2 cups short grain rice (rinsed) - long grain will work too

3 cups of hot water - appx.

½ cup ready made sofrito

16 ounce can of gandules (cooked green pigeon peas)

2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (cappers and olives mixed together - if not available improvise)

1 packet of Sazon with achiote - optional

1 can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons of oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste - only use if your sofrito does not have pepper.

 

Procedure:

	In a medium size caldero add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon.
	Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes.
	Add all other ingredients, and enough water so the rice is submerge one inch below the liquid.
	Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste.
	Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed.
	Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low.
	Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

For soaking the green pigeon peas:

1 quart of water

2 teaspoons of salt

Procedimiento:

	Rinse the rice and set aside Soak the green pigeon peas in 1 quart of water and 2 teaspoons of salt for 15 minutes.
	Then rinse them and cook them in 4 cups of water until they have softened.
	Test by picking up one pea in a spoon and squeezing with between two fingers.
	You should be able to squeeze it without much effort.
	Take care to not over cook them to point where they break apart.
	When they are cooked, set aside 3 cups of water used to cook them in.
	Rinse the peas and set aside In a 4 quart cooking pan, add the 2 tablespoons of oil, smoked ham and simmer over moderate heat for 3 minutes.
	Then add the sofrito and the tomato sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes as you mix the items.
	Raise the heat to moderate-high and add two table spoons of the water that was set aside and the green pigeon peas.
	Simmer for 3 minutes as you mix the items.
	Raise the heat to high and add the water that was set aside.
	Once the water begins to boil, add the rice.
	Mix all the items well.
	Once the water starts to boil again, reduce the heat to moderate high and cook uncovered until most (but not all) the water has evaporated.
	Reduce the heat to low.
	Mix the rice again then put the lid on the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
	Mix the rice once more and continue to cook until the rice is fully cooked.
	You can sample the rice to see if it is fully cooked. It should be soft to chew. Makes approximately 6 servings

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