Authentic Cuban Recipes

2007-07-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

Quick lobster recipe: after deveining lobster, cut shell lengthwise (top). Crack open a bit to be able to put in the seasonings. Soak lobster in beer for 10-15 minutes. Drain and place lobster in aluminum foil. Put butter, garlic (powder also ok), a little sea-salt and black pepper in lobster and cover up with foil. Cook at 325 degrees until meat is no longer crystalline and add some fresh lemon

Chicken Stew

2007-06-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

• 1 chicken cut into pieces
• 1 can Goya tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 6 garlic cloves freshly minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 15 olives (pitted, green)
• ¼ cup cooking wine
• 2 packets Knorr seasoning
• Salt and pepper (very little)
• Touch of oregano (dried)
• Touch of cumin (ground)
Sautee onion until see-through in olive oil over low to medium heat. Add garlic and continue to sautee until softened.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir
Add chicken and coat on both sides with mixture.
Cover and cook on medium low until chicken is tender (pierce with fork to test).
Remove cover and let sauce thicken a bit.
Taste sauce for salt.

White Rice - Cuban Style

2007-06-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is very simple. Make sure you have an electric cooker.

Measure out your rice.
Rinse thoroughly – about 3 -4 times. Pour out as much of the water as possible on that last rinse.
Measure same amount of water as you measured of rice: 1 cup rice = 1 cup water
Add 1 tablespoon canola oil
Add 1.5 teaspoons salt
Cook – stir well and let sit in rice cooker for about 5 minutes. Stir and serve

That is it, Cuban Style White Rice. Que Rico!!!

Black Beans

2007-06-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Black Beans:
• 1 12oz packet black turtle beans (dry). I typically use Blanditos brand
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ packet Knorr seasoning
• 10-15 cloves garlic –minced –fresh
• 1 ½ yellow onion – ½ whole & full finely chopped
• ¼” thick slice red bell pepper
• 4 pitted olives
• Touch of dried oregano
• Touch of ground cumin
• Touch of vinegar
• Touch of sugar
• Salt to taste

Rise beans and remove dirt particles, etc. Place beans in pressure cooker with ½ onion, salt and enough water to cover them 2 times. Cover and cook on high. Set timer for 25 minutes once pressure cooker reaches top pressure. In a saucepan, poor olive oil (extra virgin) to cover bottom of pan about ¼” deep. Bring oil temperature up but do not let oil fry over. When oil is warm, stir fry chopped onion. Once onion starts looking “glassy” and see–through, stir in minced garlic and stir. Do not let onion/garlic mix get burned or you will give your beans a bitter taste.
Pull beans off heat and run tap water over pressure cooker to bring down pressure quickly. Open and sample beans – they should be cooked through completely (press between thumb and forefinger to test), however will be whole – not falling apart.
Ladle some of the beans into your saucepan and mix with oil/onion/garlic mix. To this add all the other ingredients and then transfer this seasoned mix back into the pressure cooker with the rest of the beans. Cover loosely and bring then a slight boil. Bring down to a gentle simmer and stir frequently. Keep checking often so that the beans will not stick to the bottom of the pressure cooker and burn. Taste for salt and add to taste. Beans are ready when they open up a bit and all the ingredients look blended in nicely.