Cuban Imperial Rice for a Party of 50!

First thing you want to do is put the chicken(leg quarters) in a big pot and cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Let it cook on medium high until the chicken is falling off the bone, about an hour.

I used two big pots, 8 leg quarters in each pot.  Btw, I have used these aluminum pots for many years for cooking Cuban dishes and more.  You find them in the Cuban section at the supermarket, and they are great for cooking beans, rice, soups and stews.  They come in all sizes, but these big ones are awesome for cooking for a lot of people. 

While the chicken is cooking start dicing your 3 green peppers, 3 red peppers, 6-7 medium yellow onions, and about 10 cloves of garlic.

These are the other ingredients you will need, plus Cumin and mayonaisse.

I put my chicken in a very clean sink to cool.  Then I proceeded to take off the skin, which I discarded and then take the chicken off the bone.  It was not the fun part:(.

That's a lot of chicken, guys. I used all dark meat because that's what my family likes.  You could just boil whole chickens if you want white and dark meat.

Don't forget to save the broth you cooked the chicken in.

Sautee the sofrito (peppers, onions, & garlic) in olive oil.  Add the garlic the last 5 minutes.  

Add the chicken, 5 bay leaves, 4 teaspoons of dried oregano, 4 teaspoons of cumin, 2 cups of dry white wine, 2-3 cans of tomato sauce, 4 chicken boullion cubes, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add a little of the chicken broth.  Don't forget the boullion cubes have salt.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Now while that is simmering you want to make the rice.  One cup of rice, 2 cups of broth.  This is 6 cups of rice.  I had to make two pots of 6 cups each.  I used short grain rice. It's a little wetter/gummier, but you can use long grain.  I added 4 packets of Sazon (for flavor) and a few teaspoons of Bejol (powdered yellow coloring), which gives it the bright yellow color.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the rice to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and cook for 25-30 minutes without removing the cover.  When it's done add 3-4 tablespoons of mayonaisse to the rice and mix well.  

Put a layer of rice on the bottom of the tray.  Then a layer of the chicken.

Then another layer of rice.

Then you put the cheese on top.  I chose this cheese (package of shredded three cheese mix with parmesan)  and it was awesome....yummy!

Put it in a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts.

And that's all folks!

It didn't take them long to dig in.....as you can see.  It was really good.....if I do say so myself!!!!!

So there you have it.  Hope you try it for your family get together.

I Wish You Love,

Joycee

Tamal En Cazuela (Cuban Pork & Corn Meal Casserole)

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork chunks

2 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion

1 medium green pepper

2 packages of Tamal En Cazuela

1 can of tomato sauce

1/4 cup of dry wine

1 envelope of Sazon Goya Seasoning With Azafran

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 cup of olive oil

Approximately 3 cups of water

Garlic Powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Note: The Tamal En Cazuela comes frozen and I find it in the Cuban freezer section at my supermarket. It comes already seasoned, so all you have to do is add water and cook on low until it thickens. The package says to add 2 cups of water, but I only add one, because I find it's too watery if I add 2 cups. If you can't find it you can use yellow corn meal(the coarse one), follow the directions on the box. And, it may need additional seasoning since you are making it from scratch. You can add a few teaspoons of your sauce to it to give it more flavor. Just make it pretty thick, the same consistency of grits, but a bit thicker. If you have any questions, please email me:).

Season the pork chunks with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

In a skillet with a 1/2 cup of olive oil, brown the pork chunks on both sides.

Take the browned pork chunks out of the skillet and set aside.

Dice up the onion, green pepper & garlic.

In the same skillet cook the diced onion and green pepper for a 3-5 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.

Until it looks like this.

Now add the 1/2 cup of dry wine and let it reduce.

Add all of the remaining ingredients. After you add the tomato sauce fill the can with water and add to the skillet.

Put the pork chunks back into the skillet.
Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to simmer and let it cook for an hour.

Open your 2 packages of frozen Tamal En Cazuela and place in a pot with 2 cups of water.

(My pot is not dirty it's just about 50 years old, and used by many women in my family, who were cookin fools, who had tremendous attitudes by the way, never afraid to speak their minds, and they were also real women, and real LADIES!!!!!!) Don't ask me where that came from.....I probably inherited it from those women!!!!!!!!

You see what happens to me when I start cookin with their pots and pans?????

Anyway, lets go on, shall we.

Heat on low until it starts to thicken.

Keep watching and stirring.

When it has thickened to the consistancy of thick grits, turn the heat down to low and let it set for about 5 minutes.

Don't cover it.

I just love this pot and all the women who cooked with it, too!!

Here's the Cuban bread that I serve with it.

Slice it up like this.

Now we'll plate it up.

Put 2 or 3 big spoonfuls of the corn meal in a bowl.

Then put a couple of spoonfuls of the pork and sauce on top.

And that all there is to it. Mix it up and eat.

You're gonna love the flavors.

This is really comfort food at it's best.

I Wish You Love and Many Different Flavors In Your Life,

Mimi

George's Fritas aka Cuban Hamburgers

Ingredients:
2/3 lb. ground chuck
1/3 lb. ground pork
2 Spanish Chorizo Sausages(ground up in a food processor)
Shoe string potatoes

Combine all ingredients, make patties and cook on medium heat as you would regular hamburgers, until done. He doesn't add salt or pepper because the chorizo has all the spices you need. You may have to turn them a couple of times because they tend to burn easily. Place on hamburger bun, top with ketchup and shoestring potatoes.

Hope you enjoy them, they make a nice Saturday lunch, at least that's what George says.

Lots of Love,

Joyce

Cuban Steak Sandwich Repost

I made this for dinner tonight. I had the steak out to cook and just had no idea what I wanted to do with it. Do you ever have days like that? Well, it was one of those days for me. I don't think I was in the mood for cooking at all. But, oh well, I got over it, and I decided just to make the steak sandwiches. Don't worry the bellies were full and everyone was happy!

To make this sandwich you'll need 1 package of cubed steak, Cuban bread, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and shoestring potato chips. Season the cubed steak with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Fry it in about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil on medium high heat until done. Drain on a paper towel. Cut about and 8 inch piece of Cuban bread, then cut it down the middle. On one side place the lettuce and tomato on top, on the other side place the steak (cut in bite size pieces), top with ketchup and then the potato chips. Put both sides together and cut in half.

Okay, follow me!!!

How easy peasy was that? I guess I was just in an easy peasy mood today!!! No brainer day, nothing complicated, you gals know what I mean:), and some of you guys do too!

Just making it simple once in a while!!!

Love You Gals & Guys,

Just Joycee

Cuban Style Picadillo, White Rice & Fried Plantains

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup Stuffed Manzanilla Olives
1/4 cup olive juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried whole oregano

2 bay leaves

1 package of Sazon Goya con Azafran seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste
1-8oz. can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup Edmundo golden cooking wine
2 cups of long grain white rice
2 really ripe plantains

1 cup vegetable oil for cooking plantains
4 Servings

Oop's, I forgot the cooking wine and the bay leaves.

Please note: This cooking wine is not for drinking, I repeat, not for drinking! I know, I know, you should always use wine that you can drink in recipes. But this is the wine that the Cubans used for their recipes, and it really gives the dish the authentic Cuban flavor, and that's my story and I'm stickin to it!!!!!

Okay, dice the onion and the garlic.

Start browning the meat on medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic to the meat, and cook until meat is no longer pink. I throw the onions and garlic to flavor the meat as it cooks.

Drain out as much of the oil that you can.

After you drain out the excess oil, add all the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Then, turn down the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, that way the juices will evaporate and it will thicken up a bit. Don't forget to add salt and pepper to taste. Then you can turn the heat down to low, put a cover on it, and let the flavors blend together while you make the rice and fry the plantains.


The plantains should be brown and soft like this, very ripe.

Now, cut off the ends of the plantain.

Make a slit with a knife from one end of the plantain to the other and take the peel off carefully not to smash the plantain, as it will be very soft.

You want to slice them about a half inch thick and cut on an angle like this.


Now they are ready to fry.


Fry the plantains in the oil on medium heat, turning them a few times so they don't burn.

You want them to be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

That's why I turn them 2-3 times.

When they are done, drain them on a paper towel.

I use an electric rice maker for my rice. All I do is take 2 cups of rice and put it in the rice maker pot, rinse it with water 5 times, until the water is clear. Then I add 2 cups of water to the rice, 2 teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil, stir, put on the top and push the cook button. It cooks itself in about 20 minutes.

Cooking the rice on top of the stove in a pot with a tight fitting lid will work just fine. Just remember to rinse it and use the same amount of rice and water, l teaspoon of salt for every cup and a little olive oil. Bring to a good boil, place the lid on and lower the temperature to simmer and don't touch it for at least 20 minutes.


When it's done I fluff it with a fork.

Now to plate it, you put a good helping of rice in the center of a plate like this.


Put some picadillo on top of the rice and spread the fried plantains around like this.

Serve with a side of Cuban bread.

And, that's all there is to it.

Muy Delicioso!!!!!!!!

If you have any questions about my recipes please send me an email at jomat25@yahoo.com, or if you want to leave a comment, that would be great!!!

I hope you enjoy these recipes.

With Love,

Joyce