Braised Short Ribs and Rice

Braised short ribs are a favorite dish of mine.This is a perfect dish for a cold day. It makes your stomach feel all warm and good. It is an easy dish in that you can leave it in the oven and it will get better the longer you leave it in.  Here is the ingredient list:

Ingredients
beef short ribs
1 onion
2 chopped cloves of garlic
sliced onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup of salsa verde
1/2 tomato sauce
1 cup of salsa ranchera (if you cannot find salsa ranchera you can use any regular salsa)
1 tablespoon of cumin
salt
pepper
two strips of bacon
1/2 tablespoon of oregano
1/2 tablespoon of parsley
1/2 tablespoon of thyme

Method:

In a pan on medium heat, brown the strips of bacon. When the bacon is browned I take it out of the pan and brown the short ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. When the shortribs are browned on both sides, I take them out of the pan and put them in a baking dish. Then I saute the onion and peppers for two minutes. Then I add the salsa and the tomato sauce to de-glaze the pan. I then add the herbs and cumin. When the sauce is cooked I pour it over the short ribs. I then put the short tibs in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes I bump the heat up to 415 for another 30 minutes. Then after that I bump the heat up again to 425 for the last 30 minutes. I serve over rice and you have a very delicious dish. Enjoy!

Homemade Steak Fries

If you research the cuisines of the world, you might find that the majority of them cut potatoes and then fry them in hot oil. It is a fact that as humans we love french fries. Talking about them will just make you wanna drop whatever you are doing and buy some of them or if you have the ingredients you can make them yourself. Here is a recipe for Steak Fries. Thick cut wedges of potatoes covered in oil and spices. Then baked in the oven. 

Ingredients:

four large potatoes, cut into wedges. (I like to keep the skins on because they taste good and they have some nutrients in them)

tablespoon of garlic powder

tablespoon salt

tablespoon pepper

tablespoon paprika

half a cup of vegetable oil 

tablespoon of sesame oil

Method: 

Once you have the potatoes washed and cut, combine the spices and oil with the potato wedges until thoroughly mixed. Place on a baking sheet and place into a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes I like to flip the potatoes so each side gets equally browned. I then bake them again for another 15 minutes. I flip them again and cook for 10 minutes and after that they should be golden brown and delicious. Serve with ketchup or just stuff them into your face because they are that good. 

Drinktime: unique jello shots

For a special day here at Clark University, my friends Sara and Lisa made special jello shots. These are really cool and delicious at the same time. These jello shots are unusual in that they are in hollowed out strawberries and oranges.

My friends followed the jello recipe on the box of jello. My friend Lisa said she replace the cold water with the alcohol. She used one cup of boiling water. For the lime jello she used Pineapple Jack rum. Citrus vodka in the strawberry and orange, and regular vodka in the blackberry. If you make these jello shots your friends will probably think of you  in a better light because of your creativity. Shout out to my friends Sara and Lisa for making these. They were delicious and I admit that they were very creative. Enjoy!

Pork and Chicken Tacos with Rice and Beans.

This is a version of taco night. I marinated the chicken breasts and boneless pork chops. I served it with Mexican rice and re-fried beans. Here is the recipe for the pork and chicken:

Marinated Pork and Chicken Tacos
Boneless pork chops
2 chicken breasts
mesquite seasoning
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
chili garlic paste
half an onion sliced
olive oil
cumin
For the Tacos and the garnish
mozzarella cheese
corn tortillas
salsa verde
diced onions

Method:
cut the chicken into strips. Then combine the seasonings in a bowl and mix them with the meat. Make sure that the meat is fully coated with the seasonings. Marinate for 30 minutes. You can marinate the meat longer if you wish for more flavor.  Then in a pan with some oil cook the meat about 5 minutes on each side on medium high heat. When meat is done chop the meat into bite sized pieces.

Tacos:
Take two tortillas and place some of the cheese between the two tortillas. Place the tortillas in the toaster oven until they are pliable. Then take the tortillas and place some of the meat on the tortillas. Then place the diced onions and salsa verde. With that you have a a great taco to serve along side beans and rice.

Mexican Rice:
1 cup of uncooked rice
salt
2 cups chicken stock
cumin
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
half a diced onion
garlic powder
oil

Method:
Heat a pan to medium heat and with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the rice and saute until golden and puffy. Then add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and the chicken stock. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil and then when its at a boil bring to a low heat and cover for 20-25 minutes.


Beans:
I have leftover re-fried beans so i just reheated those. If you do not have any re-fried beans left over, use the recipe I made earlier on the blog. Enjoy!

Baked Goods

  Sometimes baking sweets just need to be done. Homemade brownies, and cake just taste that much better when you make it yourself. Being a novice baker at best, I rely upon the baking mix to my baked goods. I made funfetti cake with chocolate frosting, brownies, and peanut butter cookies. I just bought the mixes and followed the instructions on the box. Enjoy the baked goods!

Chicken and Chorizo Stew with Potatoes

This is a really good dish to have on a cold or cool day. Its a stew that does not take long to cook like a normal stew. Here are the ingredients:

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
one link of chorizo sliced
one onion chopped
one clove of garlic minced
tablespoon of oregano
teaspoon of rosemary
tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
teaspoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of parsley
salt
pepper
tablespoon of cumin
a small can of tomato sauce
water
Chopped potatoes

Method:
With the chopped onion saute in a pot with some oil and sesame oil for two minutes. Then put in the sliced chorizo and cook for another two minutes. Then add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, and cumin. saute that for two minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and water. Bring this to a boil and then add the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the chicken breasts which should be sliced. Cook this for about 15 minutes and add the toasted sesame seeds at the end. Serve with pasta, rice or serve as is. It is a very hearty meal and I guarantee you will like it. Enjoy!

Molletes

This is a dish that I was introduced to a couple of year back when working with Mexicans at a kitchen job I had. They decided that they make something Mexican which was different from the typical American fare that we would make. Molletes are a sort of open face sandwich. They are made with a roll topped with re-fried beans, cheese, salsa verde, pico de gallo, and meats ranging from chorizo to chicharron.

Ingredients:
Re-fried beans(use the recipe from this blog)
sub rolls/ or hot dog buns
chorizo
salsa verde
mozzarella cheese

Method:
In a pan steam the chorizo for about 8-10 minutes. Cut the sub roll or hot dog bun in half. Then spread some of the re-fried beans on top of the halved bun. Then spread the mozzarella cheese on top of the re-fried beans. When the chorizo is done let it cool before slicing on a diagonal. Top the cheese with the chorizo and stick in the toaster oven to melt the cheese. When the cheese is melted put the molletes on a plate and top with salsa verde. There you have it folks. That is how you make Molletes. They are delicious and you should try them because they are addictive. Enjoy!