Seriously, I decided to use garlic in this dish as a second veggie side with cherry tomatoes. Therefore, it had to be a significant amount of garlic to feed 2 people, smile. Plus, garlic is extremely healthy. I technically killed two birds with one stone. Furthermore, to make it easier, this meal only uses two seasonings for everything, my basting olive oil and my dry seasoning.
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $8.30 or $4.15 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 salmon steaks, pat dry ($4.50)
1 ½ tsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.25)
2 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (.50)
 
30 garlic cloves (.50)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, rinsed, pat dry ($1.10)
1 avocado cut in cubes ($1.25)
Green onions to garnish (.20)
 
Directions
Season the salmon steaks with my basting olive oil and my dry seasoning. Refrigerate.
Simmer the asparagus briefly in salted water to-taste until bright green, drain, set aside.
In a skillet over med-high saute the garlic and cherry tomatoes until golden brown.
Add the salmon steaks and cook just until the meat looks opaque and golden brown.
Remove from skillet, add the asparagus and sauté until golden.
Cut the avocado and start plating your yummy meal.

My Links:
Angie’s Dry Seasonings: http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings
Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

​Unfortunately, where I live I can’t find ajicitos dulces, unless I travel to Florida. Therefore, I have to be creative to still make a yummy sofrito. Smile! So I make my sofrito, freeze it in cupcake molds and use it as needed in my kitchen.
 
Category:  Meals Seasoning
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   15 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $6.45 or .54 cents per disk
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   __√__   Vegetarian _√___ 
Servings: 12 disks per mold
 
Ingredients
½ of a large bunch of Cilantro, rinsed and chopped (.60)
1 bunch of Culantro, rinsed and chopped ($1.25)
2 Celery stalk and leaves, rinsed and chopped (.30)
¼ c. Fresh Rosemary, rinsed, needles detach and stem discarded (.50)
¼ c. Fresh Sage leaves, rinsed, leaves detach and stem discarded (.50)
½ large red bell pepper, rinsed, stem and seeds discarded ($1.00)
15 garlic cloves, peeled and top removed (.60)
1 large onion, chopped (.70)
1 to 1 ½ cups of beef or chicken broth ($1.00)
 
Directions
Purchase the ingredients, and follow the directions I wrote next to them.
In a blender or a food processor, add at least half to fill, add some of the broth to make the machine run smooth and keep adding until you process all the ingredients. I want my sofrito to have some liquid in order to pour into the molds and freeze it perfectly.
Once frozen, remove from the baking mold and place in a sealed plastic bag or container to use as needed.

​Pork tenders are almost always my first choice when cooking pork. However, when I think about a side other than potatoes, ÑAME comes to mind as an excellent choice. Why? Simply because the flavor and texture is a winner, especially when you drizzle over the yummy drippings from the skillet where you cooked the pork.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $7.55 or $3.78 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free  
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
½ of a large pork tenderloin filet clean of all fat, cut in bite size and season. ($1.60)
¼ c. Angie’s basting olive oil ($1.50)
1 ½ tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning for the pork and the sautéed garlic and onions (.25)
1 onion, chopped (.30)
10 garlic, chopped (.40)
1 med size broccoli floret (.75)
½ bag of ÑAME ($1.20)
1 Avocado ($1.25)
Scallions for garnish (.30)
 
Directions
Season the pork tenderloin bites, refrigerate.
Sauté garlic and onion in 1 tbsp. of my basting olive oil until golden. Set aside.
In a saucepan with salted water to-taste, add the ½ bag of ÑAME, bring to a boil and cook according to the bag directions.
Few minutes before the ÑAME is done, add the broccoli florets to the saucepan and cook briefly until bright green.
In a skillet with a generous amount of my basting oil, cook the pork tenderloin bites over med, making sure they are 100% cooked, golden and tender. The reason for being generous with the basting oil is that after the pork is cooked, you will use all the flavors of the oil drizzled over the ÑAME and broccoli. Yummy!
Grab some green onions to garnish, slice the avocado and start plating this beauty dish. Enjoy!

So, today I thought about developing a different kind of healthier Poblano peppers recipe. No cheese and no ground beef added to it, instead I cut in bite size and seasoned two salmon steaks and 6 Jumbo shrimp, sautéed onions and garlic, stuffed the peppers, placed them over my favorite; cauliflower spaghetti with my own pesto recipe and BOOM, my husband went for seconds in a hurry, smile.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $16.80 or $8.40 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   
Servings: 2+
 
Ingredients
2 med size salmon filet cut in bite pieces ($4.50)
6 jumbo shrimp cut in bite pieces ($5.00)
1 large poblano pepper, roasted, cleaned and cut lengthwise ($1.00)
½ onion (30)
5 garlic cloves (.30)
¼ c. Angie’s basting olive oil (or any basting or olive oil of your choice) ($1.40)
1 tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (or the seasoning of your choice) (.20)
3 tbsp. Angie’s Pesto Sauce recipe (or store bought pesto) ($1.20)
 
½ box of Cauliflower Spaghetti ($1.50)
1 beef bouillon (to season the spaghetti water) (.15)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
Directions
Clean, pat dry and cut the med size salmon filet and 6 jumbo shrimp in bite size pieces.
Season with Angie’s basting olive oil (or any basting or olive oil of your choice) and Angie’s dry seasoning (or the seasoning of your choice). Refrigerate.
 
Roast the poblano pepper until charred, place in paper bag for 5 minutes, then remove all skin, clean it and cut lengthwise. Set aside.
Chop briefly the onion and garlic and sauté in 1 tsp. of my basting oil.
Add the seafood to the skillet and cook briefly until the salmon and shrimp becomes pale and done. (DO NOT OVER COOKED)
Next, in a saucepan half way full of water, add beef bouillon pack to season the spaghetti water. Bring it to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook following the box directions, about 8 minutes. Drain immediately, add the pesto sauce, stir well and plate it.
Place half the poblano pepper over the spaghetti, scoop in a generous amount of seafood.
Slice the avocado and drop tiny dollops of pesto over the pasta. Sprinkle with any herbs you may have in the garden or fridge. DONE!
 
My Links:
Angie’s Dry Seasonings: http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil
Angie’s Homemade Pesto   http://www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/angies-homemade-basil-pesto-sauce

Wild Alaska Halibut is another white flaky fish that does not require a lot of cooking. It is quite expensive, however, you can purchase a frozen bag at Sam’s for about $20. My recipe today uses only 2 main ingredients, an avocado and only 2 seasonings for everything. That makes it for an easy and uncomplicated meal. Go cooking child!
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $12.60 or $6.30 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 small to med size halibut filet cut in half or diagonal ($8.00)
½ lb. asparagus, bottoms cut and rinsed well ($2.00)
1 tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (1/2 for the fish and ½ for the asparagus) (.20)
2 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (.60)
1 lemon (.55)
1 avocado ($1.25)
Kiwi and sun dried tomato salad (optional)
 
Directions
Cut the fish filet in half or diagonal, then season with ½ tbsp. of my dry seasoning and 1 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil. Refrigerate.
 
To prep the asparagus, cut the hard bottoms and rinse well. Next, steam them briefly just to soften them a bit. Finally, drain the little water and set them aside to dry almost completely before sautéing them in the pan where you will sauté the fish.
 
In a nonstick skillet or iron skillet, over med-high, add the fish and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from skillet and add the asparagus to sauté briefly. Prep a salad as a side if you want. You are ready to serve this meal.
 
My Link:
Angie’s Dry Seasonings: http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

Last year, I saw this gentleman, Chef Grego, on Facebook, cooking his creation of the traditional Puerto Rican pasteles. However, instead of individual pasteles wrapped in banana leaves, he made one big pastel in a tray. That was genius. I was very impressed with the simplicity of his process and the outcome of his creation, since I have made pasteles the old fashion way and I can assure you that they are not easy and are time consuming to make. So, I decided to follow somewhat his recipe and process to make the hard traditional dish using his creative way; in a tray. Thanks Chef.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Recipe prep is divided in 3 days.
Difficulty Level:  Advanced
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 8 to 10 servings per tray
 
PUERTO RICAN “PASTEL CASSEROLE” IN ALUMINUM TRAY
I actually spread out the preparation components over 3 days to make the prep easier.
 
Day #1: I Made the achiote oil. Then made the chicken broth and refrigerate.
Day #2: I Made the filling: I cooked the pork, allow it to cool and refrigerate.
Day #3: I Made the masa, assemble the pastel tray and baked it.
 
Equipment Needed:
14-cup food processor, or a blender, or a box grater (I used a box grater this time to make them authentic, smile.
Vegetable peeler, parchment paper, banana leaves (2 small size to cover bottom of the tray and the top after filled and before it goes into the oven.)
 
Day #1: Achiote Oil (Can Be Made One-week Ahead)
1 to ½ c. olive oil.
½ c. achiote seeds. (find them in any Spanish/Latin- or Hispanic market)
Cook in a saucepan in med. low until the oil color intensifies for about 10 minutes.
 
For the Broth- (Use either chicken or beef broth. It can be made many days ahead)
Black peppercorns to taste, 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed, 2 bay leaves and the meat or bones of choice. OR USE regular store bought beef or chicken broth.
 
Day #2: I made the pork filling: These are the ingredients for the pastel filling.
1 ½ to 2 lb. pork shoulder fully cleaned
1 cup sofrito separated
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sazón with Achiote
2 tsp. adobo plus more to taste
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 small can tomato sauce
10 + salad olives
2 tablespoon capers, drained
3 large bay leaves
½ c.  jarred roasted red pepper sliced (optional)
½ c. chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained from the can and rinsed (optional)
 
Marinate the Pork (may be done up to 3 days ahead)

1. Remove the all the fat and the top skin from the meat, discard.
2. Dice the pork shoulder into small chunks: in squares about ½ " big.
3. In a non-reactive mixing bowl, olive oil, sazón, adobo, oregano, and black pepper.
4. Add the garlic to the bowl.
5. Mix the marinade until smooth. 
6. Add the diced meat to the bowl and toss it in the marinade to coat it thoroughly.
7. Cover the bowl and allow the meat to marinate for at least a day in the refrigerator. 

 
Cook the Pork Filling (can be done 1 day ahead)

1. Preheat a cooking pot over medium-low heat with 1 tbsp. of oil. Then Increase the heat to medium-high heat.
2. Next, add the marinated pork to the pot and brown it over medium-heat heat for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the sofrito to the pot and stir for couple of minutes. 
4. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, sliced olives, capers, (roasted peppers, chickpeas) and bay leaves.
5. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the temperature to med-low. Cover the pot and allow the meat to simmer for 45 minutes, until tender.
6. Once tender, the pork filling can be used right away or refrigerated for up to 2 days.

 
Day #3: INGREDIENTS for the Masa (Green Banana Pastel
6 (very green cooking bananas)
2 yautías (malanga) fresh not frozen
½ small calabaza (pumpkin) fresh not frozen
¼ - to ½ c. achiote oil plus more for oiling the banana leaves
½ to ¾ c. beef or chicken broth
adobo to taste
 
Prepare the Root Vegetables for the Masa de Guineos 
Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of hot tap water. Stir in 1/4 cup of salt into the water.

1. Use a knife cut off both ends of the bananas. Take the tip of your knife and make a slit down the back and front of each banana.
2. Place the bananas into the hot salted water and leave the peel to soften while you prep the remaining root vegetables.
3. Remove the tough rind from the calabaza. Cut the calabaza into 2-inch chunks and throw them into the bowl of saltwater with the bananas.
4. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the yautía, rinse and cut it in fourths, lengthwise. Add it to the bowl with the calabaza.
5. The peels of the bananas should be soft enough to remove by now. Peel each and return them to the bowl of water.

 
Make the Masa (The easy way, smile)

• Set up your food processor with the grater blade. Turn the machine on and add the bananas and root veggies you have soaking in the saltwater to shred them.
• Remove the grating blade and replace it with the processing blade.
• Add 1/4 of the shredded veggie mix to the food processor bowl. Puree the mix for 1-2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl.
• Puree the mix for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the masa resembles peanut butter.
• Scoop the masa out of the bowl and into a separate mixing bowl. Continue pureeing the remaining veggies in batches the same way.
• After pureeing the masa, use a large spoon to combine. The masa should be smooth- free of lumps- thick, and almost spongy.
• Add ¼ to ½ cup of achiote oil to the masa in the bowl. The more oil you add, the more orange, and looser, soft your masa will be.
• Add ½ cup-1 cup of the broth to the masa to make it smoother.
• Test the Pastel masa for Seasonings Before begin to assemble the Pastel

 
What do you Need to Assemble the Pastel in a Tray:
1 med size aluminum tray (and 1 larger, to add couple inches of water and place the pastel tray inside.)
2 pieces of prepared (fresh or frozen) banana leaves.
¼ c. achiote oil
1 batch masa de guineo (banana dough)
1 batch pork filling
 
How to assemble the Pastel in a Tray:

1. Cut the banana leaves into 2 rectangles, one that measure 10 x 8” and one 11 x 9”. 
2. Gather the rest of the components to make the pastel: the pork filling, masa, any add-ins (red pepper slices and olives), and the achiote oil.
3. Lay a banana leaf in the bottom of the aluminum tray. Spread a tablespoon of the achiote oil onto the tray and onto the banana leaf.
4. Take large spoonsful of the masa and spread it on top of the leaf of about 1 ½ inches thick.      
5. Top the masa with the pork filling, followed by tablespoon of the broth from the pork filling. 
6. Top the meat with more masa.
7. Add more broth to the top to make it look wet. This will make the masa softer. 
8. Cover with aluminum foil tight
9. Cook at 400 degrees in Bain-Marie for about 1 ½ to 2 hours checking ½ way through.

 
GENERAL NOTES:
Serve your Tray Pastel as is, or with Pernil, Arroz con Gandules, and potato salad, or with a side salad. 
 
To Freeze the Cooked Pork Filling or the Masa:

• Allow the meat to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or storage bag. Freeze the pork for up to 2 months. Thaw the meat a day before as needed. 
• The masa can be made a day in advance and refrigerated in a sealed container. Don't store it in the fridge for more than 24 hours or the masa will start to brown.
• Freeze the masa for 6 months: prepare as instructed, then transfer the masa to a freezer storage bag. Once you're ready to make your pastel, thaw it completely in the refrigerator. Hang the masa in a nut bag or cheesecloth bag for one hour to remove excess water that may have accumulated during freezing. 

•  pastel, thaw it completely in the refrigerator. Hang the masa in a nut bag or cheesecloth bag for one hour to remove excess water that may have accumulated during freezing. 

My method is so simple and convenient. I am sure that you will like the idea of having your sides ready for the week. You won’t need to think about what side to cook any day, BOOM. Smile.
 
Category:  SIDES  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: 45 Minutes to an Hour
Approximate Cost: $ 13.69 or $2.74 per serving for 2 people
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free, vegetarian   
Servings: 5 to 6 days for 2 people
 
Ingredients
1 cauliflower head, clean and florets detached ($2.89)
1 large broccoli head, rinsed, florets detached and core discarded ($1.50)
½ bag of organic rainbow carrots, peeled, ends cut (Trader Joe’s-@ $2.89/bag ($1.45)
1 ½ c. of Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, bottoms cut and cut in 4 ($1.75)
1 large sweet potato, rinsed, peeled and cut in French fries’ style ($1.10)
3+ large beets, rinsed, peeled and cut in half ($2.50)
1 med red cabbage, (outer leaves removed, keep few leaves whole), cut in small pieces, put in your food processor with some cilantro, or celery or culantro. ($1.00)
½ c. Angie’s basting olive oil or the olive oil of your choice ($1. 50)
 
Directions

1. Arrange some of the prepped veggies in rows in a roasting pan, as I did in my slide presentation.
2. Prep the beets and place them in aluminum foil to roast separated from other veggies.
3. Add a generous amount of my basting oil, or the one of your choice to the beets, the veggies tray and rub well.
4. Cover and refrigerate until time to roast them at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
5. Next, add half of the broccoli and cauliflower florets to a food processor and process to get a full size of container of my Cauli-Brocco Rice. Mine rendered 6 to 7 cups of rice.
6. Next, cut your French sweet potato fries and place in a Ziploc bag to oven fry them when needed.

 
My Links:
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

I have a little secret, I learned to cook with shallots from my own son, smile.
Shallots are very popular in gourmet cooking, especially, by well-known chefs and French cooking shows. That said, it doesn’t mean that a home cook can’t use it regularly. The only reason why not would be the price, because they are not cheap; perhaps because they are imported to the U.S., as I heard that they do not grow well in our country. I say they are somewhat affordable. Either way, this year I am planning to grow some in my garden to see what I will end up with, smile.

But what is a shallot? A shallot is not an onion but it is a very closed relative of it. You can use it instead of an onion. The flavor is more like a combination of garlic and onion together. It comes in different sizes and it has a sweet flavor as opposed to onions that can come in light and strong flavors.

As far as cooking, I use shallots in my salad dressings and in some salsas. Also, when I chop parsley, garlic, olive oil and chopped shallots to drizzle over steaks, just like I would do with chimichurri, or in stir fry, in fact, I have a stir fry recipe and post that I may use this week.
​
Overall, let’s give shallots a try in our kitchens and gardens this year. On my end, I will get some bulbs from my garden center and will let you know if I was successful later this year or if I failed. Smile. 

​I only season my filet mignon with salt and fresh ground pepper. Those are the only seasoning ingredients that you will need for the meat. To make this dish interesting, I used fresh cauliflower florets in a warm salad. My inspiration came from the chicken piccata that I made a while back. I added capers and lemon peel, then came up with whatever ingredients I had in my fridge/pantry and BAMMM, my new recipe was born.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $20.75 or $10.38 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2+
 
Ingredients
2 med. size Filet mignon cut stakes ($15.50)
2 tbsp. of olive oil (.30)
Salt and pepper to taste for the filets (0)
2 c. Cauliflower florets (steamed briefly) ($1.20)
2 tbsp. Capers, drained (.70)
1 Lemon for the juice and lemon peel (.60)
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil ($1.25)
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (.10)
1 ½ tsp. of Lemon pepper (.10)
1 med. size red onion, chopped in large pieces (.40)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (.10)
1 c. chopped cilantro (.50)
 
Directions
Clean and season the filets, refrigerate. Steam the cauliflower florets, drain, set aside.
Add ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil to a skillet and bring to med. heat. Add the chopped red onion, garlic, sauté briefly and then add apple cider vinegar, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon peel, capers and chopped cilantro. Cook for about 3 minutes, add the steamed cauliflower florets until they are warm enough, mix well and remove from heat, drizzle lemon juice. Meantime, sear the filet in its olive oil marinate over med-high to your desired finish; rare med-well, etc. Plate and drizzle the flavorful oil over them. Ready to plate. Enjoy!

As always, make sure that you get your seafood from reliable sources and fishmongers. This is a nice flaky fish, like cod, snapper and tilapia. The best part is that it takes no time to prepare it.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Approximate Cost: $11.07 or 5.54 per serving
Difficulty Level: Easy
Allergens: Gluten Free
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients for the fish (3.68)
2 haddock filet (or any other white fish) ($2.83)
1 tbsp. Olive oil to marinate plus ½ tsp. to sauté (.40)
2 springs of Rosemary (.25)
1 tbsp. Adobo (.20)
 
Ingredients for the salad ($4.85)
2 cups of spinach to put the fish over ($1.50)
1 large Tomato cut in small pieces (.40)
1 tbsp. Feta cheese (.50)
1 tbsp. Hot Banana Peppers (.30)
1 avocado ($1.25)
2 tbsp. olive oil (.65)
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar (.15)
Salt and pepper to taste (.10)
 
1 box 11 oz. Goya Ripe Plantains ($2.24)
1 lemon cut in four slices to garnish (.30)
 
Directions
Pat dry the fish and season with 1 tbsp. olive oil and Adobo to taste. Refrigerate.
To make the salad, add the ingredients listed under salad in this recipe, however, on a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar salt and pepper, then add the Feta cheese. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.
Remove the plantains from the box, place in a microwave safe baking dish and cook according to box directions. Set aside.
In a skillet, add ½ tsp. of olive oil and sauté the fish until done but not over cooked, about 3 minutes per side.
Peel, slice the avocados in ½, add salt & pepper to taste.
Serve and don't forget to garnish well with spinach, scallions and lemon, it tastes amazing.