panama recipes

A lot of people asked for the recipes from our Panama party, so I figured the easiest way to distribute them was through our blog. Enjoy!

EMPANADAS:

* 5 cups flour (unsifted)
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup shortening (Crisco preferred)
* 1 cup milk

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles crumbly meal. Gradually sprinkle in milk stirring until dough clings together. Knead 10 times. Let rest 1/2 hour.

Filling:

* 2 lbs. ground beef
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* hot sauce (optional)

Mix ground beef with all the ingredients except tomato paste. Fry slowly in 1 tablespoon oil until cooked. Mash around a bit so it's crumbly. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste (so that it's thick), stir very well. Turn off heat and let filling cool. Add as much hot sauce as you like. On a very well-floured surface, roll dough as thick as you would for pie crust (can divide it into 2 parts if desired). Cut 5"circles (using any container with 5" opening) and place filling on center of each circle. Brush beaten egg on lower edge of circles. Fold over and press edges with fork dipped in flour. Fry in lard about 2 minutes on each side until brown. Make sure there is enough lard to cover the empanadas--- about 3 - 4" deep.

SEVICHE:

* 2 pounds of raw corvina (or whitefish) in filets
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 1 cup lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 hot chili pepper (without the seeds), chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Dice the fish filets and put them in a glass or porcelain bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Rectify the salt and serve with salted soda crackers.

ARROZ CON POLLO (Chicken with Rice):

1 3 lb. chicken
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tomato puree
1 lb. rice
5 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
dash of saffron
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can red peppers
1/2 cup green olives

Cut the chicken into pieces and season with salt, pepper and orange juice. Let stand for 1 hour. Heat the olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Take the chicken out of the pan and add the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and add the tomato puree. Continue cooking for some more and the chicken and the rice. Stir well and cook 3 more minutes. Add the stock, salt, and green olives. Cover and cook over high heat until it boils and the rice pops.

Uncover and lower heat. Pour the wine over the rice and continue cooking until the rice is completely cooked and the chicken is tender. Take the chicken out of the rice and take the meat off the bones. Return the chicken meat to the rice and stir well. When ready to serve, put on a serving dish and decorate with the red pepper strips. 8 servings.

JOHNNY MAZETTI:

* 2 pkg. egg noodles
* 1 1/2 lbs.- 2 lbs. ground beef
* 1 lb. green peppers
* 1 lb. onions
* 1 stalk celery
* 1 large jar green olives
* 1 can tomato paste
* 1 can tomato sauce
* 1 can arturo sauce (I had to look online for a recipe to make this)
* 1 large can mushrooms
* 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Brown ground beef, drain, then put in large pot. Chop peppers, onions, celery, olives and mushrooms. Add the seasoning and garlic powder, put in the pot with the drained meat. Mix those ingredients well. Add sauces and paste then mix again. Put on medium low fire. In another pot, cook noodles -- when done, add them to the mixture and stir very well. Place mixture in long oblong pan in layers. On each layer, place shredded cheese but leave enough for the top.

Place about 4 teaspoons of butter on the top, and put into the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes. Don't worry about leftovers - place portions into ziplock freezer bags (preferable over tinfoil). It freezes well and taste twice as good the next time.

FLAN DE CARAMELO (Caramel Custard):

1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar (for caramel)

On the upper pan of a double boiler place the sugar with 1/4 cup water to make a caramel.

Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar and pour in the caramel pan. Place over a double boiler and cover. Let cook over medium heat for 1 hour until the custard is set. Let cool completely and then place in refrigerator. Once cold turn over onto a serving dish and serve.

TRES LECHES (Three Milks Cake):

For the spongecake:
6 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cream:
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup whipping cream

For the topping:
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
1/4 cup of light corn syrup, such as Karo

Make the spongecake: In a the bowl of your mixer place the egg whites. Beat at low speed first and then increase the speed to high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, letting it dissolve well before adding more, and beat until firm. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition. Now mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture alternating with the milk. This operation has to be done quickly or the batter will loose the lightness in it. Finally, add the vanilla. Pour this batter in a large rectangular pyrex,greased and floured, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 350°oven.

While this is baking, prepare the cream. Very simple: just mix everything together in a blender and pour over the still warm spongecake.

The frosting: Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and let boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the hot syrup in a string and continue beating at high speed until all the syrup has been added. Beat until no longer warm. To serve the Tres Leches: Once the soaked spongecake is at room temperature you have to let it cool in the refrigerator. Then you can spread the frosting and put back in the cold. This is supposed to be served very cold. You can decorate this Cake with Silver dragées or you can also make some caramel and let some strings of it just casually over the frosting.

DELICIA DE COCO (Coconut Delight):

1 spongecake 9 x 13 in.
1/2 can "Coco Lopez" or coconut milk
2 cans evaporated milk
4 egg yolks
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 tub extra heavy cool whip
3-4 drops of coconut extract

Prepare the cream: In a saucepan mix the 2 cans evaporated milk, egg yolks, cornstarch, and the sugar and let boil. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the spongecake in 1 inch slices and arrange a layer in the bottom of a pyrex dish. Moisten the spongecake with the coconut milk or Coco Lopez. Pour half the cream and cover with another layer of spongecake. Moisten again with the rest of the coconut milk or Coco Lopez. Pour the rest of the cream. Repeat until you finish with some spongecake. To make the topping, mix the cool whip with a few drops of coconut extract and spread over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. If you like, decorate the cake with shredded coconut.

FRIED BANANAS:

Ingredients:
1 quart oil for frying
2 plantains
1 cup sugar
2 tbs cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.
2. Peel the plantains and cut them in small slices.
3. Fry the pieces until browned and tender.
4. Roll around in the cinnamon sugar mix.