Sofrito

1 large yellow onion
1 pimiento (Cubanelle) or substitute with green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper or 1sm jar roasted red peppers
1 medium head of garlic (2 tbsp. minced garlic)
1 bunch of cilantro
12 ajíes dulces (hard to find and may skip)
6 leaves of recao - (Eryngium) (hard to find/skip)
¼ cup Spanish olives, pitted
1 tbsp cappers
2 tsps salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp crushed orégano
½ cup olive oil

Wash, peel, seed and coarsley chop everything. Put in a blender and pureé. Store in a glass jar covered in the refrigerator for later use. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and dump the frozen cubes in a freezer bag. This will be fried in achiote oil or tocino as the first step in recipes. This recipe makes about 2 large ice-cube trays. Use about 3 cubes for rice or soup that will serve a family.

Once you've made this easy recipe you will never go back to store bough sofrito. The aroma is simply intoxicating. . . .

Cubanelle peppers are the typical pepper used in the island - it is a sweet Italian pepper and not easily found everywhere. The word sofrito comes from Italian immigrants to Puerto Rico - it means the same thing except their sofrito uses a few different ingredients and they don't use it as often as we do.