I have never owned a rice cooker. I make rice in either a pot or a pressure cooker. Both methods work well, however, the pot takes 15 minutes to cook rice with a 5 minute rest period whereas the pressure cooker takes only 5 minutes. It makes sense as pressure cookers need only a third […]
Category: Latin
Pastelón de Plátano – Plantain and Meat Casserole
I learned how to make this dish from my Dominican classmate in college. It is made using sweet and green plantains that are boiled and mashed and sandwiched around a ground meat preparation similar to Picadillo (a Mexican sweet-and-sour ground meat main course) covered with cheese and baked. Think of it as a Carribean lasagne. […]
Achiote (Annatto) Oil
Achiote (Annatto) seeds have been used in Mexico, the Carribean, and the Philipines to impart a deep orange-yellow color and fruity mildly peppery flavor to food. I make a cup of this oil and use it for recipes from these regions. Prep time: 3 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup INSTRUCTIONS Add both […]
Tamarind Juice
Here’s a twist on lemonade, try making Tamarind juice out of the lovely pulp you made earlier. I made a gallon of this along with some Mango Lassi for a small gathering and watched them disappear. Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 8 cups Click here to get the recipe for Tamarind Pulp. Note: Tamarind seeds, […]
3-Minute Corn Salsa with Black Beans
Years ago, I ate this salad as a sample at our local Trader Joe’s and fell in love with it. What shocked me was how easy it was to make. I only needed two ingredients and zero cooking! Olé! I made it for my book club later that week and it was a hit. I […]
Tapioca Pudding
This quick and simple gluten-free dessert is terrific on a cold day. I normally serve this to my kids as an after school snack. Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes rest before and after Yield: 4-6 INSTRUCTIONS 1.Add all the dry ingredients to a 1-quart anodized aluminum or nonstick saucepan. […]