Viru: Three hours in two minutes from Astrid and Gastón Acurio

Three hours in Two Minutes is a new video from Gaston Acurio and his team that takes your through the wonderfully colourful tasting menu at Astrid Y Gaston in Lima, Peru.

Called Viru, the menu is a mixed bag of dishes from across Peru that explore five distinct themes: the coast, the desert, The Andes, The Amazon and The Altiplano.

The video shows the dishes as they’re being put together and finished on the plate and gives a glimpse at just how diverse the cuisine at the restaurant is.

The end of the video reveals the many faces of the Astrid y Gaston kitchen including that of head chefDiego Muñoz.

Take a look at the video below, but be warned, it’s sure to make you want to visit Lima just to taste.

Moussaka

From the blog 12 Tomatoes:

Greek Recipe: Mouth-Watering Moussaka 

For a fantastic, meaty casserole you may not have tried yet, look no further than the Mediterranean. The top bechamel layer gives way to a wonderfully savory meat sauce layered between eggplant to create a dish often compared to a Greek lasagna. 

Moussaka isn't necessarily a strict Greek dish. There are many ways to make it in the Mediterranean, however we're much more accustomed to the lasagna-like Greek moussaka served in a casserole dish, and of course served hot. Like any lasagna, it can take a little time and effort to make, but the end product is absolutely worth it. Keep reading below for our favorite moussaka recipe...

GreekMoussaka

Ingredients

MEAT SAUCE

• 2lbs ground lamb orbeef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt to taste

BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

MOUSSAKA

• 3 large eggplants
• 1/2 cup salt
• 8 cups water
• 2-3 Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 cup pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• olive oil

Directions

1. Mix together the 1/2 cup salt with 8 cups of water for the moussaka in a large pot. Slice the top and bottom off the eggplants. Cut thick strips of skin off the eggplants and give them a striped appearance. Slice the eggplant into 1/4" thick rounds and drop them into the brine. Let the eggplant sit in the brine 15-20 minutes, then remove them onto paper towels to dry.
2. While the eggplant brines, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground meat. About halfway through, add the onions and red pepper. Sprinkle a little salt over the meat and vegetables.
3. Once the meat is browned and onions have softened, add the garlic, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ground ginger, black pepper, oregano, and tomato paste. Mix well and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the red wine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer gently, uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well and taste. Add more lemon juice or salt to taste. Set the sauce aside.
4. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4" rounds and boil them in salted water for 5-8 minutes while the meat sauce simmers. You want them under-cooked but not completely crunchy. Drain and set aside.
5. To cook the eggplant, preheat the oven to broiling. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Grease the inside with olive oil, then place the eggplant rounds on the foil and brush with the olive oil. Broil for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned on one side. Flip, then broil for 2-3 minutes more. Set aside.
6. Next, prepare the bechamel. Add the milk in a pot and set over medium heat until steamy (about 160 degrees). Do not let the milk simmer.
7. Heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Let the roux simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
8. Slowly pour the steamy milk into the roux, stirring constantly. Once all the milk is added, return the heat to medium and add the bay leaf, nutmeg, and about a teaspoon of salt, continuing to stir well. Cook sauce until it reduces slightly (about 15 minutes). Discard the bay leaf.
9. Put the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour a ladle's worth of the bechamel onto the eggs, constantly whisking. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the bechamel while whisking the mixture. Keep the sauce on very low heat to prevent it from boiling or simmering.
10. To assemble the dish, set the oven temperature to 350F. Layer the bottom of a casserole with the potatoes overlapping slightly.Top the potatoes with a layer of eggplant slices (using only about half). Cover the eggplant slices with the meat sauce, then layer the remaining eggplant slices on top of the meat.
11. Sprinkle half the cheese on top. Ladle the bechamel over everything in an even layer. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
12. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the top is browned. Let the moussaka cool for 15 minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Camarones al Pesto

Mirciny Moliviatis

Una receta muy fácil y rápida para hacer camarones. 

Ingredientes:

1/2 taza de albahaca
1 diente de ajo pequeño
1 cucharada de nueces tostadas
2 cucharadas de queso parmesano
2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
1 cucharada de jugo de limón
sal y pimienta al gusto
1 libra de camarones pelados

Instrucciones
Poner la albahaca, ajo, piñones, queso parmesano, aceite, jugo de limón, la sal y la pimienta en un procesador de alimentos o licuadora hasta que quede suave.
Marinar los camarones en el pesto por lo menos durante 20 minutos y refrigerar por lo menos una noche o hacerlos en ese mismo momento.
Hacer una brocheta de camarones con palitos de madera y ponerlos en la parrilla a fuego medio-alto hasta que se cueza, aproximadamente 2-3 minutos por cada lado.

Referencia: closetcooking

Apple Fritter Pancake Experience

By yummy on June 3, 2013

 Every bite is a Apple Fritter-Pancake experience! Crispy on the outside, moist, tender & fluffy on the inside. They’re totally filled with apple Every burst of warm, gooey apple suspended throughout each puffy pancake puppy will make your ordinary morning EXTRA-ordinary! You won’t believe this is ‘breakfast’!

Apple Fritter Pancake Experience

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pancake mix just add water (or your favorite pancake recipe)
Sliced ​​apples (green or red, you have on hand) 2 centimeters thick
Powdered sugar and cinnamon
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Make pancake mix.
Heat the oil.
Cut apples (you can peel them or not).
Dip in pancake mix.
Fry in plenty of oil.
2 or 3 minutes on each side.
roll on powdered sugar, sprinkle cinnamon
Serve and enjoy!

Strawberry Crumble

By yummy on May 15, 2014

Strawberry Crumble

This delicious strawberry crumble recipe is great served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup finely ground almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, gently toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar, and flour.
3. Pour strawberry mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, ground almonds and butter until crumbs form.
5. Distribute crumb topping evenly over strawberries.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown.

Sunny Spinach Pie

Sunny Spinach Pie

When you’re hosting a party, you want to surprise your guests with something out of the ordinary and extra special. This sunny spinach pie recipe will delight your guests and have them begging for the recipe. It’s super delicious and definitely way easier to make than you would think.
I saw this recipe on an Italian website .. and as I love Italian cuisine could not resist sharing it with you
TORTA RUSTICA di SPINACI
From: blog.giallozafferano.it

Sunny Spinach Pie

Ingredients:

Dough:

17 oz  of flour
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt

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Filling:

12 oz  of boiled spinach
12 oz ricotta
1 egg
3 oz  of grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs

Instructions:

1-Place all dough ingredients in a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, knead until the dough is smooth and combined. Wrap in plastic while you make the filling.
2-To create the filling, mix the spinach with the ricotta.
Next, add your egg, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside briefly.
3-Unwrap your dough from the plastic and divide it into two equal parts.
4-Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to create two circles 30 cm in diameter each.
5-On your first circle, sprinkle breadcrumbs over-top to help absorb the moisture of the filling and to keep the dough dry.
6-Distribute the filling on the circle that was just sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
7-Place one large dollop at the center of the circle, and spread the remainder in a ring around the dough. See the picture below for reference.
8-Sprinkle the filling with grated Parmesan.
9-Now, cover with the second circle of dough.
10-Seal the edges with your hands, and then use a fork to press.
11-Place a small bowl in the middle of the pie and press lightly to make an indentation.

Use your fork to press lightly.

12-Cut the dough into pieces approximately 2 cm thick, keeping it attached at the center. See the photo for reference.

13-Twist each slice and continue until each slice is twisted.


14-Bake the spinach pie at 180°C for 30 minutes or until golden

Yum! I can’t wait to entertain my guests with this amazing sunny spinach pie. It’ll be sure to brighten everyone’s day.