Happy fourth of July!  I hope you’re enjoying your day of Family fun!  Here is today’s menu.

Breakfast: Fruit and Granola

Lunch: Seafood Salad

Snack: Freezepops!

Dinner: Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

Dessert: White Cake with Berry Toppings

Seafood Salad is a perfect dish for a beach day.  Just make sure to keep it in a well chilled cooler!  Its a nice cool down treat and easy to handle with the kids running in and out of the house, pool or water at the beach.

Seafood Salad

Happy Saturday everyone!  Here is today’s menu

Breakfast: Fluffy Pancakes

Lunch: Chinese Chicken Salad

Snack: Sweet Potato Potstickers

Dinner: Vaca Frita

Dessert: Pumpkin Pie

Chinese Chicken Salad is my absolute fave salad!  It has a lot of really unique tastes blending together to create a really lovely.  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 large carrot, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges in water, drained
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and brush onto chicken breasts.
3. Arrange in a baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 13 to15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven,
5. cool completely
6. cut into 1/4-inch slices.
7. In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin orange and sliced chicken.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar and chili sauce.
9. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

10.  Divide among bowls and top each serving with 2 teaspoons toasted almonds

Bon Apetit!

Breakfast: Strawberry Melon Salad

Lunch: Cuban Lentil Soup

Snack: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Dinner: Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Breast

Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy Wednesday my fellow food lovers!  Today’s feature recipe is soup!  I love soup and I enjoy soup all year round.  Here is a yummy Cuban Lentil Soup for your enjoyment!

Cuban Lentil Soup, also known as sopa de lentejas, is delicious!  One thing I really love is having a few spoonfuls and then adding lime to the soup.  It completely changes the flavor.  Being from the Caribbean, I’m used to it being hot all the time, so soup is something we enjoy year round.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Preparation

1. Over low heat, pour the water and add the lentils in a large sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to low
4. Cover and simmer for 15 mins.
5. Add vinegar, onion, garlic, beef bouillon, celery, tomatoes, potato, bay leaf, cumin, basil and oregano.
6. Stir ingredients well
7. Bring to a boil
8. Reduce the heat to medium
9. Cover and simmer for 45 mins.
10. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
11. Add salt and pepper and wine and stir well.
12. Cook an additional 5 mins.
13. The soup should be somewhat thick and not very watery, and the potatoes tender.
14. To thicken, let stand for several mins.
15. Serve on soup bowls and enjoy!

I typically enjoy the soup with a side of rice, but it’s hearty enough to enjoy by itself!

Happy Monday!  My apologies for the late post, it seems that our website disappeared over the weekend!  But, we are back and ready for business!  Today’s recipe is a slow cooker recipe.  It’s a great investment if you have errands throughout the day and will be in and out of the house.

Breakfast: Boiled Egg and Toast

Lunch: Rigatoni Filetto

Snack: Caramelized Onion and Apple Mini-Tarts

Dinner: Maple Flavored Barbecue Chicken

Dessert: Cheesecake with Lime-Poached Pears

One thing I love you about slow cookers is the fact that you can start something in the morning or early afternoon, run your errands and have a delicious dinner ready for you when you return!  Happy cooking.

Maple Flavored Chicken

Ingredients

1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. maple flavored syrup
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker/Crock Pot and cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is done.
2. Remove meat, shred and return to sauce.
3. Place on buns for sandwiches or serve over hot rice. Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy your meal!

Happy Father’s Day!  I hope you have all taken the time to honor the important men in your life.  Today we will be having Curried Coconut Shrimp, a yummy treat to enjoy by the pool or on the patio.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Bread

Lunch: Curried Coconut Shrimp

Snack: Yogurt and Graham Crackers

Dinner: Honey Baked Ham

Dessert: Fruit with Sorbet

Curried Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the coconut until coarsely ground and transfer to a shallow bowl.
3. Mix coconut with bread crumbs, curry powder, and salt, and set aside.
4. Beat egg whites until slightly foamy.
5. Dip shrimp in egg whites and coat with coconut mixture.
6. Repeat to form a double coating.
7. Place shrimp on rack placed within a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Enjoy with a pina colada or a nice cool lemonade.  Have a wonderful Father’s day!

Happy Saturday, everyone.  It’s Sabroso Saturday so today we have a delicious Sancocho recipe that is a favorite among many Hispanic families.  It’s always a treat for me and my family.  The preparation seems scary and long, but it’s just a lot of small steps, I promise!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Breakfast: Eggs and Homefries

Lunch: Garlic Broccoli

Snack: Trail Mix

Dinner: Dominican Snacocho

Dessert: Spiced Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream

Dominican Sancocho

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef with bones
• 1 lb of goat meat
• 1 lb. pork sausage (longaniza)
• 1 lb pork
• 1 1/2 lb chicken
• 2 lbs of pork ribs
• 1 lb of bones from a smoked ham
• 4 lemons cut in halves
• 1 tablespoon of mashed garlic
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• 1/2 lb of cassava cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1/2 lb of yam cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 lb of malanga cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1/2 lb of potatoes cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 3 unripe plantains, 2 cut into 1-inch thick pieces
• 2 cubes of beef stock (optional)
• 2 corn cobs cut into 2-inches long pieces (may be omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon of powdered oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of coriander/cilantro
• 2 teaspoons of vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of chili pepper sauce or agrio de naranja
• *10 Bollitos de harina (boiled flour rolls) (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place the beef in a pan and add the celery, coriander, oregano, garlic, vinegar, and salt.
2. Marinate for at least half an hour.
3. In an iron pot heat the oil, add the beef and stir (be careful with hot oil splattering).
4. Cover and and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a few spoons of water if the meat sticks to the pot.
5. Add the pork and let simmer for 15 minutes, adjust water when necessary.
6. Add the rest of the meat to the pot (except for the chicken) and simmer for another 15 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed to prevent it from burning.
7. Add the chicken and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Add 1/4 gallon of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
9. Add the yam, malanga and the two plantains that you had previously cut.
10. Add the bollitos now.
11. Simmer for 15 minutes.
12. Add all remaining ingredients and adjust water when necessary.
13. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking.
14. Simmer until the last ingredients you added are tender.
15. Grate, or scrape with the knife the remaining plantain to make it into a pulp, add to the pot.
16. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
17. Adjust salt to taste.
18. Serve hot with white rice.

Dominican Sancocho

Hi Everyone!  Today we will be having Ginger Steak Salad.  It really delicious!  I absolutely love it and it’s a lot easier to make than you would think!  I hope you enjoy it.

Breakfast: Make Ahead Muffins

Lunch: Ginger Steak Salad

Snack: Graham Crackers and Fruit

Dinner: Chicken Crunch

Dessert: Oreo Cheesecake Squares

Ginger Steak Salad

Ingredients

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Sherry
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

FOR SALAD DRESSING:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
• 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
• ½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 2 whole Green Onions
• 8 ounces Salad Greens

Preparation

1. Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag.
2. Mix and place steak into bag.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
4. Combine salad dressing ingredients and slice green onion.
5. When steak is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet.
6. Cook steak about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare.
7. Remove from skillet and keep on a plate, allowing to cool slightly.
8. Toss salad greens in 3/4 of the salad dressing.
9. Place steak on cutting board and slice thinly, then pour juices from the plate over the top.

10.  Mound tossed salad on a platter, then place sliced steak on top of salad.

11.  Pour remaining salad dressing over the top.

12.  Sprinkle green onions over the salad

Hello everyone!  Frittata is a delicious treat!  I really enjoy it and I hope you do too!  It’s a great way to sneak veggies into a meal for kids.

Breakfast: Asparagus and Sundried Tomato Frittata

Lunch: Loaded Nachos

Snack: Fruit Leather

Dinner: Chicken in Organe Sauce

Dessert: Brownies

Asaparagus and Sundired Tomato Frittata

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups organic asparagus, blanched and chopped
• 2 Tbsp organic Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp organic butter
• 1/4 cup organic, 1% milk
• 6 large organic, omega-3 eggs
• 1/2 medium organic onion, diced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. In large bowl combine beaten eggs with the milk and Parmesan.
2. Heat the butter in a medium oven-safe sauté pan, and add the onion.
3. Cook until the onion is translucent and golden.
4. Pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat down to low.
5. Stir the eggs to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
6. When the eggs begin to cook and take shape, stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus.
7. Place the sauté pan into the oven and continue to cook for 2 more minutes until the frittata is cooked around the edges and the center has puffed up.
8. Remove immediately form the oven.
9. Invert the frittata onto a large platter and serve immediately.

Enjoy your meal!

Frittata

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend.  Now that we are back to business here is a lovely menu for Tuesday.  I hope you like it!

Breakfast: Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese Grits

Lunch: Shrimp and Crab Salad

Snack: Grapes and Cheese

Dinner: Fried Round Steak

Dessert: Banana Fritters

I‘m a down south girl (many like to say Miami isn’t down South, but my parents raised me in a down South/ Caribbean home) so I love grits.  It’s like a little piece of home every time!  I love Shrimp and Crab salad.  It’s nice and cold and I can also have it on a sandwich if I wanted to.  Bread really brings out the flavor and gives it an extra texture.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) imitation crabmeat
• 4 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Leaf lettuce

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, horseradish and seasoned salt
3. Mix well.
4. Add to the shrimp mixture and stir well.
5. Cover and refrigerate.
6. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate

Shrimp and Crab Salad

Thursday Thursday

Apples are on my mind today and I must say I found such a yummy recipe mixing meat and sweet!  Apple braised turkey thighs is a really great treat if you want to nix the dessert for one evening.  Then again, the dessert today is quite delectable too!

Breakfast: Potato Pancakes

Lunch: Green Beans with Bacon

Snack: Apple Cake

Dinner: Apple Braised Turkey Thighs

Dessert: Crepe Suzette

Apple Braised Turkey Thighs

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 turkey thighs (about 2 pounds total)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 Cortland or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
• 2 cups apple cider
• 14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high.
3. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down.
4. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey to a plate and add shallots to pot.
6. Cook until shallots soften, about 5 minutes.
7. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
8. Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth.
9. Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven.

10.  Cook 1 1/2 hours.

11.  Uncover; cook 30 minutes more.

1. Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to a plate.
2. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar.
3. Slice meat off bones (discard bones) and serve turkey with apples and pan sauce.

Voila!  So yummy!  A great treat with mashed potatoes or even mashed sweet potatoes!  Enjoy.

apple braised turkey thighs