Mojito

Ingredients:
2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
2 ounces white Bacardi rum
1 Tbl heaping of sugar
Plenty of ice
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh mint
2 ounces club soda
Splash of bitters
3 wedges of fresh lime

Preparation:
Put 2 wedges of lime, sugar, bitters and mint in a wide mouth cocktail glass. Muddle these ingredients to extract the lime juice and bruise the mint leaves. Add lime juice and stir to dissolve sugar. Add ice, rum and soda. Stir and serve with lime wedge.

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Ropa Vieja

Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds Flank Steak
4 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Salt
¼ teasp fresh ground Pepper
1 Onion, cut into eighths
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Turnip, peeled and cut into quarters
Water to cover
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Green Peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
½ Habanero Chile, seeds and stem removed and chopped
3 large Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 cup Red Wine

Preparation:
Wash the flank steak and place it in a large heavy pot. Add the next 7 ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until meat is tender.

Remove steak to a plate and cool, strain liquid into a bowl and set aside. When steak is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks.

In a large fry pan, add olive oil and sauté the next 5 ingredients until tender. Add the last 4 ingredients and 1 cup of the reserved liquid and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered to reduce and create a sauce for the shredded meat.

Add the shredded meat and season to taste. Serve with white rice.

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Tortilla Espanola
Serves 6 – 8

Tortillas in Cuba are not “chips” but special omelets. This is the most famous tapas in Spain and a popular Cuban lunch.

Ingredients:
4 lbs Potatoes – peeled & sliced about 3/8” thick
¾ C Pimentos – diced
3 C Onion – Large diced
12 Eggs beaten – or egg substitute
2 tsp. White pepper
2 Tbls Salt
½ C Chopped parsley
11/2 Qts Olive oil or olive oil blend

Preparation:
In heavy large pot heat the olive oil so when you add a potato it sizzles. You are going to boil the potatoes in oil. Add about ½ the potatoes and onions at one time or what will fit comfortably in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until partially cooked, potatoes should still be firm and onion only beginning to turn transparent.

Remove from pot with a skimmer or large spoon with holes to a colander resting above a bowl. This will help drain the oil from the potatoes & onions. You can reserve and reuse the oil. Store oil for future use in the refrigerator.

Cook the subsequent batches until all potatoes & onions are cooked, drained, and cooled.

In a large bowl mix cooked potatoes & onions with beaten eggs. Add salt, pepper, and piementos. Stir well to combine add chopped parsley.

Heat two 9”skillets which can go into your oven. Spray with a non-stick pan release.

Add potato and egg mixture. Let omelet set up about 3 to 5 minutes. Shake pan so omelet moves freely.

Place in a preheated 325-degree oven. Bake about 20 minutes or until firm but not hard.

Remove from oven, cool and turn over on serving plates. Serve room temperature.

The dish can be made a day ahead refrigerated and reheated covered in your microwave oven. Cut into wedges to serve.