If you're like most of us today, then you're probably trying to find ways to save money on your grocery bill. That can be very challenging when feeding a family of four, especially if one of the four is a growing teenage boy. Need I say more.
One of the easiest ways to cut down meal costs is by eating more ethnic foods. I'm sure you're probably thinking more tacos or chinese takeout, but I'm talking cooking carribbean style. More specifically, I found that the foods in Puerto Rico are rich in flavor and so inexpensive to make. Here are some that I know you will enjoy!
ARROZ CON CHORIZO Y GARBANZOS (Rice with sausage and garbonzo beans)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, crushed
2 Spanish chorizos, sliced
1 packet Sazón Goya with culantro and annatto
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups chick peas, cooked
½ cup red pepper, chopped
In a medium caldero add the chorizo and cook until golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the other ingredients, season, cover and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.
Arroz Con Salchichas
Ingredients
3 cups of rice
3 tablespoons of Sofrito (See The Sofrito Recipe)
2 small packets of Sazon
2 cans of Vienna Sausages (5 oz. can and save the liquid for the rice)
2 cans of tomato sauce (8 oz. size)
1 envelope of onion soup
2 teaspoons of salt (omit salt if onion soup is used)
¼ cup of canola oil (to avoid high cholesterol)
4 ¾ cups of hot water
15 olives (pimiento stuffed)
2 teaspoons of alcaparras (capers)
* Rule of Thumb- 1 tablespoon of sofrito for every cup of rice
* If you forget the oil, be prepared to eat yummy (but mushy) rice
Directions
Use a 5qt. pot (or a pot big enough for the rice to expand) over medium heat. Do not use a stainless steel pot. Trust me... it is a mess to clean.
Add sofrito, sazón, vienna sausages (and a taste for the chef), tomato sauce, onion soup (or salt), canola oil, olives and alcaparras.
Rinse the rice well (Mama says always rinse twice) and add to the other ingredients.
Add the hot water (liquid of the sausages and water to equal the amount of water specified). Turn heat up to medium high and stir well.
When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium, and let the rice completely dry out. By now, most of the liquid will be absorbed and you will not see the edges around the rice bubbling with the yummy liquid.
Stir the rice with a large spoon, bringing the rice at the bottom to the top.
Cover the pot to a tight fit with the lid and aluminum foil and reduce the heat to low.
After about 20 minutes, uncover carefully (watchout for the steam) and turn the rice again using the large spoon.
Cover the pot again with the lid and (TIP) aluminum foil and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove the pot and set it on a cool burner. DO NOT leave it on a hot burner or it will continue to cook and all you will end up with is pegao (crusty rice). Speaking of pegao, it is the last and best part of the rice because lots of the ingredients have sunk to the bottom and it is very tasty.
Let stand for about 5 minutes then remove the lid and enjoy.
Serve with Habichuelas (Beans) and of course a banana, or tostones (Fried Plantains).
Sofrito
This special blend of spices is used frequently for Puerto Rican food. It's easy to make and it adds great flavor to every dish.
1 large yellow onion
1 pimiento (Cubanelle) or substitute with green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper or 1sm jar roasted red peppers
1 medium head of garlic (2 tbsp. minced garlic)
1 bunch of cilantro
12 ajíes dulces (hard to find and may skip)
6 leaves of recao - (Eryngium) (hard to find/skip)
¼ cup Spanish olives, pitted
1 tbsp cappers
2 tsps salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp crushed orégano
½ cup olive oil
Wash, peel, seed and coarsley chop everything. Put in a blender and pureé. Store in a glass jar covered in the refrigerator for later use. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and dump the frozen cubes in a freezer bag. This will be fried in achiote oil or tocino as the first step in recipes. This recipe makes about 2 large ice-cube trays. Use about 3 cubes for rice or soup that will serve a family.
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