Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Day is coming up and for me this year it means a plethora of family reunions since my youngest brother Manolo will be getting married during that weekend.  I’m grateful everyday for my immediate and extended family and circle of friends.  I love family reunions, even though it might include some drama, odd “caricature-like”…

Perfect Pumpkin Cream Soup

One of my husband’s comfort foods is Pumpkin Cream Soup.   Every time he gets sick or I want to get something out of him, I make it.  This recipe has come a long way…. At a certain point in time, I used to thicken the pumpkin soup with heavy cream or potatoes, but there…

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients. Specifically, I’m a big fan of greek yogurt. It’s thick and sour and gives a wonderful consistency and savour to this salad without having to add any mayonnaise.  The poached chicken breasts are infused with flavor during the cooking process with the onion, green pepper and bay leaf…

Mascarpone Cream Sauce

My Mascarpone Cream Sauce is simply the best! I don’t like to thicken pasta cream sauce with flour or cornstarch, so I find the Mascarpone is a great alternative to reach the desired creaminess adding subtle flavor. Savory, easy and quick to make.  I use it for raviolis, gnocchi or penne pasta with veggies.  Also,…

Best Blueberry Pie

Best Blueberry Pie is a crowd pleaser.  Once you try this recipe, oh boy!  you will get hooked.  It truly melts in your mouth and the taste is totally amazing and addictive.  The filling is adapted from a recipe that my friend Cristina’s mother in law, Marisita, gave me a few months ago.  I first…

Meat Lasagna

As I have mentioned before, lasagnas are great alternatives for boat and fishing trips.  Last week, it was Club Nautico de San Juan‘s International Billfish Tournament, the longest consecutive fishing tournament in the world (57 years).  Anglers from all over the world come to Puerto Rico to this tag-and-release tournament and its a week full…

Basic Tomato Sauce

I use this basic tomato sauce for many dishes including as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, for meat or eggplant lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, penne all’arrabiatta, vodka sauce, pizza sauce, soups and Mom’s one-pot-spaghetti among others.  It is very simple and versatile, just use your imagination. Enjoy! Basic Tomato Sauce (yields 3…

Orzo with Spinach

The word “orzo” in italian means “barley”. Orzo pasta (pasta shaped like rice or grain) is very versatile. It can be boiled, baked, used as a filler in casseroles or when making stuffed peppers.  Also, great in soups. The best orzo is made of durum semolina flour and is very popular in Italy, Greece and…

Strawberry Butter

It is no mystery that we like to entertain at home. When we have guests over for dinner, I like to offer at least one thing that they don’t have in their fridge or couldn’t readily buy in the supermarket.  A homemade appetizer, a twist on a traditional dish or something as simple as this…

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie should be creamy and tart, instead of gelatinous and too sweet, at least according to my tastes. Ja!  I have been making this recipe for 20 years now! WOW, I can’t believe I said 20 years.  It is inspired in a recipe from Gourmet Magazine April 1990.  The original recipe calls for…