Welcome everyone to our very first posted recipe. We thought we'd start things off with a real staple of Bolivian food. While it's true that there is some variation of the basic idea - a rice stew with vegetable and some form of meat - in, basically, every single country in the world and, in particular, all of Latin America, the fact remains that ours, our "Majadito" is part of every household's routine menu no matter where in the country you visit.
The best aspect of this dish is that it is incredibly easy and quick to make, never mind the fact that it's cheap and, most importantly, incredibly flavorful if done right. Let's get to it.
What you'll need:
2 large onions (diced)
2 large tomatoes (diced)
1 large bell pepper (diced) * any "color" will do
3 garlic cloves (finely minced)
1.5 cups of rice
8 cups of water * or beef broth
2 pounds of beef (diced) * any cut will do, just no fat or nerve tissue!
powdered red food coloring (flavorless)
salt, pepper and cumin to taste
How it's done:
It's all quite simple, really. Lightly brown your onions in a large pot (this recipe will feed about six good eaters) with some oil on a medium-high flame. Add the garlic and, as soon as they release their aroma, add in the bell pepper. Let that cook down for about two minutes. Finally, add in the tomatoes. Make sure to season well with salt, pepper, and cumin. Finally, add in the food coloring and let this cook down for another five minutes while stirring occasionally.
Lightly oil a pan and let it heat up. Once hot, add in the beef and brown it quickly. Don't cook it, just brown it to get some extra flavor out of it. Again, season it to taste with salt and pepper. Once done, add the browned beef to the vegetables and mix well.
Finally, add in the rice and water. Turn down the fire as low as it'll go and semi-cover the pot. Make sure to stir it every few minutes and check your seasonings. Correct as necessary. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the fire and let it rest for about five minutes. All in all, the cooking/stewing process shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.
That's it. Serve it up with some fried plantains and eggs.
...we're still working out some kinks with our video editing software, Photoshop and video camera in general. That sadly means that no video for this week. We will, however, do everything in our power to guarantee you'll get a video for our next recipe, next Monday. We really home you enjoy our recipes and try them out at home. Send us any questions, comments or snide remarks, as usual, to bolivianfoodnet@gmail.com.
