The history of Cuban Ropa Vieja is as rich and flavorful as the dish itself. Legend has it that this renowned delicacy traces its roots back to the early days of Spanish colonization in the Caribbean. As Spanish sailors and explorers ventured into the New World, they brought with them their culinary traditions, including a dish called "olla podrida," which translates to "rotten pot" in English.
Read MoreKeto-friendly, Spicy Mexican Buffalo Chicken Thighs
I love spicy keto recipes and these chicken thighs don't disappoint. Why chicken thighs? In the flavor department, chicken thighs win before you even start the seasoning process. Because they're dark meat, chicken thighs naturally have a more intense flavor. Also, they are the juiciest piece of chicken you'll ever make in your air fryer.
Read MoreThe Ultimate Home Tailgating Candy Station
Step up your home tailgating game with a football candy station! It will be a hit no matter which team you’re cheering for!
Read MoreCuban Garlic Slow Cooker Pork
If you’re looking for holiday side dishes for Christmas or Thanksgiving, this Cuban Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe is a dish that the whole family will love. Delicious and so easy to make. It's one of my most popular recipes for holiday entertaining. The best part is after you do your quick and easy prep, the slow cooker does the rest.
Read MoreFamily-Style Sweet Italian Sausage Meatballs
I love making my "Family Favorite," Italian Sausage Meatball recipes around the holidays. It's one of those dishes that's always requested whenever I'm attending a holiday get together. Even though I'm not attending get-togethers this year, I wanted to share it!
Read MoreCuban Arroz Con Pollo
It is turning out to be a scorching hot summer here in Pasadena. The perfect time for a Stella Artois® Solstice Lager. Stella Solstice is a seasonal beer perfect for a hot summer day. It is a delicious, refreshing golden lager with subtle citrus notes and triple filtered for a smooth dry taste and a crisp finish. Such a refreshing beer calls for the right dish to pair with it.
Read MoreSweet and Spicy "Fall off the Bone" Grilled Smithfield® Extra Tender Fresh Pork Spareribs
It is officially grilling season! One of my favorite things to grill is pork ribs. Here is one of my favorite recipes for fall off the bone grilled pork spare ribs
Read MoreSriracha Ginger Glazed Grilled Pork Chops
It is officially grilling season! One of my favorite things to grill is pork chops. Here is one of my favorite grilled pork chop recipes with the perfect marinade featuring Mazola® Corn Oil.
Read MoreCook once, Eat Thrice "Cuban Sandwich Nachos"
In these uncertain times here’s an easy way to make some delicious Cuban Mojo Pork and use it to make three different dishes. I’m starting with Cuban Sandwich Nachos! Here’s what you need.
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Cook Once, Eat Thrice "Coffee-Rubbed Roasted Pork Loin"
Two of my favorite things in the world. Pork and coffee. In these uncertain times here's an easy recipe where you can cook once and eat thrice. Something your whole family will love. My next two posts will feature dishes that were made using this Coffee-Rubbed Pork Loin as my base protein. Being stuck at home doesn't mean you can't be creative and have variety in your meals.
Read MoreCuban Camarones Enchilados for Lent Recipe with Clamato
Lent in my household growing up in Miami was a big deal. Especially what my Cuban mom or grandma were going to make for dinner. One of my favorite dishes that mom would make was Camarones Enchilados. After moving to Los Angeles I always cooked recipes that remind me of home and those great memories of eating with my family.
Read MoreMy Famous Cuban Vaca Frita
In case you didn't know, February is Heart Health Month. I suffer from elevated cholesterol and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create a lighter version of one of my favorite Cuban recipes Vaca Frita.
Read MoreCuban Tailgate Grilled Mojo Sausages
This the perfect time to share my Cuban spin for your game day tailgate. Johnsville Brats for the perfect canvas to use for this Cuban inspired yummyness. Here are my Cuban mojo grilled sausages.
Read MoreThe Perfect DIY Veggie Burger Bar
Fall is here and It’s our last chance to bust out the grill before it's too cold to set foot outside for more than 5 minutes. Burger's are one of my favorite things to eat. I love that you can now get amazingly delicious plant-based burgers that satisfy the craving and are delicious!
Read MoreEasy Pineapple Soda Pork Sliders
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChooseMazola #CollectiveBias
In case you didn't know, September is National Cholesterol Awareness Month. I suffer from elevated cholesterol and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create a lighter version of one of my favorite recipes. Slow cooker Pineapple Soda Pork Sliders. A clinical study showed Mazola® Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.
Pineapple Soda Pork Sliders
I decided to sub 4 of my original ingredients for better-for-you options. You can reduce saturated fats and cholesterol in your meals easily with simple swaps, such as substituting butter with Mazola Corn Oil. Replacing butter with Mazola Corn Oil is a lighter recipe due to the saturated fat content. Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol-free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health. It has a variety of uses including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir-frying or mixing up a marinade or dressing. My next substitutions are tenderloin instead of shoulder, and hot sauce instead of ketchup. We are now good to go. Here's what you need.
All the fixins.
Ingredients:
•2-3 lb pork Tenderloin
•1/4 cup of Mazola Corn Oil
•1 1/2 cups Pineapple soda
•Sliced Pineapple
•Sea Salt
•1/2 cup Hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
•1 can of tomato paste
•6 garlic cloves minced
•1 sliced onion
•Salt/ fresh cracked black pepper to taste
•3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-Slider buns
Here's what you do:
Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Heat the Mazola oil in a pan and seer the tenderloin on all sides for about 2 mins or until it gets a little browning. Color = flavor
Transfer the shoulder to the slow cooker. Add the rest of your ingredients except for the fresh sliced pineapple and cook on low for 5-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.
Salt to taste and then add a slice of pineapple to your bun. Stuff as much of your sweet and spicy pineapple pork on the bread and indulge!
Yummy pork ready to be served.
Time to slice this bad boy
Happy Pineapple Triangles
One slice before adding the pork.
Ready to devour
The Perfect Spicy Rum Bloody Mary
I grew up in Miami, the son of Cuban exiles and for most of my life that was the Hispanic culture, I connected with the most. 15 years ago I moved to Los Angeles and discovered a new-found love of Mexican culture. This inspired me to make a bloody mary recipe that melds my heritage and the Mexican heritage of my new city. A Spicy Cuban Bloody Mary. If you know one thing about Cuban people it's that we love our rum and we're looking for an excuse to have some. Why not have some in a delicious spicy bloody mary? It seems like a winning combination to me. This was the perfect opportunity to create a drink that brings together two of my favorite cultures.
Read MoreMustard and Maple Syrup Glazed Vidalia Onions
Enjoy the sweet life this summer with delicious Vidalia onions. Why Vidalia? The bottom line is versatility and great taste. The sugars in this sweet onion will caramelize perfectly when you grill them. You can only get them from April to August so definitely get your butt in gear and pick some up as soon as you can. They are a game changer. I wanted to prepare a recipe that showcases all their delicious flavor but can be eaten by just about everyone with dietary restrictions. This is a vegan-friendly recipe! Another cool thing about this dish is it stands up on its own or on top of your favorite protein. Perfect for a burger topping, on a yummy pork chop, or caramelized on a delicious pizza!
Read MoreNapa Summer Wine Picks
It is the start of summer and time to pick the perfect summer wines for grilling. I had the chance to sample some of the latest from Napa and here are my pics for the perfect wines this summer in no particular order.
Read MoreA Cuban "American" Mojito
If you know me then you know I’m always thinking outside the box and trying to do something different. How can I make a delicious Cuban mojito with a twist? In the spirit of #SipOnTheBrightSide, I went down to my local grocer and picked up a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade. What if I added this yummy beverage to my mojito recipe? It was a hot summer day so I was inspired to elevate my ritual.
Read MoreA&W Root Beer Memories
We are right in the thick of baseball season. The perfect time of the year for grilling and rooting for your home team. One of my fondest memories in my teens is having a Dulce de Leche A&W® Root Beer floats with my Mom while watching baseball. They were a great compliment to whatever we were grilling during the game. A&W is celebrating its 100th anniversary and I wanted to recreate my favorite #AWMemories with my wife, who never had the chance to experience one of those yumm floats during the game. A&W Root Beer basted burgers is what I was craving to have with my dulce de leche floats.
After making a list of my ingredients, I headed down to Walmart in Burbank. It’s the perfect one stop shop for everything I needed to complete my meal.