Hungry? I can fix that, at least for 45 minutes or so...

It was a pretty exciting day of cooking here in Quito. I can’t decide if I’m posting these recipes because I’m so proud of how everything turned out and want records to be able to reproduce it or to give you digital travelers something to try at home, but read on if you are willing.

Lunch:
Quinoa.

I don’t know if you are lucky enough to have been introduced to this magical grain yet, but I love it. I mostly love it from a theoretical standpoint; like soybeans, it is a complete protein and is also indigenous to the Andes. I know you can buy it in the States, because I learned about in my Contemporary Latin American Society class back at Vanderbilt and used it earlier this summer.

1 cup quinoa
1 potato
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
Cajun seasoning
Garlic salt
Drinkable yogurt

Prep: rinse 1 cup of quinoa. Soak it in water for 15-30 minutes. Rinse and strain again. If you really care, you want to remove as much of the casing as possible, because it can lead to bitter quinoa. I wasn’t patient enough to do so. Add 1.5 cups of water and ½ a teaspoon of salt to the quinoa in a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn to the bottom.

While your quinoa simmers, peel and cut up (or mince, if appropriate) one potato, one carrot, one clove of garlic, and however much cabbage looks right. Sauté all vegetables until tender; add the cabbage last. When the quinoa is ready, stir sautéed vegetables and quinoa together. Add your favorite brand of Cajun seasoning and some garlic salt, and serve with a glass of yogurt (it is very, very drinkable here. I’m pretty proud of making this up on my own when it was time for lunch). If your quinoa is presoaked you can eat in 30 min.

Dinner:
Sprite Chicken, blanched broccoli, garlic rice, lentils (time from start to eating, 1.75 hrs)

Sprite chicken:
1 Chicken
1 can sprite
Paprika
Salt
Ginger powder
Brown sugar

Buy a chicken. Either buy one with all organs removed or remember to remove them yourself before you are almost done seasoning the salmonella magnet. If you forget, have Erik remove them, but make sure Dana isn’t watching; she won’t like it. Mix 1 part paprika, 1 part salt, 2 parts brown sugar, and ¼ part ginger powder (using 1 tablespoon per part works well for 1 chicken). Rub liberally inside and out. Take a can and fill it (or empty it, depending if you can buy sprite in cans or not) with sprite. Insert sprite can in chicken, then put on tin-foil wrapped pan. The chicken should be sitting on top of this can so it doesn’t spill everywhere. Put into heated oven. Ovens in Ecuador only have one setting, hot, but I would guess 350ºF in a standard American oven. Cook until cooked, about 1.5 hours. Again, this would be easier with things like thermometers. Remove can and serve however the mood serves you—whether that mood be whole with the wings tucked behind its back or cut up into edible pieces.

Blanched Broccoli:
I don’t think I have ever had broccoli this good. We made an incredible amount (broccoli is cheap here) and it was all consumed.

1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ice

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli florets using a strainer with a handle if possible. Allow the broccoli to cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender. Immediately remove from the boiling water, using the strainer or draining, and transfer to bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. Immerse the broccoli completely in the ice water for a minute or two (indeed, as the title says, you should blanch it). Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the broccoli and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the broccoli, then cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and eat! (All seasoning can be done by hand and measurements are not really necessary, something I learn more and more here).

Lentils:
A recipe from my Emelia at my home stay.

1 cup lentils
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons(ish) Achiote oil (good luck buying this in the states? Its reddish)
Mucho cilantro

Rinse lentils. Add 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Emelia says to salt the lentils immediately, the interwebs say salting lentils before they are cooked will make them tougher. Believe who you will. Bring to a boil. Add Achiote oil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender (about an hour here). Add more water if they are really stubborn. At minute 40, add a ton of cilantro, probably half a cup or so. When the lentils are finally done, drain off most of the excess water.

Garlic Rice:
Melt a vegetable bullion cube in 2 or so tablespoons of oil. Add 1 clove minced garlic and some garlic powder. Add rice and water (2 cups water for one cup rice), bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer WITHOUT UNCOVERING OR STIRRING for 45 minutes.

2 chickens, 3 uncooked cups of lentils, 4 uncooked cups of rice, and 4ish pounds of broccoli can feed 13 hungry PDs. Don’t expect leftovers.

Chao,

Chet

Song of the Blog: "My Happy Ending," by Avril Levigne