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Home/Tag: Monti

Lemon Blueberry Quesito

This easy-to-make lemon blueberry quesito ( Puerto Rico's version of the danish) is one of my favorite summer dessert recipes. OK, if I'm keeping it 100, I make it all year. But it's super awesome during the summer when I get a little crazy buying a ton of berries at the farmer's market. You can have this baby in the oven in under ten minutes and on your table in under thirty. When you choose fresh blueberries at the market, go for plump ones, dent-free, and a deep blue. Skip blueberries that have any red patches on them, as this shows they were picked before their time. Blueberries do [...]

2021-07-24T18:03:31+00:00By |breakfast, brunch, Desserts, Fruits & Veggies|2 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Piña Colada

The Piña Colada is Puerto Rico's National drink and today is national Piña Colada day! It's also my fave frozen drink so, of course, I have to give you my recipe and a little bit of history. As the legend goes, back in the way back, when the seas were ruled by pirates, there was a Puerto Rican buccaneer who had a ship full of super-depressed, thieving sailors. This pirate decided that the best way to perk up his shipmates' spirits was to get them a 401k plan. I kid. He got them drunk on a blend of coconut, pineapple and white rum and PERFECTION was born. Traditionally a Piña Colada [...]

2021-07-10T18:32:59+00:00By |#IslandFlavor, Drinks, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Two-Ingredient Pie Dough

Nothing says summer’s here quite like a homemade fruit pie. Tangy blackberries, tart cherries, and luscious peaches are all in season and make incredibly easy fillings. It’s always a good idea to have some dough tucked away for a quick fruit pie. It’s a wonderful addition to a brunch or impromptu get-together. Drop it on the table and watch it get gobbled up. #Trust. If you’re intimidated by making your own dough, don’t be. It’s not as tricky a process as some would have you believe. My recipe calls for just two ingredients and a touch of water. The key step is to make sure all the ingredients are [...]

2021-07-04T19:03:20+00:00By |breakfast, brunch, Desserts|0 Comments
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Easy Recipe: Peach Galette

Peach season is in full swing, my friends! This easy-to-make peach galette is my favorite way to showcase this succulent summer fruit. A galette is a rustic, free-form pie baked on a sheet pan, not in a pie pan. You can use store-bought pie dough, puff pastry, or use my simple two-ingredient pie dough recipe to get this luscious dessert on the table in under an hour.  The most important step is to make sure you taste your peaches before you add them to the dough. Not all peaches are overflowing with flavor. If they're lacking in the taste department, add a touch of honey, a few drops of [...]

2021-07-04T19:09:44+00:00By |breakfast, brunch, Desserts, Fruits & Veggies|2 Comments
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Chorizo Frittata

Frittatas are like your favorite pair of jeans, no matter what time of the day it is, they're always just right.  They're so easy to put together with anything you've got in your fridge, really. This recipe is one of my favorites. The porky hit of paprika from the Spanish chorizo paired with the gooey nuttiness of the manchego and the creamy tang of the buttermilk is irresistible. Of course, you can't just throw everything together. You've got to brown the chorizo and potatoes and coax the flavor out of your onions and garlic, but that doesn't take long and the reward is well worth the effort. I use [...]

2021-05-25T16:20:31+00:00By |#IslandFlavor, breakfast, brunch, Recipes|0 Comments
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#StopFoodWaste: Asparagus Ends

I love asparagus season. The appearance of the vibrant green stalks on market shelves means spring (I.E. Foodie Christmas) is just around the corner. It's the most wonderful time of the year. (That last sentence should be sung in your best caroling voice.) Asparagus is ridiculously easy to prepare. Rinse the stalks and then bend them until they break. They'll magically snap exactly where the tough woody end and the tender spear meet. Isn't nature glorious? Of course, the tender part is the best part, but that doesn't mean you have to throw out the woody ends. They have just as much flavor and only need a little love [...]

2021-05-10T15:41:13+00:00By |#StopFoodWaste, Appetizers, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: The Freakin’ Rican Burger

Everyone has a favorite burger recipe and the Freakin' Rican is mine. I developed the recipe when I competed on Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef because it’s Puerto Rico in one juicy bite. The patty is made from 50% short rib, 25% sirloin and %25 pork shoulder, all coarsely ground. I season the patty with sazón, a Puerto Rican spice blend and then layer it with a chunky sofrito (flavorful tomato based sauce) and slices of creamy meunster cheese. Then come the smashed ripe plantains and strips of crispy thick cut bacon. I top those with tomato, onion, and arugula and sandwich all of it on a potato bun toasted with garlic [...]

2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00By |#IslandFlavor, Proteins, Recipes, Uncategorized|2 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Abuela’s Rice and Beans

There's nothing I love more than getting messages like this one: My name is Jamie and I watched you on MasterChef and I just saw you on The Kitchen. My mom is from Puerto Rico and her mom used to make "the best" rice and beans. She doesn't know how to make it, she's not a good cook and she's been in America for a very long time. Do you happen to have a good traditional recipe for rice and beans? It seems simple but I wouldn't know where to start with seasonings. Thank you!!! Jaime, one of the biggest reasons I focus on Puerto Rican flavors is that they [...]

2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00By |#IslandFlavor, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#StopFoodWaste: Overripe Tomatoes

Perhaps you're a lot like me. Last week I decided I was going to make a ton of salads, turn my nose up at anything processed and work out 30 minutes a day because DANG IT those last ten pounds are coming off! Instead I ended up binge watching Daredevil Season 2 (HOLY ISH AMAZING), getting pizza delivered, and eating Nutella right out of the jar. Meh. You win some. You lose some. Unfortunately now the tomatoes I bought for salad are just a touch past their prime: their flesh softened, their skin wrinkled and bruised. It's a good thing old tomatoes do an amazing job of kicking up boring [...]

2017-12-19T00:37:24+00:00By |#StopFoodWaste, Recipes, Sauces, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#StopFoodWaste: Veggie Trimmings and Bones

Anytime you cook with a vegetable there will be trimmings: roots, tops, skins. Usually these go right in the trash without a second thought. The same goes for bones. What are you going to do with them after you've roasted that chicken, pork shoulder or beef shank? You can't eat them right? Wrong. Though they may not look like it, veggie scraps and bones are gold. (Maybe not the kind you can take to the bank but certainly the kind you can put in your belly.) Wash vegetables before prepping them and keep gallon bags in the freezer for cuttings. Keep a separate container in the freezer for bones.  When [...]

2017-12-19T00:37:24+00:00By |#StopFoodWaste, Recipes, Sauces, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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