Costa Rica: Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice with Salsa), Caribbean Bread, & Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)

I love Costa Rica! I went there for vacation a year and a half ago and want to go back so bad! It was a great place to visit and I thoroughly enjoyed their food. I loved their rice and beans. It wasn't just any rice and beans, it had such great flavor that I haven't been able to find anywhere else.

 So, when I decided to cook from Costa Rica, my goal was to match that flavor so that I could satisfy my taste buds and pretend like I was back in Costa Rica - oh how I wish! My husband also said that this was probably one of his favorite meals that I have cooked - woohoo. Enjoy and have fun!

Chicken & Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Serves 4-5

Chicken:
2-3 Chicken Breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Rib of Celery, chopped
1 Tsp Salt
- My FAV: Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Cumin

Rice:
1 Lb Long Grain Rice, uncooked, rinsed and dried
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 Tsp Annatto
- TRY: Spice Appeal Annatto Seed Whole, 80-Ounce Jar
Salt to taste
2 Cups Peas
Chicken Brother or Water for cooking

Salsa/Sauce:
1/2 Cup Onion, finely diced
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
1 Tomato, diced
1/4 Cup Cilantro
1 Can Tomato Paste

Chicken: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add all of the chicken ingredients and stir regularly. Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Rice: Place all of the rice ingredients in a rice cooker - make sure to double the liquid (water or chicken broth) compared to the rice and veggies. I choose chicken broth for my liquid.
If you are not using a rice cooker, do the same in a pot with a lid slightly ajar. Cook until rice is finished (30-45 minutes).

Salsa/Sauce: Saute the onions, bell pepper, tomato, cilantro, and salt in a small pot over medium heat for a few minutes. Add in the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring regularly.

Serve the chicken with the rice and sauce. Enjoy!

Caribbean Bread

Yields 3 Loaves

8 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Tbsp Yeast
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Oil
2 Tbsp Vanilla
1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Raisins
- TRY: - Melissa's Organic Raisins, 3 Packages (3 oz)
1/2 Cup Candied Fruit

Combine the yeast with 2 cups warm water. Add in 2 1/2 cups of the flour and mix. Cover and set it aside for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place brown sugar in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and then bring to a simmer.

Add all of the ingredients and mixtures together. Mix until the dough is smooth.

Separate the dough into 3 equal pieces. Place each dough into a bread pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Let bread cool before taking it out of the pan. I just flipped the pan over and the bread came out. Enjoy!

Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)

Serves: 5-6

1 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup Evaporated Milk

6 Cups Milk

1 Cup Long Grain Rice, uncooked

1/2 Cup Water

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Nutmeg

1/2 Cup Raisins

- TRY: Melissa's Organic Raisins, 3 Packages (3 oz)

In a large saucepan bring the rice, water, 4 cups of milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to boil over medium high heat. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of milk and bring it back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes (until the rice is cooked). Stir in the raisins and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Croatia: Cevapcici (Beef & Lamb), Rizi-Bizi Rice & Peas, Bacon Corn Bread, & Croatian Donuts

This past week I made a meal from Croatia. It was delicious. My favorites were the doughnuts and Cevapcici. I made most of the traditional donuts with apricot filling and then the rest I filled them with Nutella... I couldn't help myself! It was yummy! Enjoy!

Cevapcici (Beef & Lamb Sausage)

Serves: 4-5

1 lb Beef, ground
1 lb Lamb, ground
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Onion, chopped (I had to leave this out)
1 Tsp Salt
-My FAV: Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg White
Oil for frying

Mix all of the ingredients well - use your hands! Then take the mixture and make them into about 5-8 sausages. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour to help it stick together.

Once an hour has passed, fry each sausage in a pan with some oil until it is done cooking.

Rizi-Bizi (Rice & Peas)

Serves: 6

2 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
- TRY: Dal Raccolto Organic Arborio Rice 64oz
1 1/2 Cups Peas, cooked
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley (or dried - about 3 Tbsp)
1/2 Tsp Pepper
Salt to taste
- My FAV: Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz

Saute the onions in half of the butter. Add the peas and parsley. Once the peas are cooked, set aside.

Cook the rice in 5 cups of water and rest of the butter for about 20 minutes or until done. Once done combine with the onion and pea mixture. Add salt and pepper. Serve with the Cevapcici.

Bacon Cornbread

Yields: 12-15

1 Tsp Sugar
1 Cup Warm Water
1 1/2 Packets of Dry Yeast
1 Cup Cornmeal
- TRY: Bob's Red Mill, Cornmeal, Medium Grind, 48 oz (1.35 kg)
2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1 Cup Sour Milk (make your own by adding 1 tsp vinegar to milk)
1 Tbsp Salt
- My FAV: Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Cup Cooked Bacon, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl mix the sugar with the warm water. Once mixed, add in the yeast and let it rise for about 20-30 minutes. In a larger bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, eggs, oil, milk and salt. Mix well and then add the yeast mixture. Cover and let it rise for a hour or more. Once it has risen add in the bacon.

Grease and flour a baking dish (9" x 11"). Put the dough mixture into the baking dish and bake for approximately 1 hour.  Allow to cool before serving.

Complete Meal:

Croatian Doughnuts 

yields about 15 donuts

Yeast Mixture:
1 1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Flour
1 Tsp Sugar
1 1/2 Packages Dry Yeast

Dough Mixture:
4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Lemon, zest
Salt to taste
- My FAV:Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 Tbsp Oil

Topping/Filling/Cooking Ingredients:
Apricot Jam
- TRY: Crofters Organic Just Fruit Spread Apricot -- 10 oz
Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Liter of Oil, for frying - enough oil so that donuts are floating while cooking in pot

Warm the milk - make sure it is not hot. Add 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp sugar, and then the yeast. Stir it lightly and then set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt together. Then mix in the egg, egg yolk, and yeast mixture. Mix well. Then add in the oil and melted butter. Knead into a dough. Once done, leave the dough in the bowl until it doubles in size (1 hour or more).

Once the dough is done rising. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and spread out the dough, rolling it down until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Use a cup or a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circular shapes. Leave out the cut dough to rise for another 15-20 minutes on each side.

Pour the oil (for frying) into a large pot - about 3-4 inches of oil. Bring to a soft boil. CAREFULLY place the doughnuts into the pot to cook. I placed about 3 in at a time - make sure they do not touch. They will take a few minutes to cook on each side. Make sure to watch them so they do not over cook. They will be a light brown/golden when they are done cooking. Once done, use a tong to take them out and set aside on a plate.

To fill them, get a piping bag and fill them with the jam. In the center of the doughnut, pierce it with the piping bag and fill it with the jam. Then sprinkle the top of the doughnut with the powdered sugar. It is ready to serve!