Puchero paraguayo

 Puchero paraguayo is the Paraguayan version of a traditional meat stew that is originally from Spain, and now prepared in several countries throughout South America and the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish word, which means "stewpot".

Ingredients

• 1½ lb beef (skirt or flank steak, cut into pieces)
• 3 cloves garlic , cut in half
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 green bell pepper , diced
• 2 carrots
• 10 oz. pumpkin , cubed
• 2 potatoes , cubed
• ½ cup rice
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Instructions

• In a large pot, bring to a boil 10 cups (2,5l) of water with the onion, carrots and bell pepper for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a pressure cooker, heat olive oil and sauté garlic and meat over high heat, stirring constantly.
• When the meat is browned, add the reserved broth and the vegetables.
• Close the pressure cooker and cook for 45 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Rinse the rice.
• After 45 minutes of cooking, open the pressure cooker and add the rice, potatoes and pumpkin.
• Close the pressure cooker and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Paraguayan Tortilla

 Tortilla paraguaya is a kind of cheese omelette originally from Paraguay. It can be prepared quickly and with very few ingredients, including queso paraguayo, also called kesú paraguai in Guarani.
2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 6 oz. Paraguayan cheese (queso paraguay), grated (It can be substituted by Monterrey jack)
• 2 scallions , chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• Sunflower oil
• Salt

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

• In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, then add the grated cheese and scallions.
• Add the flour and milk and beat until obtaining a semi-liquid preparation.
• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Pour small amounts of the mixture to form tortillas of about 4 inches (10cm) diameter.
• Cook on one side then turn over and cook on the other side.

Aztecan soup

Sopa azteca is a delicious traditional Mexican soup recipe prepared with fried tortillas and served with avocado, cheese and cream.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast (with bone)
• 2 cloves garlic , chopped
• ½ onion , chopped
• 6 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 pasilla chili peppers , cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 3 leaves épazote (Mexican tea), thoroughly washed and dried.
• 1 stalk celery , finely chopped
• ½ bunch cilantro , finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 4 corn tortillas
• 8 oz. panela cheese , diced (traditional mexican cheese)
• 1 small avocado , diced
• 4 pasilla chili peppers , fried
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
• 2 limes
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Instructions

• Cook the whole chicken breast with the bone in 6 cups (1,5 l) of water for 30 minutes after boiling point is reached.
• Halfway through cooking, season with chicken stock powder, épazote, celery, half of the cilantro, bay leaf and oregano.
• Remove the cooked chicken, shred and set aside. Reserve the broth.
• Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
• In a skillet, heat the sunflower oil and fry the tortilla strips very quickly in very hot oil. Mix well, being careful not to burn them.
• Remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to remove excess fat.
• In the same oil, fry the 4 pasilla peppers over medium heat and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion until translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and 2 pasilla peppers cut into strips. Mix well.
• Cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes.
• Liquefy with a little broth and mix for 3 minutes (the mixture must be fluid).
• Push the mixture through a chinois strainer (fine sieve strainer) and pour it directly into the reserved chicken broth.
• Cook over low heat until thickened.

To serve

• At the bottom of a bowl (or a hollow dish), add the equivalent of a julienned tortilla and pour the broth over. Add a little chicken breast, cubes of cheese, avocado and 1 fried pasilla pepper.
• Serve the soup and garnish with cream and the remaining cilantro.
• Season with freshly squeezed lime.

Guacamole

 Guacamole is a delicious Mexican dip prepared with ripe avocado, onion, chili pepper, cilantro, tomato, and lime.
3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 avocados , ripe
• 1 tomato (optionally blanched and peeled), seeded and diced
• 1 Mexican onion , mature scallion (or ½ red onion), finely chopped
• 1 small jalapeño pepper , finely chopped
• 1 small bunch of cilantro , very finely chopped
• The juice of 1 large lime
• Salt
• Black pepper (optional)

Equipment

• Molcajete

Instructions

• Scoop out the flesh of the avocados.
• In a molcajete (Mexican mortar and pestle) or a classic mortar, mix while crushing the onion, cilantro and chili pepper.
• Add the avocado and lemon juice and crush while mixing it with the rest, making sure not to purée the mixture.
• Finally add the tomato, salt, pepper and mix gently with a spoon.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Serve immediately.

Pernil Assado

 Pernil or pernil asado is a leg or shoulder of pork marinated and roasted for several hours. In Latin American countries, this dish is a Christmas tradition.
Serves 10

Ingredients

For the adobo (marinade)

• 1 tablespoon peppercorns , crushed
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 4 cloves garlic , pressed
• 2 limes , squeezed
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt

For the meat

• 8 lb pork leg or shoulder (whole, with bone)
• 2 tablespoons marinade
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 7 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

Adobo (marinade)

• Mix all the ingredients and reserve this preparation to season the meat.

Leg or shoulder of pork

• Place the pork in a baking dish that can be refrigerated.
• Mix the garlic powder with the salt and season the pork. Add the fresh garlic on top of the meat. Marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Using a small, sharp knife, remove the fat from the meat by letting it stand on one edge and keeping it in one piece.
• Start at the wide end and go to the narrow end.
• Leave enough fat on the meat to turn the fat on its side while seasoning the meat.
• The fat will be added back on the seasoned meat and cooked on the meat.
• With a little marinade, season the side of the fat that covers the meat. The other side (the top) should only have salt.
• Make very deep cuts on all over the meat and season with the marinade, ensuring that the seasoning penetrates well into all the cuts.
• Put the fat on the meat so that it looks the same as before cutting and sprinkle with salt.
• Cover the meat with a cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Remove the meat 1h30 before cooking and let the meat come back to room temperature before cooking.
• Place the meat in a deep oven dish with the fat side up. There will be a lot of fat, so be sure to use a deep dish.
• Preheat the oven for 45 minutes at 400 F / 200 C before baking (while the meat comes back to room temperature).
• Bake at 400 F / 200 C, and covered for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 300 F / 150 C, and cook again covered for 3 hours. Do not turn the meat over. Then uncover and cook for an additional hour.
• When the meat is cooked, poke it on the side with a fork to see if it is falls off from the bone. If the top (cuerito) is not crisp enough, continue cooking at 400 F / 200 C for 15 minutes or until crisp.
• Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting it.
• To cut it, completely remove the fat (cuerito) and reserve it.
• Slice the meat then cut the fat (cuerito) into pieces and sprinkle on the meat.
• Serve the meat with a piece of cuerito.

Notes

It is strongly recommended to use a meat thermometer. The meat will be ready when it reaches 185 F at the core.

Pernil is usually served with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas).

Moqueca de Peixe (Brazilian fish stew)

Moqueca de peixe is a traditional fish and seafood stew from Brazil with delicate notes of coconut cream and lime. 

Ingredients

• 6 steaks tuna, cod, shark, or whiting
• 4 limes
• 2 red hot peppers (or green) , finely sliced
• 5 cloves garlic , crushed
• 5 scallions , chopped
• 3 onions , cut into ½-inch sections
• 3 red bell peppers , sliced
• 2 green bell peppers , sliced
• 5 tomatoes , sliced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons palm oil
• 1 bunch cilantro , chopped
• ½ bunch chives , chopped
• 1¼ cup water
• 1¼ cup coconut milk or cream

Instructions

• Wash and dry the fish steaks well with paper towel.
• Place in an airtight container. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lime juice and add the garlic cloves.
• Mix, cover and marinate in a cool place for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• In a Dutch oven, sauté the chopped scallions in hot olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat.
• Add the fish and all the marinade, turn gently after about 30 seconds then add the onion and the hot peppers.
• Cook on low heat for 10 minutes then add the palm oil, coconut milk and water.
• Add half of the cilantro and chives. Salt and pepper.
• Gently take the fish out. Transfer the content of the pan to a cast iron, ceramic or clay pot. Add the sliced ​​tomatoes and bell peppers, then place the fish gently on top.
• Bake covered in a preheated oven at 350 F / 180 C for 30 minutes.
• 5 minutes before the end of cooking, sprinkle with remaining cilantro and chive.
• Serve with white rice.