This class and dinner party was held at the USA Health Mapp Family Teaching Kitchen on Friday, September 5, 2025. Dinner guests enjoyed a fresh and flavorful meal!

September 5, 2025 Cooking Class & Dinner Menu:

-Venezuelan Arepas (and filling options)

-Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, Argentinian Chimichurri

-Vegan Peruvian Ceviche

-Costa Rican Gallo Pinto

-Tarta de Santiago (Spanish Almond Cake)

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Venezuelan Arepas

• 2 1/2 c warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 c masarepa/harina de maize (P.A.N. brand)
• 1⁄4 c vegetable oil

Method:

1. Add warm water and salt to mixing bowl, stir until dissolved
2. Mix in masarepa with fingers until absorbed
   *add more water if it looks dry, it should be the consistency of soft play dough
3. Cover with towel and set aside to hydrate for 10 min
4. After resting, form into 2” balls (think large golf ball size), then flatten into 1⁄2” thick discs
5. Store on parchment paper coated rack while you finish forming the rest
6. Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat on medium until shimmering, but not smoking
7. Cook arepas in batches, 4-5 min on each side
8. Park on sheet tray in warm oven until they are all completed
9. Slice open with serrated knife, leaving a little hinge at the bottom
   *if you go to cut one open and it’s moist/dense and not “fluffy”, pop in 350 oven for 5-8 min more
10. Go crazy with fillings! Cheese, shredded meats, beans, avocado, friend plantains, butter, whatever makes you happy 🙂

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Argentinian Chimichurri

For the Shrooms:

• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 grated garlic clove
• 1 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano

Method:

1. Trim stem of portobello if tough, leave gills, and wipe cap with damp paper towel to clean
2. Lay mushrooms out in baking dish, cap side up
3. Mix together rest of ingredients in a pourable measuring cup
4. Pour over mushrooms, flipping and massaging to ensure even coverage all over
5. Marinate in fridge or room temp for 30 min
6. Grill over charcoal, gas grill or grill pan until you get good grill marks and shrooms are starting to soften but still hold their shape, about 3 min each side

For the Chimichurri:

• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, washed and drained well, rough chop
  *try to remove stems, small ones are ok
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed and drained well, rough chop
  *try to remove stems, small ones are ok
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chop
• 1⁄2 tsp red chile flake
• 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp pepper
• 3⁄4 c olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Method:

1. Add parsley, cilantro, garlic, chile flake, oregano, salt & pepper to the bowl of a food processor
2. Pulse about 10-15 times until the parsley and cilantro are mostly broken down to a fine chop
3. Transfer to mixing bowl, pour in olive oil and vinegar, stir to combine

Vegan Peruvian Ceviche
(4 servings)

For the Leche de Tigre:

• 1⁄2 medium red onion, roughly diced
• 1 fresh habanero chili pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1⁄2 c ice cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sheet nori, torn or cut into strips

Method:

1. Place everything except the nori in blender and blend until mostly smooth
2. Stir in nori strips, store in fridge for 30 min or until you gather rest of ceviche ingredients
3. After 30 min, strain with fine mesh strainer and discard pulp

Ceviche:

• 1 can sliced hearts of palm
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red or green jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
• Optional additions: diced cucumber, diced avocado, sliced roasted sweet potatoes, corn nuts

Method:

1. Place all ceviche ingredients in bowl, pour of tigre de leche
2. Serve immediately, or let marinade for an hour up to overnight
3. Serve with tortilla chips, yucca chips, or in lettuce wraps

Costa Rican Gallo Pinto

• 2 tsp vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cans low sodium black beans, slightly drained (you want a little of the can juice)
• 2 cups cooked day-old white rice (jasmine is delicious, albeit not traditional)
• 1⁄4 c cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Salsa Lizano

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, cilantro and salt. Lightly cook until the onion is translucent. You have just made sofrito!
2. Add the beans with remaining can juice and toss with the spices and oil.
3. Add the Salsa Lizano.
4. Add the cooked rice to the skillet and toss until well combined with the beans and spices.
5. Heat thoroughly and serve – with fried eggs, warm corn tortillas and a hot cup of Costa Rican coffee for a traditional Costa Rican breakfast

Perfect Rice:

• 1 cup rice (white or jasmine)
• 1.5 cups cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• Drizzle of oil or pat of butter

Method:

1. Measure rice and water into medium sauce pot, stir gently with a fork to separate any clumps
2. Place over high heat and don’t touch until you start to see bubbles come to the surface
3. Once bubbles show up, add salt and oil or butter, stir gently one more time with fork, making sure nothing is sticking bad to the bottom and everything is level on top
4. Turn heat down to low, place lid on pot, set timer for 16 min
5. After 16 min, turn off heat, remove lid, check that all water has been absorbed by sticking fork right in center and peaking all the way down. If the bottom looks dry and you see no water, place the lid back on and remove from heat for 5 min. If you see water, put back on heat form another 3-5 min (this typically depends on what “low” means for you on your stove)
6. After 5 min, fluff with fork and serve

Tarta de Santiago
(serves 8)

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar (caster sugar is better, if possible)
• 2 cups almond flour (or ground almonds)
• 1 lemon zest ie from 1 lemon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon confectioners sugar approx, to dust (icing sugar)
• St James (Santiago) cross parchment stencil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 inch round springform or silicon pan with parchment on the bottom and rub the sides with a little butter.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar. Whisk the two together until well combined and starting to become lighter in color with a bit of air in the mixture.
3. Add the almond flour/ground almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon and mix until combined, but try not to overmix and get all of the air out of the mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and place in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile, make the cross stencil, if not already prepared.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool around 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack before removing the outer ring.
7. Allow it to cool completely before placing the stencil on top of the middle then dusting some confectioners sugar over the top
8. Carefully remove the stencil without letting the sugar fall on the area you had covered.
9. Slice and serve or store at room temp, covered.