Pigeon Pea stew is a simple, yet tasty stew that will stick to your ribs and keep you warm during the winter. The leguminous peas provide essential protein and amino acids. It's very simple to convert this stew to a vegetarian dish by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock or water.

One of the hardest lessons I've learned is how to peel a green plantain. They're tricky and difficult. Even yellow plantains are hard to peel sometimes. To help you out, I've put together these handy instructions. Follow them and you can't go wrong.

I love a good party. Whenever I'm asked to bring a dish, I like to bring along miniature papas rellenas (stuffed potato balls). They're always a hit - meat and potatoes in one little bite. Larger potato balls make a great side dish.

Photo © Hector Rodriguez. Licensed to About.com.

Okra isn't just a southern tradition. It originated in Africa and was brought to the Caribbean by way of the slave trade. So, it shouldn't be surprising to find Latin dishes where okra is the start attraction.

Try this traditional okra stew from Puerto Rico. It gets a spicy kick from jalapeños. You can leave them out if you don't like chili peppers, or add more if you want the stew spicier. The choice is yours.

Photo © Jaimie Duplass Image from BigStockPhoto.com

Although Halloween isn't exactly a Caribbean holiday, you can still serve Latin inspired cuisine at your next Halloween or Fall Harvest gathering. Try this recipe for pumpkin flan (flan de Calabaza), which is prepared using West Indian Pumpkin (a type of squash). But, don't be fooled! This custard is sweet, smooth and delicious. You can easily change up this recipe by substituting a pie pumpkin in place of the calabaza and use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon.

Photo © Arturoli. Image from BigStockPhoto.com.

One of my favorite fall baking dishes is chocolate bread pudding. This moist chocolate dessert is an excellent way to use up stale bread before it spoils.

Photo © Hector Rodriguez. Licensed to About.com.

Put simply, sangria is a wine punch. The word sangria comes from the Spanish word "sangre" meaning blood. There's no blood in sangria, its just a word that describes the red tint from the wine. There are many variations on sangria recipes, but a good sangria typically consists of red wine, fresh fruit, a small amount of liquor spirits, a sweetener, and sometimes carbonated water.

Sangria Criolla is a sangria recipe I developed that carries the flavors of tropical fruit easily found on the Caribbean islands - Mango, pineapple, lemon, and lime. Choose a nice Rosé wine and Caribbean rum. You can easily adjust the recipe to your taste by changing the amount of wine, juice, or rum. Experiment and have fun.

Photo © Carmen Martínez Banús. Photo from iStockphoto.com.

In the Caribbean, we have many refreshing, cold vinaigrette dishes. My quick and easy Green Beans in Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette is perfect for preparing fresh vegetables during the peak of the summer season. You can also use yellow wax beans in this dish.

Photo © Hector Rodriguez. Licensed to About.com.

With the cooler weather fast approaching, cooks everywhere are getting into the baking mood. Why not try something a little different this year. I love to impress my family and friends with this creamy custard dessert with a tropical twist. Not only will the taste "wow them" but the presentation is beautiful as well.

Photo © 2006 Hector Rodriguez

I adore picadillo recipes because they are so versatile. One of my favorite picadillo recipes comes from Cuba. It is a beef hash made with ground beef and seasonings, and potatoes and olives for a little substance. There's many ways you can use this beef picadillo. You can serve it over a bed of white rice, on the side with rice and beans, use it as a filling for empanadas, or as a filling for papas rellenos.

Cuban Picadillo Recipe with Ground Beef
Photo © Hector Rodriguez 2007