Baked Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers

The other day I reopened the cookbook, The Food of Latin America: Gran Cocina Latina by Marciel E. Presilla.  I perused the vast index to find something to make for dinner. I found the recipe for quinoa-crusted chicken fingers that I’ve had at Cucharamama a few times & have loved. They’re a great twist on the basic chicken finger.

First, you marinate the chicken so that it’s sure to be juicy & flavorful - if you wanted to stop right there you probably could & have a really nice grilled chicken dish. Then, you “bread” it with cooked quinoa instead of breadcrumbs - genius!  At Cucharmama they deep fry theirs (& that’s what the recipe in the book says to do) but I baked them. They were still crunchy & tasty especially with my simple go-to honey mustard dipping sauce that I jazzed up with some paprika.

I know I’ll be making these again. There were no leftovers.

Cuban-Style Shrimp in Enchilado Sauce

The cookbook, The Food of Latin America: Gran Cocina Latina by Marciel E. Presilla has become a fast favorite for me. Not only is it written by the chef of two of my favorite restaurants in Hoboken (Zafra & Cucharamama) but it’s about 5 inches thick with recipes & stories & just the know-how of a seasoned Latin chef.  Growing up we ate mostly Italian or American Italian dishes with other random cuisines that my mom experimented with - but in the 80s & 90s that really translated into stir-fry in the wok. Since then I feel like I’ve had the absolute privilege to try many different worldly cuisines & Cuban is easily at the top of the list.  So when I got my hands on this cookbook (thanks for the great Christmas gift Chris!) I had to cook from it immediately.

The first recipe that I tried was the Cuban-Style Shrimp inn Enchilado Sauce but I had to ad-lib a bit because I refused to go out into the polar vortex.  I have to say it is one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever made & even with my substitutions.

And then the absolute best part was that Chris helped me prep. (Most of the time I resume my position as “queen of the kitchen” & kick Chris out & do my thing.)  It’s so fun to cook with your loved ones because then you all have added something to the dish & that’s what i think makes it taste the best!


PS: Happy Birthday to my long time bestie, Kara! I love you lady! & happiest birthday to one of my NYC soulmates, Natalie! xx

Cuban Shrimp

This past weekend was pretty low key. On Saturday night we dinned on some Cuban beans, yellow rice & shrimp.  Check out my recipe for shrimp that I came up with via a combo of recipes I found.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined (we leave our tails on but take them off completely if you like)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Make it:

1. In a large pan on top of the stove, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onions for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the shrimp & parsley, cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp, cover, and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes until shrimp are just cooked through.
4. Turn off heat and set aside until ready to serve with hot rice & top with chopped parsley.

The Best Black Beans Ever

The best beans I've ever put in my mouth! Try them and you'll be hooked I promise.

Chris and I took an incredible Cuban Surf and Turf class at the Institute of Culinary Education.  Along with the other fourteen people in the class plus a master chef and two assistants we created a delicious cuban feast!  They split the menu and the class into groups.  Our group worked on four yummy dishes. Two of my favorite dishes overall were none other than the rice and beans.  

The beans were so delicious I had to share this recipe.  They're surprisingly easy to make and extremely flavorful (and vegetarian).

Frijoles Negros

Black Beans Cuban Style

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
• 2 green peppers, halved and seeds removed and diced
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Make it:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot (at least 4 quarts).  Add the diced onion  and green pepper and cook until softened.  Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute more, until the garlic is fragrant.
2. Rinse the beans well in cold water. Add the beans to the sauteed vegetables along without the bay leaves and salt in a large pot, and cover with cold water.  Bring to boil. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add more water if necessary to keep the beans covered.
3. When the beans are tender, add the tomato paste, oregano, cumin and sugar.
4. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed.