Peruvian Potatoes with Chiles and Cheese

Sorry for the rambling title - I felt it was appropriate to grasp the full magnitude of this dish.

Last November when we were in D.C. we ate at a Peruvian restaurant. It was the first time Johnny, Goran, and I had ever had the cuisine and all three of us fell in love. It's been on my mind since to see what I could incorporate into my own kitchen.

I'm not a member of any CSAs, but I am signed up for an e-mail newsletter for a local farm I considered. One of the things included in the weekly newsletter are recipes. The thing I love about these recipes are their focus - using up the CSA vegetables! It's a great resource to have for sides, as well as vegetarian and vegan meal ideas. A few weeks ago this dish came in the newsletter and I put it aside to make.

Please note, I made a lot of substitutions according to what we had on hand. I will be making it more closely to the original recipe in the future to try that out too.

2 pounds red potatoes (I used 6 medium russets)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped red onion (I used 2 small yellow onions)
2 minced jalapenos, minced (leave seeds according to your heat preference)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (I used a lot more - 5 cloves)
1 cup milk
6 oz feta, crumbled (I used Chihuahua, cubed)
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro, optional (DISGUSTING!)

Wash and cube the potatoes. Boil in salted water until nearly tender, then drain.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapenos and cook for about 2 minutes, until tender.

Add the drained potatoes and milk to the skillet. Simmer for a few minutes until the potatoes absorb some of the liquid and it reduces to a creamy consistency. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese so it begins to melt. I used Chihuahua because I felt it was more appropriate for this cuisine than feta, plus I had it on hand.

Plate, placing the hard boiled eggs atop. (For perfect easy-to-peel egg instructions, see this post.) Garnish with chopped cilantro (YUCK!) or parsley.

This was some seriously good stuff. The starch from the potatoes and the milk made this delicious "gravy" that enveloped every bite. The jalapenos added a little something-something in the background, while the eggs where a nice change of temperature and texture. I'll be making it again, like I said - closer to the original recipe and also playing around getting more creative with it.

I am submitting this to the 100th week of Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI), which Biz is hosting. She chose chiles and you have until November 7th to submit a recipe - new or old!


I'm also sharing this with Just Another Meatless Monday, a weekly collection of meat-free dishes, snacks, and meals to be inspired by! (Click the image above for more information.)