Entertaining appetizer _ Cow's eye soup

One of the benefits of teaching English as a foreign language abroad or living abroad in general, is the ability to prepare or at least try out some unusual recipes and foreign dishes you might never experience at home. Why else would one venture thousands of miles from home, brave storms, earthquakes, the elements and lord-only-knows-what else to teach English as a foreign language abroad? Okay, maybe for love (more than one English language teacher has married a foreign national or a stent), money or experience in one way or another. Nonetheless, you'll still need to eat though, right?

Not in Colombia? How to Get Cow's Eyes

First, your bunnies truck over to your local butcher and request from two to four cow's eyes. I seriously doubt your supermarket carries them ever but a good butcher can get them for you if they are not readily available at a farmer's market.

From these Colombian cooks can whip up a savory stew or soup dish for an unforgettable lunch.

Here's a recipe on how you might go about it yourself:

Colombian Unusual Recipe for Cow's Eye Soup

First, rinse the fresh cow's eyes under running cold water

Then, place them in a pot or pressure cooker with lightly salted water

Next, add chopped onion, oregano and spices or spice bundle to your preferred taste as desired

After that, pressure cook for about 30 minutes or until the eyes are well softened

Finally, take out the cooked cow's eyes when done

Colombia: Cow's Eye Soup Stock Recipe

Add two or three diced yellow potatoes, two large white potatoes, grated or chopped one carrot and minced or grated arracacha fined to the cow's eye liquid stock

Add in a coarsely diced yucca as well, if available

Simmer the stock for about twenty more minutes or until vegetables are cooked and soft.

In a separate pan

In a separate pan, a small chopped onion Sautee together, a whole scallion, 2 cloves of crushed garlic and a large chopped tomato or grated in a little oil until softened

Now dice the cooked cow's eyes and add these to the sauteed mixture

Sautee for an additional few minutes until flavors are melded together

Everything should now be ready to serve

The final dish is often served with white rice, freshly made fruit juice and enriched the cow's eye stock in a bowl on the side.

Teach English Vocabulary

Why a Colombian recipe food? Well, food and drink recipes are an excellent way to teach vocabulary in English as a foreign language. There are the action verbs, words used to express a sequence of events, and of course, vocabulary of food, drink and seasoning ingredients which may or may not be familiar to your English language learners - or you at first, for that matter. So, go ahead and pull out or request some favorite food or drink recipes from your co-workers, English as a foreign language learners, friends, neighbors or staff and get busy.