Kathy Makes an Authentic Dominican Meal: La Bandera
In a recent newsletter article, I mentioned that Kathy and I enjoyed the flavor of the food in the Dominican Republic so much that we went to the grocery store while we were there and bought a suitcase full of the seasonings. So, as you can imagine, now that we are back home, we were really looking forward to making an authentic Dominican meal for our kids and their spouses.
These are some of the spices we used for this meal:
During the week, Kathy bought all of the fresh ingredients that she would need several days in advance so they would have time to ripen. She put the pineapples, mangos, and avocados in the window sill so they would be perfectly ripe and sweet and soft for Sunday's dinner.
Sadly, Kathy and I started feeling sick Saturday morning. And, as the day progressed, we felt worse and worse. So, inevitably, we had to text the kids and cancel the dinner because we didn't want to get them sick (that is also why this newsletter is going out so late!).
And, although we were feeling even worse on Sunday, Kathy said that we had to cook the chicken and all this food otherwise it would go bad!
So, since we had all the ingredients (and even though we weren't feeling well), we cooked up the meal anyway.
The dish we made is called La Bandera Dominicana, or “The Dominican Flag.” This Dominican national dish is served for lunch throughout the country.
Lunch is the most important meal of the day in the Dominican Republic. And, La Bandera is the flagship of Dominican traditional food, a.k.a. la comida, el almuerzo, or even el plato del día, which consists of rice, beans, and meat.
This simple link between the national flag and the basic lunchtime meal reflects how food in the Dominican Republic is a central part of the national identity, a source of pride and patriotism, and for the Diaspora, also of nostalgia (that's my kind of country! :).
La Bandera Dominicana is the tricolor Dominican flag with its distinctive red and blue opposing quarters, divided by a white cross.
Its namesake, La Bandera Dominicana food, is the Dominican national lunch meal. The red is represented by the beans, the white by the rice, and – with a splash of poetic and culinary license here – the meat – usually chicken or beef – represents the third color.
It looked beautful when we cooked it! And, it smelled spectacular!
During my two-year mission in the Dominican Republic, this is what I ate everyday for lunch. And, although I got pretty tired of it during those two years, I really super crave it now. I didn't really appreciate the explosion of flavor then like I do now.
The dish Kathy and I made (mostly Kathy...ok...she made the whole thing...I don't know why I keep saying 'we' 😂 ) came out super yummy!
Although not pictured here (my bad), it is almost always served with slices of a delicious, ripe avocado.
Don't underestimate the deliciousness of this meal! The beans are unlike ANYTHING I have ever tasted here in the States.
In fact, after eating these beans, the beans that you eat at Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, for example, taste like they opened a can of beans, dumped them into a pan, heated them, and served them without any seasonings at all. In comparison, the beans at Cafe Rio and Costa Vida are totally flavorless!
These beans, on the other hand, and the amazing sauce that comes with them are an explosion of flavor! (see recipe below)
And, the flavor of the Pollo Guisado (braised chicken) is out of this world!! (see recipe below)
When the sauce from the chicken and the sauce from the beans combine to soak the white rice...and with a bite of the cool avocado at the same time...YUMMMM!!! The whole thing is quite magical. You gotta try it!
Since we cooked enough food to feed 10-13 people, as you can imagine, we had a lot left over. So, I put together a set of meals in Tupperware that I can pop into the microwave later.
I put three of them in the fridge for us to eat during this week and I put four of them in the freezer for a future meal. Yummmm!!!
If you get a chance, give these recipes a try! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!!
Oh, and, by the way, the beans took longer to cook than we expected. By the time I made the freezer meals, the beans were perfect. But, when we ate the meal, the beans were yummy but needed to cook just a little bit longer. That was the mistake that she made (see what I did there? 😂) this time around. So, give them plenty of time to cook and simmer.
We hope you enjoy these recipes and a taste of Dominicana!
Dominican Beans
Kathy made this authentic Dominican meal and it was AMAZING! An explosion of flavor!! You can read more about it and see more photos here: https://www.dvo.com/newsletter/weekly/2024/4-26-815/cooknart2.html These creamy Dominican beans, flavored with garlic, onion, cubanelle pepper, and adobo seasoning, cooked in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, make the perfect vegetarian side or meatless main dish.
Cook time:
Serving size: 12
Calories per serving: 77
Ingredients:
Serving size: 12
Calories per serving: 77
1 pound dried red kidney beans or pinto beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 bunch cilantro sprigs
1 red onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in 4 pieces
2 chicken bouillon cubes, I use Maggi (or veggie for vegetarian)
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
kosher salt, or to taste
white rice, for serving (not counted in macros)
Directions:
1) Put beans in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot and cover them with water so there’s 2 inches over them (10 cups).
2) Soak overnight, but don’t drain.
3) Next day, cover and seal the pressure cooker (or Instant Pot) over medium heat, when the pot comes to pressure cook high pressure 20 minutes. Natural release.
4) While the pressure releases, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat and add garlic, tomato paste, cilantro, red onion, pepper, bouillon cube and saute about 10 minutes, stirring.
5) Open the pressure cooker when the steam releases, take 25% of the beans and liquid and transfer to the blender. Puree well then return to the pot.
6) Add adobo seasoning and salt (about 1 teaspoon), or to taste.
7) Add the sauteed vegetables to the beans and bring to a boil over medium heat. (In the Instant Pot use the saute button.)
8) Boil uncovered over medium-low heat until the texture becomes creamy and the liquid reduces, about 30 minutes stirring often.
9) Remove cilantro, pepper and onion and serve over rice. Makes 9 cups.
Notes:
To cook on the stove, use a large pot to soak the beans overnight. Cook them in the same water, covered on low. Once they come to a boil. Cook until the beans are tender, at least 1 hour then follow the rest of the directions. Since there is some evaporation in a pot compared to a pressure cooker, you may have to add a little more water. Follow the other steps as directed steps 4 to 9.
2) Soak overnight, but don’t drain.
3) Next day, cover and seal the pressure cooker (or Instant Pot) over medium heat, when the pot comes to pressure cook high pressure 20 minutes. Natural release.
4) While the pressure releases, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat and add garlic, tomato paste, cilantro, red onion, pepper, bouillon cube and saute about 10 minutes, stirring.
5) Open the pressure cooker when the steam releases, take 25% of the beans and liquid and transfer to the blender. Puree well then return to the pot.
6) Add adobo seasoning and salt (about 1 teaspoon), or to taste.
7) Add the sauteed vegetables to the beans and bring to a boil over medium heat. (In the Instant Pot use the saute button.)
8) Boil uncovered over medium-low heat until the texture becomes creamy and the liquid reduces, about 30 minutes stirring often.
9) Remove cilantro, pepper and onion and serve over rice. Makes 9 cups.
Notes:
To cook on the stove, use a large pot to soak the beans overnight. Cook them in the same water, covered on low. Once they come to a boil. Cook until the beans are tender, at least 1 hour then follow the rest of the directions. Since there is some evaporation in a pot compared to a pressure cooker, you may have to add a little more water. Follow the other steps as directed steps 4 to 9.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)
La Bandera...Dominican traditional food.
Serving size: 4
Calories per serving: 229
Ingredients:
Calories per serving: 229
2 pounds chicken (legs and thighs)
3/4 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pack sazon
1 tablespoon lime juice juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon sofrito
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup water
1 small red onion, chopped into fine strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions:
1) Season the chicken with adobo, ground black pepper, oregano, sazon, lime juice, and about two tablespoons of sofrito.
2) Heat up vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Make sure to use a pan with a lid because you are going to cover it later.
3) Sprinkle brown sugar in the pan and let the sugar brown slightly. When the sugar starts to turn brown, carefully, add the chicken. Saute the chicken until the meat is light brown.
4) Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring and adding a bit of water as it becomes necessary.
5) Add onion and pepper, cover and simmer until the vegetables are slightly cooked through.
6) Then, add the tomato sauce and half a cup of water. Simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. Add fresh cilantro.
7) Serve with a side of white rice, bean stew, and maduros (fried sweet plantains) and/or avocado.
2) Heat up vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Make sure to use a pan with a lid because you are going to cover it later.
3) Sprinkle brown sugar in the pan and let the sugar brown slightly. When the sugar starts to turn brown, carefully, add the chicken. Saute the chicken until the meat is light brown.
4) Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring and adding a bit of water as it becomes necessary.
5) Add onion and pepper, cover and simmer until the vegetables are slightly cooked through.
6) Then, add the tomato sauce and half a cup of water. Simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. Add fresh cilantro.
7) Serve with a side of white rice, bean stew, and maduros (fried sweet plantains) and/or avocado.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Dan Oaks
Founder of DVO Enterprises
Creator of Cook'n
Father of 5. Husband of 1.
Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2024
Email the author! dan@dvo.com
