California Mexican-Spanish Cook Book Part 5

Arroz a la Espanol

(Spanish Rice)

How to Cook Rice

Wash rice in several waters, drain, rub between towels until dry, throw the rice spoonful at a time, one cup to five cups, into boiling hot salted water, boil hard for ten minutes then slowly until all water is absorbed, put asbestos mat under vessel and do not stir; grains will be dry and separate from each other.

Spanish Rice--Mint Flavor

Heat two tablespoons lard, bacon or olive oil, add tablespoon chopped onion, one-half teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon chile powder, pinch of mint leaves, slightly cook, add one cup rice and stir about until rice begins to color, add four cups hot water, cook slowly until all water is absorbed. Pile on platter and cover with Spanish sauce.

Spanish Rice

Fry heaping tablespoon chipped bacon, add one garlic, stir, cook few minutes, add one cup washed and dried rice, one can tomatoes, salt, add one-half cup chile pulp, cook slowly; when about dry, add meat stock or hot water to finish cooking, but just enough to have rice dry and grains separated when done.

Spanish Rice au Gratin

Boil one cup rice in five cups water, add a b.u.t.ton of garlic, teaspoon salt; when done remove garlic. Drain any water and put in baking vessel alternate layers of rice, Spanish sauce and cheese, topping with sauce and cheese on top. Bake until hot through and cheese a rich brown.

Green Peppers With Rice

Chop two tablespoons onion, two tablespoons red sweet peppers, two tablespoons green sweet peppers very fine, fry until tender with a tablespoon chopped salt pork. Add two cups tomatoes, cook and add tablespoon chile pepper, salt, fill green sweet peppers, put b.u.t.ter on top, sprinkle of brown sugar, lemon juice; bake.

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Chile Pepper

Fry chile peppers until they puff under skin; cool and peel; cut out stem, and with a spoon remove seed. Prepare a mixture of any kind of meat, to a cup of meat, one tablespoon of chopped onion, one clove garlic, one-half cup tomatoes, one-half cup of sliced olives, one-fourth raisins--chopped very fine. Add one tablespoon vinegar, and cook in two tablespoons hot lard; cool and fill the chile peppers. Beat desired number of eggs separately, add a tablespoon flour, one of milk to each egg, and season with salt and red pepper. Dip chile in batter, and fry brown in hot lard, drain, sprinkle with chopped parsley; serve hot. A prepared sauce may be served over chile or a white sauce with apple, raisins, peach preserves or marmalades added to desired taste.

Delicious.

Spanish Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Mix one cup of ground meat, any kind, with half cup bread, two tablespoons onion, one-half cup tomatoes, one tablespoon sugar, one-half raisins, cook all together in one tablespoon hot b.u.t.ter for a few minutes, cool, add one egg, salt, chile powder, fill large sweet pepper that has all seed removed, set close together and fill in between with raw tomato, salt, pinch aregano to reach top of tomatoes, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake until well done and brown.

Sweet Spanish Peppers With Sardines

Roast or scald and peel green sweet peppers, take out seed and veins, mix with half cup vinegar, half cup water, add one-half garlic b.u.t.ton, one-half teaspoon aregano, piece of cinnamon; soak all night. Make filling of one-half cup bread, tablespoon onion, one-half cup tomatoes, tablespoon sliced olives, six seedless raisins, drain peppers and fill.

Cover with melted b.u.t.ter, bread and grated cheese. Bake and serve hot.

Spanish Cheese and Pepper Fritters

Heat and peel green hot or sweet peppers; remove seed and fill with salt and red pepper, mixture of cheese and bread, wet in tomato juice--half and half--fasten with toothpicks; dip in egg and roll in bread; fry in deep fat; serve with Spanish sauce and circle of hard-boiled eggs.

Chiles Stuffed With Cheese

Mix half cup bread wet with one-half cup tomatoes and one-half cup Queso Mexicano (a Mexican cheese), tablespoon onion, one-half b.u.t.ton garlic, tablespoon parsley, salt, pepper, one-fourth cup sliced olives, mushroom or raisins chopped and fried in tablespoon lard until tender. Add the bread and cheese, when cool, stuff chiles, dip in the egg batter and fry in deep fat or saute in b.u.t.ter. To be eaten hot served with or without sauce.

Spanish Onion

Grind one cup raw liver to a pulp, remove strings, add one whipped egg, one tablespoon onion juice, one-fourth cup cracker crumbs wet, one and one-half cup milk, one-half teaspoon salt; fill boiled onions (centers removed); cover with grated cheese, cover and cook until liver is firm.

Remove cover, brown slightly, serve with a prepared Spanish sauce.

Spanish Onions

Brown two tablespoons of flour in two tablespoons b.u.t.ter; add two tablespoons chopped onion, two tablespoons sliced olives, two tablespoons raisins, chopped sour pickle, one tablespoon parsley, two tablespoons chopped nuts, one-half cup bread crumbs, one-half cup cooked chicken, pork or veal, one teaspoon salt. Fill onions that have been boiled tender, and centers removed--pile high--put large lump cheese on top and bake. Serve with sauce made of one tablespoon b.u.t.ter, one tablespoon flour, two tablespoons lemon juice, one-half cup water and finely chopped parsley.

Spanish Stuffed Potatoes

Rub lard on large smooth potatoes. Bake until soft; cut off a slice and cut out center of potatoes, add two tablespoons b.u.t.ter, one tablespoon of finely cut parsley, two tablespoons of pimiento--chopped--cuc.u.mber, chopped--one-fourth teaspoon chile powder, two tablespoons hot milk, one-half whipped egg; beat up until light, fill potato sh.e.l.l. Place two strips of bacon on top, set in oven until bacon is crisp. Garnish with stripe of pimiento and parsley.

Mexican Baked Macaroni or Spaghetti

Cook and drain macaroni or spaghetti, two cups of either; heat one-fourth cup olive oil, add clove of garlic and one-half cup chipped dried beef, cook until beef curls, add tablespoon flour, brown, add one-half cup chopped mushrooms, two tablespoons green chile pulp, one large pimiento chopped fine, add two cups tomatoes, cook all together, salt to taste, mix with macaroni, put in baking dish, cover with grated Mexican cheese (Queso Mexicano), bake till cheese is melted.

Calabasas (Summer Squash)

Cook round summer squash in salted water until tender; remove centers.

Mix with egg, bread crumbs and grated cheese, salt and chile powder.

Fill center of squash, pile high, sprinkle with cheese, and bits of b.u.t.ter; bake in a hot oven. Garnish with bits of red chile pepper and chopped parsley mixed with a little hot b.u.t.ter.

Finish

Spanish Cheese Fingers

To serve with all salads. Make very short pie paste with b.u.t.ter, salt; roll and fold several times, sprinkle with grated cheese and chile pepper; roll it into paste enough to make it stick, cut in strips, bake in hot oven, tie in bunches with red ribbon, garnish with sprig of parsley, or cut strips of bread; cover with paste of melted cheese and chile pepper, toast in oven, serve with salads.