Oh, I’m so glad this week is over. I was cooking Bolivian dishes three days in a row and I think I overstretched myself in the process. The problem was that I couldn’t choose from an array of dishes I selected as potential candidates so I decided to make them all. That was a mistake. This project shouldn’t become a burden but rather be enjoyable. The dishes turned out to be very testy though. For the first time in our lives we had yucca (cassava root), which resembles potatoes but is much starchier. I have to say that Alex was helping me a whole lot this week especially with shopping, peeling, and mashing yucca. Oh, I love my husband!

Silpancho

Most websites claim that this is one of the traditional Bolivian meals. It is a sort of all-in-one type dish (not to be confused with all in one pot dishes 🙂 ). On a single plate you get a fried egg, two schnitzels, potatoes, rice, and salad. Each separate part of the dish is extremely easy and fast to make, but cooking the entire thing takes quite long. It makes sense to prepare rice and potatoes a day before. Two out of the three men in my family liked Silpancho and were even competing for meat leftovers. Here is how I cooked it (adapted from various websites).

Quinoa Quiche

Bolivian cuisine has all kinds of recipes with quinoa as the main ingredient. This one in particular has cheese in it. I could not resist. Prepared quinoa is combined with shredded cheese. Half of the mixture is placed in a baking pan, then a layer of veggies in tomato sauce is added and covered with the rest of quinoa. Bake in preheated oven (400F) for 10 minutes. I liked the result, quinoa was very creamy and the tomato sauce gave the dish a gourmet flavor.

Creamy Trout

The dish was an absolute favorite with everyone (except Eugene, of course). Matthew even wanted to take the leftovers for school lunch. I personally liked it twice as much because it is delicious and extremely easy and fast to make (quicker than making frozen food). I think I’m going to make it again this week.

Zonzo

I cooked the baked version of the recipe. Yucca is quite delicious but a little unusual (to our taste, anyway). When you taste it, your brain sort of immediately classifies it as potato but then you realize that something is off and you are eating something else. I like the potato taste more, but it may be just because I am much more used to it.

Ají de Lengua – Spiced veal tongue

I couldn’t miss making this one, since I have cooked tongue before. The classic Russian tongue recipe that I am familiar with is very simple. (OK, I am Russian, so for me, Russian recipes are classic and simple.) Boiled and cleaned tongue is cut into thin pieces with mayonnaise spread on top. The Bolivian recipe is quite different so naturally I was tempted to try it out. I liked it, and so did Alex and Matthew (as usual, Eugene didn’t want to try it).

Cocadas – Coconut Candies

They are crispy outside and chewy inside. What else do you need to make a person happy? Oh, right, they must be easy to make. That makes me really happy. Alex even let two candies survive until next morning but unfortunately Matthew claimed them first for his school lunch, so no lunch treats for me (again!).