Oven-Baked Salmon by Sandra Soto

Videography and Production by Sofia L. Soto

Sandra Soto is a St. Mary’s University alumna, VMECHS counselor and mother of three from Brownsville, Texas. In this video she shares her favorite, simple oven-baked salmon recipe. This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and is a great option for busy families because it can be made in 5 easy steps!

Ingredients:

• 1 Oven Pan
• Aluminum Foil
• 1 Salmon Fillet
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/3 Cup of Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. of Butter
• Celery and vegetables of your choice

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap your entire salmon fillet in your pan and then add your salmon. Chop up your vegetables into bite-size pieces and add them on top of your salmon. Season the vegetables and salmon with pepper, salt, 2 tbsp of butter and 1/3 cup of olive oil. After that, make sure to wrap and seal your salmon and vegetables with the aluminum foil. Lastly, place your pan in the oven for 50-60 minutes and enjoy!

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Lasagna by Blanca Gutierrez.

Videography and Production by Christa Neumann.

Dyslexia teacher Blanca Gutierrez goes through the steps on how to make an easy lasagna. After working for 39 years, Gutierrez describes her journey into the kitchen and what makes cooking so special for her.

Ingredients

• 1-pound ground beef
• 1 (32oz) jar spaghetti sauce
• 32oz cottage cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 9 lasagna noodles
• ½ cup water
• 1 spray can of olive oil

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat brown ground meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, half of grated Parmesan cheese, dried Parsley, salt ground black pepper. To assemble, spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Evenly spread ¾ cup of sauce mixture. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 ¾ cup of the cheese mixture and ¼ cup sauce. Repeat layers once more: top with 3 noodles, remaining sauce and sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add ½ cup water to edges of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with olive oil.

Bake on preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Arroz con Pollo by Michael Lopez

Videography and Production by Allison Magera

Michael Lopez, a current student at Texas A&M University, shares how to recreate his favorite dish: Arroz con Pollo. Through his tips and tricks and simple but flavorful ingredients, you’ll be able to create a meal that you won’t be able to find in just any Mexican restaurant.

Ingredients:
Chicken:

• 4-6 Whole Chicken Thighs (varies depending on number of servings)
• ~2 tablespoons Season-it-all
• 1 tablespoon of garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Rice:

• 4 cups of water
• 2 cups of dry white rice (brown rice also acts as a substitute if necessary)
• ~ 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1/2 of a chopped yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 4oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 Teaspoon caldo de tomate
• Dash of garlic salt, cumin and pepper

Directions:

First, season raw chicken thighs with a generous covering of salt, pepper and season-it-all. Add about a tablespoon of oil to pan and brown chicken thighs on medium-high heat until skin is crispy. The inside does not need to be completely cooked; it will boil later with the rice. In a separate pot, begin to boil 4 cups of water for the rice. Including about a teaspoon of oil, fry dry rice in another separate pan until brown, about 10 minutes. Add chopped onion, bell pepper and diced tomatoes to rice once it is browned and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add boiling water to the pan with the rice and vegetables. Add tomato sauce, caldo de tomate, garlic salt, cumin and pepper. Lastly, add browned chicken thighs to the pot, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until both the rice and chicken are cooked thoroughly.

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Skillet Enchiladas by Sheila Peña

Videography and Production by Courtney Peña

Sheila Peña is a mother and a teacher who enjoys cooking. In this video, she shows you how to make Skillet Enchiladas and talks about her experience with cooking.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of avocado oil
• 1 ½ pound of ground beef
• 2 cans of enchilada sauce
• 1 package (8oz) of shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
• 12 corn tortillas (Cut in small squares)
• 1/8 to ¼ cup of corn masa mix
• ½ cup of water

Directions

Turn the stovetop between medium and high heat and fry tortillas in batches in avocado oil in 12 in pan. Remove fried tortillas and set aside on a plate. Remove excess oil. Cook beef in the 12 in pan. Once the beef is cooked, add enchilada sauce and stir. Add cheese mix and stir. Mix masa and water in a separate cup. Add masa mixture and stir. Add fried tortillas and mix it all together.

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Caldo de Pollo by Kimberly Rodriguez                                                                  Videography and Production by Katherine Rodriguez

Kimberly Rodriguez is an amateur chef who likes to remind herself of where she comes from through food. After learning how to cook from the internet and her grandma, Rodriguez prepares Caldo de Pollo as a way to bring people together.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken leg quarters
• 1 gallon water 
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic 
• 2 tablespoons salt 
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder 
• 1 cube chicken bouillon 
• 3 large corn ears, cut in halves 
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks 
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 
• 1 cabbage, cut into large chunks 
• 1 large onion, cut into large chunks 
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Place chicken legs into a large stock pot and pour water over chicken. Add garlic, salt, and garlic powder. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken meat falls off the bones, which takes roughly one to two hours. Stir in chicken bouillon cube and let it dissolve. Mix corn, carrots, potatoes, chayote, and white onion in the broth, turn heat to medium-low, and cook soup at a low boil until carrots and potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir chopped cilantro into soup, simmer for 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy a delicious meal on a cold and chilly day.

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