Simple but delicious pizza crust

1 1/2 cup of warm water (110* degrees F)
3 tsp of yeast, fast acting
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of olive oil
3-4 cups of AP flour

Pour into a large bowl the above ingredients except the flour. (you can also proof the yeast with the water first to ensure potency and then add rest)

Stir with a Danish dough whisk (or wooden spoon) and add flour till it forms a ball in the bowl.  Once it forms into a ball, dump onto a floured surface.  Knead by pushing it down firmly across the surface and then fold in half and "push" the fold into the ball while pushing against the surface of your counter.   Rotate slightly and repeat the motion. Set the timer for 10 minutes to knead this fully.  The dough should start to lighten in color and become more and more pliant.  The surface should look smooth and not torn up.  It should be where you can poke it without breaking the surface and fill back in slowly. 

Place into an oiled bowl and lightly oil dough ball and cover with a moistened parchment paper or tea towel.  Let rise till doubled.  I use the bread proof option in my oven.  It usually rises in about 75 minutes for me. 

Punch down dough and divide into 2 balls on a floured surface.  Cover and let it rest 10 minutes or so while you assemble the rest of your ingredients.

For thin crust, roll out with a heavy roller (like a marble one) and place on to a pizza screen or stone to bake 5 minutes in a 400 plus degrees oven and then place your toppings on and finish baking to ensure a crispy dough.

For a regular "hand" tossed crust. Spread dough into a circle on your floured surface using your hands to stretch it out all around in rotation.  Place onto a screen/stone, place your toppings on and bake as desired in a 400 degree oven.  Usually 15 minutes.

For a pan pizza.  I roll out both dough balls till flat.  I dot one circle with pats of butter. (about half a stick with thin pats)  I place other circle on top and roll it out pressing it together.  I fold in half.  Roll till flat. Repeat.  Then fold over again and again.  With your hands, mold into a dough ball.  Then spread it out like in the hand-tossed fashion.  In your large pan pizza pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom and spread out your dough into it, stretching it up and over the sides.  Add your toppings and bake in a 400 degree oven for a good 45 minutes.

Holiday cookies

Peppermint crushed sugar crackle cookies

• 8 candy canes crushed (1/2 cup)
• ½ cups butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoons baking soda
• 1-½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cups powdered sugar
• 4 candy cane, crushed as above (1/4 cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper or use silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Place candy canes into a plastic food storage bag and crush using a rolling pin. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla and egg. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir all dry ingredients together in a small bowl and then in pour into the mixer and slowly mix until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly. Stir in crushed candy canes. Keep bag for next batch of candy canes.
4. Re-using bag from the the first batch of candy canes, add rest of candy canes.  Crush.  Pour powdered sugar into bag, mix well and shake out onto a large plate. Use a 1 inch cookie scooper and then roll smoothly into a ball and then roll in powdered sugar/candy cane mix. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begins to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Lentil Meatballs-Italian Style
Adapted from: Original Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dried brown lentils 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, divided and minced

• 1 cup rolled oats (optionally gluten-free)

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon yondu

• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

1. If using dried lentils, place them into a small saucepan and cover them with water. (If your lentils are canned or precooked, skip to step 5.)
2. Place the pan over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
3. Allow the lentils to boil, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until they're tender but not mushy.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the water. Give the lentils a quick rinse in cold water.
5. Lightly coat the bottom of a medium skillet with oil and place it over medium heat.
6. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
7. Add 2 cloves of garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat.
8. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet or oven-safe skillet.
9. Place the oats into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade and blend to a powder.
10. Add the cooked lentils, cooked onion and garlic, the remaining raw garlic, tomato paste, yondu sauce, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, salt and pepper to the food processor bowl.
11. Pulse just a couple of times — much more and the mixture will quickly turn to mush. 
12. Taste test the mixture and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
13. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 24 of them), and arrange them on the baking sheet or in the skillet.
14. Lightly brush or spray the balls with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
15. Bake for about 24 minutes, until firm and lightly browned, flipping the balls about halfway through.
16. Serve with your favorite sauce and optionally some pasta.

Lemon Piccata "Cutlet" recipes-vegan
Adapted from: Original Recipe

• 1 head cauliflower, florets broken apart

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 onion, diced small

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon chikin bouillion or vegan chicken salt

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

• Pepper to taste

Place cauliflower, onion, and garlic in instant pot with the minimum required chicken stock.  Cook for 5 minutes. Rapid Release Strain liquid keeping the cauliflower, garlic, and onion. (pro tip, use the flavorful liquid as a stock in another recipe!)


In a large bowl, add drained chickpeas, smash with masher.  Add rest of ingredients.  Mash till it comes together. It will be wet but hold together without falling apart.  If it's too wet, add a touch of flour/starch of choice and combine.  Using a large cookie scooper, scoop out 2 inch balls and form into patty. Place on to an oiled pan or baking dish.Continue with the rest of the mix. Bake for 25 minutes, flip the patties, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until browned.

Lentil Taco (perfect with the lentil tortillas)

• 1/2 cup black lentils
• 1 1/2 cup broth of choice
• 2 dried chilis of choice
• 1/2 cup of broth of choice
• Juice of a lime
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp of Badia seasoning

1. Rinse the lentils. Place them in a sauce pan with the broth, Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until lentils are tender but not mushy, 22 to 25 minutes. 

1. In a dry sauce pan, add chilis till softened over medium heat.  Remove stems and seeds.  In a blender/food processor, add chilis broth, juice of a lime, garlic, and rest of the seasonings. Puree till smooth.  

1. Pour into with lentils and continue cooking a few more minutes stirring frequently and crushing some of the lentils on the side of the pan to create a little bit of paste.  

Serve over red lentil tortillas with favorite toppings like chopped cilantro, avocado (or guacamole) etc.

Red lentil tortillas
Adapted from:Original Recipe

• 1 cup split or whole red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp of Badia complete seasoning
• 1 tsp of ancho chili powder
• 1/2 tsp of yondu

---

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the rinsed lentils and water in a medium bowl or other container; loosely cover. Let stand, at room temperature, for at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.
2. Do not drain lentils.
3. Add the entire contents of the bowl (soaked lentils and remaining water), seasonings and yondu to a blender or food processor, Blend on HIGH speed until completely smooth (no tiny bumps) stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container. The batter should look somewhat fluffy. Scrape into a bowl or measuring cup.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet (well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is ideal), or a nonstick griddle, to medium heat (no hotter).
5. Once warm, add 1/4 cup of batter to the center of the pan (the recipe yields 2 cups of batter). Using a metal spoon, spread the batter into a 6-inch circle.
6. Cook1 to 1-1/2 minutes until the surface of the tortilla appears dry. Slide a spatula underneath and flip. Cook about 1 minute longer to brown other side. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Vegetarian with dairy Chilaquiles

INGREDIENTS

Red Sauce (yields 2 cups)

• 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, or gluten-free blend all work)
• 2 tablespoon ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tbsp Badia Complete Seasoning
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

Everything Else

• 5 big handfuls (5 ounces) corn tortilla chips, or homemade crispy baked tortilla chips
• ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese
• 1 small handful (about 3 tablespoons) very thinly sliced radish, or chopped red or green onion
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced, or guacamole
• Optional: 4 fried eggs or scrambled eggs or poached eggs
• 1 small lime, cut into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the sauce: Measure the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and cinnamon into a small bowl. Place the bowl near the stove with the tomato paste and broth. *Alternate sauce recipe below
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it.
3. Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
4. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and your spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it.
5. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Whisk in the cilantro and vinegar and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two).
6. To make the chilaquiles: Add the tortilla chips to the skillet. Using a flexible spatula, gently toss until all of the chips are coated in sauce. It might seem like they never will be, but keep stirring!
7. Once coated, remove the skillet from the heat. Test a chip to see if it has softened to your liking (this is really a matter of personal preference—I like my chips lightly tender). If the chips are not sufficiently softened, cover the skillet for 1 to 4 minutes, until you’re happy with their texture.
8. Sprinkle the chilaquiles generously with crumbled cheese, radish and cilantro leaves. Scoop servings onto individual plates, add a few slices of avocado, a fried egg if desired, and a wedge of lime. 
9. *Alternate red sauce-*Red chili sauce
   Take 4 dried ancho chiles, remove seeds, stems, and veins. Heat chiles lightly on a skillet on medium heat to draw out their flavor. Put chilies in a saucepan, pour boiling hot water over to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add chiles, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 cups of chili soaking liquid to a blender. Hold down lid of blender tightly while blending, blend until completely puréed. Strain through a mesh sieve into a frying pan to make the chilaquiles

These recipes are untested but I am putting them here so I don't lose them when I am ready to cook em!

Butternut Squash risotto-vegetarian with dairy

• 2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot. chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups 'chkin' broth
• 16 ounces fresh cubed butternut squash
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp of yondu
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Set Instant Pot to sauté, and add butter or olive oil, shallot, amd garlic. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, just until the shallot is softened.
• Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken broth and squash. Cover, seal, and cook for 6 minutes on manual/high pressure.
• When the 6 minutes is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then open the valve to release the rest.  Stir in grated Parmesan, yondu and a few turns of pepper. 

Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits

I have 2 instant pots.  People ask why?  This recipe is why.

1 pound of shrimp, deveined, peeled
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of red/yellow/orange peppers, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of Spanish chorizo, sliced
Oil or Ghee (Goddess Ghee makes the BEST one)
11/2 cup of chicken stock
1 tsp of seasoned salt (I use Penzey smoky salt)

Roux
1/4 cup of ghee or butter
1/4 cup of flour

Grits
1  cup of old fashioned grits (not instant)
3 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of milk, half and half etc
1 cup of cheese, cheddar or cherve etc
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper

Turn on your saute on the IP, cover the bottom of the pan with ghee/oil and start adding in the peppers, onion, celery, garlic and chorizo.  Saute a good 5 minutes till everything is sauteed and orangey from the chorizo. Add in the shrimp and juice of the lemon.  Then the chicken stock and salt.  Scrape the bottle and stir everything as best as you can. It will be very chunky.  Put on lid, cook for 5 minutes on high.

In the other Instant Pot, add all the ingredients of the grits and stir.  Close and cook for 10 minutes on high.

In a small saucepan, cook your roux till a deep caramel color.  First it will look beigey and "puffy", then smooth out and deepen.  Don't let it get darker than caramel!  Remove from heat. 

When shrimp naturally releases, remove lid and add in roux.  Scrape every bit into there.  Turn off warm and turn on saute.  Just stir and reduce slightly.  Taste for seasoning.

Grits also can be natural release.  Open and stir for seasoning as well.

Serve shrimp over grits.

Instant Pot Mushroom Tempeh Bourguignon

We try to eat meatless a few days a week.  Here's my take on the infamous bourguignon. 

You can leave out the tempeh and it's still delish. You can also omit the faux beef stock for a tbsp of marmite or a tsp of amino liquid with the soaking water.

Tempeh, about a cup
Amino or marmite
3 tbsp of oil
1 onion, chopped (a cup)
3 carrots, chopped (a cup)
1 shallot, diced
16 oz mushrooms, quartered. (your choice of which)
2 celery stalks, (a cup)
2 cups of red wine, (1/2 bottle)
3 red potatoes, chopped (a cup)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed/chopped
1/2 cup of dried mushrooms, soaking in 3 cups of faux beef stock (I use shi take)
1/4 cup of julienned sun dried tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4-6 sticks of thyme
Salt/Pepper to taste

Cut up the tempeh into chunks to mimic "beef" chunks.  Place in small bowl and add a couple of tsp of amino and let it soak. (or 1 tbsp of marmite to 1/4 cup of water) I do this about an hour before cooking.

Put saute on the instant pot, add oil and onions/carrots/shallot/mushroom/celery. (I add as I chop)  Stir and cook for a solid 5 minutes.  Add wine, scrape up any bits.  Bring to a boil for a minute.  Then add in the rest of the ingredients with the exception of salt/pepper plus the tempeh and its marinating liquid.  You should just see the liquid shy of the mound of ingredients.  You don't want it completely covered as it will reduce down.  Close and cook for 30 minutes high pressure.

Natural release and taste for salt.  Remove leaves and thyme sticks.  You can at this point thicken if you wish or boil on saute to reduce a bit if too watery.  Serve with crusty bread and salad.

Mushroom Salt

I love making this as my "MSG" in my cooking.  It really makes flavors shine. 

3-4 dried mushrooms of choice (fave are porcini or shi take)
1/8 cup of salt
1 tbsp of Penzey's Garlic Lovers garlic

Place all in a coffee grinder/vitamix and grind once or twice.  Let it sit a minute so it doesn't puff out at you.  Shake into your favorite shaker or reuse a glass spice jar.

Salt-Free Herb Mushroom Seasoning

3-4 dried mushrooms
1 tbsp of pepper
2 tbsp of Penzey's Garlic Lovers garlic
1 tbsp of Penzey's Minced Onion
1-2 tbsp of herbs*

*variations
Italian-oregano, basil
Greek-oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme
Eggs-chives, parsley
You can also substitute the salt for your favorite salt replacement.

Basic but Awesome Meatballs

Simple but delicious is the way to go with these.  There are so few ingredients so each one really should be a great product or fresh.  This is not the recipe to cut corners.

1 pound of ground pork
2 eggs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Locatelli (or parm of your choice but FRESHLY grated plz)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs soaked in 2 tbsp of milk (really makes a diff)
4-5 cloves of fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp of worceshire sauce
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of mushroom salt (see recipe on blog)

Mix the above thoroughly.  Use a small ice cream scoop to make the same sized meatballs.  Air fry in your favorite airfryer, or bake in a 400 oven or fry in a bit of oil.  Or cook raw in your homemade tomato sauce. (use leaner pork if doing this)

Best everyday bread for toasting, sandwiches, etc.  This recipe fits a pullman aka pain de mie bread pan which makes that long rectangle shaped bread.  Or you can use 2 regular bread loaf pans.  This was written for my daughter who expressed an interest in baking hence the over-explaining.

Everyday White Sandwich Bread

Place a large bowl on your scale.  Tare to zero after each addition of the below. Items marked with an * can be heated up in a small saucepan or in a microwave together. 

600g Bread flour
30g Sugar
30g Potato starch
20g Salt
8g Yeast
90g Melted butter*
160g Scalded milk*
220g Warm water*

Mix with dough tool till it becomes difficult.  Then knead for 10 minutes.  Knead
by folding the dough in half and push/slide it across the bottom of the bowl to another side. Turn bowl slightly, repeat motion.  It should be slightly sticky to the touch.  If too sticky, add a tbsp of flour and knead it in.  It should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides.  Once done, mold into a tight ball and place it on bottom. 

Take a section of wax paper or parchment paper and crumple it up.  Run it under the water and shake lightly.  Spread it open over the bread ball making sure it's evenly covered.  Place bowl in the oven on Bread Proof. (BrdPrf) 

Let it rise double.  About 2 hours.  Remove, punch down and shake if flat on the bottom of the bowl.  Roll it into a log roughly the length of the Pullman pan and pinch to keep it firmly in log form.

Grease the Pullman pan and place loaf inside.  Re-wet paper and place over loaf.  Let it rise till it just reaches the top back in the bread proofing oven.  Check often after 20 minutes.  It might be up to 40 minutes.  Don't let it overproof.  Once it's near the top, slide greased cover on the pan. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Once preheated, place pan in the oven and bake 40 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes or until the interior reads 190* on a meat thermometer.

Dwaeiji Bulgogi

We love Korean foods.  Here's a good one to try if this is your first time having it.  There are some initial ingredients you will have to purchase for this BUT they do last a long time.

• 1-2 lbs of pork, sliced or cubed.  (tenderloin, loin, country style. sirloin etc)
• 3 tbsp gouchang (red pepper paste)
• 1/4 cup of cooking wine (mirin or shaoxing)
• 1/8 cup of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of rice syrup (you can sub for corn syrup or brown sugar)
• 1tbsp of oyster sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, grated

Add all the above ingredients into a container/bag and marinate overnight.  When ready to cook, heat up a large skillet over medium heat.  Add enough oil to just coat the bottom, add the ingredients of the container/bag along with 1/2 cup of water to make a "sauce".  Add more water if needed.  Bring to a boil and cover for 15 minutes over low to medium heat.  Take off cover, turn up the heat a bit to medium and cook for another 10 minutes or till the "sauce" reduces to a glaze or thick sauce.  Stir frequently.

Serve with fluffy white rice.

Peruvian Fried Rice (Chaufa)

Cook the rice the morning or better yet, day before and chill for best results.  It really does make a difference.  And the way I usually get it has vienna sausages in it. Yes, you read that right but since this is usually served with the Pollo La Brasa, I omitted it below.

• 3 cup of cooked chilled rice, any type works
• 5 eggs
• 2 green onions/scallions, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch of ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of sesame seed oil
• 1/2 tsp of cumin
• More green onions/scallions, chopped for garnish

In a large skillet, add just enough of regular oil (your choice) to cover bottom over low to medium heat. Add eggs and scallions to pan.  Stir with chopsticks or spatula to mix while it cooks.  Once it's set up and not liquidy. Remove from pan and set aside.  Add more oil to the pan and cook pepper with garlic till just fragrant over medium heat.  Add rice and break it up while it heats up. It will become easier and easier as it heats up, let it cook undisturbed for at least 3-5 minutes per "side".  While that is cooking, in a small ramekin/bowl, add the soy, sesame seed oil, and cumin. Stir.

Once the rice is all broken up and sizzling, add eggs back in and stir through.  Add the soy mixture and stir through.  Cook for another minute till it appears absorbed.  Serve with a garnish of scallions on top.

My version of Pollo la Brasa

We have an excellent restaurant (Viva Chicken) that serves this with the most delicious sauces.  But I moved away and no more pollo la brasa. :(  So I made up my own version. It's a humble version and not as good but it gets us by.  I spatchcock the chicken.  You cut along the spine on the "bottom" of the chicken and flatten it till it's butterflied. It cooks up faster and easier to handle on the grill.  You can also just use the "beer" can method as well. (place chicken on an opened and half-drunk beer can) Lastly, this recipe requires 2 fancy ingredients that can be had at any Hispanic grocery or Amazon.  Huacatay and Aji Amarillo.  If you are lucky to get em fresh, great! And no mint is NOT a sub. it's more of a coriander.  If you can't find the exact ones, buy the jarred.

Marinade for the chicken:

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of oregano
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• Juice of a lemon

Criollo:

• 1 thinly sliced red onion (use mandolin if you have it)
• Juice of a lime
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt/Pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)

Green Sauce:

• 1 cup of cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeded if you don't want it as hot
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Juice of one lime
• salt/pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)
• 1 tbsp of aji amarillo
• 1 tbsp of Huacatay aka Peruvian Black Mint
• 1/3 cup of mayo (yes mayo)

Yellow Sauce:

• 4 tbsp of aji amarillo
• 2 green onions/scallions
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup of sour cream (or mexican crema)
• 1/4 cup of feta cheese or fresh white cheese
• Juice of one lime
• Salt/Pepper to taste (cheese is salty so taste first)

Marinate chicken overnight if possible. Make the sides while it's marinating. Place all the ingredients of the crillo into an airtight container and shake.  Set in fridge and turn it over a few times if you can remember so it thoroughly marinates.

Add the green sauce into a vitamix/bullet/food processer and puree.  Pour into airtight container and chill.  Same with the yellow sauce. 

Next day, (or hours later), grill or roast in oven till done.  Serve the chicken with the Peruvian Fried rice (chaufa), yuca fries or plaintains and sauces/criollo.

Vietnamese Caramelised MincedGround Meat

This is NO way authentic but just easy and delish.  I put in "meat" because you can use any type of ground meat like pork, chicken, lamb, veal or beef etc. 

• 1 lb of meat your choice, lean as possible. 
• 1 onion, chopped bite-sized to diced. (your preference)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped/diced
• 1 inch of ginger, grated or diced finely
• 1-2 tsp skinny chilis, like bird eye, cayenne or your favorite hot sauce!
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce, currently love red goat brand
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce, or aminos.
• 3-4 green onions/scallions, chopped finely for garnish 

In a large skillet, combine meat and onion over medium-high heat.  If there's not enough fat in the meat to keep it from sticking, add a touch of oil.  Cook till browned all over, add garlic and ginger.  Cook for another minute.  While that is cooking, whisk the chili, sugar, fish sauce and soy in a ramekin/small bowl.  Then add to the meat mixture.  Stir through and cover for 3 minutes or so.  Then take lid off and let it evaporate completely stirring frequently.  Once all the liquid is absorbed, take off heat and top with chopped green onions.  You can serve this over rice or with butter lettuce leaves.

Tres Leche Cake

There are a LOT of variations of this recipe.  And guess what? This is my version.  This cake is requested on every family birthday and eaten in less than 48 hours.  It's simple but does require at least 8 hours of refrigeration.  It's best overnight before being consumed.  A lot of recipes calls for a certain time such as marinating etc.  But this cake actually NEEDS this time to be delish.  And don't sub for the canned milks. You need them as well. It's the main flavor of this cake.

• 5 eggs-Separated into 2 bowls-one for yolks and other for whites
• 1 Cup of AP flour
• 1 1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Cup of Sugar-divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
• 1/3 Cup of milk
• 1 Tsp of vanilla
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 1 bigger can of evaporated milk
• 1 Cup of heavy whipping cream (more if you like a milky cake, see below)
• 3 Tbsp of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• Raspberries or strawberries for decoration

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

You already have your 2 bowls with the eggs separated into them.  Get a small mixing bowl and whisk till fluffy the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

Get the bowl with the yolks, add the 3/4 cup of sugar.  Beat till smooth and shiny.  It will be a sunny yellow too.  Whisk in the flour mixture. Set aside.

Get the bowl with the whites, beat in the 1/4 cup of sugar till peaks form.  Fold into the yolk/flour mixture careful not to deflate.  It's okay if there's ribbons of whites throughout the mix.  

Scrape into pan and smooth it level softly.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes. (if you use glass it's longer, metal is less time)  It should be golden and come clean with a toothpick or butter knife.

While it's baking, in a small bowl (or reuse the flour bowl!) whisk together the evaporated milk and condensed milk well.  If you like a "milkier" cake, add 1/3 cup of whipping cream. (I do!)

When cake is done baking, poke holes all over the top with the handle of a wooden spoon.  Pour milk mixture all over it.  If it puddles, don't worry, it will absorb.  Let cool and cover tightly and put in fridge to chill. Minimum 8 hours, best overnight.

Just before serving, whip the one cup of cream with powder sugar and vanilla till fluffy soft peaks form.  Top cake with frosting.  Decorate with berries of choice.  We do the initial of the birthday person's name.  Serve.