Cuba has been in the news with recent visits by U.S. President Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones.
Though less newsworthy, we also made a recent visit to the island where Christopher Columbus stopped in 1492. He found no gold, so proceeded on to explore other islands.
Guava and Cheese Sandwich
One of our tour guides explained that a favourite Cuban sandwich is two slices of white Cuban cheese with a generous slice of guava paste between.
Guava jam will also work nicely.
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The paste is like a solid jam in a rectangular block that can be sliced easily. The jam is best spooned onto the cheese slice.
Use mild white cheese such as monterrey jack, havarti or cream cheese. My preference is havarti because it is a bit saltier and gives a nice contrast to the sweet guava.
Rice is a staple in Cuban meals. Paella is a saffron-flavoured rice that is served in a wide, shallow, two-handled pan called a paella. A variety of meats and shellfish are combined with the rice.
The paella that we were served had whole shrimp, head and all, as well as squid and small octopus tentacles.
The flavour was delicious.
Cuban Paella
This recipe serves six to eight.
- 1 tsp. saffron threads (See note) 5 mL
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp. olive or canola oil 60 mL
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 onion, medium size, peeled chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, diced or minced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tsp. ground cumin 10 mL
- 2 tsp. dried oregano 10 mL
- 1 tsp. paprika (optional) 5 mL
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 c. uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice 750 mL
- 8–9 c. beer 1-1.25 L
- 1 tbsp. olive oil 15 mL
- 4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half
- 8 scallops
- 8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
- 1 c. frozen green peas 250 mL
- pimiento slices or green olives, sliced
- lemon wedges (optional)
Crush a few threads of saffron in a small glass bowl with the juice of one lemon. The acid in the lemon juice brings out the colour and taste of the saffron. Steep for a few minutes.
To make the sofrito, add oil to a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped peppers and onions, saute until softened (about 10 minutes). Add garlic cook about one minute, add tomatoes and seasonings. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a thick flavourful sauce forms. Pour into a paella pan or a large casserole.
Saute rice for a few minutes until it develops a slight nutty color. Add to sofrito and mix. Add beer and saffron-lemon mix to rice. Beer is used instead of water or stock to cook the rice to give a nice tangy taste.
Brown the chicken pieces. Add to rice, cover and cook 40 minutes in 350 F (180 C) oven. Saute scallops and shrimp, just until opaque but not cooked through. Place on top of rice, add peas, cover and cook another 15 minutes or until scallops and shrimp are cooked. Garnish with red pimientos or green olives just before serving.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: Saffron is expensive. An alternative is to use annatto powder, which is available at Filipino grocery stores. Annatto powder will give the distinctive yellow colour and a mild sweet nutty flavor. Dissolve one teaspoon of powder (5 mL) in one tablespoon of water.
A second option is to add one to two teaspoons of turmeric powder.
Plantanos fritos (sautéed sweet bananas) are the classic accompaniment to this dish along with a crusty baguette and a salad. Adapted from tasteofcuba.com.
Arroz Con Pollo or Cuban Style Rice with Chicken
This is a flavourful chicken dish often served for a Cuban Sunday lunch. Total preparation and cooking time is about one hour.
- 4 strips bacon
- 12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, or whole cut up chicken with skin on 1.5 kg
- 2 tsp. salt 10 mL
- 1 tsp. pepper 5 mL
- 2 tsp. cumin, ground 10 mL
- 1 tbsp. olive oil for frying 15 mL
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large green or red pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1 bottle beer or cola drink 355 ml
- 2 c. chicken broth 500 mL
- 1 can tomato paste 156 mL
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 tsp. oregano 10 mL
- 1 tsp. turmeric 5 mL
- 1 1/2 c. parboiled rice 375 mL
- 1/2 c. frozen green baby peas 125 mL
Saute bacon in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to low and cook about 10 minutes. Mix the salt, pepper and cumin in a small dish and sprinkle the chicken lightly with this seasoning mix.
Remove bacon, increase temperature to medium-high, add chicken to bacon fat and brown on both sides. Chop cooled bacon and set aside. Remove chicken.
Add olive oil to pan and sauté onion and pepper until onion is translucent. Add mashed garlic and cook one to two minutes, stirring frequently.
Place chicken broth and beer or cola into a large covered pot. Add the browned chicken pieces, chopped bacon, cooked onions and pepper, tomato sauce, Bijol, bay leaf, oregano, turmeric, and remainder of salt, pepper, and cumin mixture.
Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Add rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. When rice has absorbed some of the liquid, cover and simmer on low for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and not soupy. Stir occasional to prevent sticking. Add frozen peas and cook five minutes.
Serve chicken pieces on a bed of rice or remove chicken, skin and de-bone it and break into bite-size chunks before returning to rice.
Do not substitute boneless, skinless chicken in this recipe because the meat will become tough and the dish won’t be as flavourful.
Serves six to eight. Adapted from Three Guys From Miami at icuban.com.
Pulse Recipe Contest<.h2>
Share your favourite pulse recipe and enter a draw for a gift basket of Canadian pulse products. Send to TEAM Resources at team@producer.com or TEAM Resources
Box 2500
Saskatoon, Sask.
S7K 2C4
Draw deadline is June 1.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.