Arroz con Pollo with Salsa Verde
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 (3-pound) whole chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces (2 Pounds Chicken breasts cubed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons ground cumin
11/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 chorizo sausages (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cups long grain white rice
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
3 cups chicken broth, warm
1 cup pimento stuffed green olives
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne. Rub each piece of chicken with the spice paste and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for the flavor to develop.
In a heavy, ovenproof casserole with lid, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Fry the chorizo over medium heat until it is crispy and renders its fat. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes Remove from pan and set aside. Make a sofrito by sauteing the onion, garlic, bell pepper and bay leaves; cooking until the vegetables are very soft and almost dissolved. Stir in the rice so the grains are well coated with the sofrito.
Add the tomatoes and broth, season with salt and pepper. Return the chorizo and chicken to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done and the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Scatter the olives on top of the chicken and rice before serving.
Salsa Verde:
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
To prepare the Salsa Verde: In a mortar and pestle or food processor, mash together all ingredients to form a loose paste. Garnish Arroz Con Pollo with Salsa Verde before serving.

Roasted Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
4 ears fresh corn, unshucked
1 large jicama, peeled and thinly julienned
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Citrus vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the ears of corn on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. When the corn has cooled, shuck it and stand it on end. Using a sharp knife, run the blade down the cob to cut the kernels off. Rotate the cob and repeat until all the kernels have been cut off.
Combine the jicama, mango, red onion and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled corn, and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve.
Citrus Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sugar
Dash hot sauce
1 cup olive oil
Salt pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
In a large bowl combine the lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and hot sauce. Whisk together and slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and cilantro and whisk until combined.

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans, and Rice
Serves:4
Ingredients
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
2 limes, thinly sliced
Directions
Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Arepas: Arepas de Choclo
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels
1 cup milk, plus more if necessary
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
Defrost the corn by placing it in a colander and rinsing it under cold water. Drain well and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Place the defrosted corn in a blender and puree with the milk, sugar, salt, and pepper, to taste. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the cornmeal to make a thick pancake-like batter.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Add 3 tablespoons of the arepa batter to skillet, using the bottom of a spoon to flatten. Spread the batter into a 3 to 4-inch circle. Cook arepas for about 8 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip arepa and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until crisp. Add more butter from the remaining 3 tablespoons to the skillet between batches when necessary.
Lay 1 slice mozzarella cheese over arepa. Top with another cut out arepa to create a sandwich.

Cocadas
Serves: 24 cookies
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, stir together coconut, cornstarch, condensed milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Drop by heaping rounded spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Cucumber-Bell Pepper Quinoa
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
4 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups quinoa
1/2 medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise, small dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, small dice (about 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Combine water and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa. Add the quinoa and stir briefly. When it returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until quinoa absorbs the liquid and grains are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
When quinoa is ready, stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Taste, adjust seasoning, as needed, and serve.

Colombian Chicken Soup
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, skinned and cut into 8 pieces, plus 1 whole chicken breast, skinned and cut in 1/2
1 medium onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, cut into 4 pieces
1 medium rib celery, cut into 4 pieces
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stems only (leaves reserved for soup)
For the soup:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium rib celery, finely chopped
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lemon or lime, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Bijol (available at Spanish grocery stores) or a pinch each of ground cumin and saffron threads
For the salsa:
1 large very ripe tomato, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and mashed into a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
Salt
Directions
Combine all the ingredients for the stock in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming any foam from the top of the stock as it simmers, until the chicken is fall-from-the-bone tender. Add water, as necessary, to keep the stock ingredients covered.
Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding everything except the boiled chicken, and return the stock to the rinsed-out pot. Remove the chicken from the bones and shred into small pieces. Set aside.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the stock and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
While the soup is simmering, combine the lemon or lime juice, garlic, cilantro leaves, scallions, oil, Bijol, and a tablespoon of the soup broth in a small bowl and mash into a paste with a fork.
Also while the soup is simmering, prepare the salsa by combining all ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl and mixing well. Season, to taste, with salt just before serving.
When the potatoes are tender, add the reserved chicken and seasoning paste to the soup and stir well to combine. Allow the soup to return to a simmer, then remove from the heat, and let sit, covered, 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the salsa.


Quinoa Salad
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa ( Inca Red)
2 cups water
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons orange juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons raisins
4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 oranges, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (optional)
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a strainer rinse the quinoa under running water and drain. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the of the water is absorbed. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature

Churros
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
5 cups water
8 ounces butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups all purpose flour
8 eggs
1 pint corn oil
Cinnamon Sugar, recipe follows
Chocolate Caliente, recipe follows
Directions
Heat water, butter, salt, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and nutmeg to a rolling boil. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball (about one minute). Remove from heat. Beat eggs in all at once. Continue beating until smooth. Let the dough cool. Place dough in a piping bag with a star tip. In a large frying pan, heat corn oil. Pipe the churros in long rods directly into the hot corn oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Dust with Cinnamon Sugar and serve with Chocolate Caliente.
Cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Caliente:
1 quart milk
1/2 pound Dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Dark Brown sugar
Bring milk to a boil. Add in chocolate and sugar. Stir over heat until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved.
Yield: 4 servings

Latin Limeade
Serves:
6 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients
1 cup lime juice
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 cups cold water
Directions
Stir together lime juice, ice, sugar and water.