My Big Fat Cuban Family is a Cuban-American lifestyle and food blog by Marta Verdes Darby.
I have three words for you: Ropa. Vieja. Pizza. That's right. You're going to love me so much by the time you finish reading this.
In my Cuban kitchen there are a few meals that are in constant rotation. I admit I tend to go for quick and easy. And delicious, of course. Because, as I often like to say to anyone who's listening, "Food should taste delicious." You may quote me if you like.
Read MoreThis is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. But, of course, all opinions are my own.
Recipe Development - let’s discuss this for a moment.
When I hear the term, “Recipe Development,” I think of scientist types in an expansive, pristine kitchen, clothed in white lab coats and safety goggles. Because “Recipe Development," you see, is probably something that's best left to the professionals.
At least that’s the way this plays out in my mind. However…
I’ve had an idea for an appetizer-type recipe rattling around in my brain for a while. It has some of my favorite ingredients with the delicious addition of bacon. It would be ideal for a game day snack.
And serendipitously, I’ve been tasked to develop a recipe using Farmland® Bacon.
Full confession: My first reaction was, “Seriously? I’d so love to.” My second reaction, “I don’t really know if Recipe Development is part of my particular skill set.” Of course, I didn’t say this out loud, but that's not important right now.
It had to be something that appealed to my Cuban sensibilities. And incorporated bacon.
“Seriously? I’d love to!”
The best ingredients are key for this recipe to taste like I wanted it to. Farmland® Bacon has that whole “slow smoked over real wood” thing going for it so that was a no-brainer. (I buy it at Walmart.)
From the Farmland® Bacon website: For decades, Farmland® has taken pride in perfecting their curing and smoking technique – a difference you’ll taste in every delicious bite. (Emphasis mine.)
The Farmland® Bacon is what takes this recipe to that next level. So much so, that I thought about calling this recipe, “Every Delicious Bite.” Yep. It’s that good.
Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, let me present to you my latest recipe (drum roll, please).
Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites.
Let’s just observe a moment of silence, please. Thankyouverymuch.
I have had cream cheese wontons before and I think they’re perfectly lovely. Of course, when my thoughts turn to cream cheese, you know I will be thinking of adding guava somehow very soon. But then, I still needed to incorporate bacon into this mix.
That’s right when the whole thing went from Pedestrian to Sublime, the Heavens opened and an Angelic Choir burst into a Song of Great Celebration and Joy. That, or I got really, really excited.
Bacon. Guava. Cream Cheese. Wontons. Together at last.
Believe me when I tell you that this is a pretty brilliant combination of textures and flavors. And you’ll be floored by how these beautiful little creatures can be put together so quickly and so very deliciously.
The guava is what gives it the sweetness. Paired with the cream cheese it takes this to the Next Level of Cubanity. The bacon? Well, the bacon is what makes it other-worldly. And when you deep-fry these little bundles you get crunch. Everything you want in a Cuban-style appetizer or game day treat.
INGREDIENTS
1) Slice the entire package of bacon down the middle so you have shorter pieces to cook.
2) Fry these in a hot skillet until they are crispy, but not burned.
3) Drain on paper towels and chop roughly into smaller pieces.
4) Separate the thin sheets of wonton. I used both 1 and 2 sheets. Two sheets add more crunch. This will depend on your personal preference. I tried some both ways and I was equally happy.
5) Cut up the guava into small pieces.
6) To build the wontons, place small pieces of guava in the center of the wonton.
7) Spread with cream cheese, drop a few pieces of the roughly chopped bacon into this little cream cheese nest.
8) Dip your fingertip in water and run a tiny bit of water around the edges of the wonton. This acts like glue. You can also use egg white for this. Grab the corners of the wonton and squish (<—yes, that’s the technical term for it) corners together to create a little pouch.
9) Heat your oil in a deep skillet. The depth of the oil should just cover the wontons.
10) Fry quickly in the very hot oil. It should only take about 10-15 seconds, if that. Work in small batches. Don't do more than 3 or 4 at a time. They cook very quickly.
11) Drain cooked wontons on a paper towel.
12) Let them cool slightly before eating. They’re great at room temperature.
13) Serve and receive your praises.
Makes about 36 pieces.
Come to think of it, I kind of ROCK at Recipe Development.
For more awesome Farmland recipes, go give them some Facebook love right here.
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This is a compensated collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. But, of course, all opinions are my own.
I'm looking forward to The Big Game.
I'm talking about the Superbowl, of course. And, yes, I know who's playing and all, but truthfully, these days I'm more concerned with the menu than with what teams are on the field, (because I'm usually feeding an army of my own) but that's not important right now.
I plan my Superbowl Menu by quarters. Appetizers for the first half. Main Dish at half-time. Desserts for the fourth quarter. I know it sounds kind of formulaic, but it works for the organized part of my brain.
If I can make it work for my Cuban taste buds, all the better.
Here's a Cuban-inspired appetizer using Farmland® Bacon. (I found it at Walmart.) I decided that the perfect appetizer would be something both sweet and salty which made me think of maduros (sweet plantains) and Farmland® Bacon. Genius, no?
Farmland® bacon is slow smoked over real wood for maximum flavor. For decades, Farmland® has taken pride in perfecting their curing and smoking technique – a difference, they tell me, you’ll taste in every delicious bite. I am a believer.
Thanks, Farmland®. You had me at "slow smoked." *sigh*
I had picked up some fresh plantains to make these, but they weren't truly ripe enough for what I wanted to do, so, as we Cubans say, I had to "resolver."
So I used frozen (baked) plantains instead and was super happy with the results!
Ingredients
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Thaw the frozen plantains for about 20 minutes.
3) Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
4) Slice the plantains into 1 1/2 inch slices - about the width of the bacon.
5) Cut the entire package of Farmland® Bacon in half with a sharp knife.
6) Wrap each slice of plantain with a half-slice of bacon, rolling it all the way around the plantain.
7) Place each wrapped plantain slice on the foil-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
8) Bake in 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
You will want the bacon to be just slightly brown but not too crunchy.
9) Remove from foil immediately or they will stick. Move onto a plate lined with paper towels to blot any excess.
10) Can be served immediately or at room temperature.
If you did your job right, they will not make it to half-time.
Thanks, Farmland®. Buen Provecho and Go, Patriots!
It's not often that the entire family has the same craving at the very same time, but occasionally it happens.
The dinner conversation started innocently enough. "Best dessert you've ever had. Go!"
"Mom's Chocolate Mousse."
"The triple layer chocolate cake from the Daily Grill."
"Lemon bars."
"Pastelitos de guayaba. Duh."
"No. Wait! Remember the warm butter cake from California Pizza Kitchen?"
That's where the conversation abruptly ended. We all agreed that yes, the Butter Cake we had had at CPK was the best thing any of us had ever tasted. I actually had a childhood cake experience that came quite close, but that's not important right now.
The conversation eventually turned to: "Mom, you should make it."
And so it was that I went on a hunt for the Best Butter Cake Recipe. It turns out that CPK is not forthcoming with their recipe and that lots of people try to replicate it with varying degrees of success. And truly, there are a lot of good butter cake recipes out there. I finally found one that made me happy in my mom's old Cocina Al Minuto Cookbook. (Go figure.)
It's called "Cake Coriente." Or, Basic Cake. (Umm...no. It's kind of fantastic. Nothing basic about it.)
So I tweaked Nitza's recipe a bit and played with the cream cheese topping. The key to the cream cheese filling is that it needs to give it the sufficient gooeyness this particular butter cake requires.
I was going to make the cake in individual ramekins, but I stumbled upon these cool mini (5 inch) springform pans at Target (here's the link) from Wilton that made me very happy. And since I was adding the cream cheese, I thought the cakes might go all cheesecake on me, so I decided these were a good choice.
Cake Batter (makes 4 - 5 inch cakes)
Start with all the ingredients at room temperature (including the eggs). If any of them are too cold, the batter and the cream cheese layer won't set up correctly.
Cream Cheese Layer
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
1) Spray 4 mini springform pans (or ramekins) with baking spray or butter.
Prepare the cake batter as follows:
2) In a stand mixer cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar for 1-2 minutes.
3) Add eggs one at a time and beat on low for 20 seconds after each addition.
4) Whisk flour and salt, then add to creamed mixture. Beat on low until just incorporated, making sure not to over beat.
5) Add the vanilla.
Prepare the cream cheese layer as follows:
1) In a small bowl whip together cream cheese and granulated sugar until creamed, add egg and vanilla extract.
2) Pour cake batter into prepared springform pans then top with a layer of the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 60 – 75 minutes at 325 degrees (F), or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cakes.
You can go ahead and make the cakes a day ahead and refrigerate. When ready to serve, microwave until hot (approximately 40 seconds). With a kitchen torch, you can brûlée the top and sides of the cake to caramelize the sugar crystals, but this is not necessary. The cakes will come out beautifully. I promise.
Optionally, you may want to drizzle with guava marmalade, which takes this dessert to another level, but that's not important right now.
I think the very best part of this entire process for me was licking the beaters.
I swear, I haven't done this for years. I may or may not have traveled back in time a bit.
Also, I promise you, there's nothing "corriente" about this cake.
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I have a recipe today that was kind of a happy accident.
Ever since I went up to San Francisco a few months ago to cook my Picadillo, my family has been clamoring for it. Yes, there's been clamoring. For the past few years I've been making my picadillo with ground turkey. It's just become a thing.
When I cooked for the Blurb Food Fair, I used fresh ground beef. And here's what I found: it definitely tastes different. Better. In fact, I'm so sorry, ground turkey, but ground beef totally wins.
I mentioned this tidbit to my family and immediately they started asking for it. Clamoring. I had already sung the praises of the ground beef vs the ground turkey. I couldn't just leave them hanging.
Fine, I said. I'll do it, I said. And I did. And there was much rejoicing in the land.
Last week Eric's family was having a Christmas party and we were asked to bring appetizers for the buffet.
Eric: "Why don't you just make the picadillo? With the beef, of course."
Me: "Because it's a main dish, not an appetizer. That would be weird."
Then the brainstorming began and the result was the making of individual personal meat-filled pies. Cuban Picadillo Pies®. Not empanadas, but muffin-tin sized pies. Enough that you get a good portion of picadillo and the perfect proportion of crust. In fact, a couple of these beauties and a salad is practically a complete meal.
They were the hit of the party, by the way. But I sort of knew that would probably be the case. Hello? Cuban. Picadillo. Pies. It's genius, right?
After some experimentation, I decided the picadillo filling needed to have a little more substance and not be too runny, so I added more tomato paste. I added an envelope of Golla seasoning with saffron. I just love the taste it adds, but it can be made without it.
Also, I came to the cataclysmic decision to not use the olives. I know. Call me a rebel. The pie filling is therefore thicker and sweeter than regular picadillo, which works with the slight saltiness of the crust.
You love me now, don't you?
1) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, green pepper and garlic until the onion is transluscent.
2) Add the ground beef and brown over medium heat.
3) Add the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking until meat is tender and completely cooked through. About 25 minutes.
4) Let picadillo cool completely.
5) Grease muffin tin slightly with butter. Mostly just around the bottom.
6) Cut approximately 5" round circles from pie crust. (I used what I had handy in my kitchen. I'm going to run out and get proper circle cookie cutters for next time, but that's not important right now.) You can get about four 5 inch crusts out of the pie crust and then I combine and roll out the remainder for the tops.
7) Stuff these into the greased muffin tin.
8) Spoon cooled picadillo into the pie crust.
9) Using the leftover dough, roll it out to seal and Cut 3" circles from the scraps of the pie crust.
10) Stretch these out just slightly to make tops of the pies.
11) Press the top and bottom edges of pies together to seal. With a knife, make some slits on the top to vent. You can also just poke a hole in the middle. That works, too, but isn't as cute.
12) Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until crusts are brown. Allow to cool for a bit before serving. Makes 12 pies.
Now they're clamoring for my Cuban Picadillo Pies.®
I totally called it.
From the MBFCF Archives. Back by popular demand...
You know you’re in a Cuban home if, when you walk in, you can smell The Smell. You know what I’m talking about - that unmistakable, mouth-watering, oh-so-inviting, my-mom-is-amazing, God-I-love-Cuban-food smell.
It all begins with a simple onion, a luscious green bell pepper and some garlic cloves – The Trifecta of Cuban Cooking Perfection.
Grab your olive oil and sauté those three until the peppers are soft and the onions are transparent, add a can of tomato sauce and you’ve got yourself a perfect “sofrito.” The sofrito is the basis of all that is good and holy in a Cuban kitchen.
The Unmistakable Smell travels upstairs and through the entire house,
exactly like in those old cartoons where the smell of a fresh baked pie
becomes a long, smoky arm attached to a beckoning hand, and when it
reaches the unsuspecting noses of my fortunate family it leads them
helplessly down to my kitchen.
“Cuban food!” they exclaim and hover around long enough for me
to start giving the “set the table” orders.
They comply quickly and without complaint. Cuban food is its own reward.
It doesn’t get any better than this.
(NOTE: You don’t have to add salt, unless you want to. The broth and sausages usually add enough saltiness.)
1) Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
2) Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper and sauté about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
3) Add tomato sauce, white wine, pimientos with their liquid and bay leaf and simmer together over low heat for about 10 minutes.
4) In a large stockpot, bring water and chicken broth to a rolling boil.
5) While the liquid is boiling, wash rice and drain well.
6) Color the wet rice with the Bijol powder. (you just add a pinch to quickly color the rice.)
7) Add the rice to the boiling water, stir well, and reduce heat to medium low.
8) Add the sliced sausage to the tomato mixture and stir well.
9) Add tomato mixture to the rice.
10) Continue cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
11) After the rice is done, quickly add the can of peas, stirring them into the cooked rice - let it sit for a minute or two, just until the peas get hot.
Serve with maduros, galletas and ice-cold Materva. Nope, it really doesn't get any better than this.
This recipe was originally published on Babalú blog. January 17, 2008.
I know what you're thinking. You saw the title of this post and you said out loud, "There's no such thing as Cuban Bruschetta."
That's also what my mom said. (But then she's a Cuban Mother and it's part of her job description to argue recreationally, but that's not important right now.)
Lucy (who is the Bruschetta Expert of the family) asked, "So what makes it Cuban?"
Well, let me tell you. It's the extra garlic butter. And maybe the splash of vinegar. Or the cumin. And the tomato/sweet onion ration. Also, as with all Cuban food, the flavor is seriously sublime.
Jonathan: "Can I have another?" (Win!)
Allow me to introduce you to the awesomeness that is Cuban Style Bruschetta. Because that's what I'm here for.
1) In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, olive oil, vinegar, cumin, 3/4ths of the minced garlic.
2) Add salt and pepper to taste.
3) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or longer) to let the flavors blend together.
1) Slice the bread into 3/4 inch thick slices.
2) Mash the remaining garlic into the softened butter.
3) Compress each slice of the bread with a spatula.
3) Butter both sides of the smashed bread with the garlic butter.
4) Fry up the slices of buttered bread in a frying pan, over medium heat, until lightly toasted on each side. Be careful with this. The garlic and butter combo can quickly burn if you don't watch it.
5) Spoon the tomato/onion mixture on each slice of toasted bread.
6) Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. (The cilantro is not just a garnish. It adds a lovely flavor to the bruschetta. Trust me.)
7) Serve immediately.
8) Email me and tell me how much you loved it.
I love summer. I love that the days are so long and that everyone I know seems to be wanting to eat outdoors.
We were invited to a barbecue last week. "Can you bring some kind of Cuban-style appetizer?"
I usually get asked to bring some kind of Cuban-style dessert and then I usually make pastelitos for a crowd (See Pastelitos for 100 for Free recipe card download). Being on the other end of the dinner menu made me happy, plus I realized I hadn't really ever shared my Black Bean Dip Recipe.
You're sooo going to love me.
1) Drain the beans.
2) Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
3) Serve with plantain strips.
4) Don't forget to blush appropriately and take the complements graciously.
5) Practice saying, "Oh, it was nothing."
Happy Summer!
{Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Avocados from Mexico. The recipe is my own.}
Now that it's summer and we are eating outdoors practically every evening (on my beautiful farmhouse table, people), I'm all about grilling. Which technically means that I do most of the meal prep and toss the salad and let Eric do the heavy lifting (but that's not important right now).
He's the Master of the Grill around here. And I'm happy to let him have the honors. I still do the shopping and decide the menu, but he stands over the grill with his tongs, Master of All Things BBQ.
When we're cooking pretty much anything on the grill (and again, when I say we, I mean Eric), we keep it pretty simple. A basic Cuban garlic marinade. A quick rub. You get the idea.
But now here comes the magical part? Did you know you can grill avocados? (I'll wait just a moment while that bit of awesome sinks in.)
That's right. Avocados on the grill. And I'm going to show you how. (And you will love me.)
Ingredients
1) Split the avocado, remove the pit, and brush generously with olive oil.
2) Place on a medium hot BBQ grill, cut side down for about 2 or 3 minutes. The dark skin will start to look oily and the avocado flesh will look a little charred and bumpy.
3) Squeeze some fresh lime on them and sprinkle with sea salt. Now that they're grilled, they will also keep beautifully in the refrigerator overnight. (Who knew?)
They can be filled with pretty much anything you like, but I prefer mine plain with lime, salt, and a little of my Old School Cuban Salad Dressing.
Ingredients
1) Whisk together all the ingredients until well blended. Serve at room temperature. (Note: The ratio of olive oil to vinegar is roughly 3 to 1.)
I love avocados, don't you? If you have a favorite avocado recipe, please submit your creation to the Avocados from Mexico page here.
We're gearing up for the 4th of July around here. And frankly, that means All-American food. Burgers and hot dogs and stuff like that.
Eric picked up a fire-bowl-thing a few weeks ago from Home Depot. He thought it might be fun to enjoy a fire in our back yard every now and then. And he was right. We're kind of loving it.
The combination of 4th of July, hot dogs, summer, and fire-bowl-thingy just scream "S'mores!" to me.
When I was a girl scout and went on my first camping trip, "s'mores" were on the menu. I was about 10 years old and still fairly new to this country.
All of us were given un-bent (<--is that a word?) wire coat hangers and marshmallows and I followed the lead of the other girls as they put their marshmallows into the fire. What strange food ritual was I being initiated into?
"S'mores!" They said it with such passion. What was this food that inspired so much ecstasy?
Then I tasted my first s'more. And I got it.
The passage of time has not diminished my love of the graham cracker with melted marshmallows and chocolate prepared over an open flame, but I felt like it needed something slightly different. Maybe a touch of....Cubanity? (<--is that a word?)
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to..... *drum roll, please*
I know you're already asking, "How is this fabulousness achieved?"
The secret is in the Marias. Maria cookies instead of graham crackers. Genius. (Deliciously genius.)
INGREDIENTS
1) Heat the marshmallow over an open flame until it begins to melt and brown on the outside.
2) Place a few squares of the chocolate on a Maria cookie.
3) Place the hot, cooked marshmallow on the chocolate.
4) Sandwich with another Maria cookie. If you like the taste of more chocolate, place more squares over the marshmallow before you top with the other cookie.
5) Allow the marshmallow to cool just a bit before eating.
Come back here and tell me how much you love this.
You're welcome!
You can get Maria cookies online at the Cuban Food Market.
{Full disclosure: This idea came from one of my Facebook followers. If you are not yet part of that "relajo," please follow My Big, Fat, Cuban Family on Facebook. Who knows what they will think of next? Damn Cubans.}
My Big Fat Cuban Family is all about my Cuban American life. Enjoy my ramblings on my blog about my Cuban family, Cuban heritage, Cuban culture, Cuban life. And some decent Cuban recipes with pictures, too.
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