recipe
Cubans Don’t Know Tacos & Other Misconceptions in Hispanic Food
One of the most important components of culture is food. When we think of Italians, we think of pizza and pasta. When we think of Greeks, we think of gyros or hummus. What food comes to mind when you think of Cubans? Please don’t say tacos. There are misconceptions in Hispanic food. Hispanics may all […]
Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe
A good and easy homemade vegetable soup recipe is a must in your kitchen. Throughout the year the sniffles are bound to hit your home. Achoo! A warm bowl of soup is always a soothing treatment to warm up the cold sickies. This homemade vegetable soup recipe can be prepared in less than 1 hour, […]
Easy 4th of July Recipe Collection
4th of July often means picnics, BBQs or meals by the pool or beach. Whichever your location on the 4th, try out any of these easy recipes for friends and family. Each recipe is easy to make and delicious to eat! Chicken Chutney Spread – Perfect with crackers or a vegetable platter! This is a […]
Easy BLT Dip Recipe
Tis the time of year for backyard barbecues and vegetable gardens. This Easy BLT Dip recipe is a perfect addition to your next summertime hangout. It’s a simple recipe, that’s delicious! It’s also a great use of the fresh tomatoes from your vegetable garden! Plus, for all you bacon lovers out there, it’s got bacon! […]
How to Make Lentils
Lentils are considered a power food. They are loaded with fiber, folate, iron, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. The fiber in a 1/2 cup serving of lentils gives you 1/3 of your needed daily requirements. Plus 9 grams of protein are in that same 1/2 cup! That’s a smart food! That’s tremendous power! A few […]
How to Use Leftover Ham to Make Cuban Croquetas
Will you be serving ham this weekend? What will you do with the inevitable leftover ham? Yes, ham sandwiches are always satisfying, but in this house we love to make croquetas de jamón, ham croquettes. Croquetas are a common finger food with latins in South Florida. You find trays of croquetas at every birthday party […]
How to Bake an Egg
How to Bake an Egg Have you been wondering how to bake an egg, rather than boiling one? Did you even know that you could? I most certainly didn’t have any idea. One morning I read a Facebook post about baking eggs so I quickly asked how. I got the directions within minutes and knew that […]
Baked Potato Bar for Dinner
Baked Potato Bar I love easy dinners. Who doesn’t? Add to that that, I love options. I love being able to pick what I want – yes I love salad bars. At home, we have found a Baked Potato Bar to be a crowd-pleaser. We all love potatoes and we all love (most) of the […]
Simple Kale Chips Recipe
We have heard from every magazine article, online infographic, TV show and more that kale is awesomely good for you. I have shared 3 nutritional reasons why you should wash and chop up kale for your next meal. Have you? A simple and tasty way to enjoy kale is to bake it. It reminds me […]
Quick & Easy Soybean Oil Recipes
Finding Soybean Oil You won’t believe where I found soybean oil! In my own kitchen? Yes, I spent a good 30 minutes in two different gourmet/healthy living supermarkets searching in the expensive/speciality oil section in search of soybean oil. I returned home defeated. No soybean oil anywhere. I opened my pantry to pull out the […]
How to Make Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup
Make Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup during National Soup Month! It’s delicious and simple! A warm bowl of soup – just the thought of it during chilly January sounds so comforting. Are you a soup person? I am and I love learning new soup recipes! Hormel recently shared their Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup recipe. It’s a pantry […]
A Recipe of Canned Corn & Canned Peaches
One of my favorite dishes to make around the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, is a Corn Casserole. I received the recipe from my aunt at my bridal shower and have always treasured it because it is THAT GOOD and THAT SIMPLE. Go here to see the recipe. With the continued obsession of my 6 year old with all […]
3 Great Recipes Using Jarred Herdez Salsa
With a jar of Herdez salsa and pretty much any protein, a mom can have delicious dinner ready. I find salsa to be a great ingredient in cooking. There are many recipes that use salsa. I have some favorites. Do you? 1. Santa Fe Pot Roast – This recipe comes right from the kitchen of Herdez Salsa. […]
Make a Pizza Toppings Fixin’s Bar
We all have our own favorite pizza toppings. I now know that they can be quite entertaining on a “boring day!” Rainy day, snowy day, honestly, any day – it’s always fun making meal preparation time exciting and interactive for the kids. Last weekend was a long rainy weekend in Miami. I don’t think the […]
Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Stuffed mushrooms makes for a great appetizer! Mushrooms are a well liked veggie in this home. We use them in pot roast and pasta, and we even reuse the mushroom trays! My husband introduced me to stuffed mushrooms many years ago. It’s an Italian thing, I guess. It’s a yummy thing, for sure. These vegetarian stuffed mushrooms […]
Cuban Frita Recipe That’s Packed with Flavor
A Cuban hamburger is called a frita. It’s a small burger – think like a slider – that is full of flavor. They are fried up on a sauté pan and placed on a small bun. 1-2 fritas are consumed for a meal. A Cuban Frita A frita recipe includes similar ingredients as a traditional […]
Unexpected Dinner Surprise of Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes
It was one of those days last week. Tired. Not much in the fridge. An un-seasoned pork roast was in the meat drawer. I had bought at a great price a few days before not once considering how I would cook it. What I did know, is that it was the only defrosted protein available […]
Irish Soda Bread Recipe for the Irish and Non-Irish Alike
Pinch me or Kiss me because I married Irish! I’m a Murphy! A nice big slice of Irish Soda Bread is necessary St. Patrick’s Day or any other day you’re in the mood for delicious bread! In our home we go all out with a dinner of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes with big slices […]
Pasta with Cauliflower – A Meat-Free Dish to Add to Your Lenten Recipes
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent – the 40 days of reflection leading to Easter Sunday by Christians worldwide. Roman Catholics additionally share their reverence by fasting Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstaining from eating meat on all Fridays during Lent. Time to pull out the seafood and pasta dishes for the next […]
Chicken Chutney Spread – Easy Crowd-Pleaser!
The Super Bowl is approaching, and March Madness will be here before you know it. Chips and dips will be covering our coffee tables as we feed the sports fanatics in our homes. Using a large can of chopped chicken, such as the Hormel Chunk Chicken (a pantry staple in our home,) plus a few […]
#SmartMamaLUTION #8 – Simple Delicious Dining, 20-Minute Lemon Chicken
In our quest to live healthier lives in 2012, a good, new recipe is always needed. This is a 20 minute meal that’s so healthy, easy & delicious you’ll want to make it once a week. Because I use thin sliced chicken breast and tent my dish, this meal takes just 20 minutes and is […]
Black Beans and Rice, a Yummy Cuban Dish gets Bacon-ized!
Black beans and rice is one of the most served dishes in this house. Whether its canned black beans or made from scratch, our tummies love it! I am a 1st generation Cuban-American. I was raised in a bilingual home with a ton of Cuban influence through food and tradition. Our weeknight dinners were full […]
Homemade Taco Seasoning – Easy and Cheap
Challenge: I want to make my own homemade taco seasoning! Thankfully, this is an easy and very affordable DIY to do! Solution: Make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning with common spices and a recycled spice container. Using spices that typically occupy our spice racks, a Smart Mama can make her very own taco seasoning. We are […]
Smart Food: Potluck of Produce, Chili Vegetable Ragout
Fresh local produce is something a Smart Mama LOVES! I’m sure you all agree! Whether you’re at a local farmer’s market, partake in a farm-share or have a great produce department at your grocery store, the freshness of good produce is something we all want for our families. My near 5 year old has developed […]
Smart Food: Slow-Cooked Chicken Wine and Tomato
Another great slow-cooker YUMMY recipe for back to school days! I adapted this recipe from EatingWell.com. It tastes great with a serving of brown rice and salad. My daughter, the picky eater, LOVED it. The chicken comes out moist, which is a challenge for many of us when making chicken. Leftovers taste great, too. I […]
Smart Food: Pot Roast, a Back to School Favorite
As we get ready for the crazy back to school schedule, we need to stack our decks. We need to have plans in place to increase our chance of success. The slow cooker is a busy Smart Mama’s friend! It can be the sous chef that we have always longed for. Dedicating often less than […]