Cuba

Tonight, we cooked Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango-Avacado Salsa, Cubanos Frijoles (black beans) and a coconut rice pudding. This meal seems like it was even more delicious than A and B if that is possible. They just seem to keep getting better and better! I didn't really like the Cubanos Frijoles but apart from that, the only thing I would change would be how much rice pudding we made. We made about three times too much as always! The chicken was tender and full of flavour and the mango, avocado and cilantro added a sweet freshness that was very good. I would give this meal 8 1/2 stars out of ten.

History and Geography

Cuba is a communist island in the Caribbean Sea. There are lots of mountains and hills and the rest of the island is flat rolling terrain and beautiful beaches. Not much is known about Cuba before Christopher Columbus landed there in 1492 except that indigenous people already lived there off of farming and unfortunately, most of them were killed by diseases brought to them by the Europeans.

Food

Cuban food is a mix of Spanish, Taino, Caribbean, and African cuisines (the African influence comes from the slaves brought to Cuba by the Spanish). Cuba is an island, making seafood something that greatly influences Cuban cuisine. The tropical climate also produces fruits and root vegetables that are used in many Cuban dishes. Rice and beans are also very popular in this region and are found in a typical meal. The dining customs are practically the same as European customs.

Cubanos Frijoles (Black Beans)

2 cups brown rice

4 cups water

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans

1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Place rice and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.

2. While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a deep skillet or wok. Season with Cajun seasoning. When meat is almost done, add the onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Stir in the beans, olives, vinegar, and chipotle powder, if using. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot over or mixed with rice.

Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango-Avacado Salsa

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cumin seed

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 fresh red chile pepper, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 teaspoons orange juice

5 teaspoons lemon juice

2 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce

1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup diced mango

1/2 avocado

chopped fresh cilantro to taste

chopped fresh parsley to taste

Directions

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place the cumin seeds, garlic, chile pepper, salt, olive oil, orange juice, and lemon juice into the bowl of a blender; grind to a coarse paste. Toss the chicken with the marinade, then place into the refrigerator, and allow to marinate for about 2 1/2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned. Place into the oven, and cook until the juices run clear, about 8 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. While the chicken is in the oven, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime zest, honey, and soy sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until the orange juice has reduced to 1/3 of original volume and is beginning to get thick and syrupy. Once thick, remove from heat, and whisk in the butter pieces one at a time until melted; set aside.

5. To serve, place chicken on the plate and sprinkle with mango and avocado. Drizzle with the sauce, and garnish with cilantro and parsley.

This meal was really delicious. The chicken was tender and full of flavour and the mango, avocado and cilantro added a sweet freshness that was very good. The rice pudding was also delicious even though I wasn't expecting to like it that much although we did make way too much as always! I would give this meal an 8 1/2 out of ten.

Cubanos Frijoles (Black Beans)

2 cups brown rice

4 cups water

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans

1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Place rice and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.

2. While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a deep skillet or wok. Season with Cajun seasoning. When meat is almost done, add the onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Stir in the beans, olives, vinegar, and chipotle powder, if using. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot over or mixed with rice.

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked white rice 4 cups water 1 lemon peel 2 cinnamon sticks 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (Conchita is an excellent brand) 3 cups whole milk 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes 1 cup cane sugar 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream cinnamon for garnish

Directions:

Place the rice, water, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered until the rice is soft, about 25 minutes or so. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks.

Add the coconut milk, whole milk, shredded coconut, and sugar to the rice and cook over very low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently until thick, about 1 hour. At this point the rice should be very sticky with most of the milk absorbed. TIP: Keeping the heat low will reduce the number of stirrings.

Now, gently stir in the heavy cream and continue cooking over low heat, just long enough to warm the rice completely.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve immediately.