Sprinkles salad "salpicón"

 

This salad is a classic Monday dish during the summer in Chile, we used the left over from the Sunday BBQ, we usually grilled NY strip. You can also used the left over potatoes and grilled corn.

Is fresh and colorful, traditionally is all mixed and the veggies look like sprinkles on top of the lettuce.

Sprinkles salad

for 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 lettuce preferably romaine,washed and chopped into strips
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 diced cooked carrots
• 2 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and diced
• 1 piece of meat (400 grams) cooked and diced or sliced  
• cooked corn, optional
• salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil to taste

Directions:

1.      In a bowl place the lettuce as a bed on the bottom, on top place the remaining ingredients with the meat in the center.
2.      Dressing to taste with salt, pepper, lemon and vegetable oil.

Chilean corn pie (pastel de choclos)

Corn pie is a classic during the summer time in Chile. In my family, on January 1st we make corn pie, if living in the country the pie es usually cook on a clay dish inside a wood burning oven, if living in the city a normal oven and a baking dish is enough.
Finally, we ate a perfect corn pie made with frozen corn, I had already tried a couple of times but had never been happy with the taste or texture. In the end I think cornstarch is what works best to thicken the corn and give it a similar texture to the Chilean dish.


Corn pie
for 4-6 persons

for the corn mixture,

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 bags of frozen corn or 10 cups or so (I buy sweet corn HEB)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold milk or water
• 1 bunch basil, about 10 leaves, sweet basil if find
• salt, pepper and merquén or paprika

for the meat,

• 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 kilo/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup water or beef broth
•  3 onions, diced small
• Merquén or 1 tablespoon chili powder or paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt, pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour

Preparations: 
For the meat, always do it the day before,

1. Heat the oil in a large pot, saute the meat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, add the paprika, salt, pepper and cumin, saute 2 minutes more. 
2.  Add the broth and simmer 30 minutes over low heat.  
3. Add the onion and mixed well and cook over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Turn off heat and add the flour and stir well, adjust seasoning if necessary. Cool and refrigerate.

For the corn mixture,

1. In a large pot with a thick bottom, I use my cast iron, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the frozen corn and stir occasionally, about 8 minutes.
2. Add milk, basil, salt, pepper and merquén or paprika and continue to cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes longer.  
3. With a hand blender, blend the corn trying to not to go uniform, leave some chunky parts, when happy with the consistency, add the dissolved cornstarch and continue cooking over medium heat 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning, it will thicken slightly.

To assemble the pie, 

1. On a clay or baking dish, put one layer of cooked meat, add grilled chicken if you like it too on top of the meat, and raisins. 
2.  Cover with the corn mixture, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake at 400F or 200C on a preheat oven for 45-60 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Corn, tomato, and beef sauteed dish (tomatican)

A classic in my home in Chile during the summer, and sometimes in winter also with frozen corn and tomatoes from jar. Served with boiled potatoes or white rice.
Potatoes (pictured) are new potatoes, washed them well and cook in the microwave with a little water, it takes some 5-8 minutes at HIGH, then let stand 5 minutes and crush with a fork.

Corn, tomato and beef sauteed dish
2 persons

Ingredients:

•      1 (200 grams) lean steak, 1/2 inch thick or so, such top sirlion
•      1 onion cut in thin half moons
•      2 raw shelled ear of corn or 1 cup frozen
•      2 medium tomatoes, diced
•      salt, pepper, oil

Directions:

1.      In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high, pat dry with a paper towel and season the steak with salt and pepper, browned the steak on both sides for 2 minutes each side, move to a plate and let cool.
2.      In the same skillet without adding more oil cook the onion, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes, until cooked and beginning to brown, add the corn and chopped tomatoes with their juice, cook over medium heat 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
3.      Cut the steak on long pieces and add the meat and the meat juices to the skillet, stir and heat all, taste and adjust the seasoning, serve immediately with boiled potatoes or white rice.

Lucuma ice cream

Probably one of my favorite flavors of ice cream, and now that  the heat is oppressive in Houston I have to do it. I adapted from the recipe for vanilla ice cream from David Lebovitz, who is an authority on ice cream.The lucuma has certain properties that emulsify and theoretically make possible to do raw ice cream without a custard base. This time I went the traditional way that often results in more complex flavored ice cream and nice creaminess.
This ice cream so good, even my picky 6 year old daughter fell in love and declared it the best ice cream she have ever tried.
 
Lucuma Ice Cream 
for 1 liter of ice cream
Ingredients:

•     1 cup (250 ml) milk, I used 1%
•     Pinch of salt
•     3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
•     2 cups whipping heavy cream
•     1/4 cup powdered lucuma, I buy it from Amazon
•     2 egg yolks
•     1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     2 tablespoons dulce de leche, optional

Preparation:

1.     In a large bowl mix the heavy cream and lucuma powder, stir to incorporate.
2.     In a small saucepan combine sugar, salt and milk, place over medium heat. In another medium bowl place the 2 yolks and whisk for 20 seconds. Stir the milk with a spatula to make sure the sugar is dissolved, when the milk is warm, and the first bubbles form on the edge (do not wait for it boil), begin to mix the milk with the yolks always whisking, do it in a thin trickle, this is done to temper the yolks and not end up with scrambled eggs. When all the milk has been mixed with the yolks, return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the custard cover the back of a spoon. Remove from heat immediately.
3.     Stir a few times the mixture of cream and lucuma and start adding the custard while whisking, refrigerated overnight, next day make the ice cream following manufacturer's instructions and add the dulce de leche in the last 3 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Ready for Dessert, by David Lebovitz