Last Supper In Ecuador

What do you do on a quiet Tuesday when you're nine months pregnant and there is a winter storm advisory?  Cook a feast from Ecuador, of course!

Thanks to Play-Doh and Dora the Explorer, Henry was adequately preoccupied while I prepared shrimp ceviche, llapingachos (stuffed potato patties) with peanut sauce, and a chicken tetrazzini casserole for tomorrow night.

I started early this morning with the potato patties.  They are basically mashed potatoes mixed with what the Ecuadoreans call a "refrito", or chopped onions sauteed with chili powder and cumin.  The patties were stuffed with shredded fontina cheese and they stayed in the fridge all day to firm up.

The peanut sauce was an interesting accompaniment, but apparently the standard sauce for serving with llapingachos.  Homemade peanut butter and milk were added to a refrito and simmered.  Cilantro and diced hard boiled egg finished the sauce.

For the ceviche, I brought a pot of water, cut lemons and salt to a boil and added the shrimp.  In fear of getting sick just two days before the arrival of Baby Keysor, I cheated a bit with the ceviche and made sure the shrimp were cooked completely, rather than just half way as the recipe indicates.  I drained the shrimp and placed them on a baking sheet in the fridge to cool.  In the meantime, I roasted tomato, red pepper, onion, and jalapeños in the oven and then pureed them to a sauce.  Lemon juice, orange juice, Tabasco, and ketchup completed the sauce.  Once the shrimp were cooled peeled them, sliced them in half, and tossed them with the sauce plus green onion, red onion, cilantro and avocado.  The dish was beautiful with vibrant colors, and smelled amazing.

Ted cooked the llapingachos while I assembled the ceviche.  I heated the peanut sauce in the microwave and we were ready to eat.  I LOVED it!  The perfect last meal before Baby K's arrival.  Ted did not feel as strongly about the food as I did, but we split the difference with a 4.0.