As I mentioned on my Peruvian Grilled Chicken blog, when I was living in Toronto, I went to Paracas Peruvian restaurant 🍴 a few times, located on St. Clair Avenue. This is when I came across this bright, vibrant, and delicious sauce… Ají Verde which is a spicy Peruvian green sauce! This condiment is so tasty! With a nice balance of fresh herbs, citrus 🍋, and a little kick in the background, this rich and creamy sauce is a great recipe to have on hand. It can be served alongside grilled or roasted chicken, also called Pollo a la Brasa. This is my version of this lovely Peruvian sauce. An authentic Ají Verde is made with huacatay, a leafy Andean herb 🌿 known as black mint. Instead, I’m using cilantro. In the past, I tried a small amount of regular mint, but it took over the flavor of the sauce. I’ve never used it again. The same applies when it comes to another component when making the sauce: ají amarillo paste. I use my version of this particular ingredient. Not having access to ají amarillo peppers, I mimic the taste using a blend of habanero pepper and orange bell pepper along with salt 🧂 and oil. Jalapeño pepper goes in, but because there’s ají amarillo paste in it as well, I make sure the pepper is seeded and that there are no ribs on it. The heat is well balanced without being insanely fiery 🧯 that numbs my taste buds. This quick and easy South American sauce is versatile. Besides being the perfect pairing with Pollo a la Brasa, it can be drizzled over tacos 🌮 or empanadas, rice, eggs, or as a dip for French fries and yucca. David and I also enjoy it over fried or grilled fish. This bold and colorful spicy green sauce is truly a must-try! It takes just 5 minutes ⏳ to make, and here’s your Ají Verde ready to be used as a topping or to enhance other proteins. This condiment has a rich, creamy, and velvety texture that you’ll become addicted to, as I did! Bon Appétit! 🍽 Here are more great sauce recipes for you to try… 😀 – Polynesian BBQ Sauce – Cherry Port Sauce – Sweet Chili Lime Sauce – Soubise Sauce – Steak au Poivre (Steak with Peppercorn Sauce) – Spicy Strawberry Orange Sauce – Classic Mushroom Sauce – Sauce Robert – Romesco Sauce – Hollandaise Sauce and for even more comdiment recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Condiments
David and I have a long bucket list when it comes to visiting countries. Europe is obviously on the list, as well as Australia, Africa, and a few tropical South Pacific islands such as Tahiti and Bora Bora 🌴 in French Polynesia, the Fijian islands, Aitutaki in Cook Islands, Upolu in Samoa, etc. Another area we would like to explore is South America 🌎, and one country in particular: Peru. Besides the famous Machu Picchu, there’s Lake Titicaca, Vinicunca or Winikunka where the Rainbow Mountains are, the Nazca Lines, Cusco which is the ancient Incan capital, along with many other sites. When I was living in Toronto, I went to Paracas Peruvian Restaurant a few times. I remembered ordering ceviche, lomo 🐂, and a couple of chicken dishes. During one of my visits, my girlfriends and I met two guys who were from Peru. We hung out a few times together. Discovering my passion for trying foreign recipes, one of the two guys gave me the recipe for his favorite dish 💖. It was called “Pollo a la Brasa” with ají verde sauce served alongside salsa criolla. I totally forgot about it until last year when I went through my box 📦 of recipes that I’ve been collecting since I was 18. Here it was, that Peruvian recipe from the man we’d met. I brought it to David’s attention, telling him that we have to give it a shot… and we’re happy we did! This Peruvian Grilled Chicken is my take on the iconic “pollo a la brasa” 🐓. Incredibly tasty and easy to make, this dish has a lovely sweet, smoky, and tangy flavor profile. With a nice charred outer layer, the meat is juicy and tender. It pairs beautifully well with the famous Ají Verde. I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken, but apart from that, I follow the recipe as is. To tenderize the meat while infusing some serious flavor, it has to be marinated in a briny-aromatic mixture for several hours, preferably overnight 🌜. There’s soy sauce that goes in the marinade, and lots of it. I truly believe that even when it’s low-sodium, there’s no need to add extra salt 🧂 to the mixture. For those of you who are saltaholics, by all means, go ahead and add some. Ají amarillo paste is another important ingredient in the composition of the marinade. I have never seen the actual ají amarillo peppers. I know these little buggers are hot 🧯, measuring 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. They’re 4 to 20 times hotter than jalapeños, and have a similar spice level to serrano peppers. If you are in the same situation as me and can’t find those peppers, there’s a way to mimic the paste, and here’s the link for the recipe. The next option is to order the paste online 💻 or go to a specialty store. On the other hand, the ají amarillo paste can be left out. The taste of the Peruvian Grilled Chicken won’t be the same, but here are a couple of suggestions… – To keep that gorgeous yellow color and the heat 🔥, use either Sambal Oelek or Sriracha along with a pinch of paprika. There’s also mild chili powder that can be used instead. – Another way is to add some red pepper flakes for a spicy background. There are four different cooking methods to choose from. In the video 🎥, I go for the BBQ. If you don’t own one or want to make it during the winter months, an indoor grill will do, as well as the stovetop, setting the heat on medium-high. The oven method is slightly different. Either you grease a rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, or place a wire rack (my preferred way), the thighs need to be cooked for 35 to 40 minutes ⏰ at 425ºF/220ºC, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but if you choose for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, the cooking time for any of those methods will take longer. As the bone acts as an insulator, the protein will take a good 10 minutes ⌚ longer than the boneless thighs. With an irresistible combination of smoky, fruity, and spicy flavors, this Peruvian Grilled Chicken is a recipe that you should definitely make this summer! This South American iconic dish is served with a cool Ají verde sauce alongside rice 🍚 and salsa criolla… simply yummy! Bon Appétit! 🍽 Check out these other great BBQ & grilling recipes… 😀 – Baja Shrimp Tacos – Polynesian Pork Ribs – Mexican Smoky Corn Dip – Ultimate Cheeseburgers – Coffee Cocoa Pork Tenderloin – Turkish Kebabs – Huli-huli Chicken – Blackened Grilled Fish – Fire Roasted Salsa and for even more BBQ recipes 🔥, click on this link… Recipe Category • BBQ & Grilling
When summer arrives, my priorities change. Instead of being inside, cooking and working, I do the same while being outside. My “outdoor” desk is the patio table, taking my laptop 💻 outside along with all the stuff I need to work with while the BBQ turns into the oven. Why suffer inside with the heat while we can use the “barbie” outside? I really enjoy grilled foods and the flavor that they give them. From casual to upscale, there are so many dishes to grill, like hot dogs & hamburgers 🍔, fish tacos, rotisserie chicken, and BBQ pork ribs, to tuna steaks, BBQ beef shish kebabs, etc. Talking about kebabs (skewers) 🍢, I have a few amazing recipes such as Arabian Chicken Kebabs, Shawarma Chicken Kebabs, Cajun Seafood Skewers, Greek Ouzo Pork Kebabs, Hawaiian Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs, and many more, including this featured one… Turkish Kebabs! Made with ground lamb 🐏 and seasoned with a beautiful spice blend and a hint of mint, this is such an incredible recipe to serve this summer! I like to pair this tasty dish with tomatoes that I grill on the barbecue, some flatbread, along with sliced onions. I also make a lovely yogurt sauce for these Turkish Kebabs; it brings some freshness to this hearty meal. I like raw onions especially in salads 🥗 or as a garnish. They can be red, yellow, or white. Sometimes, though, the taste can be a bit too strong. To remove their bitterness and mellow out the strong flavor, here’s a great tip (trick?) to know… How to Remove Bitterness from Onions Of course, we all have our favorite summer grilled foods, but these Turkish Kebabs are a nice delicious change to try! They’re easy to make 👩🍳👨🍳, and the flavor is simply incredible! It’s a mouthwatering summer dish that I’m positive you’ll be quite pleased with… Bon Appétit! 🍽 Check out these other great barbecue & grilling recipes…😀 – Elotes • Grilled Mexican Street Corn – Peri Peri Chicken – Canadian Smoky Pork Ribs – Pacific Coast Salmon on the BBQ – Chicken Gyros – North African Merguez – Tomates à la Provençale (Tomatoes Provencal) – Italian Burgers with Tomato Slaw – Tex-Mex Potatoes and for even more barbecue recipes 🔥, click on this link… Recipe Category • BBQ & Grilling
I don’t know about your family, but when I was a child 👧, my father ate soup all year round, and it was “hot”. I couldn’t stand eating hot soup during the summertime. Later on, I found out that it was “hot” soup I couldn’t tolerate during the summer, lol! I actually enjoy making “cold” soup 🥣 during the hot months. It’s so refreshing and a nice change to serve to your guests. I have been experimenting with different flavors, and I have to admit, sometimes I can push it a bit too far. I’m still working on a few new flavors, which I will proudly post for you in the near future. The one I’m about to share with you today is super tasty! Not only is it delicious, but it’s also very healthy 💚! It all started because one day I wanted to make my Spanish Gazpacho, and I realized I was missing a few ingredients. I looked into my crisper and saw some avocados, and a light came on! It took me a few tries, but I finally got there! Please enjoy my Chilled Avocado Soup! David and I eat avocados 🥑 regularly. They’re one of our favorite fruits! This is a “superfood”, and its nutrients, vitamins , and healthy fats make it extra special. We sometimes eat an avocado by scooping the flesh right out of the avocado half with a spoon just before dinner. Other times, we use them to make David’s tasty guacamole as a condiment for sandwiches 🥪, nachos, burgers, and so on. Now we have another way to enjoy this awesome fruit… Chilled Avocado Soup! If you enjoy the buttery texture and flavor of this fruit like we do, you will definitely love 💖 this recipe! To me, this Chilled Avocado Soup is such a flavorful dish! How can you not enjoy the freshness when it’s hot outside? Just a slight warning… after you try it, you’ll be hooked! Bon Appétit!🍽 If you are not sure on how to handle this fruit, click here… How to Prep an Avocado Here are a few more chilled soup recipes for you to enjoy…😎 – Chilled Thai Pesto & Potato Soup – Spanish Gazpacho – Chilled Pea Soup – Chilled Leek & Fennel Soup – Classic Vichyssoise – Chilled Roasted Pepper Soup – Sopa Ajoblanco ~ White Gazpacho – Tarator Soup ~ Chilled Bulgarian Cucumber Soup – Salmorejo and for even more flavorful soup recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups
Like many young adults who start drinking, I liked sweet cocktails that were also visually vibrant and appealing. There was Singapore Sling, Volcano 🧉, Long Island Iced Tea, Piña Colada (I still love it), Zombie, B-52, Grasshopper, Mudslide, Melon Ball, Blue Hawaiian or Blue Lagoon, Strawberry Daiquiri, etc.
One that I drank a lot back then, and still these days, especially when it’s hot outside, is Tequila Sunrise! This visually stunning cocktail 🤩 is so quick and easy to make. Its appearance mimics the look of a sunrise, with the grenadine syrup sunk to the bottom and gradually fading from vibrant red to bright orange.
This striking drink 🍹 has two versions: the original one from the ‘30s and another one from the ‘70s. The one I showcase is the latest version, although many bartenders and mixologists created different variations of this classic.
The ‘30s version (recipe below) was either invented at the Agua Caliente Resort in Tijuana, Mexico, or at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, USA. It had white tequila, crème de cassis, which is blackcurrant liqueur, along with lime juice, grenadine, and club soda water 💦.
The one from the ‘70s got a facelift at the Trident Restaurant in Sausalito, California. Where it differs from the original is by using orange juice 🍊 instead of crème de cassis and a generous amount of grenadine. Lime juice and club soda water were dismissed.
My preferred version of Tequila Sunrise is the one from California. It has three main ingredients: tequila blanco, orange juice, and grenadine. This is the perfect drink to sip by the pool 😎 or on the patio in the afternoon.
The proper way of making it is with 2 ounces of white tequila… I prefer 1 ½ ounces. I treat this liquor very carefully. I can only have one drink… that’s it; otherwise, it gets in my head and I get very, and I mean very, drunk 🥴. There’s Tequila Rosa that I tremendously love, but after a couple of shots, my system gets “weird” (and so do I), so after a few attempts and a couple disasters, this liqueur is not permitted in my house.
The grenadine follows after the orange juice is poured. This ingredient makes the drink. Not only does it give a gorgeous color, but also adds some sweetness to the cocktail. Now, because the syrup is heavy, it will sink to the bottom of the glass, creating a multi-colored gradient, similar to a “sunrise” 🌅.
Here’s some fun trivia… The modern version went viral back in the ‘70s. The Rolling Stones 🎸 members loved it so much that they named their 1972 U.S. tour the “Cocaine and Tequila Sunrise Tour”, while the Eagles released a hit song titled “Tequila Sunrise” on their 1973 Desperado album.
Whether relaxing by the pool, having a backyard party 🥳, or just enjoying yourself comfortably on your patio, this Tequila Sunrise is a tasty, refreshing cocktail to have. With its sweet and fruity flavor, don’t be surprised if it becomes your summer favorite! Cheers!🥂
‘30s Tequila Sunrise recipe… ∙ 5 to 6 large ice cubes ∙ 1 ½ oz white tequila ∙ ¾ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ∙ ½ oz Crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) ∙ ½ oz. grenadine syrup ∙ club soda (or seltzer) to top ∙ 1 lime wheel
1- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes; set aside. 2- In a Boston shaker, add tequila, lime juice, and crème de cassis; shake well. 3- Strain the mixture into the prepared highball glass, and pour grenadine. Top with club soda and garnish with a lime wheel.
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