September arrives and we start to hear the cueca everywhere. The streets are dressed in white, blue and red and, of course, we think about how we are going to celebrate the Fiestas Patrias this year. Probably the first thing that crosses many people’s minds is the classic asado (barbecue) to share with the family and meet again, with caution, in a more benign context of the pandemic.
However, it is already increasingly common that some family members have opted not to eat red meat or animal products. In fact, the “Study on Food and Plant-Based Products” by Ipsos and the international organization Vegetarians Today, showed that 16% of Chileans have a diet based only on vegetables and 4% identified themselves as vegan. In addition, 3% defined themselves as pescetarians, that is, they only eat fish.
For this reason, the chef of the food company Las Dalias, José Román, shares different recipes and recommendations to celebrate this 18th with an inclusive barbecue.
Grilled Vegetables: Easy and Rich
Ají Relleno con Cochayuyo (Stuffed Pepper with Cochayuyo)
Ingredients:
1 large green chili bell pepper.
30 grams of cooked cochayuyo, finely chopped.
grams of cilantro.
40 grams of grated mozzarella cheese.
Salt to taste.
Preparation:
Wash and disinfect the vegetables and utensils to be used.
Cut the green chili bell pepper in half and remove all the seeds.
Leave the cochayuyo in a bowl with water the day before and then cook for 40 minutes.
Arrange the mozzarella cheese and salt plus the cilantro.
Fill the green chili with the cochayuyo, cilantro and a pinch of salt; then cover with the mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 160°.
“The cochayuyo is a superfood that provides many health benefits, since it contains calcium, antioxidants, magnesium, iron, proteins and beta-glucans, which strengthen the defenses,” explains Las Dalias chef José Román.
Stuffed Pepper
Ingredients:
1 whole egg.
200 grams of mushrooms sautéed with garlic.
2 grams of chopped basil.
1 large red bell pepper.
Salt to taste.
Preparation:
Wash and disinfect the vegetables and utensils to be used.
Cut the bell pepper by the stem part, remove all the seeds, bake in the oven at 190° for 7 minutes and then set aside.
Slice the mushrooms, place in a frying pan, add the oil and finely chop the garlic.
Heat the oil with the garlic and, once it releases the aroma, place the mushrooms already sliced and sauté for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Put the bell pepper in the oven tray and then fill with the sautéed mushrooms, the whole egg, the basil and a pinch of salt to taste.
Bake at 160° for about 15 minutes.
“Another new idea, which is very tasty, is to prepare grilled fish. Many people have opted to eat fish and stop eating other meats,” says José Román, who advises that the best fish for this type of preparation are salmon, sea bass, sea bass, horse mackerel, emperor and cod.
“It is important to maintain the flavor of the fish, but it is also possible to generate a chimichurri to taste to bathe the fish on the grill so that it does not become dry. Another option is to wrap it in aluminum foil, olive oil and pepper, with lemon slices. In this case, it is important that the grill grate is very hot at the moment of placing the fish,” he points out.
Tip for a good barbecue
An infallible tip is to prepare the grill well. When lighting it, we must wait for the charcoal to be consumed and embers to form. Once your hand can hold it for 5 seconds, start putting the food on the grill.
The fire should always be soft and, if the embers are too strong, you can always raise the grill, so that our products get a perfect browning.
