Category: Cook’s Treat from Caridad

Caridad loves to cook and is sharing these recipes and cooking tips for you!

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Pork and Chorizo Chile

There is nothing better on a cold, winter day than a nice, hot bowl of something warm to fill your belly. Soup is often on the menu in our house, but I often change it up with some chili. Apologies to all the Texans out there, but my chili always has beans because I love beans and they are good for you! This is an easy, cook-all-day chili with lots of flavor and goodness! Plus, you have enough for leftovers on another day! P.S. If you’re like me and counting down the days until the start of the baseball season, fill that gap with WINNING SEASON, my baseball romance. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited! If you love sports romances, baseball, and a second chance at love story, grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4qMiX8I. P.P.S. This girl is in need of a new baseball team. I just can’t root for the Mets anymore. Any suggestions?

Chorizo & Pork Red Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb red beans
2 lbs pork loin chopped
2 small Spanish chorizos chopped
1 cup chopped onions
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomato and chili
3 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 bay leaves

Directions:

Wash and check red beans for stones and debris. Soak for an hour to lessen the cooking time. Drain when you are ready to add to the main cooking pot.

Place a little oil in a non-stick pot and add the chopped chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped pork loin. Why chopped pork loin? Well, Cubans and pork go together like peanut butter and jelly. Also, it’s lean and has a lot less fat than a chuck roast, so I use those calories for the tastier chorizo.

Add the onions and garlic and cook with the meat until they are all just starting to brown. You want the brown on both the meat and veggies since these are the sugars caramelizing on them and will add flavor to your chili. Feel free to also clean out your fridge and add carrots, celery, etc. during this step.

Add the canned tomatoes, Rotel, and enough water to cover the meat and beans. Bring to a boil and then lower to a slow simmer. Cook until the beans and meat are soft. This may take 3-4 hours.

We ate our chili with some chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, and grated cheddar cheese. You can also put some sour cream on top if you want!

chili

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Happy National Shortbread Day

Happy National Shortbread Day! I absolutely love shortbreads. When I need an afternoon cup of tea, I love to have one or two shortbreads along with it! On top of that, shortbreads are easy to make with only three main ingredients. Today I’m sharing a recipe for Scottish shortbreads. P.S. Don’t forget that COLD CASE K-9 is on the shelves right now! Grab this action-packed romantic suspense today at https://amzn.to/4q0cLdA.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (preferably one of the European butters with higher butter fat)
2 cups flour (regular, not bread or cake flour)
1/2 cup sugar (regular)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar to sprinkle on top (regular, not powdered)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper. Even if your pan is non-stick, this helps lift the shortbreads out without breaking.

Gently mix softened butter, sugar, and salt until creamed together with either a stand mixer or hand mixer. Add flour and gently mix together. It’s best to do this by hand since you do not want to overmix the dough as this will make it hard.

Press the dough into the baking pan. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Take the dough out and cut into rectangles. Prick each rectangle four or five times for that distinctive look and to keep the dough from rising too high. (This is known as docking) Sprinkle with the half teaspoon of sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm to the touch and edges are slightly golden. Cool before removing from the pan.

If you want to change things up, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla, or mix in finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios! Enjoy!

scottish shortbread

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Double Apple Bread Pudding

I posted a photo of one of our new Thanksgiving dinner must-haves: Double Apple Bread Pudding. I can’t take credit for this recipe since it’s based on one by America’s Test Kitchen. I tweaked it to make it a little simpler and to also pump up the apple, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors. It does take at least an hour and a half to assemble/soak the ingredients and another 45 minutes to bake, but it’s totally worth it! If you want to see more recipes, you can visit the Cook’s Treat page on my website or download Recipes for the Romantic Soul which is free on Kindle Unlimited. Grab your copy at https://amzn.to/49YMIyy.

Ingredients
6 cups challah, hand torn into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or good apple juice
2 large Granny Smith apples cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1¼ cups heavy cream

Directions

Butter an 8×8 baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Tear the challah into 1/2-inch cubes. You can cut it, but I think it looks better when it’s in rough pieces. If you can’t find challah, use a good brioche. Spread the challah on a cookie sheet, toss occasionally, and dry in the oven for about 15 minutes. Let the bread cool. Set aside 3/4 cups of the bread crumbs to make a crumble topping later.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and apple cider and stir until sugar has dissolved. Stir in apples, cover, and simmer for about 4 minutes. Then uncover and cook for another 4 minutes or until apples are translucent. Don’t overcook the apples as you want them in nice pieces and not saucy.

Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the liquid from the apples. Press on them lightly to remove the liquid, but don’t mash them. Set the apples aside and place the apple juice you just drained into a measuring cup. Add milk until you get to 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the apple/milk combo and mix. Add the 2 eggs and whisk it all together. Add the heavy cream to this mixture and mix it well. Stir in the apples (gently).

Add the 5 1/4 cups of the toasted bread to the liquid and apple mixture. Toss gently and then transfer to the baking dish and gently press down on the mixture.

Let it soak for 15 minutes and do another gentle press. Wait another 15 minutes and press gently again.

While your doing that, put the 3/4 cup of bread into a bowl and break into small and bigger pieces. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tbsp melted butter. Crumble all the elements together and once the other mixture has finished soaking, top it with this crumble.

Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and cook in the 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes. The center should register 160-165 degrees when you check the temperature. Remove from oven and let it cool (if you can wait that long! LOL!)

I served it with a caramel sauce, but you can also top it with a creme anglaise or whipped cream! Enjoy!

Double Apple Bread Pudding

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Oxtail Stew

I haven’t done a recipe in ages, so for today’s Food Friday, I decided to share one of my personal favorites: Oxtail Stew. This dish is a love it or hate it kind of food. My daughter and I love it, but hubby not so much. Properly done, an oxtail stew is meaty and tasty! For those who love braised short ribs, you’ll love oxtail stew. P.S. Who in my book world would love this? Definitely Carlo from the At the Shore series. As a seasoned chef, he would totally make a dish like this for Emma, the love of his life. You can enjoy their story in NEVER A BRIDE. Grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4fzJ3Yu.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tbsp capers
1/2 cup chopped manzanilla olives
32 oz Chicken Broth (The packaged kind)
2 cups dry red wine
10-12 large oxtails
2-3 bay leaves

oxtail stew ingredients

Directions:

Trim any excess fat from the oxtails. Pat and dry. You may have very small oxtails in the package and I keep them to make beef broth and don’t use them for the stew.

Heat some olive oil in a stockpot. Brown both sides of the oxtails and then remove to a plate. You will need to remove everything but about 2-3 tbsps of the grease from the stockpot, and discard it.

Add the carrots and cook for about five minutes. Then add the onions and cook until they are starting to brown.

Add the capers and olives and cook for about five minutes. Return the oxtails and any juices to the stockpot. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and red wine, and bring to a low simmer.

Oxtails are a tough meat, much like short ribs. Summer on low for about 3 to 4 hours, or until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. I usually serve the oxtails over white rice.

It’s a hearty, delicious dish, especially in the winter! I hope you try this out and I hope you’ll enjoy it.

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The best wine and cheese combo…

It’s National Wine & Cheese Day! When hubby and I were first dating, wine and cheese bars were the thing. A nice bottle of wine, cheese, bread, and crackers by candlelight was always a lovely date. But what’s the best wine and cheese pairing? According to Taste of Home, there are a few things to remember! First, wines and cheeses from the same region pair well together. Second, sample the wine first and then the cheese. Next, strong cheeses pair well with heartier, bold wines, while fresh, light cheeses complement light, crisp wines. This last tip comes from a local cheese monger: Let the cheeses reach room temperature to enhance their flavors. My favorite pairing is blue cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon. What is your favorite wine and cheese combo? P.S. Wedding planner Emma and caterer extraordinaire Carlo totally know their pairings. Now, if they could only figure out their happily ever after. Find out how they do in NEVER A BRIDE. Grab your copy at https://amzn.to/3GRVFxt or grab the box set of all three AT THE SHORE series books for only 5.99 at https://amzn.to/44Z0M6Y.

wine and cheese pairing

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Happy National Daiquiri Day

Happy National Daiquiri Day! Before margaritas and tequila became the favorite drinks for many, we used to have daiquiris with rum as our fav fruity drink. I especially liked frozen strawberry margaritas, and today I’m sharing a simple recipe for one you can make at home in a blender! P.S. The ladies of the At the Shore books would absolutely sip one of these while chilling down the Jersey Shore! If you haven’t tried out this fun series of beach reads, grab the first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, for only 99 cents at https://amzn.to/4f3aNot.

Ingredients

To Make the Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

To make the daiquiri:

1 pound frozen strawberries
4 tablespoons simple syrup
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup white/light rum
1 cup crushed ice

Directions

To Make the Simple Syrup:
Place 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a pan. Heat until sugar is totally dissolved. This may take 2-5 minutes. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, use it to make the daiquiri, but you can also use it to sweeten other things. The simple syrup with this ratio will last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

To make the daiquiri:
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Place frozen daiquiri into tall glasses. Garnish with a strawberry, lime slice/peel, and a straw! ENJOY! P.S. If the mix is not sweet enough, add some more of the simple syrup. You can also substitute agave nectar for the syrup, but be careful because it is a lot sweeter than simple syrup.

national daiquiri day

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Summer Tomato Salad

There is nothing better than a ripe tomato fresh off the vine. I’ve been lucky to have picked a few already and decided to make them in a summer tomato salad recipe that comes from my hubby’s family. It’s simple and tasty! P.S. I can totally see the women from the At the Shore series making this from tomatoes picked right out of their Jersey Shore garden! If you haven’t read this fun series of beach reads about friends finding their happily ever afters, check them out. The first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, is specially priced at 99 cents! Grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4f3aNot.

Ingredients

2-3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 tsp salt
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small vidalia/red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basil, sliced (aka chiffonade)

Directions

Toss tomato wedges with the salt in a bowl. Let them sit for at least half an hour. If you can do it for longer, even better. When you are ready to serve, take the basil leaves and roll them together like a cigar. Slice them across the rolled leaves. This is known as a chiffonade. You don’t want to do this too early, as the basil can brown. Add to the tomatoes and oil. Add onions and toss. Serve with some nice bread to soak up the oil and tomato juices!

summer tomato salad

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