THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Puerto Rican dishes make hearty meal
Arroz Con Gandules, known locally as gandule rice, is the national dish of Puerto Rico. It's a rice-and-pigeon-pea dish with many variations throughout Spanish-speaking countries.
In Hawaii, there are just as many variations of gandule rice as there are of fried rice. This version came from the United Puerto Rican Association of Hawaii many years ago and it's really delicious. You can add chorizo or green peppers for variety.
We're also sharing a delicious recipe for a Puerto Rican-style pot roast. Add a green salad and you've got a perfect Sunday night dinner!
Arroz Con Gandules
Rice with Pigeon Peas
3-1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/2 pound pork, sliced
1 quart water
1-1/2 cups pigeon peas (gandules)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup achiote oil (see note)
1 can (13-3/4 ounces) chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Wash and drain rice.
Put pork, water, and pigeon peas in large saucepan.
With a mortar and pestle or in a food processor, grind garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir into pork mixture. Cover and cook over medium heat 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine achiote oil, chicken broth, onion and parsley; heat until boiling. Stir into pork mixture. Add rice and simmer 15 minutes; stir well and simmer 15 more minutes. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 620 calories, 16 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 97 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 22 g protein.
Note: to make Achiote Oil, cook 1 cup achiote seeds in 2 cups vegetable oil over low heat 5 minutes or until oil is rich red; strain and discard seeds. Store in a glass container in refrigerator. Makes 2 cups. (Achiote is also called annatto or achuete, available in Asian sections of supermarkets.)
Carne Mechada Stuffed Meat
3 pounds boneless beef pot roast
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 pound ham, chopped
1/4 pound salt pork, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 cup salad oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup tomato sauce
6 potatoes, cubed
6 carrots, cubed
Rub roast with vinegar; sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Make 3-inch-deep slash in center of roast.
Combine ham, salt pork, onion, olives and capers. Put mixture into slash in roast.
Heat oil in large saucepan and brown roast. Add water and tomato sauce. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 2-1/2 hours. Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer 30 more minutes. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 750 calories, 35 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,300 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 61 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a public service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.