Dinner: Peruvian Chicken and Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers!

alright friends.........I know I ALWAYS say this........but this recipe is the BOMB.COM!!! Seriously, I'd eat this every day! My dad sent me an amazing recipe for Peruvian chicken....and my roommate Ktbo has been requesting it ever since!

I finally decided to make it for our final roomie dinner at current 5501 roommates - and omg, I'm so glad i did! Let me add that it was not without struggle, I went to FIVE stores to find these ingredients! I went in and out of creepy Latin stores, with no luck. Finally, I found them at Grand Mart - a hugeee international market store at Seven Corners (for you Arlington, VA people). So, my advice you would be to A)if you live in an area with a lot of Latin people, call your local Shoppers B) find an international market nearby!

Here is the recipe:

Peruvian Chicken (for use on bone-in chicken, boneless/skinless chicken, wings, steak...anything really)

Either in a Large Ziploc Bag or any container - combine the ingredients below (feel free to add more or less where you feel necessary!)

**I made 8 boneless/skinless chicken breasts - so I added a lot more of each**

2 Table Spoons - Aji Amarillo - Yellow Hot Pepper Paste (more if you want them spicier)
2 Table Spoons - Crushed Garlic
1 Table Spoon - Huacatay Pasta - Black Mint Paste - THIS IS THE KEY INGREDIENT, and naturally, this elusive paste is by far the hardest to find!!!!
1 Table Spoon - Montreal Steak Seasoning - I forgot this ingredient.
1 Tea Spoon - Cumin Powder
1 Tea Spoon – Oregano - I forgot this ingredient, too.
Cup - Olive Oil
Cup - Goya Mojo Criollo (you can get this at most international isles (Teeter, Shoppers, Giant)

below are the three super-latin ingredients:

Marinate overnight for the best flavor.


Grill the chicken for the best flavor! be sure to put foil underneath (not sure why, but my dad said its necessary.) I'd give you grilling advice, but I have none. I have ZERO grill skills, my roommates did this for me. Look it up.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers (a la Chef Kate - my roommate! I live with a chef, be jealous)

Ingredients:

1. 14 Jalapenos
2. 10 or so sweet small peppers (I forget what they are called, sorry!)
3. 4-6 oz shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
4. 1 small container reduced fat plain cream cheese
5. 1 small container reduced fat (if possible) goat cheese
6. 4 or 5 chopped sundried tomatoes
7. chopped basil
8. 1 pkg of bacon
   

Combine ingredients 3-7 and stir into a thick paste.

Use a knife to open the jalapenos vertically as shown in the picture. remove ribs and seeds (so necessary). Insert mixture into a piping bag (or for those who dont have that, cut the tip off of a ziploc, works the same) and pipe into the jalapenos. Wrap each jalapeno in bacon (also so necessary). Place 4 or 5 at a time on wooden or metal skewers. Grill for about the same amount of time as the chicken. Be sure to place foil down so the cheese/bacon fat doesn't melt into the grill/catch on fire. Get a good char on the outside of the peppers and Enjoy!

chef kate all ready to put those babies on the grill!

Lessons learned:

• cheese melts into the grill
• jalapenos are hit or miss - some were too spicy to eat - even for the more adventurous roomates - stick with the sweet peppers in the future
• bacon fat causes fires, and reduces down too quickly, use foil

and for those who like dippy sauce for your chicken and french fries and literally anything you can get your hands on:

Peruvian dipping sauce (my way):
4 tbsp of lowfat mayo
2tsp aji amarillo
juice of 2 or 3 lemons
1/2 tsp of cumin
s&p to taste

combine all. dip away :)