Published by mel on April 8, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I’ve been a little more than under the weather this week. When I’m sick, all I want is comfort food. Chicken soup and pasta and things my mom used to make when I was growing up. Picadillo is a really simple Cuban dish that’s basically cumin-spiked ground beef with onions, garlic, tomato and pimento-stuffed olives. Some people also add raisins, but I am not down with that. At all. This isn’t fancy food or weekend food, but it’s perfect for weekday dinners or quick lunches. It’s simple, delicious and versatile.
Like everything else with Cuban food, Picadillo is most often served with white rice and black beans. Since I’m not a big rice person (and I can never make it as good as my mom does), I put mine on top of creamy polenta. It also makes a great taco stuffing or baked potato topping. Picadillo also makes a pretty good, Cuban-style sloppy joe.
If you’ve never had Picadillo, give it a try. You might just find that it becomes one of your go-to weeknight dishes. Either way, it made me feel a little better this week.
Continue reading ‘Cuban Picadillo’
Published by mel on December 22, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Maine’s got its big, meaty lobsters. The kind of lobsters so full of meat, that it’s best eaten with a bib and a bowl of melted butter. The kind of lobster that’s a meal unto itself. Here in Florida, we’ve got much smaller lobsters hanging out in the warm water. The Spiny (or Florida or Caribbean) lobster doesn’t have the big ol’ claws the Maine lobster has, and most of its meat is found in the tail.
It’s not really the kind of lobster you steam and eat with butter. Florida lobster tails can be grilled (delicious), sauteed or made into a delicious pasta sauce. Lobster at my parents house usually finds its way into a chunky, garlicky, tomato-y Cuban sauce — Enchilado. Enchilado can be made with lobster or shrimp, or a combination of both. Its rich and flavorful sauce is easy to make and impressively good. It’s also the best-ever sauce for sopping up with bread.
We usually serve it over white rice, but would also be good with pasta. Either way, it’s an especially tasty way to kick off the Holiday week. Nothing says celebration more than lobster!
Continue reading ‘Enchilado de Langosta y Camarones (Lobster Creole)’
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