As Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations continue we bring you some recipes designed to satisfy the most demanding appetites. The best thing is that the dishes you’ll be making are so tasty that they can carry on to the holidays and beyond. IMUSA specializes in offering products that make Latin food preparation a breeze and the items below are essential to a fully stocked bachelor (or family) kitchen. Impress that special lady or your group of friends by making Paella, Black Bean Soup or Arroz con Pollo with the recipes below.

Smoky Tomato Paella

Ingredients
⦁ chicken stock 4 cups (32 fl. Oz.)
⦁ saffron 1 pinch
⦁ olive oil ½ cup
⦁ chorizo links (8 ounces) 3
⦁ red onion ½
⦁ garlic cloves 4
⦁ medium grain rice 2½ cups
⦁ paprika 3 teaspoons
⦁ salt 4 teaspoons
⦁ cans of diced tomatoes 2 (14.5 ounces)
⦁ Red bell pepper 1
⦁ frozen green peas I cup

Preparation
⦁ Pre-heat oven to 400 F. In a small saucepan heat chicken stock with saffron and keep warm.
⦁ Inside your IMUSA GlobalKitchen Paella Pan add olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.
⦁ Add chorizo, onions, and garlic and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
⦁ Mix in rice, paprika, and salt and stir until well combined.
⦁ Add tomatoes and mix evenly.
⦁ Place bell pepper strips in a circle around the paella
⦁ Add about 2 cups of the warm chicken stock and allow to simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes without stirring.
⦁ Add another cup of stock and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add final cup of stock and put pan in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until all of the liquid is evaporated. If the rice looks too dry add a small amount of stock or water and cook a bit longer. When the rice is ready, remove from the oven, sprinkle green peas and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
⦁ NOTE: You can make a seafood paella version of this recipe by replacing chicken stock with fish stock and adding raw shrimp, scallops, and clams onto the rice before adding stock. SERVES 10 TO 12.

CUBAN Black Bean Soup
From Aarón Sánchez for IMUSA

Ingredients

⦁ 1 pound black beans
⦁ 1 bay leaf
⦁ 1 tablespoon cumin
⦁ 1 tablespoon oregano
⦁ 1 Italian frying pepper, halved
⦁ ¼ cup olive oil, plus additional for sautéing
⦁ 1 white onion, large dice
⦁ 1 red pepper, large dice
⦁ 1 green pepper, large dice
⦁ 6 cloves garlic, chopped
⦁ 1 tablespoon sugar
⦁ ⅛ cup white vinegar
⦁ Salt
⦁ ½ cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Preparation
⦁ In a large bean pot, cover the beans with water, covering them by 2 inches. Add bay leaf, cumin, oregano, and Italian pepper. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes.
⦁ After 45 minutes, remove the pepper.
⦁ In a sauté pan, sauté onions, red, and green peppers until translucent. Puree in a blender, this is the sofrito.
⦁ In the same pan, sauté the garlic. Add to the beans, along with the sofrito, ¼ cup olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Season with salt and continue to cook until very thick, about 45 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped red onion.

Arroz con Pollo Mole (Mole Rice and Chicken)

Ingredients
⦁ 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seed
⦁ 1 tsp. cinnamon
⦁ 1 tsp. mild chili powder
⦁ 1 tsp. cumin
⦁ ½ tsp. ground allspice
⦁ 2 tsp. salt
⦁ 6 chicken thighs, skin removed
⦁ ½ C. flour
⦁ 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
⦁ salt and pepper
⦁ 6 slices of bacon, chopped
⦁ 1 medium red onion, chopped
⦁ 2 red pepper, chopped
⦁ 6 cloves garlic, minced
⦁ 2 C. rice, uncooked
⦁ 2 6-oz. can tomato paste
⦁ 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
⦁ 6 C. chicken stock
⦁ Curly parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Preparation
⦁ Mix first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
⦁ Dust chicken thighs with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in your IMUSA GlobalKitchen Caldero on medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Set aside.
⦁ Lower heat to medium and cook bacon until slightly browned. Add onions, red peppers and garlic and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice, tomato paste, chocolate and dry spices and mix. Add chicken stock and mix again. Allow to come to a simmer, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.
⦁ Uncover, gently mix rice and add chicken thighs on top. Cover and continue simmering for 20-25 more minutes until thighs and rice are cooked. If needed, add more stock or water until rice is done.
⦁ Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving with finely chopped parsley.

All IMUSA Products and Recipes Available Here

Enjoy savory soups and stews year-round with the IMUSA Mexican Bean Pot. Featuring a durable ceramic construction, the Bean Pot can be used on the stovetop or oven to create everything from warming stews to fresh rice pilaf. It’s deep, wide-bellied shape allows vapor to circulate within for an evenly cooked dish that stays warm and makes a great tabletop accessory in the process. Available at Target.com for $42.99.

The IMUSA Ceramic Caldero brings a colorful twist on this staple cookware piece made for cooking a wide variety of dishes including rice and beans, braised meats, stews and soups. The best part is the light weight body; the aluminum construction of the caldero is a convenient, high performing alternative to heavy cast iron vessels. Available at Target.com for $24.99.

The IMUSA GlobalKitchen Comal is perfect for warming tortillas, making crepes, toasting sandwiches, cooking quesadillas, and all your favorite breakfast foods such as pancakes and eggs. The non-stick surface allows you to use less oil and makes clean-up a breeze! Available at Target.com for $18.99.

The IMUSA Tortilla Press features a traditional and durable design that allows for perfectly pressed homemade tortillas, with just the right thickness and round shape.  Easy to use – just insert your dough or ‘masa’ and with one press, your dough turns into griddle-ready disks to be cooked.  Available at Target.com for $18.99.

The IMUSA Granite Molcajete gives every home cook the ultimate tool kit in throwing an authentic fiesta. Made from ultra-durable natural granite, this mortar & pestle extracts essential oils from herbs and spices – dried & fresh. The granite’s nonporous qualities prevent it from absorbing those oils, keeping the flavor in your food and not in the tool. Available at Target.com for $39.99.