Colombian Food and International Flavors

Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook. My hope is that people from other countries discover Colombian food and learn more about our culture and traditions. Thank you for visiting and enjoy!
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Pandebono (Colombian Cheese bread)
101 comments January 20, 2010

Pandebono is a traditional colombian cheese bread. I have been getting a lot of e-mails asking me for this recipe, so here it is my friends. I made these delicious pandebonos last week and they came out perfectly and were delicious. For a minute, I did not miss Colombia while eating these fantastic cheese balls, [...]

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Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
83 comments August 13, 2009

Colombian-Style Arroz con Pollo was one of my favorite recipes growing up. My mom would make it at least once a week for lunch. Rice with chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Colombia and South America, but every country has their own variation. This is my mom’s Arroz con Pollo recipe. Enjoy!

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Paisa Tray (Bandeja Paisa)
62 comments August 4, 2009

Bandeja Paisa is probably the most popular Colombian dish, originally from the Andean region of the country where the people are called “Paisas” and the area where I was born and raised. Bandeja paisa is something I’ve eaten all of my life and if I have to choose my last meal on this earth, this [...]

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Colombian Empanadas (Empanadas Colombianas)
162 comments July 14, 2009

These Colombian Empanadas are a popular snack in Colombia and are served by most Colombian restaurants in the USA. Traditionally, these delicious fritters are made with shredded pork and beef, but in my family we always make them with ground meat. Serve them with ají and lime wedges on the side. In Colombia, empanadas are [...]

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Colombian Hot Dogs (Perro Caliente Colombiano)
62 comments July 3, 2009

Colombian-Style Hot Dogs is one of those recipes that I really enjoyed preparing. There are a lot of things that I miss about my country, but the three that I miss the most are my family, my friends and the food. Medellin, like other cities in the world, has hot dogs stands on the streets [...]

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Colombian Style Stuffed Potatoes (Papas Rellenas Colombianas)
39 comments June 9, 2009

Papas rellenas are a popular Colombian food that we eat for breakfast or as a snack. You can serve them hot or cold and they are delicious with ají sauce. Colombians have different versions of this recipe. I called my aunt in Florida to get my grandmother’s recipe for this one. Some people add cooked [...]

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COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SANCOCHO (SANCOCHO DE GALLINA)
65 comments April 22, 2009

Sancocho is a common Colombian dish that you can make with fish, plantain, beef, chicken, pigeon peas or pork. Sancocho de gallina is originally from the Colombian Region El Valle. Traditionally this soup is made with hens, but you can use chicken too. I have a lot of good memories associated with this meal. One [...]

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Sudado de Costillas de Res (Colombian Beef Short Ribs Stew)
10 comments April 27, 2012

People always ask me how I would describe Colombian food, and my answer is always that the cuisine in Colombia varies from region to region. Each region has its own culinary traditions and is influenced by its regional agriculture, climate and the neighboring countries. However, we do have some dishes that are popular all over [...]

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Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Tamarind Sauce (Carne con Salsa de Tamarindo)
17 comments January 12, 2012

Tamarind or Tamarindo is a popular fruit in Colombia as well as other parts of South America. In Colombia we use it to make traditional Colombian drinks, desserts, and sauces for meat, poultry and seafood. It has a sweet and sour taste and is delicious! The flavor and consistency of the tamarind sauce is amazing. [...]

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Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Colombian Spices
15 comments August 26, 2011

Short ribs seem to go better with colder weather and although it’s still summer, when I saw these ribs at the market, I knew there was no waiting for cooler days. The aromas of cumin, achiote and herbs are fantastic and simply irresistible. The flavors go so perfectly with each other and every delightful forkful [...]

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms
12 comments February 11, 2011

I loved making this dish. The aroma of slow cooked meat with mushrooms and herbs throughout the house was deeply comforting and satisfying. There really is something to slow-cooking meat on a cold, snowy day like the ones we are having so often here in the Northeast this crazy winter. This is a simple, rich [...]

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Shredded Pork Tacos with Jalapeño-Cilantro Sauce
24 comments November 12, 2010

I am not Mexican but I love Mexican food. I think I have an obsession with Tacos (see here, here, here, here, and here). I cooked the pork using my slow cooker and it was moist and delicious. Imagine pork shoulder, slow cooked until it falls apart and flavorful as can be. Imagine a spicy [...]

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Lentils and Pork Stew (Lentejas Estofadas con Cerdo)
19 comments October 15, 2009

I am a huge lentils and pork chops fan, so I decided to put them together in a lentil stew over white rice. It was simple to make and tasted delicious. I know, not very original, nevertheless, this is a great autumn dish .

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Stuffed Beef (Carne o Posta Rellena)
17 comments September 30, 2009

Autumn is definitely my favorite season. I love the beautiful colors of the changing leaves and that I can wear the clothes I love… boots, jeans and light jackets. I also love the fall because when the weather starts getting cold, I like to cook all of my favorite Colombian comfort food recipes. This stuffed [...]

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Hallacas Guajiras de Pollo (Chicken Hallacas)
10 comments November 7, 2011

Hayacas or Hallacas are a traditional dish from Venezuela as well as La Guajira department of Colombia. This delicious dish is usually made with precooked cornmeal(masarepa) filled with beef, pork or chicken, and vegetables, raisins and capers. The meat is cooked with different seasonings, spices and herbs, such as, garlic, cumin, achiote, cilantro, amongst others, [...]

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Tamales Tolimenses (Tolima Region Tamales)
45 comments November 8, 2010

Tamal is an important dish in Colombian cuisine and you’ll find them on almost all traditional Colombian restaurant menus. There are many different variations of tamales throughout the country. Tamales Tolimense is a recipe I have been planning to share with you for some time now. The filling in this tamal is chicken, pork belly, [...]

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Lechona Tolimense (Colombian-Style Stuffed Pork)
38 comments June 12, 2010

This traditional dish, originally from the Tolima department of Colombia, is often served on special occasions. This popular dish consists of a whole pork stuffed with rice, peas, potatoes and spices , cooked in a brick oven for about ten to twelve hours. Lechona was Mamita’s favorite Colombian dish and it was the main course [...]

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Hojuelas Colombianas (Colombian Hojuelas)
43 comments December 8, 2009

I want to share another traditional Colombian Christmas treat with you. These Hojuelas are a delicious fried pastry that we eat with Natilla and Buñuelos at Christmas gatherings. Just writing this post made me homesick and I began missing the holidays in Colombia with my family. Growing up in a big Colombian family like mine [...]

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Buñuelos Colombianos (Colombian Buñuelos)
53 comments December 7, 2009

Buñuelos are a traditional Colombian Christmas treat, but they are also popular year round for breakfast with hot chocolate or coffee. On December 7th in Colombia, friends get together to celebrate “el dia e las velitas”, a Christmas tradition in honor of the Virgin Mary. They light candles in front of their houses or on [...]

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Natilla Colombiana (Colombian-Style Pudding)
52 comments December 6, 2009

Natilla is a sweet custard that is traditionally served during Colombian Christmas gatherings. There are many variations of this dish throughout the country but this Natilla is my grandmother’s recipe and is very special to me. I called my mom and one of my aunts for the recipe, but they didn’t have it because they [...]

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Mom’s Colombian Tamales (Tamales Colombianos de mi Mamá)
74 comments October 29, 2009

There are many variations of tamales in Colombia, but they all have something in common and that is that they are all wrapped in banana leaves. I am going to post many types of tamales recipes in my blog but to start let me introduce you the tamales Antioqueños, from the region Antioquia, my hometown. [...]

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Pasta with Cheese and Broccoli
23 comments April 12, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, having not gone to the market yet that week, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I didn’t have a lot of food in the fridge and the only vegetable I had was broccoli. Whenever I spend too much time trying to figure out what to [...]

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Fruit Salad (Ensalada de Frutas)
26 comments September 6, 2009

This fruit salad is a delicious and beautiful recipe for entertaining. I made two different dressings, so you can make both and let people to choose or you can just make your favorite. If you don’t like any of the fruits I included, you can certainly use the fruits of your choice.

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Banana Orange Bread (Pan de Banano y Naranja)
23 comments June 30, 2009

I love classic banana bread, but I don’t like to bake. So I usually eat it when my mother-in-law makes it for me. However, we were invited to a last minute dinner party and I didn’t have anything to bring, but I always have bananas at home, so I decided to create this Banana Orange [...]

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Potato Fries and Hot Dogs (Salchipapas)
7 comments May 24, 2009

Salchipapas is one of those dishes you are going to find all over Colombia on the kids menu at restaurants. I grew up eating Salchipapas con Salsa Rosada and I still enjoy this traditional Colombian snack.

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Watermelon Juice (Jugo de Sandia)
10 comments May 15, 2009

Watermelon juice or Jugo de Sandia is delicious and extremely refreshing on a hot day. Try it, your kids will love you for it! Ingredients (4 Servings) 5 cups watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks 1 cup crushed ice ¼ cup ice water 2 tablespoons sugar Directions Place all the ingredients in a blender and [...]

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RICE WITH ANGEL HAIR PASTA (ARROZ CON FIDEOS)
10 comments April 30, 2009

This is another Colombian rice recipe and as I’ve mentioned before in this blog, rice is a staple in a Colombian diet. Arroz con Fideos is a popular recipe in my family. As children, we loved it because of the little angel hair pasta in the rice.

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RICE WITH CARROTS (ARROZ CON ZANAHORIA)
1 comment February 28, 2009

Rice is a Colombian side dish staple, and it is hard to imagine a meal without a rice dish. Some Colombian people eat rice with beans for breakfast. One of my favorite ways to make rice is to cook it with vegetables. In this recipe I use carrots.

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Pasta con Champiñones (Pasta with Mushroom Sauce)
10 comments August 19, 2011

I have been cooking more meatless dishes the last couple of years. My husband became a vegetarian about 3 years ago, so I am developing some recipes for him. Why haven’t we decided to turn 100% vegetarian in this house? Well, simply because I love my meat, seafood and poultry! Cooking a meatless meal is [...]

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Quesadillas de Pollo (Chicken Quesadillas)
16 comments May 16, 2011

These Chicken Quesadillas are absolutely delicious and they make a satisfying lunch or weeknight dinner. They are creamy and full of flavor and are a fantastic way to use your leftover chicken. I’m telling you, this might be my new favorite quesadilla recipe and I am going to make it over and over again. You [...]

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Pollo Encebollado (Chicken in Onion Sauce)
11 comments April 27, 2011

It’s popular in Colombia to cook meat or poultry in Onion or Tomato Sauce. My mom made this dish all the time with a variety of different meats and we all loved it! It is the perfect weeknight meal, because it is cheap, easy, simple, fast and full of flavor. Serve it over white rice, [...]

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Camarones Con Salsa de Anis (Shrimp with Anise Sauce)
18 comments July 2, 2010

This simple Shrimp with Anise Sauce is a traditional Colombian dish from the department of Sucre, where plain white rice is always served to soak up the aromatic anise sauce. This dish is so simple that once you make it, it’s pretty easy to remember. Buen provecho and have a nice weekend!

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Chicken with Mushroom Sauce (Pollo con Salsa de Champiñones)
25 comments May 24, 2010

I love chicken and I usually prefer to cook with dark meat rather than white meat for better flavor. This chicken with mushroom sauce is a simple, comforting and delicious dish. I think that comfort food should never be seasonal and in Colombia we cook stews, soups and other comforting dishes like this one no [...]

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Baked Salmon with Cilantro-Garlic Oil
12 comments September 8, 2009

The combined simplicity and flavor are what make this dish terrific. I think that we all need some easy, but delicious recipes that we can prepare in a short time and with little planning, for a weeknight dinner party, without sacrificing taste. I love to cook salmon because just by adding olive oil, salt and [...]

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Shrimp, Pineapple and Avocado Cocktail (Cocktail de Camarones con Piña y Aguacate)
8 comments July 13, 2009

This is a great way to cook a quick and delicious appetizer for family or friends using shrimp. Enjoy this dish on a warm sunny day.

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Pastel Borracho (Colombian-Style Drunken Cake)

3 comments May 22, 2013

Looking for a dessert for this Memorial Day weekend? How about Pastel Borracho? Pastel Borracho is basically rum-soaked sponge cake, top with prunes and creme Anglaise. The rum syrup makes this cake rich and incredibly moist, without being soggy, and has a wonderful texture. I made my sponge cake (bizcochuelo) from scratch and you can [...]

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Quinoa, Shrimp and Chimichurri Salad

12 comments May 20, 2013

The Creative Cooking Crew this month is going to a “virtual picnic” and I’m bringing a delicious and simple Quinoa, Shrimp and Chimichurri Salad. When I found out that the challenge for this month was a picnic dish, I knew I would make something fresh and simple, but full of flavor. This Quinoa salad was [...]

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Slow Cooker Colombian-Style Pulled Pork

6 comments May 18, 2013

I love using my slow cooker year round. In the winter it warms the house with the comforting aromas of spices, and in the summer it helps keep the kitchen cool, and the best part, it does all the work for me. But strangely, I haven’t been using mine that much lately. I love cooking [...]

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Pescado Aborrajado (Colombian-Style Battered Fish)

5 comments May 14, 2013

Today I am sharing another classic and easy to make Colombian recipe with you, a dish called Pescado Aborrajado. It is a simple fried battered fish dish that is popular around the country. Making my grandmother’s recipe for this Colombian-Style Battered Fish brought back a lot of wonderful memories for me. It had been a [...]

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Sabajón Colombiano (Colombian-Style Eggnog)

7 comments May 11, 2013

To celebrate this years Mother’s Day, I thought I would introduce you to one of my mom’s favorite drinks, Sabajón Colombiano. Sabajón is the Colombian version of eggnog, spiked with Aguardiente (firewater), a strong alcoholic drink made from anise and sugar cane or rum. I personally prefer it with rum, but feel free to change [...]

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Roscón de Arequipe (Dulce de Leche Stuffed Bread)

10 comments May 9, 2013

Even though I am still a rookie when it comes to baking, I am slowly, but surely, getting the hang of it, especially baking Colombian breads I must confess, when I started this blog four years ago, I was intimidated by baking with yeast, and the first bread I made using it was as hard [...]

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Avocado and Egg Flat Bread Pizza

5 comments May 7, 2013

Today I have a simple, affordable, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe that you can make to start your day. A wonderful Avocado and Egg Flat Bread Pizza! You all know how much I love avocados, so I’m excited to introduce you to my new favorite way to eat them. There are some recipes that I [...]

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