Here are some very familiar rice recipes:

ARROZ A LA ALEXANDRA

Ingredients :

1/2 kilo of baby crabs
1/2 kilo of clams (pre-soaked to expel sand)
1/4 kilo of stewing chicken breast (bone in)
1/4 kilo of fish fillet, cut into 2″ x 2″ inch cubes
2-3 pcs. of chicken liver, cut into 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2 inch cubes
8-10 pcs. of premature chicken eggs
1 pc. of Spanish sausage (chorizo de Bilbao), minced
1 carrot, diced
3/4 c. of sweet peas
2 bell peppers
1 celery stalks, diced
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 c. of uncooked rice (1-1/2 c. of long grain rice + 1/2 c. of glutinous rice)
1/2 c. of olive oil
3 tbsp. of cooking oil
1-1/2 tbsp. of minced garlic
2 whole cloves of garlic
1 whole onion, peeled
2 onions, diced
1 piece of ginger (thumb-sized; cut into matchsticks)
1/2 c. of tomato paste
8 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking procedure :

Place chicken in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add garlic cloves, whole onion. 4 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf and salt. Boil over high heat. Remove scum as it rises. Simmer for 1 to 1/2 hours, adding water from time to time (you will have to have 2 cups of broth by the time the chicken is done). Strain the broth. Chop chicken meat into 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2 inch cubes.

Meanwhile, rub the fish fillet and chicken livers with salt and ground pepper. Set aside.

In another saucepan, saute ginger and 1/2 tbsp. of minced garlic. Sit for 30 seconds. Add 1 diced onion. When onion is transparent, add 2 c. of water. Add salt and 4 peppercorns. When the water boils, drop the clams in their shells. When the water starts to boil again, the clams will start to open fast. Remove pan from heat. Scoop out the clams (still in shells), transfer to a bowl and set aside. Strain the broth.

Cook rice in chicken and clam broth.

Heat skillet. Add 2 tbsp. of cooking oil. When, smoking hot, add chicken livers. Turn them over as soon as the bottom side browns. When the other side is likewise browned, remove from the skillet, transfer to a plate and set aside. Reheat the oil before adding the fish fillet cubes. Brown them, as with the chicken, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Heat another skillet. Add 1/8 c. of olive oil. When oil is hot add crabs to skillet. When the color changes turn them. Remove and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to skillet. When hot, add carrots. Stir for about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Reheat oil. Add remaining 1 tbsp. of garlic. Stir until it starts to brown. Add remaining diced onion, bell pepper and minced sausage. Stir for 30 seconds. Add chicken eggs and celery. Remove eggs when they turn opaque. Add bay leaf, sweet peas and tomato paste. Stir to mix evenly. Add cooked rice. Stir until a uniform color is achieved. Adjust seasonings. Add crabs, chicken meat and livers, clams, fish fillet, carrots, eggs and chopped parsley. Stir lightly to distribute ingredients. Remove from heat and serve at once.

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ARROZ A LA CUBANA

Ingredients :

Steamed or boiled rice
1/2 kilo ground beef (use sirloin or top round)
3 carrots, cubed
3 potatoes, cubed
1/2 c. of sweet peas
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tbsp. of raisins (optional)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. of tomato paste
finely chopped parsley
pinch of basil
3 tbsp. c. of olive oil
1/4 c. vegetable cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs, fried sunny-side-up
8 saba bananas, each sliced diagonally into 3, fried

Cooking procedure :

Heat a heavy skillet. Add 1/4 c. of cooking oil. Heat to smoking point. Add the cubed potatoes and carrots. Fry until the edges turn a light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Pour off the oil from the skillet. Add ground beef, breaking it up. Cook over high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic, chopped onions, bell peppers and raisins, if using. Cook, stirring, just until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir to blend well. Add the sweet peas. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds then put the carrots and potatoes back in. Cook for another 30 seconds. Add the basil and parsley. Give it one last stir then turn off the heat. Serve with rice, an egg and fried saba bananas on the side.

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ARROZ A LA POBLE

Ingredients :

4 c. of uncooked long-grain rice
6 c. of meat stock
4 c. of water
1/4 k. of pork meat
1/4 k. of native sweet sausages
1 k. of mussels
1/4 k. of sweet peas
1/4 k. of carrots
1-225 g. can of skinned sweet whole pimientoes
1 head of garlic, peeled, crushed and finely minced
2 onions
4 tomatoes
1/4 c. of olive oil
1/2 c. of tomato paste
1 tsp. of dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. of crushed dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil

Cooking procedure :

Soak the mussels in cold water for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse and pull out the beards.

Cook the rice using the 4 c. of meat stock and 4 c. of water. Cool.

Steam the mussels (or cook in the oven) until the shells open. Cool and remove the empty half shell.

Cut the pork meat into 1″ x 1″ cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

Roughly chop the pimientoes, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the onions and tomatoes. Cut the carrots and sausages into cubes, about the size of the peas.

Heat a heavy skillet. Pour in the vegetable oil and fry the pork cubes until lightly browned. Set aside. Lightly fry the carrots for about a minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Over high heat, fry the sausage cubes until they start to brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Drain all the oil from the skillet. Pour in the olive oil. Saute the garlic until lightly browned. Add the onions, tomatoes, peas, bay leaf, basil, rosemary, oregano and pimientoes. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the remaining meat stock. Stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a soft boil. Set the heat to low and add the rice in 3-4 batches, stirring well after each addition. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Cook until the rice is heated through. Return the rest of the cooked ingredients to the skillet–carrots, sausages and pork–stirring to distribute them evenly. Lastly, add the mussels in half shells. Stir lightly to prevent the mussel meat from falling off the shell.

Serve hot.

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BRINGHE

Ingredients :

350 g. of pork rump, cut into 2″ cubes
1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
a bunch of sibuyas na mura or onion leaves, cut into 2″ lengths
a bunch of bawang na mura or garlic leaves, cut into 2″ lengths
2 c. of kakang gata (first extract from the grated coconut meat)
4-5 c. of cooked rice
3 tbsp. of cooking oil
salt and pepper

Cooking procedure :

Heat a heavy skillet or wok. Pour in the cooking oil. When smoking, add the pork cubes and cook over high heat until the edges start to brown. Add the chopped onion and tomatoes. Cook until the vegetables start to liquefy. Add about a cup and a half of water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the meat is almost done. Turn up the heat to medium and add the rest of the vegetables. Pour in the coconut cream and cook for about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the meat and vegetables, transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the rice to the coconut cream and stir well. Add more salt and pepper, the amount depending on your preference. Cook, stirring, until the rice is heated through and the coconut cream has been completely absorbed.