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I bought some grass-fed beef the other day and decided to make one of my favorite beef dishes with it – picadillo. I love the slightly sweet and tart taste of the tomatoes and raisins contrasted against the savoriness of the onion & garlic. This recipe is very easy and makes a huge amount. I froze half of it so I would have picadillo on hand. It is such a versatile dish: you can serve it over rice (with or without black beans) or use it as the filling for empanadas, tacos or burritos.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 red or yellow bell peppers, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup sliced green olives
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 4 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add onions, peppers, garlic & bay leaves and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors merge together.

Arepas are a popular breakfast dish in Venezuela and Colombia. They are corn cakes made of precooked cornmeal (I like the white variety). I was introduced to arepas by a friend in college. Her father was from Colombia and her mother would frequently make arepas (and wonderful empanadas). We would eat them with carne mechada (shredded beef) and black beans for dinner. Ed grew up eating arepas with cheese, carne and a side of black beans for breakfast – aka Pabellón Criollo, the traditional Venezuelan breakfast. So obviously they are very versatile and good at any time of the day. Ed says that in Venezuelan people basically treat them as bread making all kinds of sandwiches with arepas – ham & cheese, black beans & onions, shredded pork, etc. So, I present to you our breakfast this morning, Arepas con queso. We used a fresh Latin cheese called Guayanés, however, any fresh white cheese (e.g. Farmer’s cheese) will work. I also like them with cheddar & feta but don’t tell Ed – it is heresy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups masa de arepa (masarepa)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh white cheese

Directions

Place the masa in a bowl and mix in the salt. Add the water and stir with your hands until the water is absorbed. Let sit for 5-10 minutes then knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth.

Shape into 2″ to 5″ patties (just depends on how big you’d like your arepas) that are about 1/2-inch thick. Cook in a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat until outsides are crisp and the inside is cooked. This will take 10+ minutes.

Serve while hot. Cut each arepa in half and fill with white cheese (or carne, or black beans, or ham, etc.).

Yield: 4 servings

Notes

You can also crumble the cheese into the dough (about 1/2 cup) so it melts while you cook the arepas. These are great filled with beef or beans.

This is one of mom’s recipes that just screams holy smoke.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• lemon rind
• 3 slices bread (without crust)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 8 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large pan, heat 2 liters of 2 liters of water on high to boil.

Meanwhile, hand mix first eight ingredients in a bowl.

In a medium pan, add sugar and cook under medium low heat until caramelized. Pour on two circular molds. Add mixture to the two molds and place them on a large cookie sheet.

Add water and vinegar to cookie sheet. Put in oven and cook for 45 minutes, checking around the 40 minute mark to make sure the consistency is alright.