Rajas con Queso

I originally saw this in Food Network show that has since been cancelled and thru the years have modified it.

This is an easy recipe and a life saver, because if you have all the ingredients and you organized yourself a day or two before cooking, it should take you no more than 10 minutes to have it on the table for anyone to gobble it up. .

The other plus about it? It’s a proven crowd pleaser as party food.

I mean tortilla and melted cheese, can’t be beat people. Trust me.

Ingredients
5 or 6 fresh Poblano chilies
3 tablespoons corn oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 Chicken bouillon granules
1 1/2 cups Oaxaca or Mexican cheeses (those shredded cheese packages are perfect for this)

In order to save on prep time, I usually roast the Poblano a day or two before I put this together, since it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Then when I make this, all I have to do cut the onions and whip it up in less than 5 minutes.

If you have a gas stove, you can roast the Poblano chilies over an open flame until blackened, but not charred. If you don’t have a gas stove, then turn your oven to broil, on high and place the Poblano chilies in a baking tray, lined with aluminum foil. Coat each of the chilies with a bit of oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook until you get the same results as noted before. If you do use the oven, remember to check then every 2-3 minutes and given then a turn so they roast evenly all around.

Once they are cooked to the right color. Wrap the chilies in a towel and place them in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes. Remove the chilies and with the help of a kitchen towel rub the skins off. The chilies should be firm. Do not rinse them, since it will take away the roast flavor. Cut them in 1/2-inch strips discarding all the seeds and the ribs. At this point you can store them and use them up later.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chilies and the onions at the same time. Stir often. When everything is soft add the chicken bouillon granules to taste and stir, once is incorporated, add the sour cream and stir some more.

At this point turn off the burner and add the cheese. Cover immediately.

At my house we have this with warm tortillas, but you can also serve it with white rice.

Tip 1: If you choose to dish up at a party, I have found that if you use a small crock pot, to keep it warm and provide with warm tortillas your guest can make their own.

Tip 2: Other variations that I have tried are instead of Poblano chilies I have sautéed some mushrooms until tender and then add the onions and follow the rest of the recipe as noted above.

Frescolita Ice Cream (Cola-Ice Cream)

We are going down memory lane today. You have been warned.

I was born and spend my early years growing up in Venezuela. And like most people those food that you eat in your childhood just stay there, in your soul.  Just the smell of them brings me down memory lane.

I lived in a small town (back then) in the most southern part of the country.  We were knows as the last stop before going to the Amazon jungle and experiencing the Salto Angel. In Venezuela (and like most latin countries), neighborhoods have a sense of community. Most people live in a house for years and years, so everyone knows everyone’s business; kids grow up together and play together.  My fondest childhood memory was that of playing outside our house on the street with other kids around the neighborhood. It was as tacky as any movie, where kids were left to run a bit free and pretty much do whatever we could do before being called back into the house by our parents.

Most of the “barrio” (Neighborhoods) have families that sell something to make a bit of extra cash on the side. I remember in my barrio we would have the house that would sell homemade cakes, another one that would have “Pastelitos” and “Empanadas” (pastry filled with all types of filling). And the tequeños (which trust me I will be making some and posting it here) Some when as far as having a “Bodegita” and part of a small business - think of it as a raw version of a “Farm Store”

Many of times I was given money and told to go to the bodega to get something my grandmother needed or forgot to get at the big supermarket. It love doing that because then, I could sneak a “real” (the equivalent of 25 cents) from the change to buy a Toronto, or a Cocosete.

And sometimes I would collect my “reales” and have enough (1 Bolivar = 1 dollar) to go to the green house down the corner and buy a “Helando de Frescolita” (Soda Pop ice cream). They were delicious, and creamy, sweet and ice-cold, a great treat for the hot days.

When I left Venezuela and came to the states, those were the treat that I would miss, those homemade cakes and ice creams, made by the women in the “Barrio”. As I got older and traveled back for vacation, I finally go the guts to ask how to make them and was surprise that all you needed was 2 ingredients.

Frescolita and sweeten condense milk.

Oh yeah, see where this is going?

To deliciousville on the fast train! (because anything with sweeten condense milk is ok with me)

Frescolita is a Venezuelan cola. It is very similar to cream sodas found here in the United States, with a taste similar to bubble gum. It’s yummy and one of my favorite soda drinks.

Most Latin markets sell them, or in some cases a version of the same thing, so it should not be hard to find, you can also buy it here

So let’s get cracking… you will need:


Ingredients 
1 can of Frescolita (or similar cream soda)
1 can of sweeten condense milk (we will use about ½ of the can more or less and some more to coat the inside of our cups)

Equipment:
A blender, some small plastic cups, a container to hold them in the freezer (Tray, cake pan, etc).

We start off by pouring the can of frescolita into the blender, then take the sweeten condense milk and pour some of that yummy liquid into the individual cups, coating the bottom. It should be about 1 tablespoon per cup (you can put more or less, depending on how much you like sweeten condensed milk). then pour about 1/2 of the can of condensed milk into the blender. Hit mix and swirled it up until well mixed, about 2 minutes or so. 

Taste it and if is not sweet enough, pour some more condensed milk and mix again. I personally don't like it too sweet, plus keep in mind that when freezing it, the flavors will intensify.

Pour the mixture into the coated cups about 1/2 way full, place into a tray or pan, cover wtih aluminum foild and into the freezer they go. Freezer for about 24 hours.

When ready, to eat just take out of freezer and spoon it up!

Lesson: Making Rice

Remember the Picadillo recipe that I posted a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, well what goes with Picadillo?

RICE!

Why is everyone running? Come back! This is so easy its ridiculous!

I know, I know, to some of us, making good rice is such an intimidating mystery that an entire industry thrives on selling crappy instant rice products! But, let me give you a HUGE TIP here, homemade rice is extremely easy once you get the hang of it, plus is a valuable skill that you’ll use many times over a lifetime of eating.

First lets start with the most basic question: What type of rice?

There are dozens types of rice, with very different flavors and applications. Most people will be familiar with at least one or two varieties. White and brown. There are many sub-types within brown and white, not to mention the wild and other specialty types.

My preferences (when cooking for a savory dish) run towards Basmati or Jasmine rice. Basmati is a long grain rice with delicate flavor and a nice medium density bite. It is excellent for most Asian dishes, as well as rice pudding and fried rice. Jasmine, has a distinct sweetness to it and falls somewhere between “No wonder it is the staple food for most of the world”. In the Latin cuisines most cook use parboiled rice.

Now a day, most people have a rice cooker which is fine for making large batches, but since there is only 2 month to feed in my house, I usually do the tried and true pot on the stove method.

The art of cooking rice and having it come out all nice and fluffy is to understand the proportions of the two main ingredients, the rice and the liquid (water, broth, etc). The rations range from 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water to as much as 1 part rice to 2 parts water. I usually use the 1 part to 1.5 parts water. I have found that this makes the rice perfect. After you cook it a few times you’ll have your own ideas about how much water to use.

In the following recipe I use 1 cup of rice, which feeds up to 2 people to eat along side something else. Even if I’m cooking rice for myself, I still make the 1 cup ratio, mainly because I then use the left over to make fried rice the next day. In terms of serving sizes, figure on about 1/2 cup of rice per person eating. And adjust quantities of water accordingly.

Ingredient
1 cup Rice (Jasmine or Basmati type) pre-washed in water
1.5 cup of water or other liquid (depending on the dish I serving the rice with, I may use stock, instead of water)
½ tablespoon of oil (Canola or Vegetable)
Salt and Pepper to taste (about ¼ teaspoon of each is a good starting point)
1 or 2 slices of red/green pepper
1 or 2 slices of onion
½ teaspoon of garlic, cut fine or you can use garlic paste as well

I usually prep all my ingredients ahead of time before I even put the pot I’m using in the stove, because the steps will be pretty quick. Plus it makes you feel like a Top Chef pouring things in order!

First measure your rice, and pour into a sieve, then wash under cold water, put aside. Measure the amount of liquid you will be using and put aside. Cut the onion into long slices as well as the red/green pepper and have the garlic ready.

Place a pot on the stove on medium high heat, and pour the oil, warm it up a bit, and then throw the peppers, onion and garlic in. Mix it up and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Pour the washed rice into the pot and cook the rice moving it around the pot. At this time I season the rice with salt and pepper. Then I pour the liquid that I’m using. For this recipe I used water. Move the rice a bit and then, I TASTE the water to make sure it has some flavor to it, at this point I can add more salt and pepper if I want.

Stir it up one more time and let it come to a full boil and bubble, about 3-5 minutes. As soon as it reaches a full boil, immediately turn the heat down to the point where it is just at a low simmer, the lowest setting on your stove. Cover as soon as you get it to the right heat for a simmer. Set your timer for 20 minutes and walk away. DO NOT OPEN it even to peek until the 20 minutes are up. This is of paramount importance if you want to end up with a successful pot of rice. I am not kidding. Not even a slight tilt of the lid! Leave it alone!

Once the time is up, remove the lid and your rice should not have any moisture left. Time to FLUFF the rice! FLUFF with a fork, but don’t crush it, just fold it over a few times. Place the lid back on the pot, turn the heat off, and let the rice just sit there for 10 minutes. If you are using an electric stove, switch the pot to a different burner.

Once the 10 minutes are up, you are ready to serve with your favorite food.

This is the basic way of making rice. But the possibilities are endless when it comes to flavors. Add coconut flakes, almonds or pines nuts! Or you can go the strong route of flavorville by using chicken stock instead of water, or coconut milk! How about tossing it with chopped cilantro or parsley. Its insame how much variety this ingredient gives you, no wonder it provides more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species.

Now, no excuses, go make it a pot of rice!