Picadillo (Piscolabis Style)

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries; specially in the Caribbean. It is made with with ground meat (usually beef), tomato sauce, and other ingredients that vary by region.

It is often served with rice or used as a filling in dishes such as tacos, empanadas, pastries and croquettes.

This is our version.

Total time – about 30 min

Yields – 4 servings

Serving suggestion – with white rice and tostones on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground meat
• 2 oz. chopped cooking ham or 3 slices diced bacon
• 2 tsp. sofrito
• 2 tsp. recaito
• ½ small onion, diced
• ¼ cup diced green pepper
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsps. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 8 chopped or sliced olives
• 1 tsp. capers
• 1 envelope of Sazón with achiote
• 1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 small box of raisins

Procedure

Brown the ground meat in a small caldero or frying pan and drain. Add ham or bacon (or both), sofrito, recaito, onion and green pepper, tomato, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, olives and capers, Sazón, raisins and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 minutes or so over low heat. Cook another 15 minutes or so uncovered. Stir occasionally.

Buen provecho!

For great party trays and dinner packages visit us at www.piscolabiscatering.com

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Menu Ideas – Office Lunch Meeting

Planning your next office lunch meeting? Are you tired of the same “make-your-own” cold cut sandwich, pizza, BBQ or Tex-mex? Want to try something different? Piscoalbis Catering is your answer.

By popular demand, we have just have added a new Office Lunch Menu featuring different kind of sandwiches; inspired by our Hispanic cuisine heritage. For just $8.95 per person, you get an assortment of one of a kind sandwiches served with plantain chips, pasta salad or coleslaw and a cookie. And for a limited time beverages are on us. We’ll add to your order your choice of sweet tea or lemonade at no extre charge. Contact us for more details about this promotion.

Not different enough? We can tailor our menu to meet your needs. We will work with you to make it perfect.

For more great menu planning ideas, visit us at www.piscolabiscatering.com

Recipe of the day – Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Basque Style Codfish Stew)

Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Basque Style Codfish Stew) is a very popular Spanish dish known to every Latin American country. You will find hundreds of recipes for this dish as every country has their own version of it. The below is the Puerto Rican version. It is a relatively easy dish to prepare. In Puerto Rico is served year-round favorite but most popular during Lent. In Mexico is commonly served for Christmas or New Year’s Day.

Total time –  30 min prep; 45 min cook (after you have properly soaked the cod-fish in water several time to remove the salt; see below)

Yields – 8 servings

Serving suggestion – with white rice or any root vegetable such as yautia or yuca and your favorite side salad with avocado.

Ingredients

• 1 pound salted cod-fish
• 4 potatoes, sliced thick
• 2 onions, sliced
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives
• 1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup white wine

Procedure

Soak the salted cod in about 2 quarts of water, changing the water 3 times over the course of 8 hours. Drain and cut the fish into bite-size pieces.

Layer the half of each ingredient in the following order: potatoes, cod-fish, onions, hard-boiled eggs, capers, garlic, olives, roasted red peppers, and raisins. Place the bay leaf on top, then pour half the tomato sauce and half the olive oil. Repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order. Pour the water and white wine on top. Do not stir.

Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Buen provecho!

For other great dinner and party tray ideas visit us at www.piscolabiscatering.com

Menu Ideas – Office Lunch Meeting

Planning your next office lunch meeting? Are you tired of the same “make-your-own” cold cut sandwich, pizza, BBQ or Tex-mex? Want to try something different? Piscoalbis Catering is your answer.

By popular demand, we have just have added a new Office Lunch Menu featuring different kind of sandwiches; inspired by our Hispanic cuisine heritage. For just $8.95 per person, you get an assortment of one of a kind sandwiches served with plantain chips, pasta salad or coleslaw and a cookie. And for a limited time beverages are on us. We’ll add to your order your choice of sweet tea or lemonade at no extre charge. Contact us for more details about this promotion.

Not different enough? We can tailor our menu to meet your needs. We will work with you to make it perfect.

For more great menu planning ideas, visit us at www.piscolabiscatering.com

Recipe of the week – Tostones

Tostones are a favorite side dish in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. They are also eaten in Central America and throughout South America.

Ingredients

• 3 green plantains, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• Lots of cooking oil to deep-fry in a large heavy pan

Directions

Heat about 1/2 inch of the oil in the large heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the plantain slices. Do not over crowd the frying pan! Turn them frequently until they begin to brown. Remove and repeat with a remaining slices. Tip – to remove the excess fat (oil), place them on paper towel or brown paper bag.

When finished with all the slices, press each of them using a small plate to about 1/3 inch. Tip – you can do this once you start removing the first batch of slices

Return half the flattened slices to the hot oil and fry again on each side until well browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels or brown paper bag and repeat with the remaining flattened slices.

Season to taste and serve Serve hot.

How to serve

• Tostones go good with all kinds of dishes. Serve them on the side of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or any seafood dish.
• Dip them in your favorite dressing or sauce. Your imagination is the limit….

Enjoy!

Like this? Send me an email at piscolabis@piscolabiscatering.com.