More Recipes
Tostones
(Serve 2 - 4 persons)
1 - 2 Green Plantains
2 cup Cooking Oil
Fine Salt to taste
Required tools:
Paper foil
An unopen Can
Directions:
1. Remove plantain skin by cutting it lengthwise with a paired knife on 2 opposites sides. Note: Do not press knife too deep when cutting the skin. This is to avoid cutting through the pulp.
2. Once the skin of each plantain has been removed ensure there is no residues of the skin around the pulp. Then, cut them in pieces at least 2 inches width.
3. On a shallow pan add cooking oil and let it heat for couple of minutes. Once the cooking oil is heat up start adding the pieces without crowding the pan. Let it cook for 3 minutes per side of each piece.
4. Once the pieces are golden remove them and place them on an absorbent paper towel.
5. On a piece of foil paper place a piece of plantain at a time and cover one extreme with the other extreme. Using an unopen can press down each piece. They will start taking a round shape. Note: If their edge opens a bit leave it as it is to avoid falling apart. Also, do not squeeze them down because they will become too thin and there are high chances to break apart.
6. Once every piece is flat down put them back in the hot oil to cook them for 1-2 minutes per side on each. You will notice they will inflate in some parts; this is normal.
7. Once each piece of plantain is cooked thoroughly, they can be plated and season them with fine salt to taste.
- Bon Appetite -
Asopao of Gandules
(Serves 4-6 people)
1/2 cup Rice 1 tsp Tomato paste
1/2 Medium Onion cubed 1 tsp Annatto
1 can of Gandules 1 Tbsp Ground Garlic
1/4 cup of Salchichon 1 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Slice Olives with pimenton 1 tsp Cummin
1/4 cup Cabbage sliced 1 tsp Dry Oregano
1 Garlic clove chopped 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
3 Tbsp Sofrito 7 1/2 Cups of Water 1 Tbsp Coarse Salt, as needed
Directions:
1. Sauteed the salchichon in a shallow pan with cooking oil for 2 minutes. Once done, add cubed onions to sauteed it together until the onions becomes translucent and charred.
2. Then, add sofrito, chopped garlic, oregano, and annatto to them, and stir it up until the garlic releases its aroma. Add turmeric, cumin, grounded garlic, and salt to the mixture. Stir it all up for 2 -3 minutes. Then, Add the can of gandules to the pot and stir it up until is well combined.
3. Add sliced olives with pimento, tomato paste, and cabbage to the mixture. Then, stir them up until they are combined in the mixture. Once spices release their aroma add 5 ½ cups of water and stir it up a bit. Cover it and let it cook for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes stir it up once again and taste for flavor, If needed add salt. Pour the rice and the rest of the water – 2 cups. Reduce the heat to medium while stirring up well and let it boil until rice is cooked.
Warning!!! Do not step away from the stove while preparing this dish. If water reduced add some gradually and taste for flavor. You must have plenty broth on this dish rather than rice.
Guanimos
(49 count)
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Corn flour
7 Tbsp Cooking oil
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1 -2 cups Hot Water
Directions:
1. Pour in the mixer bowl the AP flour, corn flour, and salt. Stir it all up until well combined using the hook attachment on low speed.
2. Then, add 3 tablespoon of cooking oil to the mixture and mix it well. Stop the mixer after 3 minutes of mixing on low speed to add 2 tablespoons more of cooking oil and spread it well on the dry areas of the mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high to mix well the oil. After few seconds and while the mixer is on pour 2 tablespoons more of cooking oil.
3. Once the mixture looks like sand add 1 cup of hot water and mix on medium high. If the mixture is not getting together then add 1/2 cup of hot water and keep mixing it on medium-high speed. The mixture should be getting together and becoming like a sticky dough ball. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface to knee it a bit. Once the dough is stretchable take a small ball on the palm of your hand to roll it as a ball and then give the shape by using both palms.
4. On boiling water with salt and oil, drop carefully the guanimos and let it cook for 15 minutes to 20 minutes or until they are well *cooked.
- Bon Appetite -
*Do not overcook them by letting the water evaporate.
Janicles
(14 counts)
3 cups All Purpose Flour
7 Tbsp Cooking oil
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1 -2 cups Hot Water
Directions:
1. Pour in the mixer bowl the AP flour and salt. Stir it all up until well combined.
2. Then, add 3 tablespoon of cooking oil to the mixture and mix it well using the hook attachment on low speed. Stop the mixer after a minute of mixing to add 2 tablespoons more of cooking oil; spread it well on the dry areas of the mixture and increase the speed to medium-high. After few seconds and while the mixer is on pour 2 tablespoons more of cooking oil.
3. Once the mixture looks like sand stop the mixer to add 1 cup of hot water and mix it on medium high. If the mixture is not getting together yet, then add 1/2 cup of hot water. The dough should be getting shape by now but if you see still flour on the sides of the bowl and the texture of the dough is still dry then add ½ cup of hot water and mix it on medium-high speed.
4. Once the dough is stretchable dump it on a floured surface to knee it manually. Using a roll pin stretch it out completely. The dough should not be too thin nor too thick when cutting it. Using a pizza cuter start cutting several round shapes and remove the outside of the circles. Re-use the dough removed from the outside of the circles and repeat this process until the dough is completely used and cut.
5. On boiling water with salt and oil, drop carefully the Janicles and let it cook for 20 minutes or until they are well cooked. Reduce the heat to medium after 15 minutes of boiling for them to be cooked thoroughly.
- Bon Appetite _
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Beef Filling for Empanadillas
1 lb. Ground beef 90% Lean
1 tbsp Sofrito
1 Garlic clove chopped
¼ tsp pieces of green olives w/pimento
¼ tsp Turmeric
¼ tsp Greek oregano
¼ tsp Ground garlic
1 tsp Tomato paste
1 Bay leaf
1 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
In a deep pot heated at medium-high heat pour the cooking oil and the sofrito with the chopped garlic clove and cook it for few seconds until releases its flavors. Mainly the flavors of the garlic.
While breaking down the ground beef into pieces with your fingers, add it to the hot pot with the sofrito. Stir it all up until is completely combined.
To the meat, add quicky the turmeric, Greek oregano, ground garlic, and salt and stir it until the spices are penetrated to the meat and the meat is cooked well with all these spices for 3 minutes. At this point the meat shall lose the pink original color but can’t be charred, either.
Then, add the tomato paste, bay leaf, and the pieces of green olives with pimento and let the meat absorb the flavors of all the ingredients while stir it all up until the tomato paste is broken down among the meat.
Add a bit of hot water to loosen up the tomato paste to start creating a thick juice with it. Taste it and add salt if needed. Let it cook for 5 minutes more or until the juices of the meat have been reduced and thickened. Voila! It is ready to serve.
Chicken Asopao
2 pieces of bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup Uncooked rice
1 1/2 Tomato puree
1 1/2 tbsp Sofrito
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbsp green olives sliced with pimento
1 tsp ground garlic
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Salt
Procedure:
After removing the skin of the chicken thighs put them in a deep pot to boil for 15 to 25 minutes on medium high heat.
Remove the scum created by the chicken at the top and around the water during the cooking process.
Once the chicken creates a natural oil on the boiling water add the spices together: ground garlic, ground turmeric, oregano, & salt. Also, add the sofrito, the fresh crushed garlic cloves, the sliced olives with pimento, and the tomato puree. Stir it all up and let it boil for 5 to 10 more minutes. This is going to help the chicken to absorb flavor from the broth that is been created while is being cooked.
Add rice and let it cook for 10 minutes in low heat. To know the soup is done look if the rice is soft or al dente.
Tip: Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
The dish can be accompanied by tostones or avocado; even both together.
Bon Appetite!
Bistec Encebollao
1 lb. Cube steak
2 small onions julienne cut
2 garlic cloves
1 to 2 tbsp White vinegar
1/2 tbsp Ground Turmeric
1 tbsp Oregano dry leaves
1 tbsp Ground garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cooking oil
Procedure:
After cleaning the steaks with apple cider vinegar, marinate them with the sauce made out of ground turmeric, ground garlic, oregano dry leaves, salt, cooking oil, & 2 mashed garlic cloves. Leave them for 45 minutes or overnight covered in the fridge.
On a deep pan cook partially the marinated cube steaks on medium high heat and flip them every 3 minutes.
Remove them all from the pan and using the bits of the meat start cooking the cut onions for 5 minutes and stirring them continually. Add the white vinegar then add the pieces of steaks with the remaining marinated sauce from the bowl with 1 cup of water. Let it boil for a couple of minutes until the steaks become tender to the touch.
Bon Appetite!
King Crab Salad
1 lbs. King Crab
1/2 chopped sweet onion
2 cup Romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato cubed
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 cup Lemon juice
1 grated garlic clove
1 tsp salt
Procedure:
Combine all vegetables in a bowl with the king crab.
Pour all over it the dressing made out of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, & salt.
Serve it on a bed of romaine lettuce.
Bon Appetite!
Beef Sancocho
1 lbs. Chuck roast cubed in 1"
1 hand Green bananas
1 grated Plantain
1 Potato
3 pieces Yuca
1 Carrot
1 lilac Yautia (aka: malanga)
4 -8 pieces Kabocha squash
2 small Ear corns split in half
4 Napa cabbage leaves cut in four parts
2 Celery stalks cut i 4 parts
1 fist fresh Cilantro leaves
1 tbsp Tomato paste
4-6 grated garlic cloves
2 cups Sofrito
8 cups water
2 tbsp ground garlic
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp salt
Procedure:
In a deep pot & on medium high heat sear every part of the cubed chuck roast cuts that are already marinated with ground garlic, oregano, turmeric, & salt. Avoid crowding the pot by doing it in batches. Do not add oil to this dish since you will be using the natural fat from the beef.
Once the searing is done with every batch and every cut is resting in an alternate plate refry on the beef juices and its bits the sofrito with the grated garlic cloves until the garlic releases its aroma.
Put the beef back in the pot to incorporate the flavors to the meat and pour 2 cups of water.
While the water releases the bits from the bottom of the pot, make sure you have removed the skin of every vianda except the kabocha squash. Also, make sure the celery is already cut in 4 parts and the hand of bananas is cut in pieces of the same size as the rest of the vianda.
Start adding yuca and ear corn cuts since these takes longer in cooking and let them cook for 10 minutes with 2 cups more of water.
After 10 minutes add the rest of the viandas with the fist of cilantro leaves, tomato paste, & the celery cuts plus more water. Then, stir it all up consistently. Do not add the plantain to the pot, yet.
Separately on a plain plate grate the plantain using the smallest part of the grater. Once done add a pinch of fine salt with annatto and stir it all up with a spoon until it takes the color and flavor. Put it in the fridge covered for 3 to 5 minutes to get a thicker consistency. After the time is up start forming balls with the plantain and add them to the pot. You can either use your hands or 2 spoons when forming the balls.
Once finished forming the balls add them carefully into the broth and do not stir them at least for 2 minutes until they become firmer so you can stir them up in the broth without breaking them apart.
Stir occasionally while looking for every vianda to be soft to the touch. If this is the case, then wait for the plantain balls to cook well so you can turn the burner off and move the pot to a cool burner. make sure that the most viandas are visible and not disintegrated. Also, you will notice the broth start getting thicker as it continues boiling before adding the plantain balls. Taste for flavor and add salt if needed.
Bon Appetite!