Amparo hart’s recipes from colombia

Ceviche
Ingredients
1 lb white fish fillets, skinned

1 medium onion, peeled and very finely sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and very finely sliced
1 small chilli, finely chopped
Juice of 2 large limes
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
A few coriander leaves
2 ripe tomatoes

Method
Rinse and thoroughly dry the fish. Cut it into smallish cubes or strips and put in a china or glass bowl. Put the onions with the fish, and stir. Then stir in the green pepper and chilli. Squeeze in the lime juice and grind on a little salt and pepper. Tear most of the coriander leaves into shreds and add these. Mix together, cover and stand in a cool place or refrigerator for four to six hours, stirring occasionally to make sure that all the fish comes into contact with the lime juice. When ready to serve, peel, deseed and chop the tomatoes. Serve the fish, together with its liquid, in bowls or on plates with a spoonful of diced tomato and the remaining coriander leaves for garnish.
Variation to this is serve on a bed of lettuce with diced avocado, or in half an avocado. Even better with a few prawns.

Papas Chorreados (Potatoes with cheese, onion and tomatoes)
Ingredients
1.5lb waxy potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 oz butter
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
4 oz grated cheddar cheese
4 fl oz double cream
quarter teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper

Method
Put the potatoes on to boil in their skins. While they cook, make the sauce. Heat the butter and add the onion. Cook gently until tender without browning. Now add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the cream and cheese. Keep stirring for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
As soon as the potatoes are done, skin (if you can be bothered) then slice and arrange in a dish. Spoon the sauce over them and serve.

Chicken in Coconut sauce
Ingredients
1 plump chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 tablespoon oil
1 pint coconut milk
2 large shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
8oz tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
half tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken. Meanwhile, put the coconut milk into a pan with the shallots, garlic and cumin seeds. Bring to the boil and add the tomatoes, chicken, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or so until chicken is almost done and sauce has thickened. Stir in the paprika and continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Plantain with cheese
Ingredients
4 Plantains that are very ripe (black skins almost)
1 dessert spoon of butter
half a cup of milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
4 large heaped spoons of cream cheese

Method
Melt the butter and mix in the milk and sugar and place the sauce apart. At the same time cook the plantain in aluminium foil at a medium temperature in the oven in a baking dish, checking them and turning them every now and again so that they are browned on all sides, opening up the foil to brown. Slice the plantains in half and down the middle (like hot dog bread) and place the sauce and cheese in the centre of the plantain and reseal the foil. Cook until the cheese has melted and serve hot. Variation to this is also to add turkey ham slices inside the plantain. Serve hot.