CookingDiva

This delicious recipe was specially designed for the WHB #95 which we are honored to host from August 6 - 12, 2007. To participate, check the rules for "Weekend Herb Blogging," then write your post and e-mail me your permalink by 3:00 PM Sunday, Utah time.

In this recipe we are featuring culantro, a strong flavored, aromatic herb from Panama.

About this plant: "Culantro" (Eryngium foetidum) is a strong flavored, aromatic herb native from Mexico and Central, and South America. It is cultivated widely all over the world, and it is used extensively in Latin American and Asian cooking. In Panama we use culantro to prepare "Sancocho de Gallina" (Panamanian chicken soup),  different types of rice, tamales, marinades, sauces, etc. In Puerto Rico it is used to prepare beans, asopao, soups, stews, etc.

The "culantro" is also known as: "recao", "long coriander", "ngo-gai", "spiritweed", "black benny", "recao de monte", "false coriander", "Mexican coriander", among many others.

Medicinally, the leaves and roots are used in tea to stimulate appetite, soothe stomach pains, eliminate gases, improve digestion, and as an aphrodisiac!

This recipe is available in English and Spanish.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients: 12 mejillones (mussels), 2 TBS olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/4 tsp minced fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper (optional), 16 oz fresh or canned coconut milk, 1 TBS fresh lime juice, salt to taste, 1 TBS chopped "culantro."

Cooking Instructions: Clean mejillones and set aside. Heat oil and saute the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno until the onion becomes translucid (do not brown). Add the coconut milk, lime juice and salt. Bring it to a rolling boil and add the clean mussels and culantro. Cover and simmer until mussels are open (aproximately 5 minutes). Serve warm.

Ingredientes para 2 porciones: 12 mejillones, 2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva, 1/2 taza de cebolla picada, 1/2 cucharadita de pasta de ajo, 1/2 cucharadita de pasta de jengibre, 1/4 cucharadita de pasta de jalapeno o aji serrano (opcional), 16 onzas de leche de coco fresca o de lata, 1 cucharada de jugo de lima, sal al gusto, 1 cucharada de culantro picadito.

Procedimiento: limpiar los mejillones y reservar hasta el momento de uso. Calentar el aceite en una sarten y sofreir la cebolla, ajo, jengibre y jalapeno hasta que la cebolla se torne brillante (ser cuidadosos de NO dorar). Agregar la leche de coco, jugo de limon y sal. Bajo fuego medio llevar a punto de ebullicion y seguidamente incorporar los mejillones y el culantro. Tapar y cocinar a fuego lento hasta que los mejillones se abran (5 minutos aproximadamente). Servir caliente.

Other delicious recipes with Culantro:
Black Beand and Rice with Culantro Chimichurri (EN)
Rondon de Pescado al Estilo Bocatoreno. From Kleph's Kitchen (EN)
Sancocho (Panamanian Chicken Soup). From Kleph's Kitchen (EN)
Tamales Panamenos (Panamanian Tamales). From El Amor por la Cocina (ES)

I am back from Ecuador! This definitely was a sweet and sour trip. Because of the many political protests in the province of Pichincha, where the City of Quito rests, it was impossible to accomplish a few visits planned somewhere else. From my point of view, the protests are a result of the public misinformation. The government officials who are negotiating the TLC (Tratado de Libre Comercio Andino EEUU) a Free Trade Agreement between Colombia-Ecuador-Peru-United States, are not doing a good job informing their people what this agreement is all about. That is the main complaint I have heard everywhere, and also it is being reported every day in the TV local News.

The government struggles by the constant and growing indigenous protests, and explains that all the information, documents and progress are offered in their website. They invite everyone to read about it. Then, I stop for a moment and meditate about the fact that probably 99% of the thousands of the indigenous people protesting do not have a computer, nor have access to the Internet. Or, maybe the problem is that they do not know how to read. Ha! Ironic, right?

Obviously, there is the possibility of the indigenous groups being financed by political groups that won't benefit from the trade agreement in question. The truth is that political instability is once again the everyday meal of the country. So wrong from every point of view.

Now that you've got the news on local politics, how about preparing a delicious and super easy ceviche de concha, or conch ceviche? One characteristic of the Ecuadorian ceviche is that it is very juicy, almost like a cold soup, it is eaten with a spoon! I have also prepared this recipe using fresh oysters and it is definitely a keeper

I was born with  my umbilical cord attached to a computer and the Internet. Maybe I was way ahead from my piers and fellow normal kids in my generation. It is sweet and sour I would say. I have had "Internet withdrawals" for the last week. Believe me when I say that I have been barely one step from the complete and nonsense computer death and resurrection. I have been there; it's bad. A real mean human-nature interaction, or should I better call it "revenge?"

Ten days without Internet and telephone just because Father nature's heavy rain caused a mudslide in the area we were visiting in Ecuador, the beautiful Andes itself at the maximum expression. Full of tricks and treats I enjoyed to the fullest. It made me think and re-think about what is really important in life. Sometimes we forget about those little details.

I was convulsive at times. Revolting every minute the first day that the telephone line kicked the bucket. What a way to disappear. Oh boy! Sure it had some style I would say. No telephone. No Internet. I sure could have traveled back to Quito every time I wanted to connect to the Internet, BUT then it was that two hours drive, and all the traffic, and the altitude change. Ahhhhhh! I better stayed in Nanegalito. Just beautiful shades of green, the morning fragrant mist in the gardens after a night full of rain, the fresh milk and cheese, the walks in the farm and the meals with friends that were experiencing the same internet-ical issues