Poke Bowls (pronounced Poh-key) are the new trend in cuisine. Nothing fancy, it’s a Hawaiian dish served in a bowl full of heavenly good stuff. Local fast food restaurants adopted the trend and developed dishes such as “Taco Bowls”. So, I decided to make a recipe with what I had in hand at home at the time, to mimic what everyone is craving for lately, Poke. I am sure that you will love it.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Under 45 minutes
Approximate Cost: $13.19 or $6.60 per serving
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2 +
 
Ingredients
2 Salmon steaks, cubed (@$2.25 ea. ($4.50)
2 tbsp. Angie’s Basting Olive oil (my link below) (.65)
2 tsp. Angie’s Dry Seasoning (my link below) (.40)
1 c. Brown rice medley (when cooked renders about 3 ½ cup) ** ($1.25)
2 ½ c. Organic chicken broth ($1.50)
1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas (.99)
2 c. chopped spinach ($1.50)
1 c. cherry tomatoes ($1.15)
1 avocado ($1.25)
Salt and pepper to taste (0)
 
Directions
Cook the brown rice medley according to the pack directions (35 minutes). Instead of water use 2 ½ c. chicken broth, 1 tsp. of my dry seasoning and ½ tbsp. of my basting oil.
Cube the salmon steaks, season with 1 ½ tbsp. basting oil and ½ tbsp. dry seasoning.
Chop the spinach and cut the cherry tomatoes and avocado, set aside.
Rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
Shortly before the rice is done, sauté the salmon cubes until golden brown in their own basting oil.
To plate, get a medium size deep bowl. Scoop the rice in the middle and add the Chickpeas, Spinach, Cherry tomatoes and avocado around it. Season accordingly to taste. I drip the basting oil where I sauté the salmon all over it for extra flavor. Done!
 
**I purchased the brown rice at Trader Joe’s.
 
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
 

​This is not the first time that I make and post this dessert and it is not going to be the last. Traditionally, I make them with Guava, a tropical fruit. Today I made them with good almighty chocolate.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Thawed, prep and cook is about 15 minutes
Approximate Cost: $3.35 or .48 cents each
Difficulty Level:    X     Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 7 to 8 Turnovers
 
Ingredients
1 sheet of Puff Pastry, (half way thawed at room temperature) ($2.35)
1 c. Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Chips (.70)
1 silicon pad or use Pam Cooking Spray (for a baking mold) (.15)
Powdered sugar to sprinkle over the pastry once is done (.15)
 
Directions
Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees.
Thaw one of the pastry sheet according to package directions. (They come folded, so open the sides, you will have 3 strips. Cut each in 3 pieces or more pieces.)
Add some of the chocolate chips in the middle of one square, cover with another square evenly and seal by pressing around the edges with a fork.
Use a silicon pad (or spray the baking mold with Pam,) place each square on the mold and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. DONE!
 
Is better to eat them while they are still warm, or shortly after they cool for flakiness.

By now we are done with turkey for quite a while, smile. 😂. Now, who doesn’t like shrimp? Not me and I am quite sure not you either. This is such a delicate flavored seafood and is so easy to cook in a variety of ways. The simpler the better, as long as it’s not overcooked, smile,
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $12.35 or $6.18 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
6 Jumbo Shrimp ($8.70)
1 ½ tsp. Angie’s dried seasoning or the one of your choice with Paprika (.30)
1/3 c. Angie’s Basting Oil ($1.35)
½ pk. Angel Hair Pasta (.70)
1 tbsp. Italiano Dip or any Sun Dried Tomato product (.40)
2 tbsp. Pesto Sauce (.70)
Scallions to garnish (.20)
 
Directions
Clean the shrimp, season with my basting and dried seasoning to taste. Refrigerate.
In a large pot bring salted water to a quick boil, add the pasta. (It takes 4-5 minutes to cook).
While the pasta cooks, sauté the shrimp in its basting oil, just until they become pink, remove from the skillet immediately.
Drain the pasta and reserve some of the water, about 1 cup, to use if the pasta becomes dry.
In a large bowl, add the pasta, Pesto sauce with its oil, and sun dried tomato dip and stir until all ingredients are combined.
Start plating the pasta, top with 3 shrimps, chop the scallions and sprinkle over the plate.
 Done!

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

​Just like the color of money but much better. It feeds your body and soul. You may have eaten them separately, but together the green kale and spinach, the green avocado and green asparagus makes me call it My Awesome Green Meal!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Approximate Cost: $9.30 or $4.65 per serving.
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin filet of about 5” long cut across in 2 steaks (approx. ½ lb.) ($1.30)
2 cups of spinach and kale combined ($2.25)
½ lb. (approx. 8) asparagus ($1.25)
1 medium onion (.40)
5 garlic cloves, chopped (.30)
¼ c, Angie’s basting oil (.90)
1 tbsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.40)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
Directions
Prep the meat, cut the filet across into 2 steaks, season with my basting oil and seasoning. Refrigerate.
Clean, discard the bottom and cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes in salted water until tender.
Slice the avocado, chop the onion and garlic set aside.
Sauté the filets until golden in their own basting oil. (Add more as needed) Remove, set aside.
In the same skillet sauté the onion and garlic until golden. Bring the pork back and add the greens to wilt for about 2 to 3 minutes uncovered.
You are ready to plate, drain the asparagus and top with any cheese you have in the fridge.
Done!

It might look like an odd combination, since restaurants don’t necessarily serve you this kind of sides with filet mignon. However, I can eat avocado and tostones over potatoes any time, mainly because they are more nutritious. My Brussels sprouts roasted this way are no joke, they are sweet crispy tender and balance the whole dish. To take this meal to another level, make the traditional Ketchup-Mayo Sauce and I can assure you that you will lick your fingers, smile.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Approximate Cost: $46.76 or $$23.38 per serving
Difficulty Level:         Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients for the Filet, Brussels Sprouts and Avocado ($20.33)
2 large Filet mignon (cuts into 3 pieces) (@$8.45 ea.= ($16.90)
1 tbsp. olive oil (.40)
Salt and pepper to taste (.15)
½ lb. Brussels Sprouts (@$3.25/lb.  = ($1.63)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
Ingredients for the Tostones ($1.85)
2 green plantains (.60)
Salted water (0)
1 c. peanut oil (to fry the plantains) ($1.25)
 
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 Filet
Clean any visible fat, pat dry and season with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate until time to seared on the skillet.
Pan-sear the filet in their olive oil, when golden brown on both sides; however, medium well inside, remove from the heat and let them rest for 10 minutes while you slice the avocado, and plate the whole meal.
 
Directions for the Plantains for Tostones

• Just cut both ends, make a cut in the peel lengthwise, just on the skin, microwave them for 30 seconds and 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.

 

• 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.

 

• 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.
 
Directions for Brussels Sprouts
Cut off the brownish end and pull all the outer leaves. Cut each in half and Sautee in olive oil until obtaining the char brown color. Add a tbsp. of water to the skillet and cover immediately for few minutes until they become tender.
 
HACK:
You can also use the Ketchup/Mayo Sauce in sandwiches, French fries and anything fried that you want to punch flavors like dipping sauce for fried fish, etc. 

 I don’t get to see them regularly at grocery stores, however, when I see them I grab them in a hurry. These asparagus are not exactly like their green counterparts. They are tougher and have a bitter peel that must be removed before cooking to get them tender. To cook them right, I peel them, simmer them in salted water, drain and smother them with my garlic, lemony aioli sauce, yum!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Under 30 minutes
Approximate Cost: $8.00 or $2.67 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 3
 
Ingredients
1 lb. of white asparagus ($6.00)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (.40)
½ tsp. Adobo (.15)
Pepper to taste (.15)
3/4 c. Parmiggiano Reggiano Cheese ($1.00)
2 tsp. chopped chives (.15)
Paprika to sprinkle over to-taste (.15)
My Aioli: *** 2 garlic cloves, ½ c. fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp. adobo, ½ c. olive oil ($1.50)
 
Directions

• Bring salted water to a boil in a pot that is wide enough to accommodate the asparagus.

 

• Cut about 1” from the ends and with a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off. Treat them with love, since the spears are very brittle and break easily.

 

• Carefully add them to the salted water pot and reduce the temp. to medium.

 

• Cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how thick the asparagus are. when inserting a knife tip, you’ll know if they’re done. Drain completely, set aside.

 

• To prepare my aioli sauce, chop the garlic, add the Adobo, lemon juice and whisk in the olive oil until it looks like a light cream. Drizzle over the asparagus before garnish.

 

• Place the asparagus in an oval plate, drizzle my aioli, sprinkle cheese across in the middle, sprinkle paprika and chopped chives. DONE!

  
*** My aioli sauce is different from the traditional. I prefer to use olive oil instead of mayo or eggs. At times I add chopped herbs, however, I did not want to hide the asparagus flavor at this time, smile!

​I don’t think there are many people left without eating Cuban “Picadillo” at least once in their life time. Is such a popular and easy dish to make. Today though, I decided to go crazy and put my own twist to this popular Cuban dish.

Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $7.60 or$3.80 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 2
 
INGREDIENTS
½ lb. ground chicken ($2.50)
1 small red potatoes chopped (.20)
4 garlic cloves and ½ med. size onion, chopped (.20)
1 frozen cube of molido (cilantro, red peppers, oregano) (.20)
½ to 1 c. beef or chicken stock (.70)
1 tbsp. tomato sauce (.15)
2 tbsp. salad olives (.25)
1 Sazón seasonings envelope (.25)
1 handful of fresh cilantro (.20)
1 ½ tsp. Adobo (.15)
1 tbsp. olive oil (.40)
2 C. white rice (you can make it fresh, I am using rice frozen a couple days ago) ($1.15)
1 Avocado ($1.25)
 
In a skillet with 1 tsp. olive oil sauté your chopped onions, garlic and potatoes. When the potatoes are tender, add the ground chicken, Sazón seasonings and the molido cube (cilantro and peppers), Adobo and salad olives and stir until half way cooked.
Add the Add 1 tbsp. tomato sauce, chicken stock and simmer until a bit thick, about 3 minutes.
Warm up the cooked rice, you are ready to plate. Garnish with cilantro and avocado.
 
Enjoy.