Sofrito and La Comida de Puerto Rico!

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This week's Friday lunch theme was La Comida de Puerto Rico - the food of Puerto Rico! Here's the full menu:
  • Piña colada
  • Sancocho (Puerto Rican stew)
  • Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken
  • Pastelón (savory sweet lasagna)
  • Mofongo "Rice" (fried shredded plantain)
  • Tembleque (creamy coconut pudding)

We have several teens from Puerto Rico in our summer program this year so we are excited to share some food from their culture. One of our teens even brought in her mom's recipe for the pastelón! The recipe we're sharing this week is actually not for a dish, but for an ingredient used in many Puerto Rican dishes - sofrito.
Sofrito (or recaito) is essentially a fragrant blend of herbs and spices that is used to flavor many puerto rican dishes. Every Puerto Rican household is likely to have their own special version of the recipe. Here's ours, also based off a recipe from a MAP Youth mom. Many of the ingredients may be found in your local hispanic grocery store.

Sofrito (Recaito)
Makes: 1.5 cups (24 Tbsp)
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 bunch of culantro (or recao) (if you can’t find add some extra cilantro)
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 large onion
  • 1/2 lb. sweet chili peppers
  • 2 large green bell peppers
  • ½ cup olives with pimientos
  • 1 sm jar roasted red peppers
  • 1 tbsp. capers
  • 2 tbsp. crushed oregano
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Steps

  1. Rinse, peel and chop vegetables. Combine in food processor and puree.
  2. Use immediately or spoon into ice tray and freeze. Store cubes in zip-loc bag. Each cube measures 1 tablespoon.
Notes: 
  • Recaito is basically Puerto Rican sofrito. It does not contain tomatoes like the typical Spanish sofrito.
  • Recao is the Puerto Rican word for culantro. It is a dark green long leaf.
  • This recipe can be easily adjusted for taste.

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