Recipe: Sopa de Lentejas | Venezuelan Lentil Soup

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One of the things I love about being Venezuelan and about my country and my culture is our traditions, folklore, old wives’ tales, customs, practices, unwritten laws, conventions, beliefs and legends. We have an endless supply of all of these. Some are older than Venezuela itself; some are new and created by the new generations; some are funny; some are crazy; some are appropriated from ancestors of other countries; some are 100% Venezuelan; and we definitely have some that are simply iconoclastic. However, there are good traditions and those usually revolve around our food. Such is the case of the Venezuelan Christmas Dinner and Christmas traditions. And of course, all the traditional pasapalos (h’ordeuvres) we serve in Venezuelan weddings, like tequeños.

Being a born-and-raised Venezuelan and living in the US for over 15 years, I have definitely found myself explaining (or trying to explain) those unconventional traditions to my american friends. Sometimes I really can’t explain them myself and I just end up saying “It’s just what we do”.

Most Venezuelans are religious, and some are very superstitious, a lot of our traditions reflect that. Some traditions are only present in certain celebrations or time of the year. I will name a few that I definitely grew up with, just for the purpose of illustrating that endless supply, but know that this is definitely not an all-inclusive list. These are the unconventional ones I have a hard time explaining to non-Venezuelans, as well as a few that are specific Venezuelan New Year’s Eve traditions, since it’s almost that time of the year, and they would be a great way to say goodbye to this crazy year that has been 2020.

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¡Bendición! This one is hard to explain. Venezuelans ask for a blessing. Most children are taught to request a blessing from their elders when they say hello. However, as kids we don’t really understand this custom and we basically end up asking for a blessing from anyone who we think is older than us or any adults. The word Bendición literally means blessing, so you say “Bendición abuela” (blessing grandma) and then she responds by giving you the blessing with “Dios te bendiga” (God bless you). You are supposed to say this to your parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. But again, you don’t really understand or get the rules as a kid, so you end up saying it to anyone who is older than you, including cousins, strangers, your friends’ parents, your parents’ friends, and even the dog. This custom stays with you even when you become an adult, but you understand the rules now and only say it to family members and those you know expect you to say it, especially if they are religious. If you forget, your family member will surely remind you with a “¿Que? ¿Tú no pides la bendición?” (What? You don’t ask for a blessing?).

One doesn’t place one’s purse on the floor. Throughout my childhood I was always scolded when accidentally placing a woman’s purse on the floor. The belief is that if you do so, your money will run/escape from your purse. This means that you will be losing money in the near feature.

Pass the salt. Venezuelans believe when you pass the salt to someone else at the table, you must place it on the table, and the other person must pick it up from the table. You cannot pass the salt from your hand directly to the other person’s hand. If you do so, there will be a fight/disagreement between the both of you.

The never-ending Happy Birthday song. I’m sure you’ve heard the Spanish version, which is Cumpleaños Felíz. However, unless you have been to a Venezuelan birthday celebration, you probably haven’t heard our super long prologue to Cumpleaños Felíz, which seems to get longer and longer every year. Basically, you have to make sure you have long enough candles, so they don’t reach the cake before the song is over. Here are the entire lyrics for the song (the most traditional version).

Ay, qué noche tan preciosa,
 es la noche de tu día,
 todos llenos de alegría
 en esta fecha natal

 Tus más íntimos amigos
 esta noche te acompañan,
 te saludan y desean
 un mundo de felicidad.

 Yo por mi parte deseo
 lleno de luz este día,
 todos llenos de alegría
 en esta fecha natal.

 Y que esta luna plateada
 brille su luz para ti,
 y ruego a Dios porque pases
 un cumpleaños feliz.

 Cumpleaños feliz.
 te deseamos a ti,
 Cumpleaños…
 Cumpleaños feliz.

Here are Just Some of the Crazy Venezuelan New Year’s Eve Traditions

Luggage. Those who wish to travel in the new year should take their luggage and walk with them down the street or around the block. They say the further you walk, the longer your trips will be.

Yellow Underwear. This tradition states that in order to attract good luck in the new year, you should wear yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve.

12 Grapes for 12 Bell Tolls. You must eat one grape for each of the 12 bell tolls at midnight. For each grape, you can have one wish for the new year, you make one wish per grape as you eat each grape.

Lentejas de la suerte | Lucky Lentils. This one is definitely the reason for this post and recipe.  There is a tradition in Venezuela where you eat lentil soup during New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Some prefer to just eat a spoonful during NYE and some a bowl for lunch or dinner on NYD. It was supposedly an Italian tradition in the middle Ages, that we later adopted. Some people believe it was just an overproduction of lentils during the season that led to them being consumed at a national level during Christmas. Others say that it used to be that people would gift friends and family a bag of lentils to wish them good fortune in the new year. The current belief is that eating lentils, or even just holding a handful of uncooked lentils, means that you will have a new year filled with abundance, riches and money. This is usually accompanied with carrying cash on your hand or pockets on NYE. The most common tradition is to serve a big bowl of lentils on New Year’s Eve and provide a spoon for each guest at the table so they can have a spoonful at the end of the 12^th bell toll.

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Nevertheless, reading all the other traditions we have to do, like the eating of the 12 grapes for each 12-bell tolls at the end of the night, I am not sure how you’re supposed to complete all these traditions/rituals as well as hug each family member and wish them a happy new year and answer your phone to hear happy new year from those abroad. So maybe just pick one of these funny and silly traditions and just make sure you enjoy your time with your family and friends. Also, I would love to hear from the rest of you, so make sure you write your own crazy Venezuelan traditions on the comment section at the end of this post, and if you do end up picking the lentil tradition, be sure to try my recipe below.

Finally, a big thanks and shoutout to my sister, Mariale, for making this delicious recipe with me this year.

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Note: The most traditional and original recipe for this lentil soup uses one pound of pork ribs with very little fat and cut in medium sized pieces. However, most people prepare them with bacon because it’s easier. Other options are pancetta, pork chops or in our case, pork loins. Another ingredient that is up for debate is the tomatoes, some people add them, some people don’t.

What you need:
– 1 lb. Bag of Lentils
– 12 Cups of Water
– 1/3 Large Onion, cut in half
– 1 lb. Pork Loin Center Cut Boneless Chops
– ¼ Cup of Water
– 1 Lime
– 1 lb. Potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces
– 5 tsp. Salt
– ¼ tsp. Pepper
– 2 tbsp. Grated Papelón
Sofrito:
– 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 2/3 Large Onion, diced
– 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
– ½ Green Bell Pepper, diced
– ½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
– ½ Cup Tomatoes, diced without seeds

Preparation:
1. Wash the lentils using a strainer and water.

2. On a large pot, add the 12 cups of water, the lentils and 1/3 of the large onion cut in large pieces. Cook at high heat until boiling and then cook at medium heat until the lentils soften, about 20 minutes.

3. In the meantime, remove the extra fat from the pork, and then wash with running water and use the lemon cut in wedges to rub and wash the pork. Then cut in small cubes of about half inch each.

4. On a small pan add the ¼ cup of water and the pork pieces. Bring to a boil and then cook at high heat until the water has completely evaporated, and the pork starts to brown. About 10 to 15 minutes.

5. At this point the lentils should have soften. Add the pork pieces to the lentil pot, bring to a boil again on high heat and then cook on medium heat for 30 additional minutes.
6. On a small pan start to make the sofrito adding the olive oil, the rest of the diced onion, and the chopped garlic cloves and cook at medium to high heat for 5 minutes.
7. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes to the sofrito and cook for another 5 minutes.

8. Add the sofrito mix to the pot with the lentils without draining it.
9. Add the peeled and cut potatoes, salt, pepper and grated papelón. Turn to high heat again and once it starts to boil, cook at medium heat for another 20 minutes, or until the soup starts to thicken a bit.

10. Before serving, remove the big chunks of onion.
11. Serve as a main dish in a soup bowl, serve with a side of rice, or serve as a side dish.

¡Buen Provecho!

Recipe: Ensalada de Atún | Venezuelan Tuna Salad

Why are salads always better when someone else makes them? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I love salads. Growing up in Venezuela, salads where a big part of my diet. Actually, being well-fed was a big part of my childhood. I had somewhat of a disciplined upbringing, but I love that I did, because that made me who I am today.

For most of my childhood I attended a bilingual school. I had to learn all the subjects in Spanish and in English. That was a total of 16 subjects. Yes, even math. Homework occupied most of my free time outside of school, since I had double the homework for each subject. In addition, I also attended music school, which encompassed hours of practice and more homework as well. Very exhausting for a child, that’s probably why I needed all that energy to power my brain.

Sometimes I had to scarf down my lunch in the car on the way from school to music lessons. Other times, I was dropped-off at my grandparents’ house after school, so I could walk to the music school after lunch, which was pretty close to their house. Those were actually my favorite days. This meant that I would have lunch at my grandparents’ house.

Lunch in Venezuela is traditionally the big meal. Dinner is usually lighter than lunch. My mom always made great delicious and filling lunches every day when I came home, but lunch at my grandparents’ house was more of a treat. They included appetizers, soups, salads, the lunch itself, always accompanied by plantains as a side, fresh fruit juice and usually dessert. Not to mention, grandma was always baking something for the afternoon meriendas, which I enjoyed after my music lessons.

Most of these proper lunches at my grandparents’ house included a salad or apio soup (my favorite) as an appetizer before the lunch. As a kid, I didn’t enjoy the fact that I had to first eat the salad before I could eat the lunch, but I think that is what made me love salads… and soups. I got used to them, and I ended up loving them.

Like I mentioned, in Venezuela dinner is usually smaller and lighter than lunch. Dinners are usually arepas, soups, sandwiches, or even just salads. A big filling salad, much like the tuna salad.

Tuna is very common and accessible in Venezuela. This common and large blue-ish fish with that delicious fatty and tasty meat can be found in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean amongst others. The most common species in Venezuela include the Albacore tuna, the Bigeye tuna, and the Yellowfin tuna.

Obviously the most common and easiest way to consume tuna fish is canned tuna. This makes it the perfect ingredient for a light and simple dinner; Tuna Salad. As I mentioned, salads are always best when someone else is making it. My grandma and aunt Gaby are known for their delicious salads and homemade vinaigrettes. On the other hand, my sister Mariale is known for her exquisite Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad and her Tuna Salad. A few weeks ago, I drove 7-8 hours to visit her in Illinois and the first thing I asked her to make for me when I got there was her famous tuna salad. Before I left, I had to ask her to make it again, so we could add it to the blog. It’s a very simple recipe and it’s very light, perfect for a light Venezuelan dinner, or anytime you are on a diet.

This tuna salad recipe is also perfect to enjoy as a filling for arepas. You can serve the arepa on the side of the salad, or you can serve an arepa filled with tuna salad. It’s the perfect arepa filling recipe. Either way I would also recommend adding a few slices of avocado on the side.

What you need:
– 3 cans of white albacore tuna in water (4oz cans, drained)
– 2 Tomatoes, diced
– ½ Large onion, diced
– ¼ Cup chopped cilantro
– ½ Cup light mayo
– 1 tbsp. lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
– Salt & Pepper to taste
– Optional: Avocado slices, lemon wedges and arepas.

Preparation:
1. Chop the onion, tomatoes and cilantro. Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Drain the tuna very well and add it to the bowl.

3. Add the mayo a bit at a time, while mixing with the rest of the ingredients. For a lighter version, you can add less mayo. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly distributed and coated with mayo.

5. Serve with avocado slices and lemon wedges on the side and enjoy. You can enjoy it by itself, on top of toast, as a tuna salad sandwich, with crackers, or as a dip with chips.

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6. This recipe is perfect as an arepa filling option as well. Open the hot arepa fresh from the stove, and stuff it with the cold tuna salad. Serve with optional avocado slices and lemon wedges on the side. This is a great option for a light dinner of filled arepas.

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¡Buen Provecho!

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Recipe: Crema de Auyama | Venezuelan Cream of Squash Calabaza (Soup)

By now you must know how much I love soups and creams. I have given you the Apio Soup and the chicken soup recipes so far, but there are plenty more Venezuelan soup and cream recipes to come. Today I want to share with you another very popular Venezuelan creamy soup, the Crema de Auyama. The Auyama, pronounced awˈʝa.ma, is technically a fruit because it contains the seeds of the plant inside. However, most people consider it a vegetable. It most resembles the squash and pumpkin types. In Venezuela it is used in most soup preparations like Sancochos and it is also used on its own to create this cream. However, it is also used to create sweet recipes such as bread and cakes.

The Auyama is easy to cultivate and therefore it is sold in large quantities and at a cheaper price than other vegetables. It is rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and fiber. It is also low in calories because it is mostly made out of water, but it is very tasty. It is believed that because it was easily cultivated, Europeans used it as fodder to feed their animals. Each plant can bear up to 8 fruits and it only takes 140 days to harvest. In Venezuela it is available all year long. However, the Auyama harvested in summer has a sandy-textured pulp and it works best for pasta fillings or cakes. On the other hand, the Auyama harvested in winter is the one that is best for creams and soups, because the pulp is more fibrous and pale, and it has more water content.

Here in the US, the type of pumpkin or squash that I believe to be the closest to the authentic Venezuelan Auyama is sold as Squash Calabaza. I have bought it at Publix and Sedano’s in big chunks (they cut it and sell each individual piece in cling wrap), I have also bought one at Wal-Mart sold as a whole (the whole Calabaza), but I think the ones that come cut in chunks are the ones that most resemble the Auyama taste. The Venezuelan Auyama belongs to the Curcubitaceae family, and the curcubita genre, in the varieties called máxima, moschata, mixta and pepo. Its size is large and it comes in different shapes and sizes, with skin that varies from green to yellow to orange, it can be either smooth or corrugated, and the pulp varies from pale yellow to bright yellow-orange. The taste also varies from very sweet to not so sweet. This is probably why it has been hard for me to find one that truly matches the Venezuelan Auyama taste.

This particular recipe is my sister’s very own recipe, so it is not a traditional recipe, but it is very close to it. My sister, Mariale Ojeda, a.k.a. The Soup Queen as we call her around here, is an expert at making delicious soups for me, the soup lover. This post was created by her, the recipe, the cooking and the photos are all hers. I have to say special thanks to her for all the soups she has been cooking for us lately and for this amazing recipe and post she created as a featured writer of Venezuelan Cooking.

Ingredients for Crema De Auyama

What you need:
– 4 lbs. Auyama (Squash Calabaza)
– 6½ Cups Chicken Broth or Chicken Bouillon (enough to cover all the Auyama)
– 5 to 8 Stems of Cilantro
– 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
– ½ Chopped Onion
– 1/3 Sliced Bell Pepper
– ½ Stem Sliced Leek

Preparation:
1. Peel the Auyama and remove the seeds. Cut it in big chunks.

Cut The Auyama In Big Chunks

2. Place the chunks of Auyama in a large enough pot. Cover entirely with the chicken broth or chicken bouillon (1 bouillon cube per cup of water).

Cover With Chicken Broth\

3. Boil the Auyama at medium to high heat for about 13 minutes.
4. Add the cilantro and continue to boil for another 7 minutes.

Add Cilantro

5. Stir occasionally and remove accumulated foam from the top.
6. Meanwhile, cut the rest of the vegetables and heat up a pan with a little bit of olive oil.
7. Toss the veggies in the pan and sauté until brown, then set aside.

Sauté Veggies. Set Aside.

8. After about 20 minutes of boiling, test the Auyama by taking out a large piece and try to mash it with a fork, as if making mashed potatoes. If you can do this easily, then it’s done.

Test if the auyama is done

9. Add the sautéed vegetables to the Auyama pot, stir and remove pot from the heat. Let it cool down.

Add veggies to auyama

10. Once it has cooled down, grab all the solid pieces and place them in a blender or food processor.

Blend

11. Blend together and gradually add as much of the liquid remaining on the pot as necessary, to reach the right creamy consistency. What you are looking for is a creamy soup consistency.

Creamy consistency

12. Serve hot with your favorite garnish and topping, like my sister and I do. Some of our favorite toppings include Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, avocado, rice, croutons and cassava bread.

Crema de Auyama | Venezuelan Cream of Squash Calabaza (Soup)

Note: You can make a big batch of this Squash Calabaza creamy soup and store it in the fridge for a couple of days, or you can store it in the freezer for up to a month. Reheat on the stove and not on the microwave for better results.

¡Buen Provecho!

Recipe: Ensalada de Gallina | Venezuelan Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad

“Pollito chicken, gallina hen
lápiz pencil y pluma pen”

This is a short verse of a popular Spanish children’s song that helped us learn English when we were kids.  It was the first thing I thought of when researching today’s recipe and the history behind it.  The literal translation for this recipe is actually hen salad, not chicken salad.  The original recipe from the early 1940’s included hen, specifically.  However, as time passed and availability of chicken versus hen specifically became larger and more cost effective, the chicken replaced the hen in this traditional recipe.  Probably, due to hen being smaller and having less meat content and their meat also requires more time to cook thoroughly.  The difference between chicken and hen, if you don’t know, is that chicken refers to both the male and female versions, while hen refers only to the female chicken.  Nevertheless, the name of the recipe retained its original denomination: Ensalada de Gallina, Hen Salad.
The chicken salad is another important component in the Venezuelan Christmas Dinner Plate.  However, unlike the hallacas and the pan de jamón, the chicken salad is not exclusive to Christmas.  The chicken salad is prepared all year long, and it is quite versatile, taking the stage as a main dish, but also as a side, as a cracker topper or dip, and even as a filling inside arepas.  The chicken salad is also very popular in any birthday party or any other celebration or family gathering in Venezuela.  The best part of this recipe is that it is the easiest one to prepare out of all the Venezuelan Christmas recipes.  This is probably why it is usually prepared last, even on the same day of the Christmas dinner, which we usually celebrate on Christmas Eve.  It must be refrigerated, but it is best when consumed the same day or the day after, but not longer than that, since it can become bitter very quickly.
It is believed that this recipe originated in the most humble stoves in Caracas’ shacks.  When the leftovers of chicken stews such as the chicken, potatoes and carrots where mixed together with mayo to create this cold salad.  When the dish found its way to the wealthier parts of town, they gave it the name of Russian Salad in order for it to sound more sophisticated and fancy than hen salad.  They picked the name Russian Salad, because in fact our Venezuelan Hen / Chicken salad is very similar to the Russian Salad.  The Russian Salad was created around 1860 by an Italian chef in Moscow, and it originally contained deer meat.  With time, the original recipe was changed, but it had already crossed over to other countries, such as Ukraine, where green peas and chicken were cheaper and thus added on to the original recipe.

Ensalada de Gallina | Venezuelan Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad

What you need:
For Cooking The Chicken
– 1½ lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
– 1 Lemon (Juice)
– Enough Water to Boil Chicken Breasts
– ¼ Onion
– 1Cilantro Stems
– 1 Green Onion Stems
– 1 Celery Stick
– 1 Chopped Garlic Clove
– 1 Leek Stick
– 1 Ají Dulce Venezolano (without seeds or veins)
– 1 Tablespoon Salt
For the Salad
– 2 Small To Medium Potatoes
– 2 Medium To Large Carrot Sticks
– 1 Red, Green or Yellow Apple (Peeled)
– ¼ Cup Canned Green/Sweet Peas (No Salt Added)
– ½ Onion (Optional)
– 1 Red Bell Pepper (Optional)
– 2 Celery Sticks (Optional)
– 2 Cilantro Stems
For The Sauce
– 1 Cup Mayo
– 2 Tablespoons Mustard
– 3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
– ½ Tablespoon White Pepper
– ½ Teaspoon Salt
– ½ Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (Optional)
Preparation:
1. Clean the chicken breasts using the juice of one lemon and rinse thoroughly with water.

Rinse thoroughly with water

2. In a large enough pot, add the chicken, onion, cilantro, green onion, celery, leek, ají dulce Venezolano, and the salt.  You don’t have to worry about chopping these ingredients, they are being used to add flavor to the chicken.  Use enough water to cover all the ingredients and cook everything at medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot, drain and set aside to cool down.

Set aside to cool down

4. Wash and peel the potatoes.  Cook the potatoes with enough water and a little bit of salt.  Boil for about 10 minutes.  You want them to be done, but still firm so they don’t get mushy while making the salad.

Cook the potatoes

5. Wash and peel the carrots.  Cook the carrots separately with enough water and a little bit of salt. Boil for about 20 minutes.

Cook the carrots separately

6. Once the potatoes and carrots are done, cool them down in a big bowl with some cold water and ice.

Cool down the potatoes and carrots

7. Your chicken should be cooled down by now.  Shred the chicken breasts using your hands or two forks.

Shred the chicken breasts

Shredded chicken breasts

8. Begin to cut the potatoes, carrots, apple, celery, and bell pepper in small cubes. Finely chop the onion using a food processor.  Chop the cilantro as well.

Cut the potatoes in small cubes

Cut the carrots in small cubes

Cut the apple in small cubes

Cut the celery in small cubes

Cut the red bell pepper in small cubes

Chop the cilantro

Finely chop the onion

9. In a large enough bowl, combine the chicken with the finely chopped onion.  Then add this to all the other ingredients chopped and cubed in the previous step, plus the green peas.

Combine the chicken with the finely chopped onion

Combine

10. Add the mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients together.  Adjust the salt and mayo if necessary to taste.

Add the sauce ingredients

Mix well, but carefully

11. Decorate as you wish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before eating.  Serve cold.

Recipe: Ensalada de Gallina | Venezuelan Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad

Recipe: Ensalada de Gallina | Venezuelan Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad

¡Buen Provecho!

Recipe: Hervido o Sancocho De Gallina | Venezuelan Chicken Soup

Soups are one of my favorite dishes. The Apio Soup is at the top of the list of course, but I generally like any type of soup. Growing up, it was a given that I would have at least one cup of soup before lunch every time I went to my paternal grandparents’ house after school. They always had apio soup, auyama soup, and I would even eat the spinach soup. Looking back I realize it was their way of feeding us our daily serving of veggies without dealing with us ‘picky-eaters’. However, when visiting my maternal grandparents, the tradition was to eat the soup as a main dish. This is because they would prepare sancochos or hervidos, either made from chicken base or fish base. My maternal family lives on the coast, so fish is the most common dish on the table. It was also a trick to get me to eat fish. And I would; I would eat all the veggies and all the fish, as long as it was in the soup.

All soups are not created equally, and they do not serve the same purpose. The soups I ate at my paternal grandparents’ house in the city were appetizers, a small serving before the main dish for lunch. The soups I ate at my maternal grandparent’s house had been cooked in two large pots, or maybe even three, to feed everyone in the family as a main dish, accompanied by some arepas, casabe, and avocado.

The word sancocho comes from the Latin sub-coctum, wich means to cook at a low heat. That is precisely what sancocho is, and even though it is also called hervido, which means boiled, in order to make sancocho, you must never let the water actually come to a boil. People also call sancocho the actual family gathering where they meet to enjoy this delicious dish.

Soups (sopas) are basic broths with small pieces of solid foods like vegetables, chicken, beef, sometimes rice, pasta or even dough balls, some even have milk or eggs. Some of these soups end up being creams (cremas) if those ingredients are all blended together. Stews (sancocho o hervido), on the other hand, are hearty enough to be the main dish, with big pieces of vegetables and roots, corn and even plantains. Sancochos and/or hervidos can be made with chicken, beef, fish or even pork based broths, and some people even make ‘cruzado’ (mixed/crossed) when they make it from two or even three different base broths. Stews can also be made into creams when blended together.

To me, there is nothing like a good cup of soup, cream, or stew when you have the flu.

Ingredients: Hervido o Sancocho De Gallina | Venezuelan Chicken Soup

What you need:
– 1 Whole Chicken
– 1 Lemon (to clean the chicken)
– 2 Small Onions
– 2 Large Leeks
– 2 Bell Peppers
– 2 Cilantro Stems
– 1 Lb. Yuca
– 1 Lb. Apio
– 1 Lb. Ocumo (Sold as Malanga in the US)
– 1 Lb. Auyama (Sold as “calabaza” – Cucurbita moschata or ayote or zapallo, is a type of pumpkin squash)
– 1 Lb. Batata Blanca Alargada (Sold as Boniato or White Sweet Potato)
– 3 Large Ears of Corn
– 8 Garlic Cloves
– 2 Small Stems of Spearmint
– 2 Tablespoons Salt
– 1 Teaspoon Pepper
– Water

Preparation:
1. First cut the chicken, or if you want to make your life easier, buy the pieces separately (breasts and drums, bones included). Wash the chicken pieces by using two halves of the lemon to scrub it and then rinse it and damp dry with paper towels.
2. Place the chicken in a large enough pot and fill with water, about half the pot, enough to cover the chicken. Add the ears of corn as well; cut them in thirds or fourths. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the leeks, bell peppers and the onions. You can wash these and then cut in large pieces, since they will be removed later.
4. Cook for about one hour to an hour and a half or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the cilantro right around half way through cooking the chicken. Add more water as necessary.
5. You will notice that a layer of foam will start to form on the top as you cook. You should keep an eye on the pot and remove the foam as it starts to collect on the top.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool for a bit. In the meantime strain the broth, so that you remove all the pieces of onion, leek, bell peppers and cilantro. Be sure to keep the broth, since we will use it to cook the rest of the ingredients.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool for a bit.

7. Use however much broth you have, hopefully around 11 Cups. Wash, cut and peel (if necessary) the rest of the ingredients in large pieces (Yuca, Apio, Boniato, Malanga, Calabaza, etc.), and add them to the pot with the broth. Also add the garlic, the salt and the pepper.
8. Boil on high for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are ready. In the meantime you can shred the chicken using a fork to remove the meat from the bones and set aside the meat to add it to the soup later on. You can leave some bigger pieces of chicken as well.
9. When the vegetables are almost done, you can add the chicken, the spearmint and a little bit more cilantro.
10. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the cilantro and spearmint.
11. Serve hot with casabe or a plain arepa. It is also a custom to add a couple of pieces of avocado.
12. You can also take out the chicken and corn from the soup, and blend the soup into a cream, and then add back the chicken and the corn, for a delicious cream version of this soup.

Hervido o Sancocho De Gallina | Venezuelan Chicken Soup

Note: When cutting the Malanga, you should wear gloves because it might sting if you get it on your skin or eyes.
Optional: Some people add other types of vegetables and ingredients in the soups like potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yam, bollos, hallaquitas, plantains, etc.

¡Buen Provecho!

Recipe: Ensalada de Remolacha | Venezuelan Beet Salad

I wasn’t sure how to call this recipe, and I don’t know where it came from or how it came to be. All I know is that I have always called this salad the “Ensalada Rusa”, which means Russian Salad. I just didn’t want to call this recipe the ‘Venezuelan Russian Salad’, because that doesn’t make sense. However, I am pretty sure that is not the name for this salad, because when I Google it I get the recipes for a different salad, a salad similar to chicken salad or Olivier Salad.

When I was a kid I was not a fan of the word salad or “ensalada”. When I would ask “What’s for lunch?”, I didnt want to hear that salad was on the menu. However, my mom used to make this beet salad all the time, because she knew it was the one salad I would eat, and even ask for seconds. My grandma also used to make the same beet salad, but she included lettuce in it, and I wasn’t a fan of the lettuce addition. I would still eat it, but I probably wouldn’t ask for seconds. This salad is delicious, mainly because it’s not really a salad. I consider it more of a side dish, a carb-loaded side dish. And who doesn’t love carbs?

These past holidays my sister came to visit us from Venezuela and I asked her to help me cook some of my favorite dishes so I could blog about them and post the recipes. As soon as she told me she always makes this salad back home, I knew I had to go buy the ingredients and have her show me how to make it. I had never found a good recipe online, and I wanted to know how my mom used to make it. So we bought all the ingredients and she made it for me. It was just like my mom used to make it, and it was very easy, too.

One thing you must know… this salad is pink! My sister and I even thought it would be a great salad or side dish to serve at a bachelorette’s party, girl’s baby shower or party… or any pink themed party!

Ingredients Venezuelan Beet Salad

What you need:
– 3 Small to Medium Potatoes
– 3 Eggs
– 2 Beets
– 2 to 3 Carrot Sticks
– ¼ Chopped Onion
– ½ Cup Mayo
– 1 Teaspoon Vinegar
– 1 ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
– 1 Teaspoon Salt

Preparation:

1. Rinse all the vegetables. You don’t have to peel the beets, in fact, you shouldn’t. But you can peel the potatoes and carrots if you wish to save some time.
2. Boil the beets in a large pot with enough water to cover them entirely. You don’t have to boil all the vegetables separately, but it is preferred that you do. (Beets usually take around 45 minutes)
3. On a separate pot boil the potatoes and carrots. (About 15-20 minutes)
4. On a separate pot, boil the eggs. (About 7 minutes – and peel once done)
5. Once all your vegetables are ready, you can put them in a bowl with cold water and ice so they are easier to handle.
6. Cut all the ingredients in small cubes and put them in a large bowl. Don’t forget the onion.

Cut into small pieces

Add vegetables and eggs in a large bowl

7. Add the mayo, vinegar and lemon juice and mix well, but delicately so you don’t smash any ingredients and it turns into puree.

Add the mayo and mix delicately

8. Add salt to taste and you can add white pepper if you wish.
9. Serve cold.

Ensalada de Remolacha | Venezuelan Beet Salad

Ensalada de Remolacha | Venezuelan Beet Salad

¡Buen Provecho!

*Optional: Some people (like my grandma) like to add finely chopped lettuce to this salad. My mom also adds a bit of mustard sometimes. Other people add a bit of extra virgin olive oil and even a touch of soy sauce.

Recipe: Crema de Apio Venezolano | Venezuelan “Celery Root” Soup

In order for me to tell you about “Apio”, pronounced (ä’ pē-ō), I must tell you about my long journey to find it.  This post is 5-6 years in the making, and one of the reasons I started this blog!
When I was a kid, I used to eat Apio in various different Venezuelan dishes.  At my grandmother’s house they usually served a little bit of Apio Cream (just a thicker creamier soup), as an appetizer before lunch.  My mom sometimes served Apio Creamy Soup as a light dinner.  Apio could be found in big pieces, like you would find carrots or potatoes in a light chicken soup preparation.  My other grandmother used it in her preparation of Sancocho de Pescado (like a fish stew of some sort), in big chunks.  We also ate it in Chupe de Gallina, another chicken soup, but very hearty. I also recall it served as a pure (like mashed potatoes, but of Apio), in some fancy restaurants.  So it’s safe to say, I loved Apio!
Fast-forward a few years… and all of a sudden… I forgot about Apio! I moved to the US, where nobody knows about Apio, and I guess it just slipped my mind. Until, I had a crazy craving for some delicious Apio Soup. So I ask myself, what is apio in English? What does Apio translate to? I “Googled it”. As it turns out, apio means celery. Simple enough. All I have to find is Creamy Celery Soup. Guess what? Campbell’s makes Cream of Celery, so I should probably just go buy one at the store. So I did. I came home with my can of soup, and I cooked it on the stove, and was a bit puzzled about the green color, but hey, the can says Cream of Celery, so it must be right… I try it… YUCK!!!! This isn’t APIO!!!! Of course NOT! Dummy!!!
I go back to the drawing board… Google, that is.  Oh, of course! Apio IS celery, yes, but that is what we in Venezuela call “Apio españa”, Spanish (from Spain) Apio. Ok, my bad! Now I realize I am looking for something else. I call my mom, my aunt, my cousin, my sister, my grandma, my other grandma, and pretty much everyone I know to ask about Apio. I had never seen the raw product, I only saw the cooked product, and so I didn’t know what it was supposed to look like. The general description was “It looks like a potato, but more like a stick of carrot, and with weird limbs coming out of it, like ginger, but it is yellow on the inside”. WHAT? So I begin my search for this Apio. I bought something that sort of matched the description of what they told me, which was called Parsnip. I went home and cooked it. It wasn’t it. I bought Turnip. That wasn’t it either. Finally, after researching all over the Internet, I find out what it was. It is called Celery Root here in America. But guess what? They don’t sell it anywhere. So I asked around all the markets I could find, until I finally found “Celery Root” at a new organic market that had opened up. YES! Finally I get to make my Apio Soup. I buy it, I send pictures to everyone to make sure it is the right one, and they said it was. I make the soup, IT’S NOT IT!!! At least it didn’t taste like it to me, and it wasn’t really yellow, it was more like beige.
I came down to South Florida to visit my family and I asked for my cousin to cook me some Apio. We went to the local Hispanic Super Market, where they sold Celery Root, BUT it was labeled “Celery Root: Apio Venezolano”. So I knew it HAD to be the right thing. And of course, my cousin cooked it for me, and it WAS the right kind of Apio. But then I knew I could only find it either in South Florida or in Venezuela.
Now here I am, after 5 years, back in Florida.  Of course, my first post HAS to be about Apio, because I went to the Hispanic Market called Sedano’s and I found my “Apio Venezolano”.  I bought it, I brought it home, I peeled it (it was yellow, how it’s supposed to be), then I cooked it, it smelled like apio, then I tasted it, and… IT WAS APIO!!!
So, I know only a few of you, those lucky enough to find the real Apio Venezolano, are going to be able to make this recipe. However, I must say the Parsnip version was pretty close to it.  Also, this recipe is good for any kind of tuber vegetable or almost any vegetable for that matter.

Celery Root: Apio Venezolano

What you need:
– 500 grams of Apio Venezolano (about 2 to 3 big pieces)
– 4 ¼ cups of Chicken Broth
– Salt
Optional:
– Queso Blanco (Yet another hard to find ingredient)
– 2 tbsp. butter
– ¼ Onion
– Cilantro
– Basil
– Leeks
– Cream Cheese
Preparation:
1. Peel the Apio. Use a knife first for the tougher parts, and then you can use a regular potato peeler for the rest.

Peel the Apio Carefully

2. Cut the Apio in half, so that it fits in the pot and the water covers it. This step is optional.
3. Cook the Apio and the Chicken Broth in high heat for about 25 minutes, or until the Apio is soft. Just like you would if you where boiling potatoes.

Cook the Apio

4. At this point you can add the optional ingredients for extra flavor, such as the onion (in big pieces so its easy to remove later), the cilantro, the basil and the leeks.

Optional: Cilantro

5. Once the Apio is done, remove the optional ingredients (or you can leave them if you wish), and remove the Apio from the broth.

Remove Apio from Broth

6. Puree the Apio using a food processor (and optional ingredients if you wish), and then slowly add the stock little by little until you reach the desired consistency. This is supposed to be a “cream of apio” soup, but if you puree the apio first, and then add the broth bit by bit, mixing well, you can stop adding broth when you have reached the desired consistency, so you don’t have a soup that is too thick or too thin. You can also add the optional butter here to help it reach the desired consistency.

Puree the Apio

7. Return the mixture to the pot and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes or so. You can add the remaining broth if it starts to thicken too much.

Pureed Apio

8. Serve with optional cubes of Queso Blanco, or toast, or Cream Cheese, or all three. I myself like to have the cream cheese on the table and just scoop some into my soup and eat a little piece with each spoonful. Delicious!

Optional: Queso Blanco

Crema de Apio Venezolano

Venezuelan Cream of Celery Root

¡Buen Provecho!

Just for reference of what apio ISN’T, here are the pictures of the first attempt of Celery Root bought at a local organic market. NOT Venezuelan Apio for sure!

Celery Root, but NOT Apio Venezolano

Celery Root, but NOT Apio Venezolano

Celery Root, but NOT Apio Venezolano

Celery Root, but NOT Apio Venezolano

More on Apio
Other names I have found for Venezuelan Apio include Celeriac and Arracacha, but I haven’t confirmed these myself.
Also, Apio could be a good substitute for Potatoes in all kinds of preparations, because it has less calories (nutritional facts coming soon).

Recipe: Layered Salad

This salad is great to serve as a side with the Venezuelan Pasticho Recipe I posted last week.  I’m not usually big on salads that have fruit or nuts, but when my cousin made this one for me I was hooked and now I like to eat it all the time.

What you need:
– Romaine Lettuce
– Baby Green Mix
– Apples
– Tomatoes
– Hearts of Palm
– Avocados
– Goat Cheese
– Almonds
– Ken’s Sweet Vidalia Onions Vinagrette.

Preparation:

1.  Chop the lettuce and baby greens if necessary, to bite sized pieces.
2.  Chop the tomatoes and apples.
3.  Slice the hearts of palm and avocados.
4.  On a large enough serving dish place a layer of romaine lettuce, then a layer of baby greens mix, a layer of apples, a layer of tomatoes, a layer of avocadoes, a layer of hearts of palm, a layer of crumbled goat cheese, and a layer of almonds.
5. Serve with Ken’s Sweet Vidalia Onions dressing on the side.

Layered Salad

¡Buen Provecho!