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…

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…

Bistec encebollado or steak cooked with onion sauce, is a Colombian classic. It is also a dish that I love! it is especially good over white rice with tomato-avocado salad on the side.

My mom makes the best Bistec Encebollado! Thanks Mami

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…

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a weakness for arepas and I eat them almost every day for breakfast. Eating arepas makes me happy and connects me with my country.

In Colombia we eat all kinds of arepas and these Arepuelas or Anisitas (sweet arepas) are very popular on the Atlantic coast of Colombia. You can eat them with hot chocolate for breakfast or just as a quick snack with coffee. They are crispy, sweet and delicious. Enjoy! Read more…

When I was growing up in Colombia, my mom made sudados once a week. Sudados are a popular dish in Colombia and we have many variations of this dish. For my mom, sudado is the perfect one pot, quick and simple meal. She would make a big pot so we would have left overs for the next day and served it over white rice and fried pantains with avocado on the side.

The aromas of this dish remind me of home whenever I cook it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This is traditional Colombian home cooking, the style of food that my mom knows how to make very well. Some other variations of sudados are: chicken, beef, pork, meatballs and fish.

Buen Provecho! Read more…

I want to share with you today a recipe from the archives. Bandeja Paisa or Paisa Tray is my favorite Colombian dish and the most popular dish in Colombia. My friend Joan from Foodalogue is having a virtual culinary tour and this week she is going to Colombia. After much thought about which recipe I should make for this stop, I decided to post this dish because it is the most popular meal in Colombian cuisine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Read more…