Our CHOP Family Meals this week are headed to Venezuela which has a rich and vibrant culinary history with influences from both Africa and different parts of Europe. Our appetizer is fresh, homemade arepas with a delicious green sauce called guasacaca. Arepas are a quick and easy meal to make provided you have masarepa flour which is a special type of pre-cooked corn flour that can be found in Latin markets. It simply needs to be mixed with water and a little salt and formed into patties which can be cooked on a grill or frying in less than 10 minutes. They can then be stuffed or topped with just about anything from cheese to meat to vegetables. In Venezuela they are then sauced with a mixture called “guasacaca” which is a delicious and simple recipe that includes avocado, fresh herbs and vinegar. This sauce works on everything! So, below I have our take on this classic Venezuelan sauce and the best part is that it requires zero cooking, just a food processor or blender!
Guasacaca
2 Ripe Avocados
1 packed handful of Parsley
1 packed handful of Cilantro
½ Small Onion or Shallot, diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
¼ Cup White wine vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Procedures
Place all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor
Pulse to combine
Turn motor on and stream in olive oil until completely pureed
Season with salt and serve