ROTD: Chef Franco's Arroz Con Pollo

It isn’t often that you meet someone and know right off the bat your going to be good friends for years to come. While going to Le Cordon Bleu many years back, I was fortunate enough to bump into Chef Marques Franco, a gentle giant of sorts who has unbelievable skills in the kitchen as well as on the football field. We made sure that neither of us ever gave up or missed a day of school and with that, we both graduated with honors.

Chef Franco has gone on to open his own catering company that operates out of Los Angeles that makes some of the most delicious pies, cobblers & cakes as well as a full scale catering menu with everything from gourmet / fine dining faire to backyard BBQ. 

One of the dishes we fell in love with of Chef Franco’s was his exquisite, Arroz con Pollo. Graciously giving us his recipe, Chef Franco wants everyone to understand that cooking isn’t the hardest thing you will ever do in your life, but it can be one of the most rewarding if you have patience and the desire to literally feed others something good for their soul.

Thanks for the recipe Chef Franco.

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Recipe Of The Day: Seafood Paella

Springtime in our test kitchen calls for plenty of seafood. Lately we have been fielding lots of recipe requests from our readers (please keep em coming!!!) for various light meals that can be prepared during the week. As well as those great requests for meals to surprise a loved one with a gourmet dinner that will really knock their socks off (or at least help you get closer to knockin’ their boots out of shape.) Today we wanted to reach back and showcase one of our insanely deep flavored but incredibly easy to pull off dishes, Seafood Paella. Most all of these ingredients can be found at your local market so don’t worry about having to make twenty different stops before you can even get to work.

Enjoy!!!  

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Grilled Chicken Tostaditas w/ Queso Fresco, Charred Tomatillos & The Supreme Bacardi & Ginger Ale

We vowed to start off 2013 on a healthy note and we have been doing fairly well in our test kitchens, what about you? No worries if you haven’t, the year is still young and we have plenty of ideas to help keep you on track while still enjoying the most of each and every day. 

Today’s ROTD: Grilled Chicken Tostaditas w/ Queso Fresco is a play on a recipe we picked up at a local Spanish restaurant that makes the most amazing Queso Fresco & Charred Tomatillos in house you could ever imagine having. For this version we chose to use skinless breasts, but should you prefer to use boneless skinless thighs they work just as well if not better than breasts. 

Also included is an incredible drink that pairs perfectly with this meal in the form of a classic Rum & Ginger Ale, a delicious drink that’s not so strong that it takes away from the marvelous flavor of your meal.

Enjoy!!

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ROTD: Scallop Ceviche

The warm weather is something we love at The Supreme Plate. It allows us to fire up the grill (not that we don’t get down in fierce storms, you can check our file if you don’t believe us) and enjoy some fresh dishes that sometimes don’t require any cooking at all. A little bit of proper preparation goes along way, and if you’re the planning type and not the last minute frantic type then this dish will be a surefire hit for you.

Scallop Ceviche is something that takes little to no time to whip together and always leaves the crowd asking for more.

Bust out some this weekend over a few cold drinks and some loud music, poolside.

You know that’s where we are right now on the open seas…

Enjoy!

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Seafood Paella with Shrimp, Spicy Chorizo, Mussels & Chicken

A dear friend of ours asked us to put up a recipe for Paella that wasn’t an all day affair. This recipe is from a Cuban-Creole restaurant we used to frequent years ago that we turned into our own and serve up every now and then. Go easy on the saffron, a lot of people like to think because it is so expensive that they should add more to the dish because they have it, that will only result in an overpowering flavor and a waste of your money.

Enjoy this over the weekend before the warm days are gone.

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Empanadas Venezuela

Today Ladies & Gents is National Empanada Day. Nothing bad can be said about Empanadas as they encompass so many great things, a flaky crust wrapped around an uncountable amount of possible fillings, from meats, to fruits to even vegetables these are the original on the go treat used to sustain people who had to endure long journeys where food wasn’t always readily available.

Living in Southern California, if you don’t know what they are, or you haven’t had one, first I must say what rock have you been living under and second why the hell haven’t you tried one?

Today’s Recipe of The Day comes from Venezuela, where Empanadas are commonly found just about everywhere you look. The recipe calls for a simple cut of beef that is broken down by slow cooking which results in tender juicy pieces of perfectly seasoned beef wrapped in a warm flaky crust in every bite.

For those that aren’t up on these great treats, an empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and the south of Europe. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada’s, are made by folding dough around any firm of stuffing you desire and baking or frying them until they are crispy enough to eat.

The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, vegetables, or even fruits.

Enjoy a few of these today, this weekend or sometime soon, you have no clue what your missing out on.

(Read The Entire Recipe After The Jump)