Roasted Nectarines, Mascarpone, Roasted Almonds, and Carmel Glass w/ Sweet Balsamic Redux

COURSE #5 This was a break from the 'Latin American' theme I was going for. A nice summer dish that is not overly sweet, yet is everything you want from dessert (well, at least everything I want from a dessert). The tangy nectarines are poached in a sweet balsamic sauce. A scoop of frozen mascarpone cheese is placed on top w/ roasted almonds and a reduction of the poaching liquid. A piece of carmel glass extends above the dessert proclaiming victory over the meal. Not only does this look like a wonderful way to end the meal, the different flavor components and textural elements create a very delicious and satisfying dessert.

2 nectarines, cut into 2 pieces each and pit removed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
10 or so almonds, roasted

carmel glass
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine sugar water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes, then set aside.
3. While sugar and water are heating, take 4 scoops of mascarpone cheese sized to fit in the center of a peach, and place on foil or parchment paper. Place in freezer.
4. Arrange peaches skin side down in a single layer in a 9-by-9-inch roasting pan. Pour balsamic syrup over peaches and roast, basting once or twice, for 8 minutes. Turn peaches over and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, until they are soft and their skins look caramelized.
5. While peaches are in the oven heat 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Allow sugar to disolve over medium-high heat.
   
6. Let sugar water solution boil, and watch for the bubbles getting larger. The solution will start to change color. Wait for the carmel to color some, but don't let it become brown, you still want it to be translucent when done.
7. Remove carmel from heat and place on parchment paper. Or you can use a plate. Spread the carmel out with the back of a spoon before it becomes hard.
   
8. If almonds are not roasted. Place almonds in a small pan, turn heat on stove to medium-high, and toast almonds, tossing them frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Remove peaches from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
10. Place balsamic liquid in a saucepan over high heat, and reduce by half.
    
11. Place peaches on a small, add mascarpone from freezer, a piece of shattered carmel, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and drizzle balsamic reduction over the entire thing.
12. Enjoy!
    

Arepas & Bacon Wrapped Shrimp w/ Salsa Verde and Chipotle Cream

COURSE #4 I've been making Arepas for some time, and I change how I make them quite often. I would be lying if I told you I knew the traditional way in which they were made. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the traditional way of making arepas was varied itself depending on what country, region, or even family you live in. But I may just be trying to make myself feel better for winging it.

Anyway, this dish has some smoky elements due to the chipotle cream and bacon. Its best to use fresh corn here for the arepas, it really makes them taste fresh. A salsa verde provides a textural and visual contrast to the rest of the dish. It tastes good too.

Arepas
3 whole corn cobs with corn
1/2 cup masa - corn flour (NOT cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bacon
1/2 pound bacon, thin or thickly sliced (use hickory smoked bacon NO maple flavorings)
1 pound shrimp, shell removed and deveined

Salsa verde
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 green poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 green onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chipotle Cream
1 chipotle from can + 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce from can
1 cup heavy cream

Salsa Verde

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Chipotle Cream

1. In a small saucepan combine chipotle, adobo sauce and heavy cream.
2. Turn stove to medium and just when the sauce begins to bubble at the edges, turn heat to very low. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or add to blender and blend until smooth.
4. Set aside.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

1. Slice bacon lengthwise. (It's better if the bacon is partially hard - in the freezer for 30-45 minutes)
2. When the bacon is no longer partially frozen, wrap each piece around a shrimp.
3. When you have wrapped about 7 shrimp, heat a skillet on medium-high heat.
4. When hot add 1 Tablespoon oil. Place each shrimp in hot skillet.
5. Let bacon and shrimp cook for 3-5 minutes until bacon has browned. Then flip shrimp and let bacon cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until bacon has browned and gotten somewhat crispy.
6. Remove bacon and place on paper towel lined plate.

Arepas

1. Cut corn off of cobs and add to food processor. Puree until pureed. It won't be totally smooth, but will be fairly liquidy.
2. Add the masa and salt. Combine until smooth.
3. Heat skillet on medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil when hot.
4. Take about 1/4 cup corn mixture and place on skillet. You should be able to get 3 or 4 arepas on the skillet at once. The trick here is to not make the arepas too thick, so when you put the corn mixture on the skillet, if it is thicker than 1/4" then use the back of a spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten the arepa. This will in turn make the diameter of the arepa a little larger. This is fine.
5. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the corn cake has browned, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes until a golden brown crust forms.

Plating

1. Place chipotle cream in a shallow pool at the bottom. Place two arepas on top. Then add the salsa verde, then the shrimp.
   

Chicharron & Tostones w/ a Classic Cuban Mojo

COURSE #3 Fried plantain and pork belly are quite good by themselves, and then adding this Cuban mojo sauce you end up counteracting the with a freshness that enhance this dish. The trick is to crisp up the pork belly on the outside, but leave it juicy on the inside. This picture shows the pork skin up front. The meaty part of the pork belly w/ cuts across the strip are on the far end. Pork belly --- get in my belly!

2 plantains, cut every 1-1/2 inches (use soft yellow or yellow and black plantains)
canola oil for frying
1 lb pork belly
salt, pepper to taste

cuban mojo
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 habanero, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Plantains

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F or until very hot.
2. Gently place plantains in oil and fry for 4-5 minutes, then flip and fry an additional 2 minutes until golden to brown.
3. Remove plantains to paper towel lined plate and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. Use a flat bottomed pan or even your clean hand to smash plantain to make 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thick.
5. Re-fry plantains until crisp, an additional 2-4 minutes.
6. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Pork Belly

1. Cut pork belly (easier to cut when partially, but not totally frozen) into 1/2 inch wide strips. It should look like really thick bacon.
2. Now cut across the strips, but don't cut all the way through, every 1 inch. Season w/ a small amount of salt and pepper.
   
3. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil.
4. Place pork belly on skillet and let sit for 5-6 minutes. The trick is to crisp the skin and cook the pork all the way through and leave the center juicy.
5. Flip the pork belly and cook an additional 5-6 minutes.
6. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Cuban Mojo

1. Place garlic, habanero, and cumin seed in a small bowl and mix together.
   
2. Heat olive oil in a small sauce pan over low-medium heat. We just want to make the oil hot, but not burn it.
3. After the oil is hot, pour into bowl over garlic mixture.
4. Let cool for 10 minutes. Then add orange, lemon, and lime juices as well as the sherry vinegar.
5. Taste and add a small amount of salt if needed.
   

Beef Empanadas w/ Mango & Jalepeno Salsa

COURSE #2 The picture does not do the dish justice. We were enjoying these too much and forgot to get a plating pic. Anyway I have a pic of the filling in an upcoming post for a leftover empanada filling sandwich as my work lunch. Overall this recipe is not difficult, but does take some time if you decide to make your own dough. You can use chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, tofu, fish, or shrimp instead of the beef I used here.

Filling
1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 Tablespoons black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder (I used Madras curry powder from the Indian grocery)
1 medium potato, peeled, baked or boiled, and chopped
salt and pepper

Dough (makes approx 10 - six inch empanadas)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup ice cold water
1 whole egg + 1 egg for brushing on dough during baking
1 egg white
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Salsa
1 mango, finely chopped
1 jalepeno, finely chopped (more if you like spicy salsa)

Dough

1. In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.
3. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives or use your fingers by squeezing small portions of the butter between your thumb and pointer and incorporate the flour into that squeeze. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.
4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.

Tip: If you want to keep the dough longer than 24 hours, you can freeze it.

Salsa

1. Combine mango and jalepeno. Bingo.

Filling

1. Add salt and pepper to ground beef, then brown in a wide skillet.
2. When completely cooked remove beef to a paper towel lined plate and discard some fat in skillet but leave about 1 Tablespoon.
3. Add onions, carrot, and poblano to the mix on medium heat. Stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes until softened.
4. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, mustard seed, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper.
5. Stir occasionally for 2 minutes, then add beef back in.
6. Finally add the potatoes and gently fold into the creation.
7. Taste to check if you would prefer any additional seasoning.

Empanada

1. Pull dough from refrigeration, unwrap, and spread some flour on a work surface.
2. Roll dough into a short log, roughly 10" log, slice off dough every inch so you have 10 pieces.
3. Roll each piece, with hands, into a ball.
4. Use a rolling pin or hard cylindrical item to roll out dough into 6" circles or quasi circles.
5. Place 3-4 Tablespoons filling into center, then fold over one end of circle to creat a half circle.
6. Press down on the top and bottom layers of dough at the edges to help seal.
   
7. Seal edges (this is very important, you don't want you filling to dry out or leak during the baking session) by using a braid technique that I'm not going to explain or by crimping top and bottom layers with the end of a fork to create a seal
   
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
9. Grease a baking sheet so empanadas don't stick.
10. Beat egg in a bowl. This will be brushed over the empanadas before entering the oven, and brushing will also occur at the midway point of baking.
11. Place empanadas on baking sheet. Don't stack them on top of each other.
12. Bake for 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, pull them from the oven, close the oven door, and brush once more w/ beat egg. Place back in oven for 10 more minutes.
13. Remove from oven, cool, and eat w/ salsa.
    

Tropical Fruit & Black Bean Salsa w/ Plantain Chips

COURSE #1 This is a great, and I mean GREAT, recipe for a salsa. It requires a fair amount of ingredients and lots of knife use, so if you have someone on hand that's good w/ a knife take advantage, otherwise take your time and do your best. Faster chopping doesn't produce better results. I have made this at least 10-15 times and each time it gets killed in no time. Its healthy if that's what you're into, looks good, has a nice texture, and the flavor is...great. Def one of my go-tos.

Salsa
1-1/2 cups black beans, cooked and soft (one 15oz. can rinsed and drained can work)
1 mango, diced
1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper, minced
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 orange, sectioned and roughly chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted
1 avocado whole (should be chopped last to keep from browning due to oxidation)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dressing for salsa
1 shallot, diced
1/4 orange, juice only (eat remaining 1/4 orange)
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin (if you toast and grind whole cumin I'm proud of you)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Chips
2 plantains (don't get black or soft yellow ones, they burn too easily due to a higher sugar content - the greenish yellow ones worked great for me here, they're starchier)
frying oil of your choice (I used canola)

1. Roast your red bell pepper if not already done. Remove any seeds and place in hot oven, set to broil, 6" from broiler skin side up. Remove bell pepper after the majority of the skin has blackened. Alternatively, if you have a gas stove, you can char the skin over the flame until the skin is mostly black.
2. While bell pepper is roasting prep the ingredients per the ingredients list (chop, dice, etc.).
3. Place the hot bell pepper in a paper bag, plastic bag, or in a bowl. Then either roll up bag to make airtight or cover bowl w/ towel or plastic wrap to keep steam in. This takes about 10 minutes.
4. While waiting for the pepper, combine all ingredients under 'dressing' in a medium to large sized bowl and whisk until oil has dispersed into tiny droplets.
5. Remove bell pepper skin, then dice bell pepper.
6. Place all ingredients under 'salsa' in dressing bowl, including chopped avocado.
7. Use very clean hands or a spoon to very gently toss to coat dressing on salsa.
8. Taste to ensure the goodness, then cover and put in fridge to let flavors combine and to make plantain chips.
9. Heat oil in a wide saute pan for frying. I used approx 1/2" of canola oil.
10. Peel plantains, then slice very thinly. I would not recommend using a knife. Either use a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. I tried both and the vegetable peeler was a littler trickier and also created a thinner, more fragile chip. The mandolin worked great, just be careful when you get toward the end of slicing a plantain. Nobody wants to eat chips made from your hand skin.
11. Place slices of plantain in hot oil, preferably 350 degrees F. Try not to overlap slices and also lay them in the shape you want them (once they fry you can't bend them into a different shape or they'll break). Once golden brown, 2-5 minutes, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Salt while still hot if you want, but I didn't.
12. Eat chips w/ salsa. Say yum.