Archive | March, 2010

Tomato Basil Bruschetta Mix

24 Mar

Ever since my little nieces fell in love with my Shrek’s Spaghetti… they’ve been asking for me to fix them every time they come over to visit.  The thing is that not every time Titi Madelyn has the spinach fettuccini that gives Shrek’s Spaghetti its peculiar name.

So a few weeks back, my solution was to just marinate the tomatoes and serve them as an appetizer with crackers instead.  They liked it a lot… as did their mothers.  Now, this has become a frequent request for parties and get-togethers.  It’s really good…  try it for yourself.

 

TOMATO BASIL BRUSCHETTA MIX

4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped – you could also use a pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbs of basil, chopped – I have been using freeze-dried lately
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp freshly cracked Black Pepper
About ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Mix together well.
  2. Marinate the tomato mixture at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, tossing and mixing every once in a while. 
  3. Remove the pieces of smashed garlic before serving to your guests.  Enjoy with whole-wheat toasts or crackers.

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Healthy Lifestyle Change for MARCH – Not eating Animal products once a week

10 Mar

I know that it’s sometimes difficult to shed a habit so much ingrained in us such as eating animal products.  Especially when we were raised with the belief and within a society that promotes healthy eating with eating meat and other animal products. 

 If you were to tell me 12 years ago that I was going to be a vegetarian and that I would be writing a blog sharing my recipes and experiences with the world, I would have laughed in the face of whoever told me that then.  But destiny has proven to be different and being vegetarian I have found a whole world filled with happiness and health.  And that’s what I want for you all…

But I do not pretend that a decision that big should be taken lightly… the decision to become vegetarian needs to come truly from within.  That’s why I would like for you to try consciously to think about eating 3 meals in a day without any animal products… no red meat, no chicken, no pork, no bacon, no fish, no seafood, no eggs  – nothing of that nature just one day a week.

It’s not that difficult… this blog is filled with recipes that do not include any of those.  And in line with my previous post on MeatFree Mondays, it’s not also a great way to see that you can indeed feed and nourish yourself but here are some other benefits of not eating meat products once a week:

  • Animal products/meats are much harder to digest than vegetable-based foods
  • Animal products are many times associated with constipation
  • It’s a way to contribute in the reduction of green house gases, and contribute to the helath of our planet.
  • And we should create a new habit of thinking that RICE or even a SALAD is the focal point of our dinner plate, not a piece of meat.

Here are a few of our most popular recipes to help you kick-start your menu imagination…

 salade-nicoise.jpg

Comme Ci Comme Ca Salade Niçoise

veggie-cuban-sandwich

Veggie Cuban Sandwich

Sweet Plantain and Spinach Pastelón

 

Soy Picadillo

Veggie Sancocho

camarones-enchilados

“Shrimp” Creole

Yuca con Cuban Mojo

couliflower-and-cheese-mac

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

tembleque-mami

Mami’s Tembleque

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Smoky Soft Polenta

1 Mar

Until recently, to me creamy cornmeal was something to be had sweet and for breakfast.  But lately I have learned that this Italian staple is something to be savored as a lunch or dinner and depending on how you season it, it can certainly be very versatile.

I already shared with you a version using blue cheese as a flavoring component… but this time we’re going the smoky route.  When you add a smoky cheese to polenta, it brings a “bacony” taste without the guilt or repercussions to your health and conscience. 

 

SMOKY SOFT POLENTA

½ cup water
½ cup milk
¼ tsp salt
4 tbs quick-cooking polenta
About 1/3 cup smoked Gouda cheese, grated
¼ cup Pecorino Romano, grated

 

  1. I prepare my polentas according to the package directions of the brand I buy…  I first heat up in a medium-sized pot over medium heat the milk, water and salt.
  2. As soon as the milk/water mixture is starting to boil, add the polenta in small increments, whisking constantly with a hand whisk.  The polenta I buy thickens pretty quickly, in about 1-2 minutes of whisking.
  3. Add the cheeses and mix well to ensure they melt into the polenta.  If you find the polenta too thick, you can stir in a bit more milk if you want.

 

The taste is salty, creamy and smoky all in one bite…  I had this originally with these Braised Bell Peppers.

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