Cuban Black Bean Soup

It's "Meatless Monday" and soup is what I decided would be the best answer for the cold days we've been facing. I have to admit like soup. Soup with a sandwich or soup and salad. It doesn't much matter to me. What does matter is that it is filling and delicious.

I got this recipe from a Cuban tailor that decided to open a restaurant. I'm sure he may not have given me all the ingredients he puts in his but I got the basics. Cuban Black Beans is a great meatless Monday dish. If anything reminds me of comfort it's a nice warm soup.


Here's another wonder thing about meatless mondays, with the right dish... you don't miss the meat. It's a shocker right. Not all my dishes have meat and sugar. Hope you enjoy this one. It works wonderfully if you like spice. You can tell I really like this dish because the garnish list is long.

Black Bean Soup
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 bag of black beans
2 cups of water
2 cups of chicken stock
4 Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon of garlic
1/2 Spanish onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/8 cup of red wine vinegar

Garnishes:
Red onion
Jalapeño peppers
Hot sauce
Cheese
Sour cream
cilantro


Tools: 4 quart pot/stock pot

Directions:

In a large pot boil 2 cups of water.

While waiting for water to boil, place beans in a colander/strainer and rinse well. Make sure there are no rocks, etc in the beans.

Pour beans into boiling water and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

Place black beans and hot water into a heat resistant bowl (glass) and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.

Dice onion, tomatoes and peppers.

After 50 minutes (of soaking beans) place oil in stock pot on medium heat.

Once oil becomes hot add garlic and onions. Allow the onions to become translucent and brown a little.

Then add peppers, tomatoes and salt. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes

Add the beans to the stock pot with oregano, cumin and salt. Stir making sure beans are covered with seasoning.

Add 2 cups of water and chicken stock. Make sure beans are completely covered.

Allow the mixture to come to a gently boil.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes then add the vinegar. Add any additional salt & pepper.

Allow beans to simmer for another 1 to  1 1/2 hours.

I love to serve this with some cheese or avocados and fresh tomatoes. Sometimes over rice. You don't even miss the meat with the dish.

Spiced Cupcakes w/Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl

These cupcakes are on the blog because they were requested by Theresa. Often, I bake so many cupcakes I am not always interested in eating them. Sometimes, I am more interested in developing flavors or putting a surprise inside. Other times I'm trying to create a design or even work on the taste of a frosting. By the time I'm done, I'm so sick of cupcakes that I give them to the neighbors or send them to work with hubby or to school with mini me. Of course, that was not the case with these cupcakes.

I have to admit, I really like these cupcakes and others did too which is why even though I didn't make it from scratch, it's going on the blog. I'm not exactly sure what makes these different than the others. Maybe it's because I love pumpkin or maybe because I love cheesecake. Whatever it is these cupcakes were so delicious I think I've had one everyday this week.

What's even better is that this recipe is super easy. Thank goodness I saw the pumpkin cream cheese in the Supermarket. That's where this crazy adventure started. One hungry trip to the supermarket. This is why you should go to the supermarket hungry. I used a boxed cake mix and the store bought pumpkin cream cheese and added the necessary ingredients to create a cheesecake. Now, I gotta get back to the store and buy some more. If it's not in your store just replace the pumpkin cream cheese with regular cream cheese. Or ... make a regular yellow cupcake and use strawberry cream cheese.

The possibilities are endless.

Spiced Cupcakes w/Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl
Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Spiced Cake Mix
8 ounces of pumpkin (or regular) cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (not necessary if you are making regular cheesecake)
1 egg

Tools: cupcake tin, 24 cupcake liners & mixer

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tin with liners

Make boxed cake mix according to directions and set aside.

Place cream cheese and sugar in a separate bowl with vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.

Mix cream cheese and other ingredients for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add egg and mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners half way with cake mixture.

Add one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture to the cake mix.

Use a knife to gently swirl the cream mixture into the cake mix. Try drawing a figure 8 in the mixture.

Bake cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheesecake has set.

Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Devour!!

Mexican Shredded Chicken

September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. And because of the many wonderful people in my life who hail from all over South America and the Caribbean, I could not let this month go by without doing a dish. Of course, the problem became what dish? Something from Colombia or Costa Rica? Should I go old school and represent my Nuyoricans??

In the end I made a dish that was simple and the most comforting. Shredded chicken. I  made this dish in the slow cooker because the chicken is really infused with all of the flavors. I also love the way my house smells when I walk in and this has been cooking all day. Shredded chicken reminds me of walking into my friend's house after school or after playing all day on a Saturday. There's something that made us feel really safe and loved to have a nice hot meal waiting for us. It made you feel special. Growing up in New York City could be difficult, especially if your parents were constantly working. It was nice to go to my friends house and be accepted as part of the family.

This dish is typically called Mexican shredded chicken but I'm pretty sure I learned how to make it from someone who was Puerto Rican. Oh well. Here's to my friends and their heritage. Thanks for all you've shared. Salud!

Mexican

Shredded Chicken
Makes

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/4 cup of cilantro
1/2 spanish onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
2 heaping teaspoons of minced garlic
4 roman tomatoes
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
2 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of sofrito (tomato)

Tools: Slow Cooker/Crock Pot (optional)

Slow Cooker Directions:

Place chicken breast in slow cooker.

Sprinkle salt, cumin and garlic over chicken.

Slice onions, peppers and tomatoes  and place over chicken in the crockpot.

Chopped cilantro and sprinkle over onions, peppers, tomatoes and chicken.

Add tablespoon of sofrito and then pour chicken broth over all ingredients.

Cook on high heat for 4 hours or 6 hours on low heat.

Take chicken out and gently pull apart with fork.

Return chicken to slow cooker and turn slow cooker off.


Sin Slow Cooker Directions:

Place chicken in a large stock pot or skillet on medium high heat.

Sprinkle salt, cumin and garlic over chicken.

Slice onions, peppers and tomatoes  and place over chicken in the crockpot.

Chopped cilantro and sprinkle over onions, peppers, tomatoes and chicken.

Add tablespoon of sofrito and then pour chicken broth over all ingredients.

Allow the above ingredients to come to a boil and allow to boil for 2 to 5 minutes.

Reduce heat and allow chicken to cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Once chicken is done, turn stove off and remove chicken from pot.

Use a fork to gently pull chicken apart. 

Place chicken back into pot and stir into onion, pepper and tomato mixture.

The perk of this dish is that you can use it for tacos or with your favorite rice. 

We're having ours with rice and avocado salad. Enjoy yours whatever way makes you feel good.

Potato Bottom Breakfast Cup

I've been on this breakfast kick and I'm not sure whether I want it to end. Particularly not after the "to go" breakfast I made the other day. This dish is most of my favorite breakfast foods rolled into one. With a little bit of healthy spinach so I don't feel bad. Hey, enjoying food is part of enjoying life.

It takes a little time upfront but it makes getting out the door much easier. It's my little way of making sure I take care of myself in the morning. Best way to do that is to have breakfast in the morning right? It's the perfect balance. A bit of potato, one egg, one slice of bacon a little cheese and spinach. I think I've covered all of the major food groups with this one.

Potato Bottom Breakfast Cup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
4 red potatoes
6 eggs
6 slice of bacon
3 slices of cheddar cheese
1 cup of spinach
¼onion diced
½teaspoon of garlic
½tablespoon flour
½teaspoon paprika
½teaspoon of kosher salt
pepper

Tools: muffin tin and mandolin

Directions:
preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin tin.

Wash potatoes and place mandolin on julienne setting. Julienne potatoes.

In a separate dish, mix flour, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of paprika.

Add flour mixture to potatoes season thoroughly.

Place an equal amount of potatoes in the muffin tin.

Place muffin tin in oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Potatoes will begin to brown and crisp.

 Remove after 15 to 18 minutes and decrease heat to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon and dice.

Place a tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat.

Place onion and garlic in the pan. Allow to cook until slightly browned.

Add spinach to onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

Season spinach with salt and pepper.

Remove spinach from heat and allow to cool.

Place 1 tablespoon of spinach mixture on top of cooked potatoes.

Then crack egg and gently place on top. One egg in each of the tins.
 *Note: If not using bacon, salt and pepper the egg.

Place ½ a slice of cheese on egg.

Sprinkle bacon over egg and cheese.

Place tin in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Viola... Breakfast on the go.

Mini Mac & Cheese

Roll apple roll. It's a conversation I've had often with my friends. How we are so much like our parents or how our children are like us. My mini me is exactly like me. That's why I call him mini me. We are alike in so many ways. We even like the same foods. So it's no surprise that he loves cheese. If left to our own devices we would probably eat grapes and cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's something I picked up from my mother and that my mini has picked up from me.

So as the cold weather rolls in, I wanted to make my mini me a favorite to bring to school for lunch. And what dish has enough cheese to please mini me ... mac and cheese. I love old school mac and cheese. There's something about lots of cheese baked into noodles that says I love you. But I've been making stove top mac and cheese because I've needed something quickly. Can't keep mini me waiting for food. But today I cut out a bit of time so he can enjoy this baked dish at school. This dish is a combo of everything I love about baked mac and cheese as well as stove top mac and cheese. It baked and gooey with a cheese sauce. I mean who doesn't love a cheese sauce. Talk about comfort!!

Mini Mac & Cheese

Makes 12

Ingredients:
4 ounces of elbow noodles
1 egg
2 ounces of cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 ounces of monterey jack cheese(shredded)
2 ounces of parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of milk

½ teaspoon of salt

⅛ ground black pepper
bread Crumbs -Optional
salt and pepper to taste

Tools: Wire Whisk (A wire whisk works better with this cheese sauce) and cupcake pan.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cup cake pan with oil.

Over medium heat, bring 3 quarts of water in a pot to a boil. Add a pinch of salt.

Once boiling, add the elbow noodles and cook for 6 minutes. Place noodles in a strainer and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter.

Once butter has completely melted, add flour and stir thoroughly. The flour will begin to brown. Keep stirring.

Add some ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper.

Stir in milk and slowly add cheese. Whisk as you add cheese.

Add noodles. Use a spoon or spatula to make sure noodles are completely covered with cheese mixture.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Remove cheese and noodle mixture from heat.

Whisk egg in a separate bowl then add to the cheese and noodle mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Add 1/2 cup of the mac and cheese mixture to each cup.

Place cupcake tin in oven and bake for 15 to 20 mins. The edges of the mac and cheese will become slightly browned.

Let the mini mac and cheese cool for about 5 minutes.

These were supposed to be part of mini me's lunch but were such as success there was nothing left. Guess I'll be making more of these before the week is over. Hope it goes as fast in your house.