Juan De La Cruz is a recipe developer and content creator originally from Argentina.

Today, Juan is cooking two recipes:

Humita a la Olla – a creamy corn stew with grilled cheese on top.

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Guiso de Lentejas – a hearty lentil and meat strew.

Recipe below:

Quick guiso de lentejas

Hearty, smoky, and ready in no time

This comforting Argentine-style lentil stew comes together in under 15 minutes using canned lentils, smoky chorizo, and leftover meats.

Perfect for rainy days or when you need a hug in a bowl.

Ingredients

For the stew:

• 2 tins brown lentils (drained and rinsed)
• 1 chorizo (Spanish or Argentine-style), sliced
• 100g bacon, chopped
• 1 cup leftover beef or chicken, shredded or cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced (or 1/2 tin diced tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 500ml vegetable or beef stock
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Optional:

• A handful of pumpkin or potato cubes if you want extra bulk
• Fresh parsley or spring onion to garnish

Steps

1. Build the base:In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Sauté the bacon and chorizo until golden and releasing fat. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté the veg:In the same pot, cook onion, garlic, and capsicum until soft. Add the tomato, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and bay leaf. Stir and cook for 3–4 minutes.

3. Simmer:Add the lentils, leftover meat, cooked chorizo and bacon, and pour in the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for 15–20 minutes, uncovered, until thickened. Stir occasionally.

4. Serve:Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley or chopped spring onion if you like.

Tip: Even better the next day. Serve with crusty gluten-free bread, or a fried egg on top if you’re feeling indulgent.

Quick humita a la olla

Subtitle: Fast, comforting, and full of flavour

Description: This shortcut version of the traditional South American humita swaps out fresh corn and pumpkin for pantry staples — but keeps all the soul. Creamy, smoky, and ready in under 25 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the Humita:

• 1 tin creamed corn
• 1 tin corn kernels (drained)
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 50ml vegetable stock
• 100ml full cream milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g creamy cheese (like stracchino or bocconcini)
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the Fritito (chilli oil):

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (more if you like it hot)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Optional Garnish:

• Extra corn kernels (charred in a pan if desired)
• Fresh parsley

Steps

1. Cook the base:Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic, and capsicum until softened and lightly golden.

2. Add flavour:Add tomato and cumin, cook until the tomato breaks down (about 3–4 min). Add the creamed corn, corn kernels, stock, milk, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Simmer:Lower the heat and let it gently bubble for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash more milk if it starts to stick.

4. Make the fritito:In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add spring onions, paprika, and chilli flakes, then immediately remove from heat. Stir well and season.

5. Serve:Place cubes of cheese at the bottom of your bowl, spoon over the hot humita, and top with more cheese to melt. Drizzle with the fritito and garnish with charred corn or herbs if you like.

Tip: Enjoy it with chipa (cheese bread), crusty gluten-free bread, or even on its own.