Puerto Rican Beans Recipes

PUERTO RICAN RICE AND BEANS

Steps:

• Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute until browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and heat until fragrant. Add gandules, recaito, sazon seasoning, and olives. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add rice to the pot and stir to coat. Add 1 1/2 cans' worth of water; bring to a boil and cover. Simmer until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and formed a "crust" on the bottom, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir mixture near the top, avoiding the crust, after 20 minutes.

PUERTO RICAN RICE AND BEANS (ARROZ CON GANDULES)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized caldero or nonstick pan. Stir in sofrito, garlic, sazon, and adobo; cook for 4 minutes, making sure not to burn garlic. Stir in rice until coated well; pour in chicken broth and water and stir once more.
• Bring mixture to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid has been absorbed and rice looks like it has little holes throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in peas and cilantro gently from bottom to top, once or twice only. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let rice sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

PUERTO RICAN BEANS (HABICHUELAS GUISADAS)

Steps:

• Soak beans in enough water to cover overnight.
• Empty Beans into colander and wash with cold water. Discard any split/broken beans or beans that look odd in color and/or size.
• Place beans in large pot with cold water (add enough cold water to cover beans by about 3 inches).
• Cook beans on high heat until they come up to a boil.
• Reduce heat to Medium and partially cover with lid. Cook beans for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beans start to soften stirring occasionally, and adding water as needed (some water will evaporate during cooking). Remember to always have beans covered with at about 3 inches of water.
• Meanwhile, heat a saute pan on medium/low heat. Add olive oil, Sofrito (if using), or the substituted ingredients.
• Saute for 3 minutes, then add tomato paste, Goya sazon, Chicken bouillon cubes, oregano, cumin, black pepper and Olives. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.
• After beans have cooked for about and hour, add the chopped Calabaza or potato (optional) and sofrito with the seasonings to the beans. Mix well, add more water if needed. Cook for additional 1/2 hour on medium heat partially covered, then 1/2 hour on medium heat uncovered stirring occasionally.
• When beans are done, garnish with 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.