This is my father-in-law’s favorite pasta. Very much used in the southern part of Italy. Simple, tasty and really healthy. Hubby likes adding a little hot pepper but I like it simply with olive oil and pepper. Here you go:
Ingredients:
500 gr of Pasta (Spaghetti would be the ideal but any pasta would work)
1000 gr Broccoli
Chopped Garlic (abundant)
Abundant Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
Preparation:
1) Simply boil the pasta together with the broccoli (that way the pasta absorbs the broccoli taste and aroma). Add some salt to the water.
2) When the pasta is ready (al dente), fry the garlic for 1 minute until they get a little color.
3) Pass the broccoli by the oil and smash some chunks to blend with the oil
4) Mix the pasta with the oil and broccoli. Serve with pepper!
(Optional) If you like spicy food, add Habanero Chili Pepper to the oil and broccoli.
This recipe is just like cheating, so save it for a Sunday night when you have plenty going on. Friends coming over for the big game? This is the perfect, hearty football-season meal that’s sure to satisfy anyone. It’s a quick-fix because of the use of boxed au gratin potatoes instead of having to come up with the cheese sauce and sliced potatoes from scratch.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
2 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained, optional
2 packages (5-1/4 ounces each) au gratin potatoes
4 C boiling water
1-1/3 C milk
2 t butter
1 t salt
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 t pepper
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Top with mushrooms.
Combine potatoes and contents of sauce mix packets, water, milk, butter, salt, seasoned salt and pepper. Pour over beef and mushrooms. Cover and bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
September ’10 – Week 1 – Sunday Dinner/Dessert, Monday Breakfast
Brazo de Gitano, or ‘gypsy’s arm’, is a delicate rolled sponge cake, filled with sweet and fluffy cream. It’s a traditional dessert in Spain and is a very light way to finish a meal. This recipe comes from Spain-Recipes.com and has been passed down through the generations!
Ingredients
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 1/4 teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon superfine sugar (Put desired amount of granulated sugar in a blender and blend at high speed for about 30 seconds)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and smooth. Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla extract. Blend well. Whip egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into yolk and flour mixture. Butter a 15 x 8-inch baking pan. Line with baking parchment paper or wax paper. Butter well again, and dust lightly with 2 tablespoons of the confectioners’ sugar. Pour batter into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a cloth to cool. After 10 minutes peel paper off.
Combine whipped cream, rum and sugar. Adjust to taste. Spread over cake and roll cake like a jellyroll, starting with the long edge. Sprinkle with remaining confectioners’ sugar. Serve in slices.
Every time I go see my Cuban tias, this is the dish they make me find. Why because it is really good and easy to make.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1.5 hrs
Ingredients:
2 pounds flank steak (or chuck roast)
2 spoons of Sazon (I add 2 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 large onion, 1 large celery rib, 1 spring of cilantro/parsley and blend it together)
1 tablespoon salt
water to cover steak in stockpot
For the stew: 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (diced)
1 large onion (sliced into thin strips)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large green & red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
2 spoons of red wine
1 spoon of sugar
For the tostones: 2 green plantains
Oil for frying and salt
Preparation:
The first thing I do is add the olive oil and the sugar on a stockpot until it’s hot, then pass the meat for 3 minutes. It gives an amazing color and glow to any meat.
Then add the sazon, the red wine and the tomatoes. Mix it well until it’s all nicely unified.
Slowly start adding adding some water. Never, ever, ever cover the meat with water (we’re not boiling, we are “sofriendo”).
Go do whatever you need to do around the house and come back every 10 minutes to add a little water and move the meat.
40 minutes into this, peel your green plantains (if you aren’t from the Caribbean, I recommend you watch this video to learn how to do this).
Take a large pan and and heat the frying oil.
Cut the plantains into small slices (the smallest the crunchiest)
Fry them for 3 to 5 minutes
Take them out and squash one by one with a cup until they turn flat
In the meantime, don’t forget to keep adding the water
Back to the Tostones, pass them by the hot oil again for 2 more minutes
Add salt and dry the tostones on paper towel
Taste your ropa vieja, add salt and pepper until it tastes great
