Category: Recipes

So I decided to try arroz con gandules today.

Gandules are pigeon peas.

It actually came out pretty good so I’m passing the recipe along.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 tablespoons sofrito*
• 1 packet Sazon
• 4 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 cups rice (rinsed 2-3 times in cold water)
• 1 can (15 oz) gandules (pigeon peas)
• 2-3 cups warm water
• Salt

Directions

1. In a large caldero (pot), on medium heat, add the oil.  When oil is hot, add the Sazon, sofrito and tomato sauce.
2. Cook through for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the rice and the can of gandules (including liquid).
4. Add water to cover the rice.
5. Stir then add salt to taste.
6. Cook on medium heat until water is evaporated.
7. Once water evaporates, stir from the bottom up slowly and make a hill out of the rice.
8. Put cover on the caldero (pot) and leave it alone for 20 minutes.
9. Stir then put cover back on and let cook through.
10. Remove cover and stir from the bottom up.

Enjoy!

Arroz con Gandules

•  2-3 garlic cloves, skin removed
• 1 small onion, skin removed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 green pepper, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 bunch cilantro, cut the whole bottom of the bunch off (most of the stems), wash in water
• Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.

More recipes:

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas)
1 tablespoon of alcaparrado without liquid
1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)
1 one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas)
1 tablespoon of alcaparrado without liquid
1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)
1 one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

This is a vegetarian very-easy-to-make recipe.

I have been using it for many years and got it from a book called 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles.

Hope you enjoy it.

12 ounces ziti (or other medium-sized pasta)
4 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crumbled)
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Two minutes before the pasta has finished cooking, add the broccoli to the pot.  Continue cooking the pasta until done.  Drain pasta and broccoli. Return pasta and broccoli to the pot and add butter and the rosemary.  Cook, stirring, until butter is melted. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. You can purchase the book here if you’re interested:

I made pollo guisau for dinner tonight aka chicken stew.

It’s a Puerto Rican recipe that I received from my mother.

Very easy to make — as easy as biftec (steak).

There are 2 parts to this recipe — first is what we call sofrito.  Sofrito is a blended mixture of vegetables.

To make Sofrito you will need:

2-3 garlic cloves, skin removed
1 small onion, skin removed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 green pepper, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
1 bunch cilantro, cut the whole bottom of the bunch off (most of the stems), wash in water
Blender

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.

Should look like this and you should get approximately 2 cups (you can freeze the leftovers)

Sofrito Additional Ingredients: Chicken, 6 drumsticks, 3 skinless and 3 boneless chicken breasts. 3 red potatoes, rinsed and diced large green olives 8 ounce can of tomato sauce 1 Teaspoon oil Sazon (a Puerto Rican spice – see picture below) In a large pot, add oil.  Wait until it gets hot. Add Sofrito (I used 1 cup but you can use less if you wish.  Depends on how much taste you want) Add 1/2 of the tomato sauce Add 1 package Sazon Stir Your mixture should look like this: Add the clean chicken, green olives and cut potatoes Add water to cover all Heat to boil Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour. Enjoy!

Friday.  Ever since I started keeping the Sabbath over 29 years ago, Fridays have become interesting.

My body automatically slows down by evening time.  It feels restful.

I like to make my favorite food for Friday dinners.  One of them is this basil pasta.

I start by using a Christmas present — a blue pot given me as a gift by my son from Williams Sonoma.
(But you can get them other places too.)  It’s called Le Creuset.  A must have in every kitchen.

Le Creuset

I keep it on the stovetop all the time as it’s used quite often.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven, Red

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and it has never failed me.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked linguine (but I’ve used 12 oz with a pinch more butter)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in a medium sized bowl, combine all the other ingredients except the butter.

Drain pasta and toss with butter.
Add basil/tomato mixture.
Toss to coat.

Basil Pasta

Enjoy!