Volume 23, Number 10: October 2022

Delicious! Delicioso! Délicieux! Läckert! Köstlich! ???! ??????!

Recipes For Our Members, By Our Members

The International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care invites members to share a favorite recipe and the story behind it: what makes it meaningful for you. Self-care is important, and eating well is a great foundation for it. These dishes are for caregivers and palliative care professionals to enjoy.

We want to publish recipes that reflect who you are and where you live, using low-cost, local ingredients and standard equipment. They should be easy and relatively quick to prepare. Please be sure to include a photo! It could be of the final dish or its preparation, a snapshot of you or a selfie with others, or even the market where you shop for ingredients.

Submit YOUR recipe! Here is a checklist for your submission:

1. Your name, city, and country.
2. Name of recipe & number of servings (a dish for just 1 or 2 people is fine!).
3. Ingredients & their amounts, in order of use (aim for 10 or fewer, not including spices/herbs).
4. Easy-to-follow instructions.
5. What makes this recipe meaningful to you.
6. The source* of the recipe (who did you get it from? Names are not necessary: it can be in general terms, such as: “My fellow nurses helped revise this family recipe”).
7. A photo (submit it here).

* Important: Due to copyright protection, we cannot publish recipes (or photos) taken directly from cookbooks. The recipe you choose must have a personalized twist or, ideally, originate from you or someone you know.

Ajiaco Santafereño Soup

Submitted by Liliana De Lima,
IAHPC Executive Director

If you don’t mind peeling a lot of potatoes (consider it relaxation therapy!), try ajiaco (pronounced aaheeako), a thick Colombian soup from the central Andean region made with chicken, potatoes, corn, and an herb called “guasca.” It can be served alone or with cream, avocado, and capers. Ajiaco plays an important cultural role in celebrations and it is usually called “Ajiaco Santafereño” for the colonial name of Bogotá (Santa Fe de Bogotá).

The most important potato used in the soup is the criolla potato—which is small, bright yellow, and dissolves in the soup—giving it its characteristic color. Whenever criolla potato is unavailable, I use yellow potatoes, which work well.

Guasca gives the ajiaco its most characteristic flavor, and can be bought dried in specialty stores or online. Its Latin name is “Galinsoga parviflora” and is considered a weed in some places! Tarragon may serve as a substitute but only guascas will give ajiaco its distinctive flavor. While some online ajiaco recipes call for cilantro—don’t use it! I like cilantro, but it overpowers the soup’s intended subtle, deep, smoky flavor.

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Ajiaco Santafereño Soup

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken pieces (preferably on the bone, with skin)
2 qts. water or chicken broth (I prefer homemade broth made with bones & vegetables, but ready-made is fine too)
1 lb. criolla potatoes, cubed (if not available, use peeled Baby Dutch Yellow, Yukon Gold, or Yellow Finn.)
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 lb. new red potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 ears of corn, fresh or frozen, cut into pieces
1 handful of guascas (if not available, use tarragon)

Garnishes (optional): avocado slices, capers, heavy cream

Preparation

Season the chicken with salt and pepper & let sit for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. Place the chicken in the bottom of a large stock pot, add water or chicken broth and half of the guascas. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add all potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low, partly covered, for 2 hours. The yellow potatoes should start to break up in the soup but, if not, you can help them along by mashing some against the inside edges of the pot. Add the corn and simmer for 15-20 minutes more, until cooked through.

In the meantime, when the cooked chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and cut into medium-sized pieces. Add it to the soup or put it in deep soup bowls.

Add the remaining guascas to the soup and let it cook for 5 minutes, then serve in bowls. Top with capers and a dollop of heavy cream (if using). If serving with avocado, add to the soup in the serving bowl; don’t put the avocado into the soup pot!

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