Book of Yum

I first encountered the Arepa (ah-ray-pay; ray is accented) in a lovely post at Gluten-free Heaven. The author Karen learned this naturally gluten-free recipe from a Venezuelan friend and happily decided to share her experiments online. I was so intrigued I had to go to a local Latin American market and buy my own PAN pre-cooked corn flour. I made those first ones with fresh refried beans as a filling and homemade guacamole as a topping, and they were absolutely delicious. Some time later I enjoyed reading Shauna’s Ode to arepas at her Gluten Free Girl blog. Since then, several gluten-free bloggers have jumped on the arepa bandwagon and shared their take on this treat. Recently I decided to follow up my initial experiment with a new version of green chili arepas, inspired by the tasty green chili cheese tamales at Trader Joe’s and some green chili cheese corn muffins I used to make. I enjoy arepas, but sometimes they can be bland or dry, depending on the preparation. This recipe is anything but bland. I served mine with my favorite homemade refried beans recipe (see below). Topped with pico de gallo and guacamole (if you want to go full out) and maybe a dab of sour cream or yogurt, they are sublime. If you haven’t experimented with arepas, there’s no time like the present. These delicious, self contained corn biscuits make a great breakfast (reheated), lunch, or dinner- as well as being wonderful appetizers for a South-American themed party.

Still wondering what an arepa is? According to our friend Wikipedia,
“The arepa was the corn bread of the Timoto-cuicas, a native American nation that lived in the northern Andean mountains of Venezuela who learned how to grow maize from the Quechuas (Peru) and Mayas (Mexico), where the crop originated. The larger native American nations of Venezuela (Arawaks in the central plains and Caribes in the East and in the rain forests, from Argentina to the Islands named for them) widely used the form of bread called Casabe, made from Yuca roots. With the colonization process the maize (corn) bread was widely spread throughout the country and into Colombia, then named Nueva Granada or Santa Fe.”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arepa

Now the arepa has become a traditional national food of both Colombians and Venezuelans, with slight variations in the respective arepas available in each country. Here’s an interesting History of the Arepa and PAN flour

How do you make arepas?
Arepa made from pre-cooked PAN mix are prepared by being boiled in water, baked in the oven, fried (or pan-browned) in hot oil, or being grilled on charcoal. Some cooks combine methods by browning them briefly on a hot griddle and then baking them in a 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped.

The arepa is cut in half for filling, and many people scoop out the soft dough in the middle. You can discard the corn filling or enjoy it with butter or cheese.

How do you buy arepas?
In Venezuela Arepas are sold at arepera (ah-ray-pay-rah; with the accent on the third syllable) and as ubiquitous as the common hamburger in the states. Customers choose fillings from a cafeteria-style hot table such as “shredded cheese, stringy meat cooked in spices, chicken salad with avocado, egg scrambled with onion and green peppers, diced sausage,” and others. Surprisingly, grated American cheese is an extremely popular filling.

“The arepa is split open like a hamburger bun (by the person behind the counter), some of the steaming moist corn meal is scooped out and discarded, and the filling is added. The arepa is wrapped in a square of slick paper, like butcher paper, and handed to the purchaser to eat standing up. . . Arepas are also made smaller and served in the bread basket at restaurants.” (Source: International Recipes dot Net)

Here in the states, you have some options, although of course you will want to check with each to confirm the gluten-free status.

Napa, California: Pica Pica Kitchan at the Oxbow Market
*Note that their menu indicates which dishes are GLUTEN-FREE!!!*

New York City, New York: Caracas Arepa Bar
*Their menu mentions wheat-free status but not gluten specifically. Recommended on Celiac boards, but please check gluten-free status as YMMV.

(Any other arepa restaurants you can recommend for gluten-free arepa dining? Share in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!)

Interested in other gluten-free corn dining experiences? Try

Los Angeles, Ca: Tamara’s Tamales
Reported to have 30+ gluten-free tamales, with half dairy-free… Check with them.

But exactly how many types of (veg) Arepas are there?
* Corn flour arepa (Arepa blanca or Viuda)
* Sweet arepa (Arepa dulce)
* Cheese arepa Recipe (Arepa de queso)
* Coconut arepa (Arepa de coco)
* Manioc arepa (Arepa de yuca)
* Arepa viuda (”widow” arepa) - an empty arepa accompaniment to soup
* Small arepa appetizers topped with garnish or enjoyed as a mini-biscuit.
* Sometimes a little sugar is mixed in with the dough to form sweet arepas (arepas dulces).
Note that there is one Wheat flour arepa, called Preñaditas in Venezuelan slang.

Looking for filling ideas? Here are some vegetarian version of some traditional fillings:
* Reina Pepeada (non-traditional veg-style): chopped baked tofu cubes, avocado, and mayonnaise mashed together.
* Arepa de Dominó: black beans and crumbled white cheese.
* Arepa de Perico - Filled with perico Caribbean-style scrambled eggs
* Colombian Arepas: larger than Venezuelan arepas, and are not baked)
Topped with butter and melted cheese.
* Other veg ideas for fillings: grated white or cheddar cheese; guasacaca, hard-boiled quails eggs. (Based on fillings found at Whats4Eats)
Fried Arepa Con Huevo Recipe
Cooking Light Lowfat Arepa Recipe with Savory Topping
Enjoy Kate’s nontraditional Arepa-based Healthier Egg Benedict Recipe at Gluten-Free Gobsmacked

Green Chili Cheese Gluten Free Arepa Recipe Bread  Main Course  Corn  South American

Ingredients 3/4 cup yellow PAN pre-cooked masa harina 1/3 cup grated organic white cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese) 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup boiling water 1 4 oz. can roasted green chilies, drained Directions Combine Pan masa harina with cheese, 1 tbsp. butter, and salt. Slowly add in enough boiling water to make a batter and then stir in your drained green chilies. Knead the dough a little or stir it so that it is thoroughly combined and then let it rest for a few minutes. Shape balls of the dough into little patties in your hand, making sure there aren’t any cracks around the edges, and place them on a plate. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat with some of remaining melted butter. Working in batches, place patties on the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, turning after about 3-5 minutes. Some people then serve them right away. Others brown them on a skillet, but then place them on a baking sheet and bake at high heat (the highest your oven will go) for between 10-20 minutes, or until the arepa sounds hollow when you tap it.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Inspired by Food Network Recipe but an original creation. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1291 Added:  August 28, 2008 Last Modified:  September 4, 2008

Perfect Refried Beans Side Dish  Mexican

Ingredients Slow-cooked bean base: 1 lb. dried organic pinto beans 9 cups water 1 dried chili (lg) 3 cloves peeled garlic 1 sm. onion, chopped 2-3 tsp salt —- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or your favorite oil) 1/2 sm. onion, diced 1 pressed garlic 3 cups or more of the above slow-cooked peans 1/2 tsp salt Directions Rinse the beans and then cover them with water and let soak for overnight (at least 8 hours). Drain and add all ingredients for slow cooked beans except salt and cook on high in your slow cooker for at least 4 or 5 hours. Make sure the beans are completely covered during the entire cooking process. When the beans seem fully cooked but not over-cooked, add salt and remove the dried chili. Let them cook a little longer and let cool, placing in containers with the cooking liquid. You can freeze a portion or two if desired. ———— Heat oil in cast iron skillet and add onion. Add garlic a few minutes later. When the onions are translucent, add the beans and simmer for a long time, mashing with a potato masher as seems appropriate. Let the refried beans thicken. Finally add salt and take off burner. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Slow cooker cookbook and Vegetarian table: Mexico Recipe ID:  1176 Added:  January 17, 2008 Last Modified:  September 4, 2008

Just a few nights ago we had a lovely green vegetable curry, rice, and a lemongrass corn stir fry in the spirit of one of my favorite cuisines- Thai. For DH’s taste sensibilities (and sensitive stomach) I tamed the usually spicy green curry down to the spice level of, oh, let’s say a mild yellow curry. Oh, the things we do for love. But I also put all my favorite vegetables- eggplant AND red pepper- into the curry, and poor DH doesn’t care for them at all. To make it up to him I made a lovely lemongrass corn stir fry that I just knew he’d love- especially stripped of the spiciness called for in the original recipe. He liked the green curry well enough, eggplant aside, but he absolutely raved about the lemongrass corn stir fry. Do I know my DH’s taste buds or what?

When I found out he was going to have a short lunch break today (due to a little Comcast errand, sigh), I decided to do what any loving wife with ties to Japan or India might do- make my DH a very special tiffin/ bento lunch so even if he couldn’t eat it at home, he could have a real meal back at work. I didn’t count on his enthusiasm- I handed him his bento (Japanese word for boxed lunch) and he immediately pulled the thing apart and started chomping. Good thing it was all packed up.

As for the contents of aforementioned tiffin..

For some reason, the corn stir fry made me think of South American corn-salsa dishes, despite the more exotic lemongrass and thai basil notes in the dish. I couldn’t help myself- I reached into the fridge, took out some corn tortillas from the fridge, and turned them into tasty quesadillas. I used some pre-grated cheese from Trader Joe’s and added some drunken goat cheese (flavored with wine, silly- the goats weren’t actually tipsy) and suddenly had a much more gourmet quesadilla. Layer one of the tiffin held corn quesadilla triangles.

In layer two, I put a generous helping of lemongrass corn stir-fry and then added a corner of avocado sprinkled with salt and a little cup with yogurt.

Finally, in layer three I placed some fresh nectarine and peach cubes (from the farmer’s market this weekend) and freshened them up with a little fresh key lime juice.

This lunch was a great way to use up “leftovers” in an entirely new way. Amazingly, Thai and South American flavors CAN go together beautifully in a tiffin… or in a bento, for that matter. (Depending on if you want to give it an Indian or Japanese twist.) And of course, every element in the tiffin was completely gluten-free.

Now that school season is looming- what do you like to pack in YOUR (or your child’s-or your partner’s) lunch box? I’d love to hear your Lunchbox menus in the comments!

PS I picked up this beautiful little tiffin box on our last trip to India. Isn’t it great? I am getting quite a collection of tiffin boxes- they’re the handiest things ever.

Fusion South American Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Corn Saute Main Course  Corn  Thai  South American

Ingredients 8 corn tortillas 1/3 bag of a Pre-grated low fat cheese like mozzarella 1 2 inch cube of a gourmet hard goat cheese, such as drunken goat cheese (with wine), cut into slivers or shredded 1/4 recipe of Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry (Recipe posted below) 1 Avocado 1 small heirloom tomato (optional), cubed kosher salt, for sprinkling 1/2 lime or a few key limes Low fat sour cream or plain low fat yogurt Directions Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high and place two corn tortillas so that as much surface as possible is touching the pan and lightly brown. Turn one over so that the remaining untoasted side is touching the pan surface and sprinkle some of your pre-shredded cheese on the browned top. Distribute a small amount of the gourmet goat cheese over the pre-shredded stuff and then cover it with the browned side of the second tortilla, leaving the untoasted side facing up. When the quesadilla is toasted on one side, carefully turn it over and brown the remaining side. (All four sides of the tortillas will have been lightly toasted.) Remove quesadilla from pan, and make the rest of the quesadillas, following the same method. Meanwhile cube your avocado and heirloom tomato and sprinkle with salt. Squirt with a little fresh lime juice and reserve. To serve, cut each quesadilla into four triangles. Plate with lemongrass corn stir fry as a topping, and add your fresh avocado tomato “salad” on the side, along with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  A fusion creation from my own brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1279 Added:  August 12, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry Side Dish  Vegetables  Thai

Ingredients 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut or other flavorful oil inner portion of 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped OR 2 tbsp. preserved chopped lemongrass 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. butter 1 medium onion, minced 3 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears of fresh corn) 3/4 cup gluten-free vegetarian broth (i use bullion) 2 tsp fresh lime zest 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice [pescatarian variation: add 1 tbsp. fish sauce] 1-2 tbsp. freshly julienned thai basil Directions Heat oil in wok on high and toss in the lemongrass. Let it sizzle and start to brown and then add your garlic, butter, and onion. Cook until they brown and then add your corn, and stir fry until brown. Add your vegetable broth and stir constantly until broth has reduced and been absorbed into the corn. Add your lime zest, lime juice, variation elements and heat. At the last minute stir in your fresh basil, taste, season with salt if necessary and serve. You can add a spicy flavor element if desired, like hot sauce or cayenne pepper.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from All You Can Eat! Chinese and Thai Cooking. Recipe ID:  1277 Added:  August 11, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008