Gandules Guisados Stewed Pigeon Peas Recipes

GANDULES GUISADOS (STEWED PIGEON PEAS)

Steps:

• Prep Yellow Onion (1/2), Red Bell Pepper (1/2), and Green Bell Pepper (1/2) by chopping or slicing - you want about ¼ cup of each. For the size, it's really all about your preference.
• In a medium saucepan, add the Corn Oil (2 tablespoon) and heat over medium heat.
• Add Adobo Seasoning (1 tablespoon), Lime Juice (2 tablespoon), Distilled White Vinegar (1 teaspoon), Tomato Sauce (1 can), and Fresh Cilantro (1/4 cup). Stir well. Bring to a slight simmer.
• Once hot, add Garlic (1 tablespoon) and cook for 15 to 30 seconds. Immediately add onions, peppers, Green Olives (2 tablespoon), and stir.
• Add the Pigeon Peas (2 can) and one can full of water. Set heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Once at a boil, lower heat to low. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes.
• If you'd like to have the gandules a bit thicker, once done, crush some of the gandules right in the saucepan with a fork or a strainer making sure you put those crushed gandules right back in the saucepan. Raising the heat will also evaporate more of the liquid and help make it thicker.
• Serve warm with Long Grain White Rice (to taste) - this is the preferred rice for Latin cooking.

GANDULES CON BOLITAS DE PLáTANO (PIGEON PEAS WITH PLANTAIN DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Prepare the gandules: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add sofrito and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mixture darkens. Add gandules, vegetable stock, bay leaves and salt, and increase heat to high. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• While gandules are cooking, prepare the plantain dumplings: Grate or blend plantains in a food processor until smooth or shred them finely on a box grater. Put grated plantains in a medium bowl and add cumin, garlic powder, annatto and salt. Mix well with a fork to incorporate. The mixture will be thick and a little sticky, but the natural starch of the plantain will set up quickly.
• Return the gandules to a rolling simmer. Standing over the pot, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of plantain masa and put directly into the pot. The dumplings will rise immediately to the top. Repeat with the remaining masa, careful to avoid putting fresh dumplings on top of others, until you've used up all of the plantain masa, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking to one another.
• Once all the plantain dumplings have been added, lower heat and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring gently a few times. Remove from heat, and adjust salt to taste. Serve as a soup, accompanied by white rice, with avocado slices on the side.