Arroz con Habichuelas (Rice with Beans)

Growing up in New York has its perks...being exposed to a wide variety of cuisines that are all around you is a foodie's dream come true. One that I miss while here in the Caribbean is Puerto Rican cuisine. Spanish food is similar to Guyanese in many ways, but the flavors can be completely different. These two things together, rice and beans, are found as side dishes in many of the Spanish restaurants in NYC. It is one of my favorite comfort foods that is easy on the budget and fast...add some fried ripe plantains (maduros)...perfect for a quick homemade exam week meal!

Arroz Blanco (White Rice)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of medium-grained white rice
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water

Add the water to a small pot, and heat over high heat. When it starts boiling, add the oil, salt, and rice, and stir once. Boil, uncovered, until the water level almost reaches the level of the rice. Once the water has reached that level, turn the heat down to very low, stir the rice, and cover. Let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat, stir the rice again, cover the pot, and let it rest in a warm place for another 10 minutes. After that time has passed, fluff with a fork and serve.

Habichuelas Guisadas (Stewed Beans)

Ingredients:
1 can of red kidney or pinto beans
4 oz tomato sauce (not paste!)
1 packet Goya Sazon seasoning
1/2 packet chicken or beef bouillon powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito seasoning (optional)
1 cup boiling water
salt to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

In a small pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the Sofrito, Sazon, and bouillon. Fry for 5-10 seconds and then add the tomato sauce. Cook the seasonings with the sauce for about a minute, and then add the cup of boiling water. Boil for about 5 minutes, and then add the can of beans with the water from the can. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, and then remove the cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Once the beans are soft and the sauce has the consistency of a gravy, it's all done!

Chinese Takeout Crab Sticks

This recipe is a copycat of one of my childhood takeout favorites. I just happened upon imitation crabmeat at the supermarket here that was in the form of sticks, so I decided to seek out panko breadcrumbs and eggs and I was ready to go. Granted, this is not a healthy recipe, but it is a comfort food that I was missing so far from home. The recipe is quick and easy, and doesn't require many ingredients!

Ingredients:
8 imitation crab sticks
1/2 cup of flour
2 eggs, cracked and whisked
1 cup of panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place each of the other ingredients into their own shallow dish and line the dishes up in the same order as they are listed.

Breading station (missing the flour!)

Dredge one crab stick at a time into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs to form a nice coating on each. Place each breaded crab stick into the oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes, turning to make sure each side fries golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the other crab sticks, and serve with tartar or sweet chili sauce.

Note: The flour helps the egg stick to the crab stick, and the eggs help to hold onto the breadcrumbs. I made mine without the flour (didn't have any), so the breading was very thin. Next time I will try with the flour!

Seafood Fried Rice

This recipe was inspired by the seafood fried rice at Ruby Foo's in New York City. I was missing the American Chinese food over here in Grenada, so I decided to make my versions of a few of my favorite dishes. I kept it quite close to the original, except I used imitation crabmeat instead of real crabmeat like the restaurant uses. Finding good quality crab meat here is difficult, and I do like the flavor of the imitation crabmeat once in a while. 

Ingredients:
3 cups of cooked jasmine rice, at room temperature
Handful of asparagus stalks, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 pound of shrimp, any size you like, shelled, cleaned and deveined
3/4 cup of imitation crab meat, sliced (or 1/2 cup of real crab meat, drained)
3 eggs
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
salt to taste
5 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying

Heat the oil in a wok, and add the ginger and garlic. Fry over medium to high heat for a few seconds until aromatic, and then add the shrimp. When the shrimp are just beginning to turn pink, add the crabmeat. Stir fry until the shrimp are fully cooked (opaque and pink), and then add the asparagus. 

Seafood and asparagus being stir-fried

Whisk the eggs together in a bowl, and add the eggs to the wok. Stir fry with the seafood and asparagus until the eggs are fully cooked. Next, add the rice, sugar, and salt. Stir everything together, and fry for 2-3 minutes. I like to fry over high heat and let the rice sit at the bottom of the pan for a bit before stirring so that it browns a little, but that's optional. Add the sesame oil and fry for another minute or so. Remove  from the heat, and serve. 

Tips: It is very important to be careful not to overcook the rice that you will use to make the fried rice, or it will not fry very well. Just boil the rice until it is just cooked, but still firm. Also, allowing the rice to cool before frying it prevents it from cooking too much and becoming mushy. 

Delightfully Delectable Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a milky caramel sauce that is popular in the Spanish countries of South America and also in Brazil (where it is known as doce de leite) . It has a rich and creamy consistency that is hard to resist, and goes well with many different desserts. The original method of making dulce de leche involves simmering milk and sugar together for a long period of time until the mixture thickens and darkens in color.

There are a few shortcut methods for making dulce de leche using sweetened condensed milk: some people boil, pressure, or slow cook the can and its contents, some cook the condensed milk over a double boiler on the stove-top, and some pour it into a pan and bake it in the oven. I have read about how easy the "whole-can" method is, but there are so many warnings about the can exploding that I was too afraid to try it. The oven method seemed easier than the stove-top method, as it requires less supervision (cooking time is pretty long for both). I tried the oven method, and it turned out fabulous!

Ingredients:
2 14-oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon of a fine-grain salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Pour the cans of condensed milk into a shallow glass baking dish. Sprinkle the salt over the top and whisk to mix. Cover the glass dish tightly with foil. Place the glass dish in a larger baking/roasting pan. Pour water into the larger pan until it reaches a level of about halfway up the sides of the glass dish. Place it in the oven, and bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, checking every half hour or so to add water if it goes below the original level. Once the condensed milk has turned a deep golden brown, remove the pan from the oven. When you first take it out, it will have the texture of a custard, so whisk the dulce de leche until smooth and allow it to cool completely. It will thicken slightly upon cooling. Store in a jar and refrigerate for up to a week.

Out of the oven

After whisking smooth

Don't know what to use dulce de leche for?
Try it as a filling for cakes (recipe coming!) or cookies, a topping for ice cream or apple pie, swirled in cheesecakes, as a dip for apples, and so much more. Try it, and be creative!

Dulce de Leche Cake

Dulce de Leche-filled Cupcakes