Week 1, Cooking with Ruth!

Ruth taught us this week... these foods are very traditional in Chile, but the recipes might sound a bit funny... not only does Ruth not speak English, she doesn't use recipes, so Lynette & I were both writing down all the details as we tried to help with the food. Enjoy!

Pastel de Choclo

• 3 chicken breasts, cooked & torn
• 4-5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 very large onion, diced
• 5 cobs of white corn
• 10 basil leaves
• 2 onions, diced
• salt
• white pepper
• poultry seasonings
• favorite chicken seasonings

Saute large onion in a little oil until transparent, & season with salt (if you add too much, put in a little sugar). Add the chicken and season as desired (white pepper, poultry seasoning, etc). Remove the corn from the cob, scraping the cob for juices. Put corn and basil in a food processor. If the consistency is dryer than that of cottage cheese, add a little milk. Stir the 2 onions into the corn mixture. Cook, stirring continually about 15 minutes, until it comes to a boil and you can smell the corn & basil and all of corn changes to a darker and more transparent yellow (looks cooked). If it is hard to stir add a little milk. It should be about the consistency of a runny potato salad. Put the chicken/onion and eggs in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with the corn mix. Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until brown on top. Wait about 10 minutes to thicken, then serve.

Humitas

• 10 cobs of white corn
• handful of basil
• 4 onions, sauteed in oil with salt until transparent
• cooking string
• corn husks (just the pretty ones)

Cut the kernels from the cob, but don’t scrape… don’t want it juicy. Add basil to corn while in the food processor. Add the sauteed onions. Take the husks, cut off ends and put two together so that the middles are shared and each end had a point. Put about 1 cup of sauce in the husks and wrap (roll up, then fold one side over, followed by the other side). Tie tightly with string. Put boiling water (rolling boil) with salt. Bring to a boil again and cook at least 20 minutes. Serve with sugar or pebre sauce (a fresh salsa).