Ropa Vieja: Classic Cuban Style Shredded Beef

I grew up eating many different types of dishes aside from Italian, and Cuban cuisine is one of my favorites. Ropa Vieja literally means old clothing, probably because the shredded beef resembles old clothing. 

There are many different variations of this recipe with many more ingredients, but I like the one I grew up eating with less ingredients and great flavor. Served over a garlic white rice, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your household... enjoy!

ingredients

For the beef:
Water (fill a pot large enough for the beef chunks)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 pounds chuck or flank beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 stick celery
salt/pepper

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green or red pepper, diced or cut in long strips
3-4 garlic cloves, diced
1-2 cups tomato sauce or Italian crushed tomato in puree form from a can works fine as well
2-3 bay leaves for taste, then removed when ready to serve
1/2 cup green manzanilla olives (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt/pepper to taste

For the rice:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups jasmine or long grain white rice
3 1/2 cups water
Salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

let's make it

Beef preparation:

1. Before you begin, rinse the beef in water and cut into a few large chunks.
2. Place the beef in a medium sized pot and fill with water, enough to cover the beef. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 onion, and celery. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook of about 1.5 to 2 hours until beef is soft. Add water occasionally, if it is no longer covering the beef as it cooks.
3. Once it is cooked, place it in a bowl of cool water to cool for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, you can shred the beef and place it aside in a plate.

Ropa Vieja Sauce:

1. In a medium size pot, sauce olive oil, diced onion and garlic. Then add the pepper, tomato sauce, and white wine. Let simmer on low heat, and then add the water when it begins to dry out, stirring as it cooks for about 10 minutes.
2. Once the sauce is boiling, add the shredded beef, olives if you’d like, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
3. Fold the beef into the sauce until it is fully covered. Cook for about 5 more minutes low heat.

Garlic White Rice:

1. Before you begin, take 1 teaspoon of olive oil and oil the medium sized pot you will use for the rice with a paper towel, this prevents the rice from sticking to the pot. Place the pot on low heat and sauce olive oil and chopped garlic.
2. Rinse the rice in water and then place in the pot. Add the water and stir. Add either the lemon juice or vinegar, salt for taste.
3. Bring the rice to boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes pass, remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes. One cooked, fluff the rice and serve hot.

Homemade Gnocchi

I LOVE gnocchi. Every time I go to an Italian restaurant and I see them on the menu... I just have to get them. We've tried many times making them at home, but they never came out pillowy-soft, melt in your mouth, like at certain restaurants. Then we tried making it with this recipe, and well it's a keeper. Buon Appetito!

ingredients

4 potatoes
3 cups flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt
(some water if needed)1/2 cup parmigiano cheese

let's make it

1. Boil the potatoes and once cooled, place them through a ricer.
2. Clear and open, free area on a tabletop. Place riced potatoes down on flat area and place in flour, egg, cheese, and salt. Mix it all together and knead (softly) it into a dough ball.
3. Then take a knife, and separate the ball, slicing it into 4-5 sections.
4. Then from each section, knead it into long pieces, rolling in and out. Use a sprinkle of flour if it begins to stick.
5. Cut each long piece into pillow-like cubes.
6. Take a fork and pat it in some flour.
7. Take every single piece of gnocchi and run it softly over the fork to make the ridges.
8. When done with the gnocchi, place them on a flour-dusted surface, so they don’t stick.
9. Bring to boil a large pot of water.
10. Place a few gnocchi into boiling water. Once they begin to rise up to water surface, wait another minute. Then remove them from water.
11. Serve them with your sauce of choice over them.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

I grew up with pasta. I mean obviously, I am indeed Italian. But I won't lie, sometimes pasta can get boring for me. Gasp! I know, I know, I admitted it. Which is why I love when pasta dishes have a different flair to it!

Don't get me wrong, I would never trade our pasta with fresh homemade tomato sauce... but sometimes I want something a little more extra. 

So here is my Papa's (he has his own youtube cooking show now: Pasta Fazool!) Bucatini all'Amatriciana. He whipped it up one night for his episode and of course, I snagged the recipe. 

It's super simple with lots of flavor and will truly wow your next dinner guests ;) Buon Appetito! 

 

 Ingredients 

 

1 lb Bucatini pasta

 2oz extra virgin olive oil

 1 med onion chopped

 6 oz smoked bacon chopped

 2-3 oz of you favorite white wine

 12oz can of peeled tomato (San Marzano) preferred

 Salt and chili pepper to taste

Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

 

let's make it 

1.  Pour 2 oz. of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat. 

2. Chop up one medium onion and place it in the pan with the oil. Stir frequently to not burn. 

3. Chop up about 6 oz. of bacon and place it in the pan with onions. Let cook and sizzle until light brown. 

4. Add the peeled and squished tomato sauce. Let ingredients cook and simmer. Stir occasionally.  

5. Add the white wine, chili pepper, and salt. Stir and cook for around 20 minutes. 

6. Boil Bucatini pasta in another pot as per box instructions (al dente preferred. ) 

7. Once pasta and sauce are cooked, drain the Bucatini. 

8. Scoop enough sauce to pour over Bucatini pasta and mix it well.

9. Before serving each dish, add another spoonful of sauce over the pasta.  
 

Classic Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Proverbio Italiano of the day

"Pensa u buono... e vene u buone."

Meaning: Think of the good, and the good will come.

Sometimes dinner needs to be quick. But that doesn't mean taste and quality needs to be sacrificed. 

On nights when we just don't know what to make (because we've exhausted every idea throughout the week) these easy, and super quick cheesesteak sandwiches save the night. 

Be sure to make plenty... they will be gone by the time you turn around to make some more ;). Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

 

3-4 italian sub rolls

1/2 lb shaved beef meat

1 white onion

1-2 green bell peppers

2 teaspoons garlic

slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

let's make it 

1. Heat up large saute pan over medium heat. 

2. Drizzle olive oil in pan. 

3. Chop up onion and peppers in thin strips and add to the pan. 

4. Cook and stir the onions and peppers until they begin to caramelize.

5. Mince the garlic and sprinkle it in the pan, stir with rest of ingredients. 

6. Push over the peppers and onions and add the shaved meat into the pan. Have it cook for a few minutes and then mix it together with the peppers and onions. 

7. Cook all together, constantly turning over the meat and breaking it apart into smaller pieces. It should cook for about 3 minutes, turning the meat a brownish color. 

8. Take bread rolls and slice in half. Once the meat mixture is cooked, fill the bread rolls with a portion. 

9. Place provolone or mozzarella cheese over the filled sandwiches and place into oven to bake for a few minutes. Once the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy, you can take them out of the oven.

Penne with Zucchini al Crema

Sometimes you just don't know what to cook anymore for dinner. We don't like to have meat too many times in a week, and I'll be honest tomato sauce with pasta also bores me if I have it more than once. Enter the creativity of incorporating vegetables into your dinner. 

We chopped up thin slices of zucchini the other night and added some spices and a splash of half and half...  voilà a new addition to the menu. It's simple, you don't need too many ingredients, and simply delicious. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

 

olive oil

1 clove garlic (minced) 

2 large zucchini

2-3 tablespoons of half and half cream or heavy cream

penne pasta (or whichever you prefer)

salt and pepper (to taste)

let's make it

1. In a pot add water and bring water to boil, cook penne pasta according to box directions. 

2. Thinly slice the 2 zucchini and set on the side. 

3. Place a skillet on low heat and begin to heat up olive oil. Add the minced garlic, stirring as you then place the zucchini slices. 

4. Cook the zucchini slices on low heat, be sure to turn and cook both sides.

5. Once the zucchini have been cooking for a few minutes, pour in the half and half, salt, and pepper. Stirring all of the ingredients together.

6. Once the penne pasta is cooked al dente, drain the water and mix the penne with the zucchini and cream sauce.  

Salmon and Bass with Tomatoes & Peppers

This is seriously one of the easiest dishes you'll ever make that seems way more complicated than it really is. This is perfect for the summer, when you don't want to be in kitchen for too long. Buon Appetito!

 

 Ingredients  

 

salmon steak

bass steak

chopped fresh garlic

diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

red and yellow peppers 

black pepper

olive oil

salt

fresh parsley

water (replenish while cooking so fish does not dry)

 

let's make it

1. Clean/ Rinse salmon and bass steaks before beginning to cook. 

2. Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron pot (or medium sized pan) over medium heat. 

3. Mince cloves of garlic, dice the tomatoes and chop up peppers and fresh parsley.  

4. Place the garlic, peppers, and tomatoes in a pot and begin to cook before placing in the fish steaks. 

5. Sprinkle on salt as desired, black pepper, and pour 1/2 cup of water over the ingredients. 

6. Place cover over the pot and cook for about 25 minutes. 

7. Before serving, sprinkle on fresh parsley over the fish.

Chicken Francese

Whenever I don't have a clue what to make... chicken is my go to, just like potatoes. Because in my opinion, chicken is so versatile and tastes great in any recipe. You can bake it, fry it, make a soup with it, slice it for a sandwich, mix it in pasta or salad... the possibilities are endless. 

You will find this popular dish in many parties, events, and catering. It's simple and quick to make and truly delicious. My Dad gave me his recipe, and I've grown over time to make it my own. Perfect when you are hosting and want a fancy dish that will be ready in no time. ;) Buon Appetito!
 

 Ingredients  

 
  4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon

1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio is great)

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper for taste
 

 

let's make it

1. Place the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board, and use a mallet to pound it until they are thin. 

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

3. In another wide bowl, beat the three eggs until mixed well. 

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and over medium heat. 

5. Dredge both sides of chicken in flour first and then the egg. 

6.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken cutlets and fry them one side at a time, until golden. 

7. Remove the cutlets and place them on a side platter. 

8. In the same skillet, place the 2 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice. chicken broth, and white wine. Add some flour for thickness and simmer for 5 minutes.  

9. Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet and mix well with the sauce. 

10. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce begins to boil. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

Papa's Home Fries

My Dad owns an Italian restaurant and has loved cooking ever since he was a kid. Whenever he's home he likes to whip up something new alongside my Mamma. 

He's always teaching me new tricks and tips and these homemade fries were absolutely delicious. They can be baked or fried, same great taste. Perfect as a side dish. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

 
2 lb small red potatoes
olive oil for sautéing and frying

rosemary

oregano

salt

parmiggiano cheese

paprika

black pepper
 

 

let's make it

1. Wash the potatoes and place them in a pot filled with water. Boil for about 13-15 minutes, until soft.

2. Once soft, rinse the water and let potatoes cool. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. 

3. Cut the potatoes in halves or wedges and begin to fry them, the white part down first. Once it is cooked and browned, turn over and cook the skin. 

4. Once all of the potatoes are cooked, place them in a mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and season them with all of the ingredients. Mix well.

Sweet Potato Fries

I've been really enjoying reading books about cooking. It's something about the way that food is described that excites me. Carrots being cubed, onions sizzled with drips of olive oil, the pizza's crust flaking as you tear it apart. So descriptive to the point where you can hear and see the food in your mind. 

I'm reading a book by Shauna Niequist called Bread & Wine and it is wonderful. It combines all of my favorite things into one book: faith, food, and family. It also has recipes. 

I made these sweet potato fries the other night, and they were a hit. Except I used yams, and to my surprise tasted amazing. They're simple to make and look great as a side dish.  Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

Serves 4  

4 sweet potatoes or yams
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for oiling the pans
salt

for the dipping sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice 

 

let's make it

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place two rimmed baking sheets in the oven to warm up.  

2. Peel and slice (or you can leave the peel for the yams) into long, thin batons, the thinner the better.

3. Pull the hot pans out of the oven and oil them, being careful not to burn yourself. 

4. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, then line them up on the baking sheets so they're not touching or overlapping.

5. Put both pans into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, switch the pans and give them a shake, turning the sweet potatoes.

6. Bake them for another 6 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like them.

7. Remove them when they begin to golden.

8. Sprinkle them with salt.

9. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients into a side bowl as the sweet potato fries are cooking.

Chicken Scarpariello

I love chicken. In my opinion, (just like potatoes) it's one of those meats that no matter how you make it, tastes really good. 

I recently heard about this dish and found a recipe for it, but then made it my own. 

The original dish calls for sausage, but I just kept it simple.  

I made it the other night, and it's a hearty dish perfect for those cold nights coming soon. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

  6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2-3 chicken breast pieces

Flour (for chicken to be dipped in)

1 lb. potatoes, chopped

1 medium red onion, diced

10 cloves garlic

4 red bell peppers 

1 cup white wine

1 cup hot water

fresh basil, chopped

fresh parsley, chopped

red pepper flakes

black pepper

mushrooms

let's make it

 
1. In a 10-12 inch pan, heat ollive oil. Wash the chicken pieces and dip them in flour. Once the olive oil is hot, place the chicken pieces and cook both sides until golden. 

2. Transfer chicken pieces unto plate, set aside. 

3. Chop potatoes and add them to the same pan. Cook them until brown and set aside by the chicken. Drain the fat from the pan. 

 

4. Chop onion, garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms, and sauté them until golden. Add and stir in black pepper, wine, hot water and bring to a boil. 

 

5. Return the chicken pieces and potatoes to the pan, reduce the heat. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Add more water to keep from getting dry. Sprinkle on parsley and basil. 

6. Once cooked, transfer chicken to plates with vegetables.

Spaghetti with Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Proverbio Italiano of the day

 "Fà bbene e scuordate; fà male e piensece."

Meaning: Do bad and think about it, do good and forget about it. It's a good reminder to always do the right thing in life regardless of what was done to you. Be the bigger person, do the right things and then forget about it and let things be, as opposed to doing bad things and then having them on your conscience.

I recently found this recipe online but of course tweaked it a bit to my liking. 

I really love cooking with shrimp and linguine type pasta in the summertime, it's a delicious and light combination. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

serves 4   

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound shrimp without shells

crushed red pepper
paprika

salt

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves, minced

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup water

1 package or half cube chicken stock

basil

oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz spaghetti

let's make it
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook about 1 minute.

 

2. Add crushed red pepper, paprika and salt. 

 

3. Remove shrimp once cooked and set on a plate aside.

 

4. Using the same skillet, add chopped onion and garlic, cook on medium heat olive oil until onions soften.  

 

5. Dissolve chicken stock in 1/4 cup boiling water. Add to skillet, as well as crushed tomatoes. 

 

6. Add basil, oregano and simmer in mixture for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure all of the tomatoes are crushed into small pieces.

 

7. Add heavy cream, mix well. Boil pasta in another pot according to directions on box. 

 

8. Once pasta is cooked add it to the skillet along with shrimp. Mix all together. Add more salt and pepper if you like. 

 

9. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and crushed red pepper, serve hot.

Linguine with Shrimp and Mushrooms

Proverbio Italiano of the day

 "Chi tira troppo a cordo a spezza."

Meaning: Who pulls the rope too much, eventually will break it. Which really means when you overwork something or try to push something beyond its limit, eventually it will reach a breaking point. 

I took this recipe out of a cookbook I recently bought. I love pasta with creams such as penne alla vodka or fettuccine alfredo. 

So I decided to try this one, but changed it a bit to suit my family's tastes more. Everyone really loved it, including my dad who is a restaurant owner and quite a food critic... so I know it must be delicious!  

This is perfect for hosting dinner. It's simple and doesn't take too much time or ingredients. Not to mention looks bellissimo too. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients  

serves 4   

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8-12 fresh raw jumbo shrimp, peeled
7 oz button mushrooms, finely sliced
31/2 oz ham, finely sliced
2 cups white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
14 oz linguine
salt and ground black pepper
fresh parsley

let's make it

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, and cook the garlic for a few minutes, until it starts to soften. 

2. Add the washed and peeled shrimp to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and ham.

3. Pour the white wine and reduce the heat. 

4. Next, pour the vegetable stock and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 

5. Add the heavy cream and stir. 

6. In another pot, cook the linguine, slightly salted until al dente. 

7. Drain the linguine, and add it to the shrimp and mushrooms.

8. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and serve hot.    

Carne alla Pizzaiola

Proverbio Italiano of the day:

"Meglio da solo... che male accompagnato."

Meaning: Better alone, than with bad company. Ain't that the truth?

We've been making this recipe at home for as long as I can remember. It's simple, quick, and delicious.

It only requires a few ingredients, and you can easily serve it with a simple tossed salad. It would also be the perfect secondo, second plate after the main dish. Buon Appetito!

 Ingredients 

serves 2-4

2 tbsp. olive oil

tomatoes (from jar, or freshly chopped)

a few cloves chopped garlic

2-4 thin sirloin steaks

salt to taste

dried or fresh oregano

fresh mozzarella sliced (optional)

let's make it

1. Over low heat, sauté some chopped up garlic cloves in olive oil. 

2. Take tomatoes from the jar or freshly chopped, and mash them so the juice comes out. 

3. Add the tomatoes, salt and oregano to the hot sauteed garlic and oil in the pan. 

4. Take thin sirloin meat slices (the thinner the better), and lightly rinse them under water. Take a paper towel to dry them and then place them in pan, one by one. 

5. Place lid over pan, and have the sirloin steaks cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. They cook very quickly because the are thin. 

6. When steaks are done cooked, add fresh sliced mozzarella over each piece and place lid back on top for about 1 minute.

7. Be sure to eat the Pizzaiola hot. Can be served with a fresh side salad.

Zia Giovannina's Chicken & Rice

Proverbio Italiano of the day:

"Ogni cosa a suo tempo."

Meaning: everything at it's proper time. We say this all of the time at our house, to remind us that eventually all things happen in God's perfect timing.

This Riso e Pollo dinner brings back memories of my sweet great Aunt, Zia Giovannina. 

Everytime we would visit her house, she would make this chicken and rice dish, and would serve it in these brown glass dishes. She would recount stories, and she'd hold my cheek between her two fingers as she'd smile and tell me how big I'd gotten. 

I remember Zia Giovannina turning on her Cappuccino/Espresso machine, and the room would fill with this delightful coffee bean aroma. I see her smile and sweet laugh every time we make this dish at home. I hope you enjoy. 

 Ingredients 

2 pieces chicken breast cubed

2 cups yellow grain rice

4 cups water

1 onion

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt to taste

1 cube/bag chicken base

1 cup tomato paste or sauce (whichever you prefer)

1/4 cup white cooking wine

let's make it

1. Cut up onion and sauté it in olive oil in high pot over medium heat.

2. Chop up chicken breasts into cubes. Place them in pan to begin cooking.

3. Place 1 cup tomato paste/sauce and mix with chicken pieces. 

4. Add white wine and rice. 

5. In another pot, add 4 cups of water and chicken base and bring to boil. 

6. With a small ladle, pour scoops of hot chicken base mixture into other rice mixture. Mix all together.

7. Place lid over pot and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

Asparagi e Riso

Proverbio Italiano of the day:

"Ancora Imparo."

I love this quote by Michelangelo which means, "I am still learning." I began this online journal as a way to grow and learn more and more about where I'm from, the foods, stories,... and ultimately more about myself.

We must always give ourselves enough grace to continue learning and growing in everything in life. Even in things that we don't know much about! That's the amazing thing about living. To learn new things and never stop. 

My Mamma and I were deciding what to cook the other night, and we looked at the ingredients we had around, asparagus, onions, etc... and thought why don't we make it with rice?

It came out so good, and it is such a simple recipe. You don't have to have that many ingredients and it cooks in under an hour. It makes as a great side dish to meat, fish, or even alone if you prefer. Buon Appetito!

Ingredients

1/2 onion (chopped up)

15-20 pieces asparagus

2-3 cups long or short grain rice (brown or white)

1 packet chicken/beef/vegetable broth (whichever you prefer)

black pepper

salt to taste

extra virgin olive oil

let's make it

1. In a large frying pan, sauteed chopped onions in olive oil.

2. Chop up asparagus in little pieces, and add them to the onions in the frying pan.

3. Add black pepper and salt to mixture.

4. Wash rice in a rice strainer. Add the cups of rice to the pan mixture. Cook on medium heat.

5. Take another small saucepan, bring to boil 1-2 cups of water. Add 1 packet of seasoning and mix well. 

6. As the asparagus and rice mixture is cooking, add scoops of broth to it, slowly.

7. Continue to stir and cook, adding all of the broth one scoop at a time. 

8. Place cover over frying pan, cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until rice is soft. Add more broth if rice is still not cooked well.