Monthly Cooking Thread - April 2019

[Jamestown1630]

In recent years a lot of Peruvian Chicken restaurants have sprung up in my area. I haven’t eaten at one yet - whenever we’ve encountered one and thought to try it out, the places have always been very crowded with long waiting lines; but I wanted to know what the buzz was about.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food websites – Dot2Trot’s 'Low Carb Living' site; and it looks fabulous. Most recipes I’ve seen for this don’t seem much different from Dot’s, so I think it is a more-or-less naturally low-carb recipe, and Dot says that she adapted hers from the book ‘Nom Nom Paleo’, by Michelle Tan. I'm thinking that the sauce really makes this dish, so don't leave it out! (Dot’s is a great site and YouTube channel for anyone interested in low-carb cooking):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTu05ShYjbo

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A little closer to our borders, in Cuba, we find the braised beef dish ‘Ropa Vieja’, which translates to ‘old clothes’, because the dish ends up looking like torn rags. My husband has made this several times, always wonderful, and Chef John’s of ‘Food Wishes’ is the recipe that we use. (My husband likes this especially for all of the different flavors that come together magically, with none really outstanding and drowning the others):

https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2019/03/ropa-vieja-cuban-beef-back-off-marie.html

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This month, two really flavorful dishes, both of which are pretty low-carb.

(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[pke]

Thanks! We will be trying both of these. They look delicious!

[Jamestown1630]

Let us know how the Peruvian Chicken goes - we haven’t made that yet.

[Fungi]

The spatchcock chicken is standard, just the marinade is different. How they call it “Peruvian” is a stretch as Middle Eastern and Moroccan recipes use the same spices. Here is a simple spatchcock recipe with a nice green sauce. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spatchcock-roasted-chicken-3402063 You can improvise on the green sauce by adding different greens, herbs and spices, easy to do.

[Jamestown1630]

That looks good, too.

I don’t think that most ‘Peruvian’ chicken recipes are spatchcoked; that’s just how some do it. The seasonings are probably what makes it ‘Peruvian’.

(I’m very interested in that sauce, though; I like sauces to go with things - makes it feel more like a party :-)

[mylife]

Tonight was Casserole night at the VFW, tuna, enchiladas.

Its all good.

[mylife]

Some people Like a duck cssasoule.

Via Duck? Why not? Snark snark..

[MomwithHope]

Hi all- meatless Fridays here for Lent. Normally we just would not be eating much but we have company from eastern Europe for 3 weeks until the 20th. They are fine with fish but man have we been doing the cooking. Pooped!

[leaning conservative]

You’re the food drug dealer who reeled us in w/ your food thread & we have been jonesing for your return.

That ropa vieja looks so delicious!

[mylife]

Meatless? I am happy I can get seafood!

Popeyes makes me happy this week.

[mylife]

You know what Criollo is?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=oh9mRbRSffE

[Jamestown1630]

Here’s a fish recipe that I posted a long time ago - I think it came from a Chesapeake Bay cookbook, and was intended for Bluefish; but it works well with any fish. The capers give it a very nice tangy taste :-)

Bluefish baked with Tomatoes and Capers

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 T. chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1-1/2 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped, with juice (3 cups) OR 1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes

1 Cup dry white wine

3 T. capers, drained and chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

4 Bluefish fillets, 6 to 7 oz. each.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil and saute the onions, celery, garlic and green onions until limp.

Add tomatoes, wine, capers, thyme, bay leaf, and lemon juice. Simmer 45 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

Make a layer of 1/2 the hot tomato sauce in the baking dish. Arrange the fish on top. Spoon the remaining sauce over the fish.

Butter one side of a sheet of waxed paper that is cut to fit the top of the baking dish.

Place the paper, butter side down, on top of the dish.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fish flakes.

Remove fillets to a heated platter. Spoon the sauce over, and serve at once. Good over rice.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Be honest, now. Isn’t “Peruvian Chicken” another name for guinea pig?

[Fungi]

Looked up ‘Blue Fish.’ Never had it before and have never seen it on sale anywhere. Have you?

[Jamestown1630]

There's probably a lot more meat on a Capybara - a jolly fellow, largest of the rodents, and my favorite of them.

Unfortunately, people do kill and eat them in some places :-(

[Califreak]

Peruvian chicken is nummy!

[Jamestown1630]

Bluefish are all around the world; here along the Chesapeake and the Outer Banks of NC they’re greatly prized, and quite a challenge to anglers. I’ve never seen them in a store, only when somebody has gone out and caught one :-):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefish

[Jamestown1630]

It IS delicious. You just have to calculate your personal level of HEAT :-)

[Fungi]

So you have not eaten it.