Alex's Puerto Rican Almuerzo

Roasted tomato rice

1 cup rice
1 ½ - 2 cups water
1 cup roasted tomato salsa, Pico de Gallo, or chipotle salsa, etc.
Salt to taste
Oil, preferably olive oil

In a large saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions and peppers until onions are translucent. Add rice, chicken stock, water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, cover pan, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper while fluffing with a fork.

Habichuelas guisadas (bean stew)

2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 can of pinto beans (29oz.)
1 can of tomato sauce (8oz.)
1 packet of sazón
2 tablespoons of sofrito (see recipe)
7 olives (pimiento stuffed) (optional)
1 teaspoon of alcaparrado (capers) (optional)
2 cubed medium size potatoes, or pumpkin (optional)
1 can of water (use the tomato sauce can) (if you want more “juicy” consistency. I like the creamy consistency, so I don’t add water)

Put the oil in a deep saucepan, turn the heat to medium. Sauté the sofrito and after 3 minutes add the tomato sauce, sazon, olives and alcaparrado. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the beans, (and optional such as potatoes, water) and stir. Turn heat to medium high. When boiling, cover with a lid and turn heat to low. Wait 20 minutes and FUA, they are ready.
You can use any of the following beans: black beans, red kidney beans, pigeon peas, small red beans, lima beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, pink beans or chick peas. (You can make this with dried beans instead of canned, but when I don’t have time, canned works well). Meat eaters, you can also add 2 oz. of diced lean cured ham (jamón de cocinar) and sauté with the sofrito

Sofrito #1:
1 large onion
1 large pimiento del país or bell pepper
1 medium head of garlic1 bunch of cilantro
12 ajíes dulces (hard to find and may skip)
6 leaves of recao - (Eryngium) (hard to find/skip)
1 small jar Pimientos Morrones/roasted red peppers
¼ cup olives
1 tbsp capers
2 tsps salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp crushed orégano
½ cup olive oil

Sofrito #2
5 medium yellow onions
3 large green bell peppers
2 medium red bell peppers
4 head of garlic
Big bunch of cilantro
Small bunch of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Directions are same for both 1 & 2 options. Both kinds are tasty:
Wash, peel, seed and coarsely chop everything. Put in a blender and pureé. Store in a glass jar covered in the refrigerator for later use. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and dump the frozen cubes in a freezer bag. This can be sautéed and/or added to recipes. This recipe makes about 2 large ice-cube trays. Use about 2 cubes for rice or soup that will serve a family.