Main Dishes

Pernil

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves, crumbled fine

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthwise, 1 large red onion cut into wedges 1 yellow summer squash, cut in 1 inch slices

Stir seasoning mixture in a small bowl until blended.

Brush entire ham shank with seasoning mixture. Let marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. Place on rack in roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap. With sharp knife score diamond pattern in ham shank almost to meat.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Unwrap meat and roast 2 hours. Add potatoes and onion wedges to roasting pan and brush with drippings. Roast 1 hour. Add squash, brush with drippings and continue to roast 45 minutes (meat should roast total of 35 minutes per pound) or until done and vegetables are tender. Let meat stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Pasteles

STUFFING
2 pounds diced pork
4 ajíces dulces (small sweet peppers)
1 small onion
2 tablesoons recaito
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon adobo
1 tablespoons oregano (dry flakes)
1 bay leaf
MASA DOUGH
4 pounds yautía
6 green bananas
1 tablespoon of salt
achiote oil
WRAPPING
40 banana leaves (cut into approx. 10 in X 5 in rectangles)
20 Pieces parchment paper (cut into approx. 8 in X 4 in rectangles)
20 Pieces of kitchen string (Cut into 18 inch. lengths)

Preparation:
– MAKE THE STUFFING
1. Brown the pork pieces in a pan.
2. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
3. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside.
4. Set aside and let cool.
– MAKE THE MASA DOUGH
1. In a large bowl, peel and grate the yautía and the green bananas together.
2. Stir in the salt and enough achiote oil to moisten the dough and add a little color. You are now ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.
– WRAP THE PASTELES
1. Set the dough aside and prepare a work surface to assemble and wrap the pasteles. If you have friends helping you, set up an assembly line.
2. Follow my step-by-step guide to assembling and wrapping pasteles.
3. Set aside the pasteles you are going to eat right away. You can freeze the rest.
PART 4 – COOK THE PASTELES
1. Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the pasteles.
2. Boil the pasteles for 1 hour.
3. Unwrap the pasteles before serving.

Arroz con Gandules

2 1/2 cups long grain white rice
5 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons sofrito
2 tablespoons spanish olives
1 can green or dry pigeon peans, drained
1 envelope sazon with annato
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
salt and black pepper to taste

Start by heating in a pot at high heat, the oil then add the water, then the peas, the olives, the tomato paste, and all the spices, including the envelope of sazon.

At that point, add salt and pepper to taste. Bring this up to a boil then stir in rice.

Once it has began to boil again, lower heat and stir 1 more time, then cover.

Let this cook for about 30 – 40 minutes on a low heat setting, stirring occasionally (every 10 minutes) until the rice is tender.

Desserts

Arroz con dulce

Arroz con dulce (Sweet Rice pudding) Puerto Rican style

Step 1

For best results, soak rice in water for about two hours prior to cooking. Drain
Step 2
Add the salt, cloves and ginger to three cups of water in a deep
sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Sieve through a colander to remove the
remnants of the spices.
Step 3
Bring to a boil once again. Add the coconut
cream and milk, rice, sugar and oil. Cook covered over medium-low heat for about
twenty minutes. Add the raisins and the evaporated milk and blend in.
Step 4
Continue to cook, uncovered,
until the rice has absorbed all the water (about fifteen more minutes).
Cooking times vary depending on your climate and elevation from sea level.
Don’t worry: this recipe is very forgiving of cooking lapses. Just don’t overcook!
Step 5
Pour into a square or rectangular dish about one inch high and allow to
cool. Sprinkle ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar on the pudding and cut in
two-inch squares for your diners. It is equally enjoyable after
refrigeration. It will keep for several days, well covered in the
refrigerator.

Flan

Puerto Rican Flan

8 eggs
2 (14 oz.) cans condensed milk, undiluted
3 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sugar (to caramelize pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Caramelize a pan by melting 1 cup of sugar slowly, melt to a light gold and swirl so that the sides are coated.

In large bowl, mix ingredients strain. Pour strained mixture into caramelized pan.

Set pan in a large shallow baking pan containing 1 inch of hot water. Bake for 1 hour, or until set and golden. Check center with toothpick, must come up clean.

Remove pan from water bath. Allow to cool on wire rack. Cover, and set in refrigerator. When ready to serve, turn Flan onto a platter.

Tembleque

Tembleque (Puerto Rican Style Coconut Pudding)

*   7 ounces cream of coconut (approx 1/2 can)

* 2 1/2 cups milk

* 1/2 cup cornstarch

* 4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

* ground cinnamon, and or flaked coconut

Directions

In a saucepan combine milk and cream of coconut,corn starch,vanilla and sugar mix very well.

Stir constantly on medium high until mixture begins to boil and gets thick.

Let boil a couple more minutes still keep stirring, then you can either pour into    individual dessert cups or a mold.

Let cool on tabletop, then refrigerate.

Top with garnish.

Rum Cake

Puerto Rican Rum Cake

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Gold Puerto Rican Rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour pan. Sprinkle pecans over bottom of pan.Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over pecans in pan. Bake One hour. place on counter top to cool. Invert on serving plate. Prick the top, and brush glaze evenly over top.

GLAZE:

1/4 lb. butter
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Puerto Rican Rum

Drinks

COQUITO

(Puerto Rican Tradition)

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

1 can (13.5oz) coconut cream

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

1 bottle (10 oz) white rum (Bacardi or Don Q Brands)

½ tsp cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Mix the ingredients in the blender. When finished put in a large glass.

Refrigerate and serve cold.

This is our Christmas, New Year and The 3 Kings traditional drink in Puerto Rico.

Egg Nog

(Puerto Rican Egg Nog )

8 egg yolks
2 cans (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bottle rum
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together, then chill overnight.