Cuban Avocado Salad

(Ensalada de Aguacate)

This is a typical Cuban salad, usually served with a traditional Cuban dinner.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
1 iceberg lettuce 2 large avocados (sliced) 1 onion (sliced vertically) Dressing 3 tbsp vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lime juice 1 tspn salt 1/2 tspn pepper

Directions
Tear the lettuce into pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Arrange the avocado slices on top and then garnish with slices of onion on top. To make the dressing, use a blender and add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend the contents well. Then pour over the salad. Enjoy!

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Cuban Salad

(Ensalada Cubana)

This is a typical Cuban salad, usually served with a traditional Cuban dinner.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
1 iceberg lettuce 2 tomatoes 1 onion (sliced) 6 radishes (sliced) Dressing 3 garlic cloves (mashed) 1/4 cup vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lime juice 1 tspn salt 1/2 tspn pepper

Directions
In a bowl, tear the lettuce into pieces and toss together with tomatoes (cut in wedges), onion and radishes. To make the dressing, use a blender and add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper and garlic. Blend the contents well. Then pour over the salad and mix well. Enjoy!

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Malanga Fritters

(Frituras de Malanga)

This is a very popular Cuban appetizer, and great for lunch or a snack.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
4 malangas (peeled & grated) 1/2 tspn onion powder 3 garlic cloves (mashed) 2 tbsp parsley (chopped) vegetable oil 3 small eggs 1 tspn salt

Directions
In a bowl, whip eggs. Add onion powder, garlic, parsley and salt. Mix well, then add the malangas. Mix again, then refrigerate for a few hours. Using a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using a spoon, grab spoonfuls of the malanga, and drop it into the pan. You can fry five or six at a time. Make sure to fry on both sides until the malanga fritters are golden brown. Place on a large platter with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot and enjoy!

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Ham Croquettes

(Croquetas de Jamon)

This is a very popular Cuban appetizer, and great for lunch or a snack.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
1 lb smoked ham (grounded) 4 tbsp butter 1 tspn lime juice 1/2 tspn nutmeg (grated) 1 tbsp parsley (chopped) 1 tbsp flour vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 cups milk 1 tspn salt and black pepper 2 cups dry bread crumbs

Directions
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter in low heat until it starts to foam. Whisk in the flour and then add the milk, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken into a paste. Add the ham, salt and pepper, nutmeg, lime juice, and parsley and stir the mixture well. Cook in low heat for a couple of minutes. Place the mixture in a bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour letting the mixture cool.

In the mean time, whip the eggs in a bowl. Then pour the bread crumbs into a second bowl. Take the ham mixture out of the refrigerator, and shape into small cylinders, about 1 inch thick by 3 inches in length. Dip them into the egg, then roll them on the bread crumbs, placing them on a large platter. Cover the croquettes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight when done.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, and fry half a dozen of the croquettes at a time, rolling them occasionally so they cook on all sides. Cook until golden browned on all sides, but be careful not to burn them! Remove them and place them on a platter covered with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve with a cool Cuban drink and enjoy!

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Fried Stuffed Potatoes

(Papas Rellenas)

This is a very popular Cuban appetizer, and great for lunch or dinner.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
4 large potatoes (peeled) 1 lb seasoned ground beef vegetable oil 4 eggs 2 tbsp milk 1 tspn salt dry bread crumbs

Directions
First boil the potatoes until they are fully cooked. You should be able to stick a fork in them. Take the potatoes out and place on a dish. Mash the potatoes, adding the salt milk. Stir well. For the seasoned ground beef, use seasoned ground beef (picadillo) recipe from the recipe section.

After the picadillo is prepared, grab a handful of mashed potatoes and indent a hole in it to make a bowl shape. Grab another handful and repeat. Now place a few tbsp of the picadillo in the hole and bring the two halves together and make into a round ball. Whip the eggs into a bowl, and prepare the dry bread crumbs by spreading them on a plate. Dip the potato ball into the egg mixture, using a fork to roll the potato ball so that it is fully covered in egg. Then place the potato ball on the plate with the bread crumbs, and spread it around until it is fully covered. Repeat this until you have used up all the potato or picadillo. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the potato balls until they are golden brown. Make sure they are cooked all around, but do not burn them! Place on a plate with paper towel to soak the excess oil. Enjoy!

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Red Beans and Rice

(Arroz con Frijoles Colorados)

This is another version of Black Beans and Rice, but using red kidney beans instead. The bean soup is cooked with bacon and chicken stock to give it a thicker richer taste.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
2 cups cooked red beans 2 potatoes (peeled and cubed) 1 cup calabaza (cubed) 3 tbspn olive oil 2 garlic gloves (minced) 1 cup green bell pepper (chopped) 1 cup large onion (chopped) 1/2 cup red wine 4 bacon strips 2 packs Goya chicken boullion 4 cups water 1 tspn ground cumin 1 tspn oregano 1 tspn vinegar 1 tspn salt and black pepper 2 tspn sugar 1 tbsp tomato paste					4 cups long-grain white rice 1 tspn salt 1 tspn canola oil

Directions
The left hand ingredients are for the red beans, the right for cooking the rice. Pour the 2 cups of long-grain white rice into a rice cooker, add the appropriate cups of water recommended by your cooker (usually about 3 cups or so), along with salt and 1 tspn of canola oil. Stir, cover and begin cooking.

For the red beans, you can usually buy them in a can. Make sure they are already cooked and do not come with any added ingredients. You will be making the "sofrito" yourself to add the Cuban spice to the red beans. In a medium-sized pot, add olive oil and heat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Cook the bacon until both sides are browned. Add onion and green bell pepper and saute for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute for two additional minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the red beans and water. Stir well, and make sure the red beans and water mix in with the onions, bell pepper and garlic. Next add the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper and chicken boullion. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and calabaza. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 mins, stirring ocassionally. Add the sugar and let simmer for additional 25 mins. The potatoes should be tender.

Let beans cool, and when rice is done, serve rice on big platter. Place red bean soup in a large bowl. You can pour the red bean soup over the rice and mix it in, or enjoy the red bean soup by itself. Enjoy!

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Fried Green Plantains

(Tostones)

This is a very popular Cuban side dish, and always served with most Cuban main dishes.
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
3 large green plantains (peeled) vegetable oil salt to taste

Directions
Using a knife, cut the plantains into 1 inch thick chunks. In a frying pan or deep fryer, pour 2 to 3 inches of the oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the plantain chunks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. Remove them and placing them in a bowl with a paper towel to soak the oil. Wait a few minutes until the plantain chunks cool down. Using a paper towel, wrap the chunks and smash them flat. Place the smashed plantain chunks into the pan and refry again until they are golden brown on both sides. Place in a bowl with a paper towel to soak the oil and serve hot. Add salt to taste and enjoy!

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Fried Sweet Plantains

(Platanos Maduros)

This is a very popular Cuban side dish, and always served with most Cuban main dishes.
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
3 large ripe plantains (peeled) vegetable oil

Directions
Using a knife, cut the plantains into 1 inch thick chunks. In a frying pan or deep fryer, pour 1 inch of the oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the plantain chunks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. Remove them and placing them in a bowl with a paper towel to soak the oil.

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Plantain Chips with Garlic Sauce

(Mariquitas con Mojo)

This is a very popular Cuban side dish, and always served with most Cuban main dishes. Can also be served as an appetizer.
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
2 large green plantains (peeled) vegetable oil salt to taste Mojo 1/2 cup olive oil 6 garlic gloves (minced) 1 cup large onion (finely chopped) 1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions
Using a slicer, slice each of the plantains into thin chips and place in a bowl. In a frying pan or deep fryer, pour 2 to 3 inches of the oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry a handful of chips at a time, removing them and placing them in a bowl with a paper towel to soak the oil. The chips should be golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

For the mojo, you will need a large bowl. In a large bowl, pour the lemon juice, garlic and chopped onion into the bowl and stir. Heat the olive oil over medium-high for 2 minutes, then when hot, pour olive oil into bowl. Be careful not to get burned, since some of it might splatter out. Mix the mojo ingredients, then pour into dipping cups. Dip the mariquitas in the mojo and enjoy!

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Yuca with Garlic Sauce

(Yuca con Mojo)

This is a very popular Cuban side dish, and always served with most Cuban main dishes. Can also be served as an appetizer.
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs yuca (peeled, chunks) 1/2 cup olive oil 6 garlic cloves (minced) 1 cup large onion (sliced thin) 2/3 cup sour orange juice or lime juice 1/2 tspn oregano 1/2 tspn salt 1/2 tspn black pepper

Directions
You will need a big pot, because all the yuca has to be submerged fully in boiling water. If you can't find fresh yuca, frozen is also fine. Place the yuca in the pot, and fill up with water until yuca is fully covered. Bring water to a boil, and then lower to low and cover and simmer for half an hour. The yuca should be fork tender at this point. Drain the yuca and be sure to remove the roots.

For the mojo, you will need a large bowl. In a large bowl, pour the sour orange juice or lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and sliced onion into the bowl and stir. Heat the olive oil over medium-high for 2 minutes, then when hot, pour olive oil into bowl. Be careful not to get burned, since some of it might splatter out. Mix the mojo ingredients and let sit for 30 mins. Then pour over the yuca and enjoy!

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