One thing that I've learned in the past year, is that the wider the base of my pan the better my rice comes out. I now reach for my double fryer pan vs. a pot when I make this as I think I get a better final product.

This makes an easy weeknight meal, served with a simple salad and of course a side of avocado as well!

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup sofrito (I used Goya frozen sofrito)
• 1/4 cup olives with pimentos (I prefer Goya Alcaparrado)
• 1/2-3/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 packages Sazon: Con Culantro Y Achiote 
• 1 tsp Adobo
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 cups white medium grain rice (I prefer Goya)

In a large double fryer pan over medium high, heat olive oil.  Add sofrito, olives, peas, chicken bouillon, Sazon and Adobo. Mix well to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

Add shrimp and stir to coat shrimp with seasonings.
Add hot water and rice, and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.

Let cook over medium-low, covered, without opening or stirring (really, no peaking!), for 22-25 minutes.  Uncover, stir once and serve.  Serves 4.

Source: Originally seen on The Novice Chef

Easy + Identifiable = Magnifico! (JR's description). I had never heard of Pastelon, never mind eaten it, so I took a huge risk here. I wish this was the result everything new I made, but anyhow I'm happy it's true for this dish.

This dish is a total winner in our house, besides magnifico, JR said it's the same (same!) as the traditional dish he's eaten before. I have even taken the risk to serve this to my in-laws. This is a huge deal people, I normally would not think of serving one of my Puerto Rican dishes to the experts!

Here is what you'll need:

• 4 ripe (blackened) yellow plantains, sliced lengthwise in 1/2 inch thick strips
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp sofrito (or Goya Recaito)
• 1 Tbsp Manzanilla olives mixed with capers (Alcaparrado)
• 8 oz grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add plantains and fry until brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over plantains and continue frying until second side is browned, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. (Note: I've also done this step in the oven. Drizzle 1 Tbsp oil on baking sheet, lay plantain strips on baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil and roast until browned).

Add remaining oil to the pan. Saute onion and pepper until onion is translucent. Increase heat to high, add ground meat to pan, break up meat with a wooden spoon and add salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.

Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato sauce, sofrito and olives. Stir to combine and simmer 5 minutes.

Beginning assembly meat pie by placing 1/2 of the plantains in a layer on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Spread 1/2 meat mixture over plantains. Repeat with a layer of plantains and then a layer of meat. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 4-5.

Source: Puerto Rican Cuisine in America

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup sofrito or recaito
• 2/3 cup diced ham
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 potato, diced
• 4 oz mushrooms, diced
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 packet Sazon
• 1/2 tsp adobo
• 4 oz. tomato sauce
• 15 oz. can of beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add sofrito and cook until fragrant.

Add ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Add carrots, potato and mushrooms.  Continue cooking until slightly browned.

Add chicken stock, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking ~5 minutes until vegetables are halfway cooked through.

Add remaining ingredients, stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow to simmer 10 minutes..  You will want to be sure there is enough liquid throughout the cooking process.  If the liquid has reduced too much, add chicken stock or water (we like our beans a little soupy) to keep the beans from mashing together.

After 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Serves 4.

I had no intention of blogging this dish until I was in the middle of cooking it and the house smelled amazing!  I'm a big fan of Meseidy from The Noshery blog.  When she posted this recipe it went on my long list of meals to make.  I am so glad that this made its way to the top rather quickly since JR and I love garbanzos.  This was a winner and will definitely become part of our meal rotation.

Recently JR asked me to cut back on the spiciness in our dinners, so I substituted a smoked sausage for the chorizo.  I also cut back the amount of garbanzos used and served this over rice.  The only thing this meal was missing was a side of avocado!

This would also make a great vegetarian meal by omitting the sausage, increasing the garbanzos and using vegetable broth.

The changes I made are included here:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced (or 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes)

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and brown on both sides.  Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add pepper, onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.  Add cilantro, stir and allow to cook 1 minute.

Add capers, vinegar, beans, tomato sauce, chicken stock and tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Add sausage to pan, stir and allow to simmer an additional 10-15 minutes.  Serve over rice if desired.  Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from The Noshery

Chicken and rice - delicious!  Since JR and I were first together I've tried to make him a good chicken and rice dish.  After all, I knew I needed a few Puerto Rican dishes in my back pocket to keep him content between visits to his parent's home. 

I didn't have great success, and since no one in JR's family measures ingredients I was sure I'd never get it right.  Then I tried this recipe from Jessica.  This is the one, and JR agrees!  And with each attempt JR says my rice texture gets better (yay me!). 

I usually make this when I have half a rotisserie chicken to use up, and today was no different.  Since I use cooked chicken, I made a few modifications to the instructions.  There are a few things I'd like to point out: 1)  the bottom of my rice almost always burns a little (don't worry, that's the best part, and we fight for it!) and 2) for the sofrito, if you can't find it in the produce section of your grocery store, use this Goya Recaito from the freezer section (Don't waste you're money on this one.  Trust me.). 

By the way, if you've never seen Jessica's blog be sure to take a look around.  I think you will like what you see, and her stories are sure to make you chuckle.

My modifications are included here :

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 3/4 cup sofrito or recaito (I prefer Sofrito Ponce, it's local, or homemade)
• 1/2 cup sliced olives with pimentos (I prefer Goya Alcaparrado)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 packages Sazon: Con Culantro Y Achiote 
• 2 tsp Adobo (I prefer Badia)
• 1/2 rotisserie chicken (I break up the breast meat and put the leg in whole) 
• 3 cups hot water
• 3 cups white medium grain rice (I prefer Goya)

In a large stock pot, heated over medium high, drizzle olive oil.  Add sofrito, olives, and chicken bouillon and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add Sazon and Adobo, mixing well. Then add chicken and mix together making sure the chicken is coated.