Cuban Black Bean Soup

Sweet Plantains

Tostones

Jamaican Rice & Peas

Baked Fish with Creole Sauce

Yellow Rice

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and sorted

4 cups water

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 large ham hock (about 3/4 pound)

2 tsp. paprika

3 tsp. ground cumin

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken stock (homemade or canned)

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

In heavy 6-quart stockpot, cover beans with 4 cups cold water, removing any beans that float, and bring to a boil for two minutes. Cover and let stand for one hour. Drain..

Cover beans with 4 cups fresh water. Add remaining ingredients, except for the vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Add additional water to keep beans covered, if necessary.

Remove ham hock and one cup beans from the soup. Debone the hock and return meat to the pot. In blender, pureé the reserved beans, and return to the soup. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve.
The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors

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Sweet Plantains
Serves 4

Plantains are similar to bananas, but must be cooked to be made edible. Recipes use plantains in different stages of ripeness: green plantains are used for making tostones, mottled black and yellow ones for sweet plantains.

6 firm-ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch crosswise slices

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat 1-1/2 inches of oil to 375º, using a candy thermometer for accuracy. Add the plaintain slices a few at a time and fry until golden, about two minutes per side. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

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Tostones
Serves 4

Be sure to use unripe plantains that are a deep shade of green.

5 green (unripe) plantains, peeled and cut crosswise into inch-wide slices.

vegetable oil for deep-frying

Prepare fried plantains in hot oil, as described above. Drain on paper towels. Working quickly, use a tortilla press or the flat bottom of a glass or bottle to flatten each piece between sheets of wax paper to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/3 inch.

Refry the flattened pieces in the 375°F. oil, turning them occasionally, for two to three minutes, or until they are golden. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt. Tostones are especially good served with a red hot sauce.
Gourmet, Feb 1993

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Jamaican Rice & Peas

Serves 6-8

The “peas” in this recipe are actually beans -- usually pigeon beans or red kidney beans. Be sure to use lite coconut milk (such as Thai Kitchen, for sale in the International Foods aisle) with this recipe, as regular coconut milk is extremely high in saturated fat.

1 cup dried pigeon beans or kidney beans

8 cups water

3 cups lite coconut milk

2 tsp. dried thyme

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 hot chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 cups rice

In large saucepan, soak beans in 4 cups water, either overnight or by quick method (described in Cuban Black Bean Soup recipe). Drain after soaking, and cover beans with 4 cups fresh water. Simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Beans should remain whole.

Add remaining ingredients, except for rice. Boil for five minutes.

Add rice, stir, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Cook until rice is done and liquid is absorbed. Serve with green salad and fried plantain.
Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook

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Baked Fish with Creole Sauce
Serves 6

As an option, the fish may be grilled.

6 firm fish steaks (swordfish, tuna, or halibut), about 8 ounces each

1 tsp. lemon juice

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Creole sauce:

2 Tbs. melted butter

1 Tbs. minced garlic

2 medium onions, sliced

1 tsp. minced thyme leaves

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 red bell peppers, cut into strips

2 yellow or green bell peppers, cut into strips

1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 cups tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place fish into a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and pour over the fish.

To make the sauce, heat the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the garlic, onion, and thyme, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are limp. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the chopped tomatoes, peppers, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Cook the mixture for 4 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. Add the tomato sauce, and simmer the sauce until it is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and keep sauce warm.

Bake fish for about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. To serve, place fish on plates, and spoon the warm sauce on top.
The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook

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Yellow Rice

Serves 6 as a side dish

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1 cup frozen peas

1 tsp. salt

2 cups white rice

4 cups water

2 tsp. capers (optional)

1 tsp. paprika

1 Tbs. annatto oil*

Pinch of Saffron (option: omit paprika, annatto, and saffron and use one envelope Goya Sazon seasoning)

In a 4-quart heavy covered pot sauté the oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper until the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer over low heat 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

*To make, heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil to 350º, add ¼ cup annatto seeds, and remove immediately from heat. Strain and store the oil in the refrigerator.
The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors

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