So, what is Sudado? It literally translates as “sweaty”. Yummy huh? But in a food context, Sudado is a traditional Colombian stew with many variations such as Pork, Beef, Chicken, Fish and Meatballs Sudado. There are also variations in the vegetables used. Potatoes, yuca, carrots and plantains are some of the more common ones. It is a popular dish all over the country and one of my favorite Colombian meals.

Do you have those dishes that you want to make because you need comfort food and because they remind you of what your mom used to make when you were a child? Sudado is that kind of food for me. When I make it, I remember every detail of those family meals. I love this dish with white rice, avocado and tomato salad on the side. Read more…

Mondongo, which is pork, tripe and chorizo soup, is served in every traditional Colombian restaurant. It is a hearty soup and a signature dish in every home in the Andean zone of Colombia. My grandmother used to make the best Mondongo I’ve ever had!

To make Colombian Mondongo, a variety of meats and vegetables are cooked together until everything in the pot is fork tender. Tripe is the main meat in the dish and it is balanced with lean pork and pieces of chorizo, which are used for rich flavor. Mondongo is a complete meal, accompanied by white rice, avocado, banana and drizzled with lime juice.

Traditionally, the tripe is cooked in a pressure cooker, which cooks the tripe faster, in about 45 minutes. If you don’t have one, simmer for a couple of hours in a normal pot.

Buen Provecho! Read more…

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…

Four ripe avocados were in the basket in my kitchen for two days while I was trying to figure out what to make with them. I eat so many avocados that sometimes I don’t know how to eat them in a different way.

So I decided to make a Potato, Avocado and Shrimp Salad and it was easy and delicious. You can’t go wrong adding avocados to a salad!
This salad is perfect for the hot summer days ahead

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…

Empanadas are a traditional appetizer in Colombia. We have different variations of this delicious dish throughout the country and these meat empanadas are one of them.

Empanadas de Pipián are typically associated with the del Cauca zone of Colombia and are made with corn masa and stuffed with roasted peanuts and potatoes.

I can resist many foods, even when they are very tempting and I am terribly tempted, but I cannot resist a Colombian empanada. They are the ideal snack. It’s hard for me to just have one! They are perfect at breakfast, lunch or as a snack during the day. One, two, three…six, seven…how many can you eat? I can eat a lot of these wonderful empanadas Read more…

I had some potatoes in the fridge and I didn’t know what to do with them, so, while I was doing some laundry, I started to have some ideas on how I would cook them. I was thinking maybe mashed or just roasted, until I thought about this delicious Potato Gratin recipe that I love! This a wonderful side dish and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. Read more…