Tuna macaroni salad

There's just something about birthday parties that makes me crave tuna macaroni salad. Maybe it's because my mom made it for my daughter's 1st birthday, and it brought back all those memories of growing up. I tried my best to match her recipe, based on what my taste buds were telling me. This recipe is so simple, and makes enough for a party or for a few days of munching from the fridge.

Here's what you'll need:
2 cups elbow macaroni
Water (for boiling the macaroni)
1/2 a red onion (or in Spanish, purple onion), chopped
1/2 a white onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 can of tuna (size depends on how much tuna you want in your salad)
1 cup of mayonnaise (I prefer Helman's!)
Salt and pepper to taste

How to cook this craving:
1- Boil the macaroni.
2- Prep and chop the veggies.

3- Drain and rinse macaroni under cool water in the sink. Place in a serving bowl.
4- Drain tuna and add to macaroni.
4- Add veggies and mayonnaise to the macaroni. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5- Chill for at least 2-3 hours, and it will be ready to serve!

Cook what you crave!
Cleo

Pot Roast

Well I've been slacking a bit on my blogging. I've taken a lot of pictures of my cooking, but have not posted them. Here's a recipe I tried a few weeks ago for pot roast. It was my first meal in the crock pot! Also my first time using a cast iron pot. Overall, the recipe was pretty good. Next time, I might reduce the amount of cumin- I am coming to the realization that I am not the biggest fan of cumin. 

Here are the ingredients:
3 pounds of chuck roast
2-3 russet potatoes
2 cups of baby carrots
3 beef bullion cubes
1 cup beef broth
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tbsp cumin (I'll probably do 1 tbsp next time)
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper



Here's what to do:

 1- Trim the fat and cube the chuck roast. Peel and cut potatoes.

 

 2- Brown your meat (I used a cast iron pot). This will help the meat to retain the juiciness. Place browned meat in the crock pot, as well as the potatoes and carrots.

3- Mix the beef stock, bullion cubes, and spices in the pot you browned your meat.

 

 4- Pour the mixture from step 3 over the meat, potatoes and carrots in the crock pot.

 

5- Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Enjoy! I served it here with white rice and Jiffy mix cornbread :)

Picadillo. Translation- ground beef hash?

Last night we had some friends over. They've never had Cuban food, so I made some picadillo, white rice and black beans, and of course some Cuban coffee for them.

My recipe is a little twist on my moms classic recipe. Hope you enjoy!

You will need:
One and a half pounds of ground chuck meat
Half a green bell pepper, chopped
Half a white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet of Goya seasoning (see picture)
One and a half teaspoons of cumin
Half tablespoon of oregano
3 small potatoes, cubed
1 small can of tomato sauce
Water

How to cook this craving:
1. Peep your veggies and potatoes
2.Brown your meat. Drain.
3. Add the chopped green pepper, onion, and garlic to the meat. Let it absorb the flavors for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cumin, oregano, Goya packets, cubed potatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce.
5. Use the same can, and fill with water. Pour water on top of meat. Stir and cover.
6. Let meat cook for about twenty minutes on medium low, or until potatoes are soft. Stir again. Salt to taste.

Serve with white rice and black beans, and enjoy!

Cuban churrasco

Once you have lived in Miami, steak is never the same anywhere you go. I was browsing the meats at the commissary on base, and found some skirt steak. Immediately, my stomach led me to think about churrasco. If you haven't had this before, or are wondering what it is, you have to try it to know its deliciousness.

This recipe is pretty simple, but the results are mouth watering. All you need is three pounds of skirt steak, one cup of Mojo marinade by Goya (you can fund this in the hispanic food aisle at your grocery store), and one fourth cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Whisk the marinade and olive oil in a bowl. Place the skirt steak in a deep bowl and pour the marinade with oil over the steaks. Let then marinade in the refrigerator for at least eight hours, and turn them over in the bowl at four hours.

When the steak is done marinating, you'll want to cook these on the grill. Personally, I think this cut of steak is served best at medium rare (medium might be over cooking it).

Cook what you crave!
Cleo

PS- there's a picture of the marinade, just in case you are wondering what it looks like. We got so excited about how good the steak smelled, that I forgot to take a picture. I hope you enjoy your steak!

A Beginning Blogger

So here I go- my first post on my first blog (post MySpace back in the early 2000's). Can you believe that's been more than 10 years ago?! It's amazing how much life can change in just 10 years. If you would have asked me to write a paper back then about where would you be 10 years from today, I would have never imagined to be beginning a blog.
 
So, you are probably wondering now "what's this blog about?". Food. I LOVE food. The last couple of years I've been perfecting my baking (most cupcakes). Now I am married- and have a 16 month old daughter. In my fantasy world, we would all live off of cupcakes and brownies all day long. Reality is that we cannot get all of our nutrients from these delightful sweets. 

Once Upon A Craving is a challenge I have created for myself, in order to become a better cook all around, and share these recipes with others through this blog. My ultimate goal is to post daily pictures and recipes of my dinner cravings that I create in my enchanted kitchen. Last night I cooked my first pot roast. Not only was it my first roast, but it was my first crock pot meal, created in my first crock pot, along with my first cornbread muffins. Stay tuned, I'll have that recipe and pictures posted for you this week!!

I hope you enjoy these cravings created in my kitchen. May they bring a magical experience to you in your kitchen and dining room (or living room, if you like to eat on the couch while you watch TV) for you and loved family and friends. I'm looking forward to getting to know you through my blogging. :)

Cook what you crave! 
Cleo