Meat and seven veg

Food in Santa Marta is definitely yummy.  However, I realise that people here don't seem accustomed to piling a whole lot of vegetables on their plates like I do at home.  A normal lunch plate here seems to be complied of a lot of meat, an equal amount of starch, and then maybe a little salad or a spoonful of veggies on the side. 

A variety of vegetables are definitely available at all of the supermarkets we have been to, and most are extremely cheap compared to Australian prices.  I've been told that some are considered affordable given Colombian salaries as well.  However, it has been explained to me that many families are accustomed to eating more starchy foods (rice, lentils, beans etc) as they are much cheaper and filling compared to other foods.  Having sufficient energy to last the day is especially important for those who are on a tight budget and cannot afford meat.  However, on top of the price issue I am guessing that vegetables may not be too popular anyway.  There may also be fewer veggie recipes around that explain how to make delicious dishes that are also nutritious. 

However, regardless of why I don't see to many people eating their vegetables, I have been making sure that I am eating my 5 serves for the day and have had fun sharing recipes with the family!  Here is one veggie recipe that is quite simple, nutritious, and is very filling (lots of root vegetables).  Enjoy!

Meat and 6 veg (to serve 6 people)

3 beetroot
2 bulbs of garlic (separated but kept in skin)
2 red onions
3 large carrots
1/4 of a medium-sized pumpkin
4 small capsicums
3 large handfuls of beans
1 tbs cinnamon (yes, cinnamon!)
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
4 tbs olive oil
panfried meat of your choice

Chop all of the beetroot, carrots, and pumpkin so that they look similar in size and shape (I like to chop them thinly so that they come out crunchy).  Chop the onions in half and then into threes (you end up with 6 pieces of onion).  Slice the capsicum into strips (about 4 cm wide).  Chop the beans into 5 cm long pieces.  Arrange the vegetables into sections on a big pyrex dish.  Slide the garlic in between chopped-up veggies.  Sprinkle cinnamon and herbs ontop of everything.  Then sprinkle the oil over the entire dish.  Pop the veggies into a 200C oven for about a 30-45 minutes - if the veggies begin to burn then cover with some aluminium foil.  Serve the veggies with your meat - you can serve them individually or mix everything up and scoop the lot onto plates.

Seven Veg!

Achote! The Latin alternative to Tumeric...

"Achiote" is one of those ingredients that I have come across that makes me think "How cool is this?!  I never even knew this existed!"  I felt like an explorer discovering new land when I was shown a bunch of achiote a few days ago (straight from the tree).  Since then have been busy learning how to use it...

Achiote seeds inside the pod

Achiote is a fruit that grows in clusters of pods, like in the photo to the left. Upon first glance it reminded me of the rambutan (an Asian, red, hairy-skinned fruit that is similar to lychee). I used to eat rambutan when I was growing up with my family in Indonesia - we had a massive tree in the front garden of our first house there.  However, being a bit red and hairy are the only things that the sweet rambutan has in common with achiote. Unlike rambutan, an achiote fruit splits open when it is ripe, and reveals a number of bright red seeds. These seeds are used for food flavouring and colouring, a bit like how tumeric and saffron can be used in Asian and Italian cooking.

 

Achiote seeds

I had the pleasure of helping out in the family kitchen today, and learned how colour and flavour are extracted from the seeds.  I was introduced to the "achiotero", a little metal pot with a lid and long handle - vital for making the achiote oil.  A handful of seeds are put into this achiotero and are then covered with canola/vegetable oil.  The achiotero is then put on the stove to simmer.  The colour and flavour from the seeds then infuses with the oil, which is often used here for chicken dishes and rice.  When ready, the achiote seeds and oil end up smelling a bit like fried garlic - peppery and earthy but not as pungent.  We used the oil in a very simple way today - to add colour and a bit of flavour for  

Yellow rice or Achiote rice (Arroz amarilla o Arroz de achiote)

3-4 tablespoons of achiote oil (use 10 saffron strings if achiote unavailable)

3 mashed garlic cloves

2 cups of rice

water to cover

Place your mashed garlic and achiote oil in a heavy-base pot (use virgin olive, canola, or sunflower oil if you cannot find achiote).  Fry until garlic browns up a bit.  Pour in rice and mix, making sure to cover the rice with the oil and garlic mixture.  Then add your water (just so that it covers the rice by about 5 centimeters) and bring to the boil.  Once boiling, turn down the heat to a low simmer.  Stir once and then cover the pot so that the rice can cook in its own steam (add your saffron now if you have not used achiote). Uncover after 15 minutes and give it a stir.  The rice should be cooked and yellow in colour - perfect to accompany a tastey grilled fish dish or a scrumptious chicken curry! 

Achiotero

Achiote oil with garlic

There are "bananas" and there are "bananas"...

I learn something every day here! This time I have been taught that there are different types of bananas, each with a different flavour and usage. There are bananas like the ones that I am used to (e.g. to be put in banana smoothies and banana bread) - these are called "bananos" (or "guineo maduro"). These bananas can be used in sweet dishes once they ripen and turn yellow (e.g. fruit salad). They can also be used when they are green and starchy - and when it is in this state, it is called "guineo verde" rather than "banano".   To make things a little more complicated...once the "guineo verde" has been cooked or boiled, it is called "cayeye"!  The picture in this post is of fresh-from-the-farm guineo verdes.







Cayeye para Desayunar (Green banana for breakfast)
1 peeled green banana
water
cheese (queso costeno if available) - (optional)
butter (optional)
chilli sauce/hot sauce (optional)

Boil a pot of water and throw in your guineo. Boil until the guineo is soft and hot in the middle. Remove the guineo and mash with a fork. Many costenos (people who live along the coast) eat their guineo with a knob of butter melted on top and some grated white costeno cheese (a bit like mozzarella). However, I prefer mine with a good dollop of chilli sauce. Delicious in the morning!

There is also another popular banana species here called "plantano" (plantain) - larger and longer than a usual banana. I have seen them cooked/baked/fried in a number of ways once they have ripened. You know they are "maduro" (mature and sweet) once their skin turns black and they are soft to touch.  However they too can be used when "verde" (green/unripe).  The second picture here shows the difference in size between a platnio (larger) and guineo (smaller).

Platanos verdes are used to make patacones (fried slices of platanos that are fried, smushed, and refried and turn out crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside) or tajadas (chips that you can have with dips or salsas). Patacones are very poplular along the Colombian Carribean coast. However, my favorite way to have Platano is baked in the oven once it has ripened (is "maduro").



Platano maduro al horno (Oven-baked ripe Plantino)
1 peeled ripe platano
butter or butter substitute
cheese (optional)
cinnamon (optional)
honey (optional)

Line a baking tray with baking paper, and set the oven to 180 degrees celcius . Slice your platano lengthways and place on the tray. Spread a knob of butter over the platano and (if you like) add your cinnamon, cheese, and/or honey. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes (although it may be quicker/slower depending on the size of the banana). Serve warm!

NOTE: in Australia (in Brisbane at least), you can find platano in Asian green-grocer shops!

Bringing the east to the west

I am loving life in Santa Marta so far.  The weather is perfectly warm and it is always gloriously sunny.  There is usually a bit of a sea-breeze (although sometimes a massive gale) which cools us off on hot days.  The beach is close by, and there are a number of bays to choose from.  The people are absolutely beautiful.  Those I have met have all been incredibly friendly and hospitable - in the last 3 weeks we have had over a dozen dinner and lunch invitations to homes of friends and family!
And the food of course, is incredibly yummy and delightfully different from what I am used to!  There are a lot of corn-based meals: a variety of arepas; bollos; bunuelos (more on these later).  There are also so many interesting tropical fruits to sample!  My favorite so far is Zapote (a brown ball of a fruit that when opened exposes a dramatic fushia-coloured flesh that tastes a bit like caramel).
Restaurant-wise, Santa Marta has a number of Colombian joints where you can find any type of barbequed meat, tastey soups, tropical fruit juices, and patacones (deep friend platanos - a species of starchy green banana).  However, Lebanese-food is also incredibly popular here, as is Chinese food.  I am told that Chinese-Colombian food is "the best type of Chinese food in the world".  We are set to visit an old establishment down the road called "La Gran Muralla" ("The Great Wall") so we will see!  However, 2 things that I have been craving since arriving are Rice milk and Indian food (there is not one Indian restaurant in Santa Marta - or at least we have not found one yet).  Both are staples for me back at home.  
So to curb the cravings we made a delicious dhal, which was just what my belly was asking for (and a new experience for the in-laws)!  It was my first attempt at making rice milk, but it turned out better than I expected. 

Indian-Inspired Lentils with a Colombian twist 
1 kilo of dry green lentils
1 red onion
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil
water
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp cumin
meat of one coconut (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Let lentils soak for a few hours or overnight.  When you are ready to cook, wash lentils in a big pot to remove debris.  You may want to wash the lentils 3 or 4 times - draining out the water each time until it appears clean and not milky/starchy looking.  Drain out your water one last time and place your pot of lentils on the counter ready to put on the stove soon.
Finely chop your red onion and garlic cloves.  Heat up the oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until slightly browned.  Place onion/garlic mix on top of your lentils and mix through.  
Now put the pot of lentils/onion/garlic on the stove and cover the mixture with water (about 3 cups of water).  Let the mixture come to a boil as you stir constantly.  Once you bring the mixutre to the boil, turn the stove down a bit so that it can start to simmer.  Add your cinnamon and cumin, stir through, and cover the pot.
You can leave the lentils to simmer away, but come back to check on them and stir them to prevent burning the bottom of the pot.  You may need to add more water as you go along, in order to bring the lentils to a "mushy" consistency.  This will take about 45-60 minutes.  Once you get to this point where the lentils are soft and are not holding their shape, add your seasoning to taste.    
You can store the lentils in the fridge for a few days or divide them into containers and freeze.  These ca of course be served with a delicious curry and rice or maybe some paratha but I love to serve my lentils with chilli paste/sauce and with a friend egg on top. 

NOTE: I have found an incredibly tastey and preservative-free chilli sauce called "Amazon Red Hot Pepper Sauce" - so happy!

Gluten and Lactose-free Rice Milk
1 cup brown rice
8 cups water
2 tsp stevia

Bring your 8 cups of water to the boil.  Once boiling, pour your cup of rice into the pot and turn down heat a bit (so that the water comes to a simmer).  Add the stevia.  Stir every few minutes for 2 hours.  Take the mixture off the heat (the rice should be very mushy now).  Pour about a cup of cold water into a blender and the same amount of rice mixture - blend for about 30 seconds (or until the mixture looks creamy rather than grainy).  Empty the contents of the blender into a pitcher.  If you would like a thicker version then add less cold water to the blender, a more watery version calls for more water.
I can drink this rice milk by itself, but I love it heated with a a scoop of Colombian instant coffee and more stevia.