My Nana's Kitchen Recipes, Bible Quotes, Stories: Panza Llena, Corazon Contento!

By Bernice Ortiz

My Nana's Kitchen - Recipes, Bible Quotes, Stories
Panza Llena Corazon Contento - Full Tummy, Happy Heart
A taste of a Mexican-American family's cooking and their deep heritage: and giving it all to the Glory of God. This book can also inspire many to cook and with a happy heart (corazon contento).
Here is a cookbook that is like no other!
Discover these easy to follow recipes, along with a faith filled journey that the author takes you upon.
Quite simply, this book reveals hidden gems in the stories
attached to the delicious cooking. The adventure does not end
with each food delicacy, but the guidance of a loving Nana,
grandmother, and the bible quotes provide
a comforting presence throughout the book.
Recipes Include: Soups, Main Dishes, Salsas/Sauces, Desserts Drinks. Light Snacks

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667855028

Book preview

SOUPS Albòndigas - Spanish Meatball Soup

Lean ground chuck (hamburger) Finely diced white onion

½ cup white rice, salt and pepper

garlic salt, 1 tsp. oregano

1 can of chicken stock, 4 cups water

2 basil leaves, tomatoe sauce, green onions diced

½ cup of finely cilantro chopped cilantro

Mix rice, seasoning and ground chuck into a bowl.

Make small size meatballs out of the ground chuck mix.

Brown meatballs with white onion in small sauce pan.

After browning meatballs drop into chicken stock. Add water, basil leaves, tomatoe sauce, and green onion. Cook on low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.

Top with cilantro

I have stories of my childhood interspersed throughout this cookbook along with a few Bible verses. Probably due to the fact that God and family are key components to happiness. My Nana Cecilia, always said, God is with you, you will always have your family and you cannot leave out the cooking.

My mother, Cora, once told me a story about her first days of marriage, her and my Dad had eloped the day after Halloween. She was 20 years old and my Dad was two years younger. Both were novice at many things, and my Mom said she really only knew how to cook a few things, and her attempt at Albondigas was not her best cooking. Over the years she became quite the cook, the best, I might add.

All the families of the earth be blessed.Acts 3: 25

Gazpacho

1 (14 oz) Can diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes-diced, 1 cucumber peeled & diced

½ a green bell pepper, minced, ½ jalapeno, diced, (remove seeds)

½ of a white onion, minced, 2 cups tomato juice

2 cups Clamato juice, or 1 cup clam juice, ½ cup of cilantro - minced

1 cup Italian-style salad dressing, 1 T minced fresh basil

2 T lemon juice, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, Salt & pepper to taste

Combine cucumber, green bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl; stir in Italian dressing, Worcestershire and basil. Add tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, tomato juice, clam juice and stir well.

Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Top with scallions, cilantro, croutons, bits of avocado

My Nana had a beautiful garden, with tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, and beans. She would send the kids out to the garden to pick the fresh vegetables, while she fed the wild birds. Nana was also a joyful person and loved all animals, she even trained the mocking birds to sing in Spanish. She had a very precious approach to training the birds: feed them chili pepper seeds.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.John15: 13

Pozole pronounced - (po zo lay)

1 Whole fryer chicken, 1 Pork roast ( 2- 3 lb}

3 Ripe tomatoes- peeled, 1/2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 Bay leaf, 1 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 Sweet onion –wedged cut, 2 scallions - finely chopped

16 oz. can White Corn Hominy, 8 oz. Chicken & 4 oz Beef stock

Toppings: Radishes - sliced, Purple cabbage - sliced, 6 limes quartered, Dried oregano,

Chopped cilantro, 1 white onion chopped finely

Season whole fryer, with garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover chicken with water, cook on medium heat for 30 min.

Season pork roast with garlic powder, and pepper. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil and brown pork roast. Put roast into a pot, cover with water cook on high heat for 90 minutes. In separate pot, add 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup beef stock, and following: 1 bay leaf, 1 cup cilantro, sweet onion cut into quarters, scallions finely chopped.

After chicken has cooked thoroughly, remove from pot and set aside, let cool and begin shredding into small pieces. Add pork, chicken, and hominy to stock.

Simmer 20 minutes, add tomatoes, and red chile powder, stir. Pour into bowls, squeeze lime, top with oregano, onion, cilantro, radish slices, and purple cabbage.

My Nana had this charming clay pot, rather a stewing kettle made out of red clay. It was large and decorated on the side and on the lid. She would just set it on the burner of her gas stove and cook pozole or menudo; even arroz con pollo.

My Tata had a chicken coop that was set back against the hill, a rather large one with at least thirty chickens. He had the task of killing a chicken for dinner, and one day he found a chicken already killed.

My brothers seemed to have guilty faces, so he asked them who killed my chicken? My brother Beny said un gato grande y feo con un cuchillo; - translated - A big, ugly cat with a knife. My tata laughed so hard and didn’t even punish them, but we left the killing of chickens to my Tata.

Love is patient, love is kind.Cor 13: 4

Oxtail Soup

I had a transformative experience when I was nearing the age of forty. It was my conversion, not as dramatic as St. Paul’s; yet it changed my entire life. It also changed my son’s life, he was ten years old. We attended a Faith Course, lasting a week which consisted of prayer, and music worship; and my son became the youngest to complete the course, but not the last or youngest. My Catholic faith was really not flourishing at the time so my twin invited me to the course, and when we were signing up, she mentioned it would be every evening and we would eat supper with the group. I was a little bit taken back, that she dragged me all the way to South Phoenix and we were going to pray the rosary and read the bible. My reply was. What about; ‘Do You think You Can Be A Millionaire (TV game show) Denise’s response was Offer it up." Simple, oh yes and a different outlook on life!

Well every evening turned into a glorious revelation of who I was and how the Lord, is very near;always with me. One night they served oxtail soup, and boy was it ever so scrumptious. They would get donations for the nightly meal and this particular evening a rancher had stopped by with the ox tails and eggs. They served the soup with cabbage and corn tortillas, just like how my Nana used to make. It was heavenly! We continued attending several courses and became teachers to the course, even my son who taught many young people through the course. God is Good! All the time! God is Good!

3 lbs Oxtail pieces, 1 ripe tomato- peeled and mashed, 1 garlic clove- smashed

1 tsp. garlic powder, salt, pepper, 1 Bay leaf

3 carrots-sliced, 4 celery, ribs, sliced small pieces, 1 Sweet onion –wedged cut

4 cups water, 1