Colombian Recipes

Green Platanos:

 Two green platanos, 2 cups of oil, salt, ketchup, mayo.

Shred the peeled platano, mix in a couple dashes of salt. Then smoosh the shredded platanos into a loose ball (golf ball size) or flattened them out (size of your palm). Then you "deep" fry them in the two cups of oil until golden, like hashbrowns. You can eat them with ketchup, mayo, cheese, or any other type of sauce.

Yellow Platano

• Fried : Makes a light, sweet dessert
•   2 peeled and sliced yellow platanos then fry in about 2 Tbs of butter until lightly golden.

• Platano Sauce: Makes a healthy snack
•  1 cup of water for every yellow platano, sugar is optional
•    Slice up yellow platano and put in a sauce pan with water. Boil the water until the platanos are a deep yellow and are soft. Remove from heat and mush/ blend the platanos in the water.  You may add sugar to taste. You can use this sauce like apple sauce: eat it plain, or with granola (instead of yogurt…my favorite), as baby food (Elleazah’s favorite), or use it for baking instead of oil (for those of you that like to put apple sauce in brownies for a healthier treat, or I use it in granola in place of the oil… shhh, don’t tell Steve!)

Arepas

1 cup of cornmeal; 2 dashes of salt;1 Tbs of sugar; Dash of poultry seasoning (optional); 1.5 cups of water, slices of cheese- like mozzarella

Mix it all but cheese together until the consistency of box mashed potatoes. Then pat into patties, like a hamburger patty.  Put a slice of cheese on the patty then fold the patty over the cheese until the cheese is on the inside and there are no cracks that lead to the cheese. Then pan fry in oil or butter until crispy golden brown.

Strawberry Flan-  (Flan is a popular dessert)
250 g of strawberries, 4 eggs, 200 gr. Sugar (1 cup) , 500 ml milk, 1 teaspoon of water. 1 tsp of vanilla.

Place two tbs. of sugar and water in a saucepan on the fire and when well heated and caramelized flan ring inside one and let it cool.
Heat the milk while boiling.
Beat eggs in a bowl with remaining sugar mixture until it is frothy.
Wash the strawberries and puree, reserving a few to decorate the flan, incorporate  in the strawberry puree the vanilla, beaten eggs and add little milk at a time while whisking. Pour into caramel flan ring and bake in a caramel bath 45 minutes or until fruit set at a temp of 350. Let cool, unmold on a platter and serve garnished with reserved strawberries.

Pollo al Vino  (Chicken in wine sauce)
1 chicken 1 1 / 2 kg, 200 grams of mushrooms clean cut in half, 50 g butter, 2 tablespoons of oil, 100 grams diced bacon, 1 large onion, peeled and minced 2 cloves peeled garlic, 1 tablespoon fried tomato, 2 tablespoons brandy, 2 glasses of red wine, a bunch of herbs (1 bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary and parsley) Salt ground pepper.

Cut the chicken, then salt, pepper, flour it to fry in a skillet with the butter and oil then set it aside. Sauté the bacon in the same grease, add onion and garlic and cook. Pour the onion and garlic sauce over the chicken and add the tomato, brandy, wine and herbs. Stir, cover pan and simmer 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cooking continue about 15 minutes more.
Serve with cooked rice or pasta.

* I did not use any brandy (I didn't want to buy a whole bottle for just 2 Tbs.)

** Also, I fried the bacon first and then used that grease plus a little oil/ butter to cook the battered chicken, onion and garlic. So I switched the order of cooking the meats before adding everything else.

Jardinera rice

350 g of rice, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 bunch parsley, aubergine 350g, 250g zucchini, chopped, 1 green pepper (chopped), 1 / 2 red pepper (chopped), a few strands of saffron, tomato 3 tablespoons crushed 6 tablespoons olive oil, beef broth, salt, ground black pepper.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion until translucent. Wash the eggplants, troceelas, and stir into the onions, along with zucchini, red and green peppers, and tomatoes and continue to simmer and braised with the pan covered, about 15 minutes. Add the rice, give it a few laps, season and sprinkle with twice the amount of stock that the volume of rice. Prepare a mashed with garlic, parsley and saffron, stir into the pan and continue cooking, with, uncovered container, about 20 minutes.

Ajiaco (pronounced: ah-hee-ah-co) Santafereno

This is a Colombian Staple food. You haven't been to Colombia until you have ajiaco!

1 pound beef ribs, 1 chicken or 6 pieces, 1 pound of potatoes Creole, 750 g. Pasto potatoes, 750g of potatoes savanna, 3 ears tender corn 1 cup, 1 cup cream, 1 / 2 cup capers, 1 cup rice and 2 avocados. 1 bunch small onion, cilantro and garlic, 1 bunch guascas (leaves only), salt and pepper to taste.

In a pot with a gallon of water put the ribs, onion, cilantro and garlic, lime and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chicken, creole potatoes, Pasto potatoes, and finally, potato savanna. When the chicken is tender and the potatoes begin to fall apart, add the cob and a cup of corn. Then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes over medium heat. Serve with sour cream and capers and served with rice and avocado.


High Altitude Cornbread (from the event with the 11th grade girls)

Mix
1 cup areparina (corn meal)
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder

Add
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

Mix batter for 1 minute.
Grease baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Taco/ tortilla soup (from the event with the 11th grade girls)

1 small onion diced

2 garlic cloves

2-3 medium tomatoes diced

1 red pepper diced

8 oz of corn

2/3 lbs of ground beef (browned) (or you can use chicken)

3 liters of chicken/ beef broth (or use 2 bouillon cubes with 3 liters of water)

1 packet to taco seasoning (4 Tbsns)

½ teaspoon of basil, oregano, and rosemary.

1 bay leaf

Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour.

Options to serve with the soup:

Avocado, rice, cheese, Maizitos chips (tortilla chips).