Cuba... I'll be back :-)

Hot and spicy yet cool and creamy… Cuba you have it all J
Enjoy the ratings and video J

Preparation time: (how long does it really take?)
Papas Rellenas – 15 minutes – getting everything ready for the mince , peeling and chopping the potatoes
Ropa Vieja – 15 minutes tops – the time lies in cutting everything up  

Arroz con Leche – 5 minutes – Doesn’t take any effort to gather the ingredients

Ease to cook: (what does it involve?)

Papas Rellenas – Making mash potato is easy – just a little time consuming. The mince takes around 10 minutes to cook, but well worth the effort J The creation of the final product –rolled mashed potato balls filled with mince (Picadillo) takes around 15 minutes – best to set up a production line to put them together – makes things a lot easier.

Ropa Vieja – Very easy to cook – simply brown the meat and then add everything into the slow cooker. Turn on High and 4 hours later your kitchen will be filled with glorious smells from Cuba.  

Arroz con Leche – Need to set aside some time for this one. You have to cook the rice in the water and then in the milk & sugar. For me it took around 40 minutes total, but you may be more of an expert at cooking rice than me so it may be a lot less for you.

Overall: (i'll use a scale of empty bowls - 5 empty bowls is the best - 1 empty bowl not the best J)

I enjoyed cooking and eating all the meals especially the Papas Rellenas however, once again I thought it would be fun to let the boys have the final say and tell you what they really thought.

Lachlan -

Papas Rellenas – 4 empty bowls, this dish was a combination of spice and savoury put into one. The spice of the mince added a good kick to the dish and it would have been hotter if the potato wasn’t added to dampen the spice a little bit, but overall a good side dish/entrée to have.

Ropa Vieja – 4 empty bowls, this dish was also a nice dish to have. The spice wasn’t as strong and didn’t really impact me.  I would have it again.

Arroz con Leche – 5 empty bowls, this desert was very nice and was exactly what I was expecting it to be like. The rich and creamy texture with the cinnamon spice added was great. You could have this hot or cold, but I would preferably have this cold because it just hit the spot and satisfied me. I would definitely have this again.

Josh -

Papas Rellenas – empty bowls –5 empty bowls. I say this because it was well cooked with a very nice taste. I liked the combination of the spicy mince and the crispy potato.

Ropa Vieja – empty bowls – 4.5 empty bowls. I say this because it had good taste to it. It lacked the spicy heat of the mince. If it had more heat  that would have made it a little bit more tasty

Arroz con Leche – empty bowls – 0.5 empty bowls. My dislike of rice puddings didn’t help. The only bit of it I ate was the cinnamon sprinkled on the top of it. If it was sweeter and the rice was softer and if it was more solid, it could have been more enjoyable.

Just like India I have documented the adventure through a video slideshow – hope you enjoy it as well as the Cuban music.

As for my  next country the boys are deciding the next country to add to the list – Once they have it we’ll roll the dice and see what comes up. Thanks for dropping by and I hope you travel to Cuba real soon J