On the Menu: Argentinean Food pt. dos (2) & tres (3)

Happy Mothers Day!

I have to say that being a Mother can be very difficult.  The worries and stress (and attitudes) can be hard to handle some days, and some days I handle it better than others, but I wouldn't trade my two little munchkins for the world!!  And I bet you feel the same way!!  So give your babies (no matter how old they are) an extra big hug today and enjoy the treats, flowers and cards you (hopefully) get - we deserve it!!  And while they feel all helpful and lovey, get them to make dinner tonite - here are a couple recipes :)

I found this one on About.com

Pork and Sweet Potato Guiso (stew)
For the recipe you will need

• 2 lbs pork cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 t cumin
• 2 T flour (I used garbanzo flour)
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 T butter
• 1 onion- thinly sliced
• 2 sweet potatoes - peeled and cubed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 packet Sazon Goya with cilantro and achiote (optional)
• 3/4 cups raisins
• salt and pepper

1.  In a heavy, deep skillet heat the butter and 1 T oil to cook the onions until soft and golden.
2.  While onions are cooking season the meat with the cumin, flour, and seasoning packet. Throw in some salt and pepper too.
3.  Remove the onions from the skillet, add the rest of the oil and fry the meat until it is browned on all sides. 
4.  Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan (scrape up all the bits stuck to the pan).
5.  Add the onions back and add enough chicken broth so that the meat is just covered.  Simmer gently (covered) for one hour.
6.  Add the sweet potatoes and raisins and simmer about 30 minutes or just until everything is tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper

 

This was pretty tasty.  Not a lot of spice going on - I might add some more cumin next time.  My husband liked it more than he expected to - in fact his direct quote was "this isn't bad at all" and my brother scoffed at the fact that it was served with quinoa but actually said it was really good with it.  The pork was super tender and actually the best part, but the sweet potatoes were good too.  I wish I had cooked them a little less than I did.   All in all, it was a pretty healthy meal that everyone enjoyed.  I did have leftovers though, so I decided to use them in another South American treat...

Empanadas
For the recipe you will need:

• empanada dough (homemade or store bought)
• leftover guiso from above or cheese or whatever strikes your fancy.
• chimichurri sauce  for dipping

1.  If you are making your own dough you are going to want to roll it out very thin and cut it into 4 inch circles.  I would really suggest buying the frozen dough from a Mexican produce store if you can.  Then all you have to do is let it thaw :)  Or frozen pie dough would probably work too.

2.  I was making these for a party and I didn't want them too big so I cut each circle in half.  Put about 1 tsp. of filling or a cube of cheese in the middle them fold it over and crimp the edges.  We used a fork to press the edges together- my daughter got pretty good!

3.  Put on a parchment lined baking sheet (probably not necessary but makes clean up so easy) and bake in 400° oven for about 10-15 minutes until golden.
4.  Because I made 2 different kinds and wanted people to be able to tell them apart, I sprayed a little cooking spray on top and for the cheese ones I sprinkled parmesan on the top and for the sweet potato ones I sprinkled some cumin and smoked paprika.  I think it made them look a little fancier too.
5.  Serve with some chimichurri sauce (I love that stuff)!!

These were GONE in about 15 minutes at the party.  I even sent my husband home to get a plateful that didn't fit on the original platter.  The dough was nice and fluffy and not too greasy.  Apparently there are different doughs for frying or baking, so remember that if you are buying the premade dough.  These made a great finger food, looked like they took all day but were, in fact, super easy to make!!  Enjoy!

Argentina- Animals and Art

Everything from Pumas to Penguins...

Argentina's landscape is very diverse and, because of this diversity, there is a wide array of animals that can be found there.  It might be easier go over the list if we break them up by geographical region.



In the North, where the country nears the Equator, the climate is sub-tropical and hot.  Here you can find crocodiles and caimans (their smaller cousins), jaguars and pumas, howler monkeys, tapir and peccary (both a type of wild pig), and the largest rodent in the world- the capybara.  The air and trees host snakes, toucans and hummingbirds.

Further south, the grasslands area, known as Pampas, is home to giant anteaters, armadillos (one species is called the Pink Fairy), and the South American version of the ostrich, the Rhea.










In the Andes Mountains, which make a natural border with neighboring Chile, you can find llamas, vicuna (smaller relative of a llama), and the largest bird in the Americas- the Andean condor which has a wingspan of up to 10.5 ft!

Along the southern rocky coast you might spot elephant and fur seals, sea lions and Magellenic penguins, which were named after the famous explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who spotted them in 1519.  Further North along the coast, flocks of flamingoes decorate the beaches. 

The waters are home to orcas, dolphins and whales, as well as, many, many species of fish.   

That's a lot of different kinds of animals!  So we made a few very different art projects.  It's a very rare day when we make both a penguin and an armadillo but that's the kind of day we had :)

Magellenic Penguins
For the project you will need:

• small Styrofoam ball
• small water bottle
• black and orange construction paper
• glue stick and scissors
• black and white paint and brushes
• knife or pick to make hole (adults only please)
• straight pin (optional)

1.  Take the cap off the water bottle and try to squish the Styrofoam ball onto the neck.  This will mark the circle that you will hollow out with the knife so the "head" will sit right on the "body".  Adults should do this step please. 
2.  Paint the body and head of your penguin black with a white belly.  Check the picture of the real thing to get the markings kinda right.
3.  Cut out a small, long diamond out of the orange paper and fold it to make the beak.  We attached ours with a pin pushed into the Styrofoam and it worked really well, but could be dangerous for younger kids.  Glue would work too.  Note: Magellenic penguins beaks and feet aren't really orange.  They looked kind of greyish and white but I used some artistic license and made them orange.
4.  Cut two flippers out of the black paper and attach to the sides.
5.  Cut some webbed feet out of the orange paper (see above note) and glue them onto the cute little penguin.

6.  Give your little guy (girl?) some eyes and a name get ready for fun and games. Penguins are notorious pranksters. (I totally just made that up- but they seem like they'd be fun at a party!)


Who doesn't love an Armadillo?
For the project you will need:

• pint-sized milk or half and half carton
• brown paper bag
• tape and glue stick
• scissors
• sharpie or black marker

1. Cut the bag so you have a sheet of brown paper.  Use the paper to wrap the carton.  On the top, where it's pointy, will be the head.  Try to make it come to a point.

2. Cut 2 ear shapes.  We colored the middle pink.  Fold the edges of the ears and glue the ears onto the armadillo head.

 

3.  Armadillos have a bit of a snout, so cut and glue on some extra paper to make the snout longer and the edges look nicer.

4.  Roll up a strip of paper about 5 inches long to make a tail.  Glue and tuck it into the folded paper on the butt end to make the tail.

5.  Now the fun part.  Draw the bumps and ridges and creases of the armadillo armor.  I had to print out a picture to show the kids what it should look like since we don't have armadillos.







I think he turned out pretty cute.  We named him Bumpy.

On the Menu: Argentinean Food

Yum.

Yep, that one word sums up the recipe for today.  "Fresh" could be another.  We made the Argentinean sauce/marinade/condiment called Chimichurri and, boy, was it GOOD!  There were a few tasty options we could've made - empanadas, chorizo sausage, a dish called  Locro, with corn, beans, meat, bacon and other ingredients, but we went with the basics.  As you can see by the tongue-in-cheek food pyramid, they eat a lot of meat in Argentina. 

Asado cooked on a parrilla

 The chimichurri sauce is traditionally served with grilled steak and is always available at an "asado", or barbeque.  It would be a great marinade for chicken or a sauce for fish or vegetables.  In fact, since I made it 2 days ago, I have used it on everything.  I even put it on my scrambled eggs this morning!  There are general recipe guidelines but proportions and ingredients can be changed to make it your own.  So here is how I made mine, I hope you enjoy it.


Chimichurri Sauce
For the recipe you will need:

• 1 cup flat leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1 cup cilantro
• 4 -5 cloves of garlic (or less)
• 2 T chopped fresh onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 T apple cider or red wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and a dash of red chile flakes

1.  Using a food processor (or knife) chop the garlic and onions until very finely chopped.
2.  Add the cilantro and parsley and process until the herbs are finely chopped but not pureed.
3.  Transfer it to a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
4.  Let refrigerate for awhile to let the flavors combine and then use this stuff on EVERYTHING!!! 

It's so healthy and light and herb-y!  I think it would be really good on a fish taco!!  In fact, I know what I'm making for dinner tonite.
Make a bowl of this to serve at your next asado and just wait for the recipe requests...or you can direct them here :)

Week 42: Argentina

What do you know about Argentina?

Before I started looking up facts for this post, I didn't know much more than location (South America) and capital (Buenos Aires).  Well, now I have a whole bunch of facts and I'm going to share them with you (Because I'm super nice.  You're welcome)

Did you know?

• Because the country is so long, the North end is in a subtropical region and the Southern end is subpolar.  Bring layers :)

• The largest dinosaur yet discovered was found in Argentina.  You could probably have guessed that from it's name - Argentinosaurus.

• The Spaniards came to the area in the 1500s in search of silver.  The name Argentina comes from the Latin term for silver- Argentum.

• The main exports of Argentina are honey, soybeans, wheat, sunflower seeds, wine and beef.  Argentina is the 3rd largest producer of beef in the world. Probably manure too but don't quote me on that :)  In fact, don't quote me on anything, ever.

• The people of Argentina love going to the movies- they have one of the highest rates of movie goers in the world.

• The national drink of Argentina is a type of tea called Yerba Mate.  It is traditional to drink it out of a gourd cup and silver straw.

• Despite the fact that Argentina is a Spanish-speaking country, the majority of it's people are of European countries other than Spain, Germany and Wales for example. 

• The national sport of Argentina is called Pato.  It is a combination of polo and basketball played on horseback.  The most popular sport in Argentina is football (soccer in the U.S.)

There, now we are experts on Argentina!  Of course, I using the term "experts" very, very loosely, but we do know a lot more than we did a few minutes ago.  I'm off to get some projects together while the hubby and kids are at the movies.  Maybe that can be one of their projects - going to the movies just like they do in Argentina!  Stay tuned for more about this diverse country :)