CUBANOS!

Recently, I watched a movie titled "Chef."  I felt like I was watching a film documenting my heart's desire for food!  Without giving away too much of the movie...for those that have not seen it, it's basically about a talented chef that quits his job and gets his own food truck.  He starts cooking Cuban sandwiches aka "Cubanos" with the inspiration from his ex-wife's Cuban roots!  A Cubano traditionally has ham, turkey, mustard, cheese, a pickle, and is toasted on a Panini press!  Today, I will serve them with Puerto Rican beans!  Growing up, I had a Puerto Rican best friend and his Grandpa made the best beans ever!  I am sworn to secrecy...so I can't give you the recipe the way I was taught, but like everything that I have ever eaten and tried to cook...I added my own twist to it and that's what I'll share with you today!  WARNING...THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE FOOD TRUCK SANDWICH!!!!! The layers of flavor are designed to make your mouth explode!!!!!  My goal was to create several layers of flavor.  With the turkey you get a Latin flavor from the taco and menudo mix, a lil spicy heat, and with the pork I wanted that savory sweet taste to balance some of the heat.  Then, two types of cheese...pepper jack and mozzarella for a spicy gooeyness that melts with the tangy pickle as you bite into it!!  I hope you are ready for this!

TURKEY
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 a pack of menudo mix, 1 pack of onion soup mix, 1/4 cup of Adobo seasonings(or you could use 1 pack of taco seasoning mix), and 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Rub the mix on the turkey(under turkey skin too), bake in pan with 2 cups of water, cover with foil, and bake for 45-55 min.

PORK
Traditionally, you would use ham!  I decided to use pork shoulder because it's fattiness helps absorb the marinade.  Score the fatty part of the pork and place it in a cooking pan with 2 cups of water.  In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce or you may use soy sauce(I prefer teriyaki), add the juice from 1 can of pineapple rings, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Pour/rub the mixture all over the pork and then top with the pineapple rings.  Cover with foil and bake for approximately 3 hours.  After the 3 hours, take off the foil and bake an additional 30 mins until golden brown(or until the pork falls apart with a fork).  Meat should separate from the bone with ease.  Let cool and shred!

You can make 4 sandwiches out of 1 French baguette roll.  Slice the roll in half, spread mustard on one side and mayo on other.  Layer with 1 slice of pepper jack cheese and 1 slice of mozzarella(you can use any type of bread or roll you like as well as any cheese)!  If you have a panini press, now's the time to heat it up.  After you have spread the condiments and layered the cheese...add the pickle, shredded turkey and shredded pork.  Press the sandwich until the cheese has melted...slice and serve!!!  *If you do not have a panini press, you could use a skillet...just butter the top and bottom of the bread before building the sandwiches, place in a pan, and use a second pan to press down the sandwich.

PUERTO RICAN BEANS
In a sauce pan, add 2 large can of pinto beans, 1 large ham steak, and 2 potatoes diced into small pieces.  Cover with water, add 1 can of El Pato sauce, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon salt.  Bring it to a boil and then simmer on low until the potatoes are soft.  Approximately 30 minutes.

Bon Appetit!!

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Soups are a household favorite!  My family loves when I cook pozole(both red and green), chicken tortilla, and even menudo!  Today, I will share my recipe for albondigas.  Albondigas is super simple, but so flavorful!  I think of my Aunt Mary and Megan...because they LOVED my albondigas and my aunt requested it often!




INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Ground Beef
2 Stalks of Celery
1 Zucchini
3 Large Potatoes
1/4 Cup Carrots(you may use a bag of the pre-sliced or chop your own)
2/3 Cup of White Rice
1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1 Small Can of Tomato Sauce
1/2 Can of El Pato Sauce
Water
Chicken Bouillon
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder


Step 1
In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, un-cooked rice, bread crumbs, eggs, and a pinch of salt, pepper & garlic powder.  Mix with your hands and form into round balls.  Make a circle with your thumb and pointer finger...if your meatballs fit snugly in there...its a good size.  Meatballs the size of a golf balls may be just a little too big, unless you prefer them to be big.

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil(you will not need too much because the meatballs will render a lot of fat).  Don't over cook them, cook them until they have nice brown marks(turning 2-3 times until most of the pink is gone).  *Keep in mind, they will continue to cook as they are boiling in the pot.  You will want some of that meat to create a delicious broth.  After the meatballs are cooked, drain the excess fat or you will have a greasy soup!

Step 2
Add your chopped veggies and water until the pot is 2/3 full.  Most albondigas soups have meatballs, zucchini, celery, carrots, and potatoes.  If you wish to add more veggies...go for it! You could add spinach, onions, yellow squash, and so forth...

After you add all your chopped veggies, add 1 can of tomato sauce, and 1/2 a can of El Pato Sauce(if you like really spicy food or feel like sweating...add the whole can).

Add 3 tablespoons of chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Bring it all to a boil and cover for about 30 minutes(till the potatoes are fork tender).  After the 30 minutes, taste the broth and you can determine if you want to make it spicier or if it needs more salt.  *Start with a little salt...you can always add more, but you can't fix it once it's too salty!

Add cilantro, lemon, and/or avocado for presentation and BON APPETIT!!

Thresher Shark

I must say, one of my favorite times of the year is when my TV is flooded with "Shark Week" shows!! I'm fascinated by sharks and their behaviors!  So, today I'm posting one of my favorite things to eat and NO...it's not cake!! LOL!!  It's Thresher Shark! 

Not many people know...
Once upon a time, I had a Hawaiian themed restaurant called "Menehune's."  That was where my childhood friend Joshua helped me create and serve a pub hub menu with a lil Hawaiian inspired twist!  At that time, he had just gotten back from traveling the U.S. as a chef on one of the world's most well known cruise lines.  Trying to stay close to a Hawaiian theme, we served up BBQ roasted pork, sticky rice bowls, shrimp ceviche, some traditional bar food, and I had to have "fish tacos."  Now, I thought fish tacos had to be a greasy piece of cheap fried fish.  But, my chef buddy Josh suggested we use thresher shark instead!!  I thought, "Jaws?!"  You want me to serve "Jaws?!"  He insisted I trust him...and I did!!

To this day...
I will not make fish tacos any other way!  Forgive me if I have you wanting tacos...cause I'm not showing you tacos here today! LOL!  However, you could easily cook it how I'm showing you and put it in a tortilla with some pico de gallo salsa, some cabbage, and you'd have just as yummy of a meal!!  Today, I'm cooking BBQ grilled thresher shark(marinated in a tequila lime and pineapple juice marinade) topped with a mango salsa!!  Also, I'm hooking it up with some grilled pesto artichokes, a lemon spinach rice, and grilled pineapples!  Still want Tacos??

LETS GET STARTED!!

INGREDIENTS:

Mango Salsa
Tomatoes, onions, mangoes, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and garlic(powder or fresh)

Lemon Spinach Rice
Rice, spinach, lemon juice, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, and salt

Grilled Pesto Artichokes
Artichokes and pesto sauce

Marinade for Shark
A can of pineapple juice and I have found a tequila lime 30 min marinade that I love(there's many different brands you can choose from and/or you could absolutely do it from scratch).  However, for the money...it's just as good and easy on the wallet to just buy one

*With most things, the longer you marinade...the more flavor your protein will have.  However, I usually only marinade my fish up to 4 hours. 

Step 1
Chop all your ingredients for your mango salsa.  If you like pineapple...add that too!  I chose to grill pineapple this time instead of putting it in the salsa.

Step 2
Put your whole artichokes in a pot and bring them to a boil, cover, turn the heat to a med/low, and cook for another 45 min to an hour(depending on how large).  Check them 20 minutes in, to make sure they are still submerged in water, and you may have to flip them to make sure they cook through.  If you are nervous after 45 minutes, use a knife and stick it through the bottom of the stem...if it goes all the way through...you are pretty safe!!  *Make sure you cut the stem to the bottom of the artichoke and leave no "tail."

Step 3
Like traditional white rice, double the water to the amount of rice.  If you do 2 cups of rice...pour 4 cups of water, etc.  While that's boiling, add 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and *optional* the juice from 2 lemons.  When the rice is just about done, add a heaping handful of spinach, cover, and let it sit until you're ready to serve.

Step 4
Lets take it to the GRILL!!
Make sure you heat up the grill for at least 10 minutes and clean it with a wire brush.  If you don't do this, your food will taste like the last thing you BBQ'd! 

Add pineapple, cook one side down for 5 minutes.  Then, rotate 180 degrees and cook an additional 5 minutes to get the beautiful char marks.  Then, flip and repeat.

Cut the artichokes in half, remove the furry part, place them on the grill and brush with your favorite pesto sauce before placing face down.  While face down, brush the back side of the leaves.  As it cooks, the pesto melts into all the leaves and adds a delicious smoked pesto taste.  Grill face down for approximately 5-8 minutes(depending on the desired char you prefer).  Flip and repeat for the back side of the artichoke.

Now, place the marinated shark on the grill and cook approximately 8 minutes on each side. Use the same technique as the pineapple to get the beautiful grill marks.  Try not to move the shark too often.  What makes the shark so yummy is it's buttery flaky texture, if turned too often it could fall apart on the grill.  If the shark is 3-4 inches thick, you may have to lay it on it's side as well to make sure it gets cooked through.  Like a good rib-eye, it's hard to mess up because it's so buttery and flaky.  Although...I've been to many "steakhouse's" that have managed to ruin my steak...

AND, BON APPETIT!!!

*If you have ANY questions...please feel free to write a comment, FB me, and/or contact me on Instagram.  I will gladly do my best to get an answer for you.

Meatloaf

Today, I'm excited to start my very own food blog!  I will be sharing some of my recipes.  This is actually going to be really hard for me because everything I cook comes from the heart with no real "recipe," but for blog's sake...I will do my best!  I have often said, "the greatest gifts in my opinion is first the ability to serve God, and then His people!"  Many people do this every day.  Some might go down to the local homeless shelter and serve.  Some might "serve" by volunteering in their local community.  One might even do it by simply helping an elderly woman cross the street!  I love to do it by cooking for others, especially my family.  My wife is my biggest cheerleader, then my daughters, and it thrills me when my boys like to help in the kitchen or get excited when I cook something that they have requested days in advance. 

Today, I will be cooking one of my BIG BABY BOY Jacob's top ten meals! His top ten consists of ALL his #1 favorites!  MEATLOAF!!!  Growing up, I hated meatloaf...no offense Mom!! ;) I have to admit that if it wasn't for THE FOOD NETWORK mine today wouldn't be much different.  Many of my favorite dishes to cook have some type of "food network" inspiration!  I have to say that Chef Emeril Lagasse was one of my favorites to watch as a young man.  I'm sure the joy and fun he had while cooking inspired many Great Chefs ALL over the world!  Who could forget the words he made famous?!  "Let's kick it up a notch" and my all time favorite "BAM!!"  So...one night as he was "kicking it up a notch" he was cooking meatloaf.  But, not mom's traditional boring dry meatloaf.  He added what I believe is genius...chorizo!!  I thought to my self, "one day I will try that!"  And, many years ago...I did!!  And, it has been a hit with EVERYONE I have cooked it for since then!!  I will provide a food list and what's as close to recipe as I can give you.  Additional piece of advice, when cooking or trying to cook something you tasted...ALWAYS add your own twist to it.  It makes it fun and then you can truly call it your own...Bon Appetit!!

INGREDIENTS/RECIPE

1lb. Ground Beef

1/2 Package of Pork Chorizo

1/4 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper (use whichever you prefer)

1/4 Cup Chopped Carrots

Sautee 1/2 an Onion with 1 Pkg. Diced Prosciutto

Combine all in a bowl with 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

2 Whole Eggs

(I don't add salt because chorizo and prosciutto add a salt element to the dish)

Bake in Oven 45-55 Min at 375 degrees

Let it sit for a minimum of 10 minutes and then slice!

*Don't forget you can add any kind of veggies you like*

TONIGHT, I SERVED IT WITH PAN SEARED POTATOES/ONIONS/GARLIC/GINGER AND SOME LEMON PEPPER ZUCCHINI