chicken croquetas

2lbs of chicken breast deboned and sautéed in onion and olive oil, kosher salt, packet of goya chicken seasoning, and 4 - 6 cups of water cook for 30 min. drain save broth for rice or soup, shred chicken, you should have 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken, 1 medium onion sauté in a pan with 2 tblspn of olive oil for 5 min, add chicken and kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat chicken for 5 min, remove cooked onion chicken mixture to a bowl and add another 4 - 5 tblspns of olive oil with 10 tblspns of flour, stir flour till golden  brown 1 -2 mins and add room temp 2 cups of milk, i use skim milk, stir and make a porridge paste once milk has been absorbed by the flour and has some lumps with smooth texture add the chicken and fold the mixture up to look like a dough, lay on a lined pan of tin foil and wax paper let cool to room temp and place in refrigerator loosely covered with a clean dish towel for 4 - 5 hours or over night, create croqueta balls that are 2 finger wide and 1 finger high with flour hands and dip in an egg wash and then seasoned bread crumbs, have a pan heated with olive oil and cook the breaded croquetas 5 - 7 min on each side once golden brown drain on a paper towel and serve by themselves or a nice seasoned mayo.  ENJOY.

Maple glazed cinnamon chip scones

6 tblspns of room temp butter or butter flavored crisco, if using crisco add a tsp of water with it, 2 cups of unbleached flour, or flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tspn of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt cut the butter into the flour to make pea size pieces, in a measuring cup mix 2/3 cups of plain yogurt or buttermilk, with 2 large egg yolks and 1 tspn of maple syrup or extract, add the wet mixture to the flour mix and fold together to form a dough, here you can add either nuts 1/2 cup or of cinnamon chips, after folding the dough place on a floured surface and form dough into an 8 inch disk, cut out 8 wedges and you may cut the 8 wedges in half to make them smaller, while doing this pre heat oven to 400℉, place wedges on a cookie sheet an inch apart and bake for 16 min until cake tester comes out clean and are golden.  Make the glaze with 4 tblspns of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 2 tblspns of whipping cream cook over stove until well melted butter and then add1/2 tspn of molasses and fold in 2/3 cups of powdered sugar to make it like a frosting, this will be put on slightly cooled scones.  ENJOY

almond shortbread bars

1 cup of butter at room temperature, or if you would like 1 cup of butter flavored crisco with 2 tbspn of water at room temp, blend butter with 3/4 cups of sugar, beat in 1 tspn of almond extract or almond liquor until blended then add 2 cups of unbleached flour with 1/4 tsp of salt until well blended.  line a pan either square pan 8x8x2 or a 9" spring form round pan with parchment paper and oil pan, preheat oven to 325℉, take a cup of the blended pastry to the side and crumble it with 1/4 cup of almond paste place aside and a 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, press the rest of the pastry into your prepared pan, mix a cup of your favorite preserve, either apricot, marmalade or strawberry with 3 tblspns of either almond liquor or orange liquor with your marmalade once mix place it on top of your dough that was pressed into your pan, then place your almond paste dough crumble on top of the preserve and bake for at least an hour until golden brown and puffy, let cool and place onto a serving dish, ENJOY!

pancakes, waffle batter

 1cup of yogurt mixed with 1 cup of milk, i use skim, 4 eggs separated, put the whites in a clean bowl to whip up to make into white stiff peaks, which you will fold into your batter, egg yolks and milk mixture add 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt, add 2 tblspns of sugar and 3 tblspns of vegetable oil, mix well, add 2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour, blend well, then fold in the egg whites that have been whipped, while doing this heat up your pan with 3 tbspns of oil and heat up your waffle maker, each pancake is approximately 1/4 cup and depending how deep your waffle maker is it is apron. the same, cook for about 4 min on each side and serve with your favorite toppings.  ENJOY

torrijas, spanish french toast

use day old bread, such as italian, french or which ever bread you like, slice 3/4 inch, a finger width, while doing this, heat up 4 cups of milk with a tablespoon for each cup, heat up to a steamy temperature, make sure to stir the sugar, once the milk is hot dip each bread slice and place on plate, mix up 2 to 3 eggs with milk so to dip the wet bread in,  heat up a pan with 1/2 inch of oil while doing all of this, dip in the bread to the egg wash, and remove excess egg and place on pan, cook for 4 min on each side till golden brown, while they are cooking prepare a deep dish with sugar and cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, to make cinnamon sugar, prepare a pan with tinfoil and paper towels, once bread is golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and place in sugar mixture, flip bread on both sides to cover with sugar and place on pan, serve immediately and ENJOY!

music by carla morrison me encanta

Gazpacho

2 ripe tomatoes, 1 to 1.5 lbs of fresh large tomatoes chopped and add kosher salt on the tomatoes, one medium onion chopped, 4 tblspns of red vinegar, 1/2 tsp of sugar, 2 tblspns of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic you may put more for more bight.  Put in a blender or food processor.  blend in your mixing device, either blender which will be done in steps or the food processor, once well chopped, add your 2 cucumbers that are chopped and salted, one large red or green pepper de-seeded chopped add to machine and grind until well processed.  tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, vinegar and olive oil well blended in either a processor or blender, add some ice cubes or 1/2 cup of cold water and serve.

Buen Provecho. Enjoy

apple pie

classic apple pie

a complete recipe of the basic pie crust which is two dough discs one for bottom of the pie and the top.

4 lbs of a variety of apples, pippin, golden, gala, pink lady, cortland any of these are fine for the are strong apples use 4 lbs that are cored and peeled and cut into 1/4” slices

place in a bowl and add 2/3 cups of sugar and 2 tblspns of lemon juice toss to coat apples

in a separate dish measure out 2 tblspn of flour, 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/4 tsp of salt 

in a deep pot add 4 tblspns of butter until melted add your coated apples and cook for 12 min. to 15 min. add the flour mixture and toss to coat for 3 min. 

you can make the filling mixture a day in advance but usually i do this on the same day.

while the filling is cooling roll out one disc place on a 9” pie plate and fridge for 30 mins.

while this is cooling roll out the other disc to have it ready to place on top of pie.

pre heat oven to 425℉

pour filling into prepared pie crust and cut 2 tblspns of butter and place randomly on top of apples and place the next dough disc on top and crimp edges and make pie slits so steam can come out, brush 1 beaten egg wash on top of pie crust and sprinkle sugar ton top.  Put a pie shield on edges and bake for 30 min reduce heat to 375℉ and bake an additional 1 hour until center is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

enjoy