Crema de rocoto (rocoto hot sauce)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of rocoto paste. You can use more rocoto paste if you want it spicier or replace the paste with two seeded rocotos.
• 2 medium size onions in slices
• 8 garlic cloves in slices
• 6 tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon of huacatay paste (you can prepare this sauce without huacatay if you are unable to find it)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Preparation:

Add two tablespoons of oil to a pan over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, huacatay and salt until onion is light brown. Add the rocoto paste and saute for one more minute.

After the ingredients have cooled than a little pour them into a blender, add the remaining oil and blend until you get an homogenous cream. Add more oil and salt if needed.

Picante de Mariscos (spicy seafood stew)

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg. of seafood medley (approximately 2 lbs.)
• 1 onion finely diced
• 6 medium size potatoes cut in small cubes (1.5 cm or 1/2 inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons of aji amarillo paste (yellow Peruvian chili paste)
• 1 tablespoon of aji panca paste (red Peruvian chili paste or it could be replaced with 2 teaspoons of ground paprika)
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 2 cups of fish broth (if you don't have fish broth you could use chicken or vegetable broth)
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 cup of chopped parsley

Preparation:

In medium size pot heat the oil, add the aji amarillo, aji panca, garlic, cumin, salt and onion and cook on medium high until brown stirring frequently. Add the fish broth and potatoes, cook on medium for approximately 25 - 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender then slightly press the potatoes to make them crumble a bit. Add the wine and seafood and cook for 5 minutes. Add the parsley and mix well right before serving.

Serve with white rice and decorate with parsley leaves.

Aji de Calabaza (spicy squash stew)

Ingredients:

• 2 Kg. of squash (use a white flesh squash like opo squash)
• 4 medium size potatoes in cubes (1.5 cm or approximately 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 tablespoons of aji Amarillo paste (yellow Peruvian chili paste)
• 1 tablespoons of aji panca paste (red Peruvian chili paste or 2 teaspoons of ground paprika)
• 1 tablespoons of garlic paste
• 1 medium size onion finely diced
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 cups of boiled corn kernels
• 300 g. of fresh cheese in small dice (it could be replaced with mozzarella)
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 2 teaspoons of salt

Preparation:

After peeling and seeding the squash, cut it in thin slices and reserve.

Heat the oil in a medium size pot, add the aji amarillo, aji panca, garlic, onion and cumin. Cook on medium high until brown. Add the milk, squash, potatoes and salt. Set temperature to medium low, cover it and cook until the potatoes are tender (approximately 25 minutes). Set temperature to low, add the cheese and corn, and cook for 1-2 minutes while mixing everything.

Serve with white rice and decorate with huacatay (black mint).