Food bites

Arroz con pollo – Peruvian style

Peruvian cuisine is delicious. A mix of flavors with Native Peruvian, European, African and Asian influences appeals to many palates. Arroz con pollo is a common dish in many Latin American countries, each with its own seasonings and cooking method, but all equally delicious. The Dominican version, called "locrio de pollo", is said to be an adaptation of Spanish paella. It uses tomato sauce instead of the scarce and pricier zafron. In contrast, Peruvian arroz con pollo is green, calling for big amounts of cilantro. A friend recently introduced me to this dish and I loved it. See easy print…

How to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch: recipe and videos

This is a follow-up to my post Chinese pot stickers or dumplings where you can learn how to make fillings for your pot stickers. This post will explain how to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch, using a simple mixture of all-purpose flour, salt and water. Although time-consuming, there are many good reasons to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch: better taste, fresh wrappers are more malleable so they are easier to fold - and most importantly: you know what you are putting in them. If you are making 100 pot stickers or more to store, this method is…

Easy carnitas recipe – pork roast

Don't you just love carnitas? That tender, tasty pork that breaks with a fork and melts in your mouth? I do! It turns out you don't have to go to a Mexican restaurant to get a taste. This is my version of the pork carnitas recipe and it couldn't be simpler. If you decide to use bija or annatto seeds for this dish, see my related post. Easy slow cooker carnitas recipe - pork roast 2 lbs. of pork loin2 1/2 teaspoons ground salt (use 1/2 tea-spoon more if sea salt)2 teaspoons of oregano or oregano flakes1 teaspoon of…

Chinese pot sticker recipe – dumplings “jiaozi”

I got this Chinese pot sticker recipe from my Chinese mother in law. I learned that pot stickers are a traditional Northern Chinese holiday meal, usually made by the whole family on the Eve of Chinese New Year. Both my in-laws made them from scratch several times and let me help, but I confess I used to find the recipe too mind-boggling. That is, until this week. After noticing how much my two-year-old loves the chicken pot stickers we get from Costco, I decided to make my own. For this Chinese pot sticker recipe, I am using store-bought wrappers, but…

Pork stew recipe

Try this pork stew recipe for a delicious dish, using traditional stew vegetables and Caribbean-style seasonings. This recipe gives you the option to use "season all", a home-made vegetable and herb seasoning I wrote about in a previous post, and ground annatto seeds, but it can be done without. See easy print recipe below. Pork stew recipe 2 lbs. pork loin or other pork meat (cut into 1½ inch square cubes)½ mid size sweet red onion (chopped)1 teaspoon of mashed garlic (about 3 big cloves)1½ teaspoons salt½ teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon ground annatto seeds (bija or achiote)1 teaspoon oregano…

Homemade season all & dip

I already have a recipe posted for an all natural, homemade season all. However, I recently started using a new recipe inspired by a friend from Peru. The main difference between the two is that for this season all, you will stir-fry the ingredients before blending them, and you will be using red pepper for natural coloring. The result is a delicious orange paste that can be used as a dip or added to stews, soups, meats and rice dishes for enhanced flavor. You will need: 1 big red onion, diced 1 bulb of garlic, peeled 2 big red bell…

Vegetarian comfort food for winter

Is there such a thing as healthy comfort food? This question comes to mind when I make stir-fried vegetables to eat with rice... probably high in calories but also high in fiber. The following two vegetarian comfort food dishes complement each other and make a delicious winter dinner. You can use ingredients left over from one to make the other. Fried eggplant Tofu vegetables black bean sauce recipe. Using the left over eggs from the eggplant egg wash, make this tofu stir fry with vegetables and black bean sauce. Use the links provided to access the recipes. Serve both dishes…

Braised chicken recipe (pollo guisado)

Dark poultry meat is specially tasty when braised. For this braised chicken recipe, I'm going to use all drumsticks (because I like them so much!) but you can use any part of the chicken. See easy print recipe at the end of the post! Braised chicken recipe (pollo guisado) 10 chicken drumsticks6 garlic cloves (peeled)1/2 of a red onion chopped in half inch squares1 tea spoon salt1/2 tea spoon ground oregano or 1 teaspoon oregano flakes1 tea spoon tomato paste1 tea spoon brown sugar2 table spoons vegetable oil4 green onions chopped (for garnish)1 1/2 cups water Garlic: mash garlic in…