Recipe(tried): Cuban Dreams in Florida...

Tonight we wanted to eat Cuban food and decided on Chicken and Rice. The day before, while running erands, we had discovered the most wonderful fruit and vegetable stand with all sort of tropical fruits and vegetables like mangoes, avocados, calabaza and the sweetest plantains! It is a stand run by Juan and his wife and the prices were just right for the biggest and freshest produce! How lucky that we found him! My mother made the Arroz con Pollo, Fried Plantains and served dinner with slices of toasted buttered Cuban bread. For dessert we ate Banana Tart with Macadamia Crust. My New England-bred husband is very lucky to have a Cuban mother-in-law!! I am luckiest of all to have both of them!

Chicken and Yellow Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

4 chicken breasts, with skin and bones and fat removed, browned in oil
3 cups water
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbl. tomato sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. pure Spanish Olive Oil
1 green bell peppers, cut in quarters
1 red pepper, cut in quarters
1 tbls. minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1 tbls. dry white sherry or other dry white wine
1 tbls. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. Bijol or saffron (Bijol is the brand name that gives the rice its yellow colr, it is ground annato seed)
1-2 cans beer
1 1/2 cups med. short grained Valencia rice
1/2 cup sweet peas, LeSeuer brand
canned pimiento strips
canned white asparagus spears

In a 4-6 quart pot, combine the chicken (which has been browned previously) water, salt, tomato sauce, onion, olive oil, peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, wine, vinegar and saffron or Bijol. Cook until chicken is tender about 30-40 mts.''Remove chicken and set aside. Add enough beer to liquid in the pot to make a total of 5 cups. Add rice and cook on med to med-low heat stirring occasionally until rice is tender. Add more beer or water if necessary, as rice should be moist. Mix in chicken and about 1/2 cup of the peas.

Turn out onto platter and garnish with asparagus spears, pimiento strips and remainder of the peas.

Serves 3-4

The white chocolate filling makes this tropical delight taste sinfully good!

1/2 cup butter or margerine
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup finely chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
1 cup whipping cream
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbls. cornstaarch
1 tbls. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
3 ripe bananas, sliced

For crust, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla; beat till combined. Stir in 3/4 cup flour, coconut, and nuts. Press onto a lightly greased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mts. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Remove sides of pan.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup whipping cream and white chocolate. Cook and stir over low heat til chocolate is melted, Set aside. In a med. saucepan combine 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and 1 tbls. flour. Gradually stir in milk and half-and-half. Cook and stir til thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 mts. more. Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into 2 beaten egg yolks. Return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 mts. more. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate mixture. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla. Cool. Beat 1/2 cup whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold into egg mixture. Arrange bananas onto crust, add filling. Cover and chill. Serves 12-16.