Colombian Inspired Dinner -Chicken and Patacones(Fried Plantains)

Colombian Inspired Dinner -Chicken, Rice and Patacones(Fried Plantains)
My husband for Mother's Day cooked me his infamous Chicken dinner! A little background for this recipe :) For those that don't know my husband is from Colombia. This is the dish he made for me on our first date! Amazing!! It has become to be one of my favorite meals and I have even learned to make it (though he makes it taste a lot better)! He was so sweet for this past Mother's Day and made this wonderful dinner for our family. Which the kids will eat this meal and they really enjoy it too! Now for the recipe!

Chicken
4 to 5 Chicken thighs on bone with skin, poke with knife or fork in several places
1 green pepper chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 roma tomato finely chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp season all
1 tsp salt
4 potatoes peeled and sliced (added the last 15 min of cooking)
water


In large stock pot add all but the potatoes(added later in cooking) on medium heat. Add water if needed to keep chicken from sticking to bottom of the pot. Continue to cook and stir occasionally for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  During the last 15 minutes of cooking add potatoes.

Rice
While chicken is cooking we normally cook a white rice with fideo cortado pasta sauted in butter. But you can serve with any type rice you would like.

1/4 cup fideo cortado pasta
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup rice
2 cups water
salt to taste
Saute fiedeo cortado pasta on medium heat in butter. When slightly browned add water. Next add rice. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

Plantain Chips
2-3 Green Plantains (just about to turn yellow)-Note: if they are slightly yellow they will have a sweeter taste
Oil for frying
Skillet pan or pan used for frying
Plantain Smasher-(We got ours when we went to Miami, FL) Imusa Wood Tostonera (Bed Bath and Beyond has them online- you may be able to find at some Latin stores as well) You can use two plates to smash them. Grease them or line with plastic wrap.
Salt

Cut plantains in 2 inch circular sections. Once cut small it is easy to take the peel off with fingers or you can use a knife. Heat about two inch deep oil on medium heat. Next place peeled sections in hot oil and cook 1 minute on each side. Next remove sections from oil and then place in smasher or between two plates. Smash till 1/2 in thickness. Place smashed pieces back in oil and cook for about 30 seconds on each side. Place on paper towels to absorb oil and cool. Salt and serve.

Beef Pot Roast With Mashed Potatoes and Cheese Bread

Beef Pot Roast With Mashed Potatoes and Cheese Bread

3-4 lb Beef Roast Defrosted ( I can't remember the exact kind I chose from the store-I usually go with a well marbled beef that way it does not dry out or becomes tough)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Enough water to cover the Roast
Chopped Basil Leaves
1 yellow onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp beef bouillon
1 tsp season all
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
Crock Pot
 Add cream of mushroom soup and seasonings to crock pot. Add 1 cup of water. And mix well. Then add the roast. Keep adding water until the roast is all but covered. Cook on high setting for 4 to 5 hours. When done slice or shred for serving. I use the liquid left over for gravy for the potatoes. (I didn't add a thickening agent (like cornstarch or flour) for the gravy but sometimes I do)

Mashed Potatoes
Once roast has 30 minutes or so left start the potatoes.
5-6 potatoes (or 2 potatoes per person eating)
Boil in salted water until tender when poked with fork.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher or use hand mixer.
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
Salt to taste
Add butter and milk to mashed potatoes and stir until well incorporated.

Cheese bread
I got this great recipe for a stone fire pizza dough. Quick 3-Hour Pizza Dough( I do not own a stone fire cooker) But this recipe works well with pizza stones in your regular oven. I made to directions for the 3 hr method. I had a lot of dough left over from when I made pizzas that I stuck the remainder in the fridge for a day. And I took it out and let sit for about an hour. I rolled out the dough on wax paper then stuck on my oven stone and drizzled it with olive oil and salt and mozzarella cheese. I cooked it in preheated 450 degree oven for about 15 min.

Serve and enjoy!! My husband loved this dinner! The kids liked it ok and ate most of what I gave them which is like most of our dinners :) We usually have left overs of the beef and use it for beef taquitos the next day.

Chicken Fajitas

 

Chicken Fajitas

 

2-3 Chicken Breasts thinly sliced against the grain

1 Green Pepper sliced and chopped into strips

1 Red Pepper sliced and chopped into strips

1 Large Yellow Onion sliced and chopped into strips

1/2 Bunch of Cilantro finely chopped

1 tblsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp True Lime Seasoning or juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Oil

Corn Tortillas

Guacamole or Avocados

Cilantro

Salsa

Cheese

Sour Cream

Lettuce

(Whatever fixings you prefer to have with your fajitas)

Tortilla Chips

 

Bring 2 tblsp oil to heat in large sauté pan. Add onions, peppers and cilantro. Cook for a minute or two until onion starts to turn translucent. Then add chicken and seasoning. Saute in pan until chicken it cooked through.

 

While cooking chicken prepare a separate pan with 1 tblsp of oil. When oil is hot add corn tortillas. Cook about 1 minute on each side. ( You can cook them longer if you like your tortillas more on the crunchy side).

 

Once chicken and tortillas are done add a spoonful of chicken into tortilla and add whatever condiments you like and enjoy! We usually have this with just chips and salsa or sometimes we have some type of rice. The kids usually opt out of the chicken and will just have tortillas and cheese or a vegetarian taco(Our oldest (7) loves to do this because she is not much of a meat eater but loves the other toppings!)

 

 

 





Cheesy Stuffed Mexican Shells

Cheesy Stuffed Mexican Shells

3 Chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can black beans or 1 1/2 Cups cooked black beans
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic minced
2 to 3 green onions chopped
1 box large pasta shells cooked to package directions
2 cups Salsa of any kind (I used a Restaurant Style version)
2 Cups Shredded Cheese (Colby Jack and Monterrey)

9x13 pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. It can make extra if you don't overload first pan. I usually have an 8x8 pan ready so I can freeze it to have for another day.

I boiled my chicken breast in seasoned water (cumin, garlic salt, lime, salt and pepper, chicken stock) until white throughout. Then shredded it and put aside. Next cook pasta according to directions. Drain and then pour cold water over pasta to cool down so it is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next prep your pan or pans. Combine first 9 ingredients (chicken through the onions) in a large mixing bowl. Next line your pan/pans with salsa. Next take a shell and stuff with chicken mixture and put in pan. Next repeat until you have filled all the shells. Last top with shredded cheese. Place 9x13 pan in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and the middle of the pasta shells are cooked through.

If you prepared an 8x8 pan to freeze cover with tin foil and place in freezer. When ready to use preheat oven to 350 and cook for 1 hr and 30 min or until cook through.

Enjoy! This is a great meal for when you want to have a second meal stocked in the freezer for a "rainy" day. The husband and kids love this dish and enjoy when we have it a second time!

Fiesta Party Salad

Fiesta Party Salad - Serving Sizes about 10-12 Printable Recipe
1 Small Box Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice Original Recipe

1 1/2 Cup Corn (1 can drained or you can use frozen or from the cob)

1 1/2 Cup Black Beans (1 can drained or you can use bagged beans cooked and drained or instant beans drained)

1/2 bunch of Cilantro Roughly Chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper Diced Small

3 to 4 Green Onions Chopped and Diced

15 or So Chinese Pea Pods Chopped (Ends cut off and then chopped into 3 pieces or you can leave whole)

2 medium Avocados diced -Tossed in juice of 1 lime to avoid browning

 (You DON'T want them very ripe. Just between firm and ripe is the best.)


Pecans Chopped (optional)

1 to 2 Chicken Breasts Cooked and Shredded (Optional)

Romaine Lettuce Chopped (Optional)
Dressing
2 cloves garlic-minced or you can use a garlic press
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar or any other will do if you don't have the Rice on hand
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Olive Oil


Combine all dressing ingredients in blender. Cover and refrigerate.


　
Cook rice according to directions (Takes about 25 min). While rice is cooking combine Corn, Black Beans, Cilantro, Red Pepper, and Pea Pods in a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and place in the fridge while rice is still cooking. Once rice is done let cool for 5 min. Once cooled add to the large mixing bowl. Recover and place fridge for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Just before serving chop avocados and add to bowl. Then you can add the pecans and chicken breasts if you decided to add them. Serve over lettuce or alone with the dressing.

I first had a salad similar to this at a baby shower and I really liked it. I got the recipe and decided to tweek it a little and make it my own. So above is what I came up with. Me and the hubby like this one (he likes it without the pecans) but the kids not so much. This is great to serve when you have people over because it make quite a lot.

Below is a picture of how I make mine. I usually add all of the optional stuff! It is very tasty!!

　

　


 

Asian Inspired Dinner- Sweet and Sour

 

Sweet and Sour Grilled Steak Kabobs

• 1lb Steak Meat Cubed
• 1/2 Large Yellow Onion
• 1/3 Cup Less Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Blend
• 1 Tbsp Ketchup
• Kabob Sticks

Combine Soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, spice, and ketchup in a mixing bowl. Add cubed meat and let marinate for 1 hour. After the hour slice onion in large chunks. Place meat and onion on sticks alternating between onion and meat. Preheat your grill on low and then when ready place kabobs on grill and cook until desired doneness. (5-10 minutes)

Ham Fried Rice

• I found this packet a while ago in the Asian section at the grocery store and fell in love with it!
• You will need:
• 2 eggs
• 3 green onions or half of a large onion if you don't have any green onions on hand
• Soy Sauce
• 3 Cups cooked rice (I used Brown Rice this time)
• Sliced Ham
• 2 Tbsp of oil ( I always use Olive Oil with this packet)
• Half a bag of frozen peas and carrots

Then you follow the directions on the packet and it turns out wonderful every time!! It takes about 5-10 minutes if you have already cooked the rice.

Cream Cheese Wontons

• Wonton Wrappers (Found in the Veggie Section at grocery store-usually by bagged lettuce)
• 4 oz or More Cream Cheese
• Oil For Frying (I used a canola blend for this)
• Frying Pan or Deep Fryer
• Bowl of Cold Water

Depending on the size of wonton wrappers you choose you may have to cut them down to size. I buy the big ones and cut them diagonally in half and then in half again. That way I get 4 triangles out of 1 wrapper. Heat your oil. Next take a half spoonful of cream cheese and place in middle of wrapper. Next dip your finger in water and wet the inside of the wonton wrapper so it seals shut when you fold it over the cream cheese. Next fry the wonton about 15 seconds on each side. These do not take very long to fry. You just want them lightly golden brown and bubbly. And I keep making until I have about 2 dozen.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

• I have to warn you I tend not to stick to a recipe when I make my sauce so I tried to come down with some close measurements. I usually just make it to taste.
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 to 2 squirts of Sriracha Sauce (Garlic Hot Chili Sauce)-found in Asian Section at grocery store. This is optional because it is very spicy but I find just 1 to 2 little squirts does not make it very spicy and gives the sauce a unique flavor that my family loves!
• Little Saucepan

Add all ingredients to saucepan and mix. Turn heat on medium and bring mix to boil while stirring. As soon as it starts to boil bring it to warm or remove from heat if ready to serve.

This is one of our easy go to dinners. The kids enjoy the fried rice and the meat. They are still iffy on the wontons but will have a few bites. The rice is really the star of the meal and usually we don't have leftovers of it. :)

Chicken Arepas (Corn Cake)

 

A little story comes with this wonderful little morsel of food! So in December 2012 me, my husband and our little boy went to visit my husband's family in Bucaramanga, Colombia. This was my first trip ever out of the US and was very nervous about everything! The trip ended up being wonderful and I am so glad I went!! Anyways back to the food. On our first morning there we went to a place called The Plaza which is like a little market place where you can buy food or other items. They have little restaurant tables set up where you can get food while there and this is where I met the Chicken Arepa! Oh My Goodness the food there is amazing!! It is all fresh and wonderful! I thought when I got home I need to learn to make this because my life is not complete without this food anymore LOL!! So after a few tries I have got this down to a science. I have not figured out how to make Aji(hot sauce) that tastes the same as it did in Colombia, but I am going to keep trying until I do! So I hope you will try this I may be posting a video on how to make the Arepas since it can be a bit difficult to figure out by just reading the recipe.

 
Chicken Arepas (Corn Cake)

Arepas

• 1 Cup PAN Pre-Cooked White Corn Meal (pictured to the right,  Maceys or at Latin grocery stores is where we have found it here in Utah)
• 1 Cup + More if needed HOT Water
• 1 tsp Salt or more for taste
• Oil for frying. ( I use Corn or Vegetable oil and sometimes Olive Oil. It is up to your taste)
• Cast Iron Pan or a Pan that you like to fry things in.
• Makes 4-6 Arepas

Get a mixing bowl and add the PAN in and salt then HOT water. Make sure the water is very warm this helps bind the corn meal together to make a dough. Then mix with large spoon or fork, sometimes hands if you want to get a little dirty! Then you want it to be a soft dough so you may need to add more water. Then you want to make several balls from the dough 4 to 6 depending on how big you want the Arepas to be. Put a little cold oil on your hands and take one of the pre-made balls and smash it into a disk about a half inch thick. Pat the edges if they become cracked. Get your frying pan ready with the oil. You can be as liberal as you want with the oil. A little or a lot it depends on your taste. I use enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then you add the disk to the hot pan and cook a few minutes on each side until they have browned a bit on each side. Set them on a plate lined with a paper towel and go prep the chicken filling.

Chicken

• 2 to 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Shredded or 1 Cooked Whole Fryer Chicken from the store meat off bone and shredded
• 1/3 or less Cup of Mayonnaise
• 1 bunch of Cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tsp Cumin or 1 tsp Adobo Cumin Seasoning (Found at Viva Market in Utah)
• Lime Juice or True Lime (At most grocers in Utah) or 1/2 Fresh Lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the Chicken in 2 quarts water you can add seasoning to the water like the True Lime or the Adobo or just leave it plain with salt or you can buy a cooked chicken from the grocery store and debone it and shred meat either will do. Once chicken is cooked all the way through (No longer pink) shred and put in a mixing bowl. Then add remaining ingredients. Stir with fork until all combined. Set aside.

Next to assemble get the arepas and take a knife and slice almost in half leaving a little at the bottom so they hold together. Then stuff with chicken mixture. And Enjoy!! My kids love just eating the Arepas and the cooked chicken. They don't like the filling all made up so much but me and the hubby go crazy for these!! You can atop it with fresh salsa which is recommended! I will add a video shortly on this recipe as well as a recipe for Aji(hot sauce) that is suppose to go with this!

Sweet Chicken Nuggets and Tangy Honey Mustard Sauce

Sweet Chicken Nuggets

• 1-2 pounds of Chicken Breast, Sliced and Cubed
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Pickle Juice or Vinegar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
• 1 tsp Garlic Salt or Powder
• Oil for frying, Peanut Oil is highly recommended on this recipe.
• Frying Pan

Combine first 4 ingredients in a plastic zip bag and let sit in fridge for 2-4 hours. When that is done Combine Flour, Sugar and spices in a mixing bowl. Get frying pan and add oil. Fry pieces about 2 minutes on each side until golden.

Tangy Honey Mustard Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 1/2 Tbsp Brown Mustard or Spicy Mustard
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar or any other vinegar will do
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. And then use with chicken when done.

Love this combo!! It is similar to that "only chicken" restaurant..hint..hint :) anyways we love it and serve it with fries or with the Crunchy Cheesy Potatoes (earlier post). This is a very kid friendly recipe even with all the spices. Adding the powdered sugar gives that a little sweetness and the kids love that but they don't like the mustard sauce very much and will eat them with ketchup!

Cheesy Shredded Potatoes

Crunchy Cheesy Shredded Potatoes

Printable Recipe

• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 8oz package of Room Temp. Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1-2 Shallots, or 4-5 Green Onions, or 1/2 large onion
• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese (Cheddar/Monterrey Jack)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 24 oz Bag of Shredded Potatoes
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 1/2 to 2 Cups Crushed Corn Flakes
• 9"X13" Pan greased with Pam or Shortening

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Combine the first 6 ingredients. Can mix with fork or hand mixer until well blended together. Then add Potatoes. Next melt butter for 2 minutes in microwave safe bowl. Then in a plastic bag crush Corn Flakes. Next pour butter in the plastic bag with the Corn Flakes and mix together. Pour Potato mixture into prepped pan then add the Corn Flake and Butter mixture spread evenly on top. Bake for 30-50 minutes until middle is heated. Taste test with a spoon. Take from oven let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Be careful not to eat the whole pan in one sitting!! :) One of our family favs for sure!! The kids like this and will ask for more!

Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mixes can be used a lot of different ways other than making cakes. One of my favorite uses is to make a quick and easy batch of cookies. For this one I decided to half plain, half mint chocolate chunk and some of the plain dusted in powdered sugar.

Cake Mix Cookie Recipe

Printable Recipe

• 1 box of cake mix (I used Pillsbury Devil's Food)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup of mint chocolate chunk (Andes Mint Baking Chips are my favorite) or you can use nuts, chocolate chips, or other baking candies.
• Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the ingredients with a mixer until well blended. Scoop out a spoonful on greased baking sheet or seasoned stoneware. Flatten with a cup end dipped in flour or use a fork to criss-cross flatten. Bake at 375 for 6-8 min. Watch carefully if they get too crisp they are not as good. Then let cool for a minute or so and transfer to cooling rack or parchment paper. If you went for plain you can roll in powdered sugar for an extra flavor. Enjoy! These end up being soft yummy cookies!! Careful though you might need to make a few batches because they go fast especially with the hubby and kiddos!!
 

Welcome To My Adventures In Cooking

A little about me and my family. Hi I am JoAnna, I have a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful children. They are my light in this crazy world and could not be anything without them. My husband is a wonderful provider and has given me the opportunity to by a stay-home mom for the time being. This has led me to more cooking! So I am glad my husband loves to eat and try all the new things I cook! My husband is from Colombia and this has inspired my more Latin style of cooking and the Spanish language as of late. But he loves to try new and different foods from all cultures which makes for some fun and sometimes interesting dishes!  The kids have not grown up enough to really want to eat all of the food I make. Although most things they will try and sometimes will be good enough to eat more than a few bites :) but they are wonderful and are still growing into their taste buds! We love to travel and so far have been back to Colombia (which has ruined me food-wise because everything is so super fresh and yummy there), Florida, Washington State, California,  and Idaho. Not very many places yet but we are going to be adding to this list in the years to come!

So I got this idea to start this blog as a way to share my recipes and recipes I have tried! I got this idea when we had family over and they said that I should post my recipes and then pin them on Pinterest...light bulb...start a new blog! Now a little about my background in cooking and my family. I grew up cooking. My mother is a wonderful cook and has taught me so much about cooking and taught me many a recipe. So in my childhood my love for cooking started to grow. When I became an adult and moved out my love for cooking blossomed! I loved everything to do with cooking! It helped to have the right tools to do so! Pampered Chef has a wonderful collection of cooking utensils that I love. Though I do cook with products from the dollar store as well. You just have to find what you like and what you can afford at the time. Most of my Pampered Chef items I received as gifts and some I purchased. They have been great through the many years I have had them. And some of my lower end cookware I have found I like better than that of my Pampered Chef stuff so it is all up to you!


From here I will be posting photos, recipes, and posts of kinds of things to do with food and maybe the occasional craft or two if I happen upon good ones!

Gracias for reading and coming to visit my Blog!