CHAPTER 1

From Boiling Water to Special Recipes

Laz's Hearty Homemade Chicken Soup

If you can boil water, you can make soup. Take a large pot, add 2 quartsof water and bring it to a boil. Hey, now you're cooking!

Once the water comes to a boil, add the following:

4 chopped celery sticks
1 chopped carrot
8 cloves of garlic
1 chopped green pepper (no seeds)
2 chopped tomatoes
1 piece of pumpkin (about the size of a slice of pie)
2 chopped onions

Let that continue to boil for 5 minutes. Thereafter add 3–4 chicken legquarters (or chicken breasts) with skin and bone and continue to boilfor 25–30 minutes or until chicken is almost done. Then add 2 potatoes,peeled and cut into fourths, add salt and pepper to taste, continue tocook over medium heat for 20 minutes (or until chicken is cooked andpotatoes are soft). Add a small handful of egg noodles and cook for 3–5minutes or until noodles are at desired tenderness.

There you are! Congratulations, Chef! You did it! Believe it or not,you've got yourself Laz's Hearty Homemade Chicken Soup.No more soup out of a can for you full of sodium and unwantedpreservatives that will only weigh you down and leave you feelingunsatisfied and hungrier in a few minutes.

So next time you are feeling down, under the weather, or simply tired,make Laz's Hearty Homemade Chicken Soup.

To take your hearty homemade chicken soup to the next level, simplyadd a variety of other ingredients, such as an ear or two of yellow corn(cut in half) and some malanga and/or chayote (these vegetables can bepurchased at your local farmers' market).

Now that you have mastered the art and technique of homemadechicken soup, with some minor variations, you can make vegetablesoup, chicken noodle soup, navy bean soup, beef barley soup, and evenbone marrow soup.

Please feel free to create your own special recipe. Don't be afraid to becreative. When in doubt, remember, cooking is an art, not an exactscience. Just have fun and enjoy!

You can pair up your hearty homemade chicken soup with a goodthick slice of oven-warmed Cuban or French bread, a couple of slices ofavocado, and a nice, icy cold beer and call it "the perfect home remedy"for the workday blues.

Laz's Arroz con Pollo

Now that you know how to boil water and make homemade chickensoup, you are ready to make a traditional mouth-watering classic Spanishdish called Arroz con Pollo (chicken with yellow rice).

Take a deep pot, add a quarter cup of olive oil, and let that come tomedium heat. Then add these ingredients:

4 chicken leg quarters (or 4 chicken breasts) with skin and bone, cut in
half and slightly browned on both sides
2 chopped tomatoes
2 chopped onions
2 chopped green peppers (without seeds)

Continue to stir occasionally over medium heat for 5 minutes untilthe onions are translucent and soft. Then add 6 garlic cloves and 2 bayleaves. Now add 32 ounces of homemade chicken broth (can be storepurchased in the can). Let that come to a boil and continue boiling for15 minutes. Now add 1 cup of short-grain rice and a pinch of saffronand salt and pepper to taste. Let that come to a boil and then cook for20 minutes over medium-low heat (until the rice is cooked) and youhave a mouth-watering chicken with yellow rice.

This delicious dish will impress everyone, including you! Serve with redpimentos and/or asparagus for garnish.

Arlen's Hot and Spicy Jambalaya (with a Nica Twist)

Now with a minor variation you can make Jambalaya. Again take adeep pot. Instead of chicken, use one smoked sausage cut into half-inchpieces and a pound of pork spareribs cut into 3-inch pieces and brownover medium heat.

Then add 2 chopped onions and 2 chopped green peppers (withoutseeds) and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

Add the following ingredients:

6 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
32 ounces of chicken stock (can be store bought)

Bring to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1–2 teaspoonsof hot Louisiana sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. As it boils, add 1cup of short-grain white rice and cook for 20 minutes over medium-lowheat (until rice is done). And you have yourself one hot and spicyjambalaya.

Won the Lotto" Paella

Okay, this is it. You got the break you've been waiting for (or maybe youjust got paid). Time to celebrate!

Take a deep pot and heat ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil over a mediumheat and brown 1 pound of pork ribs cut into 3-inch pieces along with4 chicken leg quarters cut in half.

Then add 2 chopped tomatoes, 2 chopped green peppers (without seeds),and 2 chopped onions, 6 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves.

Cook over medium-low heat and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.

Add 32 ounces of chicken broth and 1 cup of short-grain rice, and letthat come to a boil. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Now add 4 lobster tails (still in shell), each lobster cut in 3 even piecesand cook for 3–5 minutes or until the shell turns red. Then add thefollowing:

½ pound of shelled, deveined shrimp
¼ cup of mussels
¼ cup of clams

Salt and pepper to taste and add a pinch of saffron. Allow the pot tosimmer for 3–5 minutes, and you have it—a feast fit for a star, "paella."

By now you have the hang of it. You have seen that with the same basicingredients and techniques, you can make a variety of mouth-wateringdishes. Now you are ready for more Latin flavors.

CHAPTER 2

Eggs and Omelets

Tired of the same old omelets? Try one of these:

Ripe Plantain Omelet

2 ripe plantains
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs, beaten

Peel plantains and slice diagonally about ¼-inch thick.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry plantain slices until golden. Drain. Beateggs in a bowl. Add plantains and salt. In same oil return eggs andplantains. Cook over medium heat, spreading evenly. Turn omelet andbrown the other side. Repeat. Serve.

Potato, Onion, and Chorizo Omelet

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chorizo (Spanish Sausage), optional
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch half moons
1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced, cut in half moons
8 large eggs, beaten

Heat oil in large omelet pan. Fry garlic and chorizo (again, optional)until golden and discard garlic only.

Add potato slices and cook over medium heat. Add onions after 5minutes; cook until potatoes are tender. Lift and turn potatoes andonions as they cook.

In a large bowl beat eggs with a fork or wire whisk until slightly foamy.Add salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes and onions to eggs, drainingwith a slotted spoon before you add them. Return eggs and potatomixture to same skillet, adding more oil if necessary so that eggs willnot stick.

When eggs leave sides of pan, cut omelet in half to make it easier to turneach side. Repeat this one more time and serve.

(Chorizo is hot and spicy pork sausage.)

CHAPTER 3

Soups and Stews

How do these recipes sound to you? Better than "canned soup" anytime?

Crazy Russian Pot Roast

This recipe was derived from an experiment we made. We had roastmeat available and we were short on cash. Laz and I decided tomake something unique with the ingredients we already have in ourrefrigerator, so we came up with the following recipe. Not knowingits health benefits, we "tried" to fall asleep and we couldn't. We spentall night awake but not tired. The next day we did not feel irritable orsleepy, so we decided to do a little bit of research on the health benefitsof some of the ingredients. Here is what we found out:

Red beets are unique for their high levels of anti-carcinogens andvery high carotenoid content. Red beets are high in carbohydratesand low in fat and an excellent source of folic acid. Beets are loadedwith antioxidants that are thought to help the body fight againstheart disease, certain cancers especially colon cancer and even birthdefects. Betacyanin is the pigment that gives beets their red color;this pigment is absorbed into the blood corpuscles and can increasethe oxygen-carrying ability of the blood by up to 400 percent. Don'tthrow away the green leafy tops as they can be cooked like spinachand are also rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, chlorophyll, potassium,vitamin C, and iron.

3 pounds of pot roast meat, cubed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of complete seasoning
1 level teaspoon coarse salt
2 bay leaves
2 cups of fennel stems, with leaves
2 yellow onions, in quarters
1 green pepper, sliced
2 peeled carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 leek, sliced ¼-inch pieces
2 beets, sliced ¼-inch cubes
4 cups of water

Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add complete seasoning so that the spices canflavor the oil, and then brown the meat on all sides.

Add fennel, garlic, bell pepper, onions, and bay leaves. Stir togetherwith the meat for 3 minutes or until the onions become slightlytransparent.

Add water and let simmer for 1–1 ½ hours (or until the meat becomesfork-tender).

Then add leek, beets, and carrots and continue to simmer for anadditional 15–20 minutes (or until the beets are fork-tender). Serveover a bed of rice or a French bread, scope.

Garlic Soup

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, passed through food processor (or smashed)
6 thin slices of French or Cuban bread
2 quarts of chicken broth (see chicken soup)
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Fry garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven or casserole (oven safe). Whengarlic is golden, remove and reserve. In same oil, fry bread slices slowlyuntil golden on both sides and reserve. Remove the bread and add therest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Then add garlic and bread.Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve.

Cuban Stew, Creole Style

¼ pound tasajo, cut in small pieces (dried beef)
½ pound flank steak, cut in 2-inch pieces
½ pound pork, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut in half moons
1 green pepper, cut in strips
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound malanga, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 pound yucca, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 pound butternut quash
2 ears of corn, cut in 2-inch rounds
1 medium-ripe plantain, peeled and cut in 2-inch rounds
1 green plantain, peeled and cut in 2-inch rounds
juice of 1 lime
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1½ quarts of water
1½ quarts of beef broth
1 small can of tomato sauce

Soak tasajo overnight; discard water, rinse. In a large pot, place tasajo,flank steak, pork, water, and beef broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Skimexcess fat, which may develop in the borders and skim foam. Cover andboil for 1 hour.

Heat oil in skillet; sauté onions and green pepper until limp. Addgarlic and tomato sauce. Add mixture to meat broth and stir. Add restof ingredients in the following order: malanga, yucca, potatoes, greenplantain, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Boil until all are tender. Serve.

Potato, and Carrot Soup

1 ham bone (see Lentil Soup recipe next for instructions)
2 large onions, chopped
1 large carrot, scraped and cut into thin round slices
1 pound of dried split peas
2 quarts of chicken broth
6 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the ham bone in the chicken broth together with garlic, bay leaves,and onions for 1 hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the splitpeas, carrot, and potato and simmer until peas are soft to the touch.Serve.

Old-fashioned Cuban Lentil Soup

1 pound lentils, dried
2 quarts of chicken broth
1 quart of water
1 medium red onion, cut in quarters
1 medium green pepper, cut in quarters
1 carrot, scraped and cut into thin round slices
1 ham bone (Christmas leftover works well, don't de-bone it, throw in
as is)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut in half moons
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 bay leaves

Wash lentils, set aside. In large pot, soak lentils in 3 quarts of water for1–2 hours. Add ham bone and quartered onion and green pepper. Boilgently for about 45 minutes.

Take a skillet and sauté chopped onion until transparent. Add garlic, bayleaves, and carrot. Add to lentils and bring to a boil. When lentils aretender, remove ham bone, removing any meat that may still be attachedto the bone (meat falls off during the cooking process). Serve.

Country-Style Turnip Greens Soup

1 pound navy beans
1 ham hock
½ pound of salt pork
½ pound beef chuck, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 beef bone
1 onion, cut in half moons
1 chorizo, sliced in thin rounds
2 turnips, peeled and quartered
2 cut turnip greens, coarsely chopped, thick stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 quarts of water

Soak beans overnight in water in a large pot.

Next day, add salt pork, ham hock, beef bone, beef chuck, and onion. Insame water bring beans to a boil and skim off foam. Cover and simmerover low heat for about 2 hours or until beans are almost tender.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for an additional 20–30minutes. Let soup stand for 10 minutes then serve.

Hearty Bone Marrow Soup

4 pieces of bone marrow
8 garlic cloves
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, cut in half moons
1 green pepper, cut in strips
1 carrot, cut in ¼-inch pieces
2 celery sticks, cut in ¼-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts of water

In a Dutch oven, heat oil and brown the marrow bone. Add tomatoes,onions, green pepper, celery, and carrots. Add 2 quarts of water. Bringto a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Serve with your favorite bread, but ideally the best is Cuban bread orFrench baguette.

This nutritious soup is good for what ails you.

CHAPTER 4

Beans and Rice

Did you know that a serving of beans and rice has as much protein asa steak and lots more fiber? Try these Latin classics:

Black Beans and White Rice

8-ounce can of black beans
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
dash of vinegar
dash of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water

In a deep pot, add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then add the rice,beans (with juice from the can), and the rest of the ingredients. Simmerthe covered pot over medium heat until rice is soft.

Red Beans and White Rice

Same as black beans and rice but substitute red beans (not baked beans,please).

CHAPTER 5

Chicken and Turkey

Take a look at the following recipes. Next time your parents visit youin your single's pad, impress them with one of these wonderfully heartwarmingdishes.

Chicken Fricassee

3½-pound chicken, cut in 8 pieces
8 garlic cloves, minced
5 creamy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 onions, cut in half moons
8-ounce can organic tomato sauce
3 bay leaves
cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of pitted green olives
¼ cup of Spanish capers
½ cup raisins
½ cup white wine

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until a light haze forms overit. Brown chicken on both sides; add onions, garlic, bay leaves, andtomato sauce.

When onions are almost tender, add potatoes, raisins, olives, and capers.Cook over low heat until chicken is tender. Add white wine. Simmerfor 5 minutes.

Serve with white or brown rice.

Garlic Roasted Chicken

6 chicken leg quarters
10 cloves garlic, whole
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime

Marinate chicken for 2 hours with salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Place chicken in oven-safe pan and bake for 1–2 hours (depending onthe amount of chicken) at 350 degrees. Serve with white rice or lightsalad.