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Sorullitos de Maíz- Cornmeal Fritters

4 Jan

After a whole week of fasting, these sorullitos de maíz were the first actual food I ate after I finished my spiritual retreat.  Not the best choice, but you have to “go with the flow”. And the quality of these sorullos, it was well, well worth it.

I visited my sister on New Year’s Day…  She had welcomed the New Year with her husband and his family at their house with a typical Puerto Rican fare – arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas), pasteles (a plantain or yucca- based boiled “thing” similar to a tamal), pernil, potato salad, etc. – and the only vegetarian-suitable thing on the menu were these sorullos…  pero qué sorullos!!

My brother-in-law made the recipe according to Carmen Valdejuli’s recipe, the author of Cocina Criolla and the authority on Puerto Rican Cooking.  (The book also comes in an English version.)  He did double the batch because he was unsure of how many sorullos the recipe would yield.  Apparently he was too busy to read right underneath the recipe’s title it yielded 50 sorullos… so he made enough to make 100.  My sister said she was not making 100 sorullos, so she made these “mega sorullos” – not that thick, but extra long.  Regular sorullos are usually about the size of a small index finger.  These ones are like 6 inches long.  But you get the drift.

Most cornmeal bags – at least the ones sold in Puerto Rico – include a sorullito recipe on the packaging.  They’re easy to follow and very reliable.  This recipe, to me it’s the ultimate… the Gouda cheese is melted into the batter giving them a really nice and salty taste.  Some people add a little piece of cheese inside the sorullito so that it melts inside when you fry them.

sorullitos-maiz

SORULLITOS DE MAIZ

Recipe from Carmen Valdejuli, Cocina Criolla – Makes about 50 sorullitos

2 cups of water
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cup cornmeal
1 cup Edam cheese, grated – my brother-in-law used Gouda cheese…
 

1.  Bring the water with salt to a boil. Take away from the heat and add the cornmeal. Quickly, mix the water and cornmeal together and cook under moderate heat. Continue mixing about 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture separates from the bottom and sides of the pot.

2.  Take away from the heat and add the grated cheese – you’ll see the mixture will loosen a bit when you add the cheese.

3.  Immediately, take spoonfuls of the mixture and form balls in the palm of your hands. Press them to form like small cigars of about 3 inches long. As you can see my sister/brother-ion-law version are much longer than the original recipe calls for.

4.  Fry them in plenty of vegetable oil at 375 F. Take them out when they’re golden and place them onto paper towels to drain the excess oil.

And the only way to enjoy sorullitos is with a great MayoKetchup Dip.  My brother-in-law showed me a new version of MayoKetchup.  A nice little twist with even more flavor… check it out.

This is not diet food… but it is certainly, food of the Puerto Rican gods…  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

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A new twist on MayoKetchup – Wichi’s Version

4 Jan

My brother-in-law made a huge batch of sorullitos de maiz for New Year’s… I had the chance to have some and they were awesome.  But I noticed he made his MayoKetchup different from mine…

Here’s his version – super tasty, really nice twist on the traditional recipe.

 mayo-ketchup-part-21

MAYOKETCHUP – WICHI’S VERSION

¼ cup egg-free mayonnaise, like Vegenaise
2 tbs ketchup
1tsp yellow mustard, I am sure you can substitute with Dijon or even grain mustard
A dash of crushed garlic – Wichi mashes his garlic in a “pilón”, but you can use the one in a jar
A pinch of salt

 

  1. Mix everything together in a small bowl. 

Serve with a nice side of sorullitos de maiz.

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Toasted Chickpeas and Pistachios

28 Dec

For a while now, I’ve been intrigued by these toasted chickpeas recipes I’ve seen Giada, Rachael and Martha make in their TV shows.  I’ve never been too much of a fan of beans, but for some reason I was always intrigued to know how this tasted.  Giada and Rachael described them as popcorn.  Some were baked and some recipes are fried.  I decided to go the healthier route and make it baked in the oven.

 toasted-chickpeas

TOASTED CHICKPEAS AND PISTACHIOS

1 10 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Pepper
1/2 cup peeled almonds (optional)

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place the garbanzo beans on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread the beans in a single layer. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and bake until golden, about 30 – 40 minutes.
  3. Remove the beans from the oven. Add the remaining ingredients to the garbanzo beans and carefully stir to coat all the beans and pistachios. Spread the mixture out to a single layer. Bake for 10 more minutes.
  4. Mix the butter and the sugar and toss together with the toasted nuts.  Let cool slightly and place in serving bowls.

 

I liked the mixture, but just when it’s out of the oven.  I was not too thrilled with them after they cooled off.  The chickpeas turn soft again.  I liked the flavor and the texture when they’re still warm out of the oven.

But I find this is a very innovative (at least for my crowd here in Puerto Rico) nibble to have at the beginning of a party.  It’s a nice complement to other dips and appetizers.  It’s nice to have something that is not wheat based…

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Muhamara

24 Dec

Now that the holidays are here, I am the designated dip maker for all the parties I’ve been invited to.  I had found red bell peppers on sale and wanted to make something special with them.

A few months back, a KarmaFree Cooking reader mentioned me about Muhamara – a red pepper dip made with pomegranates.  I started looking for recipes on the internet and learning more about it.  Funny, but I found a recipe for Muhamara in my recipe book (the one I have built from magazine clippings that interest me) this version did not include the pomegranates, yet it is very tasty.

 muhamara-dip

MUHAMARA DIP

2 red bell peppers
½ a 6-inch pita bread  
½ cup water
1 small garlic clove
½ cup of toasted walnuts, plus more for garnish
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ tsp Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

 

  1. Roast peppers until blackened all over under the broiler, turning with tongs as each side is blistered.   I did it in a toaster oven at the highest temperature.  Transfer the peppers to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let stand about 15 minutes. Peel, and discard skins, stems, and seeds. Set peppers aside.
  2. Toast pita bread until crisp and golden. Break into pieces; place in a bowl, and cover with the water. Soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a sieve, and drain well, pressing out excess water. Set aside.
  3. Combine garlic and walnut pieces in the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Add paprika, roasted peppers and pita bread; process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and salt, and season with black pepper. Pulse until combined.
  4. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Before serving, bring to room temperature. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with walnuts.

 

I served this dip with Wheat Thins.  It was delicious.  It definitely tastes better the next day when at room temperature.  So plan ahead and make it the day before you’ll be serving it to guests.

This dip was also delicious served inside a sandwich, with tomatoes, lettuce and any other of your favorite fixings.  Or also, you could repurpose it as a pasta sauce…

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Cherry Carob Cookies

11 Jan

I started my cooking adventures mainly by making Martha Stewart’s cookie recipes.  Most of them are easy and super delicious.

My favorite cookie by far are these Cherry Carob Cookies… they’re an adapted version of Martha’s Torie’s Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  I have made these cookies, the original recipe and the new adapted version, to give as gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Xmas, and even Birthdays.  I always get requests for them.  This time around I made them for my dear friend Choy, who makes the most awesome vegetarian egg-less cheesecake.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we all do…

cherry-carob-cookies.jpg

CHERRY CAROB COOKIES

2 1/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla powder
equivalent of 2 eggs from egg replacer
1 cup carob chips
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup toffee chips
 
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda.  Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
  4. Mix in the salt, vanilla and egg replacer.
  5. Add flour mixture in 3-4 batches.  Mix until just combined.
  6. Stir in the carob chips, cherries and toffee chips.
  7. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough 2 inches apart in a cookie sheet lined with a silplat or unbleached parchment paper.
  8. Bake until golden around the edges. about 10 -12 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.  After a few minutes, transfer warm cookies to a cooling rack to  cool completely.
  10. Store cookies in the fridge for up to 1 week in a tightly sealed container.

But don’t worry, they will not last long.  They are eaten best with a tall cold glass of milk.

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