This is one of my favorite pork cuts, is very tasty and unbelievably tender. As always, I clean all the fat and replace with extra virgin olive oil, which is the base of my basting oil. Finally, look at the few ingredients that you will need to make this meal. Tempting right? Smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $6.04 or $3.02 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients for the Ribs ($3.19)
½ lb. (or 5 country style ribs) (@$4.78/lb.) ($2.39)
2 tbsp. Angie’s Basting oil (.50)
1 tbsp. Angie’s Dry Seasoning (.30)
 
Directions
Clean the ribs of any fat, pat dry, add 1 tbsp. of my basting oil and the dry seasoning. Refrigerate until the rice is done. When ready to cook, add 1 tbsp. basting oil to a skillet, brown on both sides, remove let them sit for 5 minutes before serving.
 
Ingredients for the Rice and Garnish ($2.85)
1 c. parboiled long grain rice (.75)
1 tsp. Angie’s Basting oil (.25)
1 tsp. Angie’s Dry Seasoning (.35)
1 Sazón envelope (.25)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
Directions for the Rice
Bring 2 c. water to a boil.
Add 1 tsp. of my dry seasoning, 1 Sazon, 1 tsp. of basting oil and 1 cup of rice.
Stir, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
 
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

​These jumbo cupcakes were done in no time. My neighbor went on a long trip and recently came back home. I decided that a welcome home unexpected goody was needed to make them feel comfy and forget the long drive. Therefore, I rushed to my kitchen and bake the cupcakes that hopefully made their day, smile. I think that sweet Fiona approved! Smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $6.08 or .55 cents ea.
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 6 jumbo plus 5 regular size cupcakes
 
Ingredients
1 box of devils Food chocolate cake mix ($1.25)
3 eggs (.48)
1 c. Evaporated milk (.90)
1/3 c. Peanut oil (.90)
1 c. Milk chocolate chips (.55)
About 1 c. of Nutella to fill the cupcakes and spread over the tops ($2.00)
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl add the cake mix, milk, eggs and oil, beating well after each addition.
Fill the cupcake wraps about 2/3 of the way.
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes for jumbo, (do not peak) (or 15-17 for regular size) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
When done and at room temperature, fill them and cover the tops with Nutella.

Burgers don’t always need to be made with red meat or between bread buns with ketchup. They are delicious when you use ground pork and make them the focal point of your dish. Kind of a “fancier” burger, smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Approximate Cost: $13.93 or $6.97 per serving
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork ($4.49/lb.)
2 tsp. minced dried onions (.35)
2 tsp. Adobo (.30)
2 tsp. Paprika (.35)
1 ½ tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (1/2 to add to the mix and 1 to brown them in a skillet (.40)
1 cup of Orzo (.50)
5 dried Shiitake mushrooms ($1.00)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (.99)
2 cups of chicken broth ($1.25)
1 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (or use olive oil) (.40)
¼ c. Parmigiano-Reggiano ($2.50)
¼ cup Fresh parsley to garnish and to add few leaves to the orzo (.20)
1 avocado ($1.20)
 
Directions
Season the pork with ½ tsp. of olive oil and ½ tsp. Adobo, minced dried onions and 1 tsp. paprika.
Cut the dried shiitake mushrooms in pieces and hydrate them in the chicken broth.
Make the burgers and sauté them briefly in 1 tbsp. of oil, do not cook completely, just brown them. Remove from skillet, set aside.
In the same skillet and as needed add more oil, the chickpeas, some chopped parsley, paprika, ½ tsp. Adobo and 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, add the Orzo, bring to a second boil, reduce the heat to low and cook by stirring all the way until done.  
As needed add the second cup of broth gradually, until the orzo is tender and the final dish is creamy, not dried.
Then 3 minutes before serving, slice the avocado, scoop the orzo in the bowls, top with the burgers, garnish with fresh parsley and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
 
Bon Appetit!

​My twin daughter Suzy makes coffee cakes from scratch and her sister Neshy makes them from a simple recipe that takes no time. Both their coffeecakes taste super delicious. So, one day I was in a hurry and grabbed a box of yellow cake, follow the directions in the back of the box, quickly mixed powder cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar and chopped whatever nuts I had in the freezer; boom, I had coffee cake for breakfast in under 30 minutes. Not as good as Neshy and Suzy but saved my day, smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 MINUTES
Approximate Cost: $6.18 or .62 cents per coffee cake muffin
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 10
 
Ingredients
1 box of yellow or white cake mix ($1.50)
1 cup of evaporated milk (.90)
1/3 cup of peanut oil (.90)
3 eggs at room temperature (.48)
1 tbsp. each of powder cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and corn flour (.45)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (.20)
½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts pecans, almonds, etc.) ($1.25)
 
Directions
Mix the first 4 ingredients listed above with an electric mixer in a bowl.
Mix the last 3 ingredients in another bowl and set aside to sprinkle the coffee cakes.
Pour half an ice cream scooper mix in the cupcake wrappers, sprinkle with the cinnamon mix, add more batter to the wrappers, sprinkle again with the cinnamon mix and swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on the calibration of your oven. 

Is always nice to cook for family and friends. This sheet coffee cake is perfect to give away to nice friends to complement their morning coffee routine, smile. You can bake it in the morning, since it doesn’t take much time and before your friend leaves home, knock on the door and make their day.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 MINUTES
Approximate Cost: $6.18 or .62 cents per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 10 slices
 
Ingredients
1 box of yellow or white cake mix ($1.50)
1 cup of evaporated milk (.90)
1/3 cup of peanut oil (.90)
3 eggs at room temperature (.48)
1 tbsp. each of powder cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and corn flour (.45)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (.20)
½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts pecans, almonds, etc.) ($1.25)
 
Directions
Mix the first 4 ingredients listed above with an electric mixer in a bowl.
Mix the last 3 ingredients in another bowl and set aside to sprinkle the coffeecake.
Pour half the batter in a rectangular mold, sprinkle with the cinnamon mix, add what’s left of the batter, sprinkle again with the cinnamon mix and swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the calibration of your oven. 

Octopus is not a typical seafood that you eat weekly. For one thing, you don’t find it in grocery stores unless you order it through your fish monger. My daddy’s hobby was fishing. Often times, knowing that I love octopus, he would catch one and bring it home for me to cook it. Now, I never touched them while they were alive, (you know what I mean, smile). I learned early on to cook octopus, crabs, conch, fish, well; seafood, thanks to him!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $23.59 or $11.80 per serving
Difficulty Level:         Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
1 lb. cooked octopus ($19.99)
2 tbsp. Manzanilla olives (.35)
1 Onion (.40)
5 cloves garlic (.35)
¼ c. olive oil ($1.25)
1 tbsp. Roasted pimento, sliced in small pieces (.40)
1 tsp. Adobo with Sazon (.20)
1 Sazon envelope (.15)
1 lemon (.40)
 
Directions
Since this octopus was pre-cooked, I only rinse the tentacles, pat them dry and slice them.
Chop the onion, garlic in a skillet with 1 tbsp. of olive oil until light golden.
Add the seasoning, olives and pimento and stir.
Add the sliced octopus, lemon juice and cook just until the octopus warmed up, about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from stove and allow it to rest until you prepare the side that goes with this meal. You do not want to overcook the octopus because it will become tough.
HINT: Serve it with the MOFONGO recipe I posted yesterday! Smile. 

​MOFONGO is a typical Puerto Rican and Caribbean dish that consist of few simple ingredients; fried green plantains, tons of garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper, all mashed in a mortar with a pestle. Traditionally, you would add pork cracklings or pork rind and some people when lacking both of these ingredients use crispy bacon and its fat. I go the healthier way with olive oil and it works just fine.
 
TOMORROW: MOFONGO WITH GARLIC AIOLI OCTOPUS!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $5.15 or $1.72 per Mofongo ball
Difficulty Level: ______ Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 3
 
Ingredients
4 green plantains ($1.15)
Salted water (0)
2 c. peanut oil (to fry the plantains) ($2.50)
 
3 garlic cloves (.30)
Salt (.10)
Pepper (.10)
Olive oil (to add to the plantains while you are mashing them) ($1.00)
 
Directions

• Follow my slide presentation to learn how to peel the plantains. Just cut both ends, make a cut in the peel from one end to the other, then with a spoon, detach the peel from the plantains.
• Cut the plantains in about 1” pieces and soak in salted water-to-taste for about 10 minutes.
• Add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic with salt and pepper to-taste to the mortar and mash. Then add a bit of olive oil to make a thick cream. Set aside.

 

• When ready to fry the plantains, drain the salted water and pat them dry well before placing them in the skillet with hot peanut oil.

 

• Cook the plantain pieces until light golden brown, just cook until soft; however, don’t overcook, since they will be hard to mash in the mortar.

 

• Remove from the peanut oil and place directly inside the garlic cream you have in the mortar. Mash them with a passion until they can be molded into a ball or several balls. If the Mofongo looks dry add a little more olive oil to make it easier to shape either in balls or in half bowl to fill with anything you may want.

 

• In my recipe, just flip the Mofongo from the mortar upside to look like a dome.

 
HACK: You can stuff Mofongo with chicken, shrimp, lobster, or any seafood or meat of your choice, as long as it comes with a nice sauce, gravy, aioli or Ajilimojili.
 

Many years ago I purchased this Pilón at a fair in Ponce. The artist who made it is Joe Garcia, who incidentally was also a member of a very popular band that I loved called “Los Concertinos”.

I was so impressed with the quality of this Pilón. The bottom was signed by the artists and dated as either 1981 or 1986, (as it’s a bit blurry now). Yes, it’s that old; nevertheless, it continues to be in perfect condition. What an awesome kitchen tool!
​
I don’t know if the artist who made this amazing piece is still residing in Ponce or elsewhere in the island. However, if someone knows his whereabouts and show him my post, I would love to say thank you Joe, I have enjoyed this piece of art for so many years and it will stay in my family for more years to come. 

​I am not Mexican but I love Mexican food. Of course, with all due respect, I always add my own twist to the recipes, smile.
 
Approximate Time: About 35-40 minutes
Approximate Cost: $10.39 or $5.20 per serving
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
½ lb. 99% fat free ground turkey ($2.49)
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes (.35)
½ tsp. garlic powder (.15)
½ tsp. chopped cilantro (.15)
½ bag of white Mexican chili blend mix (1.00)
1 large red bell pepper cut in half (.90)
1 c. chicken broth (.60)
1 tbsp. olive oil + (.40)
4 tbsp. Mexican cheeses blend ($1.25)
½ c. cooked rice (.25)
2 c. spinach ($1.50)
1 scallion chopped (.15)
1 avocado ($1.20)
 
Directions

• Roast the pepper in an open fire in your stove, place them inside a brown bag, set aside.
• Add to a med-size bowl the ground turkey, ½ tbsp. of olive oil, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, chopped cilantro and white chili blend mix. Mix all ingredients well.
• In a skillet, add the other ½ tbsp. of olive oil and sauté the turkey just until the pink is gone.
• Add the rice to the turkey mix, the chicken broth and simmer for about 3 minutes or until the broth is reduced to half.
• Remove the pepper from the bag, peel as much skin as you can, cut it in half, remove the seeds, place in the turkey mix pot, fill them with the turkey mix and top with 1 tbsp. of cheese. Cover and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes until the peppers are tender; however, not mushy. (add more broth as needed)
• Remove from the stove, top with 1 tbsp. of cheese and serve over a bed of baby spinach with leftover filling around it.

Chili doesn’t need to be prepared exactly the same every time you make it. There are so many options to make it pop with a variety of flavors. This time my chosen spice was Roasted Garlic and Herbs. The chili itself is not intended to be spicy hot; however, I serve it with a generous jalapeño on the side for those who likes it hot, smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Under 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $8.01 or $4.05 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
1/3 lb. of 99% fat free ground turkey @ $4.99/lb. = ($1.66)
1 tbsp. olive oil (.40)
1 tbsp. of Roasted Garlic and Herbs (.30)
2 tbsps. Pimento sliced Manzanilla Olives (.30)
1 can of Black Goya Beans (.99)
2 tbsps. Tomato sauce (.15)
1 ½ c. Beef broth (add more as needed) ($1.15)
1 med. size Broccoli crown ($1.35)
2 Jalapeños (40)
1 avocado sliced in half ($1.25)
Flat parsley to garnish (.15)
 
Directions

• Season the turkey and briefly sauté it in a cooking pan (it will still look pink).
• Add the rest of the ingredients, the beef broth should not cover the beans and turkey, unless you like it soupy. Cook in medium for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the broth is reduced. Serve garnished with avocado, parsley or anything else you wish.

Done!