World Recipes

Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice Stew (Asopao)

3 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
1 recipe Adobo
9 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces lean cured ham, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 large tomatoes, chopped
12 pimiento-stuffed olives
1 chorizo (Spanish sausage), cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 tablespoons capers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped pimientos, drained
3 cups long-grain rice
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Additional chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Rub the chicken pieces thoroughly with the adobo. Place the chicken pieces in a large pot and add the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the ham, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro. Saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, olives, chorizo, capers, and pimientos. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable mixture to the pot with the chicken and simmer 15 minutes.

Add the rice and peas and simmer covered over very low heat for 15 to 25 minutes, until the stew reaches the desired consistency. It is traditionally served runny, almost like a soup.

Serve in soup bowls garnished with chopped cilantro.

Serves 6 to 8.

Adobo
4 whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients in a mortar and pestle and grind to a paste. Alternately, combine in an electric blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Makes enough to season 3 to 4 pounds of meat.

Bananas Baked with Cream Cheese (Bananes Celeste, Martinique)

Serve bubbling hot!

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 ripe but firm medium bananas, peeled and
    cut lengthwise into halves
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until melted. Cook bananas in butter, a few at a time, until brown on both sides; gently remove. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, whipping cream, rum and cinnamon in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth, about 1 minute.

Arrange half of the bananas in ungreased 8-inch square baking dish. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over bananas; top with remaining bananas and cream cheese mixture. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees F until corners are bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

Coconut Bread Pudding (Budin de Pan de Coco, Puerto Rico)

1 (13 1/2 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut into 1 -inch cubes
    (do not remove crusts)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced (optional)

Mix together coconut milk, milk and half-and-half in a large mixing bowl. Fold the bread into the liquid, making certain all the cubes are moistened. Allow the bread to soak while you beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Add egg mixture to the soaked bread. Stir in 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes and the raisins.

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Spoon the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut flakes on top. Bake on the upper rack of a preheated 350 degrees F oven until the bread pudding has set and is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Cut the bread pudding into squares and serve hot, warm, or chilled, on its own or with mango slices.

Sacher Bits

3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raspberry preserves
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a heavy saucepan melt butter or margarine and unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour; mix well. Spread in a greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Cool.

Spread the preserves over the top of cookies in baking pan. Cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise to make four rectangles. Loosen edges; remove from pan. Stack two rectangles, preserves side up. Trim off edges, if necessary. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars and place on a wire rack covered with wax paper. Repeat with remaining stacked rectangles. In a small heavy saucepan melt semisweet chocolate chips over low heat. Drizzle some chocolate over the top of each bar. Chill to harden chocolate.

Makes 40.

Golden Panfried Mushrooms (Poland)

1 pound small fresh mushrooms
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Dip mushrooms into egg; coat with bread crumbs. Cook mushrooms and onion in butter in skillet, turning occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Yields 4 servings.

Fish with Sour Cream (Betyar Fogas)

In Hungary and Austria, Betyar Fogas is usually accompanied by boiled russet potatoes.

1 pound fish fillets
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
Paprika
Snipped parsley

If fish fillets are large, cut into serving pieces. Pat fish dry; arrange in ungreased 12 x 7 1/2-inch baking dish. Cook and stir mushrooms and onion in butter until mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Spoon mushrooms mixture over fish; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix sour cream and cheese; spread over mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until fish flakes easily with fork, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Eggs with Peppers and Sausage

1 large onion, sliced
1 pound Italian sweet peppers or banana
    peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage
    links, cut into thin slices
6 fried eggs

Cook onion and peppers in oil in skillet, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, paprika and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Stir in sausage; cook uncovered until sausage is hot, about 5 minutes. Top with fried egg.

Yields 6 servings.

Dilled Zucchini (Hungary)

6 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill weed or
    1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Cook and stir zucchini and garlic in oil in skillet over medium heat until zucchini is light brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in onion; heat just until hot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; remove from heat. Mix yogurt and dill weed; stir into zucchini mixture.

Yields 6 servings.