The problem for me was not the dinner, it was delicious. The problem was the leftover ham. See it was just me, my wife and my two sons, one of which was just 8 months old and not a big eater; not an eater at all for that matter. When looking for ham, basically you can buy a half a ham (8 pounds) for about the cost of a few ham steaks. So, I bought the ham and cooked it, but had a ton of ham left over and I needed to find interesting things for leftovers.
The recipe I found was Habichuelas Guisadas or Bean Stew. This is, apparently, a Puerto Rican or Caribbean dish. It calls for sofrito, which is a mixture of vegetables and can include tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs and spices. This is the base for many recipes in the Caribbean and in Spain. You can make it yourself or buy it in the store. I chose the latter option.
The recipe is just terrific. This is a hearty side dish, but we eat it as an entree with a salad and good bread. If you can't find West Indian pumpkin, just use calabaza squash. It's great.
Habichuelas Guisadas (Bean Stew)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Notes: You can "kick it up" a bit if you like. I like to add onions at the beginning of the recipe and saute them with the ham. I have omitted the alcaparrado because I can't find it in the store.
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup smoked ham, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup Sofrito (I use Goya brand)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 lb. West Indian pumpkin (calabaza), peeled, cut into chunks (about 1/2 cup) or more
1/2 cup alcaparrado, drained
2 cans red kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add the ham (and onion if you use it) and stir for about 3 minutes. Throw in the tomato sauce and the sofrito. Mix and cook 5 minutes.
Add the broth and the pumpkin/squash and mix. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the alcaparrado and the beans, bring to a boil and season to taste.
Simmer for 15 minutes or so until slightly thickened.
Serve over hot rice.
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