Easy-Pleasy Rice

This is a regular feature of the Cuban weekday menu, perfect when you're pressed for time.  It is easy to make and a very satisfying dish.  It's also a good way to sneak some vegetables into a meal for picky eaters.

Arroz Con Salchichas

Paprika & Time 2013

Ingredients: 

6 medium Hot Dogs* (browned in the pan with a little butter, margarine, or oil, then sliced into 3 cm thick cylinders)
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Basmati, or your choice of long-grain rice
1 tsp Turmeric, or achiote/annatto powder (without this the rice won't be yellow)
3 cups Mixed Vegetables **
2 cups Water, alternatively you can use vegetable broth, but be careful to taste before adding any salt
Salt And Pepper, to taste

About this recipe: 
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Cuban
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: Rice Dishes, One-Pan Recipes, Quick Recipes, Easy Recipes, Latin Food, Lunch, Dinner, Cuban Recipes

Description: A tasty, colorful, and super-easy meal to prepare on busy days.

NOTES (Before you get started): 

* The traditional recipe calls for Vienna sausages (the kind you get in the little cans) but we prefer the taste of hot dogs.  

** FOR THE MIXED VEGETABLES I put my own together using frozen peas, carrots, corn, and pearl onions.  These are all pretty essential to the dish, but if you don't have pearl onions on hand, simply chop some onions and sauté those in the pan until they are translucent and soft, prior to adding the rice.  You can also chop some red pepper and sauté that along with the onion, if you'd like.

Use a pan for which you have a lid, as you will need to keep the lid on while the rice cooks down.  If you don't have such a pan increase the liquid slightly, to adjust for evaporation, and cover the pan with a sheet of aluminium foil while it cooks down.


Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of the pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. 

2. Put the rice into the hot pan and stir the rice around to coat evenly with the olive oil.  Allow the rice to cook in the oil until it turns slightly more a solid white than a translucent white.  About two minutes.

3. Toss in the sausages and stir them around with the rice for a minute, then add the two cups of liquid.  If the temperature is right, this should sizzle a bit.  If it does not, allow the water to bubble before adding the seasonings.  

4. Add turmeric and stir to distribute it evenly.  

5. Add salt and pepper as needed. 

6. Add mixed vegetables and cover with the pan lid, lower the heat down to a simmer and allow it to rest untouched for twenty minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

Easy Metric Conversions:

6 Hotdogs = approx. 180 grams 
4 tsp Olive Oil = 60 milliliters
1 cup long-grain rice =  185 grams
1 tsp turmeric = 2.3 grams
3 cups mixed vegetables = approx. 500 grams

Budget Factor

It's always good to know what a plate costs you to make.  Restaurants keep this in mind, why shouldn't we?  

These are only estimates for reference.  Your local ingredient costs may vary.  Currency converted at DKK5.00 to the Dollar and DKK7.50 to the Euro.

Another Great Recipe from: www.paprikaandtime.blogspot.dk

Did you make it?  Did you enjoy it? Did you improve on it?  I'm eager to hear whether you found this dish as tasty as we did.  Please comment below with any remarks, critiques, or alternative suggestions you have to make this recipe even better!

¡Olé! Encore..Spanish Savory Rustic Mash

This recipe is featured as an Encore dish for left over Rustic Mashed Potatos, but it can easily be prepared from scratch.  It is guaranteed to transport your taste buds to Toledo.

Patatas Revolconas with Scalded Eggs

Paprika & Time 2013

Ingredients: 

3 each Potatos, If you're making this from scratch, for four people, then use medium sized potatos. If you're making the Encore dish for two, use the amount of Rustic Mashed Potatos you have left over.  Unless you ate very little the first time, it should yield two generous servings.
1/3 Pound Bacon, Cut cross-wise into slivers about 1/4 inch thick. 
4 each Eggs--If you're making this for four people, I recommend using eight eggs.
1 large Onion
2 large Garlic Bulbs, About 15 garlic cloves, peeled and whole. 
Water
Vinegar
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Paprika, use Spanish pimentón dulce, if it is available in your area. Otherwise, paprika will do.
2 tsp Smoked Paprika, use Spanish pimentón picante, preferrably, if you can find it in your area. Otherwise, smoked paprika will do; or if you can't find smoked paprika then double the amount of paprika above. 
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper, IMPORTANT NOTE:Only use the cayenne pepper to substitute for the spicy factor of pimentón picante when you can't find that. Do not use cayenne if you are using pimentón picante.
2 each Bay Leaves
Chopped Parsley, optional
pinch of Salt

About this recipe:
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 2-4 Servings
Cuisine: Spanish, Castilla y León
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: Lunch, Dinner, Tapas, Spanish Recipes, Quick Meal, Encore

Description: This is a great Encore Dish for any extra you have left over from your Rustic Mashed Potatos with Caramelised Onions. Or you can easily make it from scratch.

Directions: 

1.  If you're going to make this as an Encore Dish and use Rustic Mashed Potatos as your base, then all you have to do to start with is chop the onions into fine pieces, and bring them to a boil them in enough water to cover, along with three of the garlic cloves and the two bay leaves.  Add a pinch of salt to the water.  Lower the temperature to medium heat and cook covered until the onions are tender and clear, the garlic is softened but not mushy, and the water is infused with the aroma of the onions, garlic, and bay leaves.  Once the onions and garlic are ready, remove them from the heat and set aside.  Keep them covered.

OR..If you are making this from scratch, cut each potato into four large chunks. (You can peel them first or brush them thoroughly with a vegetable brush and leave the skins on.) Put the potatos in the water with the onions, three garlic cloves and two bay leaves.  Add a pinch of salt and sufficient water to cover all of them, and boil as above, until the potatos are tender.  When they are done, remove the bay leaves, drain the liquid reserving one cup, and mash the potatos with the garlic using a potato masher.  Set aside.

2.  While the onions and potatos and garlic above are cooking, in a large frying pan, place enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and sauté the remaining three cloves of garlic at medium heat.  You want them fried golden but do not allow them to brown as they will become bitter.  Once they are ready, place them in a small bowl or a small dish and set aside.

3.  In the same pan, without removing the oil, fry the strips of bacon which you have cut into slivers.  Allow them to become crispy, but not dry.  Once they are ready, set aside.  Remove any excess oil from the pan and set aside.  

4.  Take the pan off of the direct heat and place the potato mash in the pan, add 1 tsp of the paprika, 1 tsp of the smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp of the cayenne.   Blend so that the paprika mixture is evenly distributed throughout the mash.  If you are using the left over mash from a previous menu, then add the onions and garlic at the same time, and put in enough of the reserved water to warm up the potatos more quickly and make the mash moist.  Add half the crisped bacon and blend into the potato mixture.  Return the pan to the heat source and at medium heat, turn the mixture so that it continues to blend and heat up.  Once the mixture is heated through, lower the temperature of the pan to just keep warm without burning.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, if you have it.

5.  Add the remaining paprika to the oil you have remaining and blend thoroughly with a fork.  Set aside.  (You will probably have to blend it again before pouring as the paprika has a tendency to sink and settle.)

To scald the eggs:

6.  Boil water in a medium sized pot, enough to fill it three quarters of the way.  Pour in a good stream of vinegar, about one quarter cup, and a pinch of salt.  Bring the water just to a boil (don't let it bubble too much) and crack the eggs into the water, two at a time.  Using a slotted spoon, gather the whites around the yolk gently in a rolling motion.  Once the whites are cooked and while the yolk is still liquid inside, gently lift the eggs from the pot with a slotted spoon and place aside on a plate with a little bit of hot water on it so that the eggs won't stick to the plate.  Once you have cooked all the eggs, serve the potatos and place two eggs on top of each plate.  Alternatively, you can serve the potatos mixture onto warm plates and place the eggs directly on top of the potatos as they come out of the pot.

7.  Sprinkle the fried garlic and the remaining bacon on top of the plates and drizzle with the paprika/olive oil mixture.  I have put a lot of garlic into this recipe because we find it tasty.  If you do not, you can certainly reduce the amount of fried garlic you prepare.  Give it a chance, though.  If you fried it to just the right point, it will be a lovely salty-sweet and will add a lot to the dish.  Patatas Revolconas just aren't the same without some fried garlic.

Paprika & Time 2013

If space is limited in your kitchen, you can place the potatos in a large serving dish and place all the eggs, crisped bacon, and fried garlic on top.  Drizzle with the oil, and serve at the table so each person can serve themselves.  

Most Spanish cooking takes quick response time at the stove, and constant attention.  I recommend pre-measuring and preparing all ingredients in advance of starting the cooking process, to avoid troublesome delays.

Easy Metric Conversions:

1/3 Pounds of bacon = 150 grams of bacon

2 tsp Paprika = 4.6 grams

1/2 tsp Cayenne = 1.3 grams

Budget Factor

It's always good to know what a plate costs you to make.  Restaurants keep this in mind, why shouldn't we?  

This cost is for the recipe made from scratch.  As an Encore, the cost for the recipe is lower.

These are only estimates for reference.  Your local ingredient costs may vary.  Currency converted at DKK5.00 to the Dollar and DKK7.50 to the Euro.

Another Great Recipe from: www.paprikaandtime.blogspot.dk

Did you make it?  Did you enjoy it? Did you improve on it?  I'm eager to hear whether you found this dish as tasty as we did.  Please comment below with any remarks, critiques, or alternative suggestions you have to make this recipe even better!