A Peruvian Cinco de Mayo: Lomo Saltado!

 

A long day of celebrating Cinco de Mayo (just kidding) called for a great Latin American meal to cap it off!  A classic during my trip to Peru is Lomo Saltado, beef stir fry with french fries. A delicious and flavorful dish with Asian influences (it is served over white rice and uses soy), this dish is includes beef sirloin in vinegar, soy sauce and aji spice, and stir fried with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. It is traditionally served with homemade French Fries that look more like potato wedges.
Its combination of both cultures makes it very popular.

Papadam in the house

John was grubbin'

Sasha was diggin' it too

A side of homemade guacamole!

Chicken and Peppers Panini

 

Came home for lunch pretty hungry, and decided to make a nice, hearty panini on sourdough!  This one included roasted chicken breast, cheese, avocado, poblano peppers, and red bell pepper/ ancho chili jam.

I grilled it on the George Forman panini griller, and it was ready to go in no time.  All the flavors really came through: the flavorful, roasted peppers, the soft avocado, and the sweet jam all went well with the chicken.  An instant classic.

Pizza, Pt. 2

Part of a spectacular no-knead method that my mom and I discovered from Jim Lahey's book "My Pizza", this pizza was easily the best I've ever had.  The secret, as Lahey makes clear, is a superb crust-- crispy, yet doughy, and a little blackened along the edges.  We used his pizza making recipe and used his inspiration for toppings as well, although we added some of our own desired toppings.

Homemade pork sausage, fennel and onion

Stracciatella, arugula, basil, and  onion

Stracciatella, olives, sun dried tomatoes

The same pork sausage, olive, and onion