Pollo alla Milanese Cuban style

I"m sure most of you are aware of this dish. It is very common. In fact, I bet some of you make this and don't even realize you are making it. Why? Because Pollo alla Milanese is basically breaded chicken. In this case it would be breaded boneless chicken breast. There is no science to this dish, no need to have a recipe book on hand, no need to have a degree in culinary arts. However, I'm going to give you a Cuban touch to this recipe that will give it a BAM! like Emeril Lagasse would say. Cuban's call this dish pollo empanizado which obviously means breaded chicken. How could we make this very basic simple dish into a Cuban style gem? Well we do what Cubans do best, we marinade!!!!! That is the secret. Cubans will marinade just about everything and the secret marinade is called MOJITO. Yes, like the drink, but the marinade and the drink differ greatly.

Mojito the marinade consists of garlic, onions, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and bitter oranges. That is the secret ingredient that makes Cuban style mojito so special. It is the bitter oranges. Bitter oranges are very difficult to get and if you try this with regular oranges, it's not going to taste the same. So, don' try it.

But since I'm all about saving time and doing things the easy way I buy the mojito already made. My recommendations would be either the Goya or the mojo from La Lechonera. Either one is good. Make sure you buy the bottle that says MOJO on it. Goya sells another marinade made from bitter oranges, but it's NOT mojito. (Mojo and mojito are the same thing) So please don't make the mistake of buying that one. So here is how I make Pollo alla Milanese Cuban style.

Ingredients:

4 pieces of boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Mojito (Mojo)
1 1/2 cups italian style bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 eggs
salt and pepper for taste
1 lemon

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. You want the chicken pieces to be on the thin side so mash them down. Put them in bowl and pour the mojito over them. Flip them around in the bowl making sure that the mojito has coated all the pieces back and front. Let them sit in the marinade for at least 4 hours. I've even kept them in overnight.

After they've sat for a while, take them out and pat dry. Now you can start up the oil in a frying pan. I use extra light virgin olive oil for frying but you can use vegetable oil if you like. Combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on one plate. Put the eggs in another plate. Mix them up with a fork. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Now arrange the plates in this order; chicken breasts first, egg mixture second and bread crumbs third.

Now dip chicken in egg mixture and coat both sides. Then dip the chicken onto the bread crumb plate. Make sure you get a really nice coat of bread crumbs. Then place in the oil and fry them up! When the oil is really hot, they will cook fast. Remember to flip them so you get a nice golden brown top. When the chicken is done, place them on a plate with a paper towel so it can soak up the extra oil.

Place the chicken on your serving dish. Cut up the lemon in 4 pieces and place one piece next to each of the 4 pieces of chicken. I like to serve this dish with a green salad. Nice and simple.

Well that's it. You will see how much more flavorful the chicken is when you bite into it. Here's another tip for a topping. Buy some Chimichurri sauce. Also available in spanish markets. Instead of the lemon use this sauce.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Don't add cheese to the bread crumbs and use egg whites instead of the whole egg. Also, you can bake the chicken in the oven. When they are just about done, flip on the broiler for a few minutes so you can get a nice brown topping.

Buñuelos de Abuelita (Grandma's Fried Dough)

Maria Trinidad Suárez was born on June 3, 1917 in Matanzas, on the island of Cuba. She was one of 6 children. Trina, as she was known to her family and friends, was a beloved wife, mother, sister, friend, grandmother and great-grandmother. She had spent all her life taking care of everyone she loved. Her sole purpose in life was to make sure that her children, friends and assorted family members were happy and well fed. Trina died on January 29, 2008 in North Bergen, NJ far from her beloved Cuba but close to those people that she worked so hard to take care of. She was my mother's mom and of course, my grandmother.

In memory of my beautiful grandmother, I would like to share with everyone her famous recipe for Buñuelos, which is essentially, fried dough. My grandma would make these primarily around the Christmas holiday but she would also make them for me whenever I felt homesick. All I needed to do is tell my mom I was craving grandma's buñuelos and I would have them within a week. I love to have them in the morning with my coffee so I could dunk them. But if you want to be really adventurous try dipping them in melted chocolate!!! YUM!!! So here is my abuelita's recipe. Besitos abuelita linda. Te queremos mucho.


Ingredients:

3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 can of condensed milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons anise seeds

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until you get a dough. You can use an electric mixer if you want. Once you have the dough, place it on a board and roll it into a log about 1 inch thick. Cut 1/2 inch pieces of the dough and roll them out into strings about 6 inches long. Fold one side onto the other to create a ribbon like shape. (Think of the ribbons people wear on their chest for breast cancer, etc.) Or if you want to be different, make them into circles. Be daring, find different shapes if you want. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan. When the heat is really hot, very carefully start putting them into the oil. They cook quickly so please stay alert. It's really easy to burn them. This I tell you from experience. My first attempt at this recipe the buñuelos came out crispy black. You don't want them crispy. You want them to be a gold brown color on both sides, so stay on top of them. When they are done, place them on a dish covered with absorbent paper towels so to remove any excess grease. Let them cool and then ENJOY! Buen aprovecho! Buon appetito!

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Fugget abbout it!

Garlic Shrimp (Camarones al Ajillo)

This is a really easy and quick recipe. You can spice it up as you like just by adding or subtracting garlic.

Ingredients:

1 lb. medium shrimp cleaned.
1/4 cup extra light virgin oil
10 garlic cloves minced. (Here is where you can add more if you want it with a big kick)
1 tablespoon brandy
salt and pepper for taste
1-2 tablespoons sofrito (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and saute the garlic for 1 minute under medium heat. Pour the brandy in and ignite the mixture with a lighter or match. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOUR KITCHEN DOWN!!! Trust me, I am speaking from experience. When the flames are almost completely gone throw the shrimp in. Cook until done. Should be ready in 5 minutes. Shrimp cook really fast. Salt and pepper to your liking. Now, when the shrimp is cooked you can add the Sofrito. Sofrito is a latin sauce/marinade made with garlic/onions/tomato sauce/olive oil/green peppers. Here is a recipe for Sofrito if you want to make it yourself. Sofrito Recipe

But if you are like me and prefer to buy it already made the best is from Goya. If you can't find it in your supermarket here is a link for a Cuban supermarket that will ship it to you. Cuban Store

You can serve this dish with Yellow Rice for a Cuban flavor or Orzo for an Italian touch. I like it either way.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION :
Serve it along with a side salad. Works just as well.