Bolivian Meat Pies

Dough:
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour (approx)

Scald milk, and cool to wrist-warm temperature. Stir in sugar and yeast. When dissolved, add salt and oil. Add about 1 cup flour and beat 100 strokes. Gradually work in remaining flour until dough is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour or until doubled. Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Filling:
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno (opt), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 – 2 tomatoes, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 – 2 lbs chicken breast, chopped
3 – 4 Tbsp raisins (can double)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup chicken broth
pinch cumin
opt. handful of green olives, capers, or peas

Heat oil and butter in pan over medium heat. Saute onion and green pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Add potatoes, tomatoes and chicken. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Saute a few minutes until chicken is browned. Add broth and raisins. Cook until potatoes are almost tender. Stir in any additional ingredients and turn off heat. Allow to cool enough to handle.

When dough has risen to double, punch down. Rest for 10 minutes, then roll dough out into circles about 4″ in diameter. Fill with a scoop of filling so it will be full, but not overflowing. Pinch edges together at the top and place on greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with egg white and bake at 350*F until lightly browned on the outside.

Variations:
- Use beef or pork instead of chicken.
- Make vegetarian with chickpeas instead of meat

Optional additions:
shredded green cabbage or lettuce
fresh salsa
sour cream
grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese

Cut chicken breast into thin strips. Toss with cornstarch, sugar, garlic cloves, chopped onion, cumin, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, chili powders, salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Slice onion and bell pepper into thin strips.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in wok over medium-high heat. Stir and cook about half the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Set aside. Repeat. Taste and add additional seasoning, eg. tabasco or garlic powder if needed.

Heat additional Tbsp of oil, stir and fry onion and bell pepper until onion is carmelized and pepper is tender. Toss chicken in with onions and pepper, add lime juice and heat a couple minutes.

Serve rolled up in warm tortillas, with a little shredded cabbage or lettuce, sour cream and any other toppings desired.

Easy Puliogare (Tamarind Rice)

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water

1 Tbsp oil (approx)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp MTR Puliogare Powder (or substitute another brand of Tamarind Rice Powder – a masala or spice blend specifically for making this type of rice)
1 Tbsp dry coconut powder (opt)
1/3 cup (about a handful) raw Spanish peanuts (can substitute roasted, unsalted peanuts, but raw is best)
salt to taste (only if it needs it)

Cook basmati rice according to directions. Heat oil over medium heat, add mustard seeds, peanuts, puliogare and coconut powders. Heat a couple minutes and then mix nicely with the rice. Taste and add salt if necessary.

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken, cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups potatoes, cubed
3 1/2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
1/2 apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste
opt. red pepper flakes, to taste
1 – 2 cans chicken broth
additional water (or broth) to cover

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Brown chicken with garlic and onions. Add vegetables and apple. Stir and cook a few minutes, then add chicken broth and enough water to just barely cover vegetables. Cover and simmer until tender. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Variations:
- Omit the chicken, substitute a couple cans of chickpeas, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken if you wish to make it vegetarian.
- Add winter squash, yam or sweet potato.

2 lbs bone-in chicken or about 5 – 6 chicken thighs (or a whole 4lb chicken, if you like, and then use about half of it)
water to cover
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
4 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 large onion
1 can french cut green beans
salt and pepper to taste

Cover chicken in water or broth and simmer until tender. Remove chicken from broth and allow to cool. Remove skin, pull meat off of bones and cut into bite size pieces. (Discard skin and bones). Pour broth out of pot and reserve (I use large yogurt containers, which work nicely for freezing, as well).

Chop raw vegetables or run through a food processor. Heat butter or olive oil in pot and add vegetables. Saute over medium heat until onion is beginning to brown. Pour 8 cups broth back into pot, stir, and return to simmer. (Alternately, omit the saute step and just boil vegetables in broth). Add chicken. Cover and simmer until vegetables are nice and tender. Add can of green beans (undrained).

Dumplings
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 – 3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp butter or shortening
3/4 cup milk or a little more

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut or rub in butter or shortening. Add milk and stir to make a nice drop consistency – it will be softer than biscuit dough. Place dough by large spoonfuls on top of simmering vegetables and chicken. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, then cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Dumplings will be moist on top but should not be ‘doughy’ inside. Serve with a salad on the side.

Variations:
- Use leeks instead of, or in addition to the green beans.
- Add bouillon cubes for extra flavour – though I like to use plain homemade broth.
- Double the vegetables in the recipe if using meat from a whole chicken. This will make it twice as meaty and twice as good. (Don’t double the dumplings or you’ll have too many to fit into your pot).

Pick through and wash beans. Cover with 2 inches of water and soak overnight. Or, use quick soak method. Bring to a boil, boil for a couple minutes. Turn off heat, cover and allow to soak 1 hour.

Drain and rinse beans, refill with fresh water to cover beans by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, adding more water if needed. Allow about 3 – 4 hours.

In separate pot or pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions until beginning to brown, add garlic and cook a couple more minutes.

Remove sausage from casing, slice (or break into pieces if using link sausage) and add to onion mixture. Heat (or cook through if using uncooked link sausage). Add to beans along with bay leaves, thyme, salt, black and cayenne pepper. Cook for another 45 minutes to an hour until flavors are melded and beans are soft.

Remove casings from sausage, break into pieces and brown with onion, pepper, celery and garlic in large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in seasonings and add okra, diced tomato and rice. Pour in water, give a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes, until rice is cooked through. Check once or twice and gently stir to keep from sticking. Add a bit of water if necessary and reduce heat if it is starting to stick. When rice is tender, turn off heat, replace lid, and allow to sit for at least 5 – 10 minutes to steam. (If rice is stuck at the bottom, add a bit of water before steaming as this helps release it.)

This dish holds its heat so don’t burn your mouth!

Optional: add leftover cooked chicken

2 lbs pork loin, pork shoulder or pork tenderloin
5 – 6 cups water or broth
2 tsp whole cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf (opt)
1/2 tsp thyme
4 piquin chiles, or substitute 1 tsp cayenne or pure hot chili powder (or more)
3/4 tsp salt, to taste
1 – 2 tablespoons lard or oil (use less if meat is fatty, or omit)

Cut pork into 1/2″ pieces. Put in a skillet and cover with water or broth by about 1/2″. Grind cumin, oregano, garlic and chiles in mortar and pestle, or pulse in a blender with a little water. Add to meat, as well as the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer and cook over low heat until meat is very tender and liquid has nearly evaporated. Add more liquid if necessary to reach desired stage of tenderness. Add lard or oil, if using, and stir and fry until meat is brown and crisp on the outside, about 5 – 10 minutes. Don’t overcook or it will be dry. Alternately, roast in oven. Serve with rice or tacos, sauce or salsa, fresh or fried onions, or other favorite topping.

Alternate: add 1 cup of orange and/or pineapple juice to the liquid to cook the pork in to bring a sweeter, citrusy flavor to the meat.

1 1/2 – 2 lbs pork loin
4 – 6 cups water or broth

3/4 – 1 tsp salt
4 – 6 dried ancho chiles (or 4 – 5 tablespoons ancho chile powder)*
3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 – 1 tsp whole cumin
2 – 4 Tbsp vinegar (rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or plain white)
1 – 2 fresh peppers, eg. Anaheim or California – or mild jalapeno (opt), diced
1 onion, diced or sliced

1 Tbsp lard or bacon grease
1 Tbsp oil *** (you may omit adding additional fat and cook in sauce instead)

Cut pork into 1-inch cubes or smaller. (You can also cut it quite small, in half-inch or even smaller pieces.) Cover with broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook until liquid is almost all evaporated and meat is very tender. Add more liquid if necessary to cook to desired tenderness. Allow at least an hour or two, or more for this. Cool and shred or mash with potato masher to break the meat up.

While meat is cooking, put vinegar, chiles, garlic, cumin and salt in blender and pulse to form a thick paste.** Set aside. When pork is done, rub or stir chile mixture into it.***

Heat lard and oil in skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When hot, add the pork. Stir and fry until beginning to get crisp, which will take about 5 – 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve with warm tortillas, fresh or fried onion, and guacamole, salsa, refried beans, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, cabbage or radishes, fresh cilantro, or any other toppings you like.

Alternatives:

*In place of the ancho chile powder, you can try substituting a mixture of regular chile powder and paprika. The taste won’t be the same, but it will still be good. If using regular chile powder, you may want to reduce the salt slightly. You may also reduce the chile powder/paprika to 1 – 2 Tbsp, if you want a milder taste.
Another idea is to add a fresh, diced chili pepper or two. I threw in a jalapeno, but an Anaheim or California might be closer in taste and mildness.

**Instead of pulsing the spice mixture in the blender with the vinegar, you can grind the spices and garlic in a mortar and pestle.
Or you could stir the vinegar, salt, and ancho chile powder or substitute (regular chile powder and paprika) into the shredded pork. Then fry the cumin seeds, minced garlic, and (opt) minced jalapeno in the lard/oil for a couple minutes before adding the meat.

***Another idea is to cook the chile sauce separately with a cup or so of liquid (eg. reserved broth), and then pour over the pork after it has been browned, simmering a few minutes more to meld flavors. You may even omit the fat entirely and just simmer the pork in the chile sauce.

Chilorio is very similar to Carnitas.

romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
caesar dressing
croutons
parmesan cheese

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil (use fingers if you don’t have a pastry brush). Sprinkle on seasonings. Place right side up on nonstick baking pan. Bake at 375*F for 30 – 35 min or until juices run clear.

Slice and place over romaine lettuce. Add caesar dressing, croutons and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, as you like.