Spicy Potato Picadillo Soup

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced

6 ounces chorizo, removed from casing

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 pinch of achiote

1 cup chicken stock

3 tomatoes, chopped

Boil potatoes in water until just about tender. Drain in colander.

Spray pot with non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Add garlic, peppers, onion and achiote. Cook over medium heat until tender. Add chorizo, breaking into small pieces, cook until done.

Add chicken broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with tortillas. Spray pan with non-stick spray and cook on medium heat, turning to cook each side.

Arracache Picadillo

1 1/2 kg arracache

1/2 kg seasoned mincemeat

1/2 kg sausage salami

4 well crushed cloves of garlic

1 finely minced bell pepper

1 finely minced bunch of coriander

1 pinch of achiote

4 chicken stock cubes or 1 cupful of concentrated chicken stock

3 peeled and split tomatoes

2 spoonfuls of oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Peel the raw arracache while you keep it under water. Mince it pretty finely and grind it too.

Wash it well and boil it softly some twice; then let it drain.

In a pot, heat the oil and add the garlic, bell pepper, onion, coriander and achiote. Fry them lightly. Then add the the tomatoes, the mincemeat and the salami, and cook all until to get a good sauce.

Put in there the pepper and salt besides the chicken stock. Now, add the arracache and cook it at medium heat, until the picadillo feels soft. It must nevertheless turn out as dry as possible.

From: Meals a la Tica, sold at el Trapiche Coffee and Sugar Cane Farm, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Black Bean-Squash Chili

2 cans Black Beans (I prefer Kuner's Black Beans with Lime and Jalapeno)

1 buttercup or other squash peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups chicken broth

4 tomatoes (I used my frozen oven dried tomatoes, but you can substitute 1 can of tomatoes)

1 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Combine all in a slow cooker on low, cook for 5 hours our until squash is tender.