cloves of Garlic minced

1 bunch Scallions (also known as Green Onions)

2 Onions thinly sliced

2 Plum Tomatoes diced

2 Tablespoons Ginger minced

1 can Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Curry Powder

2 Tablespoons Cumin (also known as Gheera)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Garam Masala

1 whole Hot Pepper (optional but if you like very spicy curry, mince your favorite hot pepper and add to the pot!)

2 Teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

1 cup Water or Chicken broth

4 Potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold (peeled and cut into quarters)

1 can Chick Peas (also known as Garbanzos)

3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (you can also use vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or even coconut oil)

Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and remove the skin (or keep the skin on if that's what you like) Place in a bowl or glass baking dish to marinate. Season the chicken pieces then squeeze the juice from the two limes right in. Set aside.

Cut the roots off of the cilantro if any and rinse well. Cut off the stems and reserve the tops for the last few seconds of cooking. Repeat this step with the parsley and scallions.

Some people prefer using the food processor for this step but I like to use the mortar and pestle.

I find the flavors really come together nicely when the ingredients are fixed this way but the food processor works nicely in a pinch.

Combine all of the herbs, garlic, celery and ginger in the mortar and smash all of the ingredients well with the pestle (or process if using the food processor) until you have a chunky paste or until you have smashed every ingredient well. Massage this mixture onto the chicken parts along with the worchestershire sauce, set aside.

Gently heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom pot. Saute the sliced onions, masala, cumin and curry powder for a few minutes on medium/low heat. Raise the heat to medium/high and carefully add the marinated chicken pieces, along with all the ingredients of the marinade. Stir the pot so that the onions are on top of the chicken and not sticking to the bottom. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add one cup of hot water or chicken broth and stir. Add the potatoes and the chick peas, then carefully sit the whole hot pepper in the center of the curry, cover and let simmer 30 minutes more.

Gently remove the hot pepper. Now is the time to add your reserved cilantro and parsley tops, along with the scallions and coconut milk, stirring them into the curry well. Cover and let simmer 2 minutes more.

I love to serve curry with hot Jasmine rice, brown Basmati rice, salad or Roti.

Sancocho

This recipe is a CLASSIC in the Caribbean culture. It may not have the same name in different countries but the basic ingredients are about the same. This is my version.
A rich, velvety soup with an earthy mix of root vegetables, soothing herbs and melt-in-your-mouth morsels of meat.
Another ordinary soup you say? I truly beg to differ. I know entire families that swear by this soup, claiming that it can cure colds, hangovers and other ailments. All I can say is that it's a soup that speaks for itself. So get out those winter soup bowls, your favorite crusty bread, and that Snuggie you got for Christmas last year, and indulge in a bowl of Sancocho.

Note* Before peeling and chopping the root vegetables and bananas, be sure to have a cold water bath with 2 squeezed lemons or limes ready so that the vegetables don't oxidize while they wait.

Sancocho

1 1/2 lbs. Top Round Beef cut into 1" cubes
1 1/2- 2 lbs. Pork Roast Boston Butt cut into 1" cubes
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
5 cloves of Garlic minced
1 Spanish Onion diced
2 Ajicitos Dulce Peppers diced (this can be replaced by 1 Italian frying pepper)
1 of each Red and Green bell Peppers diced
2 Stalks of Celery diced
2 Bay Leaves
3 Culantro leaves chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro chopped (stems and leaves)
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
5 cups of Beef Stock
1-2 ears of Sweet Corn cut into 1/4's
3 Plum Tomatoes diced
1 Yellow Plantain cut into 1/2" slices
1 Green Banana cut into 1/2" slices
1 Batata (white sweet potato or yam) peeled and chopped
1 cup Calabaza (West Indian Pumpkin) peeled and chopped, seeds and membrane removed
1/2 cup Taro peeled and chopped
2 Potatoes peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Annatto Seeds (tied in a Soup Satchel) or use 2 packets of Sazon con Culantro y Achiote

Have a large soup pot with lid ready. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the olive oil on medium. Brown the meat, then remove and set aside.
In the same pot, saute the onions, celery and peppers for 10 minutes covered.
Next add the garlic, bay leaves, and tomatoes. Simmer covered for 5 minutes then add the meat back to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes then add 2 1/2 cups of the beef stock to the pot along with 1/2 of the chopped cilantro and culantro. Simmer 30 minutes more adding more stock if necessary.
Start adding the potatoes, taro and the soup satchel. Simmer 10 minutes then add all the other ingredients and simmer until the bananas are tender.
Squeeze a little fresh lime juice into the bowl and ladle the hot soup right over. Serve with a good crusty bread.

Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

This cake was completely improvised on a last minute whim to make my father a birthday cake for his 55th birthday. Although the recipe claims the "Butter Pecan" label, it has absolutely no butter in it. It just happened to be one of those times that I was out of butter and had only 1 hour to prepare a cake, but believe me, this exact combination of ingredients promises a rich, moist and flavorful cake.
This recipe is doubled due to the number of people I was entertaining that day so feel free to cut the ingredients in half to create a perfect single recipe.

Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Shortening (plus more to generously grease Bundt pans)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Sugar
6 extra large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Orange Blossom Water
1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk
1-1oz. box Sugar free Fat free Instant Jello Pudding Vanilla Flavor
1-1oz. box Sugar free Fat free Instant Jello Pudding Cheesecake Flavor
1 1/2 cups chopped Pecans
1 cup toasted Coconut Flakes (for garnish)
1/2 cup Butterscotch Ice Cream topping (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease two Bundt pans with shortening or non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
Cream the two sugars and shortening in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until the consistency is light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs, salt, vanilla, orange blossom water and almond extract. Mix on low, gently until incorporated.
In another dry bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together well. Add these ingredients and the evaporated milk to the other ingredients. Beat with the hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes making sure all of the dry and wet ingredients are well incorporated from the bottom and sides of the bowl. The batter should be thicker than pancake mix but not so thick as to pull away from the beaters. If this is the case, add a little more milk.
Fold in the chopped pecans and divide the batter evenly amongst the two pans.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 250 for 30 minutes, also use this moment to rotate the cakes for even baking. Check with a butter knife in the middle of the thickest part to see if its done. The knife should come out slightly moist but no uncooked batter should be on it.
Wait 10 minutes for the cakes to cool down then turn out onto a cake plate. While the cake cools a bit more, toast the coconut flakes at 350 for 4-8 minutes watching carefully (coconut flakes burn quite easily!) allow them to cool a few minutes afterward.
Drizzle both cakes with the butterscotch icecream topping and sprinkle tops with the coconut flakes.
Enjoy!

My Brooklyn "Italian Spots"

When I take my trips to visit home in Brooklyn, I find it harder and harder not to make a stop at all of my favorite "Italian Spots" as I call them. L&B's Spumoni Gardens, Randazzo's, Royal's, and a few up and down 86th Street. The food is unbelievable and unreplicable. I cannot tell you how many different states I've been to where they claim to have "Brooklyn Pizza" or "New York Style Pizza" and the pizza always tastes nothing like it. The truth is, if you want "New York or Brooklyn Style Pizza" you have to go there, period.
Where I live, it's very hard to find a good "Italian Spot", so I make my own pizza, foccaccias, bread, rice balls, calzones, parmigiana and all of my italian faves. I save alot of money and I can adjust the fat, salt, sugar, and quality of the ingredients to my liking. It may not be "New York Style" but it's MY style. It's also alot of fun.
Here is my version of White Pizza.

White Pizza

Dough
3 cups Bread Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Packets Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Lukewarm Water

White Sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small Onion minced
3 cloves Garlic minced
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Ricotta Mixture
2 cups Ricotta Cheese
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients for the Dough, wet ingredients first. Knead into a smooth ball (use more flour if needed) and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, saute the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil for the White Sauce 5-6 minutes. Add the heavy cream and saute for another 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In another bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the Ricotta Mixture and place in the refrigerator.
After the hour is up on the dough rising, punch the dough down in the bowl and knead for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into the shape of your pan ( I use baking sheets and I leave them ungreased for a crunchy crust).
After putting the dough onto the pan, press down with your fingertips to make indentations all over the dough. Bake the dough by itself for 10 minutes.
When the dough has cooled for about 20 minutes, spoon dollops of the Ricotta Mixture all over the crust leaving little mounds everywhere. Next, pour the White Sauce all over the crust covering everything except the borders. The pizza is now ready to be back into the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly (keep an eye on it). Let it cool abit before eating, and garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan. Enjoy!

*You can use this recipe to add all kinds of different toppings. My husband and children love to make pizza as well. Don't miss the opportunity to have a great moment with your family, even if it is just to make pizza.

Philippino Adobo Chicken

When I was 9 years old growing up in Brooklyn, I lived in a neighborhood that had several different nationalities and cultures. There were families that were Russian, Jewish, Italian, Indian, Asian, African American, Hispanic and Philippino living all on the same block. That is how I met my best friend Rebecca.

Rebeccas' mom was Philippino and cooked the most amazing food. My favorite was always the Adobo Chicken with steaming hot white rice. I also loved her Lumpia, and Pancit, but that's a whole other posting lol.

When the Philippino people in the neighborhood got together and made a barbeque, it was awesome! They would have a few grills going, while the meat was marinating, skewered Satay style, in a "Secret Sauce". I say "Secret Sauce" because I never got a clear answer as to what was in it, all I knew was that it made the meat taste amazing.

There is a little work to be done to make this recipe just the way that Rebeccas' mom would make it. She would chop the knuckle part of the leg off, and remove all of the skin from the chicken parts. You could just as well use skinless chicken parts and save yourself half the time.
Here is the recipe:

Philippino Adobo Chicken

1 Whole cut-up Chicken or eight Chicken legs (skinned)
1/2 cup White Vinegar
1 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Sugar (I prefer 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar instead)
1 large White Onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves Garlic, minced
8 Peppercorns ( or 1 Tablespoon Cracked Black Pepper)
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 cup Water

Remove the skin from all of the chicken parts and place in a bowl. Pour the vinegar and soy sauce over the chicken. Set aside.
In a large pot, saute the garlic, onions, peppercorns or pepper, and bay leaves for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the sugar or brown sugar and mix well.
Pour the entire contents of the of the bowl with the chicken into the pot. Add the water. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Cover the pot and continue cooking for 30 minutes longer, or until the liquid has reduced to a sauce.
Garnish with sliced scallions and serve with hot white rice.

Christmas!

Im just taking a moment from my busy day to write about my Christmas dinner. My mother-in-law made her famous Black Cake, which is a Trinidadian style rum/fruit cake with a rich color and flavor. She also made Callaloo and Crab. It was absolutely delicious.
I made Coquito, Roast Beef, Pasteles, Macaroni and Cheese, Bacalao, Guava Jelly Puffs, Glazed Ham, Pernil, and a homemade Habanero Pepper sauce. Everyone had a great time, and we all ate well.
Happy Holidays and Stay Safe!

My Weekend

What a weekend!
Last night I finally finished making all of my Pasteles. In my family, it usually takes a production of grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters and mothers to complete a Pasteles making session but I live far from my family so I made them on my own. It was alot of work but it's worth it in the end.

Today my husband and I spent some quality time with the kids. We had a tea party with my daughter, played with flash cards , and watched all the Disney movies she wanted. My son decided that we should create our own Bionicles and play Wii sports for awhile, so thats what we did. Dinner followed shortly, which consisted of Roast Beef and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Everyone is satisfied and getting ready for tomorrow. Sundays are always alot of fun.

This week, I am working on a new Pepper Sauce recipe and I will finally share my Baked Empanada recipe! This recipe guarantees flaky, delicious Empanadas every time. Also, I will post my Coquito recipe for everyone to try. It makes more than one bottle because trust me, you'll go through the first bottle all by yourself, it's really THAT good!

Have a wonderful night and stay tuned for recipes to come.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in my family is very different from the traditional American Thanksgiving. Our menu is full of Caribbean flavor and vibrant colors. My family is Puerto Rican and my husbands family is Trinidadian, so food always has bold and bright flavor in our home. This year our table will have Turkey (Pavo),Cornbread stuffing, Plantain mash (Mofongo), Rice and Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules), String Beans with roasted Garlic, and a beautiful Red onion and Tomato salad (Ensalada de tomates). Of course, it wouldn't be a holiday in our house without the Coquito, a coconut based Puerto Rican egg nog with a good amount of rum. Delicious!

From the garden, I cut and washed my banana leaves, picked peppers (ajicitos dulces & bell peppers), and rounded up all of my herbs to cook with (sage, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, culantro and oregano brujo). I'm ready!

For me, there's nothing better than family getting together, talking, laughing and enjoying good food. In my home, my husband and the kids help out with the cooking and love goes into every dish. I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday this year and dont forget to GIVE THANKS!