Tangy Summer Gazpacho

The kids and I finally made our way home to DC last week. Getting back in my kitchen and cooking is high on my list of things to do. I even took the time to put together a dinner menu for nearly every day this week involving nothing but the freshest fruits and vegetables. I feel like I have been missing out on so much fine farmer's market produce! Another thing I "missed" while in Colombia was the heat. Its no secret that its horribly hot outside here (especially compared to Medellin's perfectly mild climate). One of my favorite dishes to make in the middle of such heat is summer's best friend, a cold gazpacho soup. I happen to make a pretty delicious gazpacho. And the best part is there is no cooking involved, just fresh veggies in the food processor. So, in order to beat the heat or at least give it a little competition I highly suggest trying this tangy gazpacho soup that incorporates a green pepper and a granny smith apple to produce a light yet filling summer dinner.

Gazpacho Ingredients
5 large Heirloom Tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 small Cucumbers, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Apple, peeled and diced
1/2 Green Pepper, cleaned and diced
1 Clove of Garlic, diced
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 cup High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Garnish
Bunch of Chives, finely chopped
Homemade Croutons (I used a sliced and toasted day-old french baguette)

Gazpacho Directions
Place tomato, cucumber, pepper, apple, and garlic into a food processor and mix well on medium until liquefied. (I had to do this in two batches). Pour soup into a large bowl. Mix in olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chilled. Garnish with chives and croutons.

Welcome Back Ed's Verdict: Fantastic and refreshing for a hot summer's day! The croutons add delicious texture to the soup. Yum.

Pepinos Rellenos: Colombian Stuffed Cucumbers

Pepinos Rellenos or Stuffed Cucumbers are a traditional Colombian dish. However, the cucumbers used in this dish are not any type of cucumber that I had ever seen. This cucumber variety is native to Mexico and is often found in Central and South American dishes. (Click here for a picture). I'm not even sure we could find this species of cucumber in the states. Perhaps in the southwest, but I've never seen it on the east coast. To me it resembles a green pepper and has a similar mild taste. However, there is a subtle difference namely the extra soft texture of the plant.

When at the table I causally mentioned to my family that the "cucumber" was actually just green pepper with a fancy name, I was chided and assured that it most definitely was not a pepper. After tasting it, I have to agree. However, between you and me, in lieu of Colombian cucumber, I imagine a green pepper would work as a good substitute as the curry and cumin spiced stuffing and thick milky sauce is what truly gives this dish its zing. One of my favorite surprising additions to the stuffing is the inclusion of a half of a hard boiled egg holding the stuffing together on the top and bottom of the cucumber. It's a delicious addition to the mix of flavors. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe because it really is very good.

Ingredients

8 Large Cucumbers
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 cups of Milk 

Stuffing
1 lbs Ground Beef 
1 lbs of Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 Hard Boiled Eggs, cut in half
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1½ cups of Water
Cumin
Salt

Directions

Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and brown the ground beef and potatoes until throughly cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the stuffing becomes thick and well mixed. 

Cut off the tops of the cucumbers. Clean out the seeds and put them in a large pot of water to boil for 10 minutes  Add salt to the water. After 10 minutes, remove the cooked cucumbers and dry them off. Before adding the stuffing, place a half of a hard boiled egg on one end of the cucumber, then fill it with the stuffing. Once stuffed, place the other half of the hard boiled egg and seal with the top of the cucumber. Put the cucumbers back into the skillet and add the milk, butter, and onion on top to make a sauce. Put the fire on low and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with white rice. 

Plantain Cake with Guava and Fresh Cheese

Roasted Plantain with fresh cheese, guava paste, and arequipe

Colombian desserts most often include at least one of the following:

Baked or Roasted Plantains
Fresh Cheese
Arequipe (also known as dulce de leche or "caramel spread"
Bocadillo (guava paste)

And, if you are lucky enough, the dessert may just include all four. The first time I was faced with this unconventional combination was at Andres Carne de Res, a trendy, trippy restaurant on the outskirts of Bogota. I will admit that at first I was taken aback by the fusion of so many unique flavors, both sweet and savory. However, that was nearly 10 years ago, and I have learned to love the crispness of roasted plantains and the coalescence of guava paste with fresh cuajada cheese ingeniously topped with a portion of what is often loosely translated as "caramel spread".

In my mother-in-law's kitchen, the combination of plantains, cheese, arequipe, and bocadillo is very familiar, often served in the form of Torta de Platano or Plantain Cake. It is one of my favorite Colombian desserts. I can eat plantain cake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It seems to serve as a fine accompaniment with just about any dish. If you find the ingredients a little daunting, guave paste can be found at any Colombian Market. For those of you that live in DC, there is a Colombian Market and Restaurant in Arlington called Restaurante Monserrate where you can find all of the ingredients for this cake. Your local Latin Market may also carry everything.

I highly suggest you try the fabulous Plantain Cake recipe below that astutely combines all four of these popular Colombian ingredients.

Plantain Cake Ingredients

4 or 5 Ripe Plantains
2 Eggs
1 stick of Butter
1 cup of Flour
1 tsp of Cinnamon
4 squares of Bocadillos of Guava, sliced (found in Colombian Market). You could make it without if you can't find it.
Fresh Cheese, shredded (Mozzarella would also work) (enough to cover entire cake)

Bocadillo (Guava Paste) wrapped in a plantain leaf

Arequipe/ Dulce de Leche

Plantain Cake Directions
Peel plantains and cook them in sufficient water until they are soft. Drain water and and pure plantains. Mix in eggs and butter. Continue to mix well with a fork. Then add flour and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Grease a cake-sized pan and sprinkle with flour. Pour in half of the plantain mixture. In the middle of the cake, first add to the mixture the layer of bocadillo and then add the layer of cheese. Pour the remaining plantain mixture on top. Cook in the oven set at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let the cake set and cool for 10 minutes before serving. For extra Colombian-ness serve with a dollop of Arequipe on top.

Grilled Sea Bass and Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

The kids and I are spending the summer in my husband's home country of Colombia, South America. In the month of June we spent most of our time traveling, site seeing, visiting family, and stuffing ourselves with arepas (cheese filled corn tortillas), various types of cheese filled breads, and my personal favorite- empanadas (think homemade hot pockets only much, much better).

We are finally settled into my in-laws place for the next month, and I am hoping that I might just get a chance to post some of the wonderful things we are cooking and consuming. I'm going to start with today's lunch, a grilled sea bass courtesy of my father-in-law. We served it along side grilled eggplant, zucchini, and onions. It was delicious and a lot of fun to make, aside from a small fire incident (which I feel added to the flavor of the fish). The recipe called for the fish to be grilled on a small fish-grilling board. However, shortly after the picture below was taken, the board caught fire. From there we decided the traditional way of cooking on the grill with aluminium foil would probably better suit this recipe.

Grilled Sea Bass

Grilled Sea Bass Ingredients
1 stick of Butter, at room temperature
3 gloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3 Shallots, chopped
1 Sweet Pepper, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper

Grilled Sea Bass Directions
Fresh fish works best. Cut small lines on each side of the fish so the ingredients better flavor the meat. Combine all ingredients above to create a flavored butter and spread evening over both sides of the fish. Lay the fish on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. Close aluminum foil and place on a hot grill. Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook for 20 minutes on each side or until flaky.

Baby Yellow Potatoes with Guacamole

Ingredients
Several Small Yellow Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions
Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker. Set the stove top on medium flame. Throw the potatoes in the pot, put on the lid, and give the cooker a good shaking to mix up the oil and potatoes. Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until the pressure cooker begins to steam. Cook for another 15 minutes or so still shaking the pot every few minutes so the potatoes don't burn. Serve with guacamole. 

Homemade Traditional Guacamole

Ingredients

Avocados

Tomatoes, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Garlic, chopped

Green Onion, chopped

Lime Juice, 1/2 lime

Directions

Smash ripe avocado into bowl with a fork. Stir in all ingredients and serve immediately.

Ed's Verdict: The "Ed's Verdict" section will sadly be taking a respite for the next few weeks as Ed is diligently working away back home in The States. (Someone has to work and make money!)