You need not give up on your adventurous taste buds as we spend time at home in the upcoming weeks. Bring Peru home with this simple, yet delightful quinoa recipe. Developed by our friends in Cusco, we share a bacon quinotto with you, a quinoa recipe that is sure to have your mouth watering for more.
Quinoa has been cultivated in South America for at least 3,000 years. In Peru, the old Incas considered the grain sacred and referred to it as “the mother grain Quinoa.” During the 1500s with the Spanish conquest, the production of quinoa greatly diminished. But today, the grain is grown extensively in Peru, Chile and Bolivia and is many popular dishes in the United States.
Quinotto: Quinoa Recipe
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow chilli pepper
- 2 tblsp white wine
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 tblsp cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- Olive oil (to taste)
- Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- Parsley (to taste)
Preparation Start by rinsing your quinoa. To cook the multi-color blend I used above place 1 cup of quinoa in a pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes (note: cooking time differs for each type of quinoa). Meanwhile, in a saucepan sauté the red onion, yellow chili pepper and bacon – I used the bacon grease as my oil, but if necessary you can add in a little olive oil to cook the vegetables. Next, add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate off. Then add the cooked quinoa. Stir. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, cream and parmesan cheese until the quinotto is fairly creamy. Lastly add salt, pepper and parsley to taste. Enjoy!
Peru Culinary TRAVEL
Culinary travel in Peru has become immensely popular in the past few years, and for good reason. Peru has 85 individual climates and can grow almost anything, pair that with a rich history and world renowned chefs and you’ve cooked up one the biggest culinary hot spots in the world.
We first learned about this quinoa recipe during a cooking class in Cusco. We often create trips that incorporate that same Cusco culinary day with a trip to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. For example this class would work perfectly with our Classic Machu Picchu Trip Idea or our Peru Active Explorer Trip Idea. Read on for more information about our Peru cooking class.
Cusco, PERU COOKING CLASS The day begins with a visit to the San Pedro Mercado. This authentic food market is the place of choice for local Cuzqueno people to do their grocery shopping, and is filled with a cacophony of sounds, vibrant colors, and pungent aromas. You explore the market alongside your chef guide learning about Peru’s diverse cuisine and ingredients while getting a real dose of Peruvian culture and meeting some of the chef’s favorite local providers. From here you’ll be taken to the chef’s beautiful open-air cooking laboratory in the countryside just above Cusco where you’ll tour the garden sipping a delicious pisco sour before the cooking instruction begins. After your interactive cooking lesson and a delicious lunch you’ll be taken back to your Cusco hotel.
Click the following link for another Peruvian recipe and more information on Peruvian cuisine.
Nos Vemos, Lisa
Lisa is the Media Manager at Knowmad Adventures, a company dedicated to creating unique, private and custom trips in South America. She studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2012 and is continually planning her next adventure. Read Lisa’s biography and more about the Knowmad team.
Note: This post was originally posted on February 9, 2016 and was adjusted to include the most up-to-date information on March 26, 2020.
