Hen Soup – “Caldo de Gallina”
October 13, 2020
No Comments
Peruvian style Hen soup, simple and delicious!
Today I am sharing my recipe for Caigua Rellena (Stuffed Caigua)
Caigua rellena is a dish that brings back memories, this is one of the few dishes my grandmom enjoyed making and eating.
Grandma enjoyed cooking but as she aged, you could tell how things changed, most of the food she loved she could not eat anymore and that had a massive impact on her, but this dish brings back memories since I remember seeing her happy as soon as she started talking about it.
You are going to find different ways to cook “Caigua rellena” and there are many recipes out there, I will share the one my grandma used to cook for us when I was a kid, I tweaked the recipe a bit to help readers that live abroad.
Here are some common questions:
What is Caigua?
let’s start with the scientific name Cyclanthera pedata, known by many names (Caigua, Caihua, Achocha, Jaiva, Stuffing cucumber, to mention some); this is the fruit of a plant that is used as a vegetable in most regions.
In Peru, it is also used in smoothies since it has antioxidants.
What is this dish about?
We stuff our Caiguas, with some sautee veggies, beef, and spices.
Here are some tips to cook Caigua:
1 – If you get Caigua frozen, blanching it might not be necessary, since it might fall apart if you overcook it.
2 – Overstuffing the Caigua might not be a good idea, since it might break when trying to plate it (talking from experience here)
3 – Try to get Caiguas that are the same size, in that way, they might cook all at the same time.
Ingredients are very basic, and the star of the dish is the Caigua, if you are wondering how it tastes, it has a unique flavor, and it is tender and juicy; a must-try.
As with most things in Peruvian cuisine, it all starts with an “aderezo”, sautee, onions, garlic, and some Ají Panca paste, to add color and flavor.
If you wondering if you have seen this filling in another Peruvian dish, you might be right, the filling is really similar to the one we use in our recipe for Papa Rellena,
As you can see in the slider, the Caigua has a different color when it is raw, then changes to a different green tone. it turns tender and absorbs some of the flavors you cook it in.
Caigua Rellena, one of my Grandmom’s favorites, I am so happy to share this recipe with you guys, I think you are going to love it, a dish that is easy to prepare with a unique and delicious flavor.
Peruvian style Hen soup, simple and delicious!
Dear readers today I am sharing with you one of my favorite sauces, Tamarind sauce, in Peru we love Chinese food and we got a “Chifa” in every corner (Chinese – Peruvian restaurant), on those places they serve wontons with Tamarind sauces, I felt in love with this sauce, but the truth is that every single restaurant had their own way of making it , most of them used pre-made sauces and added some fresh ingredients others used honey, orange and there were even others that they used ketchup and sugar to make a tamarind sauce, I have to say I tried many tamarind sauces , the recipe I am sharing with you today is my favorite one , the one I felt in love with. Links for the ingredients / tools I use on this recipe will be at the bottom of the post Tamarind Sauce | Servings: 1 Cup Here is a pic of the Tamarind you can use fresh Tamarind or Tamarind paste , if using paste use 3 teaspoons of paste. Steps : Peel the tamarinds then boil them with 2 cups of water for 5 min then pass it through a strainer In a pot add oil, ketchup, ginger and garlic , let cook for at least 2 min, then add sugar, tamarind water, let it boil for 2 min. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little bit of water, bring to a boil and turn off, transfer to a bowl and its good to go That is it guys , serve this sauce with wontons, this sauce is the base for a lot of dishes , it is actually pretty simple to prepare so try it out and tell me how it goes! ome tools I used on this recipe
Layers of cookies glazed with homemade syrup, the syrup is made of raw cane sugar, fig leaves, spices.
Dear Readers, here I have for you my Empanada recipe , one that is really tasty and easy to prepare , for the ones that do not know what an Empanada is , let me explain is a stuffed dough quite similar to a Calzonne , but different texture and flavor, is a common dish in the Latin american cuisine. On Peru we stuff our “Empanadas” with a lot of different stuffings, but the one that I will share with you today is not a common stuffing in Peru. Remember some of the tools/ingredients I use will be at the bottom of the post Mushroom Empanadas | Servings: 25 medium size “Empanadas” Ingredients : Steps: Sift dry ingredients and integrate them Add Butter and Shortening , integrate them, then add egg and water. Let the dough rest for 20 min While it rest lets make the stuffing: In a hot pan add butter , onions , let it cook until tender, then add flour , let it cook for 4 min. Once cooked add milk, mushrooms , half cup of cheese and olives, salt, pepper, turn off and let it rest Sprinkle some flour on a surface and roll your dough. With the help of a circular cutter (or bowl) shape your dough. Stuff your dough in one of the edges never in the center. Before closing the dough add one cheese cube, then with the help of a fork , seal the ends Last step is to egg wash your “Empanadas” and cook them at 350 F or 180 F for 30 to 35 min. That is guys , if you never made Empanadas before, it might look hard but its actually pretty fun , try it out and make your kids or friends help you! Some Tools/Ingredients I used on this recipe:
Hello dear readers , today I am sharing with you a super simple recipe that you can prepare at home. this recipe is simple and you can adapt some of the ingredients so you can use what you have on hand. Some tools/Ingredients I used , will be at the bottom of the post Spinach Stuffed Chicken | Servings: 1 Chicken Breast Peru is one of the most important Paprika exporters in Latin America it also has a variety of fresh cheeses or “Queso frescos” , one of my favorite ones is Queso Paria , this cheese is full of flavor , to replace it you can use Goat cheese or ricotta cheese if you dont like strong flavors. Steps : Chop your spinach, crumble the cheese and add both along with the mayo in to a bowl , give it a quick stir. Halve your chicken breast add some salt and pepper inside and outside, then stuff them Cover with 1 tablespoon of oil and paprika, then bake at 350 F / 180 C for 15 min or so. That is it guys a delicious dish you can prepare at home , try it out! Some tools I used on this recipe
Ollucos with meat is a potato-like stew, full of flavor and texture, simple stew for those cold days.
Hello guys , I hope you are all having a great time, Today I will share with you a simple recipe, some of you might know how easy is to prepare meatballs at home, In Peru this dish is not that common, we prepare it once in a while but is better to know how to prepare this “Staple” dish , you never know when you will have to cook it. Links for the ingredients / tools I use on this recipe will be at the bottom of the post Steps : Lets make the meatballs first, add all your ingredients in a bowl mix them, then shape them into balls. In a hot pot add 3 tablespoon of oil , cook the balls, you have to be fast, 1 min per side, then reserve. If pot is hot ,it wont stick For the Pomodoro sauce , in the same Pot, add onions, garlic,carrots, tomatoes and let them cook for at least 5 min, after that blend them and turn return the mix into the same pot Put your meatballs back again into the pot, add salt, pepper, bay leaf, oregano, put a lid and let it cook for at least 7 min. Serve with some pasta , sprinkle some chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese on top and its good to go! That is guys a delicious meal you can prepare at home, as I said is a staple dish that you need to know how to prepare, try it soon and let me know how it went! Tools I used on this recipe: