Lunch/Dinner Entrees

Contributed by: Rodney Lopez, Waubonsee Staff/Faculty

History of Recipe: This is not a family recipe per se, my grandmother did make something like this with chicken and pork. This is a recipe that I made for my extended firefighter family. I cooked for 18 of the 23 years that I worked on the fire department. "The Cook" was a position of status and privilege and respect depending on who you speak to. I cooked out of love for my fellow firefighters and this recipe was one of the more popular ones probably because it could be augmented to fill just about any diet, dietary restriction, and preference. It could be Vegan and gluten-free without very much work on my behalf.

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 25 minutes

serves: 6 servings

Things You Need

4 tablespoons Butter (oil of any kind)

1 lime

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake

2lbs chicken breast or flank steak or chuck steak

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 onion

12 tortillas

sour cream (optional)

crumbled cheese (optional)

avocado (optional)

Here’s How

1. Rinse vegetables and remove seeds/core from the peppers. Cut vegetables into long strips about a centimetre wide.

2. Make the vegetables in a sauce pan. Heat the pan. Start with butter and allow it to melt down, then add the vegetables and season to taste with the cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, squeeze of lime juice, salt and black pepper. Simmer the vegetable mix and allow to cook down to a soup like mixture. Once the vegetables are going, they will take about 30 minutes.

3. Next get a skillet hot, hot as you can safely work with and add butter. When brown and melted add the flank steak. The idea is to sear the flank steak on both sides to a dark brown while the center remains juicy and a rare. Remove the flank steak and let sit for 5 minutes to re-soak up juices.

4. Keep skillet hot but not too hot; add the contents of the sauce pan - vegetables and juices to the skillet. Allow the vegetable mix to cook down.

5. Cut the flank steak into two inch length and centimeter wide pieces. Cut against the grain and on an angle. Add any steak that needs to be cooked further to the consumers preference to the vegetable mix in the skillet.

6. Place other fajitas on top. Ready to serve with tortillas sour cream, crumbled cheese, avocado

Helpful Notes

Have a hot pad handy!

Here is the link to the cooking demo of this recipe: https://guides.library.waubonsee.edu/latinxheritage2020/videosandmore or it can be found in the video demos tab at the top of this page.

Contributed by: Jenn Tripathi, Waubonsee Student

History of Recipe: My husband is vegetarian, so when I found myself craving foods from my childhood and wanting to share them with him I had to come up with recipes that were both delicious and vegetarian friendly. This is one of your favorites! This recipe comes from: https://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Vegetarian-Enchiladas-7719

prep time: 30 minutes

cook time: 30 minutes

serves: 8-10 servings

Things You Need

Cooking Spray

2 boxes of Old El Paso Enchilada dinner kits

12 pk flour tortillas, warmed

1- 16 oz can Vegetarian Refried Beans

1-10 oz can Ro*Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained

1- 10 oz package Chopped Spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup frozen sweet corn

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

Here’s How

1.) Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 pack of enchilada sauce (this should be 1 cup of sauce) over bottom of baking dish; set aside. Stir together 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, beans, drained Ro*Tel, spinach, corn and 1/2 cup cheese in medium bowl.

2.) Top each tortilla with 1/3 cup bean mixture. Roll up and place seam-side down in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over top of enchiladas; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

3.) Cover dish with aluminum foil (shiny side toward the enchiladas); bake 30 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and cheese melts.

Helpful Notes

The enchilada dinner kit does include some flour tortillas but its not enough for the amount of filling you will have.

If you want you can add one of the enchilada seasoning pack to the filling when mixing together in step 1. Don't add both packs as the flavor will be too strong.

Contributed by: Unknown, Waubonsee Staff/Faculty

History of Recipe: This is a popular Puerto Rican dish.

prep time: 5 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

serves: 6 servings

Things You Need

3 green plantains

1-2 cups vegetable oil

Salt, to taste

Here’s How

1. Peel the plantains

2. Cut the plantains into 1 inch pieces. Heat the oil in a pan to fry the plantains.

3. Fry the plantains until lightly golden.

4. Transfer plantains onto paper towels to drain some of the oil. As they drain, smash the plantains a little to be flatter.

5. Return the plantains to fry pan and fry for 5 minuters, or until golden brown and crispy texture. Drain the oil again by patting with paper towels.

6. Season with salt and serve with either rice and beans, or a dip.

Contributed by: Terry Lyons, Waubonsee Staff/Faculty

History of Recipe:

prep time:

cook time:

serves:

Things You Need

INGREDIENTS:

4 green plantains

1 lb of chicharrón (crunchy pork skin)

3 garlic cloves, mashed

4 teaspoons of olive oil

2 cups frying oil

Here’s How

1. Peel the plantains, cut them into 1 1/2-inch slices, soak them in salty water for 15 minutes, drain them and dry them before putting them on the hot skillet with oil.

2. Fry them for about 12 minutes at medium-low heat or until they turn light brown. Make sure to turn them. Do not brown them too much, so they are easy to mash. Stick a fork in them to check if they are done.

3. Remove them and mash them on a mortar. Add some mashed garlic and pieces of chicharrón.

4. Once you have mashed all the plantains, mold them into the shape of half-sphere using your hands or a container.

5. Serve hot with chicken broth or your favorite meat.

Contributed by: Tim Bizoukas, Waubonsee Staff/Faculty

History of Recipe:

prep time: 30 minutes

cook time: 1 hour and 15minutes

serves: 6 servings

Things You Need

For the Sauce:

2 tsp. vegetable oil 2

2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

1 (8 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 chicken bouillon cube

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Dash of pepper

For the Chilies Rellenos:

2 (4 oz.) cans whole green chilies

¼ lb. Monterey Jack cheese

2 eggs, separated

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil or Crisco for deep frying

All-purpose flour

¼ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Here’s How

Put vegetable in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over moderately high heat until very hot. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly until tender but not brown. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon cube, salt oregano, and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm while you are preparing the Chilies Rellenos.

Drain green chilies and cut Monterey Jack cheese into strips to fit the size of the chilies. Carefully place 1 strip of cheese in the center of each chili. Put egg whites in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form when beaters are slowly lifted. In a small-bowl beat egg yolks slightly and gently fold into egg whites. Add 2 tablespoons flour to egg mixture and fold until blended.

Put oil or shortening in an electric skillet, heavy saucepan, or fryer so that it measures 1½ to 2 inches deep. Heat until it reaches 425 degrees F. on a deep-frying thermometer.

Put some flour in a shallow dish. Carefully roll cheese-stuffed chilies, one at a time, in the flour. With a large, slotted spoon, dip chilies into egg batter, coating generously. Gently place in hot oil, a few at a time and cook 3 to 4 minutes until golden.

Remove chilies as they turn brown and transfer to paper towels to drain. Place on ovenproof dish and keep hot in a warm oven. Continue frying remaining chilies. When all are done, arrange on the chilies on a platter and serve with tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Contributed by: Terry Lyons, Waubonsee Staff/Faculty

History of Recipe:

prep time:

cook time:

serves:

Things You Need

4-5 lb chicken cut into serving sizes

10 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp Maggi chicken bouillon seasoning or other chicken bouillon seasoning of your choice

1 ts thyme use fresh thyme if you can

1 onion diced

1 green bell pepper diced

2 tbsp Sazonador Total by Goya

3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for the marinade

1 ts brown sugar

2 tbsp red recado 1 tbsp diluted in warm water, plus 1 tbsp additional for marinade

1 quart chicken broth

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 small cilantro bunch diced (add at the end of cooking time)

Here’s How

1. Mix the garlic, chicken bouillon, thyme, sazonador total, a little olive oil, and the recado rojo in a small bowl to make the marinade. Season the chicken all over with this marinade, and leave in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or preferably overnight.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan (cast iron if possible) and mix in the brown sugar, med high heat. When very hot, fry all the chicken on all sides until golden brown.

3. Move the chicken to a stockpot or large saucepan or stockpot, and add just enough chicken broth to cover the chicken. If you don't have enough chicken broth, use additional water. You want the chicken just covered with liquid. Add the diced green pepper and diced onion, along with the diluted recado. Bring to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for around 45 minutes to 1 hr.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in your bunch of cilantro. If you like add additional sazonador total to taste.

Notes:

Enjoy this magnificent taste of Belize! Serve along with beans and rice, and also potato salad for an authentic Belizean meal!