Cooking for Gringas

We've Moved!

2011-02-23T00:04:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed, wedding planning took serious priority over food blogging. I actually started writing about our plans over at Weddingbee as Miss Lioness. Our 20-month engagement is now coming to its final weeks, and its final days. So now, I invite you to visit me over at my post-wedding blog, Dr. Princess! I'd be happy to see you over there...I promise there will still be lots of food!

Another Gringa Winner!

2010-07-06T21:12:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered our latest giveaway! I had fun reading all of your comments and retweets :)

And now...drum roll please...

Hmmm...and who might lucky #2 be?

It's Cathy's Crazy Life! Congratulations, Cathy! Shoot me an email at cooking4gringas (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get that CSN Stores gift certificate sent your way. Thanks again, y'all! Stay tuned for future contests!

As American as...Cupcakes?

2010-07-05T22:28:00.002-04:00

Y'all ate up my last batch of cupcakes so I decided to share some more! I made these for some friends yesterday just before watching certain film starring Will Smith and some aliens. No, not Men in Black...that other one. What's it called? Oh yes, Independence Day!

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Playing by the pool, fireflies, watermelon...it just feels like summertime. This recipe truly captures the pure, innocent joy of summertime. It's fun and simple. Also, it happens to be reduced fat/reduced sugar! Be sure to bookmark this one for your barbecue next year...it's a big hit!

Liberty Cakes
Source: Inspired by fellow Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, Omnomicon

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
12 oz Sprite Zero (sorry...I live in Atlanta)
LOTS of gel food coloring
8 oz Fat Free whipped topping

Directions:

Preheat oven according to cake mix package directions. Line cupcake pan.

Mix together white cake mix and Sprite Zero according to package directions.

Looks like cappuccino froth!

Pour one third of the batter into a small bowl. Pour another one third into another small bowl. Add blue food coloring to one bowl and red food coloring to the other. I like to add three drops, stir, and repeat until I find the desired color.

The prettiest dirty dishes ever

Place one heaping tablespoon of blue batter into each cupcake liner. Then place one heaping tablespoon of uncolored batter directly on top of the blue, as though forming concentric circles. Then top each cupcake liner with one heaping tablespoon of red batter. Repeat until you're out of liners (I made 2 dozen with this much batter). Don't worry if your cupcakes look a little lower than usual...this stuff rises a lot!

Bake according to box directions. Let cool completely. Once cool, top with whipped topping and a blueberry. Serve with sparklers and patriotism.

Reminder: Another Gringa Giveaway!

2010-07-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

Don't forget! You have until Monday, July 5th, to enter our latest giveaway to win a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores!

Two Ways to Enter:

Simply comment on this post!
Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet the following: RT I entered to win a gift card from CSN Stores and @cooking4gringas!!! http://tinyurl.com/2g29qc9 Then, comment on this post to let us know it was you!

You can comment or retweet or both! Please only one entry per email address per day; otherwise feel free to enter as many times as you'd like! The Giveaway will end Monday, July 5th at Midnight (Eastern Time) so be sure to check back every day to enter for your chance to win this fabulous gift certificate! The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday, July 6th.

Hope y'all have a happy 4th of July weekend!

Pequeño Cheesecake

2010-06-30T11:35:00.002-04:00

If you think I enjoy cooking, you should see me with a cake pan and a hand mixer. I like to cook, but I love to bake! This particular recipe has absolutely nothing to do with Cuban cuisine or my general gringa theme, but I just had to share! My cousin introduced me to this Martha Stewart recipe (love her...both my cousin and Martha, that is) and it's been a big hit every time I've made it for friends! I'm sure you'll have the same reaction. Not only is it delicious, it's simply adorable. Are they cupcakes? Are they cheesecake? Who cares!

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

42 Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped (I put them in a gallon bag and released the aggression of studying for boards)
2 pounds cream cheese, softened (let them sit out for a while at room temperature, or zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

Yes, I got a new camera, Yes, it has a food setting. You're welcome.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. You might need to do this pretty often if you don't have a super high mixing bowl. My mixing bowls are pretty short and Miss Corgi kept waiting for sweet creamy batter to go flying her way.

Anticipating.

Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22-25 minutes. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

Look how cute! (Source)

Another Gringa Giveaway!

2010-06-28T21:49:00.004-04:00

You may remember me talking about a collection of online stores so diverse, you can find anything from a vanity for your bathroom to a tricycle for your child. Of course, I'm talking about CSN Stores! Our last giveaway was such a success, CSN Stores has decided to host another! I know, they rock. The grande prize? A $40 gift certificate to CSN's cookware.com! Imagine using those $40 to get these:

Baking dishes by Le Creuset

Or to put it towards a larger purchase like this:

Stand mixer by Kitchen Aid

Two Ways to Enter:

Simply comment on this post!
Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet the following: RT I entered to win a gift card from CSN Stores and @cooking4gringas!!! http://tinyurl.com/2g29qc9 Then, comment on this post to let us know it was you!

Please only one entry per email address per day; otherwise feel free to enter as many times as you'd like! The Giveaway will end Monday, July 5th at Midnight (Eastern Time) so be sure to check back every day to enter for your chance to win this fabulous gift certificate! The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday, July 6th.

Again, this giveaway is open to readers with addresses in the U.S. and Canada, as CSN Stores only ship to those countries (for now). Good luck, y'all!

Costa Rica's Finest

2010-06-23T12:13:00.001-04:00

As I've mentioned earlier, my fiance and I recently traveled to Costa Rica to celebrate our graduations. We had an absolutely amazing time there. We enjoyed some tropical cocktails poolside, we experienced some exciting outdoorsy adventures, but most importantly, we ate. A lot.

Plato Tipico

Perhaps the most famous dish of Costa Rica, gallo pinto is a unique combination of black beans and rice. Costa Ricans eat it with every meal. Don't believe me? Try it as a side dish with an omelet this Sunday morning. See? I told ya so.

The name gallo pinto means "painted rooster" or "spotted rooster."

Source

See the resemblance? The best part about gallo pinto (okay, the second best part...the best part is the taste obviously) is that it's really easy to make. Convenient, too! If you have some cooked rice lying around, it's a great way to spice it up and turn boring old leftovers into a new and exciting side dish.

Gallo Pinto
Source: Recipe Zaar

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, finely choppied
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked rice
2 cans Goya black bean soup, heated and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 sliced green onions

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until it just begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté until onion is golden.

Add spices and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine.

Add beans and rice. Combine well and cook until it is heated through.

The gallo pinto will have a cohesive consistency...think fried rice. Use an ice cream scoop to serve neat compact servings. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

There you have it! Have you traveled somewhere in Latin America and fallen in love with a dish? What was it?

Recap: Give Your Cocina Some Color

2010-06-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

You may remember that we hosted our first giveaway (sponsored by CSN Stores) a couple of months ago. The winner of this contest was a reader named Evan. Evan is a Southern beau engaged to a belle, named Christina, who is half Brazilian...so i guess that makes him a gringo! Evan and Christina chose the Le Cruset mortar and pestle in Caribbean blue as their lovely prize. Here's Christina enjoying her fiance's new toy!

That looks like fun!

Mmm...mustard seeds! I wonder what they cooked with that?

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and congrats again to the winner! I've got another giveaway up my sleeve in the very near future, so stay tuned!

Veggies del Verano

2010-06-10T23:44:00.001-04:00

Verano is Spanish for "summer." With the first day of summer quickly approaching (which is silly because it's felt like summer for about a month here in the South), I thought it would be fun to present a dish featuring seasonal vegetables. I love seasonal food. Whether it's watermelon in the summertime or cranberries at Christmas, some foods just help you stay in the moment.

I found this recipe on Cooking Light, one of my favorite sources for healthy recipes. It combines seasonal ingredients with healthy preparation. Plus, it's got a lot of Latin flavor! I made a few adjustments and it was delicious! I apologize for my iPhone pictures...my camera is temporarily temperamental.

Chicken and Summer Veggie Tostadas with Black Beans
Source: inspired by Cooking Light

Now that's what I call summer veggies!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped red onion (1 medium onion)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 limes
1/2 cup salsa verde
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
4 wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1 can Goya black bean soup

Directions:

Preheat broiler. Combine first 4 ingredients. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle spices evenly over chicken and add chicken to pan, sautéing until almost fully cooked (3-5 minutes).

Cut the limes into quarters. Add veggies to the pan. Squeeze the limes over the veggies and chicken, then add the lime quarters to the pan. This step is important because the lime juice heats, allowing the other ingredients to simmer in its juices.

So colorful!

Continue to sauté until done. Stir in salsa and cilantro. Heat can of black beans until warm.

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over each. Broil no more than one minute. I would watch this and remove immediately after the cheese is melted. Here's what happens if you over-broil:

I shall turn you into tortilla chips.

Spoon chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Top with black beans.

Yum!

And there you have it: tostadas, with a healthy and seasonal twist! What's your favorite healthy Latin dish?

Bailamos Mucho, Y'all

2010-06-05T09:13:00.001-04:00

Oh blogging world, how I have missed you! It's been a crazy month. My group and I finished up our research study (which won an award, by the way), I graduated from physical therapy school, my fiancé graduated from law school, and finally, we spent a week in Costa Rica. More on my culinary adventures in Costa Rica later.

The title for this blog post comes from a former professor of mine. We were in Guatemala, and she was translating a Mayan woman's description of a traditional Mayan wedding. After the marriage ceremony, the couple and all of their guests dance and drink and eat for hours upon hours. Instead of saying that in Spanish, my professor just said "bailamos mucho, y'all!" I'm pretty sure that sums up my last month.

I'm thrilled to be back into a normal routine, and I have a list a mile long of all of the things that I want to write about for you! So without further ado, I present to you the return of Miss Gringa! I'd like to kick things off with a refreshing summer beverage; something that truly captures the essence of the title of this post:

{Mojito}

Mojitos are a traditional Cuban highball. You'll find these all over the Caribbean, but the actual birthplace is Cuba. They've become quite trendy recently in posh cocktail bars in the States. Unfortunately, most American places serve far from the authentic. You'll see peppermint schnapps instead of mint leaves, Sprite instead of sparkling water, and worst of all, syrup instead of sugar cane. I've found one authentic mojito before, and it was $14 in South Beach. Here's a way to enjoy it, authentically and affordable, at home!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cane sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice (squeeze half of a lime and throw in the leftover wedges)

2 tablespoons Rose's sweetened lime juice

4 mint leaves

2 oz. white rum

2 oz. club soda

sugar cane

mint sprig

(Note: You can substitute 1 tablespoon of cane sugar and 4 tablespoons of lime juice for the first three ingredients.)

Directions:

Combine first six ingredients into a plastic pitcher. Do not attempt this in a glass pitcher!

Muddle everything together. A muddler is best for this, but if you're like us and registered for one but aren't getting married for a few months, a pestle from a mortar and pestle, a potato masher, or a mean pounder will do.

You want to make sure you squeeze everything you can out of those lime wedges and mint leaves. The more flavor, the better! The club soda may bubble a bit while you're doing this, but that's okay. Just make sure you're not muddling so vigorously that your pitcher overflows.

Fill highball glasses with ice and pour. Garnish with a stick of sugar cane (if available) and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

How cute are these?

Source

¡Lo Siento!

2010-04-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm the worst blogger ever. It's been way too long. I miss y'all! Here's what's been keeping me away from you:

That's right. That is my doctoral hood. I picked up my graduation regalia today because in 11 days, I will be Dr. Gringa! Our research paper is done, we're finishing up our research poster, and I'm taking a 6-day course in vestibular competency. Each day is about 12 hours long, so I don't have much energy left to write when I get home. But to be honest, there isn't much to write about because they're feeding me so I haven't been cooking!

Again, loyal readers, I apologize. I promise I will be back to cooking and back to writing as soon as I'm done with this madness!

A Kitchen Fit for a Gringa

2010-04-15T12:22:00.000-04:00

One of the very first things we did when we got engaged was get registered. Hey, if people wanna buy us presents, I'm gonna give them that opportunity! We were sure to include kitchen items that were conducive to Cuban cuisine. I thought y'all would appreciate those ideas for your own cocinas!

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

A roasting pan is the cornerstone of any Cuban kitchen. Why? Because pork is the cornerstone of Cuban cuisine. It is important to have a good roaster, and this one (by Calphalon) is rather inexpensive!

Source: Crate & Barrel

A muddle is essential to good mojitos. Mashing limes and mint together perfectly blends the flavors together. This muddle, by Crate and Barrel, is especially good because it's long enough to use directly in the pitcher. Which brings me to my next point...

Source: Crate & Barrel

This pitcher is acrylic. I know, I know, it's not as fancy as a glass pitcher (which is why we registered for one of those too), but it is a necessity. Good mojitos need to be made directly in the pitcher and you need to be able to keep muddling them to refresh the flavors each time your guests would like a refill. I've seen people try to do this in a glass pitcher. It does not end well. Get an acrylic pitcher or don't try mojitos at home.

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

Okay, so fun margarita glasses aren't really a necessity. But look how fun these are! A blender is also important, not just for margaritas but for mojito daiquiris (more on that later).

Source: Crate & Barrel

We did not actually register for a chip and dip platter because I have a really fun Florida Gators one, but I definitely think it's a necessary addition to a cocina. Especially if you're into entertaining, this is a must have.

Source: CSN Stores

A mortar and pestle is critical to grinding fresh spices. It's also very useful in making guacamole. We'll have to ask our recent giveaway winner how this particular mortar and pestle worked out for him!

Source: CSN Stores

I cannot overemphasize the importance of a good skillet. Not only that, but it's not a bad idea to have several skillets specifically made for specific dishes. I have an omelet pan that I'm pretty much obsessed with. This particular pan by Rachel Ray would be perfect for plantains.

Source: Crate & Barrel

I recently discussed the importance of a good cast iron skillet. My favorite thing about this particular tool is that the older it gets, the better it is. There's something really fun about that, and I love it.

Source: Crate & Barrel

An espresso maker is essential to good Cuban coffee (more about that later). Some people use a stove-top kettle, some people use something as fancy as this. We have one by Krups that I like a lot, but I couldn't resist posting this one because it's so pretty.

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

I always thought flan could only be served round, but I recently discovered that a loaf pan is a perfectly suitable and much easier choice!

Do you have a favorite piece of Gringa Gear in your kitchen?

And We Have a Winner!

2010-04-09T17:55:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered our first sponsored giveaway! A winner has been selected by a random number generator and that person has been notified. We'll have a follow-up post as soon as the winner receives their prize! Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Last Chance!

2010-04-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

Don't forget! Today is the last day to enter our first sponsored giveaway!

3 chances to win:

Become a follower on here and leave a comment telling me which prize you'd like (you only get one...I know, I want all three too). If you're already a follower, tell me that in your comment.
Become a fan of Cooking for Gringas on Facebook (if you are already a fan and you live in the U.S. or Canada, you are automatically entered).
Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet this contest.

Good luck!

Cast Iron Skillet Fajitas

2010-04-08T16:15:00.003-04:00

I had a birthday recently, and one of the many fabulous presents I received from my wonderful and generous loved ones was a cast iron skillet. The Southern girl that I am, I immediately made cornbread. But then I got to thinking...maybe I could expand my cast iron horizons. Maybe I could venture even further south.

I know I usually focus on Caribbean cuisine, but in honor of my friends in Cozumel, I decided to whip up some fajitas in my new skillet! In the past, I've marinated my fajita steak at least overnight. This time, I added alcohol to my usual marinade, allowing it to tenderize the meat during cooking. I love when my experiments allow me to be ~~impatient~~ efficient!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup sweetened lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed, not yet cut!
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 medium yellow onion, julienned

Directions:

Combine all ingredients through olive oil in a large bowl. You may be wondering what I mean by sweetened lime juice. I suppose you could just use regular lime juice, but the sweetness mixed with the tequila and the spices made for a killer combination. I recommend something like Rose's...

...which you should have on hand if you like making good mojitos.

I've always been your biggest flan

2010-04-07T13:59:00.002-04:00

Also nominated for blog post title: "you should have put him in custardy." If you know where these references are from, you are my new hero.

Flan is a type of custard. You may find savory varieties throughout Europe, but flan is dulce in Latin America. And it is good. There are only six ingredients in most recipes, yet flan can be very difficult to make. In fact, I have been quite intimidated by the flan for quite some time. It doesn't help that my future in-laws make fabulous flan...such big shoes to fill!

Fortunately, I have a friend who, too, is a gringa. We met through our men, as her husband is also a Cuban Knight (that is, he is of Cuban descent and attended the University of Central Florida). We figured with our gringa powers combined, and with the help of her suegra, we could tackle the most daunting dessert in all the land!

Here you have it, folks. Flan, courtesy of Señora M:

Ingredients:

Flan:
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine flan ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Sra. M cracking some eggs

Next, combine sugar and water in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Do not over-stir. Just make sure the entire mixture is the same color (no dry sugar allowed).

This next part is hard. Just watch that pan and let it sit there. Do not touch it. While you are waiting, get a water bath going, as you would for cheesecake.

Sra. M's mother-in-law told us to "wait until you can smell it" or "until it turns golden brown." Well, that's the kind of vague, mystical instructions that I feel most gringas can't handle. I'm a scientist! I need numbers! I want exact amounts! A few minutes later, we started to smell it, but it still wasn't the right color. As we debated what to do next, the mixture magically changed color to golden brown...almost instantaneously.

Magic.

The boys can smell it. Don't they look like meercats here?

That step is the trick. If you get that part right, you're good. Next, pour your new caramel into an ungreased loaf pan. ¡Cuidado! This stuff is hot! Tip the loaf pan back and forth so that the caramel covers the entire bottom and as much of the sides as possible. This is tricky too, because the caramel cools quickly. It's much easier to move liquid around than it is to move molasses around, so try to work quickly. Every time I've had flan with my future in-laws, it's round. This was hard enough to get it in a loaf pan, and I think it would be much more difficult to cover a round pan effectively.

Our covered pan

Next, pour your flan batter over the caramel. Place in a roasting pan and pour the water bath around it. Place in the oven and bake at 400˚ for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When it's done baking, it should look like this:

Yes.

Let it cool overnight in the fridge. Serve it cold.

Custard's last stand...for it shall soon be eaten.

Florida's Finest

2010-04-06T20:43:00.000-04:00

Y'all know that I am a Florida girl, and this is one of the many Floridian habits that I just can't shake (along with craving fresh squeezed OJ and ditching the lines at Disney...FastPass anyone?) I think it's high time that I introduce to you one of my absolute favorite secret ingredients...

Source: Everglades Seasoning

Everglades Seasoning is amazing. You use it instead of salt and pepper, but it adds a little something extra beyond that. It has natural tenderizers in it, so it's great on meat. It also has several other spices in it, but even the manufacturers won't reveal what those secret spices are. ¡Que misterioso! Everglades Seasoning also makes a low-sodium version of their spice jar, as well as a version with no MSG. I have to admit that I have not yet purchased either of these healthier options. A little bit of Everglades Seasoning goes a long way, and I've been working on my bottle of the original stuff for a while.

One disclaimer I will say about this stuff is that unfortunately it's not available everywhere. It's available in most stores in the South and along the east coast. If you have Publix in your area, you're in good shape. Fortunately for those of you who live further away from Florida, Everglades Seasoning products are available on their website.

So what exactly can you make with Everglades Seasoning? Allow me to introduce you to my Quick and Easy Guacalmole!

For every ripe avocado, add:

1/2 teaspoon Everglades Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Then combine in a mortar and pestle and serve. It doesn't get any easier than that!

And speaking of mortar and pestle, don't forget...you have until this Friday, April 9th to enter our first sponsored giveaway!

One thing I love about Everglades Seasoning is the response I get when I introduce it to non-Floridians. Do you have a secret ingredient from your hometown that you like the share with people from other areas? How about a recipe unique to your home state?

Give Your Cocina Some Color

2010-04-02T10:23:00.004-04:00

Y'all know I love to cook, but did you know that I also love to shop? Not necessarily buy. Shop. I grew up summering in a tiny town in Massachusetts and when I wasn't at the beach, I spent my days browsing window displays of quaint New England shops. This love has stayed with me throughout my life, and I can frequently be found strolling through the Virginia Highlands looking at little boutiques. You know where else I like to window shop? On the internet.

My recent find has everything from corner tv stands to cardstock (can we say printable wedding invitations?) to dog beds to...gasp...kitchen toys. Yes, CSN Stores was a great find. Not only do they have a wide variety of stores with ridiculously good deals, they have lots of great customer reviews so you can educate yourself before you buy a product...which I think is very important with online shopping. And luckily for you, CSN Stores found me too! Gringas y gringos, may I present to you Cooking for Gringas' first sponsored...

GIVEAWAY

Readers, you have the opportunity to win one of these three fabulous prizes:

A ceramic mortar and pestle by Le Creuset, perfect for grinding fresh spices...in Caribbean Blue

A stainless steel muddle by Rosle, great for making mojitos

A 10" open skillet by Rachel Ray, excellent for cooking plantains...in Yellow

Unfortunately, this contest is only open to residents of the U.S. or Canada. I sincerely apologize to my Mexican readers, and I promise I will find you a giveaway soon!

3 chances to win:

Become a follower on here and leave a comment telling me which prize you'd like (you only get one...I know, I want all three too). If you're already a follower, tell me that in your comment.
Become a fan of Cooking for Gringas on Facebook (if you are already a fan and you live in the U.S. or Canada, you are automatically entered).
Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet this contest.

You're welcome to use all three options to enter! One winner will be selected next Friday, April 9th at 5:00 PM. Good luck!

The Great Plantain Ripening Experiment

2010-04-01T14:57:00.001-04:00

I've heard that you can get plantains to ripen faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple. I've also heard that you can get plantains to ripe faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an orange. Maybe I've been working on my research study too much, but I felt like experimenting last week.

the control, condition A (apple), and condition O (orange)

I didn't have any brown paper bags around, so I used these grocery bags from Trader Joe's and stapled closed.

1 week later: not much of a difference between the control and the two conditions

So there you have it. A failed experiment that left me with nothing but an overripe orange. In conclusion, you can't alter time. That only works on Lost.

Dave's Empanadas

2010-03-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

First of all, I apologize for being MIA. There are two big things coming up in my life right now: graduating from physical therapy school and our wedding. Well, there have been some new developments with both of those events...I got a job and I found The Dress! So, I've been pretty busy. Happy, but busy.

Back to the matter at hand though...have I ever told you that my fiance makes The Best Empanadas in Atlanta? Well, he does. We've tried lots of other empanadas all over the city and his really are the best by far. He, of course, is not a gringo so he is able to make them off the top of his head and add the perfect amounts of everything just by tasting it along the way. My brain doesn't function that way. I asked him to do his best to create a recipe out of what he does and here's what I got:

Ingredients:

Bear with me because this is a LONG shopping list

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 red peppers, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 Roma tomatoes
juice of 2 limes
1.5 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
"a healthy dump of cumin" (not sure what that means...I'm guessing 3 tablespoons)
1 handful of raisins
1 handful of sliced almonds
20 discos (Goya sells them in packs of 10)
1 handful of grated sharp cheddar
1 egg, beaten

And finally...Dave's secret ingredient:

1.5 shots of tequila

Directions:

If discos are frozen, leave out for half an hour to thaw. They should still be slightly frozen (you don't want them defrosted all the way to room temperature), but they need to be flexible enough to work with. If they become too crumbly, use a little bit of water on your fingers to close any holes or tears.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add onions, red peppers, and garlic and cook until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Drain the fat and return pot to heat.

Add next ingredients, tomatoes through almonds, as well as the tequila. Continue to cook uncovered at low heat for 2-3 minutes or until raisins have softened.

Once you have this nice mixture fully combined and cooked, spoon the filling onto the discos.

This part is difficult to quantify because it depends so much on the skill level of the cook. I can get the disco to close with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Dave can get it to close with at least 2. Start small and try to put more filling in once you've developed your skill. Top with a pinch of grated cheddar.

Next, fold the disco over the filling and close the edges with a fork, like so:

Place closed discos on a greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350˚. Use a pastry brush to brush over each empanada with the beaten egg.

Next, stick those things in the oven. They don't need to cook for that long (remember, your meat is already browned). You're really just crisping the crust. The important step in the cooking process is to make sure the empanadas cool appropriately. Once you take them out of the oven, you need to let them sit for a while. There is heat trapped inside the pastry, which means that 1) the inside will continue to cook even when out of the oven and 2) the steam trapped inside will make everything nice and moist.

Dave says to cook it at 350˚ "until golden brown" and to let cool "until you can't take the anticipation anymore." I say cook for 20 minutes and let cool for 10. Close enough.

Serve as appetizers or side dishes, but either way serve with salsa verde!

Become a Fan on Facebook!

2010-03-20T19:21:00.000-04:00

Cooking for Gringas now has 100 fans on Facebook! Thanks so much for all the support!

Personally, I'd like to see that number grow even more, so I am proud to announce our first giveaway!

Our 200th fan will receive a free song from iTunes! I wish I could provide a better prize, but I'm still in grad school for 51 more days. If you are our 200th fan, email me at cooking4gringas (at) gmail (dot) com and let me know you're the lucky reader! Also, mention how you heard about Cooking for Gringas...that person might also get a special prize!

So, what are you waiting for? Go tell your friends to become a fan!

By Request: Tostones

2010-03-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! I'm Irish (shocker, I know) so I will be making Alton Brown's Corned Beef and Cabbage later today, but last night I made tostones!

Tostones are a salty, savory plantain dish. They're great as a side dish, or to serve with guacamole at parties. I have mixed feelings about the results. It was a successful failure...the Apollo 13 of Cuban cuisine, if you will. I did learn a few valuable lessons, so I will share those with you. I'll keep experimenting and let you know when I perfect my recipe! Here's what I did:

All you need are 2 ripe green plantains, canola oil, and salt (and love, love is all you need...sorry, I had to).

First, you have to peel the plantains. This is something I still struggle with, so I enlisted help.

Dave struggled too.

Valuable lesson #1: if you're experiencing difficulty peeling plantains, use a vegetable peeler (even better if it's ceramic).

Learning.

Next, cut the plantains into 1-inch thick slices.

Heat about 1/3 cup of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place plantain slices in the pan. The oil should just about cover the slices. Valuable lesson #2: do NOT salt the plantains before cooking them. Salt helps to break down the fruit during cooking and it will make the plantains softer. This is a great texture for some dishes, but you want these babies crispy.

Cook about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and drain over a paper towel.

Next, you need to flatten the slices. Real Cuban cooks use one of these:

Source: Cuban Food Market

This is called a tostonera, and if someone can help me figure out where to register for one I would be eternally grateful! I McGyvered this up:

Plastic bag + spatula + force

Place one slice at a time in a plastic bag. Place spatula over bag and push down. Valuable lesson #3: don't push too hard! You want these to end up about 1/4" thick...no thinner!

The good, the bad and the ugly

Once all of the slices are flattened, return the the hot oil and fry for another minute or two. Drain on new paper towels, and enjoy!

This dish was made by request. Do you have a Cuban dish you're dying to learn how to make? Email me at cooking4gringas (at) gmail (dot) com! Or become a fan on Facebook and post it on there!

The Southern Belles' Midwest Invasion: Tres

2010-03-14T12:38:00.001-04:00

What meal would be complete without dessert? I've never made cheesecake before, and I have to admit I was a little intimidated with the water bath and whatnot. You know what? It turned out pretty darn good!

Chocolate Chunk Nutella Cheesecake
Source: adapted from La Fuji Mama

Crust:

Ingredients:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup cocoa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small mixing bowl, beat together ingredients until dough forms. Press into springform pan. Bake 12 minutes and cool completely.

Filling:

Ingredients:

3 8 oz. sticks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin to boil a large pot of water.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula between each egg.

Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and Nutella and blend until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake is not airtight, cover the bottom securely with foil before adding the water!

Bake 45 minutes, until it is almost done. Look for the cake to hold together but not have a lot of jiggle to it! Turn the heat off, with the cake in the oven, and let cool for about an hour. Chill in the fridge for several hours (at least 4).

Well, there you have it! What are your favorite dishes to make for dinner parties?

The Southern Belles' Midwest Invasion: Dos

2010-03-13T12:27:00.002-05:00

Our meal continues with the main course and side dish. We figured chicken would be a safe way to go, but even midwesterners are accustomed to fried chicken. Too obvious. Given the yucky weather we'd been experiencing, we decided on a classic casserole and a warm veggie to accompany it.

Poppy Seed Chicken
Source: adapted from cooks.com

Ingredients:

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 16-oz. containers light sour cream (fat free will be too runny)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 sticks Ritz crackers, crushed
4 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Directions:

Boil chicken until thoroughly cooked. Remove from water and cool. Tear into bite-sized pieces (not completely shredded) and split between 2 casserole dishes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 container of sour cream with 1 can of each soup. Do the same in a separate bowl with the other sour cream and soup. Pour one bowl over one casserole dish's chicken, and pour the other mixture over the other dish. Cover each casserole with 1 stick of crushed crackers. Sprinkle poppy seeds evenly on top. Drizzle melted butter on top.

Bake about 25 minutes. Yield: 16.

Mom's Green Beans
Source: Christina's mom

Ingredients:

2 pounds of trimmed green beans

4 strips of bacon (chopped in pieces)

1 medium yellow onion (chopped)

garlic powder

black pepper

1 can of chicken stock

Directions:

Fry bacon in pan on medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic powder and black pepper to seasoning. Add chicken stock and then add green beans. Put lid on and put on low heat. Continue to cook until green beans become crisp and tender.

Tune in tomorrow for the third and final installment!

The Southern Belles' Midwest Invasion

2010-03-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

I recently traveled to Kansas City with four friends. One of us is from Kansas City originally, and her parents were kind enough to host us for several days. To show our gratitude, we took care of dinner one night. Our hosts were unfamiliar with Southern cuisine, so we decided to introduce some of our culture to the Midwest.

The girls hard at work

Though our meal was not in any way Latin, it was too good not to share! Thus, I am pleased to announce a new column on this blog: Southern Comforts.

Any good dinner party begins with bread (that's what a dinner party is after all: breaking bread with friends). What better bread to choose for a Southern dinner party than biscuits? And sweet potato biscuits at that! When served with honey butter, these quickbreads are always a huge hit.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Source: adapted from Paula Deen

Before

After

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 heaping tablespoons sugar
8 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 3 medium-sized potatoes)
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened margarine
2 tablespoons skim milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate, larger bowl, mix sweet potatoes and butter. Add the dry mixture to the potato mixture and work to make a soft dough. Add milk gradually. Use two tablespoons to create 1-inch drop biscuits on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops start to show a little brown.

Yield: 42 biscuits. Number of biscuits left over for the trip back to Atlanta: 0.

Honey Butter
Source: adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

1/2 pound softened butter (you just can't do margarine with this one...sorry fellow health freaks!)
2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the butter into a large bowl and beat at a low speed. Use a spatula to keep scraping butter down off the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and add remaining ingredients. Beat well until combined, about 5 minutes.

If you have a cookie press, place half of the butter mixture into the press and use the star-shaped attachment. This should make about 6 stars. Repeat with remaining mixture.

If you do not have a cookie press, experiment! You can shape the mixture into logs (like store bought butter) with parchment paper, or maybe form it into a thin sheet and use a cookie cutter to create fun shapes!

No matter what shape you turn your butter into, refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow for it to harden.

Tune in tomorrow for more dishes from our fabulous dinner party!

A Marriage of Flavors

2010-03-02T20:22:00.005-05:00

It's snowing in Atlanta today. Guess what that means? That's right! Chicken n' dumplings! (I also would have accepted "chili" as an answer, except that I made that last week during a different cold front).

I like to make my chicken and dumplings with rotisserie chicken because I'm ~~lazy~~ efficient. I stopped by Publix to grab one from the deli only to find that they were out of the original recipe! I shoved through lemon pepper after lemon pepper to try to find the lone chicken lurking towards the back of the counter. Lo and behold:

I was instantly inspired. What if I made Cuban Chicken and Dumplings?! Pollo con bola de masa hervida, if you will. Well, it didn't taste too Latino, but it was definitely the best version of chicken and dumplings I've ever made. Here's the recipe:

Pollo con bola de masa hervida
Source: adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin, divided
3 tablespoons shortening
5 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, beaten
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon pepper
juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 mojo rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bone and shredded. Keep the skin.

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon of cumin with a whisk or a fork. Add the shortening, water, and egg. Use your hands to combine, unless you have a cool pasty tool that I don't have yet but registered for :)

Meanwhile, combine broth, pepper, remaining cumin, lime, and garlic in a large stock pot. Heat to a boil over medium-high heat.

Back to the dough, roll out until it's about 1/8" thick. Cut 2 x 3/4" strips with a butter knife. Place a few pieces at a time into the boiling broth. Cook uncovered for 7 minutes, or until the dough is tender but chewy.

Add the meat (including the skin) and cook for 4 minutes. When the meat is warm, remove skin from the stock pot and ladel into bowls. Serve immediately with an avocado and lime themed salad.

Yield: 4

I suppose you could use chicken marinated in mojo, or use mojo sauce on unseasoned chicken. Play with it and let me know how it turns out!

By Request: Platanos Maduros

2010-02-27T21:41:00.006-05:00

A plantain is a fruit that likes to impersonate a vegetable. It's kind of like a banana mixed with a potato. They can be served a million different ways (stay tuned for follow-up experiments), but one of the most common ways is sweet and fried (as though they were after my Southern heart). They go great with just about everything, and it's guaranteed to dazzle dinner guests by introducing them to exotic flavors that they may not be accustomed to. The best part is that it's really easy to make!

First, buy some plantains. There is much debate surrounding yellow vs. green plantains. I've found that green plantains are more savory and more difficult to peel, while yellow plantains are more sweet and easier to peel. Regardless of your preference, you need to allow 5-7 days for the plantains to ripen. The Spanish word maduros actually means ripe. And we're not talking about a-few-brown-spots-ripe; these ain't bananas. Your plantains need to be nearly black, like so:

To cook three large plantains, you will need 1/2 cup of canola oil and 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar. You can make more or less plantains; my skillet just happens to hold three.

Next, peel your plantains. Unfortunately, this isn't as easy as peeling a banana, but slicing off the tips is a good trick to get you started. Once peeled, slice the plantain into 3/4-inch thick slices, on the bias.

Pour the brown sugar into a small bowl and give the slices a toss in there. You don't have to coat each slice in brown sugar as you would with flour when frying chicken. Just a little dusting will suffice in order to improve the caramelization process.

Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's good and hot, gently place your slices in the skillet. The key to the cooking process is to be gentle. If your plantains are as ripe as they should be, they'll be very delicate...and you don't want to mess up that pretty shape that you created with your perfect bias slices! I've found that using plastic tongs helps (metal is too harsh and a plastic spatula is too cumbersome).

As your plantains cook, minimize contact between slices. That brown sugar is going to make for a sticky situation. You'll know it's time to flip them over when you can see the crispy caramelized bottom creeping up the sides of each slice.

When you flip them over, they should look just slightly crispy, like this:

La perrita gringa recognized this smell and, the eternal optimist that she is, truly believed that today was the day she would finally get to try platanos. Wrong.

Once both sides are cooked evenly, place on paper to cool/get rid of some of the grease. Make sure it's parchment or wax paper, and not paper towels. Hey, I'm still learning too!

Have you ever had plantains before? What's your favorite plantain dish?

¡Salud!

2010-02-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

I'm currently a physical therapy student (not for much longer though!) and I recently traveled to Guatemala for a service trip. When we weren't treating patients, my classmates and I were lucky enough to explore some of Guatemala and learn about their rich culture. One day, we toured a coffee plantation and learned this fabulous toast:

Deseo que su café sea negro como noche, fuerte como la pasión, el dulce como amor, y caliente como infierno.

Translation: May your coffee always be black as night, strong as passion, sweet as love, and hot as hell!

How to Make Perfect Arroz Blanco

2010-02-12T23:10:00.008-05:00

White rice, or arroz blanco, is one of Cuban cuisine's simplest dishes. It is also one of the easiest to ruin. I can't tell you how many times I've turned it into mush, undercooked it, even burned it! Maybe the secret is to have a fancy rice cooker. Well, I'm a poor graduate student, so I need a stove-top solution. After much experimenting, here is the protocol I've come up with.

Before we get started, a few helpful hints:

Make sure you use a stock pot or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
Choose a stock pot or saucepan that is sized appropriately to the amount of rice you're cooking. Large stock pots or spaghetti pots are great for 2 cups or more, but if you try to cook less than that in a pot too large, it's more likely to spread too thin and stick to the bottom.
Use long grain or jasmine rice. I don't know if this is the traditional thing to do. I do know that the smaller grain, the more likely it is to turn to mush. Longer grain = more room for absorption.
Be patient!

Now we're ready to begin!

Rule #1: Use 1-1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.

Rule #2: For every 1 cup of rice, use 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of cumin.

Rule #3: Always rinse your rice.

Some plants that process rice can add things like talc. This isn't harmful to eat, but it can mess up the chemistry involved in cooking rice to a perfect consistency. Make sure you get rid of any excess water after rinsing.

Next, bring your rinsed and refreshed rice to your saucepan. This brings us to Rule #4: Coat your rice in butter before cooking it.

Pour the butter over the rice and gently stir until well-distributed. This decreases the rice's risk of sticking to the pan.

Rule #5: Cook the rice first before you let it absorb. This isn't couscous. Absorption alone won't cut it. Add the water and spices and heat to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that your rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. It's okay to uncover to accomplish this...remember, you're not absorbing yet.

Rule #6: Absorption is key. As soon as your 12 minutes are up, immediately remove from heat. Keep it covered and let it sit for 30 minutes. I know, I know. That's a long time! Your next step is to relax and find something to distract yourself with during those 30 minutes.

After your 30 minutes are up, uncover and fluff.

¡Buen provecho!

Did this work for you? Any other suggestions you'd like to share? Comment away or email me at cooking4gringas (at) gmail (dot) com!

10 Items Every Cuban Kitchen Should Have

2010-02-11T18:05:00.005-05:00

If you're new to Cuban cuisine, reading a recipe can be like reading something in a foreign language (well, some of the ingredients are probably in Spanish). Ingredients that are very common in Latin households may seem exotic and unusual to us gringas. I've actually had to google certain ingredients, then hunt all over town for them, only to end up mispronouncing them to the Kroger employee! Then of course, the entire process repeats itself with the next recipe! Here's a list of common Cuban ingredients to stock up on in your cocina:

White Rice (Arroz Blanco)

I'm a bit of a health freak, so this took me a while to get used to. Brown rice, unfortunately, just does not do what white rice does for Cuban cuisine. Try to have at least 2 cups of white rice (real rice, not the instant kind) in your pantry at all times. It's always a crowd favorite when it's served with black beans (otherwise known as congri)! Coming soon to a blog near you: how to make perfect white rice.

Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)

Source

I know, I know. True frijoles are supposed to be purchased dry and soaked overnight and...though I'm a big fan of tradition, I'm also a big fan of not wasting time! Goya brand black bean soup (as seen in this little red can) is a great staple to have around. But it's soup! Shouldn't I buy the blue can of just beans?! No. The soup is pre-seasoned! All you have to do is heat it up, and it's delicious. Trust me, your tastebuds will thank me! If it seems like too much liquid, you can always drain some of it.

Mojo Sauce

Source

Mojo sauce is great for seasoning, marinating, or serving as a condiment with tostones. This is available in a bottle in most grocers' ethnic food aisle. If you can't find it, fear not. I'm currently working on perfecting my recipe, so stay tuned for the secret formula!

Sour Orange Juice

Source

Sour orange juice is great to use when roasting or slow cooking. The acidity helps to break down the meat so it can fall apart in your mouth. Unlike most orange juices, sour orange juice doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's opened, so feel free to keep it on hand just in case. This should be available in the ethnic food aisle as well, but you can use this helpful hint in case you prefer it fresh:

2 parts orange juice + 1 part lime juice = sour orange juice

(If that still tastes too tart, you can add sugar to taste. The sugar will only help to tenderize the meat!)

Discos

Source

Discos are available in your grocer's freezer. They're basically little wontons that, when defrosted for a few minutes, are quite versatile. A lot of recipes for empanadas (meat-filled dumplings) or pastelitos (fruit-filled turnovers) include a recipe to make the dough. With discos on hand, you can bypass that step completely!

Canola Oil

Unfortunately, a lot of Cuban food is fried and a lot of recipes call for the use of butter (one of the many reasons why Cuban food is muy delicioso). As a Southern girl, I've encountered this problem a lot with cooking. As a health freak (see white rice complaints above), my solution is canola oil. Canola oil contains the least amount of saturated fat (about 7%) out of all the common household oils. It won't give your dishes the richness that butter does, but it's a good alternative if you don't mind the sacrifice.

Cilantro

Cilantro is an important part of Cuban cuisine, but fresh herbs can be expensive. Behold, another convenient alternative. I'm a snob about fresh herbs because I'm lucky enough to live near a very affordable farmer's market. The dried stuff just won't do. These frozen alternatives are available in finer grocery stores (like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's). Each cube is approximately equal to one tablespoon of fresh herbs. They're great to have around if you didn't have a chance to buy it fresh.

Café Bustelo

Source

Cuban coffee is one of my favorite aspects of Cuban culture. I love sitting around with family after a meal and sipping the strongest and sweetest coffee in the world. I'm still working on my rendition, but for now just know that Cuban coffee is espresso. Espresso is just very finely ground coffee. If you have a coffee grinder at home, just leave it on the fine setting (just before Turkish). If you prefer to purchase pre-ground coffee, Café Bustelo is the best. Believe me, I've sampled just a few.

Rum

Source

After a hot summer day, there is nothing more refreshing than a mojito. Light Cuban rum (like Havana Club) is an essential ingredient. We'll examine the rest of the ingredients another time (I promise to stop shamelessly self-plugging soon).

Finally (and arguably most importantly), Cumin!

I never used cumin in my cooking until I met my fiancé. He uses it in everything and it makes everything taste magical. Buy it in bulk.