por Luisa Vargas

Fresh air and soul-nourishing food are guaranteed to comfort me in uncertain times. I’ve always loved food and cooking, but the recipes I find most uplifting are those that nourish my body and spirit. This usually means nostalgic and delicious Colombian recipes that my parents and grandma made me as a kid. What makes them even better is sharing them with friends y familia outdoors. 

When we go outdoors, food provides our bodies with the necessary fuel for adventure, but it is also a wonderful way to stay connected to our roots and traditions. Most of my fondest memories with family, including those afuera, are centered around sharing a meal. 

Enjoying food outdoors is not a new tradition for my family. My parents grew up going on paseos de olla (loosely translated to “a walk with a pot”) in the mountains of Colombia. They describe these outings as a walk and picnic in a potrero or field where their family would bring food in the same pots they cooked it in. Nowadays, we carry on this tradition at National Parks instead of my grandparent’s farm. Recently on my camping trips, I’ve been making the food I grew up eating in an attempt to hold onto my roots as I grow older.

I’ve gathered a few of my family’s favorite nourishing and traditional recipes that you can take on your next hike, camping trip, or backyard picnic to bring some Colombian comfort to your next paseo de olla.

Chocolate caliente con queso

Hot Chocolate with Cheese 

There are several ways to make chocolate caliente and you’ll find different versions all over Colombia. This is how my family prefers to make it, but I’ve added different adaptations below for you to experiment with your favorite version! 

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups water 
• 4 bars of traditional Colombian chocolate, found at your local Latin American market and some grocery stores (our family prefers Luker or Corona brands)
• Cane sugar to taste, I would start with 4 TBSP 
• 4 slices of queso fresco

Optional adaptations: 

• Use milk of choice instead of water
• Use a pre-sweetened version of the Luker/Corona chocolate from the store
• Use panela (called piloncillo in Mexico) instead of sugar
• Add a cinnamon stick 

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large pot. We traditionally use an aluminum olleta to make this, but any pot will do as long as there is extra room for the liquid to foam. As it starts to heat up, mix it with a wooden spoon every couple of minutes. We use a molinillo to foam the chocolate, but a spoon will do just fine. 

Once the chocolate starts foaming and rising, remove from the heat until you see the foam start to settle (a few seconds will do). Then place it back on the heat. Repeat that process two more times. Do not leave it unattended; it will boil over quickly! 

Turn off the heat and whisk with the wooden spoon or molinillo by rubbing your hands together. This will help foam. 

Cut up the cheese slices and place them in 4 mugs. Pour the chocolate over the cheese. 

Make it at camp or enjoy it in a thermos for the perfect on-the-go energy boost! 

Calentado

Everything and rice, a Vargas specialty 

• 2 cups cooked rice 
• 1 can of beans (black or kidney) 
• 1-2 cooked potatoes (whatever you have on hand!)
• Ground beef or protein of choice (as a vegetarian, I enjoy ground seitan or crumbled tofu)
• 1 chopped tomato 
• Any veggies you have on hand, we usually use frozen peas and corn
• 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
• ½ chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ cup vegetable broth or water
• ¼ cup cilantro
• Squeeze of lime

To an oiled pan, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, protein of choice, and seasonings. After the protein is cooked, add the remaining vegetables and cook for another minute or two. 

Add the vegetable broth and remaining ingredients (keeping a bit of cilantro for topping). Cook until fragrant and all the ingredients are warmed through. 

Top with salsa, avocado, or ají. 

Enjoy this carb-packed, nutritious meal. We love this one for camping because we toss in whatever we have on hand. No beans? Use lentils! No potatoes? No problem, add more veggies. 

Empanadas de hojaldre rellenas de pollo

Pastry empanadas filled with chicken (from my grandma’s cookbook)

• 1 lb pastry dough (can be found in the freezer section or made from scratch as my abuela does)

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (for a vegetarian option, replace with seitan or tofu)
• 1 small onion, shredded
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp cream or milk
• 1 tsp white vinegar 
• 1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillon 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients: 

• 2 TBSPS butter 
• 2 TBSPS all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk, beat
• 2 TBSPS milk
• A sprinkle of cane sugar

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper (leave marinating up to a day in the fridge).

Add the chicken and all the filling ingredients in a pot with 3 cups of water. Simmer on low heat for around 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. 

Remove the chicken and let it cool (do not toss the chicken broth). If your pastry dough is in the freezer, defrost it according to the package instructions.

In a separate pan, melt the butter with the flour on low heat. Add the chicken broth and mix to form a thick sauce. Chop the chicken into small pieces and add in the sauce. Mix and let the chicken soak up the sauce for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool completely before making the empanadas. 

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Roll out your pastry dough over a floured surface and roll out until it is very thin (~¼ inch thick). Using a cup, cut circles out of the dough. 

Add a little bit of filling to one-half of each circle. Dip your fingers in water and moisten the outer rim of the dough. Fold the dough in half, over the filling, and using a fork, press to seal into shape. 

Mix the egg yolk and milk. Add your empanadas to a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Lightly brush the egg and milk mixture on each empanada and sprinkle with a bit of cane sugar. Bake until golden brown. 

Once cooled, place it in a basket or container and enjoy it as a snack on your next hike! 

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It’s easy to overcomplicate food in the outdoors, but it doesn’t have to be complicated! Our families have enjoyed these traditional meals outdoors for generations. Next time you’re planning to spend time in nature, I encourage you to pull out your grandparent’s cookbook. It’ll make your time in nature that much more special. 

Do you have a family favorite recipe you’d like to share with the LO comunidad? Send it to luisavargas@latinooutdoors.org along with a note on why it’s meaningful to you and we will include it in a future Yo Cuento blog post.