A nod to Florida’s 500th anniversary — and its rich cultural roots — which will be celebrated throughout 2013.
By Janet Groene, F47166
November 2012
In 1513 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. In 2013 the state will observe its rich Spanish heritage and cultural diversity during a celebration titled Viva Florida 500. Cattle, horses, citrus, hot peppers, and wild pigs were introduced to the Americas by the Spanish. The year will be filled with special events celebrating the conquistador era. Although Spanish occupation was over by 1821, these recipes remember their legacy.
Slow Cooker Spanish Steak
The acid in the tomatoes tenderizes inexpensive cuts of beef while the balsamic vinegar and bay leaves bring in the flavors of Old Spain.
2 to 3 pounds lean, boneless beef
1 tablespoon beef base such as Better Than Bouillon
Salt, pepper
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 cup water
Spread the beef with the beef base, cut it into six servings, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the meat in a slow cooker and cover with the sliced onions. Add the garlic and drizzle balsamic vinegar over it all. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with the paprika and brown sugar. Add the bay leaves and water. Cook for eight hours on low or four hours on high. Remove the bay leaves and serve the beef over rice, or put the beef and pan juices in shallow bowls and provide chunky bread to mop up the juice. This recipe makes six servings.
Cook’s note: If you don’t have Better than Bouillon, which is a paste, use a liquid browning agent such as Bovril or Gravy Master.
Slow Cooker Castanet Stew
8 ounces chorizo sausage, skins removed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds lean pork chunks
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup cold water
In a nonstick skillet, brown the chorizo in hot olive oil and pour off all but a tablespoon of the drippings. Brown the pork and put it in a slow cooker with the sausage. Add the remaining ingredients except the salt, pepper, cornstarch, and water. Cook for three to four hours on high or six to eight hours on low. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the cooker to high; stir the cornstarch into the water until smooth; then stir the mixture into the stew until it clears and thickens. Ladle the stew into shallow soup plates and put a scoop of rice or mashed potatoes on top.
Black Beans With Tasso
When England took control of Florida during the mid-1700s, the Spanish moved on to Cuba or to the Louisiana Territory, which was held by Spain or France until it became part of the United States in 1803. There they mingled with Indian, slave, and white populations to form the Creole culture. Tasso is a spicy form of smoked pork shoulder with origins in Cajun Louisiana.
1 pound tasso, cut up
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 15-ounce can ready-to-serve chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning blend
3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
6 portions cooked white rice
Brown the tasso in hot oil, gradually stirring in the onion, pepper, celery, and garlic. Add the chicken broth, bouillon cubes, and Creole seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover; and cook over low until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the black beans; heat through; and serve over rice. This recipe makes six servings.
Take-Along Cake
When we hear the word “chocolate,” we think of Switzerland or perhaps Hershey, Pennsylvania, but chocolate was introduced to the Spanish by American natives in Mexico. This recipe from a new cookbook called Complete Cake Mix Magic (see accompanying review) is an excellent traveler.
1 package Swiss chocolate cake mix
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Spread the batter in a prepared 9-inch-by-13-inch pan. Drizzle melted butter over the batter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and nuts. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees until a tester comes out clean. Cool at least 30 minutes in the pan before cutting. For travel, cool it completely and wrap.
Spanish Red Wine Stew
This flavorful, one-pot dish puts a Spanish twist on a French classic, beef Burgundy.
2 pounds lean, boneless beef stew cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 6-ounce can water
1 cup robust red Spanish wine
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried chervil
1 teaspoon dried chives
6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
½ cup chorizo sausage, finely cut up
Salt, pepper to taste
In a large pot, cook the beef in hot oil, gradually stirring in the garlic over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and add the tomato paste, water, wine, and herbs. Stir and then add the potatoes and chorizo. Cover and cook over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes until the beef and potatoes are tender, adding more water or wine if needed. Season to taste. This recipe makes six servings.
Alternate methods: In a slow cooker, cook for four hours on high or six hours on low, adding more water if needed. In a pressure cooker, cook for 15 minutes at full pressure and let the pressure resolve on its own. Do not quick-cool.
Spanish Hash For Two
Keep a bag of frozen hash browns and cans of sliced beef on hand for quickies such as this one. It’s a favorite for a meat-and-potatoes meal with a few simple additions to give it a Spanish accent.
1 12-ounce can sliced beef in gravy
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups frozen hash browns with onion and green pepper
1 medium onion, finely diced
Half a green pepper, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
1 small jar diced pimentos (approximately 2 tablespoons), drained
1/3 cup ketchup
Open the can of beef and use clean kitchen shears to snip the meat into small pieces right in the can. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the hash browns, onion, and pepper. Add pepper flakes. Reduce heat; cover; and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the beef, gravy, pimentos, and ketchup. Heat through and serve. This recipe makes two portions.
Spanish Two-Na
Nothing in the pantry but a can of tuna and some stuffed olives? Cook up a couple of portions of rice and spoon this tasty tuna mixture over it.
1 can tuna in oil
1 tablespoon tuna oil
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup white wine or water
½ cup sliced or salad olives, well drained
Salt, pepper to taste
2 portions cooked rice
Lemon wedges (optional)
Open the can of tuna and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the tuna oil. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and stir in the flour and the water or wine to make a sauce. If necessary, add a little more liquid. Stir in the tuna and olives and heat through. Season to taste and serve over rice. Garnish with lemon wedges if you have some. This recipe makes two servings.
Spanish Baked Fish
Seafood has been a dietary staple in both the old and new worlds, but oranges and other citrus came to Florida with the Spanish.
Butter
4 portions meaty fish (i.e., salmon, mahi-mahi, halibut)
Salt, pepper, thyme
1 medium green pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 plum tomatoes, diced and drained
4 scallions, light green and white only, sliced
2 medium oranges, thinly sliced and seeds removed
½ cup orange juice
Butter a baking dish that’s large enough to hold the fish without crowding, but also without wasted space. Sprinkle the fish lightly with salt, pepper, and thyme, and then place the rest of the ingredients atop it in the order given. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the fish flakes easily. This recipe makes four servings.
Books For Cooks
Healthy Foods from A to Z ($15.95, Moonstone Press) is a bilingual children’s book in English and Spanish. It’s the perfect gift book from parents and grandparents to kids who need to know more about foods and their names. Illustrations and the two-language dictionary make it a fun book to read, browse, or reference. With more and more kids becoming sophisticated foodies and eating their broccoli, families will love this sturdy hardback.
You don’t have to be a card player to collect and love the Best of Bridge cookbook series published by Robert Rose. The newest is the Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook ($29.95), which comes with a sturdy, hardback, spiral binding to last a lifetime.
In this book, the Best of Bridge ladies highlight recipes that can be put in a slow cooker and forgotten while players enjoy an afternoon of bridge in the campground clubhouse. The recipes are bright and clear and the photos are mouthwatering. Choices range from breakfast dishes to sumptuous slow-cooker desserts.
One of the best new cookbooks for sweets lovers is Complete Cake Mix Magic ($24.95, Robert Rose) by Jill Snider. It’s a treasure you’ll use repeatedly for recipes loved by the family. For shortcuts in the galley, each recipe starts with a box of cake mix, leaving more time for campground fun.
Southern Living magazine is known for its monthly recipes as well as for collector cookbooks that are sacred to generations of cooks in Dixie and elsewhere. A new hardback titled Home Cooking Basics ($29.95, Oxmoor House) is a beautifully illustrated guide to culinary classics from mashed potatoes to Southern soda bread. Beginner cooks will like its clarity; seasoned cooks will enjoy its selection of tempting recipes and inspiring photos.
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