banana bread

Banana bread

Pan de platano

2 ripe bananas, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of yogurt, 1/3 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of oil 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbspn of baking powder,

mix all these items together 

add 1 or 3/4 cups of sugar, mix, fold in 2 cups of unbleached flour, after this you have a base of banana bread, you can add any type of chip or nut or dried fruit and fold in,

if you want you can add a crumble in the middle of your batter, when you add your batter to a prepared oiled bread pan, add half batter, lay a mix of brown sugar, chocolate chips or cinnamon chips with nuts or died fruit, add the rest of the batter on top and add a little bit of the brown sugar/chip/nut on top.  

bake at a well heated oven of 350 for approx. an 45 min to an hour or until a cake tester, knife or toothpick comes out clean.  cool pop out of pan and 

ENJOY

brownies a la cafe

Brownies a la Cafe

3/4 cups of flour mixed and set aside with 1/4 tsp of baking soda

3/4 cups of sugar with 1/3 cup of butter, or you can use butter flavored shortening, put in a pot over medium heat and stir in 2 tblspns of coffee or you may use water heat up till sugar dissolves once heated and sugar gone add 1 tsp of vanilla extract or your favorite coffee liqour

add 1 cup of chocolate semi sweet chips to the heated mixture and mix till the chocolate is melted and smooth

let the chocolate mixture cool to room temp or slightly above.

once the chocolate mixture is cooled beat in 2 eggs one at a time once mixed add the mixture to the flour and fold until all dry ingredients are well incorporated.

add another cup of chocolate chips and you may add 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts.

pre heat oven to 325℉ 

pour brownie mixture in an 8x8 pan that was greased and add parchement paper to pan pour in mixture and even out and bake for 30 - 35 min or until toothpick comes out clean

the brownies will have a nice crust on top and soft chocolately center.

Enjoy

cod fish chowder soup

Cod Chowder Soup

1/4 lb of bacon cut up in pieces

leeks or onions about two diced up

24 ounces of chicken broth

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of white wine

1 lb of small potatoes or a couple of large potatoes diced up

some salt and pepper and thyme

saffron 1/2 tsp

1/2 cup of cream

1.5 lbs of cod cut into 5 pieces

saute bacon and onion/leeks in a deep pot

remove bacon and save for later

add broth and wine and thyme w/ salt and pepper with potatoes and saffron and cook until it begins to boil reduce heat and cover for about 10 mins or until potatoes are almost completely tender

stir in cream and bacon, season a little more with salt and pepper, i use kosher salt always, and turkey bacon

once it is completely tender potatoes add the cod on top and cook for 10 - 15 min

after potatoes and fish are done put the fish in center of deep serving soup bowl and then add the soup and top

ENOY!

sugar cookies shape of a candy cane

sugar cookies in candy cane shape

2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup of butter at room temp, soft

1/3 cup of sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of colored sugar

pre heat oven 375℉

blend flour, butter, sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl, beating at a medium speed, scrape down sides of bowl and the mixture will form a dough like mix 4min.  I usually put in fridge and let it set aprox. 1 hour.

divide the dough in half and color one dough red, you may need  a pinch of flour to help blend and not stick.

once the doughs have rested and chilled you will divide each dough in half, then continue cutting in halves until you have aprox. 16 pieces of dough of each color

shape each piece of dough on a very lightly flour surface into 15 inch rope

cut each rope in 3” inch lengths with a total of 5 rope pieces

role the red rope and plane rope together as a twirl/braid

form on cookie sheet a small curve to resemble a candy cane

place cookies 1” apart and bake for 9 or so mins until bottoms are golden brown.

once the cookies are done i let them slight cool and place them in the colored sugar and place them on a serving tray or plate.

ENJOY

sugar pecan cookies snow balls

sugar cookies with nuts, wedding cake style

1/2 cup of pecans or a mix of nuts, walnut or almonds you pick your favorite

1 cup of powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup of butter room temp

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

topping extra powdered sugar aprox 1 1/2 cups

pre heat oven to 350℉ place the nuts on a cookie sheet and bake for aprox 10 min do not burn let them cool completely

in a processor with a metal blade place the sugar with pecans and salt and blend until it is powder fine, put in cut pieces of butter while the motor runs.

blend until smooth and creamy, scrape the sides and add the vanilla extract pulse in the flour until it forms a ball.

place dough in a dish and cover let it get cold again in fridge 1 hour, I usually leave it over night.

about 1 tablespoon size of a ball you will roll between your hands and place them on a cookie sheet  1 1/2” apart

place in preheated oven of 350℉ for aprox 12 - 14 min or until the bottoms are golden brown

let them cool to touch and handle and place them in the powdered sugar, dip them well to have all sides covered and set in a serving tray.

ENJOY

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