Melissa Rodriguez King

Melissa Rodriguez King of Bruce grew up in Miami eating traditional Cuban food all her life. Newly wed to Brett King, she is adjusting to “Southern food.”

She is inspired by Cuban, saying it’s hearty and flavorful, influenced by Spanish cuisine–tropical vegetables and island flavors. She always looks through a recipe and if she thinks it looks too bland, she will add “Cuban flavor” to it.
While still in Florida, she made a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner in which she added sausage to the dressing. Some food here she has found to be a little bland, but says she recently enjoyed some good fried chicken.

She began baking with her grandmother, and was encouraged by her to cook.
As she got older, she started making other dishes, like spaghetti. She enjoys cooking and doesn’t feel like it is difficult, but enjoys it more when she doesn’t have to do it. Two of her recipes are traditional Cuban–Picadillo and Ropa Vieja–which she says are not hard to make.
Picadillo means hash, and the beef may be substituted with ground turkey to make it more healthy.

Ropa Vieja is shredded beef in sauce and the term comes from “old clothes” because they are worn and frayed. These are two dishes that she grew up eating.
Her aunt, “the Cuban food expert”, told her how to make them and Melissa was so proud when her first attempt to make Picadillo for Brett did taste like her aunt’s.

She loves the internet for recipe searching and since “we’ve had the perfect weather here for chili”, she submitted “the best chili recipe ever” calling it her staple, which was tweaked to her liking from an on-line recipe.
Melissa is accustomed to eating cornbread made with Jiffy mix, so her corn cakes to go with the chili call for that.

“Without a doubt” she is looking forward to cooking in the kitchen (her domain, Brett says, because he doesn’t cook) of their new home, in which they hope to be in about a month.

She does make an effort to cook and eat more healthy, saying they would like to garden, but admits to splurging on the weekend.

Picadillo “Hash”
(Traditional Cuban dish)
Marinate meat overnight but can be done two hours before cooking. Use the following to marinate:
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Badia Mojo marinade (optional)
1 tablespoon naranja agria (sour orange marinade) (optional) OR 1 teaspoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon onion powder
Black pepper to taste
1 pound of lean ground beef
Next:
1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 whole bay leaf
5 Spanish green olives
1-8 oz. can roast garlic Hunt’s tomato sauce
4 oz. Ragu sauce flavored with meat
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Edmundo Spanish golden cooking dry wine (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine
½ tablespoon oregano
Water
Sea salt to taste (regular salt may be used)
1 large red potato, diced
1 ½ tablespoons of raisins (about the size of a SunMaid Raisins snack box)
Heat olive oil at medium heat. Add onions, green peppers, tomatoes, bay leaf, green olives, Hunt’s tomato sauce, Ragu, ketchup, Spanish wine, red wine, and oregano. Cook all ingredients for about 15 minutes at medium heat. Add enough water to pan to just slightly cover meat. Amount will vary depending on the type of pan used. Add sea salt/salt to taste.Cover and cook approximately 15-20 minutes at medium heat. Add diced potatoes. Continue cooking until potatoes are cooked. Once potatoes are cooked, add raisins and cook until raisins are plump and soft (about 5 minutes). Dish is done when the sauce is reduced and meat is browned. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with white rice. (All of the above listed Spanish ingredients are available for purchase online. The Spanish ingredients are not necessary to use BUT it will make the dish taste even better. For a healthier and leaner dish, you may substitute the beef for ground turkey, however, the original dish calls for beef.)

Beef & Black Bean Chili with Green Onion Corn Cakes
2 ½ to 3 pounds of lean ground beef
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves,  finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons hot chili powder (dark)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 bay leaves, whole
1 cup beef stock or broth
1-14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1-8 oz. can roast garlic Hunt’s tomato sauce
2-15 oz. cans black beans, drained
2-8 1/2 oz. packages, Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons veg. or corn oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Butter, for greasing griddle pan
Shredded cheddar and Mexican mix cheese or your favorite cheese
In a large deep skillet or pot, brown ground beef in oil over medium high heat. Drain the fat from meat and return to pot. Reduce heat to medium. Season meat with salt and pepper to taste and then add Worcestershire sauce. Add onion, garlic, red peppers, and jalapeno. Season veggies and meat with chili powder, cumin, and bay leaves. Cook veggies and meat together 5 minutes. Stir in broth and scrape up pan drippings. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and black beans. When mixture comes to a bubble, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes on low heat.  While the chili cooks, prepare the following: Mix together 2 packages of Jiffy corn muffin mix with 1 cup milk, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sliced scallions. Batter should be thick. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan over moderate heat. Nest a pat of butter into folded paper towel and wipe hot pan surface with it to lightly grease.
Pour corn cake batter into the hot griddle pan or skillet in 3 or 4-inch rounds. Cook 2 or 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter. Remove bay leaves from chili before serving. To serve, top bowls of beef and black bean chili with cheese and serve with green onion corn cakes.

Ropa Vieja
Shredded beef in sauce
(Traditional Cuban dish)
2 pounds flank steak
1 large yellow onion, peeled, keep whole
2 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, seeded, cut in half
1 whole bay leaf
Water
Add enough water to pot to cover all these ingredients.
Boil until meat is tender and cooked. Remove steak from pot and discard water with other ingredients. Set steak aside and let cool. Shred meat with hands or fork.
Place shredded steak in pot and add the following:
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1-8 oz. can roast garlic Hunt’s tomato sauce
1 large yellow onion sliced into strips
1 large green bell pepper sliced into strips
1 whole bay leaf
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Edmundo Spanish golden cooking dry wine (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine
½ tablespoon oregano
3 cloves garlic crushed
Sea salt to taste (regular salt may be used)
Cook at medium heat for 15- 30 minutes until vegetables are cooked and sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with white rice.