Vegan Arroz Con Gandules Recipes

Steps:

• Lay 1 banana leaf (or more, if needed) flat on a large cutting board, then set the lid of a large Dutch oven or similar pot on top. Use a paring knife to trace around the lid, and cut the leaf (or leaves) so that they will fit properly inside the pot. Cover with a clean dishcloth and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook the neutral oil and annatto seeds over medium heat, allowing the seeds to infuse the oil. After 2 to 3 minutes, when the oil begins to bubble and the seeds start to crackle, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool completely. Pour the cool oil through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving seeds for another round of infusing, if desired.
• Make the sofrito: Use a food processor or high-speed blender to pulse the onion, red and green bell peppers, cubanelle pepper, garlic, cilantro, scallions, ají dulce peppers (if using) and culantro (if using), adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed to achieve a smooth, salsa-like consistency. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon sazón and set aside. (The sofrito makes about 2 cups. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days or portion it into ice cube trays or plastic containers, and freeze up to 6 months.)
• Set the large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons annatto oil and the ham or fatback. Sauté until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sofrito, the olives and 1 tablespoon sazón, stirring until sofrito is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Next, add pigeon peas and sauté for another 3 minutes. Season with adobo, salt and black pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add rice, stirring until grains are all coated, seasoned and starting to toast. If there isn't enough oil to generously coat all of the rice and peas in the pot, add the remaining tablespoon of annatto oil. This will help form a delicious golden bottom crust called pegao.
• Once the rice is toasted, stir in the beer and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the reserved pigeon-pea liquid (or 2 1/2 cups water) and roasted red pepper brine. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust salt as needed; it should be pleasantly salty.
• Gently stir rice, then spread about half the thinly sliced roasted red pepper over the rice. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover rice with prepared banana leaves, then cover pot with its lid and cook for 22 minutes.
• Once the time has passed, remove the lid, open the banana leaves and gently fold the rice onto itself from the outside in to form a mound in the center of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, replace banana leaves and lid and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes to allow pegao to form at the bottom of the pot.
• To serve, spoon rice atop a platter layered with fresh banana leaves. Garnish with remaining sliced roasted peppers. Use a metal spatula to scrape pegao out of the pot and serve on a separate plate. Be careful, because everyone will fight over it!

Steps:

• To the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro, culantro, onion, red and green bell peppers and garlic. Pulse until combined. Add the cumin and oregano and pulse a few more times to incorporate. The sofrito should have the consistency of a tapenade.
• Heat ¼ cup of canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the sofrito and fry, stirring constantly, until deepened in color but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, tomato sauce, adobo seasoning, Sazón seasoning, pigeon peas, and water, and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the rice. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is fully evaporated and the rice around the edges of the pot looks dry.
• Stir, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the rice for another 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
• Serve the arroz con gandules warm alongside dishes of your choice.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• *****Notes: In some cases, the rice is not perfect after cooking. If rice is too wet but soft, continue cooking in 4 minute intervals until perfect. If rice is hard, add some tablespoons of broth and continue cooking in 4 minute intervals. If texture resembles mashed potatoes, throw out and start over.
• In a larger saute pan with lid, add equal parts of butter and olive oil to saute vegetables. Turn stove to medium heat. Dice onion, garlic, and seed and dice red bell pepper. Saute bell pepper and onion for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, saute for another 40 seconds. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine.
• Add 1 cup of rice with the vegetables, mix to combine and coat the rice with oil and butter mixture. Saute shy of 1 minute.
• Add two cups of vegetable broth and the other cup of rice. Drain gandules and capers, add to rice and broth. Add bouillon cube, Sazon Con Azafran, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and capers. Add last cup of broth and stir to combine extremely thoroughly for even cooking of the color and flavor. Add one tablespoon of oil, less if mixture is already oily. Stir. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Allow rice to boil uncovered on high heat until most of the liquid above the rice is absorbed (but rice is not completely done or dry). This should take about 10 minutes. Next, cover lid and turn heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork, turn heat off, cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Serve hot.