Ben loves to cook. It is so nice to come home from work on Monday nights, because that is his day off, and he loves to have something ready for me when I get home. I’m spoiled. This works out so well for me! I do cook meals sometimes, too, but this has been more of a schedule for him. When it’s my turn, sometimes we opt instead to just get takeout or go out to eat! I promise the next time I cook I’ll post it here. It’s just that I usually like to post my baking stuff. After all, it is called Dave Bakes, right?
Last Monday, he made sancocho! Sancocho is a type of soup that is believed to be a result of (yet again!) Spanish colonization in many Latin American countries. It is believed to have originated from the Canary Islands, who were influenced by the Spanish, and then Canarians migrated to different Latin American countries, influencing the cuisine and recipes of each country. That is why there are many versions of this. (Thanks, wiki.) This particular version has three kinds of meats–chicken, pork, and beef! It also has plantain, corn, potatoes and yucca. Plus achiote, cumin, and a few other things. There is much I really like about this soup. It has instantly become one of my favorite meals. I think the ingredients take me back to things my mom used to make for dinner when I was growing up in Guam (a place also heavily influenced by the Spaniard colonizers). Anyways, I hope you enjoy!
Sancocho (from My Columbian Recipes, here.)
ingredients
1 cup chopped onions
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground achiote (found in most supermarkets)
3 ears fresh corn, cut into three pieces
12 cups of water
8 pieces of chicken
1 pound of pork meat
1 pound of beef, cut into chunks
2 green plantains, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 pound frozen or fresh yucca, cut into a large pieces
1/4 cup cilantro, plus more cut for garnish
salt and black pepper to taste
method
Place the onions, red pepper, garlic, cumin, and achiote in a blender with 1/4 cup of water. Blend well.
In a large pot, place the beef, pork, and chicken, plus corn, onion mixture, salt, and green plantain.
Add the (12 cups water), bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes.
Add the potatoes and yucca. Continue to cook for 30 minutes or until the yucca and potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in the cilantro. Salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with rice, avocado, cilantro, and limes.
Buen Provecho!
DAVE BAKES 
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