Fried Sweet Potato Chips

In a time of carb-conscience, no white food dieters, this is a big no-no. However, like the great Paula Deen once said "I'm not your doctor, honey, I'm your cook!"

I love carbs, and even more so if they are fried. These fried sweet potatoes aren't made with your regular orange sweet potato, also known as yams. This recipe calls for the white sweet potato, known to us as boniato, or even the Cuban sweet potato.

vegetable oil

boniato (sweet potato)

salt or sugar <------I use salt

-Fill pan with oil and keep on medium heat.

-Peel sweet potatoes , don't take too long because they tend to darken in some areas. Cut into thin, chip like slices.

- Place in pan filled with the medium hot oil. Slowly go turning up the heat and cook until they get golden.

The reason I do it with the warm oil first, is that I want it to cook thoroughly. If you place in really hot oil they tend to burn.

- Sprinkle with salt and enjoy!

I have heard some people say they like using sugar. I haven't tried it, but I prefer them salty.

Roasted Potatoes

5 medium potatoes ( I combine regular potatoes with sweet potatoes)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 packet of ranch dressing powder
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper (dash here,dash there!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut potatoes into small cubes (not teeny-tiny!)

In a gallon-sized Ziploc bad toss the potatoes and the oil. Once covered, add the rest of the ingredients in the bag. Shake and cover the potatoes evenly.

Pour into a greased 8x8 or larger glass dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out and softly stir. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

This recipe is really easy to adapt to any number of servings. I really don't measure anything, I just toss in and hope for the best!

Yuquita Frita (Fried Cassava)

Yuca frita is one of those dishes you can't go wrong with.

Boil...Cut....Fry...Eat!

♥ frozen yuca
♥ water
♥ salt
♥ vegetable oil

1. Boil yuca, in salted water, until tender. You want it to be soft, but not falling apart. About 15-20 minutes should do it.

Let cool.

2. Once cooled, cut into thick chunks. Make sure to remove any of the stringy center you may find.


3. Begin heating up oil (enough to cover all the pieces). When the oil is bubbling, place yuca in.

4. Once the yuca gets a nice golden color, remove, and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Place in a warm oven while you cook the other batches.

The yuquita frita can be sprinkled with salt and eaten as is, but if you want the ultimate experience, a nice side sauce is the key.

Cilantro aioli

♥ 1 egg
♥ 1 cup of sunflower oil (or canola oil)
♥ 1 garlic clove
♥ 2 tablespoons chopped white onion
♥ ½ bunch of cilantro
♥ ½ teaspoon of cumin
♥ ½ teaspoon of salt
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice


1.Blend the egg, ½ cup of the oil, the whole garlic clove, the chopped onion, the cilantro, the cumin and the salt until all the ingredients are well blended.
2.Continue blending while adding the remaining ½ cup of oil and lime juice.
3.Taste, add salt if necessary.

Alternative – if you don’t want to use raw eggs or are in a hurry, you can use regular store bought mayonnaise, mince the cilantro, onion and garlic, combine with the cumin, salt and lime juice and mix together.


Mojo Sauce

♥ 1/3 cup olive oil
♥ 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
♥ 2/3 cup sour orange juice or lime juice
(or equal portions orange juice and lime juice)
♥ Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted. Don't let it burn, so make sure not to put the heat on high.

Add the sour orange juice, and salt and pepper. Be careful because it can sputter and oil burns are no fun!

Give it a taste and add any seasoning if needed.

Let it cool.

Empanada Extravaganza

I love to eat, and more importantly, I love to snack! I like being able to walk into my kitchen and just pick something up. No cooking, no hassle. Empanadas help me do just that. I can make them sweet or salty and fill them up with just about anything. Granted, they do take a while to prepare, but the outcome is usually worth it.

Last night I made corn filled ones. I found the recipe online.Next time I make these I will also be making some kind of dipping sauce.

Corn Empanadas

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
1 parsley
8 (6-inch) store-bought empanada wrappers
Vegetable or canola oil


FILLING: Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until smooth and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, paying special attention to the corners of the saucepan. Add the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the corn and parsley, return to a simmer. Scrape the filling into a bowl and cool completely before filling wrappers

To Form: Moisten the edges of 1 of the empanada wrappers with a fingertip dipped in warm water. Center a generous 1/3-cup of the filling on the wrapper. Bring the sides of the wrapper together to meet over the filling and pinch the sides together to seal and form a half-moon shape. Lay the half-moon flat on the work surface. Work you way around the edges, bringing about 1/2-inch of the bottom layer of dough up and over the top layer, to make a mini-pleat. Press as you go to seal the pleats. If you don't want to mess with crimping, just seal the edges all the way around with the tips of the tines of a fork.
FRYING: (empanadas may also be baked): Pour enough vegetable or canola oil into a large heavy skillet to fill about 3/4-inch up the sides. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon immersed in the oil gives off a lively sizzle, about 375 degrees F. Carefully slip as many of the empanadas into the oil as will fit without crowding. Cook until the dough is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and repeat. Drain briefly on paper towels before serving. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
My baked my empanadas. If fried they will get more golden. I opted for the healthier option.

Make sure the empanadas are properly closed, especially if you're baking them. If not they will empty out.

To bake, set the oven to 375 degress and place them on a non stick baking pan or parchment paper. I prefer the non stick. 25 minutes until golden brown.

I brush them with a mix of mix and powerdered sugar. It helps with the color and gives it a sweeter taste.

I also decided to make a sweet filled one. This one is very easy and really doesn't require much cooking.

Guava and Cheese Empanada

1 can or bar Guava paste
1 package Cream Cheese
1 pack (6-inch) store-bought empanada wrappers

The guava is sold in spanish supermarkets or in the ethnic section of some markets. They come in a can or in a bar. Either one if fine.

Cut one strip of cheese and one of guave and place them together in the middle of the empanada wrapper. Mositen the edges with the egg wash and seal (I used a fork) and bake/fry. That's it!