Tag: Holiday side dish

Cranberry Hibiscus Sauce

Cranberry Hibiscus Sauce

CranHibisSau

Make way for the cranberry sauce… I never understood why anyone would serve cranberry sauce out of a can. That weird gelatinous tube with the indents from the can still imprinted in it’s side. No wonder I refused to eat it as a young girl. It wasn’t till my teenage years that I witnessed a friend of mine make it fresh. I was not only facsinated with the process, but couldn’t believe how incredibly easy it was to make. People add cinnamon and all sorts of other things to the versitale cranberry sauce, I decided to add tangy hibiscus to the tart cranberry for an exquisite side to my turkey this Holiday season. Enjoy!

Ingredients for cranberry hibiscus sauce:

  • 1/2 – cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2 1/2 – cups water
  • 2 – cups sugar
  • 24 – ounces fresh cranberries

Directions:

  1. In a pot over a medium flame add in hibiscus flowers and water. _MG_0633 _MG_0645
  2. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. _MG_0657
  3. Remove flowers from water. _MG_0660
  4. Pour sugar into the hibiscus water, and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. _MG_0670
  5. Bring mixture to a boil, creating a hibiscus syrup.
  6. Add in cranberries. cranberry spill
  7. Mix cranberries to coat in hibiscus syrup.
  8. After about 5 to 10 minutes you will hear the cranberries start to pop. At this point take a potato masher and smash the mixture down, until all cranberries have popped. _MG_0689
  9. Place mixture in a bowl, and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or until mixture firms. _MG_0717
  10. Enjoy!
Papas Gratinadas: Mexican Potatoes Au Gratin

Papas Gratinadas: Mexican Potatoes Au Gratin

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. However; All opinions and recipe are 100% my own. Thank you to my Latina blogueras for their suggestions.

A few weeks ago, I was in New York as one of the top 100 blogueras of Latism. I was chosen along with 99 other Latina bloggers as one of the best Latina bloggers in the nation. We (all 100 0f us) were invited to the United Nations as part of our conference. We were there covering issues about education, health, business, and gender equality with top officials of the secretariat. While I was there I thought about potatoes and how they are so affordable and feed so many people. I remembered my trip to Idaho a year ago and decided to ask a few of my fellow Latina blogueras (Maura of The Other Side Of The Tortilla, Yoly of Savvy Mujer and Cuponeando, and Melissa of Hungry Food Love)  what they make with potatoes? I took what they said , then came home and made one of the suggested dishes. Check out the video below. Super fun, easy, and delicious…. three of my favorite things.

Ingredients for Papas Gratinadas:

  • 7 – Idaho Potatoes (peeled and boiled for 20 minutes)
  • 7 – anaheim chiles (roasted, peeled, and deseeded) (timesaver tip: buy them canned)
  • 7 – 1/2 inch slices of pepper jack cheese
  • 1 3/4 – cups of Mexican crema
  • 1 – onion (sliced)
  • 1 1/2 – cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1/2 – teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
  • 1/2 – teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 – cups pepper jack cheese (grated)
  • 10 x 8 casserole dish (spray sides with non stick spray)

Directions:

  1. Peel and boil potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain and set to the side.
  2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. It’s okay of it becomes crumbly, you will use the crumbs too. Set to the side.
  3. Slice chiles down the middle and stuff with pepper jack cheese slices. Set to the side.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  5. Pour 1/4 cup of crema on the bottom of the casserole dish. Smooth it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
  6. Next place down a layer of potato slices.
  7. Top with stuffed anaheim chiles.
  8. Sprinkle the top of stuffed chiles with sliced onions.
  9. Pour in a 1/2 cup of Mexican crema over the top of onions.
  10. Generously sprinkle the top of the crema and onions with cheddar cheese.
  11. Next srinkle in chili flakes, Lawry’s, and ground pepper.
  12. Add another layer of Idaho potatoes.
  13. Then add in another 1/2 cup of crema.
  14. Top with remaining potatoes and another 1/2 cup of crema.
  15. Finish the whole casserole layering with a 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese.
  16.  Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, then place the casserole dish on the top shelf of oven under the broiler (on high) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden crisp.
  17. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
  18. Enjoy!