"STUFFED" A Chilean Dinner...

by Jenny

Foodie Friday~Chile

Wow....I begin this post as I'm lounging on the couch totally stuffed from this dinner.
It. Was. Amazing. I really wish there was a way to post the smells that happen in my kitchen during Foodie Fridays too.                                                                 Evie's pick this week was Chile which has just about as much diversity as America. One of the reasons it's so diverse is because of their geographical makeup including mountains to ocean to the tip which is almost to Antarctica. The other huge influence is from other countries that have migrated there. Germany had a huge migration there and brought pork dishes and pastries like kuchen (which we had we did Germany, it's a super yummy apple cake). Their food is also greatly influenced by Italy and France with common dishes including omelets and prosciutto. Plus a bunch of other countries so you might've thought it's just Spanish influence but it's not. Their dishes are also regional; northern, central, and southern having their own typical dishes.

 

 

~Menu~

 

Pastel de Choclo

 

Avocado Quinoa Salad

 

Sopaipillas with Chancaca syrup

Evie picked Pastel de Choclo Sweetcorn Pie, which is layered pie from the central region. It's a beef mixture, then hard boiled egg, followed by olives and raisins, and topped with a sweet corn and basil mixture. I thought it sounded a bit odd with raisins and egg slices but I'm telling you- it really was an amazing combination! The raisins seemed to take on a different flavor, there was a definite sweet taste from the corn, and the basil and spices kept it from being overly sweet.  It's widely known in Chile but nothing really like it anywhere else. The closest thing it resembled to us was Gregg's grandma's Corn Pone Pie or chili con carne with cornbread. Everyone enjoyed it but Evie wasn't fond of the corn topping (she does not like potatoes- I think it was a similar texture). Oh, by the way, this dish is totally gluten free too.

Then she picked a lighter dish for a side and Chile is known for their produce like avocados. We found Avocado Quinoa Salad that fit the bill. It was full of flavor with avocados, tomatoes, & celery. (By the way, this dish is gluten free as long as you double check your chicken broth, some can have hidden gluten.)

Last, but by no means least, dessert: Sopaipillas con pasadas! This is not what we think of as a sopapilla. They are made with pumpkin and cut in circles that you poke with a fork so they don't really rise and puff. We made the 'sweet' version but there is a very delicious looking savory version as well. The only thing that changes is the sauce you pair it with. The thing I find delightful about this food is that they say they usually snack on them on rainy days. I love when food has a story or tradition behind it. The syrup used for the 'sweet' version is call chancaca syrup. Chancaca is a raw cane sugar that typically can be found in bricks. I read Jaggery is similar. We could not find either so our Chancaca syrup was made of 1 cup of sweetness- 3/4 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup honey, water, orange rind, cinnamon, clove, and corn starch. After all the sugar and honey melted together then we added the corn starch. After you fry the sopaipillas up, you can pour, dip, or soak them in the amazingly sweet syrup. This syrup was what Gregg kept calling "Christmas in a bowl!" Every time you take a bite, you "ummm" out loud. I can't really describe it any better than Christmas in a bowl. The kids kept saying with each bite, "We should have these Christmas morning!" and "Ohhh, we should take these to Thanksgiving dinner!"  and "The next time we've got to take a dish somewhere, can we take these?!?" I would say that that is a successful recipe.

We thoroughly enjoyed and reveled in our Chilean dinner. We stuffed ourselves til there was no room left....but as I type this, the kids are asking for some of their candy from Trunk or Treat so I guess there's always more room for kids. It was interesting to read about their rich and diverse culture. I think you should definitely try one of the dishes! And if you do, let me know what you think! :)