Authentic Cabo Verdean recipes

Authentic Cabo Verdean recipes

Cabo Verde (also known as Cape Verde) is a ten-island archipelago, located off the west coast of Africa. It is now an official island country of Africa, but from 1462 till 1975, the area was occupied by the Portuguese. For this reason, Cabo Verde cuisine is largely influenced by both Portugal and African cultures. Main ingredients in these dishes consist of corn, rice, root vegetables, grains, fish and pork. Recipes are also often slow-cooked. 

Our founder, Alzerina Gomez, is also from Cabo Verde and still cherishes the food that impacted her upbringing. Here are a couple of dishes that are inspired from the rich Cabo Verde culture. 


Cachupa

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 2 hours

Serving size: 6-8

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup of hominy (corn)
  • 1 cup of red beans
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pound of meat (beef, pork, or chicken), diced
  • 4 sausages, like linguiça, sliced
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cassava (mandioca), peeled and diced
  • 1 bunch of kale, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil and water

Instructions:

    1. In a large pot, soak the hominy and red beans overnight in water. Drain and rinse before cooking.
    2. In the same pot, add the hominy, red beans, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, and bell pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
    3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the hominy and beans are tender.
    4. In a separate pan, cook the diced meat until browned. Add the sliced sausages and chopped bacon, and cook until they release their flavors.
    5. Add the cooked meat, sausages, and bacon to the pot with the hominy and beans. Stir well to combine.
    6. Add the diced sweet potatoes and cassava to the pot. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.
    7. Finally, add the chopped kale to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until wilted.
    8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    9. Serve hot with bread or rice on the side.

    Recipe courtesy of Remitly

     

    Pastel de Atum - Cabo Verdean savory turnovers

    Prep time: 50 min

    Cook time: 10 min

    Serving size: 20 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 2 13.58 cans of tuna packed in olive oil (preferably imported from Cabo Verde or Portugal)
    • 1 small yellow onion diced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 packet of sazon (con azafran) or 2 teaspoons of annatto
    • 20 store-bought (or homemade) empanada discs thawed
    • 1 cup of canola oil for frying
    • Optional few springs of fresh parsley or cilantro chopped

    Instructions: 

    1. In a non-stick or cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat and add the diced onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
    2. Add the tuna to the skillet and break it apart using a wooden spoon. Add your dry seasonings and cook the tuna for 5-10 minutes. Use your spoon to move the tuna around the skillet so it cooks evenly. You will notice some of the moisture is drying out. Tuna should dry out a little but still be soft.
    3. Remove the skillet from heat, add your parsley to the skillet and toss it with the tuna.
    4. Place the unwrapped discs on a work surface and spoon 2 tablespoons of tuna into the center of each disc.
    5. Fold each disc over and use the tines of a fork to press and seal the edges. If the edges are dry, moisten your index-finger with a tiny amount of water and dampen the edges. Flip the pastel over and repeat on the other side.
    6. Heat 1 cup of canola oil to 325°F and drop 4-5 pastel into the oil at a time. Be careful not to crowd the pan with too many pastel.
    7. Fry each pastel for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they’re golden in color. Transfer the fried pastel to a paper towel lined plate, or wire cooling rack.
    8. Serve the pastel warm or at room temperature with few drops of hot-sauce, if desired.

    Recipe from Crumb Snatched


    Happy cooking! If you try these dishes, let us know how they turned out. 


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