Vegetarian Paella

Vegetarian Paella

Ingredients

1 quart  vegetable stock or garlic broth
Generous pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon) saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
2 cups medium-grain rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 pound ripe tomatoes ( seeded and grated on the large holes of a box grater; or peeled, seeded and chopped;) or 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
1/4 pound green beans, ( 1-inch lengths)
2 or 3 baby artichokes, trimmed and sliced (may also use frozen artichoke hearts, sliced or jar bought artichokes)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup shelled fresh or thawed frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper


For The Saffron:
 Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Crush the saffron threads between your fingertips, and place in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon warm water, and set aside.


For the Sofrito:
 Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy frying pan, an earthenware casserole (cazuela) set over a flame tamer, or a paella pan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften, about three minutes. 


Add the tomato paste, paprika and rice. Cook, stirring, for one minute until the grains begin to crackle. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they cook down slightly and smell fragrant, about five minutes. Stir in the saffron with its soaking water, scraping in every last bit with a rubber spatula. Season generously with salt and pepper.


For the Vegetables:
Add the stock, green beans, artichokes and chickpeas or lima beans. Bring to a boil. Stir once, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer without stirring until the liquid has just about evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the peas. Continue to simmer until the rice is dry, another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve. 


For the Socarrat:
Traditional Paella has a crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom called socarrat that is considered a delicacy. To achieve a socarrat, one either needs to time the evaporation of the water properly with the completion of the rice being cooked or turn up the heat to high  (for 5 to 10 minutes) and listen to the bottom of the rice toast. Once you smell the aroma of toasted rice, remove the pan before it burns. The paella should cool for several minutes.


For Garnish:
Garnish with Smoked Red Peppers cut in julienne strips.  You can roast the peppers in the oven at 400 Degrees for ten minutes  or carmelize them in a pan ( using a pinch of sugar)  on a very high flame. Neatly place them all over the Paella like a wheel. Add nice lemon slices all over the Paella and some parsley, voila, your Paella is Ready! 


Tip From Sabrina's Kitchen:

•  Be sure to crush the saffron threads to release the flavor before adding. Also keep in mind that saffron releases it's flavor with heat, so be sure to add it while the paella is cooking.
• When adding broth to the Rice Mixture (add 6 cups if using Bomba Rice, otherwise add 4 cups.)
• Paella tastes best with Bomba rice, Arborio rice or short grained rice.

Yield: Serves six to eight.
Advance preparation:
This does not have to be piping hot, so it can be made an hour before you wish to serve. If you make it further ahead than that, you can reheat it in the pan.

 You don’t have to make this vegetable-rich dish in a paella pan, though if you do, you’ll get a nice layer of crusty rice on the bottom. Serve it as a main dish or as a side.

Sopa de Garbanzos Cubano

Ingredientes

1 libra de garbanzos
1 posta de pollo despellejado (muslo con encuentro)
2 cucharadas de aceite
½ taza de papa picada en cuadritos
½ taza de calabaza picada en cuadritos
2 dientes de ajo
1 cucharadita de sal
½ cucharadita de pimienta
½ cucharadita de comino molido
½ cuchadita de pimentón dulce

Instrucciones

Remoje los garbanzos durante toda una noche y luego ablándelos en agua suficiente, con la posta de pollo. Déjelos refrescar. Separe la posta de pollo, deshuésela y sofría las masas en el aceite, con la cebolla y el ajo. Agregue este sofrito y el resto de los ingredientes al cocido de garbanzos, rectifique la sal y póngalo nuevamente al fuego hasta que la papa y la calabaza se ablanden.

Sírvalo bien caliente.Buen Provecho!

This article was written by Sabrina Rongstad-Bravo

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Recipe- Paella Valenciana

Ingredients

10 pieces of varying Split Chicken Wings, Thighs, Drummetes
½ Lb Shrimp (with shells)
3 large Scallops cut in half (or 6 small)
1 Lb Assorted Mussels and Clams
½ to 1 cup Tomate Frito, tomato sauce, or tomato puree.
4 Cloves Garlic (minced or chopped)
3-6 Piquillo Peppers (sliced into strips) plus a few strips reserved to use as garnish
½ cup Peas
1 cup Green Beans (cut into 1" sections)
1 tsp. Saffron Threads or ¼ to ½ tsp. Powdered
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Paella Rice
4-6 cups Shellfish Broth (recipe below) or substitute Chicken Broth or bouillon.
Salt to taste

* Pork Ribs, Rabbit, and Escargot are optional ingredients.

Prep Time/ Cook Time
30 minutes preparation, 35 minutes cooking (cooking time may vary depending on the type of burner/stove/oven you are using)


Instructions
To make the shellfish broth: Boil the mussels and clams in 6 cups of water until the shells start to open. Drain, reserve the liquid, and discard any unopened shells.


For the sofrito:
Add the Olive Oil to the Paella Pan and Sauté the Chicken Wings and Pork for 5-10 minutes under medium-high heat. Add the Tomate Frito, Piquillo Peppers, and Garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes more.


Build the Paella:

• Add the Rice and stir the mixture to coat, about 1 minute.
• Add the Peas, Green Beans, Shrimp, Scallops, and Saffron.
• Stir under medium heat for 1 minute to incorporate the mixture.
• Tip From Sabrina's Kitchen: Be sure to crush the saffron threads to release the flavor before adding. Also keep in mind that saffron releases it's flavor with heat, so be sure to add it while the paella is cooking.
• Add the hot Shellfish Broth (recipe is listed above) to the Rice Mixture (add 6 cups if using Bomba Rice, otherwise add 4 cups.)
• Tip From Sabrina's Kitchen: From the point of adding the Hot Shellfish Broth and the liquid coming to a boil, the total cooking time to completion of the recipe will be about 15-18 minutes (it may take a few minutes longer for deep pans, if using a small burner/stove, or if using a slow-cooking rice such as Bomba.) Do not stir after this point, and control the heat so the bottom is not scorched.
• Add Salt to taste (it is best to add less at first, as the seafood releases salt while cooking.)
• Arrange the Mussels, Clams, and the Piquillo Peppers reserved as garnish onto the surface of the paella. Continue cooking until rice is almost done, but still firm in the center (Al Dente.)

Garnish with lemon wedges and enjoy the best Paella of your life!


Tips for Beginners
Paella is more of an art than a science, so it may take a little practice to be able to make it quickly. These tips may help: Have your ingredients cleaned, chopped, and measured in individual bowls so that you may add them quickly when the recipe is cooking. Be sure to use a big enough burner or stove for your pan. Ideally, you wand a medium-low flame that is dispersed over the entire bottom of the pan.


Cooking times are approximate; lower heat = longer cooking time, higher heat = faster cooking time (but at the risk of burning.)


The amount of liquid to add to the rice varies depending on the rice variety and the other ingredients you have added to the paella. When the cooking is half way done, feel free to add a little more liquid to the pan if the rice seems too dry.


If the rice doesn't seem to be cooking properly around the edges because the burner/stove you are using is just a little too small, you may partially cover the edges of the pan to help retain heat and ensure even cooking.


Regional Variations
Each region of Spain has their own unique variation of Paella, so feel free to experiment. Journey to the mountainous regions by adding chorizo, rabbit, or judion beans; journey to the coast by adding squid or langostino (lobster); or discover your own favorite by experimenting with smoked paprika, onions, or even vegetarian.

This article was written by Sabrina Rongstad-Bravo

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Cuban Cuisine:Recipe- Cuban Flan (Custard)

Cuban Flan (Cuban style custard)


Cuban Flan

Flan de Queso (Cheese Flan):
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
1 8z cream cheese
6 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
¼ tsp salt

Caramel:
1 cup of sugar
1 tbsp water
(All directions follow at the end)

Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan):

(To make Coconut Flan: Use same above list of ingredients, except for the cream cheese. Instead, add about ½ (half of) 8oz can of shredded coconut- in heavy syrup- .Use a spoon to add the coconut into the mixture in order to avoid pouring too much of the liquid. Follow same cooking directions as follows below)

Flan de Caramelo (Caramel Flan):

(To make Caramel Flan: Use same above list of ingredients, except for the cream cheese, and add 7 eggs instead of 6. Follow same directions as follows below)

Flan de Guayaba y Queso (Guava Cheese Flan):


(To make Guava Cheese Flan: Use same above list of ingredients except for the following: Only ½ package of 4 oz cream cheese (softened), and add ½ cup guava paste (softened). Follow same directions as follows below)

Directions:

First, prepare the caramel: In a sauce pan, and over medium heat, add 1 cup of sugar and sprinkle with about 1 tbsp of water; mix well just to have the sugar lightly moistened. Melt the sugar in the pan, stirring to avoid lumps or burning. Once the sugar is completely dissolved (caramelized), and it has a golden brown color, immediately, pour caramel into a baking dish and tilt around to cover all sides and have the caramel spread evenly around the bottom and sides of the dish. Set aside.

Next, Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. In a big bowl, and using a spatula, place the cream cheese (cream cheese can be placed in a microwave oven for a few seconds to soften) and mix with the eggs. Add the evaporated milk, condensed milk and mix. Add vanilla and salt and mix thoroughly using a whisk.

Mix the ingredients

Pour the flan mixture into the baking dish where you poured the caramel. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place that baking dish into a roasting pan and fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach about ½ way the size of the baking dish. Then, place that roasting pan into the oven rag and this rag should be in the center of the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour.

After an hour, insert a toothpick into the middle of the flan to see if it comes out clean. Once the flan is done, let it cool at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes and turn upside down into a serving dish. Cover the serving dish with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Variations when cooking: (For this variation, please, don’t leave it unattended). If you don’t have or don’t want to use an oven, you can use a pressure cooker to make the flan.

You will need the following utensils:

1 Flanera pan (size 1.5 Qt). You can buy a flanera at a Latin grocery store or online (it has a lid and 3 special closures to ensure the flanera pan closes well and tight and no liquid is spilled during pressure cooking).

1 Pressure Cooker (size: 4 to 6 Qt).

Flanera:

Make the caramel in the same flanera, where the flan is going to be cooked. Follow same directions for caramel as described above. Once the caramel is done, tilt around the sides of the pan or flanera to cover the bottom and all sides well, as on the picture below.

How to Make Caramel:

Add the flan mixture into the flanera and close it tightly.

Pouring the mixture

Place flanera inside the pressure cooker and fill the pressure cooker with tap running water to reach about ½ way of the size of the flanera pan. Close pressure cooker and, before placing it on the stove, make sure the stove is already heated on high.

Place the pressure cooker on the stove and when the top valve begins to rock, reduce heat to medium until the valve rocks at a steady, soft pace. If valves starts rocking too rapidly a few minutes later, reduce heat again, slowly, until it reaches a steady, soft pace. You might need to reduce heat a couple of times, so don’t leave the pressure cooker unattended. (If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a rocking valve, follow manufacturer’s instruction, reduce temperature to medium–low once you see the first vapors coming out, and set the timer the same as below).

From the moment in which the valve starts to rock, set timer for about 35-40 minutes, after which, you should remove pressure cooker from heat (If you notice that after 30 minutes, the valve stops rocking by itself, and no more vapor comes out, remove pressure cooker from heat. It means there’s no more liquid inside the cooker. Remove from heat immediately).

Wait until all vapor has come out of the cooker and all pressure is released. Open lid, wait a few minutes until it is cool enough to handle, and carefully remove the flanera. Let it cool at room temperature (about 10-15 minutes), and open up the flanera.

Flan still in the pan
Using a knife, carefully scrape around the edges to ensure the flan is well separated from the sides of the pan.
Scrape around the edges. Flip it over into a serving dish. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for about 2+ hours before serving.









This article was written by Sabrina Rongstad-Bravo

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Cuban Cuisine: Stuffed Potatoes- Papas Rellenas

Stuffed Potatoes-Cuban Papas Rellenas - 

2 lbs large potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
1 lb picadillo (seasoned ground beef)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup dry bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

Add salt to a pot of cold water, and boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the potatoes, and then mash them, then set aside to allow them to cool. Separate the egg yolks from the whites in two bowls. Mix the egg yolks into the mashed potato mixture, whisk the egg whites for a minute.  Take a 1/4 of a cup of the mashed potatoes, and form it into a ball. Make a dent in the ball, to give it more of a bowl shape. Fill the indentation with a tablespoon of picadillo, and then reseal it. Reshape the potato as a ball again. Dip the ball in the egg whites, then roll the ball around in bread crumbs until it is coated. For a better coating, or for a crunchier texture, you may dip the ball into the egg whites again and coat it with another layer of bread crumbs. Refrigerate the potato balls for at least four hours before frying.To fry, pour enough oil into a skillet or frying pan to cover half of the balls, the oil should be at least 350°. Place several balls into the frying pan and cook on each side until golden brown, usually 2-3 minutes, taking care not to overcook. Drain the stuffed potatoes on paper towels, do not stack them. The other cooking method is to deep fry the papas rellenas at 375° until golden brown, they cook best deep-fried when they are frozen.

To Make the Picadillo:
1 lb ground meat
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
Pimiento stuffed olives
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Adjust the seasonings per taste.

Cuban Cuisine: Roasted Chicken with Sauce- Pollo Asado con Salsa

Pollo Asado en Cazuela recipe - Roasted Chicken with Sauce

1 large roasting chicken
1 juice of a sour orange or the juice of a lemon or lime
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves - mashed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 onion, chopped
1 laurel (bay) leaf
3 Tablespoons oil or lard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with salt, the citrus juice and the mashed garlic for several hours. Drain it but reserve the marinade and then sautée the chicken to golden in the oil or lard. Add the white dry wine, bay leaf, onion, pepper and the left over marinade.

Cook at a lower temperature, turning over often to make sure all of the chicken cooks evenly, until done*. For easier cooking and serving, you can cut chicken up in pieces before marinating. You can add peeled and diced potatoes if you wish.  

Chefs note: Chicken will be done when no pink juices flow when pricked with a fork, but don't check too often or all juices will run out and leave meat too dry.

More to come in Learning Spanish is Fun!

• History of Cuban Food
• Roots of Cuisine of Spain
• History of Mexican Food from Aztecs to Conquistadors

Cuban Cuisine:Recipe- Oxtail Soup- Rabo Encendido

Cuban Oxtail Stew recipe - Receta de Rabo Encendido Cubano

 "Rabo Encendido" (literally means Lit Tail) is more of a stew than a soup, at least the Cuban version, and there are as many versions as there are Cuban Chefs. I made this the other day and it actually tastes better the next day.  You can make it with or without the chocolate powder. It's delicous hearty stew to be eaten on cold days to warm you up.

Recipe:

4 pounds oxtail, cut in chunks
Flour for dredging meat
1/4 cup olive oil
Two onions, chopped
Two green peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate powder (for a slight mole taste)
One can (12 ounce) tomato sauce
One cup red wine
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup dice potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery

Dredge the meat with flour. In a large pan or Dutch oven, brown the meat on both sides in the oil, approximately five to six minutes. Remove meat. Sauté the onions and green pepper in the same pan. When the onions start to get translucent, add the mashed garlic and cook for one additional minute.

Add the tomato sauce, wine, beef broth and all spices. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for two hours or until meat is tender on low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add additional beef broth if needed.
Remove bay leaves, serve. This is delicious by itself or rice as an accompaniment.


Bueno Provecho !