The Filipino dish Arroz a la Cubana was an early favorite of mine growing up and it remains a faovrite of mine until now, even when I still can’t figure out how it got its name. In any case, my new take on it would be a great snack for kids to try. I want a new generation of young kids to enjoy a la Cubana as much as I did! For health reasons, you can easily replace the beef with ground chicken or turkey.

Ingredients (serves 4)

300 g ground beef
2 tbsps onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup carrots, cubed
½ cup saba, cubed and fried
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup green peas
water
2 tbsps vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs, fried or poached
4 hamburger buns
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

  1. In a sauce pan, saute the ground beef in the vegetable oil until dry and browned.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add in the onions, carrots and garlic and cook until fragrant.  
  2. Add in the tomato paste.  Cook for 1 minute and then add in enough water to cover the meat.  Simmer until almost dry.
  3. Add in the peas and saba. Mix and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Fill the hamburger buns with the mixture and top with an egg each.  Garnish with parsley