Herb Butter

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt & pepper
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• Zest of one fresh lemon peel

Directions: Let butter sit at room temperature until malleable. Combine all ingredients until mixed, then roll in clear wrap and refrigerate until hard. 

Achiote Oil

Ingredients:

• 1 cup achiote seeds
• 2 cups olive oil

Directions: Place achiote seeds and olive oil in a saucepan and simmer at low heat for about 30 minutes. Let cool, then strain out the achiote seeds.

Cilantro/Parsley Oil

Ingredients:

• Cilantro stems
• Parsley stems
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Directions: Instead of throwing out the stems of cilantro and parsley, place them in a blender with approx. 2 cups of olive oil. Add approx. ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Blend and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and shake before using.

Black Bean Purée 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups black beans
• 1 cup diced pancetta
• 2 cups sofrito
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup cilantro oil
• Water
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Soak black beans overnight. In a pot, sauté diced pancetta. Once cooked, add sofrito, beef stock and cilantro oil. Strain the black beans and add to pot with pancetta mixture. Pour in a cup of water. Cook on medium-high for about 4 hours to reduce, while adding a cup of water about every hour as it continues to reduce (water level should be slightly above beans at all time). After the 4 hours, puree the bean mixture with an immersion blender or regular blender. Let cool, refrigerate and serve. 

Scallion Crema

Ingredients:

• 1 container of Mexican Crema (Mexican sour cream)
• Olive oil
• 1 bunch of scallions
• 1 lime
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Place the scallions in a blender with olive oil and blend until smooth. Add the Mexican crema, lime and salt/pepper  and blend until the mixture is an even light green color.

Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

• Half of a head of purple cabbage
• 2 peeled apples (I like using empire)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Slice or cube apples depending on your preference. Slice cabbage. Combine apples and cabbage in bowl. Add mayonnaise, greek yogurt, cider vinegar, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients until it reaches desired consistency.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn flour (masa harina) *I like the Gold Mine brand
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt 

Directions: Combine all ingredients in bowl and break into small pieces to roll in a ball. Place in tortilla press (don’t forget to place saran wrap around your tortilla press so the tortilla doesn’t stick) and warm  on griddle or stovetop until golden.

Chef Ricardo’s infamous Sofrito

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup achiote oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Chop all ingredients and mix together. Place mixture  in blender and pulse. Transfer to pot and heat on stove, reduce by about half.

Sofrito Beef Filling for Tacos

Ingredients:

• Skirt steak
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups sofrito
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

Directions: Place skirt steak in slow cooker with sofrito, wine,  beef stock and cider. Cook on high for about 4 hours. After done cooking, cool in refrigerator until hardened. Use a spoon to remove top layer of fat. Remove steak and continuing cooking to reduce sauce by half. Shred the beef and place it back in the cooker with the sauce to warm before serving. 

Vegetarian Potato Medley Filling for Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blue potatoes
• 1/2 cup mushrooms *I like using baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2 each-red, yellow, green and orange pepper
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cubed onion
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Boil potatoes and cut into cubes, then fry. After the potatoes are fried, place in a sauté pan with remaining ingredients. Heat and enjoy.

Cinnamon & Sugar Butter

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• cinnamon
• 2 vanilla bean pods
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1 tsp banana rum
• 1 tsp coconut rum
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions: Let butter sit at room temperature until malleable. Combine all ingredients until mixed, then roll in clear wrap and refrigerate until hard.

The ‘BB Special’

Ingredients:

• Maduros (yellow, sweet plantains)
• Cinnamon butter
• Ice cream *I love Talenti’s coconut gelato!
• Coconut condensed milk
• Condensed milk
• Caramel sauce

Directions: Slice maduros and fry on medium heat both sides until golden color starts appearing. In another pan heat cinnamon butter. Once maduros are finished frying, place in pan with cinnamon butter and mix until butter coats the maduros. Scoop ice cream into a bowl with the maduros and drizzle with the condensed milk, coconut condensed milk and caramel sauce.