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By Katie O'Neill
All children have their preferences, but these usually
are successful with even the most discriminating.
Salchichas blancas con tomate
(Sausages
in tomato sauce)
750 g - 1 kg pork, chicken, or turkey sausages
("salchicha
blanca" or "longaniza" type, not the red ones, as
they are spicy)
1 large can stewed, puréed tomatoes (about 820 g tomate
triturado NOT tomate frito)
olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin or cumin seed
Heat on high just enough olive oil to cover the
bottom of a skillet. Add the tomato sauce and cumin and cook, covered,
until the tomato sauce begins to change to a more orangey color.
Add the sausages and simmer, covered, on medium-low heat until the
sausages are cooked through, about twenty to thirty minutes. Salt
to taste if desired. Serve with fried potatoes and plenty of good
bread. Makes enough for four people.
Huevos a la cubana
(Cuban eggs and
rice)
350 cc white rice, medium grain
700 ml water
1 package "tomate frito" (250 ml)
4 eggs
1 clove garlic
olive oil
2 firm bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
Prepare the white rice: heat the water in a saucepan
with a dash of salt and the garlic clove. When it boils, add the
rice, stir once, cover, and turn the heat to low. minutes, take
a quick peek at the rice: if you can see the rice grains have swollen
and are nearing the surface, then cover again quickly and turn off
the heat (but do not remove it from the burner). After about another
six to eight minutes, take one more look at the rice: all the liquid
should be absorbed. If it is not, you must heat it briefly again
and repeat the absorption process, and next time let it cook a bit
more before turning off the heat. Heat the tomate frito (microwave
it in a "microwave-able" container, or heat in a covered
saucepan) until hot. In the meantime, heat just a bit of olive oil
in a skillet and fry the banana slices until lightly browned; turn
them carefully as they break easily. Place one half banana on each
plate to be served.
Once the rice is cooked, take a teacup or a flan
dish and rinse it. Working quickly, pack the cooked white rice into
it with a soup spoon, firmly enough so it will hold its shape, but
not too hard or it will not unmold. Turn the cup over one of the
plates and tap it with your hand until the rice unmolds and falls
onto the plate, keeping its shape. In the meantime, heat some olive
oil in a smallish skillet (enough oil so it is at least ½
cm deep), and fry one egg at a time in the hot oil. Sprinkle with
a little salt, if desired, and set on the plate with the rice and
banana. Pour some of the hot tomate frito over the rice, repeat
the procedure for each plate to be served, and serve with plenty
of bread to dip in the egg yolk. Serves four (some prefer two eggs
per person).
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