A little taste of Havana...

Charm is a product of the unexpected

- Jose Marti, Cuban author

Welcome to Cuba. Today I have numerous recipes to share with you, all of which go together quite beautifully. It is a shame there was a ban against traveling to Cuba for so long, they have distinctive flavors to offer. Fresh, vibrant, flavorful cuisine. The recipes here go beyond the typical Cuban sandwich (although I truly do relish those as well, it is difficult to dislike anything with a dill pickle). The constant theme today is spice and citrus. I marinated a flank steak in a Cuban rub, with a citrus addition. I proceeded to assemble a sauce for the steak, and a relish to add on top. Accompanying the meat is a Cuban adaptation of yellow rice, and an orange cornmeal cake for dessert (with spiced whipping cream). This is a notable meal to entertain with. You may serve the steak and rice separately, or you may fold all the recipes into a tortilla for a Cuban taco. If there is leftover steak it creates an outstanding steak salad.

Cuban Rubbed Flank Steak

2 lb flank steak

1/4 C olive oil

1 T soy sauce

juice of one lemon

juice of one orange

lemon and orange zest

1 T cumin

1 T oregano

2 cloves garlic

1 t onion powder

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag. Cut slits on the flank steak place in bag and marinate for 6-8 hours. Grill until medium rare. Let rest before slicing.

Orange Cuban Sauce

2 T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic grated

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 C orange preserves

1/4 C prepared horseradish

3 T honey

2 T chili powder

1 t smoked paprika

1 dried hot chili pepper

2 T maple syrup

2 T Dijon mustard

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 large orange peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft. Add the orange preserves, horseradish, honey, chili pepper, chili powder, maple syrup, mustard, Worcestershire and orange segments: simmer until the orange is very soft and the mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Tomato Escabeche (Cuban pickled relish)

1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

3 t cider vinegar

1 T fresh orange juice

1 T olive oil

1 T honey or agave

3 -4 large ripe tomatoes, cheeks removed and julienned

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

1 t cinnamon

salt and pepper

Toss the cilantro, vinegar, orange juice, oil, honey, tomatoes, cinnamon, onions and jalapeno in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Arroz Amarillo Con Achiote (Yellow Rice)

1 t saffron**

4 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

about 1 C bell peppers chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 C long grained rice (like basmati)

2-1/2 C of water/vegetable stock

1 t Caribbean allspice**

salt to taste

few sprigs of cilantro

pimentos

In a saucepan heat oil, add saffron and whole allspice seeds. Allow for color to develop and the allspice to become aromatic. Set aside to cool, then remove seeds. Add oil back to sauce pan, saute peppers, onion and garlic. Cook until tender, then add dry rice. Saute until rice becomes opaque. Add stock/water cook 8-10 min in medium heat until cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and pimentos.

If you chose to make tacos, sliced radishes and avocados are a nice touch.

Orange Cornmeal Cake with Spiced Cream

- adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 C olive oil

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 yellow cornmeal

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

zest of one orange

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/3 coarse sugar for topping

1/2 C orange juice

1/2 C whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8 in cake pan ( I used two smaller cake pans). Line bottom of pan with greased parchment paper. Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl, in a separate bowl whisk all wet ingredients. Combine and stir until smooth. Divide into cake pan/s. Bake until cake is golden on top and pulls away from side of the pan. Cool 20 minutes in pan, then remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Whip cream on high until peaks form, fold in cinnamon.

** For a more affordable option other than saffron you may use turmeric to create the same yellow color, the taste will just be slightly milder. If you do not have access to Caribbean allspice you may substitute a combination of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Until tomorrow...Peace.