RECIPES

  Beef and Corn Empanadas*

Ingredients

Meet filling and corn filling ingredients:
2 pounds minced meat (for beef filling) or 2 pounds frozen yellow corn (for corn filling)
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 pounds sliced onion (not very thin)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon "adobo"
3 diced hard-boiled eggs
8 ounces green olives
4 ounces raisins
1 tablespoon flour

Method

In a big pan sautee the onions in the corn oil until tender. Add meat and stir frequently. Add seasoning. Following add the hard-boiled eggs, the green olives and the raisins. Turn off the heat and add the flour and stirring very well. Let stand until cold before using.

For the corn filling follow the same steps substituting the corn for the beef. Prepackaged dough (La Salteña). To make the empanadas put filling in the center and make like "turnovers" closing edges with a fork.

Pesceto Mechado*

Ingredients and Method

Pesceto (eye round roast) with all the trimmings (very important). Create a cut in the center of the meat lengthwise about 1 1/2 inches. Stuff with bacon, sweet red peppers, and minced garlic and Italian parsley. Tie the meat firmly trying to maintain the cylindrical form. Also, close the ends with a little piece of meat so the stuffing does not leak. Take the meat and rub it with olive oil, salt and pepper (make sure it is well coated). Then, proceed to carefully seal the meat in a very hot clean pan. Roast in the oven adding red wine to the pan and baste it frequently.

Serving

Two slices not too thin with a little bit of juice left in the pan.
The side dish consists of a red sweet potatoes and white potatoes sliced in half-inch thickness, mixed sliced onion with salt, pepper and olive oil. Cook in the oven until browned.
Serve the side dish on the same plate.
Garnish the plate with Italian parsley.

Puchero*

Ingredients

6 carrots, peeled                                       1 onion             
6 white potatoes, peeled                             1 cup chopped celery
6 sweet potatoes, peeled                             1 pound green beans
6 ears of sweet corn, peeled                        1 bunch parsley
1 squash (medium size) cut into six pieces      1 teaspoons salt
4 pounds ossobuco cut into six pieces           6 zucchini

Method

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. When boiling add all the ingredients trying to put the meat first and then the carrots, onion, green beans, corn, and squash with its peel. Then add the potatoes and the zucchini. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain and serve meat and vegetables. To enhance flavor you may use mustard, Mayonnaise, tomato, onion, and pepper sauce.
Add rice or noodles to the remaining broth and serve in soup bowls before or after puchero. It is a complete meal!.

Dulce de Leche*

Ingredients

Bring to boil 2 liters of milk
Pour into another saucepan and mix the boiling milk with:
2 pounds of sugar
1 vanilla stick
1/2 tablespoon baking soda

Method

Mix and cook over middle heat stirring periodically at the beginning and continuously at the end. The caramel milk must be thick and take a toast caramel color. If when pouring a drop of it on a flat surface, it looks solid and there is no water around, it is ready.
This sweet cream is used like a side dish with flan (custard pudding), banana, and other desserts or it is just spread on bread like butter or peanut butter.

Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)*

Ingredients and Method

In a large saucepan, combine 5 cups of milk and 1 orange peel. Bring to boil. Remove from heat for one minute and then add 1\2 cup washed rice and 1/3 cup sugar.
Return to boil, stir once, reduce heat and boil for 20 and 25 minutes, or until rice is done. Remove from heat.
Beat 3 eggs yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1/3 cup of sugar.
Add to the warm mixture.
Return the saucepan to heat for two more minutes beating permanently. Remove from the heat. When cool put into the refrigerator.
Serve in small bowls sprinkling with cinnamon or chocolate as desired.

Pasta Frola*

Ingredients and Method

Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add 1/2 cup butter.
Mix well all ingredients.
Add, working with your hands: 2 eggs lightly beaten; 1 tablespoon water; 1/2 teaspoon French vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.
Shape 3/4 parts of this dough into a thick disc, roll out and transfer it to a round pie pan (buttered or Teflon type), fitting into the angle all around the pan.
Fill the pie with 1 pound of quince jam.
Roll out the remaining dough and cut into narrow strips. Place strips over filling in such a way to produce a woven lattice. Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Ambrosia*

Ingredients and Method

Beat lightly 5 egg yolks.
Mix with 2 cups of milk.
Add gratings of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon cloves
In other saucepan make syrup until obtaining thread point with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water.
Remove the syrup from the heat and pour it into the mix of eggs and milk.
Put the mixture over the heat and cook it, stirring until clots appear and the liquid is concentrated.
Add 1 tablespoon of French vanilla.
Serve cold in bowls or cups.

*Source: Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the OAS.