Mucha Ale – Page 13

March 14, 2017 / 0 Comments

Recipe: Peruvian style chicken stew | Video

Monotony usually takes its aim at you when the holidays are over and you are putting your life back together (a.k.a. when you don’t have a job). Everyday could be the same. I know… But today will be new and different, because I am bringing you this recipe that I’ve been wanting to share with you for a while ago and that I really like for how to make a Peruvian style chicken stew. Español aquí.

I am actually very pleased with myself that this stew can make so much of a difference when it’s a dish that is often pushed aside for when you can’t really think of anything else to make. It’s kind of like the second choice. Of course I don’t share this opinion. I say we uphold the chicken stew!

The chicken stew is a very traditional Peruvian food and, as such, it has many varieties. Some use Peruvian peppers, raisins, cinnamon, among other ingredients, but today’s recipe is simple. As the Peruvian seco stew recipe, it’s list of ingredients can be found wherever you are. So there are no excuses. I hope you can try it and I hope that you like it!

Ingredients
4 to 6 pieces of chicken
1 medium onion, cut in wedges
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and seedless
½ cup peas, peeled
½ cup carrots, peeled and diced
3 to 4 medium potatoes, washed or peeled
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 dry mushrooms
1 to 2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil

Preparation
Add salt and pepper to the chicken.

Heat a medium oiled pot.

Fry the chicken. Cook it on both sides.

Set the chicken aside.

Blend the onion and garlic with a squirt of oil. Cook the onion blend at low heat in the same pot.

Grind the tomatoes and add them to the pot.

Add the bay leaves and the mushrooms. Then add the peas, carrots and potatoes. Place the chicken in the pot.

Cook on medium to low heat for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Serve the stew with white rice or vegetables.

Serves 4 people.

March 8, 2017 / 0 Comments

On this International Women’s Day

On this International Women’s day I would like to salute all those women who make a difference in our lives, those who don’t let anything stand between them and their goals. Español aquí.

Let’s also take some time to value the children who are the best promise we have for the future. I am very glad to share that today I have volunteered to support a campaign that promotes these values. I hope to share more about this soon..

February 28, 2017 / 0 Comments

Recipe: Peruvian Style Cilantro Beef Stew | Video

Hello friends! I am very happy to be writing on the blog again and bringing you this recipe for a simple Peruvian Style Cilantro Beef Stew, known in Perú as “seco” stew. I am most fond of this dish because I made it a lot during my 2016 sabbatical, when I was away from home and feeling homesick for peruvian food. Making it for someone special encouraged me to repeat it every week. When you try it, you may notice the rich aroma of cilantro will make you hungry 😍. Español aquí.

“Seco”, which means dry in Spanish, is known as such for its dry consistency and is a cilantro stew that in Peru is made with chicken, beef, duck, lamb and any other meat. The origin of Peruvian seco stew seems to be Arab and introduced in Peru by Spain, during the colonial period. Spain incorporated Arabian ingredients and spices into their gastronomy, and thus influenced our way of cooking with them too.

This recipe is based on my beloved Nicolini recipe book and is a simple version. I mention this because seco stew is a well loved dish in Peru and makes some of us very sensitive about how it’s made. There are many more elaborate versions that include beer, chicha de jora, and other delicious ingredients. However I would like to keep it simple and leave you with this recipe that I assure you that you can make regardless of wherever you are in the world,with the exception of the Peruvian chili which is optional and can be found in a Latin American supermarket. I hope you like!

Sorry for the video quality this week. I use a Nexus smartphone and I am having to difficulties for getting around the sun here in Lima…

Ingredients
½ kilo of beef – I used beef tenderloin steak
1 cup of onion, minced or pressed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup of cilantro leaves, washed

1 cup water (for the cilantro)
2-3 potatoes, washed or peeled
1 cup of carrots, chopped in small squares
1 cup of peas
Peruvian yellow pepper, seedless, to taste – I used half a pepper
Oil
Cumin
Pepper
Salt

Preparation
Add salt, pepper and cumin to the beef.

Heat an oiled pot.

Fry the beef on both sides.

Set it aside.

Blend the cilantro and water.

Brown the onion and garlic in the same pot. Add Peruvian yellow pepper (optional).

Add the cilantro and the vegetables

Add the potatoes and the beef.

Cook for about 30 minutes. You may add small amounts of water if you notice it drying up too much and to have more sauce.

En Peru seco is served with cooked potatoes and rice. I hope you enjoy!

Serves 3 to 4 people

February 20, 2017 / 2 Comments

Mucha Ale is on Cookpad!

We are very excited to share that we have joined Cookpad Peru – Japan’s largest recipe sharing service. You can find us under user Mucha Ale! Español aquí.

We are most excited that they included our first recipe for Easy to Make Peruvian Style Wonton Cheese Finger Tequeños in their Weekly menu. They recommend making them this Saturday February 25th. Read their post here.

February 18, 2017 / 0 Comments

Five tips for sun protection | Lifestyle

Hello! This post is all about sun protection. My experience in Peru can be summed up as hot. It’s summer in Lima and I’m melting away. Only this week Senamhi, Peru’s weather institute measured radiation levels ranging from 14 to 19 on a scale of 20. For reference, a measurement of 5 is moderate, above 11 it is extremely high. Español aquí.

Of course you shouldn’t just protect yourself from the sun and radiation in Peru. Wherever and whenever, you should protect yourself. Did you know that UVA makes you look older faster? Keep reading for more tips to protect yourself from the sun! 🌞

1. Protect yourself against UVB and UVA rays
Look for a formula that protects you from both UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays are the ones that burn and darken your skin, and UVA rays wrinkle and age you. Yes, they make you wrinkle faster than usual. Both of them also cause cancer.

SPF will let you know what percentage of UVB rays are repelled by your sunblock. SPF 15 protects you from 93% of radiation; 30, from 97%; 50, from 98% and 100, from 99%. The difference is quite narrow. Because of this difference of only 1% or 2%, dermatologists recommend an SPF 30 which is easier to find in a store.

Make sure your sunscreen will protect you from UVA rays by looking for it on the label or the words “broad spectrum”. Broad spectrum will also protect you from UVB rays.

2. Reapply every two hours
An SPF can also tell you how long your sunblock protects you from the sun. You can estimate this time by multiplying the SPF reading with how long it takes for your unprotected skin to get red. For example, if you become red within 10 minutes of being exposed to the sun and use an SPF 30 sunblock, it should protect you for about 130 minutes. However, I should also mention that some studies recommend reapplying your formula at least every two hours, regardless.

3. ¿Chemical or physical?
So, apparently sun protection comes in two types: chemical and physical. Chemical formulas work with ingredients that absorb UV radiation before it gets in your skin. Because no chemical offers a broad UV coverage on its own, chemical sunblocks and sunscreens contain a combination of ingredients to protect against the full UV ray spectrum.

Physical formulas reflect or repel UV radiation, bouncing it off your skin. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are two recognized ingredients for providing a broad physical UV spectrum protection. Physical formulas are the most recommended for sensitive skin.

4. If you are going to get wet, use a waterproof formula
Only those formulas that are waterproof will actually protect you if you get wet. If it isn’t waterproof, getting wet will only remove the formula and leave you unprotected.

5. Use additional protection
Dare to wear hats and additional protection. I love the geisha type parasols I’ve seen around Lima these weeks. To ensure your protection against the sun, make sure your instruments have an insulating material that will keep the sun’s rays off you when you use them.

Don’t be embarrassed to use something that will keep you safe. It seems that my friend’s hobby is to tease me whenever I wear something that is not “standard”, but the one who laughs last laughs best.

I would love to know if you liked this post. I really hope it helps you protect yourself against the sun. Remember that even when you can’t see the sun, we are still exposed to UVA radiation. 🌞

Source: SENHAMI, UCSF School of Medicine, and Skin Cancer Foundation.