Receipts for January 2008 - Part I

Stuffed Avocados (Palta Rellena)

Delicious way to eat avocados ...

• 3 Avocados Hass
• Lime Juice
• 1 boiled potato (cut in small cubes)
• 1/2 cup of minced celery
• 1/2 cup of sweet peas
• 1/2 cup of boiled carrots (cut in cubes)
• 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
  
• 1 or 2 hard boiled eggs

Cut the avocados in halves, peel them and remove the pits. Put some lime juice and olive oil on each of the avocados halves. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the avocado halves, and decorate with the hard boiled egg cut in rounds. Variant... add to the stuffing one of the following: boiled chicken, tuna, ham or shrimp (cut in pieces).

From my kitchen... Try adding half teaspoon of mustard to the stuffing to change the flavor. Plate on top of a couple of romaine lettuce leafs.

Complexity...

Servings... 6

Sources... Receipt: Que cocinare hoy? Nicolini, Peru 2000. Photo: RPP.com.pe gastronomia, Sept 8 2005.


Stuffed Potatoes (Papa Rellena)

This is one of my favorite dishes, and is easy to do...

• 2 pounds of Potatoes (approx 1 Kg)
• 3 Eggs (one raw, two hard boiled)
  
• 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
  
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 Red onion, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon of Paprika
• 0.5 pounds of Ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 12 Alfonso Olives (or similar)
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• Flour

Potato mix: Boil potatoes in salted water. Once cooked, peel and mash them. Mix very well the mashed potatoes with the raw egg, and season with salt and pepper.

Stuffing: In a sauce pan, heat the oil and brown the onion and garlic. Add the ground beef and cook thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the olives (remove the pits and cut in dices) and raisins.

Divide the potato mix in 12 portions. Put flour in the palm of your hands, take a potato mix portion and press it between the palm of your hands. Put some of the stuffing in the center and piece of hard boil egg. Close the potato keeping the stuffing in the center (give it an oval form). Roll the stuffed potato over flour. Fry the stuffed potato in hot oil. First fry one side, and then roll it carefully. Repeat these steps with the rest of the potato mix.

From my kitchen... Try adding one cooked sweet potato or half cassava (manioc) to the mix. This will help the stuffed potato to stay together while being fried. Serve with onion "salsa" (red onion cut thin or in small dices mixed with oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper)

Complexity...

Servings... 6

Did you know... Alfonso Olives have a rich olive flavor. Other type of olives with milder flavors could be used in this receipt. Paprika in Spanish is called Pimenton.

Sources... Receipt: Que cocinare hoy? Nicolini, Peru 2000. Photo: www.inia.gob.pe


Alfajores

I will not attempt to translate the word "Alfajor" since it can't be explained in English with a single word. An "Alfajor" is basically two biscuits made with regular flour or corn starch, joined with a sweetened milk filling called "Manjar Blanco" (Blancmange, also called "Dulce de Leche"). There are several receipts and variations for this delicious dessert, moreover, each Latin American country has its own version. Below the receipt I personally consider the best, corn starch "Alfajores".

• 1/2 cup of Flour
• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 4 Egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon of minced lime skin
• 1 3/4 cups of corn starch (corn flour)
• 3.5 ounces of margarine (100 gm)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• sugar powder
  
• grated coconut for decoration (optional)

"Manjar blanco" filling (Dulce de Leche): Put the condensed milk can in a pot and boil for 2.5 hours (always check the the can is covered with water). If you don't want to prepare the "Manjar Blanco" in the can, put the condensed milk on Bain-marie for 2.5-3 hours. Move from time to time, it will be ready when it changes it's color to dark brown. Let it cool.

Biscuits: Mix the margarine and the sugar and form an homogeneous batter. Add the yolks one by one while mixing. Add the minced lime skin and continue mixing while adding the rest of the dry ingredients (before adding the dry ingredients, sift / sieve together the flour, sugar and corn starch). Knead the dough and roll it over a table, keep it half centimeter thick (0.2 inches). Use an 8cm (approx 3 inches diameter) cookie cutter to form the biscuits. Bake the biscuits at 350 degrees Fahrenheit form 10-15 minutes in a non-stick cookie sheet (or a regular cookie sheet greased). Don't keep the biscuits too much time in the oven, or they will change their color to brown. Let them cool.

Join two biscuits with the "Manjar Blanco" filling (like an Oreo cookie), cover with sugar powder and roll them over the grated coconut.

From my kitchen... Eat them as a snack on mid-afternoon with a cup of coffee.

Complexity...

Did you know... "Manjar Blanco" or "Dulce de Leche" could be found in many supermarkets at the US. Check the international section of your supermarket (sold usually in cans).

Sources... Receipt: Que cocinare hoy? Nicolini, Peru 2000. Photo: dulcisimo.blogspot.com