Lelita’s Cuban kitchen

  Picadillo  Ingredients  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey   • 2 tablespoons of olive oil  • 1 medium onion, diced  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped  • ½ bell pepper, diced  • 1/2 red pepper diced   • 1 tablespoon ground cumin  • 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces  • Raisins (optional)  • 1/2  cup dry red or white  wine  • ½ cup whole green olives, stuffed w/ pimentos  • 16 ounces of tomato sauce (2 8 oz cans)  • Salt and pepper to taste Instructions  1. In a medium-size frying pan, brown the ground beef with a dash of cumin and pepper, drain off any excess grease, and set aside.  2. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbs of olive oil over med-low heat and cook the diced onion until soft  3. Add the chopped garlic and cook until almost golden.  4. Mix in the bell pepper, cumin, pepper and a little salt – not too much as the olives and capers are salty.  5. Add th...

  Garbanzos fritos is a traditional Cuban stew made from Chick peas. Chorizo sausage and ham are added to give the dish a delicious flavor.  Soak beans for 2 hours or more. Cook beans for 45 minutes in Pressure cooker. Make Sofrito from peppers, onions, garlic, tomato sauce. Add Chorizo in Sofrito. Pour into cooked beans. Add Ñame or potatoes to beans & cook 15 minutes more. Add wine in the end.  1 cup of chickpeas 1 chorizo sausage 1/4 Ñame or 2 potatoes 1 chicken cube 4 oz tomato sauce A splash white wine (optional) 1/2 Green pepper 1 onion 1 Bayleaf 1/2 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp Oregano 1 -2 Tbsp Sazon completa  1 chicken bouillon cube 3 cup of water 1 tsp sugar 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿 1 taza garbanzos  1 chorizo  1/4 ñame o 2 papas 1 cubito de pollo 4 onzas    salsa de tomate  Un chorrito de vino seco (opcional) 1/2 aji verde   1 cebolla  1 hoja de laurel   1 crta comino  1    Cda Orégano  1 -2 Cda Sazón compl...

Croquetas are fried cigar shaped Fritters made with mince meat. Pork Croquetas are the most popular. But they can be made with any meat from chicken to fish. Croquetas are economical and easy to make.  Ingredients: • 2 Tbsp butter • 1  Tbsp olive oil • 1/2 onion diced • 1 garlic Minced (optional)  • 3/4 cup minced ham • Parsley • 1 cup flour • 1 cups milk • 1 cup bread crumbs  • 1 -2 eggs  • Salt & pepper 1. Melt butter & oil in the pan  2. Add onions 3. Add flour 4. Pour milk little by little and constantly stir to form a creatm 5. After 25 minutes pour masa into plate and let cool for 1 hour 6. Take a spoon and scoop masa & form cigar shaped croqueta 7. Dip into egg and breadcrumbs & fry til golden brown 8. Drain on paper towels  9. Drizzle lime juice over top & Enjoy with crackers  Buen provecho!

 Pudín de pan is a traditional Cuban bread pudding. Bread pudding is made throughout Latin America and sometimes called Budin. My version is made almost similar to the famous Tres leche cake because I use 3 different types of milk in mine.  This delicious dessert is very economical to make because you can use ingredients already in your kitchen. Bread pudding is a dessert enjoyed all around the world and the main ingredients are bread, milk, sugar &’raisins. Some make it with it without raisins. There are recipes where Brandy is added to it. You can top it with whipped cream, Icecream or eat it alone.  📌 (RECETA EN ESPAÑOL ESTA BAJO) Ingredients:  * 2 cups or 500 grams bread * 2 cups milk * 1 can Condensed milk * 1 can Evaporated milk * 4 eggs * 1 tsp vanilla  * 2 Tbsp melted butter * 1 tsp cinnamon powder  * 1/2 cup raisins  * 1 cup sugar  1. Bread break into pieces. Pour all of the milk in the bowl with the bread & add the rest of the i...

The Cuban Cortadito is a traditional Cuban coffee sort of like a mini Cafe con leche. It’s very popular next to the Cuban Espresso. A Cortadito is made from half Cuban Coffee & half whipped steamed milk. Cortaditos are made in 1-2 oz Espresso cups. It’s like a miniature size Cafe con leche (coffee with milk).  Ingredients: 1 Cafetera or Moka pot 5 tsp Spanish Espresso  1 cup of water 5 teaspoons of espresso      3 teaspoons of sugar   2 oz Evaporated milk  VIDEO ON YOUTUBE  1. With a Cafetera or Moka coffee pot, add water to bottom basin. Add coffee to your filter & completely fill it. Press or pat down the coffee with a spoon lightly. Screw in the top part of the Cafetera on. Put Cafetera on the stove to brew coffee. When you see the first drops of coffee come out of the spout remove it from the stove & add it to the sugar.  2. Once you add the few drops of coffee to the sugar in a tin creamer or a glass measuring cup t...

 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE     Recipe / Receta ⬇️  Cremitas de leche (Cream of milk) are traditional Cuban caramel candy. These delicious candies are homemade. It’s a laborious process to make them but so well worth it in the end. Ingredients: • 2 cups regular milk  • 1 cup sugar • 1 tsp vanilla  • 1 pinch of salt  1. Pour all the ingredients in a deep pot, the milk, the sugar, the pinch of salt and the vanilla. Stir so they mix well. 2. Keep stirring for the next 30 or 35 minutes so the mixture doesn’t stick while it cooks. You’ll notice its consistency and color will change quickly. 3. Keep an eye on this! Don’t walk away!  4. Take the pot off the heat & let sit for 5-10 minutes then whip mixture very fast with a whisk or electric hand mixer for 10 minutes 5. When the mixture gets too thick to stir it’s ready. 6. The next step is use a small spoon to scoop small amounts on wax paper or aluminum foil on a w...

 👩🏾‍🍳 🇨🇺 Enchilados de camarones Cubano / Cuban Shrimp Creole 😋🤤is popular Cuban dish with shrimps in mild spicy salsa. (Video below)  * 2 pounds large shrimp , tails off, peeled and deveined * 4 tablespoons olive oil * 1 small onion , chopped * 4 cloves garlic , minced * 1 large chili pepper , chopped * 1/2 cup pimentos , chopped * 1 bay leaf * 1 teaspoon parsley chopped * 1 can tomato sauce , 12 oz * 1/2 cup dry white cooking wine (you can sub with vegetable stock) * 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar * Salt and pepper to taste  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar  • Salt and pepper to taste  1. In a large pan, add oil and sauté shrimp for 2 minutes. Add onions, garlic, and chili pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook the shrimp!   2. Add pimentos, bay leaf, parsley, tomato sauce, wine (or stock), vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir and allow to come to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.  3. Simmer for no more than 20 minutes. Remove from...

  (Receta en Español abajo) Arroz con leche “rice pudding” is a traditional dessert  in Cuba. Adding coconut takes it to a higher level. This dessert is very popular throughout Latin America, the Carribean and throughout the world. There are a million ways to make this dessert. It’s really quick & easy to make.  VIDEO ON YOUTUBE  Ingredients:  • 1 & 1/2 cup cooked rice • 7 oz Cream of Coconut • 1 can evaporated milk • 1/2 cup grated coconut flakes • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 tsp vanilla • 1 tsp Cinnamon powder • few lime peels • some raisins (optional)  •  1/2 can of condensed milk 1. Used left over rice or you can make rice as per the instructions on the package. 2. To the cooked rice add all of the milk,  cinnamon stick, lime peel, grated coconut, raisins (optional). Add a pinch of salt. Cook on medium low flame. Constantly stir it to prevent burning it.  3. Once thickens lower the flame to low. Add vanilla. Continue stirring. After 40-4...

Potaje de Garbanzos is a traditional Cuban bean stew made from Chick peas. Potaje is a thick stew with meat and starch vegetables. Everyone has there own version. This is one of my comfort foods. Who doesn’t love a hearty stew? This stew can be made with any type pork, ham, smoked ham hock or Neck bones. I love to make it with any type of smoked pork to give it flavor.  **** Video on YouTube **** Ingredients :  1 cup of chickpeas 1 chorizo sausage 1/4 Ñame or 2 potatoes 1 chicken bouillon cube 4 oz tomato sauce A splash white wine (optional) 1/2 Green pepper 1 onion 1 Bayleaf 1/2 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp Oregano 1 -2 Tbsp Sazon completa  3 cup of water Soak beans for 2 hours or more. Cook beans for 45 minutes in Pressure cooker. Make Sofrito from peppers, onions, garlic, tomato sauce. Add Chorizo in Sofrito, spices.  Pour into cooked beans. Add condiments. Add Ñame to beans & cook 15 minutes more. You can use potato or any other starch vegetables in place of Ñame.  ...

Pastelitos de carne are traditional Cuban meat patties. If you’ve even been to a Cuban party you’ve probably seen them. They tasty little meat patties filled with Picadillo (beef hash), or some type of minced meat. Cuban bakeries sell them as well. If you don’t have access to a bakery that sells them you can make your own. They are very easy to make. I make them for parties. They are definitely a crowd pleaser. The main 2 ingredients that you’ll need are Puff pastry dough & ground beef. I use Pepperidge Farms Puff pastry dough. You can find them in the frozen food section with the pastries. As for the ground beef if you don’t eat beef you can use any type of ground meat. Chicken is also great. I fill the Puff pastries with Picadillo. Picadillo is a traditional Cuban beef hash. This will be your filler. This dish is also popular in other Latino countries such as Puerto Rico and countries such as the Philippines.  ***Video on YouTube *** Ingredients :   • Puff pastry s...