Puerto Rican "Arroz con Salchichas"

"Arroz con Salchichas" or Rice with Sausage is a classic Puerto Rican food dish made using canned sausage, "sofrito" and rice, ingredients every Puerto Rican always has in their pantry. Though not very well know if you did not grow up eating it, it is one of the most traditional dishes in Puerto Rico, because it uses few ingredients and takes little time to make, it is often eaten as a whole meal. You will find thousands of ways of making it, but this is the way my mom has been making it all my life! It is my all-time favorite Puerto Rican comfort dish, for me, this dish means "home".

Prep time: 10min - Cook time: 25min - Total: 35min

Serves: 4-6ppl

Ingredients:

2 cups medium-grain rice

3 cans Vienna sausage, sliced

3 cups of water

2 tablespoons of “sofrito”

2 tablespoons oil

2 “recao” leaves or chopped cilantro

2 chicken or ham bouillon cube

2 tablespoons Spanish style tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 tablespoons of olives with caper

1 teaspoonful of “sazón con culantro y achiote”

Directions:

• In a saucepan over medium heat -lower add the oil, add all the ingredients except for the rice and water, sauté for 3-4 minutes.

• Add the rice and mix it well with the rest of the ingredients. Then add the water until it exceeds the rice by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat until it starts to dry out. Lower the heat to low, move it around the edges towards the center of the pot.

• Cover, without moving for 20 minutes. When it's ready, turn off the heat and loosen it with the help of a fork.

• Serve with canned corn and some fried green plantains.