Lentils are delicious and combined with ham for a quick healthy soup are even better. This soup goes perfect with a generous side of garlic Parmesan toasted bread. I love the flavor; it takes no time to cook once your lentils have been softened prior to cooking day or time.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Approximate Cost: $8.30 or $4.15 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2 +
 
Ingredients
2 ½ cups of softened lentils ($1.25)
1 pk. diced ham ($2.00)
2 to 3 celery ribs, chopped (.40)
1 large carrot, chopped (.35)
1 tbsp. dried diced onions (.35)
5 cups beef broth (2.95)
1 Sazon Goya envelope (.20)
1 tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (or the seasoning of your choice) (.35)
2 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (.45)
 
Directions

• Soften the lentils according to the bag directions. (You will have plenty left to use at another time. Simply get 2 ½ cups to use in my soup today and freeze the leftover lentils once they are completely cold at room temperature.)
• In a saucepan, add 2 tbsp. of my basting oil and sauté the ham, celery, carrot and dry onions together.
• Add the softened lentils, beef broth**, Sazon, Angie’s dry seasoning and bring it to a boil. (**manage the broth amount. Depending on how thick or soupy you like your soup, you can add more or less broth.)
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

 
Done, enjoy this easy, delicious and economical soup any time, lunch or dinner.

​Fried rice is such a staple. You can make it in a heartbeat with whatever ingredients you may have in your pantry and fridge. If you prefer seafood, use shrimp or even fish, scallops, chicken, beef, your choice. The basics are always the same: soy sauce, pre-cooked rice and beaten eggs and chances are that you already have these ingredients at home.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Approximate Cost: $16.30 or $2.33 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 7
 
Ingredients for the dish (minus white rice) ($14.55)
2 pork tenderloins, cleaned and cut in cubes (@3.46 ea. = $6.92)
1 tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.35)
1/3 c. Angie’s basting olive oil ($1.25)
1 med-size onion, chopped (.40)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped (.35)
2 c. broccoli florets ($1.25)
1 small pk. or baby Bella mushrooms, chopped in large pieces ($1.25)
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped (.69)
3 large beaten eggs (.48)
6 hard boiled or poached eggs (.96)
1/3 c. Soy sauce (.70)
Cilantro to garnish
 
Ingredients for the White Rice (1.75)
3 c. of cooked white rice ($1.20)
6 cups of water (.0)
1 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (.40)
1 tsp. salt (.15)
 
DIRECTIONS

• Hard boil the 6 eggs, peel and set aside.
• Clean and cut the pork in cubes of about 1”.
•  Season the pork cubes with Angie’s dry seasoning and 1 tbsp. of my basting oil. Heat 1 tbsp. of basting oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown pork, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from stove, spoon 1 tbsp. of soy sauce over pork and set aside.
• In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp. of my basting oil, chopped onion and pepper, sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender.
• In a small fry pan add the beaten eggs, scramble into large pieces until almost done.
• Back to your large skillet or pot, stir fry your pre-cooked rice in whatever is left of your oil, add 3 tbsp. soy sauce or more to-taste, stir, add all the veggies and pork and mix well. Then add the scrabble eggs to the rice mixture and stir well.
• Divide rice among your bowls. Make sure that pork pieces are visible on the top of each bowl, garnish with a hard boiled egg cut in half and cilantro.

NOTE #1: You should cook the rice the morning or day before you are using this recipe.
 
NOTE #2: Notice that I kept the salty seasoning low, to ensure the soy sauce don’t overpower the final dish with salt.
 
HACK: In addition to soy sauce, I always add Sesame oil to my fried rice or any Asian dish. It enhances the flavor or the dish.

​Going to see some of my grand kids and I am in a hurry. I need to make something quick but delicious. But what should I make them? Must be something sweet. OK, I’ll try pumpkin ice cream and chocolate brownies; that will work!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 40 minutes to prep, bake, cool, decorate.
Approximate Cost: $6.46 or $1.08 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 6
 
Ingredients
1 box of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix ($2.00)
1 egg (.16)
1/3 c. peanut oil (.70)
¼ c. water (.0)
Oil spray for the baking mold (.20)
12 scoops of Pumpkin Ice Cream (.1.90)
Dark Chocolate Syrup to drizzle over (.40)
6 peanut butter cups (.75)
6 small mint springs (.35)
 
Directions
Prepare the brownies according to the package instructions, oil spray the baking mold and bake according to the package directions.
Remove from oven, allow to cool and slice in half and place in serving plates.
Add 2 scoops of ice cream to one half, cover with the other half, drizzle dark chocolate syrup across and garnish with a mint spring and a peanut butter cup on top.
 Enjoy!

Sounds tempting? Sure; however, it’s just a sandwich. I took it to the next level by adding smoked salmon and my home made hummus. Why, cuz I am worth it, smile…
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $20.80 or $2.08 per sandwich
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 10
 
Ingredients
2 Premium chunk canned chicken breast ($4.00)
½ pack Smoke salmon ($7.00)
1 container of organic baby spinach ($3.50)
2 tbsp. dried onion flakes (.35)
½ c. Tzatziki (.50)
2 tbsp. hot pepper sauce (.35)
1 whole lemon for juice (.35)
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil (.30)
½ small onion in slices (.20)
Assorted bread buns (I prefer multi-grain but I had these ones at home, oh  well.) ($2.75)
Hummus to spread on the buns (see my link below for the recipe) ($1.50)
 
Directions
Open the canned chicken, drain and discard the chicken broth completely.
Add the dried onion flakes, Tzatziki, hot pepper sauce, whole lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix.
Prepare the buns by spreading humus, pile up with baby spinach, chicken salad, onion slices, smoke salmon. Is up to you to continue adding layers. Serve with chips and carrots.
 
My Link
Humus:   http://www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/archives/07-2015

Crazy right? Indeed. My line of though was like this: If I get chorizos and Manzanilla Olives (from Spain); use Pesto and basil (from Italy); Salsa (from Mexico), and add shrimp loaded with spices, then I can come up with a mix of flavors that people will enjoy as hors d’ oeuvres at a party. BOOM!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 35 MINUTES
Approximate Cost: $23.75 or $1.98 per serving
Difficulty Level:         Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 12
 
Ingredients
12 large shrimp tail on ($12.00)
12 Chorizo slices (thick) ($2.00)
12 Manzanilla Olives (.60)
12 basil leaves (.20)
12 small glass or plastic containers ($2.00)
12 large toothpicks (.10)
12 hors d’ oeuvres mini spoons (.50)
1 tsp. Roasted garlic and Herbs (.30)
1 tsp. Chimichurri flakes (.30)
1 tsp. Spanish paprika (.15)
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (.40)
6 (1-1/2) tbsp. Pesto ($2.50)
12 tbsp. (2 per serving cup) of organic salsa ($2.50)
½ lemon sliced (.20)
 
Directions

• Clean the shrimp, pat dry and season with roasted garlic and Herbs; chimichurri flakes; Spanish paprika and extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Remove the casing of the chorizos and cut slice under half an inch.
• Sauté the chorizo slices at med-high until crispy golden, remove set aside over paper towel.
• In the same chorizo oil, add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, remove from the skillet quickly and allow to cool down.
• Meantime, prepare your containers by adding 1-1/2 tbsp. Pesto to 6 containers and 12 tbsp. (2 per serving cup) of organic salsa to the other 6 containers.
• Add 1 Manzanilla Olives to each container.
• Pass a toothpick through the shrimp, the chorizo slice and end on the shrimp tail to secure it. Place one in each container, add a basil leave and a small slice of lemon to the rim of the container.

 DONE!

​Mushrooms are nutritious and very important to include in our diets. Portobello’s particularly, are rich in riboflavin’s, to maintain healthy blood cells; niacin; for our skin, and to maintain a functioning nervous and digestive systems; and finally, pantothenic acid, to help release the energy from the fat protein. Yep, I got this from Google, smile!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Approximate Cost: $7.91 or $3.96 per serving
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2 and lots of stuffing leftover to make other dishes tomorrow.
 
Ingredients
2 large Portobello’s ($2.50)
½ lb. 98% fat free ground chicken ($1.66)
2 tsp. Olive oil (.40)
1 tsp. Adobo with Sazon (.20)
1 handful of chopped cilantro (.10)
1 small onion, chopped (.20)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped (.40)
1/3 c. beef broth (.40)
1 tbsp. Manzanilla olives (.25)
½ c. shredded Mozzarella cheese (.50)
1 avocado ($1.20)
1 spring of green onions to garnish (.10)
 
Directions

• Turn the oven to 350 degrees.
• Clean mushrooms with paper towel, remove and discard stems (or save them to make stock), brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of Adobo to taste.
• Place in a baking mold pre-oiled, and bake for about 15 minutes.
• Meantime, season the chicken with a bit of olive oil, Adobo with Sazon and chopped cilantro.
• Add 1 tsp. olive oil to a skillet, sauté the onion and garlic, add the seasoned ground chicken and break it lose by stirring well.
• Add the broth, manzanilla olives and cook until the chicken is done and the broth is reduced in half. Turn the heat off.
• Remove the mushrooms from oven, TURN THE OVEN OFF, stuff mushrooms with the chicken mixture, top with mozzarella cheese, cover with foil paper and bring back to the oven until the cheese melts.
• Serve over whole grain, yellow or multi-grain rice or over s greens bed.

​Is it feasible to have a nice dinner at home during the work week? Of course, is just a matter of having the ingredients at home and ready to use upon arrival. No fuss; just season the fish the night before and cut the veggies. Next day, piece of cake, smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 Minutes or less
Approximate Cost: $7.93 or $3.97 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2 +
 
Ingredients
1 large cod filet, cubed in 10 pieces ($1.88)
2 ½ tsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.40)
2 ½ tbsp. olive oil (.65)
2 large cloves or chopped garlic (.25)
½ large onion, chopped (.35)
7 asparagus ($1.00)
1 c. broccoli florets (.90)
2 c. beef broth ($1.20)
1 c. Orzo (.65)
1 lemon (.40)
2 pimento slices to garnish (.25)
 
Directions
Clean, cut and season the fish with 1 tsp. Angie’s dry seasoning and 1 tbsp. olive oil.
Cut the onion, garlic, asparagus and broccoli and sauté these ingredients in the order they are listed in 1 ½ tbsp. of my basting oil. Then, add the Orzo and stir for about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, adding more broth as needed to keep it flaky moist, about 15 minutes.
Meantime, sauté the cod cubes until golden. Set aside to rest for 3 minutes.
To plate, scoop a couple of spoons of orzo, top with ½ the fish cubes, squeeze lemon juice on top of each serving and leave a couple of slices to garnish with the red pimento. Add Feta cheese (optional)
Done!

​This Salsa is not to dance to it but to eat and enjoy it! We don’t get peaches all year long, well, I mean, the best time to buy and eat them is when they are in season. I found amazing peaches at Trader Joe’s the other day and decided to make Peach Salsa, I hope that you like it and make it. Smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $6.81 or $1.70 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
1 large peach (.88)
¼ onion chopped (.20)
1/3 c. chopped cilantro, basil, parsley and scallions ($1.00)
1 large Roma tomato (.33)
3 tbsp. Olive oil (.80)
salt and pepper to taste (.10)
1 ½ tbsp. lemon (for juice) (.50)
4 cups of spinach and kale ($3.00)
 
Directions

• No rocket science here, just chop and cut the peach, onion, tomato, cilantro, 3 basil leaves, 3 parsley springs, the scallions and throw then in a med-size bowl.
• In a separate small bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and whisk well until all ingredients blend.
• Get 4 salad bowls, fill them with 1 full cup of the greens and scoop the peach salsa over. You can also eat the salsa as a stand-alone dish, over tacos or as an appetizer.

Early this year I made and posted the traditional coconut Tembleque. This time I added other ingredients and served it differently in Margarita glasses. They looked nice, cute and were delicious.
 
I’ll explain again for those not familiar with this dessert. Tembleque, is a coconut light pudding (not cream) that when becomes firm wiggles a lot when you handle it.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Approximate Cost: $6.09 or $1.52
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
1 13oz. can of Goya coconut milk ($1.99)
2 tbsp. CocoRibe Liqueur ($1.50)
½ cup evaporated milk (.50)
2/3 c. sugar (.45)
¼ tsp. freshly grounded Nutmeg (.30)
¼ tsp. dry ginger (.15)
¼ tsp. salt (.0)
½ c. cornstarch (.35)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon (.15)
1 cinnamon sticks (.10)
Whip Cream topping before serving. (.60)
Chocolate wafers to garnish ($1.00)

Directions
Combine the coconut milk, salt, cinnamon stick and sugar in a saucepan, stir until all ingredients are combined.
Meantime, in a separate bowl mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of evaporated milk until creamy, add the ginger, ground cinnamon and the nutmeg, whisk well to blend.
Add to the liquid ingredients and cook in medium for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring to bring it to a boil, then add the CocoRibe. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes thicker, in just few more minutes. Remove from the heat. Let it cool for about 10 minutes on your counter top.
When it’s warm (not hot) pour the Tembleque into Margarita glasses and let it cool in the counter top. (You don’t need to oil spray the glasses before pouring the Tembleque, since they will be eaten individually.)
Once cool enough, refrigerate briefly until is time to serve.
Before serving, drop a dollop of whipped cream and stab it with a chocolate wafer. 

TOSTONES are another typical Puerto Rican and Caribbean veggie that consist of few simple ingredients; fried green plantains, salted water, peanut or olive oil, and salt and pepper.  It follows the first steps of making Mofongo, a dish that I posted recently. Peel the plantains, cut into small pieces, soak in salted water and fry them in small batches.
You would eat TOSTONES as a you would French fries. However, they taste better, especially if you make the Mayo/Ketchup Sauce. (I am also including the recipe).
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $4.85 or .81 cents per serving
Difficulty Level: __X__ Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 6
 
Ingredients for the Tostones ($3.65)
4 green plantains ($1.15)
Salted water (0)
2 c. peanut oil (to fry the plantains) ($2.50)
 
Ingredients for the Ketchup/Mayo Sauce ($1.20)
½ tsp. garlic powder (.15)
Salt (.10)
Pepper (.10)
1 tsp. Adobo (.15)
¼ c. Mayonnaise (.35)
1 ½ tsp. of Ketchup (.10)
½ tsp. olive oil (to add to the Ketchup/Mayo sauce (.25)
Hot sauce (OPTIONAL)
 
Directions for the Tostones

• Follow my slide presentation to learn how to peel the plantains. Just cut both ends, make a cut in the peel lengthwise, just on the skin, then with a spoon, detach the peel from the plantains.
• UPDATE: MY FRIEND JAIME MONTILLA SENT ME A HACK TO MAKE IT EASIER TO PEEL PLANTAINS. HE SAID: AFTER CUTTING THE PEEL LENGTHWISE, MICROWAVE THEM FOR 30 SECONDS. YESSS! IT WORKED. Thanks Jaime.
  
•  Cut the plantains in about 1” pieces and soak in salted water-to-taste for about 10 minutes. 
• 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 go for a second fry after you mash them. 
• Remove from the peanut oil and place inside Tostonera (if you do not have one, use 2 plantain peels to mash them. (see my slide) 
• Soak them for a second in salted water pat dry and fry again, this will make them super crispy. 
• Remember, treat Tostones as you would French fries, therefore, once they are fried a second time, you are ready to serve them.

 
Directions for the Ketchup/Mayo Sauce
In a small bowl mix together the garlic powder, pepper, Adobo, Mayonnaise, Ketchup and olive oil. Mix well and refrigerate until time to serve.
 
HACK:
If you have plenty of green plantains, you can freeze them after the first fry. Therefore, peel, cut and fry once, then mash and set aside to cool. Then put in plastic bags and freeze to use days or weeks later. You will only need to fry them for a second time until golden brown and crispy. 
 
The Sauce can also be used in sandwiches, French fries and anything fried you want to punch flavors, like dipping sauce for fried fish, etc.