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

Pumpkin,coconut and lime Soup (Solomon islands)

                                                                              Receta en Español

There is not a lot of information about the gastronomy at Solomon islands, I found this recipe in this site dedicated to the soups of the world:
http://soupsofourplanet.com/2014/11/10/solomon-islands-curried-coconut-and-lime-gourd-soup/
They use the typical ingredients of these islands; pumpkin,coconut and lime.

Ingredients:

•   2 tablespoons oil.
•   4 chalotes.
•   2 tablespoons ground ginger.
•   2 cloves of garlic.
•   800 grams of pumpkin.
•   4 cups of broth. (1 liter aprox).
•   2 cups of water. (480 ml).
•   3 tablespoons of ground curry.
•   1 cup of coconut milk (240 ml).
•    lime juice.
•    Salt.

For Broth:

•  Some leaves of spring onions.
•  Some leek leaves.
•  1 clove of garlic.
•  1 chunk of onion.
•  1 chunk of pepper.
•   Salt.
•   Parsley.

   

Method:

1-  We prepare a broth putting the ingredients in a casserole with water.  Put fire on a high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches boiling point, turn fire on a low heat ,then cook for 30 minutes.

2-  Cut the chalotes in little pieces, sauté them in a casserole with oil for 3 minutes until they are golden.

3-  Add garlic cut into slices together with ginger, sauté 1 more minute.

4-  Peel and cut pumpkin into little pieces, Add it to the casserole. Add the cup of broth and cup of water.

Put on a high heat until it reaches boiling point, then turn to a low heat and cook covered for 30 minutes until pumpkin is soft.

Don't forget to add salt.

5-  Make a purée with the help of a blender.

6-  Add curry, coconut milk and lime juice.

7-  Stir well and serve with some basil on the top:



Solomon islands

Potato soup from Berlin

                                                                               Receta en Español
                                                                          
Potato soup is very typical in Germany, specially in Berlin. This is a dish with a lot of energy that you can take in winter.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 700 g potatos.
• 1 carrot.
• 1 piece celeriac.
• 1 piece leek.
• 1 onion.
• 1 garlic clove.
• 100 g bacon.
• 1 l water or broth.
• 1 tablespoon marjoram.
• 2 Bockwurst sausages.

Method:

1.    Peel potatos and cut them into thick pieces.

2.    Cut carrots,celeriac, onion and leek.

3.    Put some oil in a casserole, sautée garlic and onion.

4.    Cut bacon into strips, add it to the casserole and cook until bacon is done.

5.    Add the rest of the ingredients, add potatos at the end.

6.    Add 1 liter boiling water or broth.

7.    Add salt, pepper and marjoram.

8.    Cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.

9.    Remove from the fire , use a food processor to crush the ingredients , after that you can pass the soup through a siebe.

10.  Some minutes before serving , add sausages cut into slices and cook for 5 minutes.

My comments to the recipe:

This is an easy recipe to make, with a marvellous taste, I didn't know celeriac, it has a perfumed taste very nice to find in a soup, sausages provide the typical German touch. 

Where to find the ingredients:

 You can buy celeriac sometimes at Hipercor, in Madrid I found it at Ventas market, at 209  'Frutas y Verduras Toñín' .

Marjoram is also difficult to find at supermarkets but it is easier to find at herbalist's shop.

Germany