Vegetables
Arañitas de Yuca – Fried Yuca spiders
Arañitas (ñ in Spanish is pronounced like the "nio" in onion in English.) They can also be called arepitas. These were a regular staple in our house growing up. Mainly, because we all loved them. No matter how many were cooked, there were never enough. They have anise...
Arepitas de Batata – Fried Sweet Potatoes
These were my favorites when I was a kid, along with fried yucca. They are sweet but not too much, and not like the Sweet potato fried that are now popular. These are not Yams. They won't work very well for this. There are no instructions other than: slice the...
Auyama – Calabaza – Squash
Auyama is a yellow-green pumpkin with very deep yellow flesh, used extensively throughout the West Indies. It is usually sold by the wedge. Use instead of potato or in soups. The flowers are also edible. Mexicans fix calabaza flower quesadillas, which are small...
Auyama Soup – Crema de Auyama
This is a very easy recipe. My step daughter has loved this for years. I made it, at least once a week for her. Ingredients 1 package cute auyama 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced Around 1 tbsp olive oil Cilantro to taste Salt and pepper to taste Water to...
Avocado – Aguacate
Technically, the Avocado is a fruit. The fruit of a beautiful tree native to Central America. It comes in many shapes. The different variations have diverse skins and colors, ranging from the common avocado green to very dark purple, and from smooth to very bumpy...
Batata – Boniato – Sweet Potatoes
Batata is originally from tropical America. The sweet potato should not be confused with sweet yams, since they are not even related. They are also not as sweet. There are two varieties, one which has yellowish meat and is the sweeter of the two, and the other which...
Beans – Habichuelas – Frijoles
Rice and Beans are the daily staple of the Dominican Republic. So much they call it the Dominican Flag. Dominicans eat rice and beans every day. The color of the beans changes, but the dish is always the same. The main flavoring is the recaito that is used in most...
Betsy’s Black Beans
There are many varieties of beans. The following recipe may be used for most. You can make the same dish with dry beans but it is just as tasty using canned beans. If you use canned beans add the tomato paste towards the end of cooking so it doesn't stick to the pot....
Cabbage – Repollo
Cabbage is a major staple of Dominican cuisine. There are many dishes made from, or including cabbage. My mother's step-mother was Syrian/Lebanese/Dominican and my mother grew up eating wonderful middle-eastern dishes, which in turn she cooked for us. We ate cabbage...
Carrots – Zanahoria
I eat a lot of carrots. They are very good for you and they are so tasty. I like them just steamed, or sautéed in butter, or in any way. Related Items Easy Cream of Carrot Soup
Corn – Maíz
Corn is a staple in most of the world. It is a simple grain and yet, the amount of things you can do with corn are endless. From corn bread, to tortillas, to corn on the cob, corn is always good and always welcome. I live in Central Florida, the home of Siver Queen ...
Corn Fritters – Frituritas de Maíz
Every day in my mom's house, there was something fried: corn fritters. fried batata, fried yuca, eggplant, something. And, we all looked forward to it. But the corn and the yuca were my favorites. Ingredients 1 cup corn flour 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp anise 2 tbsp milk 1 tsp...
Corn Fritters (Mom’s) – Frituritas de Maíz de Mami
These are not as healthy because of the sugar, but they are just yummy.Ingredients 1 cup corn meal 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs, beaten 1 can creamed corn Step by Step InstructionsStep 1 Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let rest for about 15 minutes.Step 2 Heat...
Easy Cream of Carrot Soup
This is a very easy recipe. Every time I make this soup there is nothing left. Both my daughter and step daughter love this soup.The thing about these soups is that they are very creamy without having to use cream. Ingredients 2 carrots, peeled and cubed Around 1 cup...
Eggplant – Berenjena
Eggplants are believed to be originally from India, but have been cultivated all over the world for eons. Caribbean eggplant (Graffiti Eggplant) is slightly different from the eggplant usually available in the USA. They are smaller and teardrop shaped. The skin is a...
Eggplant Souffle – Souffle de Berenjena
I have been making this recipe forever. Back in the 1970s I bought a little cookbook: Quiches and Souffles. It was a treasure. I Made a lot of the recipes, specially the cheese souffle. One day I had leftover stewed eggplant and I wondered what it would be like if I...
Guacamole
I have made guacamole as long as I can remember. The first time I went to Mexico, I learned how to make it properly. It is one of my favorite ways to eat avocados. And lately I am really liking avocado toast. Ingredients Ripe Avocados (3 Hass?) 3 tbsp lime juice 2 tsp...
Guandúl – Pigeon Peas
Guandules (Gandúl, Pigeon Peas, Congo pea and Angola pea) are cultivated all over the world. They are believed to have originated in India. They grow in a bush and not a vine like beans and are really easy to grow. Pigeon peas are used in the same manner as beans....
Ñame – Real Yam
Ñame is a very starchy root widely used throughout the Caribbean. It is the real Yam. It has rough brown skin and white flesh. Can be used as a potato, although it has a more fibrous texture. Peel with a potato peeler, cut into pieces and boil, in salted water, as you...
Peppers – Ajíes – Chiles
Ranging from sweet to very hot, peppers are an essential part of Latin American cuisine. Native to Mexico, the pepper has spread widely all over the world. Think what Chinese and Indian cuisine would be like without them. Growing up we didn't have bell peppers. We...
Platano – Plantain
Plantains - Plátanos are one of the main stables of the Dominican Republic where they are eaten almost daily, cooked in many ways. Plantain flour is used in babies formula for diarrhea. Green, boiled plantains are a great remedy for hangovers. Plantains can be...
Rice – Arróz
Rice is a major staple in the whole world. In the Dominican Republic it is eaten every day of the week. Whether with beans, in chicken and rice, stuffed cabbage, alone with butter and Parmesan, or rice pudding, rice is always welcome at the table. It has gotten a bad...
Rice Pudding – Pudin de Arroz
My mother made this recipe. This is the richest, most wonderful rice pudding. My daughter couldn't get enough of it and begged her to make it every time she came to visit. You can use left over rice or make a new batch just for this. It takes a little stirring but, it...
Steamed Rice – Arróz Blanco
To use a rice maker or not? That is the question. I am not partial to them. Rice is so easy to make that I don't see the point of not making it from scratch. It's not rocket science. I have been making rice my whole life and except at a party when a freind took off...
Stewed Eggplant – Berenjena Guisada
This recipe makes a dish that can be served over rice or eaten cold as a dip with crackers or pita chips. It is very versatile. And not so hard to make. The same recipe is then used to make a souffle. It is similar to baba ganoush but more robust and...
String Beans & Plantain Casserole
I used to make this recipe all the time. I haven't in a while and I should. It is one of those things that are really delicious.Ingredients 4 very ripe plantains Oil for deep frying 1 pound String beans 1 medium onion 1/2 Bell pepper or 1 Cubanelle pepper Around 2...
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Bollitos de Repollo
My mother's step Mother was of Syrian/Lebanese descent. She grew up eating Middle Eastern food and later, as a mother, she cooked them for us. So, we ate Kipes (from the kibbeh libanés), Tabbouleh (which we called tipile), Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, and other delicacies...
Stuffed Peppers
My mother made this a lot when I was a kid. She used cubanelle peppers since we didn't have bell pepers in the island. Bell peppers are very expensive now so I imagine this is a dinner party kind of dish. It used to be a staple.Ingredients 6 large green, red or yellow...
Stuffed Tayotas
My mother used to make these often. I love them. They are not that difficult to make either. Ingredients 6 large tayotas 1/8 pound Ham, chopped 1 small clove garlic, crushed 1 small onion, chopped 1 Cubanelle pepper, chopped Tomato paste 2-3 olives, chopped 1 tsp...
Tayota – Chayote
Tayota is a tropical squash originally from Mexico, but now grown in most tropical regions of the world. The skin is green and prickly. The texture of the meat is similar to that of the summer squash and has an edible seed in the center. It can be stuffed, boiled and...
Yautia – Malanga – Taro
Yautía, Malanga, or Taro, is the root of an Elephant Ear plant eaten in most of the Caribbean and in Hawaii. The roots which have rough brown shin and flesh ranging from white to grayish white can be used as potatoes. Peel, boil in salted water and eat. Mash like...
Yuca – Casava
Yuca (Cassaba, Kasava) is the tuber root of a tropical plant brought from South America by the Arawaks. On their journey up the Caribbean islands, they brought the roots with them to cultivate in their new settlements. Tapioca and cassareb are both made from Cassava....
Yuca Souffle – Souffle de Yuca
I have made this souffle for many parties. It has always been received very well and considered exotic. It is made with mashed yuca. Follow the instructions for that and then continue with the instructions for the Souffle.Ingredients Around 2 pounds yuca Milk, butter,...