Category Archives: Latin Flavors
Easy Citrus Chicken
Here is another yummy, healthy chicken dish. This particular one has Latin flavors. I started with marinating the chicken- I do think it is the key to amazing flavor every time. I marinated the chicken in orange juice, lime juice, agave, smoked paprika and garlic. I later made a sauce out of the left over marinade- always a good idea! To thicken the sauce, I dredged the chicken pieces in a bit of flavor before cooking. The dish came together in no time at all and it was delicious.
I served the healthy chicken breasts with citrus broccoli and some sweet potato oven fries.
- 3 to 4 chicken breast filets, boneless, skinless and pounded thin (about ½ inch)
Marinade
- 1 cup orange juice
- Juice of one lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
Add the orange juice, lime juice, agave, salt, paprika and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Add the marinade and chicken to a zip lock bag and marinate for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Take the chicken filets out of the marinade and dredge in flour and salt (save the marinade for later). Brown the chicken on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take the filets out and add the marinade into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Add the chicken filets and cook on a medium flame until chicken is done (time will vary according the chicken thickness). Serve hot with pan sauce on top of the chicken.
Chicken and Chorizo Paella
- 4 to 5 chicken thighs, with bone, skinless
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Sprinkle the salt and smoked paprika all over the chicken thighs and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup dried chorizo, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Spanish saffron
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 small tomato, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes each. Take out and add the chorizo. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minute. Add the bay, saffron and tomato puree. Saute for a minute. Add the chicken thighs and cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take out and let cool. Add the rice and mix well. Add the chicken broth and check seasonings. Add salt. Bring to a boil and in the meantime, take the chicken meat off the bones and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and mix well. Cook the rice on a simmer for 5 minutes, lower the heat and cover till rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes till the peas are warm. Stir in cilantro and parsley and serve warm.
Shrimp in Poblano Sauce
- 3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut in half
- 3 green tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 large yellow onion, cut in half
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the vegetables onto the sheet and drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes until the peppers and onion are soft. Let cool and carefully take the pepper skins off. Place in a blender with the cilantro and broth. Blend till smooth. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Saute the shrimp on high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Take out and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Add the blended sauce and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the half and half and broth. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp. Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes till the shrimp are done- careful not to overcook. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro. Serve with fresh polenta.
Corn and Tomato Salsa with Steak Quesadillas
- 2 cups grilled corn (frozen from Trader Joes)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce with chopped pepper if you want it spicy
- Juice of one lime
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Add the corn, tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, honey, salt, green onions and cilantro in a medium bowl. Mix well and let sit for at least half an hour. Serve with steak quesadillas.
Steak Quesadillas
- 1 cup leftover steak pepper and onion mixture, chopped
- ½ cup avocado crema
- 1 cup shredded cheese (any kind)
- 6 corn tortillas
- 3 teaspoons extra light olive oil
Heat a non-stick pan and add one teaspoon oil. Add one tortilla and spread crema. Add a third cup of cheese and a third cup steak mixture on top of crema. Add the second tortilla on top and cook on both sides until golden brown – about 4 minutes each side on medium heat.
Serve with corn salsa and rice.
Latin Style Roast Chicken
- One 4 to 5 pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Zest and Juice of a Navel orange (save the oranges)
- Zest of 1 Lemon (save the lemon)
- 3 garlic cloves, mined
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons Mexican rub (or smoked paprika)
- Salt
Mix the butter, zests, juice, garlic, salt and the rub in a small bowl. In the meantime, place the chicken in a roasting pan on a roasting rack. Spread the butter mixture on top and under the skin. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper inside the cavity as well as outside.
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour the chicken broth at the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the sliced onion. Place the juiced orange and lemon into the cavity. Tie the chicken legs together and tuck the wings in. Roast the chicken until the dark meat registers 160 degrees F. Take the chicken out and cover with aluminum foil.
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Take the onions out and keep aside to serve with the chicken. Take the liquid out and get rid of excess fat. Heat the roasting pan on the stovetop and add the olive oil and the flour. Stir and cook the flour on medium heat for a minute and add liquid and orange juice. Bring to a boil and let the liquid thicken. Check for seasonings and serve on top of the sliced chicken and the onions.
Steak with Nectarine Guacamole
A delicious play on regular guacamole…
- 2 large Porterhouse steaks (between 1½ to 2 lbs each)
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup cilantro
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Add the garlic, cilantro, smoked paprika and salt into a mortar and pestle. Pound the mixture till the garlic and cilantro are mushy. Add the olive oil and mix well (you can process the mixture in a food processor as well). Marinate the steaks with the mixture in the fridge for 5 to 6 hours.
Grill the steaks according to desired doneness on an outdoor or indoor grill.
Nectarine Guacamole
- 2 avocados, chopped
- 1 white nectarine, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 serrano chilies, deseeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one to two limes
Mix the avocados, nectarine, cilantro, chilies, smoked paprika, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Serve on top of the steak.
Steak and Mushroom Tacos
Another delicious summer recipe…
- 1 pound skirt steak
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix the salt, smoked paprika and garlic powder together. Sprinkle all over the steak and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more
- 2 cup shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce
- Salt
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the steak on both sides on high heat. Keep aside. Cut into bit sized pieces. Add the mushrooms and add more oil if needed. Saute on medium high heat for a minute. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat, stirring constantly. Deglaze with orange juice and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the adobo sauce. Mix well. Add the steak pieces and heat through. Serve on top of corn tortillas.