Colombian Coconut chicken

Is a typical Colombian recipe that has its origins in the Colombian Caribbean, specifically in Cartagena de Indias, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken (breast or thighs)
• 1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)
• ½ red bell pepper , diced
• 1 large onion , diced
• 2 cloves garlic , crushed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ vanilla bean (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds , ground
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• A few thread of saffron , diluted in 2 tablespoons of hot water
• Cilantro (for garnishing)
• Olive oil

Sides

• White rice
• Fried plantains

Instructions

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Place the chicken and cook for a few minutes or until golden brown on all sides.
• Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• Add onions, garlic and red pepper to the pan.
• Cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes.
• Add tomatoes, coconut milk, cumin, mustard seeds and saffron and cook, stirring constantly for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to the pan.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, add vanilla, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Stir in chopped cilantro and serve hot with white rice and/or fried plantains.

Arroz com bacalao

Arroz con bacalao, or rice with salted cod is a delicious one-pot meal popular throughout the Spanish speaking islands, including Panama.

 Ingredients

For the arroz con bacalao

• 2 cups rice (preferably short or medium grain rice, for paella or arborio for risotto)
• ½ lb salted cod , chopped
• 2 tablespoons achiote oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cups recaito (recipe below)
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1 pinch saffron
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the Recaito

• 1 green bell pepper , seeded and sliced
• 1 green hot chili pepper , seeded and sliced
• 1 onion , cut into strips
• 5 cloves garlic , peeled
• ½ bunch cilantro
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pepper

Instructions

Arroz con Bacalao

• Prepare salt cod (see below).
• Infuse the saffron in a a couple tablespoons of boiling water.
• Saute recaito and garlic in achiote oil or olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add cod and capers and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• While the mixture is simmering, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
• Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to medium.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Salt cod

• Cut salt cod into blocks and put them in a colander.
• Immerse the colander into a large container filled with water.
• Soak for up to 24 hours, changing the water as often as possible.

Recaito

• Chop all ingredients in a food processor

Soyo

 Delicious traditional soup with ground beef and vegetables. A typical recipe of the cuisine of the Guarani people in Paraguay, this soup is usually consumed with Paraguayan tortillas or chipa guazu.

Ingredients

• 3 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 1 green bell pepper , seeded and diced
• 2 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons rice
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (or lard)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ bunch parsley
• 8 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Salt

Equipment

• Mortar and pestle

Instructions

• Mix the meat and rice in a mortar and crush with a pestle until a paste is formed.
• Then knead this mixture with your hands for 5 minutes.
• In a large salad bowl, mix the meat with the 8 cups (2l) of cold water and stir until the mixture is perfectly homogeneous.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the onion over medium heat.
• Add the pepper and tomato and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring very regularly.
• Add the flour to this sauce and mix well for two minutes.
• Add the mixed meat and rice that was dissolved in cold water.
• Cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Finally add salt, oregano and parsley.

Puchero paraguayo

 Puchero paraguayo is the Paraguayan version of a traditional meat stew that is originally from Spain, and now prepared in several countries throughout South America and the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish word, which means "stewpot".

Ingredients

• 1½ lb beef (skirt or flank steak, cut into pieces)
• 3 cloves garlic , cut in half
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 green bell pepper , diced
• 2 carrots
• 10 oz. pumpkin , cubed
• 2 potatoes , cubed
• ½ cup rice
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Instructions

• In a large pot, bring to a boil 10 cups (2,5l) of water with the onion, carrots and bell pepper for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a pressure cooker, heat olive oil and sauté garlic and meat over high heat, stirring constantly.
• When the meat is browned, add the reserved broth and the vegetables.
• Close the pressure cooker and cook for 45 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Rinse the rice.
• After 45 minutes of cooking, open the pressure cooker and add the rice, potatoes and pumpkin.
• Close the pressure cooker and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Paraguayan Tortilla

 Tortilla paraguaya is a kind of cheese omelette originally from Paraguay. It can be prepared quickly and with very few ingredients, including queso paraguayo, also called kesú paraguai in Guarani.
2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 6 oz. Paraguayan cheese (queso paraguay), grated (It can be substituted by Monterrey jack)
• 2 scallions , chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• Sunflower oil
• Salt

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

• In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, then add the grated cheese and scallions.
• Add the flour and milk and beat until obtaining a semi-liquid preparation.
• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Pour small amounts of the mixture to form tortillas of about 4 inches (10cm) diameter.
• Cook on one side then turn over and cook on the other side.

Aztecan soup

Sopa azteca is a delicious traditional Mexican soup recipe prepared with fried tortillas and served with avocado, cheese and cream.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast (with bone)
• 2 cloves garlic , chopped
• ½ onion , chopped
• 6 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 pasilla chili peppers , cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 3 leaves épazote (Mexican tea), thoroughly washed and dried.
• 1 stalk celery , finely chopped
• ½ bunch cilantro , finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 4 corn tortillas
• 8 oz. panela cheese , diced (traditional mexican cheese)
• 1 small avocado , diced
• 4 pasilla chili peppers , fried
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
• 2 limes
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Instructions

• Cook the whole chicken breast with the bone in 6 cups (1,5 l) of water for 30 minutes after boiling point is reached.
• Halfway through cooking, season with chicken stock powder, épazote, celery, half of the cilantro, bay leaf and oregano.
• Remove the cooked chicken, shred and set aside. Reserve the broth.
• Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
• In a skillet, heat the sunflower oil and fry the tortilla strips very quickly in very hot oil. Mix well, being careful not to burn them.
• Remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to remove excess fat.
• In the same oil, fry the 4 pasilla peppers over medium heat and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion until translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and 2 pasilla peppers cut into strips. Mix well.
• Cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes.
• Liquefy with a little broth and mix for 3 minutes (the mixture must be fluid).
• Push the mixture through a chinois strainer (fine sieve strainer) and pour it directly into the reserved chicken broth.
• Cook over low heat until thickened.

To serve

• At the bottom of a bowl (or a hollow dish), add the equivalent of a julienned tortilla and pour the broth over. Add a little chicken breast, cubes of cheese, avocado and 1 fried pasilla pepper.
• Serve the soup and garnish with cream and the remaining cilantro.
• Season with freshly squeezed lime.