The table is the place where we create moments that matter and where memories are made. This Holiday season don’t forget to appreciate the simple things. From cooking together to warming up after a chilly day, it is the season for gathering and sharing time with family and friends who become family.

A nutritious ingredient to some tasty dishes is milk is milk. Cow’s milk is in our soups, sauces, winter drinks and of course, desserts. An ally in taste and nutrition, whether you serve it in a glass or include it in your favorite recipe, you can count on its 9 essential nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

Indulge with this ají de gallina dish, made with milk, and enjoy what matters this season with delicious recipes that are passed on from generation to generation.

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Chef Lorena Garcia’s Ají de Gallina 

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 slices of white bread, crust removed
¾ cup yellow onion, diced small
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup almonds, sliced
¼ cup chicken stock
½ cup queso fresco
1 ½ tablespoons ají amarillo paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For serving:
Baby purple potatoes, boiled and quartered
Hard boiled eggs, quartered
Tostada chips

Preparation

• In a small bowl, place bread and milk and let sit so the bread can absorb the milk.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Add scallions and almond slices and saute for 5 minutes until the vegetables are translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a blender, combine chicken stock, onion-almond mixture, soaked bread, queso fresco, ají amarillo paste and evaporated milk. Blend until smooth. (If over thick, add a splash of chicken stock).
• In a large saute pan, add the cooked shredded chicken and sauce and combine until the chicken is well coated with the sauce.
• Serve with tostada chips, boiled egg and purple potatoes and finish with a spring of fresh parsley.