Dulces de Mani y Ajonjoli (Peanut and Sesame Candies)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon of peanut oil (to grease the baking sheet)
1/2 cup white cane sugar
3 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup of roasted lightly-salted peanuts or sesame seeds (see notes)

Preparation
Grease a baking sheet.
Mix sugar and water and simmer in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once it turns into a thick golden brown caramel, mix in peanuts or sesame. Remove from the heat and immediately pour carefully onto the greased baking sheet.
Once cool to the touch cut with a sharp knife into 1 inch [2.5 cm] squares. Store in a jar at room temperature.

Coconetes (Rustic Coconut Cookies)

Ingredients
Butter for greasing baking tray
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of brown cane sugar
1/3 cup of butter at room temperature (1/2 stick)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup of coarsely grated coconut

Preparation
Grease a baking tray. Pre-heat oven to 300 °F (145 ºC).
Sift baking soda, cinnamon, salt and flour together, reserve.
Mix sugar and butter and beat at low speed until the butter acquires a light color.
Add eggs, one by one, while beating continuously. Remove from the mixer.
Fold in the coconut with a spatula, followed by flour.
Two spoonfuls at a time, make little mounds of the dough on the baking tray. Bake until they turn golden brown (check at the 15 min mark).
Cool to room temperature before serving.

Habichuelas con Dulce (Sweet Cream of Beans)

Makes 8 generous servings
Ingredients
4 cups soft-boiled red kidney beans (or cranberry or pinto beans)
6 cups water from boiling the beans
2 cups coconut milk
3 cups evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
1/2 lb sweet potatoes (batata) [0.24 kg], cut into small cubes
1/2 cup raisins
To garnish
8 pieces cassava bread (casabe), may be omitted
1 cup milk cookies (or animal crackers)
2 tsp butter (salted)


Preparation
Put the beans (and the water in which they boiled) in a blender and puree. Strain the beans to get rid of the skins and undissolved solids. Pour the beans, coconut milk, evaporated milk, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and sweet potatoes and simmer over low heat until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Stir regularly to avoid sticking.
Add the raisins and simmer for another 10 minutes (don’t worry that it may look too thin, the cream of beans will get much thicker when chilled). Remove the cinnamon sticks (and cloves, if you like). Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Chill before serving.
Spread butter on the cassava bread and toast in the oven until it turns golden brown.
Serve the beans with the cassava on the side. Put cookies in the beans when you serve.

Ensalada Verde

Ingredients
2 tomatoes , diced or sliced
½ lettuce (or ¼ cabbage chopped finely)
1 cucumber , sliced or diced
1 bell pepper cut into thin strips
1 small onion , cut into thin slices (optional)
1 beetroot , boiled and sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons of fruit vinegar
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)

Preparation
Arrange the vegetables on a platter.
Mix the salt, vinegar and oil in a bottle and shake.
Serve salad alongside the dressing.

Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)

Ingredients
2 lbs [0.9 kg] of chicken cut into small pieces
2 limes cut into halves
A pinch of oregano
1 small red onion chopped into fine strips or eighths
½ cup of chopped celery (optional)
1 teaspoon of salt (more may be necessary)
½ teaspoon of mashed garlic
2 tablespoons of oil (corn, canola or peanut)
1 teaspoon of regular white sugar
2 cups of water
4 plum tomatoes cut into quarters
2 green bell or cubanela (cubanelle) peppers
¼ cup of seedless olives cut into halves (optional)
1 cup of tomato sauce
A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
¼ teaspoon of pepper

Preparation
Cut the chicken into small pieces. Scrub with the lime, getting lime juice into all the crevices.
In a bowl mix the chicken, oregano, onion, celery, salt and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes.
In a pot heat the oil over medium heat, add sugar and wait until it browns.
Add the chicken (reserve all the other things in the marinade) and sauté until the meat is light brown.
Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring and adding water by the tablespoon as it becomes necessary.
Add onion, celery, tomatoes, cubanelle pepper, olives, and garlic, cover and and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, adding water by the tablespoon and stirring as it becomes necessary.
Add the tomato sauce and half a cup of water, simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. Add fresh cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with arroz blanco, a side dish (or salad) and beans.

Habichuelas Guisadas (stewed Beans)

Ingredients
2 cups of dry pinto , cranberry, or red kidney beans
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pinch of oregano
1 bell pepper , chopped
1 small red onion cut into four quarters
2 cloves of garlic , crushed
1 cup of diced auyama (West Indies pumpkin)
1 cup of tomato sauce
Leaves from a celery stalk , chopped (optional)
4 sprigs of thyme (optional)
½ teaspoon of chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)

Preparation
Soak the beans overnight.
Remove the beans from the soaking water and boil in fresh water until they are very soft (may take up to an hour, or about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Separate the beans from the boiling water. Reserve both.
In a pot heat the oil over medium heat.
Add oregano, bell pepper, onion, garlic, auyama, tomato sauce, celery, thyme and cilantro. Cook and stir for half a minute.
Add the beans and simmer for two minutes.
Add 6 cups of the water in which the beans boiled (complete with fresh water if necessary).
Lightly mashed the beans with a potato masher to break them out of the skin.
Cook until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve with arroz blanco, a side dish (or salad) and meat.

Arroz Blanco (White rice)

Ingredients
5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1¼ teaspoon of salt
6 cups water
4 cups of rice

Preparation
Heat up half the oil over medium heat and all the salt in a 1.5 qrt (approx) cast iron or aluminum pot (Amazon affiliate link).
Add the water, being careful with splatters.
Rinse the rice in running water, drain well (optional, I don’t do it).
Bring to a boil and then add the rice, stirring regularly to avoid excessive sticking.
When all the water has evaporated cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer over very low heat.
Wait 15 minutes and remove lid, add the remaining oil, stir and cover again.
In 5 minutes uncover and taste, the rice should be firm but tender inside.
If necessary, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes over very low heat.
Serve with meat, (or seafood) a side dish and beans.

Pastelon de Berenjena y Queso Recipe (Eggplant & Cheese Casserole)

Ingredients
Oil or butter for greasing the pan
3 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour , sifted
1 1/2 cups of whole milk (or milk substitute)
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
4 large eggplants sliced thinly
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 °F [180ºC]. Grease a mid-sized baking pan.
In a saucepan heat the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the two are well mixed. Add the milk and stir until it reaches a uniform consistency. Add a pinch of salt and keep stirring until it becomes a thick cream. Add the mozzarella cheese and mix. Taste and add more salt to taste if needed. Set aside.
Lay a layer of eggplants on the baking pan and spread some of the sauce that you had prepared previously. Keep adding layers of eggplants, “glueing” each layer with the sauce. Cover with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the baking pan with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and bake until the top is light golden.