A trip to Grandma's house
By Devon O’Brien
AmesEats Flavors writer
Although Colombian food is not something that is common here in Iowa, it was what a visit to Grandma’s house was all about for me! My abuelita spent most of her life in Colombia and my mom and the other members of her side of the family was born – making it an intricate part of my heritage. Colombian food is what we traditionally have when all of my mom’s family members get together and it’s absolutely delicious. Columbian comfort food is a lot different from American food, it features a lot of spices and produce that are used in variety of Latin American Cuisines but isn’t commonly used in American cooking.
One of the most common ingredients used while cooking in Colombia is called Sazón Goya con Azafran. This is a dry spice mix that includes garlic powder, cumin and Mexican Saffron and can be found at any Hispanic Grocery Store. Cilantro, garlic and onion are some of the other very common flavors found in Colombian food, and the nice thing about that is that it is something we are familiar with in the United States.
One vegetable that is a staple in Colombian food is called Yucca. Yucca is a white and starchy, like a potato, but it has a little bit of a lighter texture to it. It is a tropical vegetable and is therefore not found here in the United States. Plantains are a tropical fruit that are also uncommon to most Americans. It is very similar to a banana, in is mashed and fried, or sliced and dried to make plantain chips. Other times, plantains are used in there ripe, unsweetened form for cooking, this is called plátano verde, or green plantain. Meat is another key ingredient in Colombian dishes. They use a lot of seasoned beef or pork in their recipes. Chicken and seafood are present in many dishes as well, but shredded beef is most common.
There are so many delicious Colombian dishes that I could share with you but my two favorites are my abuelita’s empanadas and yucca frita served with pique. These are eating usually as appetizers but they can be so filling my family will sometime eat them as a meal with a salad! An empanada is basically a fried cornmeal pouch filled with seasoned beef, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and many other seasonings. This can even be served vegetarian by simply excluding the beef and they are just as delicious! Yucca frita is simply a fried version of yucca, that tropical vegetable I discussed earlier. Both are served with pique which is a sauce made with cilantro, tomatoes, onions, vinegar and hot sauce.
Beef Empanadas Colombianas:
Ingredients for Dough:
1 ½ cups precooked corn meal
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ tablespoon Sázon Goya with Azafran
½ teaspoon Salt
Ingredients for Filling
2 cups peeled and diced white potatoes
1 chicken or vegetable bouillon tablet
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped white onions
1 cup chopped tomato
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 chopped garlic clove
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ pound ground beef
Directions to prepare the dough:
1. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl. Add the Sázon Goya and salt and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, cook the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tablet for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain chop up the potatoes. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.
4. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.
5. Transfer the meat mixture to the potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.
6. Break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.
7. Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.
8. Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.
9. Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360° F.
10. Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides.
11. Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with pique on the side!
Yucca Frita:
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh or frozen yucca (frozen tends to be easier to cook)
vegetable oil
½ tablespoon salt
Directions:
1. In a large pot cover the yucca with water, add salt and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cook about 15 to 20 minutes or until is tender.
2. Remove the yucca from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the cooked yucca into ½ – inch strips.
3. Fill a large frying pan with enough vegetable oil to 350° F. When the oil is hot, place the yucca into the heated oil carefully. Fry them until golden brown on both sides about 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Remove the yucca pieces from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve with pique on the side.
Pique:
Ingredients:
1 onion
2 tomatoes
About ½ cup green onions
about ¾ cup cilantro
red wine vinegar, to taste
Tabasco, to taste
garlic, to taste
Directions:
1.Chop up all the ingredients and add red wine vinegar, just put enough to cover the ingredients.
2. Add salt and Tabasco to taste.
3. Add some water until it is to the desired spiciness.
4. Put in the refrigerator and let sit for several hours (it taste better when the flavors have time to develop.)
There you have it, with these recipes you can serve your friends and family an impressive, authentic and delicious Colombian meal!
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