If you are a regular reader you know that my little sister is visiting from Colombia and we are having a lot of fun together. We laugh, talk and eat all day! It is great having a little sister around, don’t you think? I love my brother and sister very much and I wish I could spend more quality time with them. The hardest thing about living away from my country is not being able to see my family as often as I would like.
Anyway, let’s talk about arepas, shall we? This week I made this arepa recipe for lunch and we both loved it! Just think about a corn cake topped with your favorite ingredients. To me, there is nothing better than arepa 
In this arepa I used shredded meat (carne desmechada), avocado and sweet plantain for the topping. Simple, but absolutely delicious.
Buen Provecho!
Ingredients
(4 servings)
4 arepas (corn cakes), cooked
1 carne desmechada(shredded meat recipe)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large ripe plantain, peeled and diced
1 avocado, diced
fresh cilantro for ganish
Directions
In a medium skillet, melt the butter and add the diced plantains. Brown the plantains for about 3 minutes and set aside.
Place an arepa on a serving plate, top with the carne desmechada and add avocado and plantain.
Sprinkle fresh cilantro and serve.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Your sister is going to return to Colombia with a few extra libras!
Looks delicious!
Oh, the topping sounds marvelous, especially with avocado and plantain! I miss my family a lot, too, so thank goodness we can keep in touch via e-mail and phone calls. We’re hoping to visit them in CA this summer – I wonder if my sisters will make me some of my favorite meals, as you’ve done for yours?
Oh how this looks soooooooooooo AMAZING !!
This is one one of my favorite foods…Arepas…give them to me plain or siegas as they call them..filled or topped of like this one. Great dish. My moth is watering……
THe arepas look so scrumptious with shredded meat and plantains! Yum!
Thank you guys
Lucky sister!! Drooling, just drooling
I’ve got to try this!!!!! This looks so good!
I know what you mean about sisters, I have four, but only one lives close to me everybody else is in Florida and I’m in Mass, but I digress how delicious this looks is like a Fiesta on a plate Yum!
Arepa are sold on almost every corner here in Colombia. I love arepas with chicken and steak. I think I’m going to get one tonight for supper.,….
I have made arepas twice now. I am just not confident that I cooking them long enough. Should they be soft and sort of creamy inside? I would love to prepare them in this way!!
The meat just looks perfect!! Wow, so jealous of your sister lol But she does have excellent taste for food!!
Another fantastic recipe! I like having my sisters around too. I don’t get to see them too often either, they live north and I’m in the south. When we are together, good food and drinks always seem to be on the agenda! It makes for good memories too!
I want it!!! I love arepas and the photos is so enticing
All the best,
Gera
I hope you have a wonderful time with your sister! What a pretty dish! I bet the avocado pairs so nicely with the arepa and shredded meat!
Thank you everyone for your comments!
yum. the arepas are lovely, the meat looks properly juicy, and i love your toppings. this is wonderful!
Oh Erica, this looks fabulous! I now have a new website. Please come by when you get a chance!
That tender shredded meat is making me very hungry right now! Looks delicious Erica.
Erica
I really could go for this arepa and the shredded meat! talk about drop-dead delicious!
Waw!!! I am impressed by your culinary photography!! Oooh,…yes!!!
A fab meal this is!
Your recipes are so amazing. This is exactly the kind of thing I love to eat. Can you please recommend a Colombian cookbook?
Happy to found your blog through Sophie’s blog. I never made Columbian food before, so finding your blog giving me a chance to try the recipe.
Cheers,’elra
I love shredded meat!
Looks a bit like a tostada with all sorts of wonderful flavors bursting at the seams! What a delicious sounding dish.
All of that succulent beef and gorgeous avocado….sigh. Amazing, Erica. That is a perfect spring afternoon meal!
This looks like the perfect meal to enjoy outside with good friends!
Oh Erica! This looks wonderful! I love all your toppings! I want, I want!
So glad you and your sister are having such fun.
Stephanie- They should be a little soft inside!
Love, love, love Arepas! These look outstanding.
I’d love to have this everyday! those arepas look fantastic … and the filling is one of my favs … super yummy!
YUM! This looks wonderful! Love the avocado on there
I am obsessed with your site! thanks thanks thanks! cant wait to start cooking Colombian food to my soon to be gringo husband
soy Colombiana and with zero to none experience in the kitchen, but your recipes are amazing and super easy to follow.
By the way – sharing you on facebook to everybody I know
I love the arepas with shredded meat. it remains me when i was leaving in venezuela..
y are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Erica, Thank you for your receipe of Colombian tamales. I came to the
US when I was 13 and still remember those wonderful tamales, arepas
empanadas and so many other delicious food.
My mom had a friend that would make arepas with Masa Harina, she
would use bacon grease and brown sugar, they were so good. Maybe
not so healthy but delicious. Once a year wouldn’t be so bad……
Thank you again for your receipe. Chris~
I made last week carne mechada with ripe plantain for a potluck at office and everybody said that the taste of meat and plantain was soo good!
The meat orginally used for this recipe is overbelly, the meat is cooked in hot water flavored with a bouquet garni,until very tender, along side this, there has to be a colombian mojo or (hogao) oftenly made with juicy tomatoes and long tail onions, sliced and cooked with cumin and bay leaf, and salt, until slighltly being reduced, mixed with the shredded meat (carne desmechada), this meat is put inside an arepa (corn cakes) cut in half.