Sofrito

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

• 21 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 8 to 10 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• Touch of ground cumin
• Touch of dried oregano
• 3/4 cup Sherry, or to taste
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste (optional)

Sautee tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cumin and oregano in oil slowly until all vegetables are limp. Add Sherry and let simmer.

Ropa Vieja

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

• 2 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut in strips
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 6 ounces sofrito sauce

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in skillet on medium, brown meat on all sides.  Remove from skillet, add remaining oil to skillet, stir in garlic, onion and green pepper and cook until translucent.   Stir in black pepper, browned meat, tomato sauce, water and sofrito.  Simmer until meat is tender and shreds easily, about 1 hour.  Serve on top of rice.

Pollo Con Quimbobó y Platanos (Chicken w/ Okra & Plantains recipe)

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

• 1 cup of chopped okra, fresh or defrosted
• 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
• 2 tbsp of adobe seasoning or a mixture of the following:
• Salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander
• Vegetable oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups of water
• 2 medium ripe plantains
• 2 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp of lime juice

Season chicken with adobe or the alternative. In a heavy cast iron skillet brown the chicken pieces in hot oil on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. In the remaining oil, stir fry the onion, garlic and bell pepper for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Cut the okra in 1 inch size pieces. Cut away the tips and caps if desired. Peel the plantain and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Place the chicken in a deep stewing pot. Add the water and all the other ingredients. Cover and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 15 minutes

Serve with white rice.

Original Cuban Sandwich

 Recipe courtesy of zorahangels

• 4 soft sub rolls, approx 7-inches long or 1 loaf Cuban Bread
• (soft French or Italian bread may be substituted)
• Prepared yellow mustard
• ½ lb smoked ham, thinly sliced
• ½ lb roast pork, thinly sliced
• ½ lb Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• ¾ to 1 cup thin dill pickle slices
• Softened butter

Slice each sub roll horizontally in half.  (If using French bread, cut into 4 sections before cutting open).  Spread each open side of bread with mustard.  Layer ham, pork, Swiss cheese and dill pickle on each sandwich; cover sandwiches with tops.  

Heat Panini maker, or sandwich maker or frying pan (with heavy top, or foil covered brick, but don’t heat brick)

Depending on what you use.  Butter sandwich maker or butter bread.  If using sandwich make close lid and hold to smash the sandwich.  If using brick or other heavy top, place buttered bread, in the pan and smash in pan with heavy top.  Grill sandwich until cheese is melted and bread is flat and browned, approx 8-10 minutes (in sandwich maker)  8-10 total if you have to flip, like grilled cheese, just make sure to place the heavy top back on the other side.  Remove from heat, slice and enjoy!

Cuban Sandwich (Medianoche)

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

• 3 thin slices of ham
• 3 thin slices roast pork hot or cold (I use hot, slow roasted pork)
• 3 thin slices of Swiss cheese
• 3 or 4 slices of pickles
• 1/3 cut Cuban bread hard crust (or French bread)

Slice the bread open face so that both halves are still barely connected and spread mustard on both halves.  Add the ham, and then the roasted pork. Add your Swiss cheese and then a few pickle slices.  Make sure to spray your sandwich press with cooking spray.  Place the sandwich in a sandwich press and press down until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly hard to the touch.