Lelita’s Cuban kitchen

 Arroz frito is a typical Cuban dish. People usually are confused with this Cuban dish because Fried rice is usually associated with the Chinese. Well, did you know that the Chinese migrated to Cuba to work as Laborers? They fused their flavors with Cuban flavors hence Arroz frito, Pollo a la barbacoa as well some other dishes.  Ingredients  1 & 1/2 cooked rice (cold) 1 pc ginger 2 garlic cloves 1 carrot 1 Scallion 1/4 cup Bean sprouts 1/2 red & green peppers 1/2 onion 2 eggs 1 chicken breast 1/4 cup ham  1/4 cup Shrimps  2 Tbsp Oyster sauce (optional )  Olive oil Garlic powder Onion powder  Salt & pepper to taste  1. Add 1 Tbsp oil to a pan. Add beaten eggs & scramble them. Set them aside. 2. Add 1 Tbsp oil and stir fry the  chicken until chicken is done (white and no loner pink). Remove & set aside. 3. Stir fry shrimps. If you’re using precooked then just fry for a minute. If raw stir fry until they’re pink & opaque....

  • 1 box of flour for chocolate cake  • 2 tablespoons of oil  • 1 can of evaporated milk  • 1 can of condensed milk  • 6 eggs  •1 spoon of vanilla    Preparation  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a round or screw-type pan.  • For the cake: Prepare the chocolate flour according to the instructions on the box and pour into the baking pan.  • For the flan: In a blender mix all the ingredients for the flan, the milk, the eggs, the vanilla and the rum.  • Pour the chocolate cake mixture into the prepared mold and, on top of it, pour the flan mixture little by little.  • Cover the mold with aluminum foil and bake in a bain-marie (on a refractory with water) for 1 to 1/2 hours.  • Remove from oven and allow to cool before unmolding.  

Cuban Guava & cream cheese pastries / Pastelitos de Guayaba y queso crema are the most popular Cuban dessert beside Flan. You’ll always find them at Cuban parties or special occasions. You can not have a party without having them for your guest. Believe me. Your guests will love you for them.   *** Note: I make them different sometimes. I usually seal the edges. But whenever I have parties I make them diagonally. They’re more fancier.  Ingredients:  8 ounces guava paste 4 ounces cream cheese 1 package puff pastry dough (two pastry sheets in the package), thawed 1 egg & 2 Tbsp water  (egg wash) 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets and lay on a flat surface. Use a knife to lightly score one sheet of the dough into 6 equal squares (scoring the dough gives you a guide to follow). 3. Cut the cream cheese into 1/2 inch equal portions, then lay each one in the center of each of the 6 squares on the one of the sh...

  Bacalao guisado  • 1 lb of Codfish boneless  • 1/2 green pepper  • 1/2 red pepper h • 1 tomato diced • 1 onion • 2-3 garlic cloves • 1 large boniato or potato in chunks (optional) • Olives 10-12 (optional)  • 8 oz tomato sauce or 3 tbsp paste  • Handful Parsley  • 1/2 cup white wine  • Bijol 1 -2 tsp or 1 pk Sazon  • 1 Tbsp Sazon completa • Black pepper to taste  1. Soak Cod fish over night & rinse it the next day 3 times to remove salt.  2. Boil codfish in water for 25 minutes and remove from pot.  3. Break codfish into small pieces.  4. In a separate pan heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add diced peppers, onions & garlic. Add tomato sauce & wine. Next add codfish & fry seasoning.  5. Cook for 15 minutes.  6. Boil the Boniato or potato until tender. •Peel & cut into chunks. Add it to the codfish & serve over rice....

 For more recipes visit me on YouTube at Lelita’s Cuban kitchen  Ingredients :  • 2 cups of rice  • 1 /2 bag red beans  • 3 tsp vegetable oil • 1-2 bay leaves • olive oil • 1 /2 medium bell pepper diced • 1 /2 med red pepper (diced )  • 1 large onions  • 3-4 garlic cloves • 1 tsp oregano, dried • 1/2 tsp cumin • 1 tbsp Sazon completa (Badia) or Sazonador (Goya) • 1 tsp salt  • 1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste  • ham, neck bones or Spanish chorizo sausage   1. Add beans,1 bay leaf, 1 -2 hammocks or 2 pieces of neck bones. Cook for 1 & 1/2 hours or until soft in a  pot or 30 min in pressure cooker 2. When tender drain beans put beans in a bowl &  save the broth to add to rice. Set aside.   CONGRI INGREDIENTS:  1. Make the Sofrito: add 3 Tbsp of olive oil & sauté 1 small onion diced , 1 /2 red pepper & 1 /2 green pepper  & 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 ...

 Pollo a la barbacoa is a humbled Cuban dish 🇨🇺 influenced by China. Only a few ingredients. The meat is tender, and juicy and it makes a smooth & slightly thickened sauce to go over white rice. Ingredients:  6 -8 Chicken pieces 1 cup Naranja agria marinade 1 stick butter  1/2 glass white wine  1 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup Soy sauce 1/2 glass white wine  1 onion Green & red peppers  3 -4 garlic cloves  1 tsp Cumin Salt & pepper  1. Remove any fat from chicken.  2. Marinate the chicken in Naranja agria for 1 hour. If you can’t find that you can use 2 oranges and 1 lime. Add chicken in a bag or bowl and pour marinade over chicken.  3. After 1 hour remove and pat dry chicken.  4. Heat butter & Olive oil in a pot and add chicken skin side down. Brown both sides on medium flame. 5. Remove chicken and add all vegetables except garlic. After vegetables are soft add garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.  6. Add chicken back in the po...

  Pulpeta  • 1  & 1/2 lb ground beef  • 1 chorizo sausage • 3 hard boiled eggs • 1/2 cup bread crumbs • 2 eggs beatened • 3/4  red pepper  • 3/4 green pepper  • 1 onion • 4 garlic minced • Fresh Parsley  • 1/4 cup red wine  • 1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder • 1 pk Sazon • 1 tsp oregano  • 1 tsp cumin • 1 bay leaf • salt & pepper to taste 1- Boil 3 eggs.  2- Make Sofrito by adding in peppers, onion, garlic. Separate 1/2 of the Sofrito &  aside. Add the other 1/2 of sofrito to a pan and add tomato sauce, bayleaf, add dry seasoning and wine. Set aside.  3- Remove skin from the Chorizo sausage and add to ground beef.  4- Add the Sofrito, parsley, seasoning, but be careful with the salt as the chorizo is salty. You may want to leave it out. Next add eggs, parsley, coconut milk, bread crumbs. Mix well.  5- Divide ...

  Yemitas are traditional Cuban sweet creamy filled candies made from egg yolks. Yemitas originated in Spain and are made throughout many Latin American countries. The Phillipines also have a version of it.  Yemitas are very economical & easy to make. There are two versions. One with a granulated sugar coating and one with a hard caramel coating.  The caramel coated one is my favorite.  I’ll leave the recipe & you can visit my YouTube channel to see the complete steps. My channel is called Lelita’s Cuban kitchen. If you’ve had these delicious candies please leave a comment on my Blog or channel and share your memory.  Ingredients:  5 egg yolks  Lime juice Lime peel 1 cinnamon stick  1 tsp Vanilla  1 & 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup Powdered sugar  Salt  1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg yolks and set aside. 2. Next make the syrup by adding 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a pot. 3. Add lime peel & c...

INGREDIENTS * 8-10 chicken legs * Olive oil for sautéing  * 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes * 1-2 bayleaves * 1 Tbsp oregano  * 1/2 cup White wine  * 1 tsp cumin * 1 Tbsp garlic & Onion powder * Salt & pepper to taste * 1/2 cup sour orange juice & 1 lime (or use 2 parts regular orange to one part lemon and one part grapefruit juice) * 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced * 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed * 3 Carrots  * 1 chopped onions * 1/2  green pepper * 1/2 red pepper  * 6 oz tomato sauce or 2 Tbsp tomato paste * 15  olives * 1 cup water  Marinade:  1/2 cup - 1 cup Naranja Agria or 2 bitter oranges & 1 lime  Brown chicken, remove and add vegetables & sauté until soft. Add tomato sauce then chicken. Add wine, chicken bouillon cube, water.  Cook it in pressure cooker for 30 minutes & afterwards add potatoes & cook 10 more minutes.  Serve with white rice, plantains, salad Buen provecho!  

Cuban Guava & cream cheese pastries / Pastelitos de Guayaba y queso crema. Cuban Pastelitos are brushed with a glaze as opposed to other Latino pastries in which powdered sugar is used.   *** Note: I make them different sometimes. I usually seal the edges. But for these I didn't. I laid a whole sheet over the guava & cheese and cut them into squares and brushed them with egg wash. I let the pastry do it's own thing. Ingredients:  8 ounces guava paste 4 ounces cream cheese 1 package puff pastry dough (two pastry sheets in the package), thawed 1 egg & 2 Tbsp water  (egg wash) 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets and lay on a flat surface. Use a knife to lightly score one sheet of the dough into 9 equal squares (scoring the dough gives you a guide to follow when filling the pastry). 3. Cut the cream cheese into 9 equal portions, then lay each one in the center of each of the 9 squares on the one of the sheet ...