Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed 1/4 cup butter 1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper Dash of garlic powder 1/4 cup milk

DIRECTION:

1. Peel potatoes, quarter, and steam with garlic cloves, about 15 minutes. When potatoes are tender, transfer potatoes and garlic to a bowl and mash.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan; heat until butter is melted. Add mashed potatoes and garlic to butter and milk mixture and heat through, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a baking dish. Top brown under a pre-heated broiler for 2 minutes or serve as is.

Old potatoes are better than new potatoes for this recipe. They are fluffier.

Mashed potatoes may be flavored with herbs like 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, or fresh rosemary or fresh thyme, chopped fine. If using dried herbs, use only 1/3 the amount because the flavor of dried herbs is more intense compared to fresh herbs. Crush dried herbs fine, add to hot milk, let soak for a few minutes to soften herbs and release their flavor, before stirring milk into potatoes.

Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Beef Caldereta

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 pounds stewing beef, or brisket cut into 2” chunks 1/2 cup vinegar 1/2 tsp. peppercorns, crushed 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 potatoes, quartered 1 onion, sliced 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/2 cup hot water 1 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt

1/2 green pepper, cut into strips 1/2 red pepper, cut into strips 1 cup canned or frozen peas 1 tsp. Tabasco 1 tsp. paprika 2-oz. liver sausage or 3-oz. can liver spread 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese Garnishes: 2 hard cooked eggs, slices 1/4 cup stuffed olives

DIRECTION:

1. Tough cuts of meat are best for caldereta. Marinate meat in mixture of vinegar, peppercorns, and garlic overnight.
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine beef chunks and marinade, potatoes, onions, tomato sauce, hot water, sugar, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.
3. Add red and greed bell peppers (or 1 cup canned pimiento), peas, Tabasco sauce, paprika, and liver paste; simmer 7 t 10 minutes. taste and correct seasoning. Use soy sauce if necessary to salt and brown the sauce.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese to thicken sauce. Garnish with eggs and olives if you wish but is not necessary since it is flavorful enough.

Cooking Tip: Marinate meat in clear plastic bags. Close tightly and press occasionally or turn bag over to distribute marinade. If you have to refrigerate the meat, the plastic bag take up less room in the refrigerator than a dish.

Preparation and cooking time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Bistek

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds sirloin, sliced into strips 1 garlic clove, mashed 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cornstarch 1 big onion, sliced in rings crosswise 3 tbsp. oil 1/4 cup hot water 1 tbsp. minced green onions

DIRECTION:

1. Slice sirloin into 2” x 4” strips. Combine garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Rub mixture on beef slices. Dredge slices in cornstarch. Let stand for 30 minutes. Heat skillet on medium high heat for 30 seconds.
2. Add 1 tbsp. oil in sauté onions in hot oil in skillet until soft but not limp, about 1 to 2 minutes; should still retain its ring shape. Transfer onion slices to a platter. Add remaining oil to skillet.
3. Fry beef slices in skillet over medium high heat a few slices at a time until brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Avoid lowering heat or over crowding the pan so the beef browns rather than stews. Remove meat to platter. Fry the rest of the meat the same way.
4. Add 1/4 cup hot water to skillet, simmer for 3-4 minutes, scrapping off browned bits in the skillet. Pour this sauce over meat, scatter sautéed onion rings on top, and sprinkle with minced green onions.

Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

Arroz a la Cubana

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. cooking oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 onion, diced 1 medium tomato, chopped 1/2 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground beef 1/4 cup catsup 4 tbsp. raisins 1/2 cup water or chicken broth 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. patis 1 tbsp. chopped canned pimiento 1/3 cup canned mushrooms 1/3 cup canned or frozen sweet peas 1tbsp. minced cilantro 4 cups freshly cooked rice Garnishes: 2 tbsp. oil 2 ripe saba bananas or plantain 4 hard boiled eggs, shelled 1 tsp. paprika

DIRECTION:

1. In a skillet, heat oil on medium heat, sauté garlic, onions and tomato in oil. Add beef, pork, and catsup, sauté until meats are brown.
   
2. Add raisins, 1/2 cup water or broth, salt, pepper, soy sauce and patis. Simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
   
3. Add pimiento, mushrooms, and peas and continue cooking until peas are done and the mixture is almost dry. Taste and correct seasoning. Transfer mixture to a bowl, garnish with minced cilantro, and set aside.
   
4. Slice bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch slices. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a skillet and fry saba or plantain slices in oil until light brown. Set aside.
   
5. To serve individually: Rinse a 1-cup serving bowl with cold water, pack with cooked rice and invert it in the center of a plate. Bury an egg party in the middle of the rice and sprinkle it with paprika. Arrange about 1/2 cup of meat mixture around one side of the rice and the banana slices on the other side.
   
6. To serve as a main dish: Mound the rice in the middle of a platter, press eggs half way into the rice, sprinkle rice and eggs with paprika. Surround rice with sautéed meat, arrange banana slices on top of meat mixture as a garnish.

Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes Serves: 4

Asian Paella

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shrimps, peeled 1 cup small scallops, fresh 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. grated ginger 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 Chinese sausage, sliced into thin rounds 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and diced 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce

1 tsp. salt 1/2 ground pepper 2 cups raw jasmine rice 2 cups chicken stock 2 tbsp. fish sauce 4 tbsp. patis 4 tbsp. tomato paste 1 dozen mussels or clams, scrubbed 1 cup bean sprouts 3 stalks green onions, slivered 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTION:

1. Marinade shrimps and scallops in soy sauce and 1 tsp. ginger. Set aside to be used as topping later along with mussels.
   
2. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Stir, fry sausage, add onion, garlic, and remaining ginger, sauté for two minutes or until onions are soft. Add chicken and red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes more. Stir in chili-garlic sauce, season with salt and pepper.
   
3. Stir rice into sausage mixture, sauté for 1 minute. Combine chicken stock with patis and tomato paste, stir into rice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 25 minutes.
   
4. Arrange shrimps, scallops and mussels atop rice. Pour marinade over them. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes or until seafood is cooked and rice is tender. If mussels are not available, use 1 can (3 oz.) smoked oysters in place of clams to garnish paella just before serving.
   
5. Remove from heat, sprinkle with bean sprouts, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
   
6. Stir everything together and serve from skillet. Serve with a green salad with ginger sesame oil dressing.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 45 minutes Serves: 6