AJIACO CRIOLLO (STEW)

1/2 cup olive oil (I use just 3 TB)
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (or whatever color bell pepper you have available)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I crush them in the mortar)
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper (I use just a pinch because I dont like too spicy food)
1 tablespoon cumin (I ceratainly use less, but you can use whatever you prefer)
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I use 1 can undrained)
1 pound chicken, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound pork loin, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 medium yellow malanga
2 medium white malanga
2 medium boniato
2 medium yuca
1/2 medium calabaza
2 ears of corn, husked
2 green plantains
2 semi-ripe (yellow) plantains
Juice of three limes

Put the meats in a large, heavy pot and add about six quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for one hour. Meanwhile: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions and green pepper until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, pepper and tomatoes and cook for about five minutes. Add this to the meat and the broth and continue simmering, covered. (OPTION: add one cup whole milk to the broth.) Peel the malanga, boniato, yucca, and calabaza and cut into cubes. Cut the corn and plantains into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Sprinkle the plantain pieces with lime juice. Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15 minutes, add the semi ripe plantains. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Contributed by Dolores Sánchez de Pineda