Go alcohol-free with lo-cal sangria 'mocktail'

If you're someone who avoids alcohol during the New Year's Eve hoopla, you don't have to miss the celebratory flavors.

Just follow celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito's recipe for a sangria "mocktail." Same fruity flavor without the alcohol. And it has just 43 calories per serving, versus the 170 or so per glass in the traditional version.

Think of it as killing two New Year's resolutions with one glass.

Picadillo recipes found

Joanne Feliciano-Noshick of Tampa wrote in November asking if any readers had a great picadillo recipe.

Tillie Bohanon of Sebring wrote to say that "a Cuban friend fixed a picadillo dinner for us in the North Carolina Mountains this summer and I was hooked on it."

Tillie later found a recipe online that was likely the one her friend used. It is from the Cookbook "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban" by Glenn M. Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo (Gibbs Smith, $30).

Mary Ellen Ahrens of Greensboro, N.C., sent a version as well. "I tweaked this recipe until I got it just right," she says.

On a related note, reader Kathy Schembs is looking for a recipe for a dish she has every time she goes to Key West.

"One of our favorite restaurants is Mangia Mangia," Kathy writes. "I always have the picadillo pasta. I have tried to duplicate it at home, but mine is never quite as good. The recipes I have found also call for raisins, but I don't like raisins."

Hmmm. I'd suggest leaving out the raisins and swapping in a teaspoon of molasses.

But Kathy also says she wants to use black bean pasta like Mangia Mangia uses as a bed for the picadillo. "I haven't been able to find black bean pasta," she says.

Anyone have a suggestion for where to find such a noodle?

Looking for crème cake

"I enjoy the crème cakes from Publix and Winn Dixie," writes Bob Gibson. "They are always full of flavor and extremely moist. Does anyone have a recipe?"

Bob, we asked readers the same question for months during 2009. The best we received was a Fresh Strawberry Crème Cake recipe from Vivian Whitehurst of Sun City Center. She uses a box cake recipe as a flavor booster.

Leftover requests

Roy Loweke of Sebring wants a recipe for pressure-cooker baked beans he can make in 35 minutes. He last saw the recipe in a cookbook that came with the appliance.

Eva Ebert wants the recipe for the mixed greens salad with vinaigrette and grilled chicken that she used to enjoy at the now-closed El Pilon Restaurant in South Tampa.

Ginger Read in Bartow misplaced a recipe for "made-over bread-and-butter pickles" using kosher dill pickles.

Karen Johnson says she wants to make the house salad dressing from ABC Pizza.

DeeAnn Kirby wants to make the recipe for shrimp (or chicken) with Czarina sauce served by Circles restaurants in Tampa.

Ellen Scudiero of Holiday wants the recipe for fried almond shrimp served with orange sauce that was served at the Leverock's in New Port Richey.

Bob Moore wrote recently asking for the recipe to make a steak sandwich like the one served at the former Mac and Ivey's on Henderson Boulevard in the 1960s.

Connie Rott wants the fried beef tips recipe served with yellow rice at J.D.'s in Ybor City.

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New Year's Resolution Sangria

Prep time approximately 15 minutes, chill time 4 to 24 hours; serves 4 adults

3 cups water
3 bags pomegranate tea (such as Yogi)
3 bags hibiscus and rosehip tea (such as Teekanne)
6 packets 100 percent natural Stevia sweetener (powder)
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon aromatic bitters (such as Angostura's)
1½ cups fresh cut-up fruit (such as citrus, grapes, apples, berries, melon, etc)
5 sprigs fresh mint

Bring the water just to simmering in a small saucepot. Remove from heat and add the tea bags to the water. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Add the agave, Stevia, and bitters and stir until dissolved. Stir in the fruit and 1 sprig of the mint. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours or until well chilled.

Pour the tea mixture through a strainer and reserve the fruit. Pour the liquid into a beverage carbonator (I like the ISI Twist and Sparkle). Carbonate the tea mixture according to the manufacturer's directions.

Add ice 1/3 of the way up in 4 rocks glasses. Evenly pour in the carbonated tea. Add the reserved fruit to the glasses and garnish each drink with a fresh mint sprig partly submerged into each drink.

Notes: If you do not have a beverage carbonator, prepare the drink as directed above in step one. To serve, add ice 1/3 of the way up in 4 rocks glasses. Evenly pour in the tea and fruit. Pour ¼ cup of sparkling water into each glass and stir gently once or twice to mix. Garnish with the fresh mint sprigs as directed above.

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Fresh Strawberry Crème Cake

1 package of yellow or white cake mix (Duncan Hines without pudding)
1 3-ounce package strawberry gelatin
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed and drained (save juice)
4 eggs
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Juice from mashed strawberries (above)

Combine cake mix, gelatin, oil, flour, berries and one egg and beat. Add remaining eggs one at a time, beating after each is added. Turn into greased tube or Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove cake from pan after 5 minutes of cooling.

To make the glaze, combine sugar and juice, then cover cake while still hot.

Picadillo

2 cups onion, diced
2 cups green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground beef
3 large Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (The optional, highly controversial, ingredient)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup green olives, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper (to taste)

Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté about 5 minutes, until onion is softened, then add the garlic and ground beef.

Mash the onion and green pepper into the sautéing meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves (optional) and oregano. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add olives and raisins and simmer 5 minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot over white rice.

Picadillo

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sliced stuffed green olives
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons capers
3 bay leaves

Heat olive oil. Add chopped onions and peppers and cook until soft.

Add ground beef. Stir constantly to break up meat.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil then simmer for 45 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.