World Recipes

Mofongo (Puerto Rico)

3 light green plantains
Vegetable or peanut oil (for frying)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces chicharrones (cracklings)
Salt (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Peel plantains by slicing off the ends and cutting 3 or 4 lengthwise slits through the peel. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, and pull of the skin in strips. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, cutting at an angle so the slices have an oval shape. Saute in vegetable oil until softened but not browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain and cool.

Mince or press garlic; add to olive oil and mix well.

Process cooled plantains in a food processor until barely smooth (this is traditionally done with a mortar and pestle).

Break chicharrones into bite-size pieces.

In a bowl, mix plantains, chicharrones, garlic and oil. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary (chicharrones may make dish salty enough). Form into egg-size balls with your hands. Serve warm, dusted with cilantro.

Makes about 20 balls.

Maduro en Gloria (Heavenly Bananas)

Posted by Olga at recipegoldmine.com March 20, 2002 15:43:15

From Willemsted, Curacao, West Indies.

Named after the famous shipping banking family, Maduro, this is a dish served on festive occasions.

4 tablespoons butter
6 firm bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound cream cheese
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Curacao liqueur

Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the bananas very quickly over high heat.

Place half the banana slices on the bottom of a buttered pie plate. Blend heavy cream and cream cheese until very soft. Add sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and liqueur, beating until light and smooth. Spread half of the mixture over the bananas. Place remaining banana slices on top, and spread the rest of the cream-cheese mixture over the dish. Bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for 20 minutes or until almost all the cream is absorbed and the top is lightly browned. Do not allow all the cream to be absorbed, or the bananas will become too dry.

Serve hot. If desired, top with whipped cream.

Serves 6.

Guava Cake (Puerto Rico)

10 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 pound guava paste*, cut into 16 slices

* Available in finer supermarkets and Hispanic specialty shops.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt and add the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.  Spoon half the batter into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Top with the sliced guava paste and cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serves 8 to 12.

Cuban Tamales

24 dried corn husks (hojas)
2 cups corn kernels (may use frozen
    sweet corn kernels, defrosted)
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup cornmeal

Soak the corn husks in hot water for 1 hour.

Mix the corn kernels with the milk and butter in food processor; then add the sugar, salt and 1/3 cup cornmeal; blend quickly. Add more cornmeal only if the batter seems too liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Wash and dry the processor bowl.

Chicken Sofrito Filling
1/2 to 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded
1 red or green jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded
8 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato
1 small cooked potato, diced
1/4 cup raisins (plumped in hot water)
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

With the food processor running, drop the chiles and garlic through the feed tube; they should be finely minced. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saute pan. Add the onions and cook until softened; push to one side and add the chicken. Saute until lightly browned.

Add the garlic-chile mixture; saute 1 minute. Add the tomato, potato, raisins and capers. Season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Combine the filling and the corn batter. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the middle of a corn husk. Wrap the husk around the mixture and tie on both ends with string. Continue with remaining tamale mixture and corn husks.

Steam the tamales over barely simmering water for 1 hour. Check on the water level from time to time; add boiling water, if necessary.

Yields 10 tamales.

Conkies

3 cups grated coconut (1 large)
2 cups fresh corn flour
4 ounces raisins (optional)
6 ounces shortening
1/2 cup flour
3/4 pound brown sugar
3/4 pound pumpkin
1/2 pound sweet potato
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond essence
1 teaspoon salt

Grate coconut, pumpkin and sweet potato. Mix in sugar, liquids and spices. Add raisins and flour last and combine well.

Melt shortening before adding with milk.

Fold a few tablespoons of the mixture in steamed plantain leaves. Cut into squares about 8 inches wide.

Steam Conkies on a rack over boiling water in a large pot or in a steamer until they are firm and cooked.

NOTE: Wax paper will work instead of banana or plantain leaves.

Coconut Corn Bread (Dominican Republic)

1/2 cup diced mixed candied fruit
2 tablespoons dark rum 
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup shredded fresh coconut

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix candied fruit and rum in small bowl; reserve.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl; add eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients except candied fruit mixture and coconut; beat until smooth, about 30 strokes by hand. Fold in candied fruit mixture and coconut. Pour into greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake until top is golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Baked Stuffed Papayas (Jamaica)

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (12 ounce) papayas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir beef, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until beef is light brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, salt and pepper; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Cut papayas lengthwise into halves; remove seeds. Place about 1/3 cup beef mixture in each papaya half; sprinkle with cheese. Arrange in shallow roasting pan. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1 inch of tops of papaya halves. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until papayas are very tender and hot, about 30 minutes.

Tropical Fruit with Chocolate Sauce (Curasao)

Chocolate Sauce
3 to 4 cups assorted fresh tropical
    fruit: banana, pineapple, strawberries,
    carambola, papaya, mango
2 to 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or rum

Prepare Chocolate Sauce. Toss fruit and liqueur or rum. Cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice, at least 1 hour. Spoon fruit into dessert dishes; drizzle with Chocolate Sauce.

Chocolate Sauce
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur or rum

Heat chocolate, milk and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let stand 1 hour.

Cover and refrigerate any remaining sauce.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.