Daily Bite: Chicken Chimichangas

INGREDIENTS:
1 can chicken broth 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast ≤ cup salsa, plus more for garnish 1 tsp. ground cumin ∏ tsp. dried oregano 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, plus more for garnish π cup finely chopped green onion with tops, plus more for garnish 6 flour tortillas (6 to 8 inches wide) Vegetable oil Sour cream Shredded lettuce
PREPARATION:
In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour broth, then add 1 can water and bring to boil. Add chicken, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in poaching liquid, about 15 to 30 minutes. Shred chicken using two forks. In large bowl, combine chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions, then divide into six portions. Place one portion filling in center of tortilla; fold left and right sides of tortilla over filling, then fold tops and bottoms over sides to form square, securing with toothpick if necessary. Repeat for remaining tortillas. In large, deep skillet, heat 2 inches vegetable oil. Place tortillas seam side down in skillet. Deep-fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Fry in two batches if necessary so as not to crowd skillet. Garnish with cheese, green onions, salsa and lettuce, if desired.

Pan De Maiz

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 8-12

Cooking Time: 40-60 minutes



1 1/2 cups of yellow corn flour or cornmeal

1/2 cup of sifted all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of milk

1-2 cups of sugar (Taste for sweetness)

1 teaspoon of salt

2 large eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1/4 a bar of unsalted butter, room temperature



INSTRUCTIONS



Heat oven @ 375 degrees and grease the 8"x8" nonsticking baking dish with butter



Mix all dry ingredients together



Mix milks together. Then mix eggs and butter into the milks and beat well. Combine dry and wet ingredients



Pour mixture into the 8"x8" non-sticking baking dish and bake @ 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes (top layer should be golden brown)



It's totally done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it's totally clean



When done, let it cool down

POLLO EN FRICASE

3 lbs. chicken pieces, seasoned
3 tsps. adobo
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsps. garlic, mashed

¼ cup olive oil
1 cup sofrito
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1 hoja de laurel
8 olives stuffed with red peppers
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
sal al gusto

Season the chicken ahead of time (at least 1 hour) and refrigerate until needed.

In a medium sized sauce pan heat olive oil, add chicken and cook until it is brown on both sides. Remove from oil and drain. En the same pan add the sofrito and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, season to taste, cover and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Dulce de Coco

4 cups dulce de coco en almibar *
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 egg yolks
½ cup diced almonds
1/8 tsp. salt

* Prepare 'dulce de coco en almibar' recipe and let it cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 mold.
Mix all ingredients together and pour in mold. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Recipe for Coco en Almibar
3 cups shredded coconut
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
Run the shredded coconut (store bought is ok) in the food processor to grate. In a medium caldero cook all the ingredients together over medium heat for one hour or until the candy reaches 222 degrees. Let it cool and pour into a glass mold. Refrigerate until needed.

Dominican Chimichurri Burgers

Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns, split
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1 small red onion, cut into rings
1 tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Directions
1Mix together beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, oregano, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Form into 4 (4 1/2-inch-wide) patties.
2Heat a large griddle or 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, then lightly toast buns.
3Oil griddle, then cook patties, turning once, about 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to buns.
4Mix together cabbage, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then cook, turning occasionally, until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Divide among burgers.
5Oil griddle again, then sear onion and tomato, turning once, until slightly charred, about 2 minutes total. Divide among burgers.
6Stir together ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, then top burgers with sauce.

Crazy Dominican Chicken ~ Pollo Loco

Chicken - Crazy Dominican Chicken ~ Pollo Loco
INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken breasts (cook as per instructions and cut into ½ inch portions)
½ chicken broth cube
1 teaspoon of seasoning (Use complete season or what you like)
3 Tablespoons of Corn oil
¼ cup of Raisins
½ Cups of Mayonnaise
1 small onion (chopped)
2 teaspoons of powdered curry
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
½ cup of red wine
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of oregano
Salt and ground pepper to taste.
PREPARATION:
Prepare a hot frying pan for frying the chicken breast. Place 2 Tablespoons of corn oil In the frying pan over a medium to high flame.
Coat or Dress the chicken breast with powdered seasoning (not bread-crumbs). You can use Maggi complete seasoning, Adobo or similar powdered “all season”.
Fry the chicken breasts for about 3 minutes each side. Add ½ cup of water and the ½ chicken broth cube by breaking it into a powder with your fingers over the pan. Place a lid over you pan and cook on a low to medium flame for an additional 8 minutes. Turn off and remove chicken breasts (save the broth or liquid contents that is in the pan for later use). You may want to place the chicken on a paper towel covered plate to drain off the oil. Cut the breasts into portions or ½ inch cubes / strips.
In a new frying pan add the other Tablespoon of Corn oil and place over a low flame. Fry the chopped onions for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the curry, thyme, oregano and the liquid you have reserved from when you fried the chicken breasts. Also add an additional ¾ cup of water, red wine and 1 teaspoon of fresh lime-juice. Cook or simmer on a low flame for a few minutes, sufficient to blend and integrate everything in the pan and evaporate some of the water. Turn off and allow to cool down.
In a mixing bowl, add the ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, raisins and salt & pepper to taste.
Strain off the liquid from the frying pan. If it is more than ½ cup, then use about ½ cup only. Add this broth or liquid to the mayonnaise mixture in your bowl (just the broth and not the onions). Add your chicken to the bowl containing the mayonnaise-raisins and toss together with the other ingredients.
Your crazy Dominican chicken is ready.

Bizcocho de Tres Leches

Bizcocho de Tres Leches . . . . . a lo Boricua
1-½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup unsalted butter 2 cups white sugar (divided) 5 eggs 1-½ teaspoon vanilla extract (divided) 1 cup milk ½ cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut (or ½ can sweetened condensed milk)½ of a 12-ounce can evaporated milk ¼ cup Puerto Rican rum 1-½ cups heavy (whipping) cream


Start by turning on your salsa music. Heat your oven to 350º and dance.
Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan so it won't stick. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat well (menealo bien). Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Don’t stick your sticky fingers in that cake to taste it. I’m looking at you - te veo!!!
When cake has finished baking, pierce it in 8 or 10 places with a fork or skewer, and let it cool. Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and liqueur and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Whipped Cream Topping: When ready to serve, combine the whipping cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup of sugar, whipping until thick. Spread over top of cake.
Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled.
Hint - Pour some leftover liquid mixture onto the plates and spread your favorite jam or jelly before you place a slice of the cake. My favorite is strawberry or mango.

mangu

A basic plantain recipeDominican Mangu
Here we present a simple plantain recipe which we consider is typical Dominican 'Mangu', a dish that is dear to our hearts. For a real taste of dominican cuisine we hope you give this mangu recipe a try soon:
INGREDIENTS:
4 fresh young green Plantain (Platano)A good pinch salt per plantain5 fluid ounces of water3 fluid ounces of milk4 ounces/125 grams stick of butterSalt and pepper
NOTE: In this plantain recipe we assume that a cup holds 5 fluid ounces if this helps you calculate what you need.
PREPARATION:
Back at home we enjoy 'mangu' regularly as the basic carbohydrate component for a variety of meals, and especially when we are having a 'full Dominican breakfast'.
For many parts of the world it is perhaps more likely that ‘mashed potato’ is eaten, but we think this simple plantain recipe, which is raelly a regional variation of ‘mash’ using fresh young plantain, or even young green bananas, is even better!
Taking the green plantain, remove the outer peel with a sharp knife and slice the ‘banana-like’ fruits into chunks, say, 2 inches/10 centimeters (cm) long.
Put the pieces in a good sized pan that allows the plantain to be covered with water and leaves some space for safety, as they will be boiled for quite a while.
Season the water with a good pinch of salt per plantain used.
Bring the pan to the boil and simmer for at least 15-20 minutes stirring just occasionally to ensure the plantain pieces are evenly cooked to a softness that is evident when they can be easily pierced by a fork or knife. Cook the plantain for a little longer if you feel it is necessary.
Put a colander/sieve over a large bowl and drain the plantain, reserving the cooking liquor.
Put the plantain in another bowl and mash well, using a potato masher, or even the flat bottom of a strong, tall glass, or bottle. You may find that you need to work quite fast as the plantain mash will stiffen up considerably as it cools.
Work in the cup of water, taken from the cooking liquor as you continue to mash the plantain to a smooth consistency. You can also stir the milk (which should be warmed through to keep the mangu warm and aid mixing) to make the mash more creamy.
Cut the butter into ½ inch/1 cm cubes (it is easiest to do this if it comes straight from the fridge) and add it to the mash. You can use another oil of your choice...but we think for the best flavor it has to be butter. Blend it into the mash with a wooden spoon until the mash is perfectly smooth and has a creamy texture.
Season the mangu with salt to your taste…and the mash is ready to eat! You might also like to add a grinding of black pepper to this plantain recipe, although this is not so commonly used in the Dominican Republic.
Mangu is ideally served with a rich onion based ‘sauce’ called ‘Escabeche’ the recipe for which you can find HERE (web site editor's note: 24/08/05 link coming soon). Then when you served it a sprinkle of parmesan cheese is the perfect finishing touch!
This plantain recipe is very commonly used as part of a typical Dominican breakfast. You will often find hotels and households serving mangu alongside other breakfast items such as fried eggs, fried salchichon (Dominican sausage), fried salami and even fried cheese! So when you visit the Dominican Republic you may be surprised to see that most Dominicans are actually quite slim considering their great love of fried foods to start the day!!
You will have noticed that we call the plantain recipe outlined above a ‘basic recipe for mangu’. This is because it is possible to enrich it or make it a more ‘up-market’ product by adding grated cheese to the mix whilst making the mash. Some people also like to add ‘lardons’ (small strips) of fried bacon (along with the tasty fat rendered from the meat whilst frying!!) to add even more flavor...and plenty more calories too!!!
We hope you enjoy inventing your own variations on this basic recipe for mangu! And if our recipe pages have inspired you to plan a vacation to the Dominican Republic to try the real thing, be sure to look at our 'Mother' site for lots of great tips and free travel advice for visitors to the Dominican Republic today.
‘El Jefe de Cocina Dominicana’
(Copyright www.dominican-foods.com (2005) - Basic mangu recipe)

pasteles

PASTELES

FILLING:
2 pork butts, 15 lb. cubed3 stalks celery, chopped fine1 sm. can pimento, chopped fine1 bell pepper, chopped1 big onion, chopped fine2 bunches Chinese parsley, chopped fine3-4 cans pitted olives, drained7 cloves garlic, chopped fineSalt & pepper1 tbsp. cumin2 tbsp. paprika2 lg. hot red pepper, chopped fine4 cans tomato sauce, or more
Fry meat until brown. Add above ingredients. Cook for 1 hour on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup Achoite oil.
Achoite Oil: 2 cups Wesson oil. Cook Wesson oil until just about to boil; add achoite seeds. Lower heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until deep red color has been extracted. Remove from heat and cool. Strain through a sieve and place in a jar.
Masa: 1 bunch Chinese bananas (whole bunch). Peel bananas, put into pan of salt water. After bananas are peeled, grate bananas fine. (Looks like dough.) After all is grated, add salt to taste and aji. Pour achoite oil over bananas, then mix well until blended. Add more salt to grated bananas if needed.
Making of Pasteles: Banana leaf or ti leaves. String to tie. Take 12 x 12 inch banana leaf, oil it, then spread masa (banana mash), then filling (mentuta), spread about 2 x 4 inch wide. Then fold and tie. Boil in boiling water for 1 hour.

This is one of my all time favorite dishes-it is a meal to itself!!!

Sancocho

Ingredients:1 2-lb. frying chicken, cut into pieces3 lbs. fresh pork chops, cut into pieces4 tablespoons oil3 green plantains1 lb mapueyl lb. ñamel lb. potatoes 1/2 lb. white yautía1/2 lb. yellow yautía1/2 lb. auyama3 ears corn, halved1 green pepper, chopped1 large onion, sliced3 sprigs cilantrico3 coriander (cilantro) leaves1/2 teaspoon oregano3 cloves garlic, crushed1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice2 tablespoons vinegar*
Preparation:Marinate the meat for two hours in all the ingredients in the second section (from green pepper on). In a large kettle, saute meat in the oil. Peel and dice the other vegetables. Stir with the meat. Add water to cover. Cook until broth thickens. Season to taste.Unavailable vegetables may be substituted with those that are available.Serve from the cooking kettle. Spoon two spoons of cooked rice on top of each bowl of stew. Serves 8-10. (Allow 1/2 lb. meat per person).Do not use ham or smoked pork.*For vinegar, Dominicans use the squeezed juice from the naranja agria (an orange with pocked surface) or agrio (juice from the naranja agria poured over marble-sized onions, green pepper, and garlic which sets for a week or so.)

Mofongo

This is one us puerto ricans love to eat:

PUERTO RICAN-STYLE MOFONGO
· 3 green plantains · 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 4 cups water · 8 ounce lean bacon(you can substitute sizzlelean) · 2 cloves garlic · Vegetable oil, for deep fat frying · 1 teaspoon chopped hot pepper · 1 tablespoon corn or safflower oil · 1 teaspoon salt · ½ teaspoon black pepper
Peel plantains and cut vertically into 1-inch thick slices. Soak slices for 20 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile, fry bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside. (Traditionally, mofongo is made with pork cracklings, also known as crisp fried pork skin. Bacon is a contemporary twist. For less fat, lean chopped ham can also be substituted.) Drain plantain slices well. Deep fry plantain until tender, yet not browned. Drain on paper towels. Mash and mix together the garlic cloves, hot pepper, oil, salt and pepper. Blend half of the fried plantain slices with half of the crumbled bacon and half of the garlic mixture; mix thoroughly. Roll mixture into 2-inch balls. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve hot with seasoned rice.