Maldonado - Recipes my grandmother Tomasa taste of Puerto Rico

Recipes my

grandmother

Tomasa taste

of Puerto Rico

Achiote

Achiote are seeds used to color oil which will give rice that nice yellowish orange color.

Combine 4 tbsp. of annatto seeds with 1 cup of oil or shortening in a small caldero or saucepan. Cook over low heat until until oil turns red/orange. Be careful that this doesn't burn because the oil will turn bitter and will need to be tossed. Cool thoroughly, strain and jar. Store in refrigerator until needed. Discard seeds.

Adobo

This is a Puerto Rican spice or seasoning. It is sold commercially just about every where now. But of course, it is always better when it is homemade. Use fresh ingredients and select the coarse grind.

1 cup coarse garlic powder or flakes, 1 cup coarse onion powder or flakes, 1 cup dried oregano, cup coarse or sea salt, cup coarse black pepper.

Stir ingredients together and save in a plastic container with lid. This is great for just about anything. Sprinkle on all meats, and fish, even omelets and eggs.

* I add a few dashes of chayanne pepper to my homemade Adobo.

Albondigas
Makes about 15

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
cup sofrito
1 tsp. salt
tsp. black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp. hot water
bunch of cilantro finely diced
1 quart beef broth
1 tbsp. sofrito (for sauce)
8 oz tomato sauce
cup olives
1 tsp. capers

Mix the first 8 ingredients together and form balls about 1 inch in diameter. In a medium caldero, brown the abondigas in a bit of oil.

In a medium bowl mix broth, 1 tbsp. sofrito, tomato sauce, olives, and capers, and stir well. Add this to the caldero with albondigas. Let this simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes until done.

Serve, sprinkled with chopped cilantro, over rice, use leftovers for sandwiches.

Alcapurrias

5 very green bananas
2 pounds of yautia
2 teaspoons of salt
1 packet of Sazn with achiote
1 tablespoon of melted cooled shortening
1 lg bowl hot water
1 lg bowl salted water

Fill a bowl with hot water. Cut the ends of the guineitos and cut a slit lengthwise. Then place the guineitos in the hot water (hot water makes them peel easier).

Peel the guineitos and yauta and as you peel place them in the salted water. If you are going to use a hand grater use the fine side and grate the vegetables into a plastic bowl. Note: If you have a food processor cut the vegetables into small pieces and process until fine. Add the salt, Sazon and shortening and mix well. Refrigerate for 3 hours or for best results overnight.

The meat stuffing (picadillo):
1/2 pound of ground pork meat or beef
1/2.ounces of tocino (salt pork)
1 ounce of jamn de cocinar (cooking ham)
2 tablespoons of recato
1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Sazon with achiote
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4.teaspoon of black pepper
4 large pimento stuffed olives (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of alcaparras (capers)

In a frying pan brown the meat. Once browned add all the remaining ingredients and stir well then cook at medium heat for 15 minutes. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more salt if needed to taste.

Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Take a large piece of aluminum paper and place a little oil on top and smear it around. Spread about 1/4 cup of the alcapurria dough onto the aluminum paper. Place a tablespoon of the meat filling in the middle and flip one side of the dough over using the aluminum paper to cover the meat. Using a spoon help glide the dough gently into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and blot on paper towels.

Makes appx. 15

Araitas

3 green plantains
2 teaspoons crushed garlic or powder
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Shred the peeled plantains. Combine the shredded plantain, garlic, salt and pepper. Drop by tablespoons into hot oil. Fry until crispy turning over once. Drain on paper towels. A great snack!

Arroz Amarillo
Basic Puerto Rican Cooking 101

cup vegetable oil
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups boiling water
1 envelope Sazn Goya
1 tsp. salt

Rinse the rice using a metal strainer and shake off excess water.
Heat oil in a caldero, add the rice, water, Sazn, and salt. Water line should be about 1" above rice line. Too much water means rice will be sticky. Too little water and it won't cook through. Stir a few times to mix ingredients.

Cook over high heat until water evaporates, then stir once or twice (too much stirring and rice might get sticky), bring the heat down to low, cover and cook another 25 minutes or so. Traditionally Puerto Ricans shape the rice to have a pyramid like mound in the middle in order to cook better - not necessarily true. That's it!

* Other suggestions. You can use beef or chicken broth to enhance the flavor and/or use bacon grease instead of vegetable oil. (Both my grandmothers used bacon grease and they lived to a very healthy 95 or so years. My great-grandmother cooked the same way and she lived way past 105). You can even add more than cup grease or oil - it will take better and be more grainy. If you don't have Sazn, use 1 can tomato sauce.

Make it more interesting by adding frozen mixed veggies at the same time you add all the ingredients. You could also add beans if you want.

This is just a basic rice recipe. To make white rice omit the Sazn.

cup olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
cup green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, crushed
2 Spanish chorizos, sliced
1 packet Sazn Goya with culantro and annatto
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups chick peas, cooked
cup red pepper, chopped

In a medium caldero add the chorizo and cook until golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the other ingredients, season, cover and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

* Puerto Ricans use Spanish chorizo our recipes. This recipe calls for Spanish Chorizo (more like a sausage) not Mexican chorizo, which tends to crumble. For this recipe you need Spanish Chorizo. The flavor is different.