Venezuelan Black Beans and Rice

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=271750

Yield 4.

Ingredients:

1 med onion chopped
1 stalk celery diced
1 sm red pepper diced
1 cup long-grain white rice rinsed and drained
14 oz vegetable broth
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 cup egg substitute, liquid scrambled
15 oz black beans heated
1 tsp crushed red pepper
lemon wedges and tabasco to taste

Method:

• Saute onion 2-3 minutes; add celery, bell pepper and rice. Cook stirring until rice turns pale, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add broth, turmeric, oregano and salt. Cover and cook until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
• Drain heated black beans and mix with rice. Top with scrambled eggs and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and tabasco.
• Serving Ideas : Serve w/ 2 plantains, sliced diagonally and fried; greens.

Pabellon Criollo (Venezuelan Steak in Tomato Sauce)

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=183525

Ingredients:

2 lb Lean sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick
1/3 cup Olive oil
1 cup Onions, coarsely chopped
1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
6 med Tomatoes, peel,seed,chop OR
2 cup Canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 tsp Ground cumin seeds
1 tsp Salt

Method:

• Broil the steak under a preheated broiler for about 5 minuted on each side, or until the steak is medium rare. Using a knife or your fingers, cut or pull the meat into pieces approximately 1/2 in (125 mm) long and 1/4 in (50 onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are transparent but not brown. Add the tomatoes, cumin and salt and reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato juices evaporate and the sauce becomes a thick puree. Add the strips of beef and mix them well with the sauce.
• Serves 4 to 6.
• NOTES : This Venezuelan dish comes from a friend who cooked it for us in her home one night. She served it with black beans and rice, which you can do if you want, but it goes great with any rice dish and can also be served on top of noodles.

Ropa Vieja

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=218616

Ingredients:

2 lb skirt steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1 x onion
4 x -5 cloves of garlic
1 x green pepper, julienned
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 x bay leaf
1 can pimento
1/2 cup red wine

Method:

• Cook the meat(I put it in a pot with onion, celery, tomato, garlic and water and make a broth with it and then take the beef out to use for Ropa Vieja or another favorite, Vaca Frita,) cool and shred. Make a sofrito with the oil, onion, garlic (mashed in a mortar with the salt is best), green pepper. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf, the meat, pimento and wine. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. If it needs more liquid, I use some of the beef broth I made with the meat.
• Serve over white rice. According to Nitza this should serve 8 people, but with my family this does not serve 8, more like maybe 6 if I'm lucky.
• It's really a very easy thing to make. An interesting side story about Ropa Vieja. I visited Venezuela years ago and while there I told my hosts to order for me, and order the most typical Venezuelan dish they could think of. Much to my surprise, when my meal arrived it consisted of Ropa Vieja, rice and fried ripe plantains! Little did I know that I had been eating Venezuelan food all my life.

Venezuelan Peppers with Shrimp

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=271754

Yield 10.

Ingredients:

3 lb Shrimp (16-20/lb)
3 cup Spanish Olive Oil
4 x Large Red Bell Peppers *
8 x Cloves Garlic **
1 x Chili Pepper Seeded/Minced
1 x Loaf French Bread 1" Slices
1 x Feta Cheese (optional)

Method:

• * Bell peppers should be seeded and cut into thin julienne strips.
  ** Garlic cloves should be peeled and cut into 1/4-inch chunks.
• Slit the shrimp up the back with a sharp knife. Remove the vein, but do not peel shrimp.
• Set them aside. Combine 2 cups of olive oil and the red pepper strips in a deep heavy skillet or saute pan. Heat slowly. Cook very gently until the peppers are extremely tender but not at all browned. (The oil will turn a lovely rose color.) Set peppers aside.
• Pour the remaining oil into another skillet with the garlic pieces. Stew the garlic slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender and golden. Scoop out the garlic with a strainer or slotted spoon and add it to the peppers. Heat the garlic oil until it ripples.
• Throw in the minced chili pepper and the shrimp.
• Saute, tossing the shrimp in the oil, until they turn pink and are just done. To serve, spoon the peppers and their oil into a serving dish. Surround with the shrimp. Serve with bread. Each diner soaks slices of bread in the oil and piles the bread with peppers and garlic. Feta cheese may be eaten with it and the shrimp goes on top.

Guasacaca (Wah-Sah-Kaka) Salsa De Venezuela

http://www.recipezaar.com/144224

Unlike guacamole, everything is hand-chopped. I use it as a salsa for arepas, a chopped salad with meals, a chunky dip for corn chips.

Ingredients:

1 medium tomato

1 medium onion

2 avocado, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup minced bell pepper (optional)

3/4 cup cilantro leaf, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons hot sauce

Directions:

1. Chop by hand, all the vegetables.
2. And the remaining ingredients and mix together.
3. Chill for at least 3-hours.
4. Serve as a dip for nacho chips or as a salsa with anything.