This easy Chicken Taco crock pot style recipe is delicious. Put it together in the crock pot and come home to a nearly complete meal. I served it with herbed white rice and sliced avocado.
Chicken tacos
Ingredients;
2 LB boneless/skinless chicken
1 large onion, diced
26oz-28oz can diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1 packet chicken taco seasoning
1/2 TSP dried cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions;
Cut the chicken into 1″ pieces. Place all ingredients into crock pot and cover.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
Use two forks to shred the chicken. Serve in hard or soft taco shells.
Serve with shredded cheese, fresh jalapeno, avocado or whatever pleases you.
This Mexican Posole soup is the equivalent to the Jewish Chicken Matzo Ball soup and the American Chicken Noodle soup.
Warms the belly and comforts the heart.
It freezes well so make plenty. Chicken can be used in place of the pork.
Posole soup
Ingredients;
1.5 LBS lean pork OR boneless chicken, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 TBLS olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
32oz low sodium chicken stock
25oz canned hominy grits, Mexican style if you can find it
14oz can stewed tomatoes, also Mexican style if you can find it
1 large jalapeno pepper, green or red, seeded and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 TSP dried cilantro or 5-6 fresh leaves chopped
1 TBLS chili powder
2 sliced carrots
1/2 cup corn kernels
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions;
Place the oil in a pot large enough to fit all the ingredients. Add the pork or chicken and sear on med high heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Rough chop the tomatoes. Rinse and drain the hominy grits.
Add all the ingredients to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cover and low simmer for about 1.5-2 hours.
These Mexican wedding cookies just melt in your mouth. They are suitable for all occasions. They keep well in a tin placed in a cool area. Just refresh them before serving with a dusting of more confectioners sugar.
Mexican wedding cookies
Ingredients; ½cup pecan pieces 2 ½cups confectioners’ sugar pinch of salt 1cup unsalted butter ½ TSP vanilla extract 1 ¾cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Directions;
Place pecans, 1 cup of the sugar and salt in food processor and blend until nuts are ground fine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and add it to nut mixture with processor running. Process until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add flour and continue blending, using pulse mechanism of processor. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop dough with tablespoon and form 1-inch balls by rolling dough between palms (lightly flour hands, if necessary).
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until the cookies barely begin to brown.
Cool for 10 minutes. Roll the cookies in the remaining sugar.
This black beans and rice classic Cuban style recipe is perfect to accompany roasted pork or beef entrees. Just about any main course will go well with this robust side dish.
Black beans and rice
Ingredients;
1/2 LB dried black beans, rinsed
1 TSP salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 LB bacon
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 LB medium grain rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 TSP dried oregano
1/2 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP black pepper
Directions;
In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the beans, salt and bay leaf. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 2 hours or until the beans a fork tender. Drain the beans and reserve about 3 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf.
Let the beans cool.
Heat 2 TBLS of the olive oil in the same pot and cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and mince it, set aside. Discard half the fat. Add 2 more TBLS of olive oil and add the bell pepper, onions and garlic. Saute for 5-8 minutes until they are tender.
Add the rice, the reserved liquid, oregano, wine, cumin, cooked bacon and black pepper.
Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes uncovered.
Stir and cover cooking on low until the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
This Cuban Citrus-Marinated Pork Shoulder Roast is mouth watering good and is fall off the bone tender. (Pernil Asado con Mojo) The pork shoulder is soaked overnight in a citrus mojo marinade. Cuban Roast Pork Pernil is a very traditional holiday meal with many Latino variations.
Cuban Roast Pork PernilCuban Roast Pork Pernil
Ingredients;
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
10 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 TBLS dried oregano
1 TBLS ground cumin
1 TSP pepper
3 TBLS coarse salt
3 TBLS olive oil
8-10 LB pork shoulder
Directions;
Combine the juices, vinegar, garlic, onions, oregano, cumin, pepper and 1 TBLS of the salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Dry the pork and rub it all over with the remaining salt. Place the pork skin side up in a high sided roasting pan that will fit in your refrigerator. Pour half the marinade around the pork but not on the skin. Cover with foil and marinate for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Keep the remaining marinade in a covered bowl refrigerated.
Preheat the oven to 400. Rub olive oil on the skin. Place the pork skin side up in the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Then cover the pork and reduce the oven to 275 for 5 hours.
Then uncover and turn the oven up to 375 for 1 hour more.
A thermometer placed in the thickest part should read 170.
Let the pork rest for 30 minutes when done before peeling away the skin and removing the bone. Shred the meat in pieces.
Boil the remaining marinade in a sauce pot for about 5 minutes.
Serve the meat shredded with the cooked marinade and onions on top.
This Guava pastry dessert lends itself to many Latino countries with some little variations. Here is a simple Cuban style recipe I think you will just find mouth watering.
guava pastry
Ingredients;
1 pkg frozen puff pastry sheets, such as Pepperidge Farm
1 can or pkg of Guava paste, many brands but Goya is the most popular
2 TBLS melted unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar
Directions;
Preheat the oven to 400.
Thaw the pastry sheets according to the box directions
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a lipped cookie sheet.
Unfold 2-3 pastry sheets onto the parchment paper and brush it with a little butter. Cut the guava paste into 1/4″ slices and place on the pastry. Unfold another 2-3 pastry sheets and place it over the guava. Repeat the butter.
Cut to your desired size. I used a large round pastry cutter. You could cut squares and put a slash across the tops.
Lightly brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown.
I grew up in the northeast and with the melting pot of ethnic backgrounds I was exposed to other cultures foods at a very young age. One of my best friends was from Cuba.
Her family Sunday meals were memorable. Over the next few weeks I will post recipes that are Cuban inspired; rice and beans, roasted plantains, roasted pork and guava pastry dessert.
I hope you enjoy them and will be inspired to make a Cuban Inspired Dinner for your family and friends.
Sweet Plantains transcend just about all Latino based cuisine.
Sweet Maduros as they are known are easy to make and
accompany just about any entree.
Sweet plantains
Ingredients;
1 or 2 plantains, ripened until they are yellow and black
Vegetable oil
Directions;
Trim ends of the plantains, peel, and cut diagonally into 1″ pieces.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place 1 plantain piece in the oil. If it bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. If it doesn’t, wait another minute, and try again. Working in batches, cook plantains, turning once, until beginning to brown, 1–2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, turning occasionally, until soft and deep golden brown, 6–8 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray.
Season with salt and/or sugar, if desired. Serve warm.
This Spanish Saffron Rice is classic Spanish. It’s so full of flavor it will quickly become your preferred rice in many dishes. I first saw this many years ago on a PBS station cooking with chef “Ef”.
If you can get it, use the Spanish Calasparra rice for the true flavor intended for this dish.
Spanish saffron rice
Make this rice with my Spanish Garlic Shrimp recipe as pictured
Ingredients;
3 TBLS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
3 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
1/2 TSP crumbled saffron threads, you can use Turmeric, but saffron gives the best flavor
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, if you can use the Spanish rice I suggested above
Directions;
Heat the oil in a 4 QT sauce pot and add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes and add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Stir and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir again and cover. Cook on low for about 20 minutes, until the rice is just tender.
This Chicken Marbella dish is so tasty and is better when prepared the night before you want to cook it. Overnight marinating is the best. The flavors intermingle and burst in your mouth. People who do not like prunes/olives eat this with vigor. I originally discovered this from a country store in Rye, NY. I’ve come to find out that its origin is Spanish-Moorish and the Silver Palate cookbook made it famous.
Chicken Marbella
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces***
4 cloves of garlic, mashed and pureed into the oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 TBLS dried oregano
1 TBLS dried thyme, if you use fresh use about 6-8 sprigs
1/4 TSP ground pepper
Dash of salt
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted green Spanish olives
2 TBLS capers, and a splash of their juice
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 TBLS fresh parsely, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions:
In zip lock bag combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the white wine and brown sugar. Marinate overnight for best results or at a minimum 4 hours in the refrigerator. In a glass or stainless steel baking dish arrange the chicken in one layer. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Pour the white wine around the chicken. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the chicken.
Bake at 350 uncovered basting the chicken with the juices a few times.
Bake for about 50-70 minutes, until the juice of the thighs are clear when cut.
***if you want to make this as an appetizer use wingettes and reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes.
This Spanish Garlic Shrimp recipe is from the Catalonia region of Spain. One pan, 15 minutes and you have dinner.
I first saw this many years ago on a PBS station cooking with chef “Ef”. Make my Spanish Saffron Rice recipe
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
1 LB raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 TSP crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 TSP Tabasco sauce
1 TSP Paprika
3 TBLS dry sherry
1 TBLS tomato sauce
Parsley and lemon slices for garnish
Cooked rice for serving
Directions:
In a large frying pan heat oil and saute garlic and shrimp for one minute. Add the balance of ingredients and saute for 2-3 minutes, until shrimp are cooked. Serve over my saffron rice reipe and sprinkle with parsley and lemon slices.
