Carne Mechada

You need:

·       3 lbs beef sirloin

·       1/4-cup of dry red wine or beef broth

·       1 crushed garlic clove

·       2 chopped onions

·       2 bay leaves

·       Salt and pepper to taste.

For the sauce:

·       2 chopped onions

·       2 chopped green peppers

·       2 12-ounce cans of tomato sauce

·       1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2-teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and salt and pepper to taste.

How to do this:

The preparation of the Carne Mechada involves simmering the beef with onions for around three hours and adding wine, water or beef broth if the meat looks too dried up. The dish needs to be removed from the heat thereafter, let to be cooled, and then shredded. For the sauce, onions and green peppers need to be cooked in olive oil until is looking like a sofrito, the meat to be added to the remaining ingredients, and then simmered for 30 minutes until all the essences are unified.

This is great with rice and black beans, arepas or simple platanos fritos. Email me if you have any questions.

Buen Provecho

Jambalaya Brown Polish

I was in Lost River, WV this past weekend for sometime off from the city, I always cook in the cabin for my friends and this week was not the exception; and I did not have to many ingredients to cook the last day. I decided to make a Jambalaya with Kielbasa, we were going to grill, but it was cold and windy,I think it was a good idea, my friends love it... I think.

You will need:

Polish Kielbasa about 1.25 lbs, or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced 1/4" thick
1 chicken breast diced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup of diced tomato, canned
1 large green (or any color you have) bell pepper, diced
1 small white onions, diced
2 cups brown rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of water
4 spoons of olive oil

 

What to do with all this:

In a heavy pot add the olive oil. Add the sliced sausage and cook, chicken and onions, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Saute the spices for 1 minute, and then add the tomatoes. Cook stirring for a few minutes to let some of the liquid from the tomatoes evaporate. Add the green bell pepper; cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and mix well. Add the stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and check the rice. It should be just tender; if it is still too firm cook longer. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.

Have some beer or white wine, if you want you can add shrimp 5 minutes before is done, in my case I did not have seafood because I was in the middle of West Virginia, I added canned corn; if you like it do it.

Enjoy and send me an email if you have any questions.

Food for your colon

Having a healthy colon is the key to long term health and finding good colon healthy recipes is one way to help keep your body healthy. While it might be difficult to actually locate recipes that are labeled to be healthy for the colon, you can learn to recognize them by the ingredients that they contain- namely fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, a healthy recipe will contain little or no white flour and white sugar. Perhaps the best recipe for colon health, however is to include lots of fruits and vegetables in your meals as described below.

The large intestine or colon is where the results of the entire digestive process gather up to leave the body. Due to poor eating habits, most people have an unhealthy colon resulting in constipation. If your colon is not in tip top shape, food can get trapped in the lining and start to rot. It can also become hardened in there and can even be trapped in your colon for years!

Of course, food plays a big role in the health of your colon. There are many arguments for the pros and cons of a vegan diet, however when it comes to colon health, a vegetarian way of eating has many benefits.

Vegetables and fruits are very colon friendly and can be processed or digested quite easily by the body. They contain a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as enzymes and fiber- all things that are essential to good health. Fiber, in particular, is good for your colon health as it adds bulk which helps to pass the food along the digestive tract.

One simple and easy breakfast recipe could be a fruit salad with oatmeal (not the packaged or instant stuff). Natural fruit juice can be quite healthy too although it does not have fiber and drinking a lot of water will help with the digestive process.

Always try to include a salad for lunch with lots of dark leafy greens. Stay away from the iceburg and try to include romaine lettuce and spinach as these have more vitamins. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and kale are great additions to any salad. Don't forget the olives and artichokes for a little zest. Instead of bottled dressing which is probably loaded with sugar, try olive oil and vinegar- you might even mix in some fresh herbs and create your own salad dressing recipe!

For snacks, stay away from anything that comes in a package and go for raw nuts, fruit, veggies or even a nice fruit smoothie- made with real fresh fruit, of course! If you need something crunchy try spreading all natural peanut butter on celery (this can also help to satisfy any cravings for sweets). Try cutting down on the red meat and eating fresh fish along with a salad and perhaps some steamed broccoli, zucchini and carrots. If you need something more substantial try adding brown rice, corn on the cob or potatoes.

Just like with any other aspect of your health, eating nutritious healthy foods is a sure fire way to keep your colon, and your whole body, in good health.

The Colon Cancer Alliance will be celebrating the Dress in Blue Day on March 04, all over the United States, check this link: http://www.ccalliance.org/dressinblueday/index.html

Carmine's Washington D.C.

The other day my friend John and I, when for a great relaxing lunch at Carmine's, is just couple blocks away from my house, they opened the restaurant located at 425 7th Street NW at the Penn Quarter in the center of Chinatown-Gallery Place in Washington D.C., four months ago, this was my second visit, I usually go to a restaurant 3 times before I write something, the portions are huge, but don't think that the quality is bad, is the opposite is great.

By far in DC this is one of the best Italian home cuisine that I ever had, you want to share everything, one plate can be divided into 4 portions, plus the bread to clean the sauce from the plate after your finish add up.  This time we had the penne alla vodka and last time I had the linguine with meatballs, we have a side of Cesar salad that was just like the one I used to eat in Rome, the flavor and freshness of the lettuce are incredible, the sauces are cook and design with love and it feels like when you go to a small town in Italy and the Nonna is cooking for you.

I recommend the restaurant for a nice lunch-dinner chat experience, just enjoy, eat, drink and relax and eat some more, the services is great, the waiter was patient, smiling and very attentive, they have suggestion from the menu and a good aptitude, desserts are real desserts, the tiramisu and the Italian cheesecake are tasty and creamy, you have to share the dessert, you will take some home for your 9PM TV time. They have a selection of house wine and other spirits.

If you want to feel like family and eat like in family, make sure that you visit Carmine's in my city of Washington DC. La Desayuneria give this restaurant a 5 gold folks for comfort traditional Italian food.

Picture from Carmine's website

Tuna Sauce Only Mom Recipe

When I was a baby, my mom used to make a yummy tuna sauce that was great, she told me that I used to eat so much, that my belly used to pop out, this is a very easy and cheap recipe that including my mother that never cooked, could do, it can be done in 15 minutes if you are not an expert maybe 20.

You will need;

• 375 g of whole grain Penne pasta
• 2 cans of tuna packed in water, drained
• 1can of tomato sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• A green pepper chopped
• 1 small onion chopped 
• 2 spoons of basil powder
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of smoke paprika powder
•  Salt to taste

Set penne water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the pasta, draining it when it's al dente.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion and the pepper for 5 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Crumble the tuna into the pot and let it brown a little big, and stir in the tomato sauce.
After a minute check seasoning; reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until the pasta is done.
Mixed the penne into the sauce pan and stir until everything comes together, let it seat for 5 minutes and serve, if you have some parmesan cheese add some on top when serve.

Hope you enjoy as much as I always do.

My mom and me

Chao

Cuba Libre in Chinatown DC

My expectations were fulfill, I was very impress with the quality, presentation, flavors and service, I was there twice, the first time was a very quite night, them very busy and crazy, but the attention was the same, they take care of you, like you are a long time friend and you are in a street restaurant in la Havana, the fist time my Dad and I have a taste of everything is was glory the ceviches, yummy, the arepas, you most have a bite, the ropa vieja inside is incredible and also the most intense, rich and filling, well prepare dish, that I always will eat is the lechón Asado, is this slow roasted marinated pulled pork, classic sour orange mojo, amarillo chille smashed yuca and black bean broth top with a vigoro slaw, this is delicioso, we also have the Paella Nueva, a forbidden black rice paella of pan roasted Mahi-Mahi, shrimp, clams mussels and squid, with a  Mojito salsa verde and chipottle allioli, I can write all the menu but you better go and try yourself, it was a New culinary Hispanic Cocina, like I never had, don't be expecting the traditional Cuban food, they mixed techniques from all over South, Central America also Spanish food is present but the trick is that the Chef make this flavor better, tastier and just incredible, like their rice, it will be forbidden is you missed this experience, also they have more than 100 different rums, and the mojitos are incredible, my favorite is passion fruit,  I have to tried 10 times to make sure it was the best option, dessert, the new reinvented Tres Leches de Banana is incredible and to finished the cafe con coconut milk, too delicious. I will be back for more.

Pictures from Cuba Libre website

Hope you enjoy as much as I did, make a reservations, it pack almost every day but it worth it.