Tag: Latin American
Salsa Criolla
Salsa Criolla
Salsa criolla is an onion relish eaten with just about everything in Peruvian cuisine. The onions are soaked in salted ice water for 10 minutes. This process allows the onions to release their sugars, making them sweet. Then they’re mixed with jalapeños, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, and vinegar. The onions marinate for 30 minutes, resulting in what I like to call sugary onion candy. The onions are less oniony in flavor and have more of a sweet and sugary taste with a kick of spice from the jalapeños. I recommend making a double batch because you will eat half of it before serving it with whatever you’re making.
Equipment
- mandolin slicer
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 1 jalapeños sliced paper thin on a mandolin
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the sliced onions in ice cold salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Mix all of the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.
Causa Rellena
Causa Rellena
Causa rellena is a Peruvian layered potato salad that is molded in a dish, chilled, then sliced. First you make mashed potatoes with lime juice, olive oil, and aji amarillo paste. The potatoes will be used for the top and bottom layer. The center layers consists of sliced avocado and tuna salad. I recommend using a higher quality canned tuna in olive oil such as yellowfin. If you aren’t a fan of tuna, you can substitute chopped chicken.To assemble, I used a Pyrex loaf pan that I normally bake banana bread in. You will need to line the pan with plastic wrap, then spray the inside with nonstick spray. Place a layer of potatoes a third of the way up the pan. Then place a layer of avocado, followed by the tuna salad. Top off with the rest of the potatoes. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving to allow the casserole to firm up. When ready to serve, flip onto a plate. Cut out a slice and serve.
Equipment
- potato ricer
- plastic wrap
- loaf pan
Ingredients
Potato Layer
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Filling
- 2 cans yellowfin tuna in olive oil drained
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
- Mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, lime juice, onion, and parsley. Place in the refrigerator.
- Boil the potatoes until soft; about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Put the potatoes through a ricer.
- Mix in the rest of the potato layer ingredients.
- Line the inside of a loaf pan with plastic wrap. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread a layer of the potatoes on the bottom; about a third of the way up.
- Place the sliced avocado across the potato layer.
- Pour the tuna salad over the avocado layer.
- Spread the rest of the potatoes over the tuna salad layer.
- Tighly wrap the loaf pan in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving to firm up.
- Once firm, flip onto a plate.
Elotes
Elotes
In my opinion, there is no better way to eat corn on the cob than the Mexican way: elotes. This is a staple in food stands all over Latin American countries. Corn on the cob is roasted and lathered in multiple layers of all that is sacred(at least in my book). Mayo and sour cream, cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and squeezed lime juice encase the ears, making this just about the tastiest food ever. Screw your butter and salt.There are a couple of ways to prepare the corn. I shucked mine and broiled it. You can also brown the corn in a cast iron skillet. The best way is to leave your corn in the husks and grill it. I will grill my corn until the husk is pretty much burnt off and there is a slight char on the ears. Regardless of how you prepare your corn on the cob, the outcome in the end will be oh so rewarding.
Ingredients
- 2 ears corn on the cob shucked
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp Mexican sour cream
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese
- ancho chili powder to taste
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the top rack 6” from the broiler. Place the corn on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil. Brush the ears of corn with butter.
- Broil the corn for 5 minutes on all sides until slightly roasted. This whole process will take 15-20 minutes.
- Mix together the mayo and sour cream. Spread a thick layer on all sides of the corn.
- Roll each ear of corn in cotija cheese.
