Alejandra Schrader Recipes

Chef Alejandra Schrader spiced up the kitchen, and our taste buds(!), with a traditional Venezuelan dish packed with lots of flavor. Here are all of her delicious recipes from today’s show!
Recipes courtesy of Alejandra Schrader.

Hallacas
Ingredients
Guiso – Stew for stuffing: 4 oz center cut bacon, chopped 1.5 lb pork, diced to ½” cubes 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced to ½” cubes 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp cumin ½ tbsp turmeric 1 brown onions, chopped 4 roma tomatoes, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 medium leek, diced 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1⁄4 cup capers 1⁄2 cup raisins 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar Coarse sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
Masa – Corn flour: 2⁄3 cup coconut oil 1 tsp annatto seeds 2 cups corn “masa” flour 1 tsp salt 1 1⁄3 cups warm water
To assemble + toppings
10-inch squares of banana leafs *May need 2-3 squares per hallaca 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 1 cup thinly sliced brown onions 1 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers 24 seedless green olives Kitchen twine
Preparation
Guiso: 1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté bacon until fat is rendered. Add pork and chicken along with cumin, paprika, and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper then cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add onions, tomatoes, garlic, leek, and bell pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue cooking until all meat is tender, about 1.5 hours. 2. Once meat is tender, add capers, raisins, lemon juice, and coconut palm sugar. Stir and taste to adjust seasoning. Set aside.
Masa: 1. Over a low heat, melt coconut oil with the annatto seeds. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain and discard seeds. 2. In a large bowl (or food processor) mix in masa harina, salt, water, and annatto oil. Form dough into 24 balls.
To assemble: 1. Lightly oil the center of a banana leaf square. Put a ball of masa in the center of each square and flatten dough out to 1/8” thickness. Top each masa-coated banana leaf with meat mixture and top with a strip of pepper, onion ring, a slice of hard boil egg, and an olive. 2. Fold leaf to completely encase the filling, making rectangular pockets. Hallacas can be roughly 6”x3”. Tie each hallaca with kitchen twine. Steam in large pot, covered, for 1 hour. Serve hot. * Hallacas can be refrigerated (or frozen) and steamed to reheat before serving.
See Also:David Guas' Recipes for Pastelitos con Guava y Queso & More!

Green Gazpacho with Mango Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo: 1 cup fresh mango, diced ½ cup English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1 tbsp red jalapeño, seeded, finely minced 1 tbsp shallots, minced 2 tbsp lime juice Extra virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt
Gazpacho: Freshly ground pepper 2 cups English cucumber, coarsely chopped (peeled/seeded) 2 Hass avocados, chopped ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 tbsp scallion greens, chopped 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped 2 tbsp mint, chopped 1 tbsp shallots, chopped ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Special instructions: Set 4 bowls in the refrigerator to chill at least 15 minutes before serving.
Preparation
Pico de Gallo: 1. In a small bowl mixed mango, cucumber, red jalapeño, shallot, and lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil (about a tbsp) and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss to coat and set aside.
Gazpacho: 1. Using a food processor (or a blender), combine all ingredients and process until mixture is smooth, for 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning*. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap; set in the refrigerator for at least half hour. *You may add water by the spoon if it is too thick and to reach desired consistency.
See Also:Tiffany Derry's Recipes for Watermelon Gazpacho & More!

Coconut Chia Pudding
Ingredients
¼ cup organic chia seeds 1 cup of organic coconut milk ¼ cup shredded coconut (sweetened) 2 large bananas, chopped ¼ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
Preparation
1. In a large container, mix chia seeds with coconut milk. Cover and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. In food processor, mix chia seed concoction with shredded coconut, bananas, lemon juice, and coconut palm sugar. Serve topped with shredded coconut and lemon zest.
Related Links:Alejandra Schrader RecipesRocco Dispirito's RecipesMarcel Vigneron's Recipes