Capellini with tomato, garlic and basil

I love pasta!  Capellini is very thin spaghetti sometimes called angel hair pasta.  My favorite way to make it is short and simple; with olive oil, tomato, garlic and basil. Fresh, light and satisfying!  May be served as a side dish or as a light meal.  I also like to serve it cold from the [...]

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Asian Orange Shrimp

In order to spice things up a bit for my family at dinner time, I often make themed dinner nights.  So last night I took out my electric wok and we had Asian Dinner Night!  I made my version of fried rice, edamame with fleur de sel and this recipe of Asian Orange Shrimp.  It [...]

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Vegetable Lasagna

This vegetable lasagna is sometimes called Lasagna Fiorentina or Florentine.   My version does not have tomato sauce, it only has Bechamel Sauce.  I must tell you, the fresh basil fills the kitchen with an inviting and delicious aroma while the lasagna is baking in the oven.   It is important that you use fresh [...]

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Quiche Alsacienne

The word quiche derives from the german word “kuchen” which means cake.  The french of the Lorraine region adapted the original german version “Lothringer Speckkuchen” of a bread pie with eggs, cream and bacon by later adding gruyere cheese and a pastry crust to make the modern Quiche Lorraine. I was given an onion and cheese [...]

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Adobo

Adobo is an all purpose seasoning or rub that adds flavor to meats. It is used mainly in Puertorican cuisine.  There are other kinds of wet (marinades) and dry (rubs) adobos in Latin America and Spain. I like making my own adobo.  It is not hard at all, so give it a try.  The oregano [...]

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Habichuelas Rosadas Guisadas Fáciles (Easy Stewed Pink Beans)

There is no question that this side dish is the traditional Puertorican complement to white rice, fried plantains and sauteed beef tenderloin with onions (arroz blanco, habichuelas guisadas, tostones/amarillos, y bistec encebollado).  Of course, for purists of Puertorrican cooking this fast track version of “Habichuelas Guisadas” is a sacrilege (how dramatic!) because I am using [...]

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Béchamel Sauce (Besciamella)

Béchamel sauce is one of the “mother sauces” in french cuisine. It is traditionally made by whisking scalded milk (milk heated up to 180º f )  gradually into a white “roux” (look for recipe under cooking basics). It is mainly used in French, Italian and Greek dishes. Also, used as the base for other sauces like [...]

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Oven roasted rosemary-garlic potatoes

Savory, simple and wholesome side dish.  I make these potatoes a lot because they are so easy and taste so good.  It is a quick-fix option to accompany a weekday main dish and should be in every busy moms’ recipe book as an alternative to serve their families something fresh and delicious with little effort. [...]

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Roux

Roux (pronounced “ru”) is a thickening agent made up of wheat flour and fat.  The flour and fat are cooked (usually same amount by volume), to eliminate the taste of raw flour in the dish in which its going to be used.  There is a broad color spectrum of roux that ranges from white, blond, [...]

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Nieves’ Lemon Bread

For this family recipe I had to travel a long way to get it. One of those dishes that is one person’s trademark and she makes it without a written recipe. When you ask for the recipe he/she lists the ingredients but cannot tell you the exact amounts…  what a nightmare! Ja, ja! It is [...]

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