Papas Rellenas - Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lbs large potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
1 lb picadillo (seasoned ground beef)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup dry bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

Directions

Add salt to a pot of cold water, and boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the potatoes, and then mash them, then set aside to allow them to cool. Separate the egg yolks from the whites in two bowls. Mix the egg yolks into the mashed potato mixture, whisk the egg whites for a minute.  Take a 1/4 of a cup of the mashed potatoes, and form it into a ball. Make a dent in the ball, to give it more of a bowl shape. Fill the indentation with a tablespoon of picadillo, and then reseal it. Reshape the potato as a ball again. Dip the ball in the egg whites, then roll the ball around in bread crumbs until it is coated. For a better coating, or for a crunchier texture, you may dip the ball into the egg whites again and coat it with another layer of bread crumbs. Refrigerate the potato balls for at least four hours before frying.To fry, pour enough oil into a skillet or frying pan to cover half of the balls, the oil should be at least 350°. Place several balls into the frying pan and cook on each side until golden brown, usually 2-3 minutes, taking care not to overcook. Drain the stuffed potatoes on paper towels, do not stack them. The other cooking method is to deep fry the papas rellenas at 375° until golden brown, they cook best deep-fried when they are frozen.

Ingredients

To Make the Picadillo:
1 lb ground meat
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
Pimiento stuffed olives
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Adjust the seasonings per taste.

Turkey Pumpkin Enchiladas

This Fall season is all about the pumpkin and foods that bring warmth and cheer. I combined the succulence and heartiness of Turkey with the delicious coziness of pumpkin. You can either use marinated Turkey or not, it's up to you. I have a recipe on how to marinate Turkey later. You may also use Pumpkin Spice  in the Pumpkin Puree for more added flavor.

Ingredients

3- 4 Turkey Legs shredded
1 Can of Pumpkin Puree
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice
1 Can Enchilada Sauce
2 Scallion Onions
8-10 Tortillas ( Blue Corn from Trader Joe's is Best or Artisanal Tortillas are good too)
2 Cups Shredded Cheese ( Cheddar, Jack, and Monterey are best, but anything like that will work too)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine Turkey and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.  Use Mexican Rub for Turkey Drumsticks and cook until well done.

2.In a blender or Mocajete, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.

In Mocajete you can smash up the spices for the Mexican Rub or Pumpkin Spice

3.  Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

4.Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Instructions: Bake in Oven for 30 minutes on 350 degrees.

A Nice accompaniment for this dish would be the Coffee Flan topped with Espresso Bean.
Please check out My Coffee Flan recipe with Espresso Beans coming soon

Butternut Squash Soup

Chicken Livers with Sherry Glaze Tapas

Chicken Livers With Sherry Glaze is a tapa is eaten all over Andalucia, Spain. Chicken livers are full of B Vitamins You can also make this with onions. Jerez is a nice accompaniment.  

1 pound chicken livers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons fino sherry wine
2 shallots, chopped finely
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and pepper
Finely chopped parsley to garnish

Directions

1. If necessary, trim the chicken livers, cutting away any ducts and gristle, them cut them into small bite size pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the chicken livers to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Cook until they are firm and have changed color on the outside but are still pink and soft in the centre. Using a slotted spoon, lift the chicken livers from the pan, transfer them to large, warm serving dish and keep warm.
3. Add the sherry to the skillet, increase the heat, and let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol and reduce slightly scraping and stirring all the bits on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar, thyme and honey.
4. Pour the sherry sauce over the chicken livers and sprinkle over the parsley. Serve piping hot accompanied by chunks or slices of crusty bread or toast to mop up the sherry sauce.