Arroz con Pollo, Caribbean Style

Previously I posted a recipe for a Mexican restaurant style Arroz con Pollo, but today I want to share a different type of Arroz con Pollo. This recipe is for a rice and chicken dish with Caribbean flair. Simply seasoned yet bountiful with flavorful ingredients, this hearty meal satisfies a healthy hunger. With a little preparation and initial cooking effort, the remainder of this dish cooks without fuss, making it a good recipe for busy lives. I find this dish a great way to enjoy the taste of the Caribbean any time… without the hassle…

Italian Margarita

Tonight’s cocktail includes some of my favorite ingredients – agave nectar, blood oranges, tequila, and Tuaca. What’s Tuaca you ask? Tuaca is a deliciously sweet Italian vanilla citrus liqueur. I bet that description just captured your attention! This lovely citrus vanilla liqueur blends so well with a clean silver tequila and fresh citrus (lime, lemon, and blood orange) that I cannot believe I never tried this cocktail before. Well, I will make amends for that oversight… this smooth margarita will be added to my regular rotation. Give it a chance, I…

Quick Devil’s Food Cake with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

Here is a fast and easy way to make cake from a mix for one (or two). I used a Pillsbury Devil’s Food cake mix for this recipe and it worked out perfectly. I simply divided the cake mix and its preparation instructions into thirds. Finding the correct timing for the small cake was the trick – and of course making a small amount of frosting to top it. I opted for an amaretto cream cheese frosting which paired wonderfully with the chocolate cake. Here is how I did it… now you can…

Singapore Noodles

Remember the sous vide Char Siu pork shoulder I recently made? Remember how I said it makes more then enough for several meals? Remember when I mentioned Singapore Noodles was one of the tasty dishes you can make with leftover Char Siu? Well, here is my take on Singapore Noodles!  With a little bit of prep and a little bit of staged stir frying, you will be savoring this dish in no time at all. By performing the preparation for all elements first, the rest of this dish is simply stir frying different ingredients and setting…

Graham Flour Waffles

After using Graham flour in the Tea Brack, I have pondered about how to incorporate it into other recipes. First up, waffles. I like waffles and having different types of flour allows for unique flavors and textures. Graham flour is a whole wheat flour – milled as a complete grain, not separately then recombined like standard whole wheat flour. The results when using this flour are nuttier in flavor and chewier in texture. This recipe is based on one available on the website Chef in You which uses saffron to enhance the flavor and color of…

Tequila Negroni

Tonight’s cocktail is related to the recently posted Boulevardier. Traditionally, the Negroni is made with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. This variation with blanco tequila, Campari and sweet vermouth is a tasty concoction. The Campari adds a citrus-like bitter, the sweet vermouth adds a refined sweetness (of course) and the tequila brings it’s unique agave flavor. Adding a garnish of orange increases the citrus and sweetness – a nice addition which I decided to increase with some Grand Imperial. Ahhh… the bitterness tempered; the sweetness subtle; and the agave bite…

Sous Vide Char Siu Pork

Tonight’s dinner is my take on that ever popular Chinese restaurant appetizer and staple in different dishes – char siu pork. I decided to make it with a pork shoulder using sous vide. After marinating the pork shoulder overnight, using sous vide will create a moist and tender result after 8 hours in the water bath. To finish, I hot smoked the meat over apple wood to create the delicious, smoky crust that makes this dish special. This recipe yields more than 1 meal so be sure to check out the serving options &#8211…