Hola Fit Diva

Diva Destination

Welcome to the First Diva Destination of 2018

Peru ????????

Hola Fit Diva

As Fortunate as I am to experience the world, I wanted to start sharing my foodie & diva-licious moments each time I travel.

I am currently on a bus for 8 hours leaving Cusco and headed to lake Titikaka, with lots of time to read, reset, think and create. Of course I’m dying not working out and can feel my ass getting mushier….???? but it’s SO worth these lifetime experiences. We must truly have balance with a Strong Mind, Strong Body but mostly importantly a grateful soul.  I hope you enjoy the Fit Diva ways with the different fun & funky foods & drink of all the local areas I get to experience. After I all… Diva-licious is all about ways to create healthy foods forever. Why not share ways to eat balanced while on travel & teach you why and what each culture thrives on.

It is possible to vacay & not come home 5-10 lbs heavier! Life & food are meant to be enjoyed & leave memorable experiences!

Time to Travel

First stop: Lima, Peru

Seafood is extremely popular here… yay! I would say as a protein source it’s my #1. I love all seafood! Cooked, raw, spiced, grilled… all!

First Dinner: 11:30pm. Just landed and settled in our Hotel. Absolutely exhausted but SO hungry after traveling all day.

Seafood rice bowl

Breakfast

Simple buffet mix.

I try to balance out my meals. Where I want to eat cleaner… and where I want to indulge.

The coffee here is Ahhhh-mazimg. If you like strong coffee.

tomatoes, sweet pot, eggs, fruit, cheese, & a lil walnut danish

Ohhhh PS. Definitely DO NOT drink any water unless it’s bottle!!!! Even to brush your teeth!

Lunch

Local seafood market on our tour in the main part of the city.

Some of the best Ceviche I have had. Fresh Fresh Fresh. A mix of Octopus, Trout, Calamari & some sort of conch. Lots of onions, side of sweet potato & corn!

Dinner

The dinner wasn’t picture worthy but I had: grilled chicken, mixed veggies, salad with goat cheese and walnuts & a glass of white wine.

Nothing too exciting but the ambiance was So beautiful

Dessert

Different! I had their seasonal sorbet. Which was lime. Lime is used on Lots of dishes. With some sort of wafer. Ernie had a chocolate mouse. Both thumbs up.

Cusco

This is the highlight of the trip. Why? One of the seven wonders of the world… Machu Picchu

Words cannot describe the feeling you feel once you see this unforgettable place of pure serenity-peace & magical wonder.

Local foods:

Well, Inca tribe of course known for potatoes. 4,000 kinds to be exact. I’m not a huge potato fan unless it’s sweet potato. However… omg the sweet, fresh potato in any form here is absolutely fabulous. So far my favorite, the purple potato. I forget to take a pic of these little purple potato breads we had. WOW.

Corn: Corn isn’t like we are used to having in the US. It’s very Large, soft and not much flavor. It’s used to make so many drinks, beers and other dishes. By itself, I’m not a big fan

Trout: All local and very good. I tried it 3-4 different times with different sauces and sides all grilled and loved all of them.

Alpaca: AKA lama. What???? Of course Ernie had to order it and as much as I’m not big on red meat I must admit… it was pretty darn good. Tastes close to your standard cow meat.

Cuy: Guinea Pig. YEP!!!!! Sad but true. We ordered a dish to share so we could all try it.

Um…. Not a fan. So gamey and I knew what I was eating.

Pisco: YUM. The local liquor here in Peru. It’s made from many different grapes. Depending on how strong or sweet you want your Pisco it can be distilled anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

Pisco sour is the traditional. Pisco, simple sugar, lime juice and a touch of egg whites!

I’m going to remake this beautiful cocktail back home using half stevia to cut down the sugar. We shall see what happens. After all it has protein in it. Hahahahaha.

Breakfast

All 3 mornings at our absolutely beautiful hotel I chose a blend of protein, carb and fat.

I chose fresh homemade bread, different meats and smoked fish, veggies and either cheese or guacamole and local fruit. Oh, and coffee of course. In heaven!!!!

First Lunch

We all tried the Alpaca & fresh potato fries.

Cuy- Guinea Pig with corn

Persian Non Alcoholic Drinks

Coca tea. Tea made from coca leaves. It aids in helping with elevation sickness and headaches. So far so good.

Purple Corn drink. Ernie tried this sweet sipper made from purple corn. Too sweet for me!!! But had to try.

Train ride to Machu Picchu

Chicken avocado wrap. Corn. Chia bar. Cheese.

Trout

Let’s just say I have had my fair share of Trout. Almost daily. Either lunch or dinner.

This one above was my fav! ❤️ Dill pesto

Fresh Trout Ceviche with sweet potato. Another Favorite!!!!! Fresh fresh fresh.

Pisco

Pisco Sour was a hit!!!!!! Plus vino of course!

Other Persian foods

A few other dishes and foods I loved along our wonderful journey in Peru.

Natural healing though herbs, plants and fruits at a local market.

Scallops still in shells.

Post cooking class. Classic steak and chips! Potato’s are SO fresh here. Meat cooked in: Pisco, red wine, cilantro, soy sauce. YUM

Quinoa, roasted veggie and local cheese salad with avocado. Quinoa is grown here in Puno. Again, talk about fresh taste. I’m in heaven!!!!

Astrid & Gastón

Grand finale Lunch back in Lima, Peru.

We ended our spring break get away having lunch in one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.

Ambience was A+++

Food was A beautiful presentation but quality was medium. Maybe because I’m becoming a worldly food critic now. lol.

Here are our starters:

Pisco cocktails of course. I had a ginger, lime, cucumber mix & Ernie had the house mix of passion fruit.

Sea bass Ceviche 19th, 20th & 21st century style.

Main dish

You would think I would be tired of fish…. nope! Grouper with Lima bean humus, quinoa, cucumber chutney. Edible flowers ????

Farewell Peru

Well, I hope this gave you an idea of some of the local Persian foods we had the pleasure of trying. I love that most restaurants had half of their menu with healthy options that were full of local flavor and freshness. Instead of the fried, thick sauces & processed norm. Every dinner I enjoyed a glass of vino or cocktail or dessert or both. Having the ability to try foods around the world is truly a blessing. Living healthy & happy isn’t always easy but it is a choice you can control if you want it bad enough!
Until the next Diva Destination… summer: Barcelona & Paris ????????
Saluti Bella fit diva.