Chorizo Español

These are one of my favorite things to eat. Try them grilled or in rice or in a gumbo or one of those seafood boils. Mmm so good You could hand cut the meat in to small cubes and stuff with a funnel in to the casings if you do not have a grinder/stuffer. Or form the meat in to patties like sliders. Use you imagination you will love this recipe.

1 ¾ pounds of fresh pork meat cut in to 2” strips

½ pound of fatback (raw tocino skinless) cut in to 2” strips

1 ¼  Tbs Salt

4 Garlic cloves

4 Tbs Pimenton (smoked, mild or hot) Paprika

2 Tbs Dry Oregano

¼ Cup red wine (use good wine)

 

Procedure

Put meat in freezer for 15 minutes then Grind meat and tocino coarsely. Mix with all the ingredients. Put in a clean cover container and let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. Stuff in to hog casings or form in to patties. Grill them or use in you favorite sausage recipes freeze any unused sausage for longer storage life.

Papas con mojo colorao

 

Ingredientes

• 1 kilo de Papas pequeñas
• 4 dientes de ajo
• 1/2 cucharada de comino molido
• 2 cucharadas de pimentón de la Vera
• 5 rebanadas de pan del día anterior
• 50 ml de aceite de oliva virgen extra
• Sal y pimienta (al gusto)
• 1 chorrito de vinagre de Módena
• 25 ml de vinagre de vino blanco
• Cayena molida (al gusto)
• 4 pimientos morrones grandes de lata
• Agua
• 250 g de sal gorda

 

Preparación de las papas arrugás:

1. Lavamos muy bien las papas y las colocamos en una cazuela grande con un litro de agua que esté ya caliente. Añadimos la sal gorda (es muy importante el tema de la sal porque es lo que va a ayudar al sabor propio de la papa, tenemos que añadir la cuarta parte del peso de las papas que vamos a cocer, en este caso es un kilo de papas, con lo cual echaremos 250 g de sal).
2. Dejamos hervir entre 30-40 minutos a fuego bajo. Vamos pinchándolas con un tenedor para ver como están de duras, es importante que no se pasen porque sino vas a comer puré de papa. Cuando veas que estén tiernas las sacamos y las pasamos por agua fría para cortar la cocción (un buen truco), como si fuese pasta.
3. Secamos con papel las papas, tienen que estar bien secas para que el arrugado sea rápido. Mojadas tardan más.
4. Colocamos las papas en la cazuela aún caliente y sin agua. Las acercarmos al fuego al 3 ó 4 de potencia (fuego medio) y añadimos un poco de sal y pimienta (no hace falta que sea sal gorda vale la de mesa). Empezamos a menear la cazuela con suavidad y empezaran a arrugarse. Este proceso son unos 5 minutos, se quedan como blancas y logicamente arrugadas.

Preparación del mojo colorao:

1. Freímos los dientes de ajo con piel en un buen aceite de oliva, cuando se doren los ajos los apartamos del aceite y les sacamos la piel. Reservamos los ajos para el mojo.
2. En el mismo aceite de los ajos echamos el pan en trozos pequeños hasta que queden dorados, retiramos el pan y lo ponemos con los ajos.
3. En un bol (yo utilizo el de la batidora) echamos el aceite sobrante de los ajos y el pan frito. Tambien añadimos los cominos (mejor molidos), el pimentón, la sal, la pimienta y la cayena. Introducimos un poco de agua y batimos todo hasta que quede una pasta como de puré.
4. Lavamos los pimientos morrones y los incorporamos con el aceite, el vinagre de uva y un chorrito del de módena (es sólo para dar color) al recipiente anterior. Pasamos todo por la batidora. Probamos el mojo y rectificamos normalmente de sal.  Este mojo no sólo va bien para las papas puedes acompañar un buen churrasco o barbacoa, así como algún pescado o incluso verduras. Tambien  sirva con chorizo si gusta como una tapa,

Chorizo & Mussels in white wine sauce (Chorizo con mejillones)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp good quality Olive Oil
• 3 links Raw Cooking Chorizo
• 2 banana Shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 good quality chopped ripe Tomatoes
• 1cup dry White Wine
• 4.5 pounds of fresh cleaned Mussels
• Salt and Pepper

Method of preparation

• In a sauté pan or saucepan large enough to accommodate the mussels, heat the oil,
• Add the Chorizo, Shallots and Garlic and cook over a low heat until the Chorizo releases its juices and the onion and garlic soften.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until they have reduced to a thick sauce,
• Add the wine and simmer for five minutes until the sauce has thickened again.
• Add the mussels, mix thoroughly
• Add the Basil and cover with a lid
• Turn the heat up to high. Cook until the mussels have opened between three and five minutes.
• Remove any mussels that have not opened
• Serve immediately with some good fresh bread

Fricassee de Conejo (Rabbit Fricassee)

 

Fricassee de Conejo

Ingredientes
1 Conejo
1 Botella de Vino puede ser de cocinar o tu vino favorito
3 Cervezas
3 Pimientos picaditos
1 Cebolla grande picadita
1 pote de aceitunas
Hojas de Laurel al gusto

Marinar el conejo en estos ingredientes por 24 horas

Al día siguiente añadir los siguientes ingredientes:
1 pote de salsa de tomate
2 sobres de sazón con color
Oregano (a gusto)
5 dientes de ajo
Cilantrillo picado
5 libras de papas peladas y cortadas en cubos
1 lata pimientos morrones
Sal a gusto
Sofrito casero a gusto

hierva y espese sirvase con arros aromatico de cilantro

Caldo De Pescado (Fish Broth)

Caldo De Pescado

Ingredientes

• 4 cabezas de pescado medianas
• 2 litros de agua
• 4 dientes de ajo machacados
• 1 pimiento verde picado
• sal
• pique al gusto
• 4 onzas de harina de maíz
• 1/2 cebolla picada
• 1 tomate picado
• 3 ajíes dulces
• 4 hojas de recao
• 2 cucharadas de aceite (con o sin achiote)
  
• 1 limon
  

Preparación

En una cacerola hervir las cabezas de pescado con un poco de sal.

Colar el caldo y reservar.

Preparar un sofrito con el aceite, los ajíes dulces, pimiento, ajo, tomate y recao.

Colocar el caldo en una cacerola, añadir el sofrito y remover bien, incorporar la harina poco a poco moviendo muy bien para evitar que se formen grumos. Cocinar a fuego medio al principio y depués bajo, removiendo hasta que espese. Tapar y dejar a fuego muy lento (casi apagado), durante 15 minutos.

Servir caliente. Con gotitas de limon.

Pinchos de Cerdo con Salsa de Guayaba (Pork Skewers with Guava Sauce)

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large onions, each cut into 16 wedges

• Cooking spray
• Sauce:
• 1 cup chopped commercial guava paste (about 12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

To prepare pork, combine oregano, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add pork; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Thread pork and onion alternately onto 16 (8-inch) skewers.

Prepare grill.

Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 14 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Arrange skewers on a platter; keep warm.

To prepare sauce, combine guava paste and the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 8 minutes or until smooth, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with pork

Caribbean Grilled Scallop Salad

12 large sea scallops(about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons fish dry rub seasonings,
divided (such as Emeril's)
cooking spray
5 slices fresh pineapple (1/2-inch)
4 cups gourmet salad greens or mixed salad
greens
4 cups torn boston lettuce
(about 2 small heads)
1/3 cup diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil

Prepare grill to high heat.
Pat scallops dry with a paper towel.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons fish rub evenly
over scallops.
Coat scallops with cooking spray.
Place scallops on grill rack; grill
3 minutes on each side or until done.
Remove scallops. Add pineapple to grill
rack; grill 2 minutes on each side.
Remove pineapple from grill; chop pineapple.
Combine salad greens, lettuce, pineapple,and
avocado in a large bowl.
Chop large pieces of chutney.
Combine chutney, lime juice, olive oil,and
remaining 1/2 teaspoon fish rub in a small
bowl (add red pepper flakes, if using).
Add dressing to salad, and toss well.
Place 1 1/2 cups salad into each of 4 bowls.
Arrange 3 scallops over each salad.

Guineitos en Escabeche

2 lbs. green cooking bananas - about 10 green bananas 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. onions sliced into thin rings 1 cup white vinegar 3 to 4 cloves crushed garlic 10 to 12 olives 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 to 12 whole black pepper corns 3 to 4 bay leaves 3 cups olive oil or light olive oil 2 quarts of water

Directions

Cut the banana with a knife by cutting off the ends of the bananas and making a cut along the outside curves of the banana skins, but DO NOT remove the skins (don't cut your fingers) Place the bananas in boiling water and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of oil to make them peel easier. Boil the bananas for approximately 20 minutes on medium-low heat. If you boil them too long they will come apart. This is a Rican warning. While the bananas cook, make the Escabeche sauce by placing all the rest of the ingredients into a pot. Stir them well and place on medium heat until the mixture gets hot. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for approximately 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. I can almost smell the sauce. Yum! The banana is done when you lightly stab it with a toothpick and it is tender but firm. Peel off the skins and cut the bananas in 1 inch size rounds and put them in a glass or "Tupperware" bowl. Add the sauce to the bananas. Stir and mix well. Cover them and marinade them for at least 24 hours at room temperature.

Tips

You can refrigerate the bananas, but make sure they have cooled down to room temperature before you do.

Conch Salad (Ensalada de Carrucho)

 

 

 

 

 

1 lb Conch (Carrucho) boiled and diced in small pieces.

4 Tsp white vinegar

6 Tsp Lime Juice (about 2 large limes)

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive oil

2 Garlic cloves minced

1 large white onion

2 scotch bonnet peppers diced small (Optional Hot)

½ roasted red pepper

¼ cup minced cilantro

10-12 stuffed olives

1 Tsp cappers

1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 dice tomato

1 diced celery stalk

 

Mix all ingredients in a non reactive bowl (like glass or ceramic) Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results. Mix well before serving.  You could add cooked shimp, cooked octopuss to make it in to a seafood salad. Serve with mofongo, fried plantains or over greens salad.

Ceviche De Scallop

• 1 pound sea scallops, chopped
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large oranges
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup slivered red onion
• 1 avocado, cubed
 
Preparation
1. 1. Mix together scallops, lime juice, and lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Chill, stirring often, until scallops turn opaque, about 20 minutes.
2. Segment and chop 1 orange and juice the other. Add segments, juice, and remaining ingredients to scallops and stir gently to combine. Serve with tortilla chips

Chicken With Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Ingredients

·         3 1/2 lbs chicken, cut in pieces

·         3 cups long-grain rice

·         3 1/2 cups chicken stock

·         1/2 cup basic sofrito (1/4 onion, 1 green pepper, chopped and 3 mashed garlic cloves)

·         1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

·         One bay leave

·         2 tablespoons alcaparrado (olives and capers)

·         1 teaspon culantro and annatto season

·         2 oz tomato sauce

·         2 tablespoons oil (to stir-fry the chicken)

·         Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

·         Season chicken ahead of time with adobo.

·         Heat the oil in a caldero or Dutch oven to medium heat. Stir in chicken and brown on each side for approximately 5 minutes.

·         Stir in sofrito, olives, capers, season, tomato sauce, cumin and sauté for about 3 minutes at low heat.

·         Stir in rice. Mix well with the sofrito and bay leave, add water; bring to boil.

·         When rice is drying a little bit, lower heat to the lowest and cover. Continue cooking for about 20 to 25 more minutes, until rice is completely cooked. Serve with red beans and a salad on the side.

Pastelon De Maduro (Sweet Plantain Casserole)

		2 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves 1/2 cup green pitted olives 2 green bell peppers, chopped 1/2 medium onion, chopped 3 bay leaves 2 tbsp cooking wine 1 lb lean ground meat 1/3 cup raisins  (optional) 6 ripe plantains  (Or a large bag of whole frozen sweet plantain) 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp melted butter 3 beaten eggs 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 1 lbs Mozzarella shredded cheese One can of green French cut beans (optional)
		Procedure:
	Pour the olive oil in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add onions, wine, green peppers, olives, bay leaves and garlic last after onions and peppers have become soft and sauté for about five minutes. Stir the ground meat into the ingredients already in the saucepan and brown meat for about ten minutes. Add the raisins. Continue to cook for another ten minutes or until the meat is cooked but not dry.  Remove the bay leaves at this time add the drained green beans to meat mixture. Always season to your taste. Taste frequently. Slice the plantains lengthwise. Use a separate saucepan to fry the plantain slices over medium heat in two tablespoonfuls of olive oil. Remove from the saucepan. Wipe excess oil with paper napkins. Use a deep square baking pan. Grease thoroughly with about half of the melted butter. Cover the bottom of the pan with a row of plantains. Add enough of the cooked meat to make a layer, following the style for preparing lasagna. Alternate rows of plantains, mozzarella and meat until all is used up. Pour the remaining melted butter, cheese and the beaten eggs over the pie. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes until eggs are set. Let it rest for five minutes and enjoy. Is best served with salad.

Costillas a la Barbacoa (Barbecue Ribs)

• 10 tablespoons chili powder

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 6 tablespoons minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

• 2 racks (2-1/2-lbs. each) pork spare ribs

• 3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for brushing

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 2 cups ketchup

• 2 cups strong coffee

• 1/3 cup apple-cider vinegar

 

Step By Step

1

Whisk together 4 tablespoons chili powder, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons garlic, and the salt in a small bowl for dry rub.

2

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Rinse and pat pork dry and place in 2 lightly oiled large baking pans. Rub pork all over with dry rub and cook in upper and lower third of oven until meat is slightly pink, about 30 minutes, depending on thickness.

3

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 6 tablespoons chili powder and 4 tablespoons garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in ketchup, coffee, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar; simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 4 cups, about 40 minutes. Remove pan from heat, transfer 2 cups sauce to a bowl for basting and place remaining sauce in a small bowl for serving on side. For a smoother sauce put in a food processor until desire consistency.

4

Preheat grill. Brush top of ribs with some of barbecue sauce and place sauce side down on a lightly oiled rack; cook over moderately high heat, turning once and basting remaining side with sauce, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs with tongs to a platter and let stand 10 minutes. Separate ribs by cutting between the bones with a sharp knife and serve with Confetti Coleslaw and remaining sauce on side. Makes 8 servings.

A lot of recipes will tell you how to grill pork ribs, but few will yield the flavorful, tender-fleshed result you get when you use this recipe. The unique basting sauce is a spicy delight and so good you'll be tempted to try it on other meats and even vegetables. Go ahead: it's a good all-around barbecue sauce, especially if you like your sauce with a little heat. Great sides to go with pork ribs are coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, corn on the cob and grilled potato wedges.

Carne Asada con Moho (Grilled Beef with Sour Orange Marinade)

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (save 2 of the juiced halves)
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, crumbled
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 sprig (6 in.) fresh rosemary
• 1 large red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into half moons
• 2 pounds skirt steak
• Warm corn tortillas
• Guacamole
• Hot sauce or salsa

Preparation

1. 1. Combine orange juice, beer, oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary in a glass 9- by 13-in. baking dish. Add orange halves, onion, and steak and mix with your hands to coat evenly. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, or chill, covered, 2 hours (no longer, or the citrus will "cook" the meat), turning meat occasionally.
2. 2. Heat a grill to very high (550° to 650°). Discard rosemary, bay leaves, and orange halves. Drain meat and onions. Put onions on a doubled sheet of foil and turn up edges just a little to make a shallow 6- by 9-in. container.
3. 3. Grill onions on the foil, stirring occasionally with tongs, until edges start to char, 8 to 10 minutes. Add steak to grill and cook, turning once, until well browned and done the way you like, 8 minutes for medium-rare.
4. 4. Transfer steak and onions to a board; slice steak. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, and hot sauce.

Warm tortillas directly on the grill just until hot, turning once; stack and wrap in a towel

Crab Stew (Salmorejo de jueyes)

Ingredients:
     1 pound crab lump meat
  1 tbsp. sofrito made ​​at home Or store bought
  (ingredients coriander, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and peppers)
  1 tsp. vegetable oil
  3 tbsp. ketchup
  salt to taste

     Procedure:

In a pan add oil and wait for it to warm. Pour tbsp. sofrito and cook for up to 1 minute. Take the flesh of crabs in the pan and continue sautéing. Pour the sauce and salt. Cover the pan and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Serve over white rice or with tostones as an appetizer.

Does anyone know what to make with this?

If you know what is this fruit you may know how to cook it. Please share unusual recepies or just the way you like to eat it. My favorite is fried toston style.

Picadillo Cubano (Cuban seasoned ground beef)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups onion, diced
2 cups green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
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 (optional)
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 for about 5 minutes, until the 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 the 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 over rice or use for empanada fillings or for Puerto rican Pionono.

Red Snaper with fried plantains in garlic sauce (Chillo al ajo con tostones)

Garlic Sauce.

4 garlic cloves chopped finely
4 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup of white wine
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch salt
Pinch Black pepper

In a pan at medium heat saute garlic with olive oil until garlic becomes aromatic around 2 minutes or so do not over cook, add butter and wine and reduce for 4 minutes season with salt and pepper taste for seasoning. Remove from Heat and put to the side.

Grill two 3 lbs Red snappers (Cleaned and scaled) seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly oiled in moderate heat for 10 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and pour garlic sauce over them. Serve with salad and some tostones on the side.

Potato Salad with apple (Ensalada de Papas con manzana)

I love this potato salad my sister in law Maria always made it and it was fantastic I could never had enough of it I guess it runs in the family my daughter loves it too. The apples give it an extra burst of sweetness that goes well with the freshness of the bell peppers and the mayo. It is a great side dish. You could add green peas or carrots if you like.

5 Large Potatoes boiled and cubed 1/2 inch and free of skin unless you like the skin

3 eggs hard boiled without shells and cubed no too small

½ cup Green bell pepper cubed small

½ Cup onions finely chopped

¼ cup red sweet bell pepper cubed small

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 small red apple cubed and tossed in some lemon juice (lemon prevents browning)

¾ Cup of Mayonnaise

 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and tossed gently, taste for seasoning add if need it. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hawaiian Style Ribs (Costillas a la Hawajana)

Ingredients:

4 pounds Pork Spareribs 1/4 cup Ketchup 1/3 cup Unsweetened Pineapple Juice 1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger or 1 tablespoon minced Fresh Gingerroot 2 large Garlic Cloves, Minced

 

Preparation:

Parboil the ribs in water to cover for at least 30 minutes. (This helps to get rid of some of the fat and also helps to make the ribs tender.) Drain and let cool somewhat. Mix the remaining ingredients together. Put ribs in a marinade pan or large zip-loc freezer bag and pour marinade over ribs. Refrigerate. Turn ribs occasionally and continue to marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. Grill until heated through and nicely browned or bake in 350 degree oven until browned and tender. Brush with marinade while cooking if desired. Serve on platter with pineapple slices and mandarin orange segments.

A good potato salad will go just right with the ribs.

Ceviche De Pulpo (Octopus Ceviche)

 

 

Ceviche is a delicious dish and it can be served as an appetizer, snack, or entree.

 You can use various kinds of fish, such as shrimp, halibut, red snapper, tuna, and sea bass.)

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb cooked octopus meat (Or the one of your choice)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 ½ cups

Juice of 8 limes + 2 juice of limes to pickle onions

2-3 tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbs sunflower oil

Salt to taste

Optional: 2-3 hot peppers, Serrano or red chilies, seeded and sliced thinly

 

Preparation:

1. Cut the octopus meat into small bit size slices.
2. Place the sliced onions in a bowl, add some salt and cover with warm water. Let rest for about 10 minutes, drain and rinse well.
3. Place the octopus in a non-reactive container, add the lime juice, ½ of the onions, hot peppers and salt, let marinate for a couple of hours.
4. Place the remaining onions in a non-reactive bowl, add the remaining lime juice, some salt and let marinate for a couple of hours.
5. Combine the marinating octopus with the pickled onions, the sunflower oil, and the cilantro, mix well. Add additional salt if needed.
6. Serve with chifles, tostones, popcorn, or corn nuts.

Serve with: Tostones and hot sauce

Cod Friters (Bacalaitos)

As the people that know me I enjoy a good beer here and there so this batter has beer in it it takes from using baking powder as beer has yeast in it and it makes the batter light and flufy.

Ingredients:

    1 lb codfish fillets

1/2 cup beer (optional), otherwise use water but beer make it fluffier.

2/3 cup wheat flour

1 large egg at room temperature

1 onion, diced

1 teaspoonful chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoonful ground garlic

 

    Procedure:

  Unless you are using fresh, unsalted codfish, it is advisable to boil the codfish fillets in water, drain and repeat to remove the excess salt. I like them on the salty side you could wash in cold water 3 times.

Shred the codfish fillets into bits with a fork.

 Blend all ingredients together.

 Use a deep skillet, half-full of cooking oil. Preheat the oil on medium high heat. Use a ladle to pour the mix slowly into the hot oil. Alter the amounts of mix as needed to produce the right size for your preference.

 

Remove from the skillet when it appears cooked throughout and the edges begin to curl. Roadside stands hang the fried bacalaitos right over the skillet to let excess oil drip back into the skillet. At home you can also lay each fritter on paper towels to remove excess oil.

 

Eat while still quite warm. Be ready with more mix. They taste delicious and will have your guests asking for second helpings.

Fried Plantains (Tostones)

This is one of the Caribbean Island favorite snacks or side dish. You could find them all over the Islands under the warming lights but they are best enjoyed fresh just out of the frying pan. You could top them with just about anything shrimp salad, ceviche of any kind, a garlic and olive oil sauce or just plain ketchup this last one been one of my favorite. Also a good mayo-ketchup-garlic-hot sauce concoction is great.

 

Ingredients

2 large green plantains

1 plastic bag like the supermarket kind

Oil for frying

Salt

 

Cut the ends of the plantains off and make a slit down the whole length of the plantains this will aid in the peeling later. Put the plantains inside the plastic bag and put in the microwave for 5 minutes.

Remove from microwave and discard the bag be careful the plantains will be very hot. Let them cool for a bit until you can handle them. Remove the skin at this point the skin will peel right off without any effort. Usually and traditionally the plantains will have to be fried twice but not with the microwave method as they are already cooked once.

Cut in rounds about ¾ inch and press down with a tostonera or the bottom of a small saucer press down to about ¼ of an inch or so and fry at 350 degrees in corn oil until golden brown salt them as they come out of the fryer. Work in small batches so your oil does not get to cold. Serve hot with some garlic sauce or Mayo-Ketchup.

Arroz con Gandulez (Rice with pigeon peas)

 

 

From all the rice recipes this one is my very own favorite. Not just because I'm Puertorican but it is 

delicious especially when accompanied with some roasted pork and a pastel de guineo on the side it is truly a very flavorful rice dish. There are so many variations and everyone makes it different nerveless is always great no matter who cooked it.

 

 

2 cups long or short grain rice (rinsed)

3 1/2 cups of boiling water (use ½ water ½ chicken broth for more flavor)

1 1/2 cups of chorizo (sliced bite size)* Or some chunks of fresh seasoned pork

2 Tablespoons of sofrito**

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas) (fresh is best,frozen is ok too)

1 tablespoon of alcaparrado  (capers) without liquid

 

1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)

1 one packet of Sazon with achiote

4 ounces of tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons of oil

Salt to taste

* Chorizo can be substituted with tocino (salt fatback crackling's) and jamón de cocinar (smoked cooking ham) or fresh pork your choice.  If you are going to use the tocino be sure not to use too much salt to the rice because the tocino is salty. Always taste it.

Sofrito**: 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 Green Banana or Bell pepper (chopped in fine pieces), 1 teaspoonfull oregano, 3 Culantro leaves (often called spiny cilantro)  (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), and 2-3 Aji dulce (sweet peppers). You could use the sofrito in a jar if that is all you have. The green bannana give it that extra criollo flavor.

In a dutch oven pot with lid fry the Tocino (porkfat) or Chorizo in oil or fresh pork. Add the tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon to the pot and stir together. Cook at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the salt, pour the boiling water into the pot so the rice is submerged one inch below the water. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Don’t cover yet, let the rice absorb most of the water. Once absorbed stir gently from bottom to top, cover and turn the heat down to low. Stirring once in between, cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Cover the Arroz con Gandules with Banana leaves while cooking for that Caribbean flavor!

Serves 3 to 4 you could serve with yucca con mojo and or roasted pork on the side Mmm.