As part of my curriculum last semester (Fall 2021), I took a Vegetarian Cuisine course. There were two main projects in this 14-day culinary lab: a Chef’s Table Dinner (which was a group project) and an individual culinary live demonstration. I promise to tell you more about the Chef’s Table Dinner in the future —which was an amazing yet incredibly stressful learning experience—, but this post is about the latter.
For the individual project, we had the opportunity to choose our theme, the dish we were presenting —which had to include a main component, starch, and vegetable—, and the component of the dish we were going to demo. However, there were some guidelines, such as the nutrient distribution in the dish and the length of the presentation (5 minutes). Since this project was due at the end of the semester, before Christmas break, I decided to present a vegan Christmas dinner, “al estilo Boricua” (Puerto Rican style).
There are five main dishes that define a Puerto Rican Christmas meal: arroz con gandules (rice with green pigeon peas), pernil (slow-roasted, marinated pork), pasteles (plantain masa dough filled with meat), potato salad, and tembleque (coconut pudding). Usually, these dishes —excluding the potato salad and tembleque— contain animal products, like meats, lard, or stock. For example, the rice is made with chicken or beef stock and usually contains cooking ham. I became vegetarian in Fall 2021; however, I stopped eating red meat and pork a couple years ago and, since then, I haven’t been able to enjoy my favorite Puerto Rican Christmas “antojitos.” This was the inspiration for this project (and this blog, too!). I will tell you a little bit more about my journey to vegetarianism in a podcast that’s coming soon… Stay tuned!
But for now, let’s talk about arroz con gandules! First things first, the menu: jackfruit pernil with farro con gandules, and green cabbage salad. A couple years ago, my cousin —who is vegetarian, too— introduced me to jackfruit pernil. She made it at home and shared it in the family group chat and, since then, I had been eager to try it. I used canned young jackfruit in brine, which is a great plant-based substitute for shredded meat, and it absorbs flavors easily. Instead of using white rice to make arroz con gandules, I used wheat farro. Farro (also known as emmer) is a whole grain that is high in fiber, protein, iron, and magnesium. Combining farro ( a grain) and green pigeon peas (a legume) provides all the 9 essential amino acids to this dish (the building blocks of protein)! Farro maintains its firm structure better than white rice during the cooking process. Therefore, it is a great option for this dish, providing a slightly nutty flavor and a great textural contrast. Finally, the cabbage salad was simple: a combination of shredded green cabbage and carrots, Granny Smith apples, red onions, dried apricots, and sliced almonds, with an apple cider vinaigrette.
There are 2 must-have ingredients in home kitchens around Puerto Rico: sazón and sofrito or recaíto. Both the “Jackfruit Pernil” and “Farro con Gandules” recipes call for homemade sazón and recaíto. Sofrito and recaíto are like the mirepoix in Puerto Rican cuisine, the base for most recipes. Sofrito and recaíto are similar: they’re both a puree made with Cubanelle peppers, onions, garlic, and ajíes dulces (sweet Caribbean peppers). The difference is that sofrito contains tomatoes and recaíto, culantro. Now let’s talk about the demo: what did I present? Sazón! For this project, I decided to teach my classmates how to make sazón —a blend of garlic powder, ground cumin, turmeric powder, ground coriander, ground annatto, and dried oregano leaves. This seasoning is flavorful and versatile; however, store-bought versions contain an excessive amount of sodium. Preparing this seasoning blend at home (and many others, like Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and Berbere spice) is not only cheaper, but also healthier! I encourage you to prepare your favorite seasoning at home. The benefits are endless and you won’t regret it.
Coming soon on following posts, I will share the three recipes I developed for this project: “Jackfruit Pernil,” “Farro con Gandules,” and “Green Cabbage Salad.” Give them a try at home to experience una Navidad en Puerto Rico!
