Fideo Soup (Vermicelli)

Growing up I remember very fondly the delicious meals my beautiful mom prepared for us every day. At least one meal on a daily basis had some sort of pasta dish and fideo was my favorite! Fideo, acccording to the dictionary, is the spanish word for a noodle of any type. It refers to a type of pasta similar to angel hair (capellini) or vermicelli. Fideo can be enjoyed in soup or as a main course. Some people add meat to it. My mom would sometimes add beef or chicken to it and it became our main course.

Fideo Soup

oil (about 1 tablespoon) I just put enough oil in the pan to brown the noodles

1 box vermicelli pasta

4 cups water or three cups water and 1 cup chicken broth

1 small tomato chopped

1/4 cup onion chopped

1 slice bell pepper for flavor or1 jalapeno sliced if you like it spicy

1/2 ts mixed spices, cumin and pepper

1 clove garlic or 1/4 ts powdered garlic

1 can tomato sauce

salt to taste ( 1 ts of salt is all I add but how you salt you add depends on personal preferences)

Cooking Steps:

1. Heat oil in sauce pan over medium -high heat. Stir in vermicelli and cook until golden brown.

2. Add spices, wateer and all other ingredients.

3. When water comes to a boil , simmer for about 18 minutes or until noodles are tender.

4. Enjoy!

Fried Pork Chops

I'm in San Antonio and since my husband is at a meeting I have all day to do whatever I want. For some reason San Antonio makes me think of pork chops. I guess it is because three of our girls were still living at home and one was in college when we lived here. Pork chops was one of their favorite dishes. They loved it because I made fideo soup as a side dish. When our oldest would come home from school this is a meal she always requested.

Fried Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Pork chops

flour

cooking oil

salt, pepper, season all

Lawry's salt in place of salt if you prefer

milk

bowl

skillet

Cooking Steps:

1. Rinse pork chops- pat dry with a towel

2. Put enough flour in bowl to coat pork chops. The amount depends on how many you are making. Add salt, or Lawry's salt, pepper, season all. Amount will vary with individual taste. Some people like to season after the chops are cooked. I prefer before.

3. 1 cup milk in separate bowl... You will need to replenish the milk as you prepare the pork chops for frying, depending on how many you are making.

4. Pour oil in skillet about 1/4 inch deep.

5. Dip pork chops first in milk then in flour mixture.. If you dip each pork chop twice your pork chops will have a thicker, crispier coating.

6. Slowly lower each pork chop into hot oil-- some splattering may occur so be careful.

7. Cook until brown turning several times to ensure well done pork chops. Cooking time varies according to thickness. To check for doneness take one chop and cut in the middle.

8. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

I'm in Kerrville right now having a wonderful time! We got some snow early this morning. I don't know how long it has been since I saw this amazing white stuff falling on the ground. I did take some wonderful pictures that I will post later. Kerrville to begin with is beautiful country and when you couple that with snow falling it makes for a breathtaking scene. Thank you God for all you have created and for all you continue to create.

Cold weather always makes me want to eat chicken soup. My Mom's soup comes to mind. She loved soup and she didn't just make it when it was cold but for some reason I only think of soup when it is cold out.

1 4 to 5 lb stewing chicken
2 quarts water
1 ts mixed spices, peppercorn and cumin
1/4 ts powdered garlic or 1 cloves garlic
1 cup carrots sliced
1/2 cup celery diced
1 potato cubed
1/2 medium cabbage chopped
tomato (chopped)
1 squash sliced, zuchhini or any kind you like
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup bell pepper
1 can tomato sauce (optional) I love tomato!
salt to taste ( about 1 tablespoon or less. )

Cooking Steps:
1. In a 4 quart pot or Dutch oven combine chicken, water , salt, and spices. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Add remaining inbgredients and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Serves about 6- 8.
4. Enjoy!

Arroz con Pollo (Skillet Rice and Chicken Recipe)

One of my early memories of motherhood is that of coming home from work during my lunch break to nurse my firstborn. As I sat in the rocking chair nursing my beautiful child, wafting in from the kitchen came the garlicky aroma of rice cooking in the kithen. On his day off my wonderful husband would cook a fresh pot of beans and arroz con pollo for our lunch. Sometime during the cooking process he would go to the local "tortilleria" , the place where they made fresh tortillas daily in Rio Grande City, Texas , and buy some delicious, warm tortillas. Somehow they would still be warm when we sat down to eat. What a feast was enjoyed on these days!

Arroz Con Pollo

Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 chicken 3 to 4 pounds cut into pieces

1 garlic clove (You can substitute powdered garlic here) about 1/4 ts.

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup tomato

1 slice bell pepper (for flavor) optional

2 cups uncooked rice

About 4 cups water or chicken stock (Hot boiling water or stock)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 ts cumin

1/4 ts pepper

Salt to taste

Cooking Steps:

1. In a 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven or skillet, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon oil turning pieces as necessary.

Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. If you are using fresh garlic, grind garlic and place in dish with other spices with a little water

and set aside.

3. In skillet brown rice in 1 tablespoon oil.

4. Add browned rice to chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add spices, tomato sauce, onions, tomato, bell pepper slice, and enough boiling water or chicken stock to cover chicken. Remember to pour this carefully. Mixture will sizzle and steam while pouring sometimes.

6. Stir only once during simmering process.

7. Serves 8 - 10

Every family has their own variation of this dish. Some cooks add a vegetable to this dish. Some vegetables used are peas, corn, garbanzo beans, or carrots .

Enjoy!

February 18,2010 (Hot Wings Recipe)

Celebrations are so much fun! Our church, First United Methodist of Harlingen, Texas , is celebrating its centennial, a century of blessings! A blessing indeed it has been and we are grateful for God's grace and guidance through the years. There are many activities taking place in honor of our celebration this week and of course there will be plenty of food for all to share!

In our home we love family celebrations. We love it when our family is together and it doesn't matter what we're celebrating we always have plenty of good food. When we get together to watch the Super Bowl or the Grammy Awards a favorite family food is hot wings. My family loves them!

Chicken Wings

Valverde Family Favorite

. 10 wings

. Dash garlic powder

. 1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce

. Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil for frying

. 1/4 cup or less of butter

. Dash ground pepper

. 1/4 ts cayenne pepper

. 1/4 ts salt

. 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 or in skillet until oil is hot. You just want enough oil to cover the

wings entirely -an inch or so deep at least.

2. Combine butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan, over low

heat. Heat until he butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.

3. Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl. If wings are frozen, be

sure to defrost and dry them. Put the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over

them, coating each wing evenly. Put wings in the fridge 60-90 minutes. This will help the

breading to stick to the wings when fried.

4. Put the wings in hot oil and fry 10-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn

dark brown. remove from the oil to a paper towel to drain excess oil. Don't let them sit too

long because you wnat to serve them hot. Quickly put the wings in a large bowl. Add the hot

sauce and stir, coating all of the wings evenly.

*When I make wings for the whole family I double or triple the recipe depending on how many will be present with us.

* Tips for serving: Serve with your favorite dressing, celery sticks, baby carrots, cheese sticks or squares, apple slices, grapes, whatever finger food you like.

Enjoy

February 16,2010

I have been thinking of a song my beautiful 2 year old sings when someone says they can't do something and it brought a big smile to my face. Whenever she hears anyone say , "I am having trouble opening this jar or whatever the person can't do".... she always sings the song from Yo Gabba Gabba, "Never give up, keep trying". From the mouth of babes is what comes to mind here. She is such a sweet positive thinking little girl. I love her dearly. Thank you Lord for blessing our family with this beautiful baby girl!

I will be posting two recipes today. I had two requests from my beautiful daughters.

Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

3 cups pinto beans

1 cup salt pork, cubed bacon pieces

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion chopped

2 medium fresh tomatoes chopped (substitute 1 can whole tomatoes)

1 handful cilantro (coriander)

1 or 2 fresh jalapenos

2 quarts water

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking steps:

1. Pick and wash pinto beans. Drain.

2. In large cooking pot heat two quarts water. Add dry beans, salt pork, or bacon, and garlic. Cover and simmer 2 hours.

3. Add onion, coriander, chili peppers, and whole tomatoes. Cover and simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add salt and pepper.

Serves 10-12

*If you want to cook beans overnight in crockpot just add all ingredients at once and cook on low or during the day all day on low.

Enjoy!

Carne Guisada in Crockpot

(Mexican Stew)

2 lbs cubed stew meat

1/4 ts cumin

1/4 ts pepper

1 garlic clove

1 medium tomato

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup bell pepper

1 tablespoon flour mixed in 1/3 cup water (optional) I skip this step on mine but if you want a thicker stew you can add the flour

Cooking steps:

Add 3/4 cup water to crockpot and then add all ingredients at once. Cook on low all day or on high half day. If you want to add the flour mixture you can add towards the end of the day.

Enjoy on a bed of brown rice or Mexican rice.

*If you like potatoes add one or two potatoes to all the ingredients. It is very good without the potatoes though.

Serves: 4- 6 people

February 15,2010

Good Afternoon!
What a day this has been! I am a little under the weather but feel very blessed to have such an awesome husband and daughters! I didn't have to lift a finger today and got the bedrest I very much needed! Thank you, Lord! My husband cooked all the meals and my girls checked up on me throughout the day. One can't ask for more.

I will use this site to post daily recipes and ideas for my girls!

Today I am posting a my personal recipe for "Calabaza Con Pollo" ... (Chicken with Squash)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil if you need to use (some pans require oil)
4 - 5 lb chicken cut into pieces
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
4- 5 tatuma squash cut and cubed ( I don't remove peeling)
1 can corn or 4 ears of corn, kernals removed and reserved
2 garlic cloves
salt to taste
1/4 ts cumin and 1/4 ts pepper
1/4 cup bell pepper
less than a handful of coriander
Cooking Steps:
Heat oil in pan. When the oil is hot add the chicken pieces and onion. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Add all other ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more.
Serves 6- 8
Enjoy!