Arepa de Huevo or Empanada con Huevo

While this dish, conceived in Cartagena- Colombia was originally named "Empanada con Huevo", it is most commonly known as "Arepa de Huevo" in other Colombian cities and abroad.

Recipe

Total Time: 60 min

Servings: 10

Ingredients for the dough
2 cups yellow corn meal
1 tsp salt
vegetable oil

Ingredients for the stuffing
8 oz lean ground beef

1/4 white onion, minced
1 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
10 eggs
salt to taste

Other ingredients
3 cups vegetable oil

Steps
1. In a pot pan, heat 2.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil
2. Add the corn meal to a large bowl and slowly pour in the boiling water and 1 tsp salt while carefully mixing with a spoon
3. Mix thoroughly with the spoon. As soon as it cools off, start kneading with your hands. Use extra water if it is too dry or extra corn meal if it is too moist
4. Let the dough rest and set aside
5. In the meantime, heat a frying pan over highe heat. Add oil and beef, stirring constantly

6. Add onions and tomatoes as soon as the beef is cooked. Keep stirring until onions have changed color and the tomato water has been absorbed
7. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix well and set aside

8. Divide the dough into 10 equal size portions and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands

9. Pour a little bit of oil on a chopping boar. Place a ball on the board and flatten gently with your hands. Round the edges with the palms of your hands, trying to get a circular shaped and flatten dough of about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat this same procedure with the other 9 balls

10. Heat about 2-3 cups of vegetable oil in a pot pan (enough to deep fry the arepas, one by one)
11. Add the arepa to the oil and fry until it floats and inflates. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Turn it over for about 30 seconds and carefully remove from oil using a slotted spoon

12. Drain on a paper towel. When it is cool enough to handle, with a sharp knife, make an opening about 1.5 inches long, on the edge side of the arepa. This should look like a mouth or a pocket
13. Crack an egg and divide the yolk and the white. Add a pinch of salt to both yolk and white

14. Add about 1 tbsp cooked beef into the arepa through its "mouth". Pour in the yolk and next the white
15. Quickly place the arepa again in the hot oil with the opening up, it will start to slowly fall into the oil. You can close the opening with some dough before placing it in the oil, but if you like the egg white crispy, leave its "mouth" open. It is ok if some of the white comes out, it will remain sticked to the arepa in a crunchy browned form. Leave it in the oil for about 3-5 minutes to cook the egg

16. With a slotted spoon, remove the arepa from the oil. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately. Repeat this procedure with the other 9 arepas
17. Accompany with hot sauce, suero (a typical colombian sour cream,) hogao (a typical colombian tomato and onion sauce) or ketchup

Egg Sandwich

Recipe

Total Time: 30 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp butter
1 Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt, divided
4 English muffins
4 eggs
4 slices Canadian bacon
4 slices muenster cheese
4 tsp cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 twigs oregano
Balsamic glaze

Steps

1. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl until the mixture is thickened
2. Add the mixture to a double boiler containing barely simmering water (water shouldn't touch the bottom of the top bowl)
3. Continue to whisk rapidly and slowly pour 1/2 cup of butter until the sauce is thickened. The temperature shouldn't be too high or the eggs will scramble

4. Remove from heat and add a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes
5. Cover and keep warm. Set aside
6. Split open the English muffins and spread 1 tsp cream cheese to each top of 4 halves
7. Place Canadian bacon slices over each cream cheese topped half
8. Square cut the cheese slices into 4 smaller squares each. Place cut slices over the remaining 4 halves muffins
9. Bake the 8 muffin halves in a 300 degree oven until cheese melts
10. In the meantime grease a frying pan with 2 tsp butter and fry the 4 eggs adding a pinch of salt to each egg

11. Place each egg over 4 halves muffins topped with the Canadian bacon slices
12. Close the sandwiches with 4 halves muffins topped with melted cheese slices
13. Place sandwiches over a baking tray and pour 4 tbsp of the warm sauce prepared in steps 1-5 to each sandwich. Add some mozzarella, covering each moist sandwich
14. Broil the sandwiches until mozzarella cheese melts and acquires a golden brown appearance
15. Garnish with oregano and balsamic glaze

Loaded Eggs Benedict

Recipe

Total Time: 20 min

Servings: 4

onion-tomato paste

Ingredients
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp butter
1 tsp salt, divided

half muffin

4 halves English muffins
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 large white onion, diced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp cream cheese
4 slices of Canadian bacon
4 slices muenster cheese

Steps

square cut cheese

1. Grease 4 silicone egg poachers with 1 tsp butter. Place eggs in poachers and top with 1/3 tsp salt (a dash for each egg.) Set aside
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp butter and onion. Add the butter and onion at the same time so butter doesn't burn). Add the tomatoes and cook until onions are transparent. Add 1/3 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Set aside
3. Fill a frying pan (at least 3 inches depth) 1/2 full of water and bring to a boil

silicone egg poachers

4. In the meantime, bake English muffins in a 300 degree oven for a couple of minutes. Remove from oven and spread the cream cheese on top of the muffins. Square cut the cheese slices into 4 smaller squares and place on top of the cream cheese spread. Place a slice of Canadian bacon on top of the cheese slices. Bake the muffins again in a 300 degree oven until the cheese melts. Set aside

5. Place silicone egg poachers in frying pan as soon as water starts to boil and cover pan with a lid. Cook over high heat for 4 minutes (if you like them runny) 5 minutes (medium firmness) and 6-7 minutes (if you like a firmer yolk)

6. Meanwhile, prepare the Hollandaise sauce: In a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, 1/3 tsp salt and hot pepper sauce. Cover and blend. Melt 1/2 cup butter. Pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture and blend. Pour this in pot a cook over low heat and stir constantly until ready to serve

7. Remove the egg poachers from frying pan and scoop out the eggs with a spoon. Place the eggs on top of the prepared warmed muffins. Top the eggs with 1 tbsp of the egg yolk mixture and 1 tbsp of the onion-tomato paste

hollandaise sauce

According to the original recipe, after the first cut the yolks should flow out onto the plate. Anyway you should enjoy them, so if you don't like runny eggs, just cook them for a few more minutes on step 5 and eat them however you like. Just indulge yourself in a delicious breakfast and start your day with a smile!