Category: Cook’s Treat from Caridad

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

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Tasty Eggplant Mushroom Ravioli

I felt inspired the other day as we were cleaning out some things from my mother-in-law’s home and I discovered a very old ravioli wheel cutter. I suspect that it was my hubby’s grandmother’s tool which made it very special for me. Because of that, I decided to give it a go and make some ravioli. Since I had an eggplant and some mushrooms in the fridge that needed to be cooked, I decided to use them for the filling! I was a little worried about how it would work out, but they came out very well, although I have to confess I used pre-made lasagna sheets for the pasta dough instead of making it myself. Still, nom nom. They came out very tasty and I will definitely make them again! P.S. – If you like seeing recipes like these, you can visit my Cook’s Treat section on the website or download a copy of Recipes for the Romantic Soul which contains recipes and excerpts from some of my books. It’s available for free with Kindle Unlimited!

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 pound mushrooms, cut in half
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Lasagna/Pasta Sheets (usually available at Italian specialty stores like Pastosa or Uncle Guiseppes)
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan
Olive oil (as needed)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

I find that roasting vegetables always imparts a lot more flavor and so I decided to roast the eggplant, mushrooms, and garlic. I roasted the eggplants and mushrooms separately since mushrooms have a lot of water and I didn’t want the eggplant to steam instead of roast. I roasted the garlic with the eggplants.

To roast, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the eggplant and garlic with oil and some salt and pepper. Place on a greased pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Repeat with the mushrooms.

Cool the roasted vegetables until room temperature. Once cool, place it into a food processor and chop until almost like a pate.

Place the eggplant/mushroom/garlic mix into a bowl. Add the ricotta and parmesan and mix.

Layout your pasta sheets. Make sure to keep the sheets you’re not using under damp paper or kitchen towels as they will dry out and be difficult to work if they dry out.

Place around 2 tbsp of filling about 2 inches apart on the pasta sheets. Wet the area all around the filling with water in order to get a good seal. Place a sheet on top of the sheet with the filling and press down to create a seal. Also, try to ease out any air from around the edges since too much air around the filling will cause them to explode in the boiling water. Press down around the edges to seal.

I used a sharp knife to cut the ravioli into squares and then used grandma’s ravioli wheel cutter to seal the edges with that distinctive fluted edge you see on ravioli.

While I was roasting the veggies, I made a quick marinara sauce in a large flat skillet. Why flat? Because I wanted to give a last minute or two of cook to the ravioli in the sauce. Lately I do that a lot with my pasta because I find that it gets a lot more flavor when I finish the pasta in the sauce.

Back to the ravioli! Since it’s fresh pasta, it will cook quickly. Usually only a few minutes. You’ll know when the ravioli rise to the surface. At that point you can remove them and give them those last few minutes of cooking in the marinara sauce.

Remove from the sauce into a pasta bowl. Spoon some sauce over the ravioli and top with fresh basil and more parmesan! Bon Appetit!

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Abuela’s Spanish Tortilla

My Spanish grandmother was an absolutely fabulous cook! She could make anything taste fantastic. One of the dishes she would make often is a tortilla. Now, a Spanish tortilla is not like the Mexican tortillas you use for burritos, etc. A Spanish tortilla is basically an omelet or Italian frittata. Traditionally it’s made with thin slices of potato and onions fried in olive oil and covered with beaten eggs. But it wasn’t unusual for my grandmother to make it with leftovers like some chopped ham or my dad’s favorite, with sweet ripe plantains. My favorite was her tortilla with only sweet peas and onions. My hubby likes it with just potatoes and onions but I often sneak peas into there as well. When fridge cleaning, I may add asparagus, peppers, and whatever cheese I have handy. Also, my grandmother could, even at 80, flip a tortilla in a cast iron skillet. As strong as I am, I can’t do that now which is why my recipe bakes and broils the tortilla.

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, skin on, cut into small cubes (I like Yukon gold potatoes)
1 onion (either white or yellow)
1 cup frozen peas (microwaved to defrost)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup half and half (or milk, but not skim)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
10 inch cast iron skillet (or some other ovenproof and stovetop proof pan)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees to prep it for final steps in making the tortilla.

Use about 3 tbsp olive oil in skillet and heat until oil is shimmering. Add potatoes and fry until browned. In a traditional Spanish tortilla with slices they don’t take them that far, but I prefer the browned potatoes.

Remove potatoes from oil and add onions. Salt the onions to help them soften. Cook until soft, but not browned.

While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs with the half and half. DO NOT SALT the eggs at this point (or when making scrambled eggs. Makes them too hard).

When onions are ready, add the peas and potatoes back into the skillet. If needed, add a little more oil so that eggs won’t stick.

Add eggs and make sure peas, potatoes, and onions are evenly distributed in the egg mix. Cook on the stove for about four or five minutes.

Remove from stove and place in the pre-warmed oven. Cook for about ten minutes and then broil until top is slightly toasty!

Hubby and I love cheese so we often will top the tortilla with cheese and then bake and broil it.

You can serve the tortilla either hot or cold. Having a party? Cut into cubes and skewer with toothpicks for an easy appetizer.

Also, like I mentioned before, a tortilla is a good way to use up leftovers. Ham. Tomatoes. Asparagus. Sweet potatoes. Peppers. I like mushrooms so I cook and add those. Maybe some Spanish chorizo (Mexican can be too spicy). Of course, cheese. Cheddar, blue cheese, Swiss, ricotta, mozzarella. Anything that melts well and that you like!

Make your tortilla your own! P.S. Want more tasty food inspirations? Try SOUTH BEACH LOVE to be motivated! You can download it at https://amzn.to/48xDjKD or sign up for my newsletter at https://bit.ly/CaridadsNewsletter and download a copy for free!

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Delicious Papa Rellena Recipes

It was such a treat whenever my grandmother made papa rellenas for us! Funny thing is, it’s often a treat made from leftovers like the ones in the photo. The potatoes in that stuffed potato were from some “mashed browns” from PJ’s Pancake House. Normally the papa rellenas are made from plain boiled potatoes but I’ll tell you two little secrets about making them easier. For starters, bake or microwave the potatoes. That helps control the moisture (also true for making gnocchis). Second secret: have some instant mashed potato flakes handy. I also use them to thicken soups and sauces when needed instead of either corn starch or flour. Normally the potatoes are stuffed with picadillo which is a tasty ground beef with peppers, onions, olives, and tomato sauce. But feel free to make these your own! Substitute some Sloppy Joe mix. Maybe add some cheese. You name it. The hardest part is making the potato patty (unless you follow my two secrets). Another secret: You can totally air fry or bake these to make them healthier. Papa Rellenas were once only appetizers but are now usually served as a meal with rice on the side. Make a dip with mayochup or a remoulade. I use Yummy Yummy sauce because it’s so – lol – Yummy! P.S. This is totally the kind of recipe that the Gonzalez family from the South Beach Security series would have for a meal. To learn more about them, check out the first book in the series Lost in Little Havana. You can download it at https://amzn.to/48MZZ8U.

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (baked or boiled)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp butter
2 cups picadillo (or other stuffing)
1-2 eggs, beaten
2 cups regular Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup regular Panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for frying

Directions

Make the picadillo or prep whatever other stuffing you want to use. I make the picadillo ahead and let it cool because it’s easier to handle and also not as wet when it’s cooled.

If you’re boiling the potatoes, peel, cook until fork tender, drain and mash. You may want to let the mashed potatoes cook a little more on the flame to dry them.

If you’re baking or microwaving, leave them in their skin, cook until fork tender, and then cool. Scoop out the insides and mash. Bonus: You can make something else with the potato skins.

Add the cornstarch and butter to the mashed potatoes and mix. The mix should be stiff enough to form a ball and if not, add those magical instant potato flakes. Oil your hands to make forming the patties and balls easier. Form a ball with the mashed potatoes and then flatten it into a patty a little larger than the palm of your hand.

Fill the center of the patty with your filling and then bring all the sides of the potato patty up and around the filling. Smooth out the ball, roll it around in the beaten egg, and then roll around in the bread crumbs (mixed regular and Panko), making sure that the entire surface is covered.

I air fry mine so I place them on the creased wire basket that goes with my toaster oven. I give all sides a spray with vegetable oil.

If you’re baking them, place on a greased baking tray, crank up your oven to 400 degrees and make sure you turn them about halfway through the bake (10 minutes or so).

If frying, heat the oil to about 350 and deep fry until golden brown.

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Chicken a la Paprikash: Dish fit for a Prince

Today’s Tuesday Tip is a recipe for Chicken a la Paprikash! Why not just Chicken Paprikash? I took some liberties by adding mushrooms since I’m trying to boost how many veggies we’re eating as well as using a mix of red and yellow peppers. This is a relatively easy dish to make and oh-so-tasty. Definitely a dish fit for a prince like Alexander from The Prince’s Gamble! I can definitely see Alexander having something like during a trip to Hungary and offering it up to the guests in his Atlantic City Casino. You can read more about Prince Alexander at https://amzn.to/3uuJkZE. For now, here’s the recipe for Chicken a la Paprikash!

Ingredients

16 ounces chicken breast, sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
14.5 ounce can Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes (drained)
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat butter and oil in pot and add peppers. Sauté until slightly softened. Add chicken and brown. You can make this by just cooking the chicken in the sauce later, but I find browning it adds more taste to the dish.

Add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until softened. Add the 4 tbsp paprika to bloom the spice. I was able to get some wonderful paprika from Budapest but if you can’t, Simply Organic’s paprika is wonderful. Make sure it’s sweet paprika and not hot paprika.

Sauté for a few minutes and then add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a low simmer and reduce the liquid by half.

While the liquid is reducing, mix the 2 tbsp of flour into the sour cream. This will help keep the sour cream from splitting when you add it to the hot mixture of peppers, chicken, etc.

Cook for another 10 minutes or so. Salt and pepper to taste. I served it over rice because I love rice but paprikash is traditionally served with Hungarian dumplings, known as nokedli. Nokedli are very similar to spaetzle and if you can’t get either of those, egg noodles make a great substitute.

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Arroz Con Pollo-Scrumptious and Easy

Yesterday I mentioned that Escape the Everglades was a slow burn kind of book because the hero, ex-marine Carlos Ruiz, is a single dad. I can totally picture Carlos cooking up a big batch of chicken and rice because it’s easy to make, keeps well if you’re running late, and also makes for great leftovers. Did I mention it’s not all that expensive to make as well? So, today I’m sharing my recipe for chicken and rice. I’ve found that the easiest way to make this dish is in the oven, although you start it on the stove. If you have Corning Ware, Le Creuset or some other stove to oven cookware, even better. Who wants to spend time cleaning pots? If you want to find out more about Escape the Everglades, please visit https://amzn.to/3HqJHaN.

Ingredients

One fryer chicken, cut into pieces (Alternatively, 4 thighs and 2 breasts cut in half)
Olive oil
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 cup chopped red & green peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups white rice
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
1 tsp BIJOL (this is a coloring agent you can find in the Latin cooking section of your market)
1 Spanish chorizo (also in the Latin section)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In your pot, put in a little olive oil and brown the chicken. Remove chicken from the pot and set to the side.

In the same pot, add the red and green peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes. Then add the chorizo and the onions. Sauté for another 5 and add the garlic for just a minute. Then add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano and wine.

Simmer for about 15 minutes to get rid of the raw tomato taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the 2 cups water and also, the Bijol. Give it a stir and add the rice. Stir again to mix and then add the chicken pieces. Arrange the chicken pieces so they are spread throughout the pot.

If you don’t have stove to oven cookware, make it in a regular pan and then move it a large enough rectangular aluminum foil pan.

Place the mixture in the oven and cover tightly. Cook for about 30 to 45 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

To serve, fluff the rice and top with canned sweet peas and some sliced roasted red peppers.

If you can’t imagine eating peas straight out of the can, you can add frozen peas to the mixture in the oven during the last ten minutes of cooking. I’ve actually started using only the frozen peas. They hold up better and keep their color better.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

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Caldo Verde

On a cold winter day, there’s nothing better than a bowl of nice, hot soup. One of my favorite soups is a Portuguese soup called Caldo Verde. We have a large Portuguese population in New Jersey and you’ll find this soup in many of the Portuguese restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark and some of the towns along the water. My hero in Never a Bride, Carlos da Costa, is Portuguese and his family lives in the Ironbound. I had fun showing that culture in the story and sharing his strong family ethic which is something the heroine, Emma, has never had which is why she’s shy of marriage even though she’s a wedding planner. LOL! You can find out more about Never a Bride at https://amzn.to/47QkK3n. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!

Ingredients

2 chourico sausage (or Spanish chorizo sausage – not fresh Mexican chorizo)
32 ounces Chicken Broth (paper container)
16 ounces water
2 cups chopped Tuscan Kale (or regular kale)(Ribs removed)
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes (cut into medium chunks)
1 large onion chopped
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Slice chorizo into 1/4 rings. Heat olive oil in pot. Add chorizo and cook through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions to the oil and cook until soft. About 4 or 5 minutes.

Add potatoes, chicken broth, and water and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.

In the traditional recipe, you would blend this potato, onion, and liquid for a smooth consistency. I prefer it chunky, but leave it up to you and your own taste.

Add kale and cooked chorizo and simmer for another 5 or so minutes. Serve and make sure each bowl gets some chorizo.

Serve with a nice hard roll or Italian bread and maybe some Manchego cheese and red wine. A perfect winter meal!

If you can’t get chorizo, use kielbasa or a similar sausage. Don’t like kale? Substitute swiss chard or spinach!

caldo verde

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Tasty Kielbasa Pig in a Blanket

We love having pigs in a blanket as an appetizer for Christmas Eve, but this year my daughter found a new recipe for a variation on the traditional cocktail frank with crescent roll recipe. This tasty variation substitutes kielbasa for the dog and instead of the crescent rolls, you use sheets of pie crust. To make it even tastier, you roll the pie crust in everything bagel topping! The pigs in a blanket were delicious and everyone loved them.

I know what other dogs you might love – the ones in Decoy Training which you can find for free on Kindle Unlimited. You’ll love this story about a military hero trying to rebuild his life and train the dog who saved him in Afghanistan to do Search and Rescue.

Ingredients

1 Kielbasa sausage (14 oz rope sausage)
1 package pie crust sheets
Everything Bagel Topping

Directions

Remove the pie crust sheets from the wrappers and let them warm until they are soft enough to work, usually about half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut kielbasa rope sausage in half (not the long way, just in the middle). Roll a pastry sheet around one half of the keilbasa. Repeat with the other half.

Sprinkle everything bagel topping on the pie crust. You may want to sprinkle the topping on a cutting board and then roll the pastry-covered kielbasa in it to make sure you have enough topping on it.

Slice the pastry-covered kielbasa into 1/4 inch slices. Place the pastry-covered kielbasa slices on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with either ketchup, mustard, or honey mustard depending on your taste!

pig in a blanket

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