LiBella's Kitchen

05/03/2026

I'm currently locked out of FB, but Insta I'm still here!

04/25/2026

Happy Saturday Everyone!

04/13/2026

Banana Bread & Blueberry/Raspberry Muffins. Now to get the labels figured out. 🥴 Technology is not my strong suit & they aren't where I want them to be, but at least I have something.

03/21/2026

Barbacoa

This ultra flavorful and spicy Caribbean dish is the ultimate filler for warm tortillas or rice bowls. You can't skip the spice because that is the key to Barbacoa! You can cook this in the crockpot to free up your time though!

I couldn't find fresh Guajillo peppers so I substituted paste in their place and skipped the canned Chipotle Peppers, opting again for paste combined with rehydrated.

Sauce:

2 Dried Chipotle Peppers
2 Dried Ancho Peppers
2 Anaheim Peppers, fresh, seeded & chopped
1 TB Guajillo paste, heaping
1 TB Chipotle paste, heaping
¼ C Cilantro, fresh
¼ C Apple Cider Vinegar
6 large cloves, Garlic
1 medium White Onion, quartered
2 TB Brown Sugar
Juice 1 lime (optional)

Meat:

4-5 lb Chuck Roast
1 TB Cumin
4 Bay leaves
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
2 tsp dried Oregano

Rehydrate the Ancho & Chipotle peppers in boiling water for 30 minutes. Destem and set aside. Strain the water they steeped in and set aside also.

In a blender, add all the sauce ingredients except for the lime juice.

Blend until it is a paste. Thin it out with 1-1½ C of the pepper water.

Taste and squeeze in the lime juice if desired.

Place the chuck roast in the crockpot and sprinkle all the herbs over the top.

Pour the sauce over the roast and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Serve with your favorite garnishes & enjoy.

~LiBella
Ps. It's even tastier the next day!

03/17/2026

Whole Eggplant Parm

I love a crispy eggplant parmesan dish. What I'm not fond of is the lengthy messy process of it.

Frying the eggplant whole is a much less laborious process, while still retaining the flavors of the dish.

Ingredients:

2 small Eggplant
1 C Marinara Sauce
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Breadcrumbs
Parmigiano Reggiano
Mozzarella, grated

Preheat oven to 375°F

Poke holes all over each of the eggplant with the tip of a knife. Leave the stem on, you will need it to stabilize the eggplant when you slice it.

Wrap individual eggplant in foil & roast for 40 minutes. You want the eggplant to be soft, but not mushy. One of mine was done within forty minutes, but the other still felt too tough to the touch, so it needed an additional 10 minutes.

Unwrap the eggplant, peel the skin off each with a sharp knife. Be cautious as it is very hot. Once peeled, hold by the stem and make 4 or 5 slices lengthwise from the stem to the bottom, leaving them attached at the stem.

Fan the slices a bit and let cool while you prepare the dredge.

Place the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl and breadcrumbs in the other. Season each with some pepper, salt, garlic powder and grated parmigiano reggiano.

Change the setting on the oven to broil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add two tablespoons of olive oil.

Dredge the eggplant in the egg on each side, then cover with the breadcrumbs. Be cautious not to break the eggplant during this process.

Fry in the hot oil, 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

On a small sheet tray, layer a thin base of marinara then the fried eggplant. Sprinkle with parmesan, a few tablespoons of sauce and top with grated mozzarella.

Broil on the middle rack for 2-3 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Plate & enjoy!

~LiBella

03/09/2026

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

There are varying traditional methods of making Zeppole di San Giuseppe. Some Zeppole are fried and dusted with powdered sugar, while others are more like a Bignè; a pâte à choux pastry stuffed with a sweetened filling.

The filled is my go-to for making Zeppole. The Neapolitan version is filled with a vanilla custard, while the Sicilian is filled with a cannoli-type filling and are more commonly called Sfinge. While I am not sure if my cooked cream filled version falls anywhere within the traditional realm, I can guarantee they are incredibly delicious! And as I typically make them only around St. Joseph's Day, they become a craving here at LiBella's throughout the year.

Pâte à Choux Dough:

1 C Hot Water
1 stick Butter, unsalted
1 TB Sugar, granulated
½ tsp Kosher Salt
1 C AP Flour, sifted
4 lrg Eggs, room temperature
1 TB Lemon zest
1 TB Orange zest

Creme Patisserie:

2 lrg Eggs, room temperature & lightly beaten
⅔ C Sugar, granulated
¼ C Cornstarch
¼ tsp Kosher Salt
2 C Whole Milk, room temperature
2 tsp Vanilla extract

Make your Creme Patisserie first, as it will have to cool and set before the pastry can be filled.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix the sugar and eggs together.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and ½ cup of the milk together until there are no lumps remaining. Add this mixture, remaining milk, the ¼ tsp of salt to the eggs and incorporate well.

Over a low to medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly until you achieve a shiny, pudding-type consistency. This will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Make sure the mixture does not boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in your vanilla extract.

Transfer to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper onto the surface of the filling. This will help prevent a skin from forming on the top.

Refrigerate until completely cool.

Preheat the oven to 425ᐤ.

For the dough you will need a heavy-bottomed saucepan and a wooden spoon.

Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in the saucepan.

Add all the flour at once and stir very quickly, cooking the flour until it pulls away from the side and forms a ball.

Take off the heat and very quickly, stirring quite vigorously (as to not scramble), add the eggs one at a time, making sure to incorporate each one fully before adding another. Repeat until all eggs have been added.

Mix dough until it is smooth and shiny.

Mix in the zest, and with a teaspoon or cookie scoop, drop on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave space between each, as these will expand in the baking process.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350ᐤ until they are a light golden brown; about 13-16 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack completely.

When ready to fill, remove the covering from the filling and mix.

With a knife, cut a small slit on the side or bottom of your pastry. Fill a pastry bag with the creme and fill your pastry shells.

Dust liberally with powdered sugar and devour! I prefer these to the fried version because I feel they are lighter and have a more complex flavor. The zest gives a wonderful refreshing quality that pairs well with the silky vanilla cream.

Enjoy & let me know what you think!

LiBella

03/01/2026

Pastiera di Riso

Pastiera di Riso (Rice Pie) is an Italian dessert typically enjoyed during the Easter season. As with most Italian desserts, it is not overly sweet or heavy, and is the perfect complement to a delicious meal.

Crust:

1 ½ C AP Flour
¼ C Granulated Sugar
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Baking Powder
6 TB unsalted Butter, chilled
1 lg Egg
1-3 TB Ice Water, as needed

Filling:

½ C uncooked Arborio Rice
4 C Whole Milk
7 lg Eggs
1 C Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 TB Lemon Zest
1 TB Orange Zest
1 lb Ricotta, drained

Prepare the crust:

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor and pulse quickly to blend.
Add the butter in small increments and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the egg and pulse until incorporated.
Ice water; start with 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each addition for about 5 seconds.
You want the dough to come together to form a smooth ball.
Once dough has formed, remove from the food processor, flatten into a disc, and wrap with cling film.
Chill dough in the refrigerator while making the pie filling.

Prepare the filling:

In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed sauce pan, combine the milk and rice.
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low and cook uncovered 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook until the liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through. IMPORTANT: You do not want to overcook the rice! If the rice has cooked through but there is still liquid remaining, pour off the excess liquid.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Mix well.
Add the zests, lemon juice and vanilla, and mix until incorporated.
Fluff rice, then add to the egg mixture, breaking up any rice clumps as you stir.

Preheat your oven to 375℉.
Grease a deep pie plate with nonstick spray.
Roll out your chilled short crust dough to a size large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie plate with a bit of overhang.
Press the dough to the bottom and sides of the plate. Remove any excess dough around the rim.
Perforate the bottom of the dough with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Once time has elapsed, fill the crust with the filling, leaving one quarter of an inch between the filling and the rim of the pie plate.

Bake for one hour until it is a beautiful yellow color and springy to the touch.
Refrigerate until cooled completely.
Garnish with fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or freshly-made whipped cream.

Enjoy & let me know what you think!

~LiBella

02/22/2026

Asian BBQ Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

This dish is another winner in my book! I love the tang and spice of the marinade and sauce. Tenderloin is tricky as you can overcook it quite quickly. Using the Sous Vide to cook it was the perfect method for this.

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb Pork Tenderloin

Marinade:

¼ C Gochujang
¼ C Soy Sauce, low sodium
3 TB Honey
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3" Ginger, minced
2 TB Cilantro, chopped
2 TB Sesame Oil
Juice ½ Lime

Poke holes in the Tenderloin and place in a vacuum seal bag. Combine all the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork and vacuum seal.

Marinate 6 hours or overnight.

Cook in the Sous Vide at 144° for 5 hours.

While the pork is cooking make a quick BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

2 Shallots, diced
2 TB Ginger, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3 TB Tomato Paste
2 TB Soy Sauce, low sodium
2 TB Gochujang
¼ C Apple Cider Vinegar

In a medium saucepan, heat a tablespoon or two of cooking oil.

Add the shallots and cook on medium until they begin to soften.

Add the garlic and ginger, saute until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste and mix well.

Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and mix in the soy & gochujang.

Cook on medium low until the sauce thickens.

Once pork is done, heat the broiler and remove the pork from the bag, discarding the cooking liquid.

Place on a lined baking sheet and brush the top with the BBQ sauce.

Broil for 3 minutes,flip loin and repeat.

Let the pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

~LiBella

*If you want to try this in the oven I would marinate the pork, place it on the baking sheet per instructions. Roast at 400° for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 135-140°. Continue with the broiling instructions once done.

02/14/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3xkJAZGi/

Pulled "Jerk" Chicken

This is a different twist, Jerk Chicken inspired, if you will. I typically make this in the crockpot and shred the chicken for sandwiches. You can marinate bone-in chicken pieces and grill or roast as you like, but I feel it loses some of its flavor cooked that way. One of our favorites for Game Day, set it and forget it!

I like to use a combination of boneless thighs and breasts as I feel just breasts are too dry for my liking but it is absolutely up to your preference!

Marinade:

½ C Lemon Juice
½ C Molasses (not blackstrap)
1/3 C Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 C Orange Juice
1/3 C Soy Sauce
10-12 Peppercorns, whole
5 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Scallions, diced
1 ½ C Cilantro, chopped
1 TB Thyme
3” Ginger, minced
2 Scotch Bonnet or Jalapeños, diced

Mix everything together and set aside.

Dry Rub:

1 TB Cinnamon
2 tsp Allspice
2 tsp Salt
½ tsp Nutmeg

Mix all of these together and really rub it into your chicken. I use about 6-8 boneless breasts and thighs.

Let sit for an hour or so (but I find overnight is best, place uncovered in the fridge) then place in your crockpot and pour that fabulous marinade all over it.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Shred & serve on your favorite hard roll and enjoy!

~LiBella