In case that you got carried away with turkey, turkey tacos, turkey soup and sandwiches and your sweetie don’t want to see “gobble-gobble” for a while, then, there’s no better excuse than to surprise him/her by making my version of surf and turf.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $27.24 or $13.62 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 Filet mignon steaks ($14.16)
6 Scallops ($9.00)
2 Sweet potatoes Oven roasted, about 40 minutes) ($1.98)
¼ c. Angie’s basting oil ($1.80)
1 ½ tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs (.30)
 
Directions
Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees.
Rinse, pat dry the sweet potatoes and wrap in foil paper.
Season the scallops and filet with my basting oil and roasted garlic and herbs.
10 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done, get a skillet over med-high and sea the scallops until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté the filet until golden brown outside and med-well inside. Remove and allow to rest.
Ready to plate your meal. Enjoy!

There is a time when you want to indulge, however, don’t want to overdo it. There’s also a time when you want to entertain few friends and want to make a simple dessert that doesn’t need to be sliced. That’s when my BABY OREO CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESECAKES come handy. They are prepared and cooked in few minutes, and they are easy to serve. Oh, did I mention that they taste amazing? Smile.
 
Category:  Dessert
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  35 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $6.38 or .64 cents per Baby Cheesecake with ice cream
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free  
Servings: 10 small servings
 
Ingredients
1 8oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese ($1.99)
¼ c. white sugar (.20)
½ c. melted dark chocolate chips (.63)
1 egg (.16)
¼ c. sour cream (.20)
1 tbsp. cocoa powder (.20)
10 Oreo cookies ($1.00)
10 + scoops of ice cream ($2.00)
 
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Prep. Your cupcake wrappers & drop 1 Oreo in the bottom.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (30 seconds at-a-time)
In a med size bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
Add the sour cream and cocoa powder and mix until blend. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Use an ice cream scoop to drop I full scoop over the Oreo cookies.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes (as always depending on your oven), until they rise and crack in the middle. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool.
To serve, remove the wrappers, place in a nice plate, add a scoop of chocolate ice cream and enjoy!
 
Note: Traditionally, you bake cheesecakes in Bain-Marie (or Baño de Maria) which is nothing else than to place your cheesecake mold inside a larger mold fill half way with water. Just like you would do to bake a Flan. No Bain-Marie with my recipe. It’s ok to crack, since these babies will have ice cream on top, smile.

​LET THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEGIN! Early this year and also, at the beginning of the fall season, I made and posted the regular version of coconut Tembleque. Tembleque is a traditional Puerto Rican dessert. Although it is made all-year-long, the hot demand is during the Christmas holidays. This time I added other ingredients and served it differently in Margarita glasses. They looked nice and taste delicious. Hey, it’s the holidays. Smile.
 
I’ll explain again for those not familiar with this dessert. Tembleque, is a coconut dessert like pudding (not a cream but not pudding either) that when becomes firm it 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
Allergens: Gluten Free
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 Pirouline 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 have the glasses wet before pouring the Tembleque, since they will be eaten individually.) Once cool enough, refrigerate until is time to serve.


Before serving, let them rest on the counter top for about 10 minutes to ensure they are wobbly at serving and not super solid. Then drop a dollop of whipped cream on top and stab it with a chocolate Pirouline wafer. 

Perhaps one important factor to deliver delicious foods is to have the right equipment. It doesn’t matter the brand as long as you feel comfortable with the quality, effectiveness and speed that your range or your refrigerator performs.

Here is a list of what we should have in a typical kitchen that is considered small, medium and large kitchen “appliances”:

Small Appliances:
Toasters, food processors, wine bottle openers, knife sharpener, blenders, coffee makers, rice cookers, slow cookers, instant pots and the such. (Other appliances were listed under my post “Baking Essentials”.
 
Medium Appliances:
MICROWAVE OVENS: Multifunctional that comes with microwave and convection; Lighting Fast to cook or reheat foods eight times faster; and finally, the drawer microwave, easy to pull out just like a drawer.

Large Appliances:
REFRIGERATORS: Side-by-Side, Top Freezer, Bottom Freezer, French Door, and multiple units with few drawers at the bottom. Also a wine refrigerator

RANGES:
Gas or electric range, comes in all colors and you can select the number of ovens, one or two, or the number of burners; 2, 4 or 6, or the type of heat of your choice such as electric or gas (I prefer gas) and also, you can pick a warming drawer if you do. (I have a warming shelve and almost never use it.) Finally, you can pick a nice and effective range hood. Also, not an appliance but quite important to have is an amazing set of pots and pans, preferably all stainless steel. They last a lifetime, smile.

DISHWASHERS
You don’t need one, your new dishwasher is your husband, wife or significant other; smile. I am just kidding! The dishwasher is your life saver. After the meal is cooked and eaten, someone must do the dishes, (and it ain’t gona be me) and who better than your free hard worker at home, your dish washer specialist. 

I can definitely find any excuse in the book to make Poke. The best excuse I can tell you is; I must have it because it is extremely nutritious and delicious. That sums it up, smile.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   40 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $16.40 or $8.20 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Intermediate
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
1 large Ahi tuna steak ($6.85)
¼ c. Angie’s basting oil ($1.55)
2 tsp. Roasted garlic and herbs (.20)
1 yellow onion (.40)
6 Garlic cloves (.30)
½ lb. asparagus ($1.75)
2 c. broccoli florets ($2.00)
 
1 c. Basmati Medley Rice (.60)
2 c. water and 1 envelope of Sazón Goya (.20)
1 tbsp. Soy sauce or to-taste (.15)
Rice vinegar (.15)
1 tbsp. Sesame oil (.20)
Jalapeno (.15)
Lemon (.45)
Avocado ($1.25)
1 tbsp. chopped chives (.20)
 
Directions
Pat dry, cube and season the tuna with my basting oil and 1 tsp. Roasted garlic and herbs. refrigerate.
Cook the Basmati medley according to the bag directions, basically, bring 2 c. of water to a boil, add 1 tsp. of basting oil, 1 Sazón envelope, 1 c. of rice and bring to a second boil. Stir, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
Rinse the asparagus and broccoli, cut a couple of inches of the asparagus stems and discard.
Cook them briefly in ½ c. of salted to-taste water until they begin to turn bright green. Remove from the stove, drain the water and set them aside.
Chop the garlic and onion.
Sauté the tuna cubes in a med-size skillet. Add the chopped the garlic and onion.
To plate these bowls, first add a generous scoop of basmati rice to a bowl.
Arrange the broccoli, asparagus, avocado and tuna mixture as by my slide photos if you like.
Top with sliced lemon, jalapenos and chives and serve with the bottles of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil on the side.
 
Enjoy!
 
My Link:
Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

My Osso Buco recipe is easy and delicious; I used my own ingredients to make it taste even better than the traditional.  Why use only salt and pepper to season the shanks, when you can add other spices, like my dry seasoning mix, to bring this dish to another level.
 
Warning #1: Do not feel intimidated with the number of ingredients, after all, you do not make this dish weekly. Warning #2: It takes 2 ½ to 3 hours to cook it in low temperature in the oven to break the conjunctive tissue and make the lamb meat fall off the bone. Trust me, it’s worth the time.
 
Finally, where can you go to order this dish from the menu? And for this price? Not in many places, only in your own kitchen. Smile.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 15 Minutes prep time and three hours in oven
Approximate Cost: $41.62 or $10.40 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Intermediate
Allergens, Other:  Contains wheat
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients for the Shanks ($37.82)
4 veal shanks, trimmed ($26.87)
1 tbsp. Angie’s Dry Seasonings (.40)
Kitchen twine (to secure shanks to the bone) (.10)
½ cup All-purpose flour, for dredging (.25)
1/3 cup of Angie’s basting oil ($2.00)
1 Med. onion, diced in cubes (.40)
 2 carrots, diced in cubes (.30)
 2 celery stalks, diced in cubes (.30)
5 cloves of garlic, chopped (.30)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (.15)
2 large Cuban oregano leaves (.15)
2 long springs of Italian oregano leaves (.15)
4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme and basil to taste (.15)
4 bay leaf (.15)
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (.15)
1 cup of good red or white wine (I used white this time) ($3.00)
4 cups beef stock ($2.50)
4 tbsps. of chopped flat-leaf parsley (.35)
1 tbsp. lemon zest (.15)
 
Ingredients to cook the Orzo: ($3.80)
1 c. Orzo ($1.25)
5 Baby Bella mushrooms (.55)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped (.30)
2 cups chicken or beef stock ($1.00)
1 tbsp. of Angie’s basting oil (.40)
1 tsp. Angie’s Dry Seasonings (.30)
 
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Clean the shanks, remove any excess moisture with paper towel, secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine, season each shank with my dry seasonings and dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off the excess.
 
In a large Dutch oven, heat the basting oil and when hot, add the tied veal shanks to
brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and set aside.
 
In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with my dry seasoning to
help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Sauté until soft and translucent,
about 5 minutes.
 
Return the browned shanks to the pan, add the red wine, 4 cups of the beef stock or more if needed and bring to a boil. Your goal is to bring the cooking liquid level above the shanks before placing in the oven. (You can add more stock as needed.)
 
Turn the heat off and place the Dutch oven covered in the oven at 300 degrees for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. (Check after 2 hours for doneness) (Remember, all ovens cook differently.)
 
To cook the Orzotto: (Cook the Orzotto after the shanks are done.)
In a skillet over med. heat, add basting oil garlic and chopped mushrooms to caramelize. Then add the Orzo and sauté for few minutes until a bit toasty.
 
Reduce the heat and carefully, add 1 cup of beef stock enough to cover the orzo, stir and bring it to a light boil. Keep adding more stock and stir each time it begins to dry out until the orzo is covered with the stock.
 
Test after 5-8 minutes for soft grain; it will be done in approximately under 10 to 15 minutes.
 
At this point taste the Orzotto, since the stock contains salt; however, you can adjust to -taste with my dry seasonings. Serve immediately.
 
Back to the Osso Buco, once the meat is done, carefully remove the shanks from the pot, cut off the twine and discard. Also, remove any visible spices/herbs such as bay leaves and the such.
 
Serve in a soup plate by adding a scoop of Orzotto, topped with a veal shank, pour sauce and veggies from the pot over the shank and sprinkle lemon zest and chopped scallions, done.
 
Don’t forget to slice and add the avocado! Smile.
 
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

No kidding, when you bring this cake out, no one will notice that you cheated on making a thanksgiving cake from scratch. Seriously, no need to soak it in a simple syrup and the flavor is so on point that the cake will pass the “from scratch test” of your family and friends, smile.
 
Category: Dessert
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  40 Minutes gives you enough time to decorate
Approximate Cost:   $7.05 or .59 cents per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  CONTAINS WHEAT FLOUR and PEANUT OIL  
Servings: 12
 
Ingredients for the cake (5.17)
1 Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix box ($1.00)
3 eggs (.48)
1 c. evaporated milk (.99)
1/3 c. peanut oil (to make it real moist) (.35)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (.90)
1 tsp. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur ($1.25)
2 tbsp. of vanilla flavored Jell-O (to make it extra moist) (.20)
 
Directions for the Cake
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients listed above until no lumps are visible.
Spray or butter a Bundt cake mold thoroughly.
Pour the batter and tap on the counter to release any bubbles.
Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
 
Ingredients for Powder Sugar Icing & Directions ($1.88)
1 c. powdered sugar (.40)
1 to 2 tbsp. of milk ***(.20)
½ tsp. vanilla extract (.45)
½ tsp. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur (.63)
1 to 2 drops of Yellow coloring
2 tsp. Sprinkles of your choice and baby M&M’s (.20)
 
Mix the powder sugar, vanilla, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and one tbsp. at a time of the milk. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the color of your choice.  Drizzle over a cool cake and decorate with the Sprinkles of your choice and baby M&M’s. DONE.
 
*** This will give you a thick icing. In this recipe; however, I used more milk to make it more liquefied.

The list of new baking gadgets, essentials and utensils in the market today goes on and on. I was able to take photos of some of mine to share with you, however, please be aware that I may just have a few gadgets of what’s out there, smile!

Measuring cups, Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls
Spatulas, Wooded spoons, Wire Whisk
Grater and Micro blade
Strainers, pastry brush, cake decorating tools, pastry bags
Baking parchment paper, wax paper, pot holders
Electric Stand and Hand Mixer
Blender, food processor, grinders
Rolling pin, candy thermometer
Baking Pans of all kinds and sizes, Cookie Cutters and Cookie Sheet,
Cooling Rack
Sifter
​and so many more... 

Cod fish, fresh, is a sweet white flaky fish that can be cooked in many ways. It is also sold as salted dry cod, preserved in a salted dry form that doesn’t need refrigeration. Today, instead of cooking my fresh fish as a stand-alone steak, I cubed it, seasoned it, and made it part of my Yucca in Escabeche dish. Just to come up with another way to cook it, since I use this type of fish almost weekly.
 
Category:  Entrée 
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: Under 35 Minutes
Approximate Cost:   $9.69 or $4.85 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 Cod fish steaks ($3.70)
1 tsp. Lemon pepper (.20)
¼ c. Angie’s basting oil ($1.20)
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar (.30)
2 tbsp. Salad olives (.25)
½ bag (24 oz.) of Frozen yucca ($1.99)
1 Onion (.40)
6 Garlic cloves (.30)
3 to 4 Bay leaves (.10)
1 avocado (optional) ($1.25)
 
Directions
Cube and season the cod with lemon pepper and 1 tbsp. basting oil. Refrigerate.
Cook the yucca according to the bag directions. (Just boil in salted water until tender.)
Drain the water and allow to rest to cool down a bit. Then cube it too.
In a skillet over medium, add what’s lefts of the basting oil and sauté the onion, and garlic.
Add the bay leaves, cooked-cubed yucca, and stir carefully not to mash the yucca.
Then add the salad olives and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of lemon pepper to taste.
On a separate skillet, sauté the cubed fish briefly and then add the fish to the yucca mix just to combine, to keep the cubes as visible as possible with minimum breakup.
You can eat this dish warm or cold.
Serve it with avocado, and/or steam broccoli and any hot sauce of your choice.
Done! 
​
My Link:
Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

I like spicy (not hot) meals to enjoy the flavors and avoid suffering, smile. I always make my chili with a mix of seasonings, leaving the “hot” element to be added to-taste. I also use all kinds of beans; red, pink, garbanzo, Cannellini, Great Northern, etc. This chili was amazing!
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   20 minutes       
Approximate Cost:    $5.44 or $1.81 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   
Servings: 3
 
Ingredients
1 can Cannellini beans (.99)
1 Sazón envelope (.25)
1 tbsp. Angie’s basting oil (.40)
3 med size boneless country style ribs, cubed ($2.35)
1 tbsp. roasted garlic and herbs (.30)
2 c. chicken stock ($1.25)
1 ½ tbsp. chopped dry onions (.25)
1 frozen sofrito disk (.30)
Hot sauce to-taste (.10)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 Brown rice (Optional)

Directions
Clean and season the pork with 1 tbsp. of my basting oil and roasted garlic and herbs seasoning. Set aside.
Rinse the beans thoroughly, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan over med-high, sauté the pork in its marinade until golden.
Add the drained beans, chopped dry onion, Sazón, sofrito and chicken stock.
Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes.
 
My Link:
Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil