Arepas – Latin Cornmeal Pockets

Arepas are a gift from Venezuela and Columbia.  However, they are found throughout the Latin countries and the Caribbean.  They are made of  precooked cornmeal, either white or yellow with very fine granules, sometimes called Harina de Maiz, not to be confused with Masa Harina which is used for tortillas.  Arepa flour, Instant Precooked Cornmeal,  is available in Latin and Caribbean markets.  P.A.N. and Goya are two common brands.  If you can’t find Instant Cornmeal, look for Instant Polenta in the Italian isle of major supermarkets.

The traditional recipe is instant cornmeal, salt and boiling water, fried on a dry griddle and baked in a hot oven until they sound hollow when tapped.  IMUSA has an electric arepa maker that browns and bakes them in about 10 minutes depending upon their thickness.  The Imusa Arepa Maker can be found at Target stores and Amazon.com.  They’re also available direct from Imusa.   read more

Quasado (Crustless Spinach Quiche)

This is one of those recipes my Mom made frequently.  We often had quasado with tomato soup on cold wintery days or with chicken soup at night.  Mom always served this as a nibble at card parties and she was lucky to have any left for the family…everyone loved this dish.

Quasado, pronounced kwah-shah-doh, is a Sephardic Jewish dish of spinach, feta cheese, garlic, onion, parmesan cheese and lots of dill.  Make it in a pie plate, or muffin cups for easy to wrap and pack in lunchboxes.  The flavors are Mediterranean with a moist spongy center topped with crunchy browned parmesan cheese.  The same recipe can be made for appetizers by simply spreading the mixture over a 7X11 inch rectangular pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake as directed below and cut into fingers or squares.

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Pickled Limes Cured in the Island Sun

Winter in the Caribbean is lush with limes, bitter oranges, mandarins, carambola (star fruit) and a host of other organic fruit and vegetables.  This recipe turns those bitter oranges into a condiment fit for avocado dishes, a compound butter for chicken and fish, salad dressings, fragrant rice dishes and more.  When the price for citrus in local markets soar, these pickled citrus are just the ticket and so easy to make with sea salt, garlic, chili, and assorted spices.  Pureed or smashed into a paste, these pickled citrus are very much like yuzu kosho (Japanese condiment made with orange citrus shaped like a hand) at pennies of the cost.

Every island in the Caribbean has bitter orange trees thanks to the Spanish conquistadors.  Unable to grow Seville oranges in the Caribbees, Curaçao in particular, the Spanish conquistadors ended up with these very bitter little oranges which are the basis of Curaçao liqueur also known as Triple-Sec.  They’re a good substitute for lemons and limes in a pinch but much better as a fermented pickle or made into liqueur.     read more

Novel Wreath – Weekend Project

A book exchange is guaranteed to provide plenty of reading material.  To get started my friends sent me boxes of paperback books from their various sources.  Along with current novels there were some rather old books without covers that I finally found a use for.  This wreath was made from pages of an Andrew Greeley novel written in the 80s called Lord of the Dance.

The center is from last Christmas’ decorations.  The whole thing cost less than $2 for the hot glue and a paper clasp.  I made the page cones while watching TV and assembled the wreath in less than an hour the next day.

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Onion Dinner Rolls for Thanksgiving

Start a new Thanksgiving tradition with Homemade Dinner Rolls.  Your friends and family will rave about these rolls.  This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Taste of Home for Sweet Milk Dinner Rolls.   Soft in the center, tender on the outside, decidely onion in flavor and easy to make… this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Make a batch before Thanksgiving, wrap with aluminum foil, place in a plastic storage bag and freeze up to 2 weeks.  Remove from storage bag and thaw in aluminum foil for a couple of hours. Reheat in 350° F. oven for 12 minutes oven while you make the turkey gravy.

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Chile with Homemade Turkey Sausage

November is Turkey Month and nothing says comfort like this chile made with Homemade Turkey Sausage.  The chile is as easy to make as the sausage and with the spices you’ll never know it is turkey…so flavorful and satisfying on a cold winter’s night…you’ll think its beef.

However, ground turkey is available at most supermarkets so save yourself some time and work.

Beans can be dried or canned but for my money I prefer dried beans and the juice created during the cooking process is far superior in flavor to that of canned beans, which tend to be overly salted.  Use red beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or black beans or a combination.  I prefer red beans with black beans.

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Roasted Chicken with Tuscan Sauce, Fried Polenta and Balsamic Peppers

Roasted Chicken from a roadside vendor is one of the true delights of living in Puerto Rico.  There is so much love put in these tender, juicy birds roasted on the spit.  The local rub used is made with Sazon (available in spice isles of better supermarkets or Latin markets), a close relative of adobo.  You literally can smell these delicious birds roasting from a block down the road and start salivating while pulling over to the truck.  I couldn’t buy and roast a bird as cheaply as I can buy one of these roadside babies.

Remove the skin of the chicken if you must and top it with a quick Tuscan sauce and shaved Parmesan.  Polenta triangles sauteed  in butter and garlic provide the starch and sauteed aje dulces chiles (or bell peppers) with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar lend a bit of crunch.  The polenta and Tuscan sauce may be prepared up to 2 days ahead.  This is light fare for a week-night dinner you and your family will love.  read more

Momma’s Batter Dilly Bread

This Iron Chef Challenge is sponsored by Red Star, the yeast you can depend on.  Red Star Yeast has a proven track record in performance for the homemaker who loves to bake and professional bakeries world-wide.  The winning blog post will win “The Kneaded Loaf” recipe book, a Red Star “I
love to Knead” apron, a bread pan, oven mitts, thermometer and of course Red Star Yeast!!!

The winner will be announced September 26th at http://www.alattewithotta.blogspot.com. Judging the recipes will be Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast.  Big thanks to Red Star Yeast for
sponsoring this event! Be sure to check them out on facebook and twitter (@RedStarYeast).

My mother gave me this recipe back in 1970.  Its one of those no-knead batter breads with super easy instructions for the novice bread-baker.  The crumb is moist and dense like a sourdough and perfect for sandwiches but of-course its the best right out of the oven slathered with butter.  It goes well with tomato or chicken soup and can spruce up a Sunday dinner as well.   read more

Week #1 Menus – Cooking for One on $100/Month

Week numero uno has come and gone along with the shopping and cooking but as promised in my post Can A Single Person Eat at Home for $100 a Month? I’m going tell you what I cooked and ate during the week.

Remember, I started with a fairly well stocked pantry and freezer so I needed to buy only a few pantry replacements, namely dried beans, split peas, oil and can of salmon.   I spent a total of $66.86 this week and will only need to spend about $10.00 each week for the next 3 weeks for milk, greens and fruit.   My neighbor gave me 4 huge, ripe avocados last week, 2 of which made a superb guacamole for the Nachos Grande I served to my card club on Thursday.  That comprised my free acquisitions for the week.  Those freebies add a lot of value to your diet so if you happen upon an over-turned truck of watermelons on the highway be sure to grab one or two.

Food preferences are very individual but for the most part I’ll eat anything except rutabagas.  As far as beverages go, I drink a lot of water but I do enjoy wine and mixed cocktails when my budget allows.  It’s very hot in the tropics so I drink water, at least 2 quarts a day.  It is essential to replacing the fluids lost in perspiring. My only daily indulgence is 2 cups of cafe au lait and a glass of my homemade ginger beer on a really hot afternoon. Drinking commercial pop daily is not healthy for your budget or your body.  Save the pop for a treat.

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Stewed Tomatoes and Okra with Bacon Over Rice

This recipe was inspired by The Neeleys at Foodnetwork.  I’ve tweaked the recipe with celery and green bell pepper since both go so well with tomatoes.  By all means, add chile or red pepper flakes for a kick and herbs such as fresh oregano or dill.  Serve it as a side dish or on its own over rice.  This is simple, quick and easy cooking when you don’t want a heavy meal or don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

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