Do you know how frustrating it is to have a list of recipes that you cannot make for lack of ingredients. Or, to be more specific, the lack of a very particular ingredient. How many crock pot meals have I passed up? How many times has Thanksgiving become complicated? How many times have I wanted to make a quick casserole, but can’t?

Soup in a can is nothing I am fond of. Now. I admit, growing up, I ate my share of Campbell’s soup. My mom always had the Bean and Bacon and I would delight in a can of Cream of Mushroom. Or Potato. I wasn’t ever a Tomato or Chicken Noodle Girl. Then, there came a day that I couldn’t help but wonder how pasta stayed pasta and meat stayed meat. In a can. For years. It was then that I couldn’t bring myself to opening up a can of soup to “enjoy” any longer.

After moving to Peru, cans of anything became a thing of the past. After nine years of being here, we are starting to see them creep into the markets with more regularity. But Condensed Cream Soups by Campbells have not made an appearance. This only becomes a frustration when I find recipe after recipe with a can of soup listed in the ingredients.

And then…this. An easy, homemade, did I mention easy, mix to make a “can of condensed soup.” Imagine my delight when a can of soup become as simple as heating up  1/3 cup of mix and water. Did I mention easy? I have adapted this to “Peruvian ingredients” meaning sizes and types of things that are easy to find here. If you are somewhere else, just adapt the amounts depending on what you have accessible.

Did I mention easy?

Now, tell me what you make with cans of condensed soup? Seems that I have overlooked those recipes for the last nine years!

What fun it was to be asked to choose the recipes for the first part of May for the Flatbread & Flavors groups! I admit, part of me wanted to suggest the ceviche recipe that is mixed into the Mexican food recipes. But honestly, I don’t think I will ever really enjoy ceviche from any other country except for Peru.

I looked through recipe after recipe wondering what my picks would be. There were several that jumped out at me immediately and some that I instantly turned the page. I narrowed it down to a few and then tried to think about what I would most enjoy eating. That was when I settled on the Turcoman Sourdough Bread from Turkmenistan and the Chickpea and Onion Stew from Tajikstan. The sound of fermenting goat milk over a couple days to develop a delicious sourdough and stewed chickpeas are both recipes that I thought would be tasty.

Planning ahead, I made a trip to the organic market since goat milk is not readily available in the grocery stores. The sponge was made, but not left alone for the entire 48 hours. We were scheduled for a water outage and I couldn’t fathom kneading dough without the ability to later wash my hands. So, I made the bread after about 36 hours of fermentation. It came out as an incredibly soft dough that truthfully had the strong hint of cheese. As for the stew, I soaked the garbanzos and stewed them with the spices, tomatoes and onions.

Unfortunately, the bread that I made had the “same old problem” as always – they stuck to the paper that I placed the dough on to prevent sticking. Ugh! The parts that I salvaged tasted…okay. I guess when I heard the word “sourdough” I thought it would be a delicious sourdough boule, like the ones you buy on Pier 39. Funny that was in my mind since the book itself is based on flatbreads, right?

The stew was really a delicious blend of flavors that I do truly enjoy. That I will probably make again.

Although not used in a multitude of recipes in Peru, the quince makes an appearance now and then.

The quince is grown on trees and is related to apples and pears. You would suppose that even just by looking at it! The fruit is usually yellow to green on the outside, covered by a layer of fuzz. Once peeled, the fruit is a light yellow color which quickly turns reddish upon contact with the air. In reality, the quince is not eaten like other pome fruits – you would not typically just take a bite from it and enjoy the juicy, sweet flavor…it has neither! You can allow it to stay on the tree and continue to ripen until it reaches a state in which the raw fruit could be eaten. However,

The quince is used for things like jams, wine, and even made into dulce de membrillo, a sweet paste often paired with cheese, in Latin American countries. Additionally, some countries use the fruit for its medicinal properties. The pits can be soaked in water, the drunk as an alcohol free cough medicine. The jam, stirred into boiling water, is drunk for intestinal issues. The seeds in several countries are used to combat pneumonia.

Here in Peru, the most popular way I see quince used in boiled with other fruit to make the delicious Chicha Morada drink.

Years ago, shortbread became our staple dessert on nights we didn’t want to dirty up too many dishes. It was quick and simple, flaky and delicious. My roommate even began to buy special shortbread pans where you would press in the dough and when it was cut and flipped out, there would be designs puffed into the top. While the shortbread didn’t always flip as easily as we would have liked, it tasted good all the same.

As I looked at the recipe this week, I was almost aghast. No “pressing” the shortbread dough into the pan? No patting it down to make a lovely even layer? Instead the dough is…grated? You can tell, I was incredibly doubtful about how this would come out. But, I pressed on (no pun intended) and decided we were on board.

Given that there is no rhubarb here, I was trying to come up with a good alternative. With rhubarb being tart, I decided to make a quince jam, thinking the tartness would match the original recipe. But…my quince was watery and never came together as I would have liked. So my next alternative was actually easier – passionfruit jam (from a jar). I adore the pucker-up taste of passionfruit.

The dough was grated, the jam was spread and Hungarian Shortbread was served up.

And the Hungarian Shortbread was eaten up. Seriously…delicious. This was a delicious combination of soft and sweet and I loved every bite. All three bites that I had. My DH seemed to serve himself one after the other until they disappeared. I think these would be a really easy bar to whip up when unexpected company drops by. If I had the dough ready & frozen, I could grate, bake, smear, grate, bake, serve.

Baker’s Notes:

• I used less sugar than was called for in the recipe and was completely satisfied by the sweetness.
• I made half the original recipe and baked it in a square glass pan.
• Next time, I will use a bit more jam. Based on the original measurements, I used 1/2 cup of jam, but I think i would enjoy a smidgen more. Maybe a red one. Or maybe, manjar blanco (dulco de leche). Yum.
• I baked the bottom layer for 20 minutes before adding the jam layer. Once the top crust was in place, I baked about 30 more minutes.
• Next time, make more.

Make your own Hungarian Shortbread!

Hungarian Shortbread was hosted by Lynette of 1smallkitchen and Cher of The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler… for Tuesdays With Dorie.

For me, the Lentil Bell Pepper Salad was certainly the star of the Mediterranean meal this past month. It was not only flavorful but also incredibly nutrient rich!

I truly enjoy lentils, specifically “Baby Lentils” since the larger ones somewhat fall apart and I just don’t enjoy them. I brought French Lentils back from the states with me years ago and treasured the way they didn’t disintegrate into a lentil paste and never thought I would have found anything quite like them here. I stumbled upon Lentejas Bebe one day and have never gone back since. They are the perfect base for this delicious salad!

I promise, I did make an effort to look for the lamb called for in the recipe this month for the Flatbread & Flavors baking group. My local grocery store flat out said they didn’t have it and a busy week kept me from looking for it anywhere else.

As I began to make the dough and what I thought was “filling,” I read and re-read until it finally dawned on me that the dough balls were being rolled out into small circles which would be topped with the meat & tomato mixture. Sound familiar? Yeah, once I realized I was making pizza I couldn’t fathom why there was no cheese “to hold it all on.” I did roll the dough out and “top it” but actually folded several over so they would be more like empanadas. That just worked better for me!

But the star of this meal, for me, was the delicious lentil salad. I have already made another version of it since! It was a wonderful salad but equally delicious heated up with some brown rice and topped with an Andean Hot Sauce, because that was the spice in my fridge.

Lachmanjan & Lentil and Sweet Pepper Salad were chosen by Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups for Flatbreads & Flavors.

I adore recipes that are both nutritious and delicious. Too often those words act like polar opposites, almost as enemies.

Years ago, I ran across this recipe which included things like basmati rice, feta cheese and sour cream – things I don’t cook with here in Peru. I wanted to increase the protein so I decided to substitute the rice with quinoa, although I believe I made this with brown rice a time or two too. It seems like everyone is looking for more ways to use quinoa in their regular meal plans and this is certainly another delicious way to do enjoy quinoa.

How do you combine nutrition and deliciousness into your meal planning?

Why is it that we seem fascinated by things that are miniature or jumbo. If something is “normal” sized, it just does not receive as much attention. How many times have I bought something that was extra small or strangely enormous…just because it was that size? Oh how the market has grown for things like baby carrots, extra large candy bars, mini MnM’s and don’t get me started on the supersize phenomenon.

Although, supersize is one reason I love the Zapallo Macre (zuh-pie-o mack-ray) squash. It is JUMBO! GIGANTIC! ENORMOUS! It is so big that they just sell small pieces of it! I can buy kilogram sized squares at the store…and to think, that is just a small piece of the squash.

Zapallo Macre (Curcubita Maxima) has a solid green exterior and a bright orange interior. The zapallo was first cultivated in the department (state) of Lima sometime between 4200 & 2500 A.C. It has a rather high water content and I have found a great use for it when making soup as it seems to disintegrate, both coloring the broth as well as giving it texture and body.

Markets all over Peru sell slices or squares of this firm orange squash so that people can use it in soups or featured in dishes like Locro de Zapallo, Crema de Zapallo, Picarones, or other delicious ways here on Provecho Peru!

On many visits to the Andes mountains, I enjoyed the simple foods and the delicious spicy sauces that were served. There was just a different taste and texture to the sauce there.

Fresh cheese is produced throughout the mountain region and you will surely find crumbled fresh cheese mixed into the hottest of sauces. This particular sauce mixes both the red and green rocoto peppers along with the very unique herb, Huacatay to add a distinct, unforgettable flavor. This hot sauce was a perfect accompaniment to Peruvian Quinoa Soup. Although you may not be able to find these ingredients where you are, I hope you get the chance to try this when you visit Peru.

If you are looking for a stew rich in flavor, this is a top choice! The short ribs are braised in a dark beer sauce for enough time to make them soft and tender. You could use a different cut of beef if you prefer.