Aji de Gallina: Traditional Peruvian Cuisine

PREP 

1 whole chicken, cooked with salt to taste

• SHRED and reserve broth (about 6 cups)
• Use the rest of the chicken broth to cook potatoes

18 slices (small loaf) of white bread

• Soak shredded bread in 1 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes (won’t hurt to soak longer)
• Add enough water to cover well and blend till smooth

10 red or golden red potatoes. Cooked whole

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic (pressed)
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 2 tsp. of Salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Cumin

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan heat oil and sauté onions for about 1 minute (med-high heat)
2. Add garlic and spices (turmeric, salt, pepper, and cumin) cook till onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add shredded chicken and stir to coat chicken well and then add enough broth to cover the chicken; bring to a boil.
4. Add bread mixture and bring to a boil again.
5. Reduce heat (med-low) and stir constantly (it will stick if not stirred). Cook for 20 min. adding more broth as needed. Consistency should be thick, but loose.
6. Add parmesan cheese and cook 5 more minutes.

TIP: If you run out of broth and the mixture is too thick, heat some milk and add as needed. 

Serve over sliced potatoes or white rice (or in the Peruvian tradition, both). Garnish with a slice of boiled egg and an olive.

Chickenetta (or porketta roast)

I love porketta roast, but it isn't the healthiest of meat choices. I miss the flavor so I finally decided to create a chicken version. Same fennelly goodness of porketta without the guilt.

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp lemon pepper

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

1 Tbsp dill seeds

1 tsp anise seeds

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

3-4 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped

Mix together everything except sage. Marinate chicken breasts in mixture over night. In the morning, sear chicken and then toss in crockpot with red potatoes, onions, and carrots. Dust with fresh sage. Cook 4-6 hours. 

If you are feeling especially culinary, add some fresh, diced anise to the pot. You can also throw some haricots verts (french green beans) in the pot 30-45 minutes before you are ready to eat. They steam quite nicely and add great color.

Bowtie Spinach Salad

Salad--Mix in a large bowl:
8 cups spinach torn
8 oz. Bag of bow bowtie pasta cooked and cooled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup parsley chopped (can use dried)
¼ cup salted sunflower seeds
¼ cup red peppers, chopped
¼ cup yellow peppers, chopped


*Marinate chicken and dressing the day before serving.
Boil and shred 4 chicken breasts and marinate in a large storage bag with dressing. (The recipe says to boil, but I've always just cut the chicken into large pieces and sauteed it in a covered frying pan with a little olive oil.)

Dressing:
½ cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sesame seeds

Directions:  Pour chicken mixture over all salad ingredients when read to serve.

My friend Tonya gave me this recipe to make for Naomi's baptism lunch.

Emerald Chicken (Chino Bandido)

Emerald Sauce, Courtesy of Eve Collins, Chino Bandido
¼ cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
¾ cup finely minced green onion
2 tsp. kosher salt (can be adjusted to taste, I would suggest 1tsp)
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine ginger, green onion and salt in small bowl. Add vegetable oil, stirring to combine and dissolve salt. Strain mixture thru cheesecloth to drain most of the oil. Oil can be reserved for other recipes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Chino Bandido serves this with chopped chicken. I steamed some tenders and chopped them up. I also sauted some chicken tenders in olive oil and they worked just as well as the steamed tenders. A side of rice and you've got a meal.

Chicken Veggie Soup

Ingredients
2 White Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 c. Carrots, mini carrots or chopped
1 c. Celery, chopped
1 Yellow Zucchini, sliced
1 Green Zucchini, sliced
3 c. Cabbage, shredded
4 Red Potatoes, diced (or 3 c. cooked brown rice)
6 c. Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Oregano
4 Basil Leaves
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/8 c. Chives

Combine all ingredients in large stockpot and slow cook for several hours or until all vegetables are soft. Feel free to add whatever other garden veggies you have in surplus.

Serve warm.

For freezer: Remove from heat when vegetables are not quite cooked. Divide into smaller portions and store in freezer containers. I use toss-away tupperware or ziploc freezer bags. When you reheat the soup, the vegetables will finish cooking without becoming over saturated. I double the recipe when I make it to freeze. It's a great use of your fall garden vegetables and nothing hits the spot like warm soup during the cold winter.

White Chicken Chili (a-Ward winning)

I searched on line until I found what looked to be the best white chicken chili recipe. I probably used Pepper Jack cheese because we seem to have a lot of that in the freezer, then you could probably cut down on the green chilies.
White Chicken Chili
(As cooked by Karen)

This is a recipe that's so good that I never bother to try any other white chicken chili recipes. This is the one. The end all, be all recipe. I got it off the web, and it's attributed to "The Kitchen for Exploring Foods." I have altered it slightly, I cook the chicken in spices, I add an extra onion, and they called for dried beans and I use canned. Also, I rarely actually do any measuring.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz or so of canned white beans
2 large onions, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 tsp Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin (I usually put in more)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually put in more)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (I put in more)
two 4-oz cans whole mild green chilies, drained and chopped
5 boneless, skinless chiken breasts (about 2 pounds)
some extra butter and oil to cook them in
1 1/2 c grated Monterey Jack
1/2 c sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat a large skillet (I like cast-iron) over moderately high heat and put in some butter and oil. Meanwhile coat your chicken with salt and pepper and maybe some chili powder. Throw them in the skillet and resist the urge to turn them over. Leave them for five minutes, or until nicely browned, then flip them. Leave it there until browned and then flip them every few minutes until they are done (which you can tell by poking a knife into the thickest part and seeing if it's white instead of pink).

2. Remove the chicken from the pan. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers and set aside.

3. While waiting for chicken to cool, cook the onion in the same pan with 2 Tbs of butter until softened.

4. In a heavy pot, large enough to hold all the ingredients, melt remaining 6 Tbs of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, for three minutes. Stir in the oinoin and gradually add the broth and half and half, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. (It will be nicely and obviously thick.) Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add sour cream. May be served immediately -- though like all chilis this tastes awesome the next day.

5. Serve with the usual chili garnishes--cilantro, cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc. 

For a crockpot version, check this link: http://plantoeat.com/recipes/186086.