Cooking with Lucy - The Food Blog

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Mofongo with fried pork (Mofongo con carne de cerdo)

A staple in authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. My family and friends love it when I make my Mofongo. Made from fried plantains, and other tasty ingredients, then mashed. You may also puree it and it’s equally delicious (see my instagram account for pureed version). 

In a way, this is our equivalent to mashed potatoes. If you’ve never tried it, then I suggest you give it a shot. 

What you need:

  1. 7-8 green plantains (plátanos verdes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  2. 3-5 five cloves of garlic, minced
  3. 1 cup of cured pork (tocino), cut into small cubes 
  4. Salt to taste 
  5. Cooking oil for frying plantains 

Steps:

  • Soak plantains in a bowl of salted water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well. 
  • In a deep frying pan, pour cooking oil and cook plantains until they are nice and golden. Remove from plantains from oil and place in a mortar or large bowl, and mash until they are soft.
  • Put tocino (cured pork) and fry it until it is nice and crisp, remove from heat and drain fat (set tocino fat aside). 
  • Add tocino (cured pork), garlic to mashed plantains and a little bit of the tocino fat and mash again. 
  • Using your hands form into 3-inch balls and serve with fried chicken, fried pork, shrimp or by itself. Enjoy! 

Note: You can also make “Mayo Ketchup”! It’s a special dipping sauce we usually serve with Mofongo. Super simple to make  - 

  1. 1/2 cup of ketchup
  2. 1/2 cup of mayonnaise 
  3. 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
  4. Salt to taste, optional 
Just combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and serve with Mofongo or fried plantains. 

Filed under cookingwithlucy criollo mofongo homemade pork homecooking Puerto Rico

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Lemon Shrimp with Saffron 

What you need: 

  1. 1/2 cup of extra virgin oil
  2. 4 saffron threads
  3. 1/4 teaspoon of thyme
  4. 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  5. 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
  6. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  7. 2 pound bag of Jumbo shrimp 
  8. Salt and pepper to taste 
Steps:
  • Heat the oil in a preheated wok until hot, reduce heat and add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, thyme, lemon zest, saffron threads, salt and pepper to taste - stirring occasionally. Serve over hot white rice, and garnish with extra saffron threads. Enjoy! 

Filed under cookingwithlucy cooking shrimp food homemade homecooking

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Stuffed Potato Balls (Rellenos de Papa) - Quick version  Rellenos de Papa, along with codfish fritters have been a longtime favorite of mine, this recipe in particular uses instant potato mix. Are you ready? Let’s go.  What you need:  4 cups of instant mashed potato mix 1 cup of unsalted butter 1/3 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 cup of milk 1 egg salt and pepper to taste 1 Sazón packet, optional  3 tablespoons of cornstarch (for dusting potato balls) 1 pound of cooked ground beef or chicken (seasoned to taste) 3 1/2 cups of water  Oil for frying Steps: Pour water into a pot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste, garlic powder, Sazón packet and milk. Stir until butter is melted. Add slightly beaten egg into the mixture and mix well. Add potato flakes and fold in the flakes (the mixture should be thick and dry.) Let the potatoes cool down. Sprinkle corn starch into hand and spread the potato mixture onto hand, slightly push down in the middle to make a well, but don’t go all the way. Place a tablespoon of cooked and seasoned ground beef into the well, and carefully fold the side over the meat until the ball is completely seal. Roll the ball into corn starch to complete seal. Fry over medium heat, until golden. Enjoy! 

Stuffed Potato Balls (Rellenos de Papa) - Quick version 

Rellenos de Papa, along with codfish fritters have been a longtime favorite of mine, this recipe in particular uses instant potato mix. Are you ready? Let’s go. 

What you need: 

  1. 4 cups of instant mashed potato mix
  2. 1 cup of unsalted butter
  3. 1/3 teaspoon of garlic powder
  4. 1 cup of milk
  5. 1 egg
  6. salt and pepper to taste
  7. 1 Sazón packet, optional 
  8. 3 tablespoons of cornstarch (for dusting potato balls)
  9. 1 pound of cooked ground beef or chicken (seasoned to taste)
  10. 3 1/2 cups of water 
  11. Oil for frying

Steps:

  • Pour water into a pot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste, garlic powder, Sazón packet and milk. Stir until butter is melted.
  • Add slightly beaten egg into the mixture and mix well.
  • Add potato flakes and fold in the flakes (the mixture should be thick and dry.) Let the potatoes cool down.
  • Sprinkle corn starch into hand and spread the potato mixture onto hand, slightly push down in the middle to make a well, but don’t go all the way.
  • Place a tablespoon of cooked and seasoned ground beef into the well, and carefully fold the side over the meat until the ball is completely seal.
  • Roll the ball into corn starch to complete seal.
  • Fry over medium heat, until golden. Enjoy! 

Filed under cookingwithlucy frituras fritters cooking homemade homecooking instant

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Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri  What you need:  1 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice  4-6 fresh strawberries (washed and sliced) 2 tablespoons of sugar or to taste  8 ice cubes Steps: In a blender combine ice, sugar and strawberries. Add fresh lemon juice and rum. Blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled margarita glass, and garnish with desired fruit. 

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri 

What you need: 

  1. 1 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice 
  2. 4-6 fresh strawberries (washed and sliced)
  3. 2 tablespoons of sugar or to taste 
  4. 8 ice cubes
Steps:
  • In a blender combine ice, sugar and strawberries. Add fresh lemon juice and rum. Blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled margarita glass, and garnish with desired fruit. 

Filed under cookingwithlucy drink strawberry homemade alcohol

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Curried Mango Chicken Salad with Orange Rice 

What you need: 

  1. 3 tablespoons of Sunflower or Safflower oil 
  2. 1 large onion, chopped 
  3. 3 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  4. 2 tablespoons of curry paste 
  5. 1 tablespoons of apricot jam
  6. 2 tablespoons of chicken stock
  7. 1 pound of cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
  8. 2/3 cup of plain yogurt
  9. 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  10. 1 large mango, diced
  11. Parsley or any other fresh herb for garnish 

For the Orange Rice 

What you need: 

  1. 1 cup of white long grain rice
  2. 1 1/2 cups of carrots, grated
  3. 1 large orange, cut into segments
  4. 1/3 cup of toasted almonds, sliced
  5. 1/4 cup of toasted sunflower seeds, optional

For the Dressing:

What you need:

  1. 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 4 tablespoons of sunflower or safflower oil
  3. 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  4. 1 garlic clove, minced
  5. 1 tablespoon of green onion
  6. 1 tablespoon of tarragon
  7. Salt and pepper to taste 

Steps: 

  1. Heat oil in frying pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for four minutes, until soft.
  2. Stir in the curry paste, cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and stir in the apricot jam and stock. Mix well, add the chopped chicken and stir well until the chicken is coated in the paste. Spoon mixture into a large bowl and let it cool

Rice 

Steps: 

  1. Boil the rice in lightly salted water until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. When cool, stir in grated carrots, oranges, almonds and sunflower seeds (optional).
  2. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the dressing into the rice salad and mix well. 
  3. When the chicken is cool, stir in the yogurt and mayo, then add the mango, stirring carefully so as not to break the fruit. Chill for 30 minutes. 
  4. When ready to serve, spoon onto a platter and mound the cold curried chicken on top. Garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy! 

Filed under cookingwithlucy homemade sweet homecooking

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Chicken Soup - Puerto Rican Style (Asopao de Pollo) What you need:  1 whole chicken, cut into small pieces or boneless thighs  2 cups of rice  4 cilantro leaves 1 large onion, chopped 4 sweet peppers, chopped 1 jar of pimentos 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 oregano sprigs 1/3 cup of stuffed green olives 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon of oregano 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon of cumin 1 packet of Sazón Goya 1 cube of chicken soup  1 can of tomato sauce 6 cups of water Steps: In a large pot, pour water and boil chicken. Add chicken cube, Sazón Goya, cilantro, oregano, chopped peppers and let it boil for 1/2 hour. Then wash the rice, drain it and add it to the soup. Cover it, and let it cook for another 1/2 hour or until rice is tender. Enjoy! Can be served with a side of fried plantains or garlic bread. 

Chicken Soup - Puerto Rican Style (Asopao de Pollo)

What you need: 

  1. 1 whole chicken, cut into small pieces or boneless thighs 
  2. 2 cups of rice 
  3. 4 cilantro leaves
  4. 1 large onion, chopped
  5. 4 sweet peppers, chopped
  6. 1 jar of pimentos
  7. 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  8. 4 oregano sprigs
  9. 1/3 cup of stuffed green olives
  10. 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  11. 1 teaspoon of oregano
  12. 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  13. 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
  14. 1 teaspoon of cumin
  15. 1 packet of Sazón Goya
  16. 1 cube of chicken soup 
  17. 1 can of tomato sauce
  18. 6 cups of water

Steps:

  • In a large pot, pour water and boil chicken. Add chicken cube, Sazón Goya, cilantro, oregano, chopped peppers and let it boil for 1/2 hour. Then wash the rice, drain it and add it to the soup. Cover it, and let it cook for another 1/2 hour or until rice is tender. Enjoy! Can be served with a side of fried plantains or garlic bread. 

Filed under homemade homecooking cookingwithlucy cooking asopao cocina criolla

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Mango Daiquiri  Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri  What you need:  3 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice  1 1/2 cups of mangoes, cubed 4 tablespoons of sugar or to taste  8 ice cubes Steps: In a blender combine ice, sugar and mango. Add fresh lemon juice and rum. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately in a margarita glass, and garnish with mango wedges. 

Mango Daiquiri 

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri 

What you need: 

  2. 3 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice 
  3. 1 1/2 cups of mangoes, cubed
  4. 4 tablespoons of sugar or to taste 
  5. 8 ice cubes
Steps:
  • In a blender combine ice, sugar and mango. Add fresh lemon juice and rum. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately in a margarita glass, and garnish with mango wedges. 

Filed under drinks alcohol mango daiquiri cookingwithlucy homemade