GARLIC AND ARTICHOKE PIZZA

Ingredients

* 1 unbaked pizza crust
* 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
* 1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, liquid reserved
* 1 medium tomato, cut in half and sliced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Prepare pizza crust according to recipe or package instructions. Place on a pizza pan. Pour the liquid from the artichokes into a small skillet, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, or until the liquid is almost gone. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, for less than a minute. Add artichoke hearts, stir to coat with garlic flavor, then remove from heat, and set aside. Spread spaghetti sauce over the prepared pizza crust. Sprinkle with cheese, then place the artichoke hearts and garlic over the cheese. Arrange tomato slices evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until crust is puffed and golden, and cheese is melted.

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SALMON BURGERS

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 pounds king salmon fillet, skinned and de-boned
* 1 cup dry bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup minced red onion
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Prepare the salmon by cutting into strips, cutting the strips crosswise, and chopping the fish until well minced. Be sure to remove any remaining bones. In a large bowl, mix the minced salmon with bread crumbs, red onion, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and eggs. Salt, and pepper. Chill at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Form the salmon mixture into 8 burger patties. Lightly coat each patty with olive oil. Place salmon patties on the grill, and cook 4 or 5 minutes on each side.

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PENNE WITH CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
* 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
* salt and pepper to taste
* garlic powder to taste
* 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
* 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels. Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through. Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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BALSAMIC GLAZED SALMON FILLETS

Ingredients

* 6 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon white wine
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
* 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

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BEER ROASTED LIME CHICKEN

Ingredients

* 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
* 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or to taste
* 1 lime, halved
* 1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
* 1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the whole chicken, then place the halves into the cavity of the chicken. Set the half full beer can in the center of a roasting pan or baking dish, and place the chicken over it in an upright position with the beer inserted into the cavity. Pour water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and place roasting pan and all into the oven. Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, removing foil during the last 20 minutes. Baste occasionally with the drippings. When finished, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when taken in the meatiest part of the thigh. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

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BACON ONION CHEESEBURGER



Ingredients

1 egg

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs

salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 ounces of evaporated milk

6 slices of bacon

2 onions

2-3 slices of cheese

Directions:

Fry bacon and saute Onions, separately. Mix first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Make 4 or 6 very thin hamburger patties. On 1 Pattie put 2 slices of fried bacon and sauteed onions and cheese if desired. Take another thin patty and cover bacon with it. Seal both patties together all around the edges. You should make 2 or 3 burgers. Cook on stove top grill or any other grill until done. Bacon flavor will saturate meat and bacon will be tender. Onion flavor will also saturate meat. The cheese will melt into the meat giving a delicious cheesy taste to your bacon burger.

Serves 2-3

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CLASSIC BEEF STROGANOFF

4 tablespoons flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds beef sirloin, 1 inch thick, cut in 1/4 inch wide strips
4 tablespoons butter (not margarine), divided
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/4 cups beef stock or 1 can beef consomme
1 cup dairy sour cream
2-1/2 tablespoons sherry (don't use cooking sherry)

Combine 1 tablespoon flour, salt, dredge steak in mixture. Heat heavy or non-stick skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add sirloin strips and brown quickly, flipping meat to turn all sides. Add the mushroom slices, onion and garlic. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is barely tender. Remove meat mixture from skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter to pan drippings, when melted, blend in three tablespoons flour. Add tomato paste. Slowly pour in beef consomme. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens no lumps. Return browned meat mixture to skillet. Stir in sour cream and sherry. Heat briefly. Keep warm. Served over noodles is best for this dish; however, it may be served over parsleyed rice or rice pilaf.

Serves 4.

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WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

* 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 cups white chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
* 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

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BEEF BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients

* 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
* 1/2 cup barley
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 3 carrots, chopped
* 3 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
* 4 cups water
* 4 cubes beef bouillon cube
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (28 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a slow cooker, cook chuck roast until very tender (usually 4 to 5 hours on High, but can vary with different slow cookers). Add barley and bay leaf during the last hour of cooking. Remove meat, and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaf. Set beef, broth, and barley aside.

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and frozen mixed vegetables until tender. Add water, beef bouillon cubes, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped stewed tomatoes, and beef/barley mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

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PINEAPPLE MILKSHAKE




2 cups cut pineapple (preferably fresh, not from the can)
2 cups milk
2 cups crushed ice
4 tbsp. sugar

Place crushed ice in blender or chop the ice in your blender if possible. Add remaining ingredients and puree in blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

3-4 servings or 2 very large servings

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CUBAN FLAN




Ingredients

4 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1 lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick

Directions

First to prepare the caramel, add the water and 3/4 cups of sugar into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt. Make sure to stir while the sugar is melting. Once the sugar begins to melt (the sugar begins to caramelize), remove the sugar from the heat and pour into a flan pan. Make sure you cover the bottom of the pan as well as the sides. Flan pans are available for purchase and can be found below.

Next, place the milk, lemon peel and cinnamon stick into a saucepan and bring the milk into a boil (over medium high heat). Make sure to stir the milk constantly while it begins to scald. Remove from heat and let it cool (for about 15 mins or so). Be sure to remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks with 3/4 cups of sugar and vanilla. Pour the cooled milk into the bowl and then strain the bowl contents into the flan dish covered with the caramel coating.

Set the flan dish inside a large pan filled with about an inch of water. Bake to 350 degrees for an hour or until you insert a knife in the center and it comes out dry. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove from dish by inserting knife around the edges to loosen the flan, and then covering flan dish with a serving dish and turning it upside down until flan falls onto the serving dish. Serve warm and enjoy!

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YUCA WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs yuca (peeled, chunks)
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 cup large onion (sliced thin)
2/3 cup sour orange juice or lime juice
1/2 tspn oregano
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn black pepper

Directions

You will need a big pot, because all the yuca has to be submerged fully in boiling water. If you can't find fresh yuca, frozen is also fine. Place the yuca in the pot, and fill up with water until yuca is fully covered. Bring water to a boil, and then lower to low and cover and simmer for half an hour. The yuca should be fork tender at this point. Drain the yuca and be sure to remove the roots.

For the mojo, you will need a large bowl. In a large bowl, pour the sour orange juice or lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and sliced onion into the bowl and stir. Heat the olive oil over medium-high for 2 minutes, then when hot, pour olive oil into bowl. Be careful not to get burned, since some of it might splatter out. Mix the mojo ingredients and let sit for 30 mins. Then pour over the yuca and enjoy!

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RED BEANS AND RICE

Ingredients

2 cups cooked red beans
2 potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 cup calabaza (cubed)
3 tbspn olive oil
2 garlic gloves (minced)
1 cup green bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup large onion (chopped)
1/2 cup red wine
4 bacon strips
2 packs Goya chicken boullion
4 cups water
1 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn vinegar
1 tspn salt and black pepper
2 tspn sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups long-grain white rice
1 tspn salt
1 tspn canola oil


Directions

The left hand ingredients are for the red beans, the right for cooking the rice. Pour the 2 cups of long-grain white rice into a rice cooker, add the appropriate cups of water recommended by your cooker (usually about 3 cups or so), along with salt and 1 tspn of canola oil. Stir, cover and begin cooking.

For the red beans, you can usually buy them in a can. Make sure they are already cooked and do not come with any added ingredients. You will be making the "sofrito" yourself to add the Cuban spice to the red beans. In a medium-sized pot, add olive oil and heat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Cook the bacon until both sides are browned. Add onion and green bell pepper and saute for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute for two additional minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the red beans and water. Stir well, and make sure the red beans and water mix in with the onions, bell pepper and garlic. Next add the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper and chicken boullion. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and calabaza. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 mins, stirring ocassionally. Add the sugar and let simmer for additional 25 mins. The potatoes should be tender.

Let beans cool, and when rice is done, serve rice on big platter. Place red bean soup in a large bowl. You can pour the red bean soup over the rice and mix it in, or enjoy the red bean soup by itself. Enjoy!

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FRIED STUFFED POTATOES


Ingredients

4 large potatoes (peeled)
1 lb seasoned ground beef
vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tspn salt
dry bread crumbs

Directions

First boil the potatoes until they are fully cooked. You should be able to stick a fork in them. Take the potatoes out and place on a dish. Mash the potatoes, adding the salt milk. Stir well. For the seasoned ground beef, use seasoned ground beef (picadillo) recipe from the recipe section.

After the picadillo is prepared, grab a handful of mashed potatoes and indent a hole in it to make a bowl shape. Grab another handful and repeat. Now place a few tbsp of the picadillo in the hole and bring the two halves together and make into a round ball. Whip the eggs into a bowl, and prepare the dry bread crumbs by spreading them on a plate. Dip the potato ball into the egg mixture, using a fork to roll the potato ball so that it is fully covered in egg. Then place the potato ball on the plate with the bread crumbs, and spread it around until it is fully covered. Repeat this until you have used up all the potato or picadillo. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the potato balls until they are golden brown. Make sure they are cooked all around, but do not burn them! Place on a plate with paper towel to soak the excess oil. Enjoy!

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HAM CROQUETTES

Ingredients

1 lb smoked ham (grounded)
4 tbsp butter
1 tspn lime juice
1/2 tspn nutmeg (grated)
1 tbsp parsley (chopped)
1 tbsp flour
vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tspn salt and black pepper
2 cups dry bread crumbs

Directions

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter in low heat until it starts to foam. Whisk in the flour and then add the milk, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken into a paste. Add the ham, salt and pepper, nutmeg, lime juice, and parsley and stir the mixture well. Cook in low heat for a couple of minutes. Place the mixture in a bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour letting the mixture cool.

In the mean time, whip the eggs in a bowl. Then pour the bread crumbs into a second bowl. Take the ham mixture out of the refrigerator, and shape into small cylinders, about 1 inch thick by 3 inches in length. Dip them into the egg, then roll them on the bread crumbs, placing them on a large platter. Cover the croquettes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight when done.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, and fry half a dozen of the croquettes at a time, rolling them occasionally so they cook on all sides. Cook until golden browned on all sides, but be careful not to burn them! Remove them and place them on a platter covered with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve with a cool Cuban drink and enjoy!

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MALANGAS FRITTERS

Ingredients

4 malangas (peeled & grated)
1/2 tspn onion powder
3 garlic cloves (mashed)
2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
vegetable oil
3 small eggs
1 tspn salt

Directions

In a bowl, whip eggs. Add onion powder, garlic, parsley and salt. Mix well, then add the malangas. Mix again, then refrigerate for a few hours. Using a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using a spoon, grab spoonfuls of the malanga, and drop it into the pan. You can fry five or six at a time. Make sure to fry on both sides until the malanga fritters are golden brown. Place on a large platter with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot and enjoy!

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CUBAN BEEF JERKY

This is a unique Cuban dish cooked with dried beef. The beef must be prepared before cooking, to tenderize the meat and remove the salt.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs dried beef
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic gloves (minced)
1 small onion (diced)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
2 tomatoes (chopped)
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the beef overnight by soaking it in water in the refrigerator. Place the beef in a large pot with fresh water, and boil to take the salt out of the beef. Boil for 1 hour, then discard the water, put fresh water in the pot, then boil again for another hour to tenderize the meat. You should be able to pull the meat apart after boiling a second time. Smash the beef into long pieces after removing from the water.

To prepare the sauce, in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium high and saute the onion, garlic, green bell pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste with the oregano and stir for a few minutes. Add the beef along with the paprika, bay leaf, white wine and 1 tspn salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is brown and cooked through. Service with white rice and sweet plantains. Enjoy!

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CUBAN PAELLA




A very traditional Cuban dish and originally from Spain, this dish is a seafood paradise, including the best ingredients which give it a very zestful taste. It is very time consuming, and takes several hours to cook, but the results are well worth it!
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

8 chicken pieces (unskinned)
1/2 cup cooked Spanish sausage (chorizo), sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 lb medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 dozen clams (washed)
1 dozen mussels (cleaned)
1 lobster tail (meat removed and cut into small pieces)
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb medium-sized scallops
2 tbsp olive oil
8 garlic gloves (minced)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
3/4 cup red wine
3 cups Valencia rice (parboiled)
5 cups water
2 tspn salt
2 packs Goya Sazon con Azafran (Saffron)
1/2 frozen green peas

Directions

You will need a paellera or large covered pot. Heat the olive oil over medium-high in the paellera. Lightly brown the chicken pieces on both sides, then place the sausage (chorizo) while the chicken is frying. Once the chicken is browned on both sides, remove the chicken and sausage and place them in a large bowl. Next place the onions, green bell peppers and garlic in the paellera and saute until the onion is translucent.
Add the salt, chicken broth, and wine to the paellera. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the chicken, sausage, rice, water, peas and saffron to the paellera. Stir in all the ingredients well. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for half an hour. The rice should be tender at this point.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the seafood. Steam the clams and mussels until they open, and set aside. Heat extra olive oil in a large pan, and saute a few extra sausage pieces in the olive oil. Remove the sausage, then saute the shrimp, pieces of lobster, and scallops for a couple of minutes. Remove the seafood, and mix into the paellera, stirring all of the seafood into the rice.

Remove paellera from stove, and place in the oven (preheat to 350 degrees). Bake for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve warm. You may also garnish with sliced red bell peppers. Enjoy!

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CUBAN BEEF AND POTATOES

Ingredients

2 lbs top sirloin tip lean beef (cut in 2 inch cubes)
2 large potatoes (peeled, cubed)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic gloves (minced)
1 cup large onion (chopped)
1 cup green bell pepper (chopped)
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 small pack of frozen green beans
1 cup red wine
1 tspn cumin
1 tspn oregano
2 cups water
2 tspn salt
1 tbsp capers
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp vinegar
salt and black pepper

Directions

For this recipe, you will need a large saute pan or a pressure cooker. The saute pan with take longer to cook with. Prepare the beef by lightly sprinkling salt and pepper around all sides. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Saute the bell peppers, onions for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent. Then add the garlic, and saute for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, salt, wine, vinegar, capers, water and bay leaf. Stir ingredients well. Add beef. Stir the beef with the ingredients, then bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour. Beef should be fork tender, if not continue to cook. After 1 hour, add the potatoes and green beans, and allow to cook until the potatoes are tender. Serve with white rice, enjoy!

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SHREDDED BEEF



Ingredients

3lbs chuck roast
1 small onion (sliced)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red dry wine
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
4 large ripe tomatoes (chopped)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Salt and pepper the chuck roast and lightly brown the meat in cooking oil in a large pot. Add 2 cups of water or enough to surround but not cover the meat. Add the small onion and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and allow to simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Note the meat should be tender after this time, if not continue to simmer until it is.

Remove from heat and let it cool. Shred the beef into strands, removing any excess fat and set aside. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the garlic, diced onions, and chopped green bell pepper for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, as well as the ground cumin, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and red wine. Mix well, then cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Add the shredded beef and cover on low for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and serve on large plate. This dish is best served with white rice, and some sweet plantains.

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CUBAN CHICKEN FRICASSEE

Ingredients

2 lb chicken pieces (skinned)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 garlic gloves (minced)
1 large onion (chopped)
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup sour orange juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 lb potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 tspn salt and black pepper
1/2 cup spanish olives (pimento stuffed)
1/4 cup capers
2 tspn oregano
1 tspn cumin
1 bay leave

Directions

In a large bowl, place the garlic, salt and pepper, and sour orange juice to make the marinade. Place the pieces of chicken in the bowl, making sure to soak both sides of the chicken, and cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. For the chicken pieces, you may use a combination of thighs, wings, and breast.

Take the pieces of chicken out of the bowl, and using a dutch oven, lightly brown them on both sides using cooking oil, making sure not to overcook them or burn them. Place the pieces of chicken on paper towel covered dishes as they are fried. When done, add the onions, green bell pepper, and chicken pieces over medium-high heat and saute until the onions are translucent. Add marinade from the bowl, along with tomato sauce, wine, potatoes, olives, oregano, cumin, capers, and bay leaves. Cover pot and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, the potatoes should be cooked and somewhat soft. Place in a large serving dish and serve with white rice. Enjoy!

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CUBAN SANDWICH

The Cuban sandwich is one of the staple foods of Cubans. Typically available in most Cuban food establishments, Cuban sandwiches consist of pork and ham, and Cuban bread. The sandwich is typically pressed using a sandwich press and served warm.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

1 loaf cuban bread*
1/2 lb baked ham (thinly sliced)
1/2 lb roast pork (thinly sliced)
1/2 lb swiss cheese (thinly sliced)
dill pickles (thinly sliced)
butter
yellow mustard
mayonnaise

* French bread may be substituted

Directions

Cut the bread open horizontally, and spread butter inside on top and bottom. Next, place the pickles along the bottom half, along with the pork. Spread some mustard on top of pork, then place the ham slices. You can spread some mayonnaise on top of the ham, this is optional. Place the slices of swiss cheese on top of ham. Cover the sandwich and cut into 4 pieces. Using a sandwich press, grill the sandwich 2 to 3 mins on each side. Make sure to compress the sandwich by pressing it initially to make it thinner than its original size. When done, the bread should be lightly toasted and cheese melted. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally, and enjoy!

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CUBAN SKIRT STEAK

Ingredients

3 lbs skirt steak
1 cup olive oil
30 garlic gloves (minced)
1 cup large onion (minced)
2 tspn oregano
1 cup sour orange juice
2 tspn salt and black pepper
chimichurri sauce
3/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 vinegar
1/4 cup oregano (chopped)
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

The steak will be marinated with a mojo marinade (similar to that used for yucca). To prepare the marinade for the steaks, add the sour orange juice, garlic, salt, onion and oregano into a bowl and stir well. Pepper is optional if you want to add it in as well. Heat the olive oil in a pan for 3 minutes over medium-high heat, then pour oil into bowl and stir. Let cool for half an hour, then add the steaks into the bowl, covering the steaks with the marinade. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

In the mean time, you can also prepare the chimichurri sauce. In a blender, place the vinegar, cilantro, salt, oregano and garlic and pulse for a couple minutes until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the sauce into a large bowl, and add the olive oil, whisking it as you add it. You may also need to add lime juice to taste. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

After the steaks are marinated, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the steaks on the grill in the oven and cook until medium to well done. The steaks can also be grilled on barbecue if preferred. Serve with chimichurri sauce and black beans with white rice. Enjoy!

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RICE PUDDING

(Arroz con leche)

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon rind
1/4 cup raisins
cinnamon (grounded)

Directions

Pour the water in a pot and add the lemon rind and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Add the 1/2 cup of rice and reduce heat. Let the rice simmer until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the water. The rice should be soft. Remove the lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Add 4 cups of milk, 1 can condensed milk, raisins, salt, vanilla extract, and sugar to cooked rice. Simmer over medium low heat for about an hour, stirring frequently so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. As it begins to thicken, stir more frequently so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Divide into individual serving containers and let cool. Refrigerate and serve sprinkled with cinnamon. Enjoy!

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CUBAN FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients

1 loaf Cuban bread
4 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup evap. milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 tspn grated nutmeg
1 tspn cinnamon

Syrup
1/2 tspn vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
zest of lemon


Directions

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl. Mix in the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut the bread into one inch deep slices. You may use a french baguette bread if Cuban bread is not available. Make sure the bread is stale (hard).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Dip each slice of bread into the bowl, soaking thoroughly for a few minutes on both sides. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 eggs. After dipping each slice of bread in the first bowl, dip it into the egg bowl. Place slices on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until medium golden brown.

Mix thoroughly the ingredients for the syrup in a bowl. Pour syrup on top and serve warm. Sprinkle some powdered sugar.

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