Ropa Vieja from Cuba

Ropa Vieja is the most distinctive dish of Cuban cuisine. It is called like that because the meat is broken into strands and looks like old clothes.

However, the origin of this dish is not in Cuba; it was originated in Spain as a way to use leftovers. More specifically, it comes from the Canary Islands, where it still bears the same name.

The dish is made with meat that has been used to prepare cocido. The cut of meat used is beef flank, which is ideal because it has well-defined fibers and easily pulls apart into strands.

Ingredients:

- 600 grams beef flank.

- 1 tablespoon of salt.

- 1 cup tomato sauce.

- 1 cup red wine.

- 4 cloves of garlic.

- 2 onion.

- One piece of leek for the broth.

- One piece of onion for the broth.

- 1 clove of garlic for the broth.

- 1 bone for the clove.

-  Rice as a side dish.

- 2 bay leaves.

- 1 tablespoon paprika.

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin.

- 1teaspoon oregano.

- 1/2 red pepper.

- 1/2 green pepper.

- 1 avocado.

- 1 plantain.

Method:

1- First, we cook the meat and make the broth. We put the meat into a pressure cooker along with a piece of onion, a garlic clove, a piece of leek, a bone, two bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and a tablespoon of salt.

We set the pressure cooker to high heat, and once steam starts to go out, we lower it to minimum heat and cook for 1 hour.

2- Once cooked, we take out the meat and set the broth aside to make a soup at another time.

Using two forks, we shred the meat.

3- We slice the garlic, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut the peppers into thin strips (julienne).

4- In a pan with oil, we sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers until the onion becomes translucent and the peppers are slightly soft.

5- This is when we add the meat and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

6- We add a cup of tomato sauce, a cup of wine, and a cup of broth. We also season with salt and pepper to taste and add a tablespoon of paprika. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

7- The meat is ready, it is served with diced avocado, sliced and fried plantains, and rice.

To prepare the plantains, I used an air fryer, the same way I make French fries, and they turned out quite crispy. 

8- We prepare the rice as usual, sautéing a garlic clove and half an onion until they are translucent.

Then we add a cup of rice and two cups of water, season with salt, and let it cook for 15 minutes. After that, we let the rice rest, covered with a cloth, for 5 more minutes.

Receta en Español

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Cuba

Bandera:   Por Miguel Teurbe Tolón and Narciso López - Geometry and dimensions from Ley no 42 "de los Símbolos Nacionales".Its shape is rectangular, twice length than width, composed by five horizontal stripes having all the same width, three deep blue and two white, placed alternating. A red equilateral triangle, in one of its vertical extremes occupy all the height of the flag constituting its fixed edge. Such triangle bears in its center a five-pointed white star, within an imaginary circumference, whose diameter is a third of the flag´s height, having one of its points towards the free upper edge of the flag.— English translation of Law 42 from Symbols of the Cuban Nation, Dominio público, Enlace

Central africa

 

Recipes from Central africa that I cooked:

-Kanda ti nyama

-Bouillie de riz (rice pudding)

Central africa

Picture:By Michael Walsh, CC BY 3.0, Enlace

Map: By Addicted04 - Este gráfico vectorial, sin especificar según el W3C, fue creado con Inkscape ., CC BY-SA 3.0, Enlace

Flag: By Barthélemy Boganda - This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Central African Republic (construction sheet).svg., Dominio público, Enlace

gastronomy: Cuisine centrafricaine : 8 plats qui régalent les papilles

Rice Pudding from the Central African Republic

The dessert I'm sharing with you today is typical in several Central African countries, although it has a different name in each country. It's a rice pudding cooked in peanut milk.

It's called "Bouillie" in The Central African Republic, "Gari" in Cameroon, "Baca" in The Ivory Coast, and "Kapaserie" in Mali.

It's eaten as a dessert or for breakfast.

The dish is made with raw peanuts, which gives the dessert a green flavor. I think it would be better with roasted peanuts, but to stick to the traditional recipe, I used raw peanuts.

Ingredients:

- 100 grams of short grain rice (a cup).

- 150 grams raw peanuts.

- 100 grams of sugar.

Method:

1- First, we prepare the peanut milk. To do this, we'll soak the peanuts for 4 hours. The peanuts are soaked without their shells, and there's no need to remove the inner skin; it's easier to remove it after soaking.

2- We put the peeled peanuts in a blender, for one cup of peanuts we add two cups of water and blend.

3- We strain the milk using a cheesecloth and let the milk that comes out fall into a saucepan. We take the remaining peanut flour from the cheesecloth and put it back in the blender with two cups of water and repeat the process.

4- After straining again, you can keep the peanut flour left in the cloth to make, for example, a cake. It's delicious!

5- Now we cook the rice. For every cup of rice, add two cups of water. Let it cook uncovered, and once all the water has evaporated, add the peanut milk and sugar. Let it cook until it has a slightly thick consistency. Once you add the peanut milk, stir constantly because the rice can easily stick to the pan.

And there you have it, this African dessert.

Receta en Español

Recipe taken from this television channel in the Central African Republic: Vídeo | Facebook

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Central African Republic

Kanda ti Nyama - Meatballs from Central Africa

 The dish known as Kanda ti Nyama is typical in the Central African Republic. It consists of meatballs made with beef, crushed onions, and ground pumpkin seeds.

Kanda originated in the agricultural communities of the Central African Republic, where cattle were raised, making beef an available source of protein. Locals began mixing ground beef with spices in traditional mortars. It's a dish that is cooked as a family activity; everyone gathers around the mortar and chats while grinding and mixing the meat.

It is prepared for celebrations, family gatherings, and village events.

During the colonial era, many traditional dishes of the country were lost or modified to suit European tastes; however, Kanda has survived, maintaining its original character.

It's quite a filling dish because pumpkin seeds are very nutritious and somewhat difficult to digest, so three meatballs are usually enough. It is often served with tomato and rice. Pumpkin seeds add a special tenderness to the meat.

It's also quite easy to make. If you decide to try it, don't forget to write a comment. I love to hear how your dishes turn out!

Ingredients:

- 350g minced beef.
- 200g pumpkin seeds.
- 3 ripe tomatoes.
- 1 chili pepper or black pepper to taste.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- 2 onions.
- Cooked rice to serve.

Method:

1- Cut an onion into pieces and the garlic cloves into slices.

2- We also cut the second onion into pieces and we are going to crush it with the help of a grinder or food processor.

3- Grind the pumpkin seeds with the grinder; my seeds were already peeled.

4- Cook in a pan with some oil, the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent.

5- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down; you can add a little water to make it more liquid. Add salt and pepper as well.

6- Put the minced meat, the crushed onion, the crushed pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix well.

7- Take small handfuls of meat and turn them into balls. If you have any left over, they can be well kept in the refrigerator for a few days; you can also freeze them.

8-Put the meatballs in the pan with the tomato and cook them over low heat for 1 hour with the lid on, turning them over after 30 minutes.

9- And there you have them.

Receta en Español

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Central Africa Republic