The book, Turn Right at Machu Pichu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams was read by most (!) of us in December. We can't say it was our favorite pick of the year, but the food was delicious! Our dinner was focused around foods you probably would find in Peru. I say "probably" because only one of us has actually traveled to Peru and seen Machu Pichu. Our main course was Peruvian Roasted Chicken which was absolutely delish as my Aunt Ruby would have said. Before dinner we enjoyed yummy Pisco Sour cocktails served with Roasted Red Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato and Bean Dip. Dessert consisted of a fresh, seasonal fruit dressed with freshly squeezed lime juice. Are you getting the feeling that we enjoy our dinners sometimes more than the books we read?????? And as always, wine was part of our meal - this time, wine from South America, of course!
Recipes are as follows . . .
Peruvian Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken, rinsed and seasoned with Peruvian Chile Lime Seasoning (found at Savory Spice Shop in Littleton, Colorado)
Use roasting dish that has a cup in the middle, fill will liquid of choice (beer, lime juice, water, etc). Place chicken vertically on cup.
Roast at 350 degrees until internal temperature is 180 degrees (about 1 1/2 hours)
Sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tbls fresh lime juice
Cilantro to taste (sauce should have light green color)
Jalapeno to taste
Place all ingredients in blender, process until smooth
Sauce is spooned over chicken slices.
Roasted Red Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Bean Dip
Makes 2 ½ cups dip
Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
5-6 sun-dried tomato halves, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) can white Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder or pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and ribs. Oil all sides. Grill peppers over open flame, or under broiler until skins are evenly blackened, turning often, about 5 minutes. Alternate is to roast on pan at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Pull skin off with fingers and discard. Coarsely chop peppers.
Place peppers in food processor or blender and pureé. Add beans, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, mayonnaise, and herbs. Mix till smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers or bread. Dip is best if it sits an hour before serving. It keeps up to 3 days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
Fresh Fruit Salad
For this salad I used fresh, seasonal fruit such as oranges, apples, raspberries, blackberries, and pears. Larger fruits were cut into bite size pieces then dressed with freshly squeezed juice from 1 to 2 limes. Delish!
