1/2 libra de gandules frescos
4 tazas de agua
2 cucharaditas de sal
1/4 onza de tocino
1/2 onza de jamón de cocinar
1 cebolla pequeña
1 ají dulce
1 pimiento verde pequeño
1 tomate pequeño
2 hojas de culantro
2 ramitas de culantrillo, lavadas
1 1/2 cucharadas de aceite vegetal con achiote
2 aceitunas rellenas
1/8 taza de salsa de tomate
1/4 cucharadita de alcaparras
1 1/8 tazas de arroz
1 1/2 taza de agua (en la que hirvieron los gandules)
Procedimiento
Combine losgandules con los 4 tazas de agua y póngalos a fuegoalto. Cuando hierva, tape y cueza por 30 minutos. Agregue la sal y cueza por otros 15 minutos. Escurra y reserve 1 1/2 tazas del liquido con que hirvieron los gandules. En un caldero, dore el tocino y el jamón.Añada la cebolla, el ají, el pimiento, el tomate, las holasde culantro y el culantrillo, todo esto cortado en pedacitos y sofria a fuego bajo. Añada el aceite vegetal con achiote, las aceitunas, la salsa de tomate y las alcaparras y mezcle. Lave bien el arroz, escurra y añada, mezclándolo bien. Agregue los gandules al arroz y sofria por unos minutos. Añada las 1 1/2 tazas de liquido que reservó y cueza a temperatura moderada hasta que seque. Voltée el arroz. Tape el caldero y cueza 30 minutos a fuego hajo.A la mitad del tiempo voltéeel arroz nuevamente.

2 cups long or short grain rice (rinsed)
3 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of chorizo (sliced bite size)*
2 Tablespoons of sofrito
16 ounce can of gandules (pigeon peas)
1 tablespoon of alcaparrado without liquid
1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)
1 one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste
* Chorizo can be substituted with tocino (salt fatback crackling's) and jamón de cocinar (smoked cooking ham). If you are going to use the tocino be sure not to use to much salt to the rice because the tocino is salty.
Sofrito: 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 Banana or Bell pepper (chopped in fine pieces), 1 teaspoonfull oregano, 3 Culantro leaves (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), and 2-3 Aji dulce.
In a dutch oven pot with lid fry the Tocino (porkfat) or Chorizo in oil. Add the tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon to the pot and stir together. Cook at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the salt, pour the boiling water into the pot so the rice is submerged one inch below the water. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Don’t cover yet, let the rice absorb the water. Once absorbed stir gently from bottom to top, cover and turn the heat down to low. Stirring once in between, cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

2 cups rice
3 cups water or chicken stock
1 large can of salchichas (vienna sausages) or 3 small cans of salchichas
1/3 cup of sofrito
2 Tablespoons of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt or 1 chicken bouillion cube
dash of black pepper

1- In a deep sauce pot, simmer the sofrito in the oil for 2 minutes while stirring. (medium heat)
2- Add the rest of the ingredients: the salchichas (and their broth), tomato sauce, water (or stock), the rice and the seasonings. Stir to completely mix ingredients.
3- Cook on high heat until the water evaporates and the surface of the rice is exposed, but not completely dry.
4- Lower the heat immediately to "low", and cover.
5- Cook, covered, approximately 20 minutes. Remove cover, taking care to not let the water that's condensed on the cover drip back into the pot!
[ This might lead to what is know as arroz mogollado (pronounced moh-go-yao) - soggy rice! The cardinal sin of any good Puerto Rican cook! ]
6- Using a large serving spoon, carefully mix the rice by taking scoops from the side furthest from you, and gently placing them towards the center of the pot. Then turn the pot 1/4 turn. Repeat 3 times.
7- Taste the rice. It should be slightly firm, but not hard. If it's hard, cover and let cook another several minutes and test again. If it's soggy (uh-oh!), cook uncovered several minutes, turn again, test. Repeat if necessary

3 cups of rice
3 tablespoons of Sofrito
2 small packets of Sazon
2 cans of Vienna Sausages (5 oz. can and save the liquid for the rice)
2 cans of tomato sauce (8 oz. size)
1 envelope of onion soup
2 teaspoons of salt (omit salt if onion soup is used)
¼ cup of canola oil
4 ¾ cups of hot water
15 olives (pimiento stuffed)
2 teaspoons of alcaparras (capers)

Use a 5qt. pot (or a pot big enough for the rice to expand) over medium heat. Do not use a stainless steel pot. Trust me... it is a mess to clean.

Add sofrito, sazón, vienna sausages (and a taste for the chef), tomato sauce, onion soup (or salt), canola oil, olives and alcaparras.

Rinse the rice well (Mama says always rinse twice) and add to the other ingredients.

Add the hot water (liquid of the sausages and water to equal the amount of water specified). Turn heat up to medium high and stir well.

When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium, and let the rice completely dry out. By now, most of the liquid will be absorbed and you will not see the edges around the rice bubbling with the yummy liquid.

Stir the rice with a large spoon, bringing the rice at the bottom to the top.

Cover the pot to a tight fit with the lid and aluminum foil and reduce the heat to low.

After about 20 minutes, uncover carefully (watchout for the steam) and turn the rice again using the large spoon.

Cover the pot again with the lid and aluminum foil and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the pot and set it on a cool burner. DO NOT leave it on a hot burner or it will continue to cook and all you will end up with is pegao (crusty rice). Speaking of pegao, it is the last and best part of the rice because lots of the ingredients have sunk to the bottom and it is very tasty.

Let stand for about 5 minutes then remove the lid and enjoy.

¼ cup olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, crushed
2 Spanish chorizos, sliced
1 packet Sazón Goya with culantro and annatto
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups chick peas, cooked
½ cup red pepper, chopped

In a medium caldero add the chorizo and cook until golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the other ingredients, season, cover and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.
* Puerto Ricans use Spanish chorizo our recipes. This recipe calls for Spanish Chorizo (more like a sausage) not Mexican chorizo, which tends to crumble. For this recipe you need Spanish Chorizo. The flavor is different.

2 cups uncooked rice
1 lb. chicken parts
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of sliced Spanish Olives, use a bit of the liquid and the red peppers too.
1 teaspoon alcaparras
½ cup sofrito
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
4 cups of boiling water
In a large caldero brown the chicken parts in the oil, 5 minutes each side.
Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Don't put them on paper towels - we want any grease back in the pot.
Leave the chicken drippings inside the pot and add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken.
Mix well and cook sofrito for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir.
Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, stir once only.
Boil uncovered, over high heat, until water is absorbed.
Once the water is absorbed gently stir from bottom to top. Just a couple of turns only.
Cover and continue to cook over LOW heat for another 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

3 1/2-4 lb whole chicken, cut up
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon vinegar or fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 sprigs cilantro
chicken neck, back and wing tips
1 onion
1 green bell pepper, cored and seeded
8 sprigs cilantro, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup salt pork (optional), diced
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups beer (optional)
2 cups rice
18 pimento stuffed green olives, cut in half
3 teaspoons capers
6 ounces pimento, cut into strips
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

3 cups of short or long grain rice (rinsed)
2 lb's of chicken parts (skinned)
4 1/2 onces of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado
2 teaspoons of salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of Sofrito
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 cups of boiling water
1 packet of sazon with saffron
Wash the rice, drain and set aside. In a large dutch oven. Brown the chicken parts with the oil, 5 minutes each side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Leave the chicken drippings inside the pot and add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken. Mix well in medium heat and cook the sofrito for 5 minutes, taste to see if there is enough salt. Add the chicken and rice to the pot and mix well. Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, mix well again.
Don't cover the pot until the water is absorbed. Once the water is absorbed use a wooden spoon and gently stir from bottom to top. Cover and lower the heat to low for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is tender.

2 1/2 tazas de arroz grano mediano (lavado)
3 1/2 tazas de agua
1 cubito de Caldo de Pollo
2 cucharadas de aceite de achiote
1 cdta de Sal
Sofría el aceite, cubito de pollo y sal por 2 minutos a fuego lento. Añada el resto de los ingredientes y pon el fuego alto hast que hierva. Cuando el arroz se este secando.. revuelva y baja a fuego lento y tapalo. Continua cocinando hasta que el arroz este blandito, revolviendo por lo menos 3 veces mientras se cocina. de 25 a 30 minutos..

¼ cup vegetable oil
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups boiling water
1 envelope Sazón Goya
1 tsp. salt

Rinse the rice using a metal strainer and shake off excess water.
Heat oil in a caldero, add the rice, water, Sazón, and salt. Water line should be about 1" above rice line. Too much water means rice will be sticky. Too little water and it won't cook through. Stir a few times to mix ingredients.
Cook over high heat until water evaporates, then stir once or twice (too much stirring and rice might get sticky), bring the heat down to low, cover and cook another 25 minutes or so. Traditionally Puerto Ricans shape the rice to have a pyramid like mound in the middle in order to cook better - not necessarily true. That's it!
* Other suggestions. You can use beef or chicken broth to enhance the flavor and/or use bacon grease instead of vegetable oil. (Both my grandmothers used bacon grease and they lived to a very healthy 95 or so years. My great-grandmother cooked the same way and she lived way past 105). You can even add more than ¼ cup grease or oil - it will take better and be more grainy. If you don't have Sazón, use 1 can tomato sauce.
Make it more interesting by adding frozen mixed veggies at the same time you add all the ingredients. You could also add beans if you want.
This is just a basic rice recipe. To make white rice omit the Sazón.

2 1/2 cups of medium grain rice (rinsed)***
3 1/2 cups of water
1 tablet of chicken bouillon
2 T annatto oil
1 t of salt
In a 3-quart dutch oven or saute pan, heat the oil, salt and bouillon cube to dissolve. Add the remaning ingredients and on high heat, bring to a boil. As soon as it looks like the water has evaporated; set the heat very low, stir the rice well and cover. Cook on low heat for about 25 to 30 minutes, making sure that you have stirred it a couple of times while cooking.

1/2 libra de tocineta
3 sobres de french onion soup or dip
2 tazas de arroz
3 tazas de agua
1 cebolla cortada en trocitos
Procedimiento
Corte la tocineta en trocitos como de 1 pulgada y luego cocine la tocineta a gusto (no muy tostada) con la cebolla.Luego a%ntilde;ada los sobres de sopa de cebolla y mezcle con la tocineta.Añada el arroz, deje que el arroz absorba el liquido y agregue el agua.Tape y deje cocinar por 20 minutos a temperatura med-low o hasta que este listo.
Tip: Un sobre de sopa de cebolla por cada taza de arroz, y uno extra para mejor gusto. Ejemplo 4 sobres por 3 tazas, 5 sobres para 4 tazas.

Arroz con cerveza y cebolla, rice in beer and onion, is a dish that may have your diners asking for second helpings, so be sure to cook enough to allow for that.
The basic recipe should serve 4 adult diners.
Ingredients:
Two cups uncooked white rice
1 can onion soup
1 can of beer
two slices of bacon, cut in small pieces. Trim off some of the fat, if excessive.
1 large white onion, peeled of its outer coats
1 teaspoonful of salt
1 cup Spanish red peppers (pimientos morrones)
1 cup sweet peas (or peas and carrots)

The rice should be cooked in a pot just deep enough to allow for its doubling in size during the process.

Fry the bacon over medium heat in the pot where you will cook the rice, until most of the grease has become liquid. Stir occasionally to keep the bacon from sticking to the pot.

Add the beer and the onion soup. Carefully add the rice and the salt, stir and set to medium heat, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates. Do not try to speed up the process by using more heat, since this may cause scorching of the rice and a good portion of it may stick to the bottom of the pot. (This is called "Pegao" in Caribbean cooking; we'll get to it in future recipes!)

When the liquid has evaporated (about ten minutes), use a ladle to fold the rice so that the rice from the bottom now lies on top. It normally takes about four scoops to go around the whole pot. Place the onion on top of the rice, REDUCE the heat to LOW, and cover the rice. The rice should cook for ten to fifteen minutes, or until tender.

Decorate with the Spanish red peppers and the sweet peas (and carrots) when serving.

¼ taza aceite de oliva
½ lb. jamón de cocinar bien picadito
½ taza sofrito
1 sobre sazonador con culantro y achiote
1 lata habichuelas colorá 2 tazas arroz grano largo
2 tazas caldo de pollo ½ taza pimiento rojo picadito
1 hoja de laurel

En una cacerola mediana echa el aceite de oliva, jamón y cocina hasta que quede doradito.
Echa el sofrito y cocina a temperatura mediana por 2 a 3 minutos.
Añade el resto de los ingredientes, tapa y cocina a temperatura mediana por 20 a 25 minutos. 4 Porciones

¼ taza aceite de oliva 2 cdas. mantequilla
1 taza cebolla picadita
1 cdta. ajo 2 tazas caldo de pollo
2 tazas arroz grano largo
1 maso de perejil y/o cilantrillo picadito
Queso parmesano rallado

En una cacerola mediana echa el aceite de oliva, mantequilla, calienta y echa la cebolla, ajo y cocina a temperatura mediana por 2 a 3 minutos. Añade el caldo, arroz, sazona al gusto y cocina a temperatura mediana por 20 a 25 minutos. 4 Porciones

½ lb. shrimp, cleaned
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup smoked ham, diced
½ cup smoked sausages, diced
½ lb. chicken breast, diced
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 cups diced tomatoes
2 tsps. diced garlic
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups, long grain rice
2 envelopes Sazón with achiote and culantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
Adobo to sprinkle on meats
Sprinkle Adobo over shrimp, ham, sausages, and chicken. Stir fry the shrimp for a few minutes and set aside. In a caldero stir fry the ham, sausages, and chicken in the olive oil, for about 4 minutes. Add the veggies and cook another 5 minutes or so. Add the rest of the ingredients, season to taste, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for another 10 minutes.

Paella is a typical Spanish dish and is traditionally cooked in a "paellera" - a round flat pan with two handles - which is then put on the table. It is normally made using shellfish but can also be made with chicken or rabbit. In many Spanish villages, especially in coastal areas, they use a giant paellera to cook a paella on festival days which is big enough to feed everybody.
A paella is very flexible so if you don’t have the exact ingredients or if you find some of them hard to get hold of, substitute them for something similar. Getting fresh shellfish can be a problem, but you can always use frozen fish and use fish stock instead of water to increase the flavour.
There are literally hundreds of ways to cook a paella and every cook has their own favourite recipe. Here’s mine (it will serve 6 people depending on how hungry you are):
INGREDIENTS:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips
2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
100g peas, cooked
200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)
200g small clams
200g squid
12 mussels
350g rice
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)
a sprig of parsley, finely chopped
olive oil
about 800ml water
PREPARATION:
MUSSELS: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.
FRESH SQUID: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.
CLAMS: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.
PRAWNS: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.
GARLIC: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.
RECIPE:
Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.
Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.