Seco de Verduras with Tofu

With the weather taking another cold turn I thought it might be a good idea to have something flavorful and hearty ready for lunch tomorrow. I have also had Peruvian food on my mind since – big announcement – per our 2013 New Year’s resolution we are putting the finishing touches on our Peruvian Vegetarian Cookbook!

Seco is a traditional Peruvian stew with a pureed cilantro base. High in the Andes it takes extra time to cook potatoes and the in the process they become extremely soft and play an important role in thickening the texture of many stews. The dish is typically prepared with chunks of chicken or beef, but our vegetarian version simply omits the meat and adds a little tofu to the deliciously tender vegetables and flavorful sauce.

Ingredients

• ¼ pound fresh cilantro, about 1 large bunch, washed
• 3 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium purple onion, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups peas (frozen or fresh – if using fresh, boil until tender)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 pounds white potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 key limes cut into wedges
• Prepared rice or quinoa for serving

 Preparation

1. Blend cilantro in a blender or food processor gradually adding about ½ cup of the broth until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, chili pepper, and minced garlic to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add the processed cilantro and  remaining broth to the saucepan. Add the carrots, peas, and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are extremely soft and the broth begins to thicken- about 40 minutes.
4. Season with salt to taste and serve with sliced lime and prepared rice or quinoa.

This past Sunday at the Mueller Farmers’ Market there was a vendor selling the Peruvian purple corn drink Chicha Morada. At the same time Dai Due was selling a beet soda. This is how inspiration is born.  Our Beet-cha Morada is a light, refreshing drink with a beautiful purple-red hue.

Beet-cha Morada

Ingredients

• 1 pound red beets, scrubbed and halved
• 8 cups of water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Preparation

1. Place beets in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling until water reduces by 1/3rd. 
2. Remove from heat and carefully mash ingredients with a potato masher to break apart the beets.
3. Return to medium heat and add cinnamon and cloves. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and strain ingredients into another bowl or large pot. Add lemon zest, sugar, and orange juice. Allow to cool and serve over ice.

This soup, packed with herbs and quinoa, is very reminiscent of many soups we ate while living in Huaraz, Peru.  The parsnips add a nice mild earthiness to this soup.

Parsnip Quinoa Soup

Ingredient

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 celeriac stalks or 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 3/4 pound parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup raw quiona
• 4 cups light vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent.
2. Add celeriac and white wine and continue to simmer until wine is evaporated, another three to four minutes.
3. Add the parsnips and saute for five minutes.
4. Add broth, quinoa, and oregano. Bring to boil then cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve garnished with fresh celeriac or celery leaves, diced spring onion, parsley, or other fresh herb of your choice.

Causa is a wonderful Peruvian dish that basically amounts to a fish, seafood, or vegetable salad sandwiched between two layers of mashed potatoes seasoned with Peruvian aji chilies.  Causa has become a symbol of the creativity inherent in modern Peruvian cuisine, with chefs and home cooks alike making their own unique versions that follow the basic format.

Typically, Peruvian yellow and white potatoes are used in a causa, but to celebrate the fall and practice some creativity of our own, we used delicious sweet potatoes from Johnson’s Backyard Garden (along with several of their other seasonal veggie offerings) to make this version.

Sweet Potato Causa

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 4 sweet carmen peppers (or one large red bell pepper), roasted, peeled, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
• 4 key limes, juiced
• 1 25-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 medium purple onion, juilienned
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnais
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Boil the potatoes with the skin on until very soft, about 30 minutes. When cool to the touch, peel with your fingers then mash in a large bowl. Add aji amarillo and the juice of two key limes to the mashed potatoes and season with salt to taste. Set the potato mixture aside.
2. In another bowl, mash the chickpeas. Add onions, parsley, roasted peppers, vegan mayonnaise, and the juice of the other two key limes. Season with salt to taste.
3. Assemble the causa in a large casserole dish. Make an even layer of the potato mixture on the bottom of the dish then make a layer using all of the chickpea salad. Finish with a top layer of the potato mixture. Decorate as desired.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Traditional Ají Verde uses green rocoto peppers which have a simple mild flavor but a heat level similar to a jalapeno.  This ají pairs green peppers with a variety of herbs and the resulting hot sauce adds an absolutely delicious and colorful punch to some of Peru’s rich and creamy entrees and starters.

• 

  Aji Verde

  Procedure1 pound seeded green peppers (try a blend of green bells and jalapenos)

• ½ cup parsley
• ¼ cup savory mint
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 2 spring onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 key limes, juiced
• Salt

1. Blend peppers, herbs, garlic, and oil in a blender or food processer. Add enough water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to encourage complete liquefaction.
2. Season with salt to taste.

This sauce is ubiquitous in Peruvian cuisine and is used in many recipes, both for flavor and color, and as a condiment. In Peru, dried and fresh ají amarillo chilies can be easily found in markets and shops throughout the country, and premade paste is also common. This recipe uses roasted orange bell peppers and fresh habanero, which are both more commonly available in North America and make an excellent flavorful substitute.

 Ingredients

• 1 pound (about 3 whole peppers) fresh orange bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 small habanero pepper, seeded and deveined
• 2 key limes, juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Place bell peppers face down on a lightly greased baking sheet and broil on high (about 450°F) in the oven until the pepper skins are black and blistered, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully transfer the roasted peppers to an air tight container. Allow the peppers to rest for about 10 minutes then remove the skin from the peppers.
2. Transfer roasted and peeled bell peppers, habanero,  key lime juice, garlic, and olive oil to a high-speed blender and purée until smooth.  Salt to taste.

Crema de Habas is by far one of the most popular soups in Peru. However, it took me a long time to figure out that the long strange pods and beans contained therein were fava beans. The other day, now back home in Austin, Texas, I was extremely excited to see these same now-familiar beans at a Middle Eastern grocery store in town. However, if it is difficult to find fresh fava beans in your home town you can reconstitute and use dried beans or lima beans.  The color will be far less vivid, but the taste is still nice.

Crema de Habas

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh fava beans, prepared
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 key lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

 Preparation

1. Combine fava beans, broth, lime juice, and soy sauce in a food processor or blender and combine until smooth.
2. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
3. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.

This salad is our combination of two popular Peruvian salads. Ensalada de Chocolo uses Peruvian white corn and quesillo and Cho Cho is extremely popular with Andean ceviche and uses an endemic lupine bean. Since we can’t find fresh Andean lupine seeds in Texas we have opted to substitute soy seeds which are textually and nutritionally very similar.  Together the salads make a great well rounded duo!

Ensalada de Choclo y Chocho

Ingredients

• 2 ears of fresh sweet white corn, husked and roasted
• 16 ounces frozen edamame, defrosted
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup quesillo, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon aji amarillo paste (optional)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt to taste and allow to marinate at least 10 minutes before serving.

In Peru, cremas are are thick pureed soups with a dairy base. As often as not, that base is quesillo.

Butternut Squash Crema

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cooked
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup quesillo, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

1. Bring the broth to a simmer, then remove from heat.
2. Combine the ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth. Add more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
3. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Tacu Tacu is an Afro-Peruvian staple that can be garnished with anything from seafood stews to sauteed vegetables. This version is great with a fresh Ensalada Criolla.

Tacu Tacu with Ensalada Criolla

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice, cooked
• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small purple onions, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Ají Amarillo or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 key lime, juiced
• cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion, garlic, and cumin until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. While the onions saute, combine rice and beans in a large bowl. Add the Ají Amarillo and mash the rice and beans together.
3. Add the sauteed mixture to the beans and lime juice and combine. Season with salt to taste.
4. Form palm-sized patties using about 1 cup of the mixture.
5. Spray the skillet with non-stick cooking spray and cook the patties over medium-high heat until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side.