Head on to www.Ecualombian.com to continue on with the fun. New website makeover and a fresh new start!
4 Days until Christmas Eve. Need recipe idea’s? Here are some of my fav’s!
Appetizers:
Chicken Terrain (Note: You can make this the night before)
Chipotle Apricot Cream Cheese Spread
Mother’s Hot Salsa (Note: Needs to be made the day of)
Side Dishes:
Desserts:
Enjoy!!
My family doesn’t really have a Thanksgiving tradition except having rice on the table. Since two years ago I started taking control in the kitchen for every holiday that was to come. I like to challenge myself in catering to many of my family and friends, this year I’ll have 15 guest.My menu always changes and I get inspired from other food blogs, cookbooks, the food network, or the cooking channel. I collect many recipe’s and keep it in my Thanksgiving folder and when the holiday comes around I randomly pick and just roll with it. There’s so many delicious recipe’s out there I must try them all! So here I share with you this years Thanksgiving menu.
Appetizers:
Warm Piquillo & Crab Dip w/ Crostini (recipe by Food.People.Want )
Photo from: http://www.foodpeoplewant.com
Cannelini Bean Dip w/ Pita Chips (recipe by Answers En Croute)
Photo from http://answersencroute.blogspot.com
Salad:
Gluten Free Pistachio Berry Goat Cheese Salad (recipe by Simply Gluten-Free )
Photo from http://simplygluten-free.com
Bread:
Garlic Cheese Bread (recipe by Savory Sweet Life)
Photo from http://savorysweetlife.com
Turkey:
Good Eats Roast Turkey (recipe by Alton Brown) This will be my 2nd year doing this turkey. It’s super delicious, juicy, and easy.
Photo from http://www.foodnetwork.com
Cranberry Sauce:
Low-Sugar Fresh Cranberry Salsa w/ Cilantro, Lime, and Jalapeno (recipe by Kalyn’s Kitchen)
Photo from http://www.kalynskitchen.com
Side Dishes:
Cornbread & Chorizo Stuffing (recipe by Handle The Heat) I’ll be using a Spanish non-spicey chorizo.
Photo from http://www.handletheheat.com
Cauliflower Gratin w/ Manchego and Almonds (recipe by Houseboat Eats)
Photo from http://www.houseboateats.com
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (recipe by Baked Bree)
Photo from http://bakedbree.com
White Rice (recipe by Ecualombian)
Photo from Me
Desserts:
Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie (recipe by Beantown Baker)
Photo from http://www.beantownbaker.com
Sweet Potato Pie (recipe by Bake at 350)
Photo from http://bakeat350.blogspot.com
I know what you’re thinking….This is so not Ecualombian. But hey, I like a variety of things and I’m open-minded. Super excited for T-Day!! Happy Holidays!
So Thanksgiving is in 6 days. Need recipe ideas?? Well, here they are!!
Appetizers:
Mini Zucchini Bites (Note: Can be made the day before. Cover and serve next day at room temperature)
Sardine Croquettes (Note: You can make this an hour before your guests arrive and keep warm in the oven at 200F until ready to serve)
Shrimp Fritter w/ Peanut Coconut Sauce (Note: For the Shrimp Fritters you can do the same procedure as the Sardine Croquettes. For the sauce you can keep warm on low on the stove top until ready to serve.)
Chicken Terrain (Note: You can make this the day before.)
Tuna Croquette (Note: For the croquettes you can do the same procedure as the Sardine Croquettes)
Chipotle Apricot Cream Cheese Spread
Sweet Plantain Balls (Note: You can do the same procedure as the sardine croquettes.)
Mother’s Hot Salsa (Note: This can be pureed in a food processor. Needs to be made same day.)
Side Dishes:
Desserts:
Coffee & Banana Pie (Note: You can make the crust 2 days before or use store-bought pre-made kinds.)
Hope these recipe’s help. Enjoy!!
So a year ago from today I started this blog! I want Ecualombian to have many many birthdays ahead! I hope you all have enjoyed the ride because there is more to come. And now, the recipe I present with you today. Apple Flan, in which I dedicate it to Ecualombian. This recipe is simple, delicious, and a great way to use em’ apples. Make this for dessert on any occasion.
Makes for 6 Servings (Ramekins)
Ingredients:
Preparation:
In a medium-sized pot add in the apples, water,lemon juice, and lemons. Cook covered on medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender. Once tender turn heat off, remove and discard the lemons. Drain apples through a sieve or colander, push down with a spoon to remove excess liquids from the apples. Set aside to cool.
Have your 6 ramekins ready by spraying in PAM or buttered, set aside. Add the sugar in a small skillet. Bring heat up to medium-high and let the sugar caramelize. Make sure not to stir it with anything, use a swirling motion of the pan to mix it together. Once the sugar has a caramel color, evenly pour it in the bottom of the ramekins.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit
In a food processor or blender, add in the cooked apples and puree. Then add in the eggs and condensed milk, puree till smooth. Pour this mixture evenly in each ramekin. Then add in the ramekins in a 9×13 in. baking pan. Make a bane-mare, add water in the pan half way of ramekins (not pouring any in the ramekins). Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
Once finish baking let the flans sit for 15-20 minutes, letting it cool. Serve either room temperature or cold. Enjoy!!
This soup is a warm welcome to what’s to come….The cold. My mother used to make this soup when I was younger. At first I hated it! And for doing so she would make this everyday (not kidding), until I liked it. So, for those of you who like soups, being healthy, on a diet, or need to add some to your collection. This is the soup for it. Serve this as an appetizer, light lunch, or even light dinner with a side of toasted bread, croutons on top, or rice. Enjoy.
Makes for 3-4 Servings
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Add the dried lentils in a medium size pot. Add water covering a 1/2 inch over the lentils. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn heat off and discard the water. Passing it through a sieve to capture the lentils (I do this because otherwise the lentils will taste bitter and it also cleans them). Then add water back into the the pot to finish cooking the lentils over medium heat for 15-20 minutes more, until tender.
Once lentils are tender, pour them into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
Using a new pot or the same pot you were using to cook the lentils melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Then lower the heat before pouring the pureed lentils into the pot (I didn’t do this and the soup splatterd everywhere…) then raise heat back up to medium. If necessary add water into the pot if the lentils are too thick. Add in the bouillon, stir and let it melt into the soup. Taste for seasonings (if too salty add water) and serve with heavy cream.
This salad is from Nicaragua. On one of my trips to Colombia I went to a flea market and I found this cookbook, and I didn’t bother to read the title or anything. I noticed food and recipes as I browsed through it, so I just bought it (thinking it was a Colombian recipe book). On the taxi on my way home I started reading it and noticed it was a Nicaragua cookbook called Cocinando Con Maria Esther (I would link you to the book but I couldn’t find it anywhere online). I chose to do this salad from the cookbook because it looked so delicious and in the ingredients there were apples! I have so much apples, I need to use them up! All in all this salad has a great flavor and it’s good for you. Serve this salad as an appetizer, light lunch, or as a side dish. Enjoy!
Makes for 2-3 Servings
Ingredients:
For Dressing:
Preparation:
Start by mixing the chopped ingredients in a bowl.
In another bowl mix the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Then pour it into the chopped salad and mix. Serve salad into your platters and enjoy.
This dish has to be one of my favorite ways to eat rice. I love chorizo and fresh white cheese (I know fattening, but so flavorful!). This rice is from Colombia in the region of Chocó. Every region in Colombia has their own way of preparing their special rice and in recipes to come you’ll notice. You can serve this dish at a BBQ, with your favorite salsa on the side, or as is. Enjoy!
Makes for 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
Preparation:
If you’re lazy like me you can use your food processor to chop the veggies (heehee). Start by heating the oil in a medium size pot on medium. Add in the Annatto Seeds and cook them until they let out the coloring (orangish). Then discard them.
Add the chopped chorizo in the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, to get it crisp on the outside and to flavor the oil. Then remove the chorizo from the pot and set aside (it doesn’t have to be fully cooked). Then add in the chopped veggies (onion, scallion, tomato, & garlic) to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add in the rice and toast it for a minute. Finally, add in the water, chorizo, and salt stir to combine. Bring heat up on high. Let it boil down until the rice is visible. Cover and let the rice finish cooking, 15-20 minutes.
When the rice is fully cooked, turn heat off and add in the cheese. Stir and serve. Garnish on top with the chopped cilantro.
This recipe is supposed to be a secret…But it’s so delicious I had to share it with you!! What makes this Colombian arepa so unique is that it has ricotta cheese. The ricotta gives flavor and a creamy in the middle texture to it. This is the perfect breakfast/brunch to share with everyone. It truly is easy, delicious, and worth it to make!
Makes for 4-6 Arepas
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Begin by adding the cornmeal, ricotta cheese, and salt in a medium size bowl. With one hand, mix it all together. Then with your other hand slowly add in the hot water until the mixture comes together like a pizza dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes until it becomes a soft dough. Let it rest in the bowl for 10 minutes with a damp paper towel over it.
Preheat your saute or grilling pan on medium. Divide the dough in 4 to 6 equal parts. Roll it into a ball then flatten it into an arepa. Round and 4-5 inch’s in length and however thickness you like. I like mine a bit thick….Once all arepas are formed, add the butter into your pan and let it melt. Add as much arepas as you can into the pan and let it cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve immediately with eggs any style and fresh white cheese.
*If you have some extra dough you don’t want to use at the moment you can plastic wrap each formed arepa in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
This is considered a comfort meal in Ecuador. Mother used to make this whenever she didn’t have meat or poultry on hand. This soup is so delicious you’ll want seconds. Easy, comforting, and fast to make. A wonderful meal to keep you warm for winter.
Makes for 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
Preparation:
If you have Achiote Oil, skip this step. If not, In a medium-sized pot begin by heating the oil with the annatto seeds on medium high heat. Cook until the oil is orangish red. Remove the seeds and discard them.
Add in the onions and cook until translucent. Add in the water and bring up to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Then lower heat to medium and add in the milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir to combine. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Add in the slices of bread and cover. Cook until the bread is soft. Before serving mix in the cilantro and serve immediately. If the soup is too thick for your liking add in some milk.
Enjoy!
Sherlly Ontiveros
Ecualombian 