Strawberry Cream Cake

Both my daughters request this cake for their birthday. It's super easy and looks like it was so much work. I took a 'from scratch' recipe and simplified it.

yellow cake mix
3 eggs, 1/4 cup oil, water (or whatever the cake mix requests)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pound fresh strawberries
instant vanilla pudding mix (prepared) - (or store bought pudding works in a crunch)
whipped cream (cool whip)

Bake the cake as directed in 2 greased and floured 9 inch round pans, let cool, cut both cakes in 1/2. Rinse and cut strawberries in slices. add sugar and water to make a light syrup, stir to dissolve sugar. Spread 1st layer of cake with pudding and top with 1/3 of strawberries, repeat layer, top with last cake and whip cream and the rest of the strawberries. All done. whala!

Breakfast Burritos

This is something I developed - super easy and it is my kid's favorite.

8 flour tortillas - I'm very picky about the brand (guerrero)
2 TB butter
about 8-9 eggs
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheese (I use a mixed cheese)
4 strips bacon

cut bacon in half/lengthwise. Fry bacon up. Mix eggs with whisk in a bowl and in a separate fry pan drop butter and when melted,scramble eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat when eggs reach a soft scramble and sprinkle with the cheese. cover so cheese melts while warming tortillas. Warm tortillas on a flat pan surface. (1 at a time)

Assembly:
1 warmed tortilla
scoop eggs and cheese
1 (1/2) slice bacon
wrap into burrito

repeat till all burritos are made

variations:
some times I will cook potatoes alongside the bacon and add it into burritos, also you can use sausage instead of bacon. I just cook sausage first in the frying pan and then add the eggs to scramble it all together,top w/cheese...etc.

Banana Pancakes w/Coconut Syrup

I Found this recipe online and added my own twist..these turned out amazing! Definitely a company recipe

BANANA PANCAKES:
2 c. bisquick pancake mix
1.5 c. milk
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, chopped

COCONUT SYRUP:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 TB corn starch
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. coconut extract

FOR PANCAKES: add chopped bananas to bisquick recipe for pancakes

FOR SYRUP: Combine sugar, water, cornstarch and butter and bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in flavoring. Serve over warm pancakes.

Steaks with a mustard cream sauce

This recipe is from my 60 minute gourmet cookbook. One of my favorites. (french cooking made easy)

4 or 6 Sirloin steaks or any tender cut steaks
salt and pepper
2 TB cooking oil
2 TB butter
2 TB finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup cognac
1 1/2cups heavy cream
1 TB Dijon mustard

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet to almost smokig. Cook steaks in very hot skillet to desired doneness, browning sides. Remove steaks to a seving platter to keep warm. Pour off fat, and Add butter and shallots to the skillet, Add cognac and ignite it. after flame is gone, Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly,about 5 minutes. remove from heat and stir in mustard. Serve sause with steaks.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

salt and pepper
cooking oil
roast beef cut of meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup


Salt an pepper roast beef on all sides. Brown roast beef on all sides in a frying pan with the oil. Place roast beef in slow cooker. mix dry and wet soup together. and smear on the roast beef. Let cook for 8 hours on low. I sometimes add veggies (carrots and potatoes) at 4 hours in.

Sofrito

4 large onions
5 large green or red bell peppers
4 full heads of garlic
2 bunches fresh cilanro
2 spicy peppers ( I use passila)

chop all ingredients in your food proccessor and freeze in i cup portions. I double wrap them - i use small ziplock baggies and then put the smaller baggies into a larger (2 gal) ziplock in my freezer because it has a strong smell and can affect the other foods.

I use Sofrito for all my Puertorican recipes and i also add it to soups, beans, spagetti sauces..etc. It makes everything taste better

Puerto Rican Beans

I use this recipe for pinto beans, kidney beans, or any type of beans. George likes Kidney the best. Of course I owe this recipe to my mother in law. I love her dearly for her patience teaching me her wonderful recipes.


4 cups dry beans.
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
8 cups water + more
3 TB salt

Boil beans and ingredients in water for about 3 hours till beans are almost soft. watch them and add water as it gets low.

empty water from pot and add

1 cup sofrito (recipe on this blog under seasonings/sauces)
1 can tomato juice
3 TB salt (or to taste)
4 cups water
2 packets Sazon Goya (con culantro y achiote)
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
ham chunks (optional)


boil ingredients again for another hour or 2 till beans are really soft. This makes a lot of beans and I freeze leftovers in ziplock bags for future meals.

EASY VERSION::: On a busy day you can also just throw beans, sofrito, salt, sazon, oregano, bay, ham and water - into a crockpot on high and leave it for the day. (I do about 2 cups beans if I'm gonna leave it) That works great too!!!