Nov 15, 2011

Sofrito


I mentioned in "about me" that I am of Puerto Rican descent and have enjoyed exploring gluten free foods of many different spanish cultures.  I have to say that before my diagnosis I was very biased in terms of Puerto Rican food as it compares to other the South and Central American foods. To me no other culture compared to the flavors and aromas we ( and by we I mean Puerto Ricans) created in our kitchens. 

I can honestly say I was very mistaken!  However, I did learn what differentiates the cultures from each other, it's all in the Sofrito!! This is the basis for just about every dish we make.  It is the conbination of these fresh herbs and spices that will fill your home with intoxicating aromas.....Every culture has their own version of sofrito and there are many variations. I wanted to give you my abuelita's recipe. She is 91 years old and still leads the way in our family for the true traditional dishes.

However, she traditionally made it by sauteing achiote seeds in pork fat, but we have to modify the recipe for obvious reasons.  I also eliminated other ingredients like oregano and cumin seeds for versatility.  We no longer put the achiote in the sofrito instead we use it separately where needed except we cook it in a lighter oil.  This is what gives the latin dishes the criollo flavor.  This recipe can last for at least 2-3 weeks in the freezer and you can use it in everything......and I mean everything; soups, stews, beans, sauces, dips....anything!!!  I didn't add any fat because we are cooking lite many of the recipes will already have fat so I didn't want to add any additional points.

Along with the Adobo if you're not Latin no one would be able to tell from your cooking!   




Ingredients:

Sofrito
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 bunch recao
  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 3 large onions
  • 1 lb ajices dulce (sweet chiles)
  • 1 cubanelle peppers  
  • 2 large green bell peppers
  • 1 large red Pepper
  • 1 tbsp capers (optional)

Preparation:

Wash all of the ingredients thoroughly, peel garlic, and chop all the ingredients coarsely. Add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor.  Texture is a personal preference.  I like to leave it a little chunky but not too much.  Pour the completed mix into a bowl and mix well.  Pour the mixture into ice-cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen pour into a freezer bag.  You will always be prepared for a quick meal that taste like it took hours to make. By the way, these ingredients may not always be available in your local store.  Recao is a long flat leaf herb that has serrated edges and smells similar to cilantro but has double the cilantro power.  You can substitue cilantro for the Recao.  Also, the Ajices dulce are small sweet peppers that range in color from yellow to red and green. Do not mistake them for a habanero since there is big difference in heat! These may be difficult to find as well. If you can't find them you can exclude them....the flavor of your dishes will still be greatly enhanced.


1 comment:

  1. Looks good, I will have to try your abuela's sofrito!! Where do you find the recao?

    ReplyDelete