| Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author

October 9, 2012July 8, 2019

Choriburger Recipe on Tip Tuesday & Blog Tour #Giveaway

Thanks for those who suggested it was time for some more recipes. I love to cook and try to experiment whenever I get a chance. Today I have for you a recipe inspired by some amazing sliders from Cubacan in Asbury Park.

But first, please take a moment to visit with me on my KISSED BY A VAMPIRE blog tour as I stop by the wonderful United by Books blog! Follow the instructions there for a chance to win an autographed copy of THE CLAIMED along with some SWAG.

And now back to recipe time! This “choriburger” is a mix of regular ground beef and either fresh or dried chorizo sausage. Personally I prefer the dried sausage because it gives a little more flavor to the burgers, but it’s up to you on how much chorizo flavor you like and also, availability of either the dry or fresh chorizos.

Just one word of warning, make sure you’re not buying hot chorizo sausages unless you really want something very very spicy.

This mix also makes some delicious sliders or if you’re watching carbs, serve it over shredded lettuce and/or Napa cabbage with a salsa-based sour cream sauce (recipe also included below!).

Choriburgers

1 pound ground beef (either 80% lean or 85% lean).
If using the dried chorizo, go for the 80% lean to give you some extra moisture.

1/2 pound fresh chorizo sausage, casings removed.
If you are using dried chorizo, about 1/4 pound either ground or finely chopped. For a stronger chorizo flavor, use half a pound.

2 tsp sweet paprika

Mix the ground beef and chorizo together and sprinkle with the sweet paprika. Don’t work the meat too much or compact it too tightly. That’ll just make for a hard, dry burger. Same goes for when you go to shape the patties.

Set the mixture aside for at least half an hour in the fridge before shaping the patties to let the flavors meld.

Cook to your liking, but remember that the paprika you added and the paprika in the chorizo will impart color to the meat so it may look rarer than it really is. One little hint to keep moisture in the burger, when you put the patties on the grill, make an indent with your thumb in the middle of the pattie to create a little well. That will keep some of the juices in the burger rather than running off onto the grill.

Serve on buns or even better, some nice Portuguese bread rolls. If you want to top it with cheese, keep with the theme and use a nice slice or two of Manchego cheese.

For a special sauce to use on the burgers and/or your lettuce, try this: Mix half a pint of sour cream with your favorite green salsa. The green salsas are milder and their flavor works fabulously with these choriburgers!

Enjoy!

December 22, 2009

Trifle with Berries and Sour Cream

cookies The other day I needed to clean out fridge and freezer in anticipation of the space that I would need for all the Christmas Eve food prep! But what does one do with frozen berries and sour cream (they had a sale so I went a little overboard!).

Then there was the box of vanilla wafers just sitting on the shelf and I thought, why not a variation on a simple trifle. It took just a little prep, some sitting in the fridge and even my hubby, who is not a dessert person, loved it.

So, next time you want something quick, semi-healthy and light, try this Trifle with Berries and Sour Cream!

Ingredients

Directions

Empty frozen strawberries and blueberries into a bowl. Let them thaw and cut strawberries in half. In the summer months you can use real berries, but you’ll need to put a little sugar on them to generate the juice you get from the frozen berries. Set this bowl aside.
Dump sour cream into another bowl. Add capful of vanilla, Splenda and marshmallows. Mix well and place in fridge to set a bit. About an hour.
Use a quart and half clear glass bowl (it looks nice to see the layers of cookies, berries and sour cream!). Line the bottom and one row up with the vanilla wafers. Spoon some of the berries onto this layer, but try to leave the liquid behind for now. It’ll make it’s way to the bottom anyway.
Cover with about a cup of the sour cream mixture, spreading it out all over the berries.
Add another layer and row of vanilla wafers above the sour cream mixture.
Cover this vanilla wafer layer with more berries and again, another layer of sour cream.
Place some of the vanilla wafers in a plastic sandwich bag and crush them until they are a little coarser than bread crumbs. It’s okay if you’ve got a few pieces that are chunkier, but not too big. Sprinkle these pieces on top of the sour cream layer.
Refridgerate for several hours.

Easy, right? Now there are several variations you can do to this recipe. For starters, use light or fat free sour cream to reduce the calories. If you don’t like Splenda, substitute confectioner’s sugar. Real sugar will be too coarse in the sour cream mixture. Want to make it a little more adult? Add a touch of alcohol to berry mixture. Amaretto, Frangelica or Navan vanilla brandy would all be delightful. If you want to do strawberries only, try adding Godiva Chocolate Liqueur.

You can also add frozen or fresh raspberries to the mix. Just keep the ratio of 3 pounds to the one pint.

If you find as you’re doing the layers that you’ve got left over berries/sour cream, just keep on layering. You can also puree some of the berries for a sauce that you can drizzle over the trifle once it’s served.

Hope you enjoy this little treat!

September 22, 2009September 22, 2009

Ripe Plantains and Behind the Scenes of SINS OF THE FLESH

Mexican Food Recipe When I was researching SINS OF THE FLESH, I wanted to make sure that I gave readers a taste of the characters in a variety of ways, including in the foods that they would eat. Since my research revealed a large Mexican population down the shore as well as in towns like Freehold, it seemed that my mercenary and ex-Army Ranger hero, Mick Carrera, would be Mexican.

And since I love books with foods/chefs (THE PERFECT MIX, SEX AND THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS and MORE THAN A MISSION), it only seemed right that after Mick’s family had legally immigrated to the United States, they would succeed in their American Dream by opening a Mexican restaurant in one of the shore towns.

But Mexican food is more than tacos and burritos or the Tex-Mex dip recipe I gave you so long ago. I’ve been lucky to visit Mexico City, Tequila and Guadalajara on various occasions and sample the amazing dishes available in those cities (as well as the margaritas!).

But today’s Tuesday Tip comes courtesy of a visit that my daughter paid to a local Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia. She made the dish for us and it was delicious. Plus, it’s simple and incredibly tasty. What could be better? So here is today’s Tuesday Tip Recipe:

Ingredients:

ripe plantains (2) or 2 packages of Goya Frozen Ripe Plantains
sour cream
queso fresco
chopped chives

Directions:

1. Most stores carry plantains, but they must be ripe for this recipe. That means they should have a deep yellow/spotted black outer skin so they will be sweet. Getting them perfectly ripe can be hard, which is why I cheat and rely on the Goya Frozen Ripe Plantains. Always ripe, no peeling and lots of sweet.
2. If you’re using fresh plantains, peel them. Cut diagonally into ovalish slices. Alternative – open the Goya box.
3. Fry up the plantains, either in vegetable oil or butter. This is one time not to use virgin olive oil because it will overpower the sweetness factor. Cook until golden and caramelized.
4. Place the fried plantains on a slightly greased serving dish (They are so sugary, they will stick!).
5. Garnish with sour cream, some crumbled queso fresco (available in the dairy section) and the chopped chives.
6. Serve. This recipe will comfortably provide a side dish or appetizer for 4 to 5 people.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Behind the Scenes look and Tuesday Tip recipe!