Bolivia - #2

Tonight's dinner was another from the wonerful cookbook The South American Table. It's 2 seperate dishes that I combined, but I'm not exactly sure I liked them together. They were great apart, though. I had a green salad on the side with this meal. Enjoy another taste of Bolivia.

Pastel de Quinua

&

Pechugas de Pollo con Salsa de Quinua a la Huancaina

(Quinoa Torte, Chicken Breasts with Quinoa, Cashew, and Goat Cheese Sauce)

6 c. water

1 1/2 c. quinoa

2 tbsp. oil

1 medium onion

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp. parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. hot pepper puree

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 c. flour

3 large eggs

1/4 c. milk

8 oz. Chihuahua or Muenster cheese, shredded

2 hard cookd eggs, peeled and sliced (omitted)

1/2 cup fresh grated pamesan

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a casserole dish.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce to medium-low, and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.

3. Heat the oil in a medium sized heavy skillet over low heat. Add the onion and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have formeda sauce. Add the parsley, oregano, sugar, salt, allspice, black pepper, hot pepper puree, and chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Toss the quinoa with the flour. Add half of the tomato mixture, the beaten eggs, milk, and half the cheese. Spread half the quinoa mixture in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato mixture, then quinoa, then top with the remainingcheese.

5. Bake for 40 minutes until the top is brown and crispy, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Chicken Breasts with Quinoa, Cashew, and Goat Cheese Sauce:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Juice of 2 limes

salt and pepper

5 tbsp. evoo

3 mirasol peppers

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 c. milk

1/2 cup quinoa (omitted)

1/4 cup dry roasted cashews

2 oz. goat cheese

1.Wrap the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, pound with a mallet to get an even thickness. Sprinkle with lime juice, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with 1 tbsp. evoo. Let marinade for a few hours.

2.Seed the hot peppers, crumble and soak in water for an hour. Puree with a little of the liquid.

3.To make the sauce, heat the remaining 4 tbsp. of evoo over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper puree, cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

4.Place the milk, cashews, and onion mixture in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. Return the mixture back to the skillet over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

5.Preheat the broiler, place the chicken on a broiler pan and broil for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve with the sauce.

(I cooked mine on the stovetop in a saute' pan)