For 4 people

Ingredients

3 mature Hass avocados
¼ cup half and half cream
4 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tspn white pepper
1 tspn salt
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Corn tortillas

Ingredients for the carnitas

3 skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp ground chili
½ tspn ground oregano
½ tspn ground cumin
1 medium onion chopped into small chunks
2 mashed garlic heads
2 tbsp vegetal oil
1 tbsp salt

Soup preparation

Place avocados, cream and chicken broth in a blender. Blend until it is creamy, add lemon juice.

Heat the rest of the broth on a pan. Slowly, add the mix of the avocados, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle some coriander.

Meat preparation

Marinate the chicken with the other spices the previous night.

Heat the oil on a medium saucepan and cook the chicken 2 minutes, until golden brown.

Add onion, garlic and salt and stir to mix ingredients. Cover the saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, uncover and continue cooking until the chicken has absorved all its juice.

Cut the breasts into slices and serve on the warm tortillas together with the soup.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 6 oz red snapper fillets with skin*
2 tbsp canola oil
Salt and pepper

For the mojo picón (garlic-paprika sauce)

3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

Pat snapper dry and season with salt and pepper.

In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook fish, skin sides down, about 3 minutes, or until skin is golden brown.

Turn fish over and cook 2 minutes more, or until just cooked through.

* The mild, slightly sweet flavor and firm yet tender texture of red snapper takes well to light seasoning and a quick sauté. The skin is edible and crisps nicely in a skillet. Other alternatives include sole, flounder, tilapia, fresh cod.

For the mojo picón

Slice the garlic cloves. Process the garlic, paprika, cumin, and salt in a food processor.

While blending, drizzle in olive oil gradually until the ingredients emulsify.

Add vinegar and blend until the sauce is thick and creamy.

For 6 servings

Ingredients

2 lb salted codfish
1 lb potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut in slices
1 lb assorted tubers and tropical vegetables such as taro root, bread fruit and plantains boiled, peeled and cut in slices
1 lb tomato, thinly sliced
1 lb Spanish onion, thinly sliced
3 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers
2 avocadoes, peeled, cut in wedges

For the dressing

1 cup olive oil
¼ cup white vinegar
1 small garlic clove, mashed
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Soak the cod overnight, draining and rinsing several times to remove the extra salt. Shred, remove any bones.

In a large glass bowl thoroughly layer the potatoes slices, ½ of the codfish, other tubers, the rest of the codfish, place the tomato slices on top. Add the onions, sprinkle the capers and eggs.

In small bowl mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and black pepper.

Pour oil mixture over codfish mixture and toss just enough to evenly coat.

Taste and reseason if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4 green plantains, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices
oil (for deep frying)
4 oz pork crackling (chicharrones), chopped
1 tbpn chopped garlic
1 tbpn olive oil
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves (to garnish)
2 cups deeply flavoured beef stock or chicken stock

Preparation

Warm stock in saucepan over a low heat.

Bring at least 2 inches of oil to about 350 F degrees in a deep skillet.

Cook or warm chicharrones until crisp; remove from heat and drain.

Deep fry the plantains until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from oil.

Oil the inside of a wooden mortar and pestle with olive oil. While the plantains are still hot place them in the mortar and mash them with the garlic and the chicharrones. Add salt to taste. You may have to work in batches

With the aid of a spoon, remove the mofongo from the mortar and flip into a deep plate or soup bowls, douse with broth, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

For 4 servings

Ingredients

½ lb Brussels sprouts
2 zucchini
¼ lb boiled corn
¼ lb boneless black olives
500 ml cooking cream
2 tspn brown sugar

Preparation

Boil Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes. Cook over a low heat on a saucepan with the brown sugar, until caramelized. Cut zucchini in thin slices and sauté with a teaspoon of olive oil.

For the sauce, mix cooking cream and corn on a pot. Let it boil. Season at taste.

On a bowl, crush black olives with one tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper until you have a consistent paste. Mix the paste with corn and cooking cream.

Serve on a plate with the sauce covering the surface. The zucchini slices in the shape of a flower, and the caramelized Brussels sprouts in the hole in the middle.

For 6 servings

Ingredients

1 chicken (3 lbs), with skin, cut into pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice, reduced over low heat to ¼ cup
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
¼ cup tequila
1 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce
2 tbsp chopped coriander
¼ cup canola oil

Preparation

Mix the first eight ingredients and spread on the chicken pieces in a glass bowl. Let marinate for an hour.

Prepare a medium high heat on the barbecue.

Remove chicken from marinate, drain with paper towel.

Roast chicken on the barbecue over a medium heat. 5-6 minutes each side for the breasts. For thighs and big pieces, the barbecue must be covered over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until completely cooked.

Chicken must be juicy, not dry. Season at taste.

For 4 servings

Ingredients

1 bunch of radishes
1 fresh goat cheese
2 tbsps raspberries
Pepper

Preparation

Put half the fresh goat cheese in a bowl and add the pink berries. Mix well and add pepper at taste.

Model medium truffles with the mix.

Wash the radishes and cut them in halves. Place a goat truffle on the lower part of the radish and use the other part to cover it up.

For 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb small spicy chorizos, cut into 1 inch slices
1 cup red wine
French bread

Preparation

Heat oil on a deep saucepan. Add chorizo and fry for 1 minute.

Lower heat, add red wine and boil 5 minutes.

Put chorizo on a bowl let it rest on the wine so it takes all the taste. Serve hot together with French bread

For 4 servings

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
2 hard boiled eggs, cut in cubes
2 tsps white sugar
2 tbps cider vinegar
2 tbps water
½ tsp salt
1 lb spinach, washed and cut into pieces
¼ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

Preparation

Place bacon in a large, deep saucepan. Cook over medium heat until brown. Crumble and set aside.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the saucepan. Stir in sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Keep warm.

Place spinach pieces in a salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over and toss until coated. Top the salad with mushrooms and bacon, garnish with egg.

For 6 servings

Ingredients

2 lb mussels
2 red tomatoes
1 medium green pepper
1 medium red pepper
½ red onion
1 garlic clove
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp win vinegar
Salt

Preparation

Wash and clean mussels under the water.

Put on a pot with ½ cup of water. Close the pot and boil mussels until they open naturally.

Prepare a vinaigrette with the other ingredients: dice very small the tomatoes, the peppers, the onion and the garlic. Put on a bowl and dress with olive oil, vinegar and salt, mixing perfectly.

Finally, open the mussels and remove one of the shells. Place on a dish and add a tablespoon of the vinaigrette over each mussel.