Potaje de Garbanzos • Chickpea Stew

Time to clear out the freezer. I found a ham bone, 1/2 a large Spanish chorizo, some frozen butternut squash and frozen green bell pepper... hmmmm.... check the refrigerator....onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots.... okay Chickpea Stew... check the pantry... oh noooo! No garbanzo beans. Easily resolved. Send the hubby to the market. Here we go.

1 lb dry garbanzo beans (chickpeas) soaked overnight
1 ham bone or two ham hocks
Spanish chorizo (whatever you have on hand be it 2 small links or one large one)
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
6-8 garlic cloves, pressed
2 medium sized potatoes, quartered
1 carrot, sliced
3 to 4 cups worth of calabaza or butternut squash cut in large chunks
olive oil
salt to taste

The big question in all this is how much water to use, and since I eyeball all of it, I'll just tell you to fill a large pot with plenty of water, enough to cover all your ingredients (including the ham bone) and then some, you can always let it reduce by simmering uncovered or you can always add more water if  thickens too much. Just check it periodically.

Okay so on high heat bring your large pot of water to boil with the garbanzo beans, ham and bay leaf and a drizzle of olive oil. After  a few minutes this will start to foam, you can remove the foam with a slotted spoon. While this boils prepare your other ingredients. Now some people may want to sautee the onions and pepper and garlic and chorizo with the tomato sauce, but I just drop them in the boiling pot. So whichever way you prefer, go ahead and add the mentioned ingredients to your pot. You are going to have to let this boil on medium heat for about 2 hours (covered) after this time, check the tenderness of your garbanzos and the level of the water. Remove your ham or ham hocks at this time and pick off any meat that you may want to put back into the stew. If your garbanzos are still hard, you need to cook longer, if they are tender then go ahead and add your potatoes, carrots and calabaza (squash). Bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook for another hour or so.

Carne con Papas

I don't make this too often because it reminds me of my first husband. Although he was born in Brooklyn, he was raised very Cuban. I mean in an old-fashioned has-to-have-dinner-on-the-table-when- he-gets-home Ricky Ricardo sort of way. Nothing store bought or out of a box, had to have Cuban food the way his mother (or father) made it... yada, yada, yada. This is one of the first Cuban meals I learned to make way back then—about 100 years ago.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves pressed
2 pounds lean stewing beef, cubed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup beef stock (or 1 cup water with one beef bouillon cube)
1 tbsp. ketchup
A few pimento-stuffed green olives (optional)
2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
Salt to taste

Okay, now here's the easy part. Take all of the above mentioned ingredients and toss them in a crock pot. Whaaaaa? Yes, meat for stew is very tough. You could make this on the stovetop, but after you sautee your onions and peppers and brown your meat and pour in the tomato sauce and the sherry, etc. you'd still have to let it simmer for at least 2 hours or more just to get tender meat. The alternative would be to make it in a pressure cooker, like my mother used to... but I'm afraid of those! And no, the potatoes won't fall apart from sitting in the crock pot for so long, just leave them in big chunks.

Serve over white rice (of course). Plantains as a side dish are the best!

Tamal en Cazuela

My grandmother was crowned the queen of Cuban tamales by those who knew her, but growing up I didn't like tamales. Later as an adult, even though I learned to appreciate my abuela's tamales, I preferred tamal en cazuela. 

I decided to make this dish vegetarian although it traditionally calls for pork and/or chorizo. Knowing my meat loving family, I've prepared pork in the slow cooker to add to their bowls of my vegetarian cornmeal.

For the cornmeal:
1 cup ground yellow cornmeal
6 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons salt

In a large pot over medium heat combine the cornmeal, water, oil and salt. Whisk until the mixture starts to thicken.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened about 30 minutes.

For the sofrito:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
10-12 piminto stuffed olives (optional)

In a large skillet  heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sautee your oinions, peppers and garlic, stirring until the onion is tender about 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cumin. Simmer 30 mintues, stirring frequently.

Add the tomato mixture and olives to the cooked cornmeal. Blend well.

For the pork:
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into bite size pieces (this dish is eaten with a spoon)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lime
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
dash of cumin
drizzle of olive oil

Put all these ingredients into a slow cooker and walk away.

Potaje de Chicarros: Split Pea Stew

Having been married to an American for so long now, my potaje de chicarros is starting to resemble Split Pea and Ham ... sort of. This stew calls for ham hocks and Spanish chorizo, neither of which my husband will eat. I still put in the smoked ham hocks, and I replace the chorizo with ham. Here we go:

1 lb dry split peas (2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 ham hock
2 cups diced ham
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large potato, cubed
olive oil
10-12 cups broth or water
salt and pepper to taste

Split peas do not have to be soaked overnight. Go ahead and bring your water/broth to a boil with the split peas and the ham hock and a splash of olive oil.  Cover and continue cooking on medium low for  1-2 hours until the peas are tender (check your liquid, you may need to add water as it evaporates). Add  your carrots and potatoes to the pot. Sautee your onions and garlic and ham in a bit of olive oil and add it to your pot. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove the ham hock and pick out the pieces of ham, tossing out the bone and the fat. You can put the pieces you pulled back into the pot or you can reward yourself for your hard work and eat these pieces as a little appetizer while you stand by the hot stove.

This dish is supposed to be thick like a stew so if it's too watery uncover your pot and let it reduce, but nothing is written in stone, so if you prefer it soupy and it's too thick, add water. My daughter likes it pureed.

Cubans will add a dollop of white rice (of course) to their bowl of potaje. If you prefer, serve with bread or crackers. This is a hearty meal that requires no other side dish.

Note: This dish can absolutely be prepared vegetarian by deleting the ham, just adjust the salt.

Guiso de Maiz (Corn Stew)

My husband moved up here before me to get the house we were remodeling in order. Since we were apart for a period of a few months, I flew up to see him a couple of times. (really: I wanted to check on the progress of the house). He drove me around town and within ten minutes we were in the corn fields. Acres and acres, miles and miles. Isn't it beautiful? he asked. I sighed. Yes darling, it's beautiful. (really: Good Lord! I'm in the middle of nowhere!)  I had to accept reality. The amber waves of CORN were not ocean waves… but when in Rome … make Guiso.

To make this Cuban Corn Stew you will need:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 small spanish chorizos, skin removed and sliced
or
1 kielbasa sausage, cut into slices
or
about 2 cups worth of diced ham

1 can tomato sauce

1 bay leaf
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel sweet corn (15 oz)
or frozen corn kernels
or
two fresh ears of corn, cut into one inch chunks (or you can slice the kernels off)
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
about a dozen small green pimento stuffed olives, whole
2 cups water or broth
4 hard boiled eggs 

salt to taste

I'm making this guiso with ham. Saute the onions, peppers and garlic in the olive oil, along with the ham, add the tomato sauce, bay leaf, creamed corn, sweet corn, potato, carrots, olives and water.  (The potatoes will thicken the stew, so you may need to add a little more water, use your judgement) Let simmer 20-30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf. Peal your 4 hard boiled eggs and add them whole to the stew.

Serve with white rice or bread.