Papas Rellenas de Queso o Picadillo ( Stuffed Potatoes- Cheese or Ground beef)

I haven't made these in a very long time, probably because they are not the healthiest or lowest in calories, but they are deeeelicious!
It is a little time consuming because the ingredients have to be prepared separately but it's worth it.









Ingredients

2 Pounds of potatoes (any type you prefer)
1 bag of cracker meal or bread crumbs ( I used cracker meal)
1/4 pound of ground beef ( you can use ground turkey)
1 small onion, yellow or red finely chopped
Raisins ( for the ground beef if desired)
2 whole eggs
Shredded cheese (any type desired)
1 tbsp of butter (more if desired)
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
1/4 cup dry cooking wine
1/4 cup of tomato sauce or paste

Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes place in a large pot with boiling water and boil until tender.  Place in a large bowl and mash adding 1 tbsp of butter. On a separate pot heat 2 tbsp of olive or canola oil. Add the ground beef to the hot oil and cook on high for about 7 minutes or until brown. Add the raisins if desired, oregano salt and pepper you your taste, the dry cooking wine and the tomato sauce or paste.
So let's start the actual process of stuffing the potato...........
Place a small amount of the mashed potatoes on one hand and flatten it by lightly tapping and spreading it on the palm of your hand. With a teaspoon scoop an adequate amount of ground beef (or cheese) and place in the center. Take some more of the mashed potatoes and place on top of the ground beef and then work it into a ball.Take two bowls, on one  place a generous amount of cracker meal (or bread crumbs) and on the other one crack open two eggs and beat vigorously. Once you work the stuffed mashed potatoes into a rounded shape, dip in the eggs and then cover with cracker meal  (or bread crumbs) compress with both hands while making it to a rounded shape. In a deep frier, heat sufficient oil to
cover the potatoes completely, and fry until they are nice and brown.
 Remove from the oil cut in half and serve hot. I like putting a bit of ketchup over the potato. Enjoy!

Arroz con Bacalao (Yellow Rice with Codfish)

Cod fish is a very traditional Cuban dish, part of the Spanish traditional cuisine brought to the island by Spanish settlers. Usually the typical dish is Bacalao a la Vizcaina, which is cod fish in a tomato base sauce with onions and potatoes, then served over steaming white rice. Today I decided to combine the codfish with the rice and make dish which is somewhat more Portuguese than Spanish so here it is.

Ingredients
2 lbs Codfish (fresh or salted. If you choose to use salted, make sure you rinse well under cold running water and brush lightly with a vegetable brush to remove as much salt as possible. Then place in a pot, cover with water and boil for about 7 to 10 minutes. Discard the water and rinse well with running cold water)
1 medium size onion, I prefer red ( you can use yellow)
1/4 Chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Chopped green or red bell pepper
1 tsp of dry oregano

1 tbsp of complete seasoning (Sazon completa, I prefer Badia brand, if you can find it in your area substitute with a mixture of  black pepper, oregano, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.)
1 small can of tomato sauce or paste
About a tbsp of capers (or more if you want)
1 cup of dry white cooking wine
I can of sweet peas
Saffron, Annatto or any yellow coloring for rice ( I use Goya packets with Saffron or annatto)
1/4 cup of Spanish Marinade ( Mojo Criollo)
4 1/2 cups of your favorite rice

Instructions
Once you have cleaned ( and boiled if you used salted cod) the fish, cut into chunks and place in a bowl. In a large pot sautee the chopped onion and green pepper in about 2 tbsp of olive or canola oil. Add half of the chunks of the fish and leave the rest for later, remember that the fish will break down into very tiny pieces when cooked with the rice so we stir in the other half when the rice is ready. Sautee the fish with the onions and green pepper for approximately 2 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the can of tomato sauce or paste, the spanish marinade, powder seasoning (sason completa) the scallions and half the chopped cilantro, leave the other half for later. Stir well lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, add the rice, cooking wine and sufficient water to cover the rice, salt to your taste. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook. When the water is consumed fluff with a for and check to see if the rice is cooked. Stir in the left over chunks of fish, the chopped cilantro and the can of peas. Serve with your favorite white wine and Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!!

Caribbean Seafood Soup with Dumplings and Coconut Milk

I have always been a soup type of guy (except chicken soup, only have it when I'm sick) and fish/seafood soups and chowders are my favorite. This recipe of fish soup is not really a Cuban recipe, we really don't cook with coconut milk, it is more Afro-Caribbean and Central American. Nevertheless it is great, I realy love the flavor and texture that coconut milk adds so here is my version of this soup.





Ingredients
Vegetables and Seasonings

2 Lbs of potatoes, cubed ( you can also use canned potatoes)
1 1/2 Lbs of Yucca ( if not available in your area replace with  another root vegetable)
3 to 4 sliced carrots
Celery ( I don't really like it to much so I just used 1 stick of celery finely chopped)
Pumpkin Squash, cubed
1 onion  finely chopped (red or yellow)
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
1/2 cup (or more) chopped cilantro

 Green bell pepper ( I just put a small piece, for seasoning)
1 small can of tomato sauce or paste
2- 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk
2  tbsp of Complete seasoning ( If Badia complete seasoning is not available in your area, replace with a spice mix of your choice)
2 fish Boulion cubes
2 tbsp of fish sauce (if available)
2 cups of angel hair noodles or any other type you prefer

Seafood
2 lbs of crab legs
Fish- You can actually use the fish of your preference, I used fresh tilapia. I used about 5 filets.
Seafood mix- octopus, scallops,clams, squid, shrimp etc. You can buy these individually or most grocery stores  or fish markets carry carry frozen mixed seafood bags.

Dumplings

Dumplings are really easy to make:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 table spoons of cooking oil
pinch of salt
Water (as needed)



Mix all ingredients and knead until the dough is smooth and it bounces back when you poke it with your finger. Tear small chunks and roll in your hand in 1 1/2 inch pieces and then flatten and set aside.

Directions
In a large stock pot bring water to a boil, add the root vegetables, except the pumpkin squash and also add dumplings. Boil until all the veggies and dumplings are tender.
On a separate pot, add a bit of cooking oil, sautee the onions, scallions, and cilantro on high for about 2 minutes. Then add the seafood mix (scallops, octopus, squid, shrimp) and sautee for a about 4 minutes, stirring often.  Add the tomato sauce or paste and all the spices and 1/2 cup of water, lower heat to medium and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Remember seafood cooks very quickly.

Once this mix is well cooked, add the whole thing to the stock pot where the root vegetables have been boiling. As you add the seafood mix, stir well and then add the two cans of coconut milk.

 Add the crab legs and angel hair noodles to the stock pot and salt to your taste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.




At this point you can add the pumpkin squash because it cooks very quickly.
You don't want to add it with all the other root veggies that take a substantially longer time to cook. Once the noodles are tender you are ready to enjoy this delicious soup.