I receive many emails from readers asking me when I will be posting various Colombian recipes. Lately, Carne Afanada is one of the most requested recipes. Carne Afanada is the Colombian version of meatloaf.

After asking some friends and family about this recipe, I learned that this dish is popular in the El Valle department of Colombia. It is traditionally made with ground beef and cooked on top of the stove, but I put my own twist on the dish and added some ground pork and I started cooking the meatloaf on the stove but finished cooking it in the oven. It is a delicious Colombian dish.

Buen Provecho! Read more…

My sister Catalina went back to Medellin, Colombia today The house feels really lonely and we miss her already. She stayed with me for a whole month and I got use having her around. We had a great time! We all hope that she can comeback soon.

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I know, I know spring is here and stew is probably the last dish you want to see right now, but as I mentioned before, in Colombia we eat soups and stews all year round. Even on the coast of the country, where it is always very hot, 80-90+ degrees, people eat delicious and hot fish sancocho.

There are those simple dishes that I want to make because I need comfort food, and because they remind me of my grandmother and what she used to make when I was a child. A bean soup with meatballs is that kind of dish for me. When I make it, I remember every detail of those family meals with all my cousins and siblings running around Mamita’s house.

I made these beans for lunch and they were fantastic. I used canary beans instead of pinto beans, which it what Mamita always used. That was the only change I made from Mamita’s dish, so feel free to substitute your favorite beans for the canary beans.

Buen Provecho! Read more…

I’ve been meaning to tell you about my love for anything involving beans. Actually maybe I have told you that before Anyway, growing up, my mother prepared Frijoles con Chicharron (Bean Stew with Pork Belly) once a week, which made my siblings and I very happy. Happy because it was food that involved beans and happy because it was deliciously rich and comforting and always cooked to perfection. She served them with white rice and avocado on the side. Simple and wonderful in every way. This dish is also popular in the Andean zone of Colombia.

Sometimes I like to serve this stew as a casual weekday meal, just as we used to eat it at home when I was a girl. And at other times, I prefer to serve it as part of the Bandeja Paisa.

Buen Provecho! Read more…

Last week I made one of my favorite comfort foods, Molde de Papa y Carne (potato and meat pie). It’s similar to Sheperd’s Pie. I make this dish often during the winter, but for some reason, I haven’t shared it with you yet. Well, today is the last day of Winter, so here it is, this delicious and comforting dish that my grandmother used to make and I’ve always loved.

When I want something simple to make and satisfying, this potato and meat pie always does the trick.

Here is the Colombian version of Sheperd’s Pie. Enjoy it! Read more…

Marranitas or Puerquitas are a popular appetizer from the Pacific zone of Colombia. Just because we call them appetizers, doesn’t mean you can only serve them as a snack or before a meal. As a matter of fact, if you eat six of these marranitas, you are not going to have any room for dinner

Marranitas literally traslate as “little pig girls” and are fried green plantains stuffed with chopped chicharrones. I know, I know, this is not exactly diet food, but they are absolutely delicious. We Colombians, don’t think about diet when we are eating our Colombian fritters Buen provecho! Read more…

Do you have pork spine?, I asked the butcher at my local market. He looked at me like I was from another planet and said “no, we don’t have that!” Okay, thank you, I said.

I was plannig to make Sopa de Maiz Pelao, a soup that my grandmother used to make. She would add pork spine(espinazo de cerdo) and the flavor was fantastic. So I started getting the rest of the groceries and thinking about that soup I was craving so badly. Well, I decided to buy pork ribs and use them instead.

I made the soup yesterday for lunch and it was delicious. I did not miss the pork spine at all. After I had my soup I called my aunt in Florida and told her the story. She laughed and told me that in this country pork spine are called pork neck bones.

So, if you want to make the soup the way Mamita used to make it, ask your butcher for pork neck bones, but if you prefer my way, use pork ribs. Either way, it is a wonderful soup!

For those who don’t know what hominy is, it is white or yellow dried corn and is used in Mexican pozole. In Colombia, we use it in arepas de maiz pelao, mazamorra or soups. You can buy it and cook it at home from scratch, or just buy it pre-cooked in cans. Read more…