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Recipes From Yescica Livesey

Arroz con frijoles y pollo (red beans and rice with chicken)

Typical Cuban main meat and fish dishes are usually accompanied with Aroz con frijoles (rice with black beans or kidney beans, cooked with garlic and onions)
Aroz con frijoles can be mixed rice and beans, or the beans can be made into a separate soupy side dish. Cuban dishes, unlike other Carribean dishes, are not usually hot and spicy but are cooked with fairly plain ingredients - garlic, salt, pepper etc.

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken breasts
• ½ kilo dried red beans (pre-soaked and boiled till soft)
• 2 large cups basmati rice
• Olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• fresh garlic to taste
• 1 tin of tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1/2 pint chicken stock
• Mature cheddar cheese to taste

Method:
Season chicken with garlic, salt and pepper and cut into strips. Fry in a shallow pan until browned on both sides, for about 7 minutes on either side. Remove from pan.
Pour rice into pan and brown in chicken fat, stirring over medium heat.
Add the tin of tomatoes and chicken stock or water, cover and bring slowly to the boil.
Place chicken on top of rice for last ten minutes of cooking until rice is tender. Remove chicken and add cooked beans, stirring gently into rice.
Adjust seasoning and sprinkle dish with grated cheese. Keep warm until cheese has melted then serve with topping of chicken.

Accompanied by a dish of fried platino (plantain).
Slice fresh plantain and squash into flat patties and shallow fry in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Malanga (yam) - side dish.
Peel and slice the yam into cubes and boil in salted water until 'al dente', drain and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper.

While waiting for this dish to cook why not mix up a few mojitos to get the party started.

Mojitos:
Rum, lemon juice, sugar, soda, mint leaf and ice cubes, stirred.

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