Poor Man's Paella

One of the main ingredients for a great Paella is Saffron. Saffron is hard to find in Costa Rica, but Achiote Paste is available everywhere, and it is also a cheap ingredient.

Ingredients

Herb Blend
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
• ½ pound of Andouille sausage
• 1 pound raw shrimp
Broth
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes or 2 chili de arbol
• 1 teaspoon salt
Paella
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Achiote* paste
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 sweet red pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup of diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• 1.5 cups Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon of drained and diced Pimento peppers

Instructions:

• Cook the Andouille Sausage and allow the sausage to cool completely. Once cooled, cut the sausage into ¼” - ½” coins and set aside.
• Clean and peel the shrimp, leaving the tails, and set aside.
• Prepare the Herb Blend and set aside.
• Prepare the Broth with the chicken stock, smoked Spanish paprika, turmeric, chili flakes and salt in a small saucepan. Bring the broth just to a simmer and keep warm.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet, or paella pan, over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the achiote paste. Once melted, add the onion and sweet peppers and sauté for 5 minutes, until they are softened and turning translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  
• Add the rice and stir fry until the rice is completed coated with the oil and achiote.
• Stir in the seasoned broth and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add in the sliced sausage and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Arrange the shrimp on top, pressing the heads into the rice, leaving the tails exposed. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes or so, until liquid is evaporated and the rice is almost thoroughly cooked.
• 
  The secret to great Paella is the socarrat, the crusty crispy bottom of the paella that becomes caramelized and toasted on the bottom of the pan. When the rice is almost finished cooking, take the pan with the paella off of the heat, cover it, and let the rice absorb any remaining liquid. This will let the rest of the rice continue to cook while the heat from the bottom of the pan creates a crust.
• Sprinkle chopped basil and the diced & drained Pimento Peppers on top and serve.

Notes: 

* Achiote Paste can be found in most supermarkets in the Latino food aisle.

This is also delicious with the addition of mussels, shredded chicken, etc.

Potato & Chorizo Casserole with Jalapeños

This is one of my favorite casseroles because it's one dish, fast to put together, and a real crowd pleaser.  The Jalapeños enhance the flavor the sausage and potatoes without overpowering them with spice.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of potatoes
1½ pounds of chorizo (or other favorite spicy sausage) 
1 medium red onion
1 medium yellow onion
1 - 5½ ounce can of pickled "Malher* Chili Jalapeño" halves in brine (Depending on your tolerance for hot and spicy, you may want to try this the first time with just a ½ can and work your way up.)
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Wash potatoes and cut up into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Slice onion into ½ inch slices and then quarter each slice. Slice the chorizo into 1 inch chunks. Toss everything with seasoning salt in olive oil and place in a baking dish. Pour the brine from the Jalapeño over the potatoes and onions. Remove any stems on the Jalapeño halves and slice each half in thin strips lengthwise and toss them with the chorizo, potatoes & onions. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove cover, top with cheese and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done and cheese is toasted. Serve

* The Malher brand of Jalapeño chili peppers are found everywhere in Costa Rica, but they are hard to find in the States. These peppers are milder Jalapeños than what you'll find in most of the grocery stores Stateside. This particular brand will enhance the flavor of any food and not over power it. If you can't find the Malher brand, you will need to adjust the amount of brine and Jalapeños to suit your taste.

Arroz Tita (Costa Rican Rice Casserole)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 medium Onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery stalk, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound kielbasa sausage* (see NOTE below about chicken or shrimp)
1/2 teaspoon paprika, ground
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
1/8 teaspoon oregano, crushed
10 ounces RoTel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles, canned (If Ro-Tel is not available, use a finely diced large tomato with all it's juice and dice up a couple of mild to medium hot chili peppers.)
2 1/3 cups water
2 cups long-grain white rice

Directions:
Using a heavy 4 quart pot, saute garlic onion, peppers, celery and carrots in olive oil until onions and celery are clear. In a separate container bring the water and RoTel diced tomatoes & green chiles together to boil. ( I use a large, one quart, measuring cup in the microwave, set on high for 5 minutes.)

Add rice to sauteed vegetables and continue to saute on medium heat until the rice is very hot and crackling. About 2-3 minutes. DO NOT LET THE RICE TOAST

Add the meat, seasoning salt, oregano and cilantro and liquid. Quickly bring pot to a full boil and cover tightly for 25 minutes on low simmer. DO NOT REMOVE THE LID AT ANY TIME.

Turn off the heat, leave the pot stand on the burner for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER.

NOTE: Kielbasa needs to be sliced about a 1/4" thick. The Kielbasa sausage can be subsituted for a pound of cooked chicken or cooked shrimp. Chicken needs to be cubed in bite size chunks and added with the liquid. Shrimp must be headed peeled and precooked. The stock from the shrimp can be substituted for the water. You can keep the shimp tender by not adding it until the rice has completely finished cooking and cooled for 20 minutes.There should be enough liquid to come up about 1/2" to 3/4" over the level rice when it begins to boil. All of the vegetables and meats are optional. If you leave the them out, use a little less water.

"This Recipe evolved from several different rice & meat casseroles I used to make while living in Costa Rica"

Originally posted 2/2/07

Chorizo w/Pork & Turkey

This is a recipe for Chorizo we developed that is lower in fat than standard recipes. We like our Chorizo hot and spicy. If you want a milder version, just cut back on the cayenne pepper. It will still be delicious...

Ingredients for 15 Lbs.

• 5 tablespoons coarse ground sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons smoked hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon annatto powder or achiote
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 5 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
• 3 tablespoons black coarse pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 12 lbs boned pork butts
• 3 lbs lean ground turkey

20 - 1 3/8" (35 MM) natural or collagen casings

Grinding and Mixing:

In a medium mixing bowl, blend all the garlic herbs & spices with the water and vinegar and set it aside. Grind all the pork buts through a 3/8" grinding place into a large mixing tub. Mix in the ground turkey. Pour in all of seasonings and mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Stuff into casings. Hang sausage on smoke-sticks or drying racks and let it dry overnight.

Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Turkey Sausage, Zucchini & Mushrooms

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 1/2 (16-ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 pound Italian Turkey sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 cup yellow sweet peppers diced
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes diced
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
  
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms chopped
• 2 cups zucchini squash cut in 2-3 inch shoestrings
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat with a tablespoon of canola oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. It should be a little less than al dente; it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it and set it aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the Italian Turkey sausage without the casing and saute until browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and saute until slightly tender, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the fresh and canned tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, red wine, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Add the mushroom and zucchini and cook an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the penne pasta to the prepared baking pan. Pour the tomato sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned , about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Yield: 8 Servings