Issue 004: Para Ti Mi Amor

Hey Q-Crew!

I can’t believe it’s the 4th issue already! You may not know, but I’ve been working on the idea for cooking content for nearly 8 years. This month I finally took the leap. I’m so grateful that you all are on this journey with me. This week’s recipes are ‘for you my love’! Oven Baked Mojo Chicken & Arroz con Gandules.

This month’s theme is For The (Food) Lovers. Whether you’re making it for yourself, family, bae, gal or palentine’s, these recipes are an easy way to show someone (or a few people, I don’t judge) that y’all go together REAL BAD. Next month’s theme: Tek A Bite!

Oven Baked Mojo Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs chicken leg quarters
  • 1/2 cup sour orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • Chicken “wash”:
    • 1 cup white vinegar
    • 1/2 cup sour orange juice
    • 3 tbsp salt
    • 4 squeezed lime halves

Step 1: “Wash” the meat in a large bowl of sour orange juice, vinegar, salt, the lime halves, and enough water to fully submerge. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Rinse the chicken off with cold water, making sure not to splash the wash liquid everywhere, and dispose of the squeezed limes.

Step 3: In a small bowl, mix the remaining sour orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.

Step 4: Remove as much air as you can and seal the bag tightly. Marinate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Step 5: Remove as much air as you can and seal the bag tightly. Marinate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Step 6: Heat your oven to 365° and heat a skillet with a small amount of oil over medium heat.

Step 7: Brown the chicken on both sides for roughly 5 minutes. The chicken will not be cooked.

Step 8: Put the chicken into an aluminum foil pan and pour the marinade over it.

Step 9: Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Step 10: Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes

Step 11: Serve while hot!

Arroz con Gandules

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 5+

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups long grain rice
  • 3.5 cups water
  • 2 tbsp achiote oil (use other cooking oil if you don’t have this)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup sliced green olives and pimentos drained
  • 2 chicken maggi cube
  • 1 can pigeon peas in coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 small bunch thyme
  • 3 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup Recaito:
    • 1 small bunch cilantro
    • 8 culantro leaves
    • 1 red bell pepper large diced tops and seeds removed
    • 1 green bell pepper large diced tops and seeds removed
    • 3 aji dulce peppers (or 1 cubanelle pepper) tops and seeds removed
    • 8-12 garlic cloves
    • 1 small scotch bonnet pepper top and seeds removed (optional)
    • 2 yellow onions quartered
    • 2 tsp oregano
    • Juice of 2 limes
    • 1/4 cup olive oil

Step 1: Put your recaito ingredients into a blender or food processor. You may need to add in batches depending on capacity.

Step 2: Blend until completely smooth. add a little water and/or more lime juice if your mixture is too chunky or not blending smoothly.

Step 3: Store half in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and freeze the other half in silicone ice cube trays last and use up to 2 months.

Step 4: Heat the achiote oil in a Dutch pot or other heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.

Step 5: Fry the recaito in the achiote oil until fragrant. Roughly 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: Add the olives, pimentos, and maggi cubes, then sauté until the moisture just begins to evaporate.

Step 7: Add the black pepper, oregano, salt, and stir.

Step 8: Add the can of pigeon peas in coconut milk and stir.

Step 9: Stir in the rice, water, thyme, and bay leaf, then turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Step 10: Boil until the rice is nearly visible under the surface of the water.

Step 11: Stir and cover tightly with aluminum foil and the pot lid.

Step 12: Steam until the rice is cooked, roughly 25 minutes. If the rice is still hard, recover with foil and continue steaming, checking every 5 minutes.

Step 13: Fluff the rice and remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Be sure to catch all of the bay leaves or they will make the rice taste bitter if left in.

Step 14: Serve while hot! This is the perfect hearty side dish for grilled, stewed, or roasted meats.

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Contemporary and fusion West Indian cooking... or whatever else I think up #LetHerCook