Rellenos de Papa [Puerto Rico]

Ingredients :

2 cups water

7 tablespoons margarine

salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup milk

4 cups instant potato flakes

1 egg

3 tablespoons cornstarch (for dusting rellenos)

1 lb prepared ground beef, seasoned with sofrito sauce

oil (for frying)

Steps :

§    Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.

§    Add margarine, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and milk.

§    Stir until the margarine is melted.

§    Add the potato flakes.

§    The mixture should be pretty thick and dry.

§    Add a slightly beaten egg and mix well.

§    Let the potatoes sit to cool down.

§    Divide potato mixture into 6 balls.

§    Sprinkle corn starch on one hand and carefully spread one of the potato balls on your hand pushing down in the middle.

§    Place a tablespoon of prepared picadillo in the middle carefully folding the sides over the meat until it is completely sealed.

§    Roll the stuffed balls in corn starch - this will help keep the mixture together during frying.

§    Fry over medium-high heat until golden.

Tamal de Olla Estilo Panameno [Panama]

Ingredients :

For the Sofrito :

1 pound onions, roughly chopped

2 ribs celery, roughly chopped

1 bell pepper, roughly chopped

For the Masa (Dough) :

1 pound harina de maiz (use pre-cooked variety)

6 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

3 corns on the cob

½ cup Olive Oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Filing :

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 pounds beef, not too lean, with visible fat, cut into chunks

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup olives stuffed with pimentos

½ cup capers

Steps :

§    In a 2 quart saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the beef chunks and cook over medium heat until well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

§    Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet. Add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes.

§    Once the vegetables are well cooked, process them briefly in a food processor until a puree.

§    Return the puree to the skillet. Add the vinegar and oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 3 cups of water, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

§    Roughly chop the cooked beef in the food processor, mincing into 1/2-inch pieces.

§    Add the beef to the sofrito, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

§    Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked meat from the pan, and place in a clean bow, add filling ingredients. Reserve the cooking liquid in the pan to make the masa, pouring it into a large glass measuring cup.

§    Add enough water to the reserved cooking liquid to equal six cups of liquid total.

§    In a separate bowl, prepare the masa by pouring in the harina de maiz. Add the reserved cooking liquid/water one cup at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

§    Add the salt. The masa will need to be the consistency of mashed potatoes. If mixture is too lumpy, use an electric hand mixer to help break up the lumps.

§    Once masa is the right consistency, stir in the corn kernels.

§    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a bit of olive oil, grease the interior of a 3 ½ quart casserole dish.

§    Pour half of the masa mixture into the casserole, spreading it across the entire bottom of the pan in an even layer.

§    Spread all of the meat mixture in an even layer on top of the masa layer, then add the remaining masa, making sure the masa reaches all edges of the casserole.

§    Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

§    Remove from the oven and cool briefly before serving.

Chuleta de Pescado frito [Nicaragua]

Ingredients :

1 lb. of Tilapia

Garlic powder to taste

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

2 lemons

2 large spoons of Flour

1 tablespoon of empanizer

1 teaspoon of Mustard

1 laurel leaf if you want

1 cup of preferably vegetable oil

Steps :

§    Wash the fish chops with plenty of water and a lemon, mix the lemon juice, moztaza, laurel, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a refractory.

§    Put the chops inside and let stand for at least one hour.

§    Stir the flour with the empanizer and place each chop in the mixture until it is covered by flour.

§    Put each chop in the oil that should already be hot in the fire.

§    Turn each chop only once at five minutes to avoid getting spoiled.

§    Let cook 10 to 12 minutes.

Tips :

§    That the oil is hot enough so that the fish cutlet is not oily.

§    After mixing the fish chop with the flour do not put it immediately in the oil to avoid the flour to become lumps.

Escabeche de Pescado [Cuba]

Ingredients for Fish :

1 lb. cod

½ cup flour

salt

pepper

2-4 tablespoons cooking oil

Ingredients for Pickling Sauce :

2-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon aji panca

1 red onion, sliced into feathers

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon oregano

2 cups fish stock

4 teaspoons honey

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

Ingredients for Garnish :

1 habanero pepper, julienned

8 lettuce leaves

1 egg, hard boiled, cut into quarters

1 sweet potato, peeled, cooked, cut into rounds

4 Kalamata olives

Steps for Fish :

§    Clean and cut the fish into 4 pieces, season with salt and pepper

§    Coat each piece of fish with flour, shake off excess flour, and pan fry the fish in a skillet with 2-4 tablespoons cooking oil over medium to high heat

§    Cook each piece until it’s a golden brown, about 4 minutes per side, or until fish is cooked through

§    After cooking the fish, transfer the pieces to a deep dish and set aside

Steps for Pickling Sauce :

§    Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat

§    Sauté the onion, garlic paste, and aji panca for a few minutes

§    Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano

§    Add the fish stock, and mix in the honey and red wine vinegar

§    Add the bay leaf, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes

§    Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature

Steps for Escabeche :

§    Pour picking sauce over fish in dish

§    Toss the onions to mix well

§    Let rest for one hour before serving at room temperature

§    Periodically scoop sauce over fish

Plate individual servings of fish over a bed of lettuce with cooked sweet potato rounds, scoop the sauce with onions over the fish, and garnish with hard boiled egg quarters and Kalamata olives

Gallo Pinto [Costa Rica]

Ingredients :

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon salsa, lizano

1 ½ cups black beans, cooked

2 ½ cups rice, cooked

2 tablespoons bell peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons onions, chopped

1 tablespoon coriander, chopped (Celantro)

Steps :

§    Saute onion and bell pepper for about 2 minutes.

§    Add the black beans and salsa and simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

§    Then, add the cooked rice and mix in the coriander.

§    Cooked bacon, pork, chicken or sausage can be added. For breakfast, scrambled eggs can be added.

Nassau Chop Suey [Kep. Bahama]

Ingredients :

1 pound beef and/or chicken

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup water

½ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup soy sauce

1 can sliced mushrooms, undrained

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 can bean sprouts, drained

4 cups cooked rice

Steps :

§    Cut beef and/or pork into ½ inch pieces.

§    Slowly brown the meat in hot shortening; add water, salt and pepper.

§    Cover with tight fitting cover, cook 10 minutes.

§    Add celery and onion, cook 2 minutes.

§    Add mushrooms with liquid.

§    Mix together soy sauce and slowly stir into until mixture.

§    Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add bean sprouts. Serve over hot rice.

Baleadas [Honduras]

Ingredients :

Tortillas :

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

Filling :

2 cups refried beans, warmed

1 avocado, sliced

½ cup crumbled queso fresco (fresh white cheese)

¼ cup crema fresca (fresh cream)

Steps :

§    Mix flour, water, vegetable oil, egg, and salt in a large bowl; knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

§    Form the dough into 8 golf ball-sized balls. Cover and let rest, about 20 minutes.

§    Stretch each ball of dough into a thick tortilla.

§    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each tortilla until browned and lightly puffed, about 1 minute per side.

§    Layer refried beans, avocado, and queso fresco over tortillas. Drizzle crema on top; fold tortillas in half over filling.