Desserts And Good Food

     In  Puerto Rico we called empanadillas.  Many other countries in the world have them as well, but they are more commonly known as empanadas in the United States. No matter what they are called, empanadillas are one of those treats you dream about it.  Made with plain flour, precooked cornmeal (masarepa) or fine yellow cornmeal they are a pleasure to eat.    I made two recipes using 2 different types of corn flour to see which one was tastier and easier to make.   This is my version of a recipe, from a very old cook book I brought  from Puerto Rico many years ago. In this recipe I use yellow cornmeal and the result is a crispy empanadilla with a strong corn flavor.                              Recipe #1 Ingredients: 1 cup corn flour 2 cups of water 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon unsalted butter 2 cups of oil for frying 1 baking sheet covered ...

     The other day I was looking in a box where I have all the recipes I been writing for many years. I found a folder with my plantain recipes and I thought it would be a good idea to share a recipe that uses ripe plantains. In this recipe you are going to learn how you can transform a plantain in a complete meal.       The first recipe I want to share with you is called "Canoas de platano" (Plantains Canoes). This recipe is both savory and sweet due to the natural sweetness of ripe plantains. When you bite into it, your mouth will feel a myriad of flavors and textures.                                                         Ingredients: 4 ripe plantains, peeled 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese  Stewed ground beef, refer to Stew ground beef recipe Preheat the oven at 350°F Make a long cut on the peel of t...

     Richly flavored, this stewed ground beef is very popular in our Puerto Rican table. Made with peppers, spices and herbs we use this stew to fill our empanadillas (empanadas), rellenos de papas, yucca empanadas and many other Puerto Rican recipes. Through the years I have made some small changes to my mother's recipe depending on the produce available. Using grass fed ground beef ensures the best flavor in this stew.        Ingredients: For the sofrito: 1/4 cup ham, small dice 1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice 1/4 cup celery, small dice 1/4 cup carrots, small dice  1 tablespoon annatto oil 1/8 cup green bell pepper, small dice 1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice 1/2 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped  1 large garlic clove minced salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup stuffed green olive, rinse lightly 1- 8 oz.can  tomato sauce For  the meat: 1 pound ground beef, I use grass feed 1...