Archive | August, 2010

Hummus

30 Aug

There used to be a time when people paid me money for this Hummus…  Annie Mariel, Laura, Ana Yolanda, Angie, Denisse, Elinor, Lillian – they all have sung the praises of this hummus recipe. That’s why I had not shared it as such in this blog.  Now that I am sort of retired from the pseudo-catering business, I feel comfortable posting it here.

It’s funny that I do not like to eat beans necessarily, but I learned to love hummus.  My version is special because I like it lemony…  to me this is what makes this recipe better than those store-bought hummus.  Hope you learn or teach someone  to love legumes by making this recipe…

 

HUMMUS

1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans – I still have not been able to figure out how to make the garbanzo beans from scratch
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
juice of one lime
about 1/2 cup of olive oil – enough to make the mixture as creamy as possible
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ cup of water, optional
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of paprika
 

I usually make this recipe eye-balling all the ingredients…  so this is my best attempt to give your measurements and proportions.

  1. Rinse the garbanzo beans. 
  2. Place garbanzo beans, cheese, garlic, lime juice salt, pepper, paprika and some of the olive oil in a food processor.
  3. Pulse until the mixture is creamy.  If the mixture is not as creamy as it should be, add the water and a bit more olive oil in small increments until you reach the texture you seek.

 

A friend and ex-neighbor from Israel told me the lemony kick is very much in line with the way they make hummus in Israel.  I remember eating a lot of hummus in Israel and it was all delicious!!!!

Arroz Kristina

26 Aug

My friends from French class and I used to meet at Chez Kristina every Tuesday to practice our French grammar and practice our vocabulary and speaking fluidity.  Since last Summer we took an indefinite break from our weekly get-togethers and I truly miss them. 

Kristina was gracious enough to open up the doors to her house each week and also usually made us dinner.  Many times we offered to help and these reunions were the reason or excuse for many recipes shared here – Mushroom Goat Cheese spread, Cranberry Trifle, “Shrimp” Creole, and the Pita Pizzas made with Spinach and Tomato Sauce.  But many times, Kristina surprised us with a creation all her own. 

One of these creations was what I lovingly call Arroz Kristina – a rice Kristina made in the oven so little tending in necessary.  The flavor is spectacular and it’s great to make for yourself or for company, just like Kristina made it for us.   I tried a few times before this recipe with little success.  It was mostly my fault for screwing up the liquid measurements to accommodate for whole-grain rice.  But recently I discovered Texmati rice, whole grain basmati-style rice apparently grown in Texas that cooks almost exactly was white long-grain rice – similar in texture, liquids to use, time to cook.  This rice is FAST!!!

After discovering Texmati rice and having a pint of mushrooms in my fridge about to spoil, I decided to give Arroz Kristina another serious try…  and the results were as good as the original.

ARROZ KRISTINA

¾ cup of Texmati whole-grain brown rice
1 pint button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
½ red onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs ume plum vinegar
½ cup frozen spinach or  2 cups fresh baby spinach
¼ cup walnuts, chopped – you can use any nut you wish…  I’ve used pecans also
1 cup water or vegetable broth
About 2 tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
 

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F
  2. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, pour about 1 tbs of olive oil and sauté the diced onions and peppers.    After a few minutes, add the garlic cloves.  Stir to combine.   Add the mushrooms and stir so the olive oil in the pan coats them and so the garlic doesn’t stay all together in the bottom to potentially burn.
  3. After a few minutes of cooking and the mushrooms browning a bit, add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.    Cook for a few minutes for the mushrooms to absorb the flavors and cook completely.  After a few minutes, set aside to cool a bit.
  5. In a glass casserole dish, add the rice, frozen spinach (no need to defrost at all) or chopped fresh baby spinach leaves, walnuts or pecans, cooked mushroom mixture and water or vegetable broth.  Mix together to blend and season with a bit of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.  Be careful here and try to avoid over salting… remember you seasoned the mushrooms so keep that in mind.   Cover with foil paper.
  6. Place in oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  At about the 1 hour mark, check the rice and fluff and move a bit if necessary.  Keep covered and leave in oven the additional 15 minutes.
  7. After time has elapsed, uncover, add the cheese, cover again and turn off oven.  Let the cheese melt with the residual heat in the oven.

 

The color of the dish might be a monotone brown, but the flavors are really good.    You could also use fresh spinach and the color would be greener…  but using frozen spinach is just as good and super easy to have always at hand in the freezer.

I want to thank Kristina for always opening up the doors to her house for our French extra-curricular rendez-vous.  I am extremely grateful for her hospitality, but most of all for her friendship.  Hope that we can retake these weekly meetings, if not in her house, possibly in mine.  And possibly start sharing once again new recipes we can all share with you…

How to cut and peel an Avocado – Wedge by Wedge

24 Aug
I have a pet peeve with how people in TV shows cut and peel an avocado…

First, there is more than one type of avocado in this world and secondly, there is more ways to eat an avocado than just slicing them thru the equator.

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Journey of Inspiration

The majority of the avocados available in Puerto Rico are Fuertes.  The Haas avocado you see a lot in the US is what’s used mostly in Mexican cooking.  Apparently they’re plenty available in California.  But in Miami and Puerto Rico the avocado of choice is the Fuerte – to my taste, they’re more buttery and yellowy inside than those Haas folks.  To me Hass are watery tasting…

Fuertes are also larger than the Haas, so when we eat avocados in my house, usually we do not eat a whole avocado in one sitting, so we slice the avocado in Rajas, or wedges/slices.  That’s the typical way to cut into an avocado here in Puerto Rico.  So I will show you how…

No special technique here… using a sharp knife cut a wedge out of the avocado… cut from top to bottom and pry away that first slice/wedge.

   

 

After that, just keep on going slicing away the “rajas”.  Place them on a plate for people to take from there and serve them onto their plates.  Always try to keep the pit with the unsliced avocado to prevent it from browning.

 

      

To store your uncut avocado, just cover with a paper towel or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.  If the edges turn a bit brown, just slice them off and continue cutting wedges until you finish your avocado.

Here, a few wedges of avocado is considered a nice and appropriate side dish, for many dishes – pigeon peas asopao, sancocho, arroz con maiz (rice and corn), etc.,  especially when they’re in season.

Quenepas

19 Aug

July and August is QUENEPA-time!!!! 

Called mamoncillo by Cubans, it’s a green and “crispy” skinned fruit.   You open them by biting the skin with your front teeth.  It has a peachy pulpy interior that’s both sweet and a bit acidic at the same time.  Quenepas are very delicious but could be dangerous to eat because enclosed in that pulp is a very slippery pit that if not careful, many people have choked on.  I was not able to taste my 1st quenepa until I was about 10 years old.

Another thing to be careful of when eating quenepas is that the juice of the pulp stains, very much like green bananas and green plantains stain and if that juice falls in your clothes they could be stained forever.

Nonetheless, quenepas are the perfect fruit to eat at the beach during summertime.  If you come across a bunch, give them a try, just be careful… never talk with a quenepa in your mouth.  OK?

Sopa Paraguaya

16 Aug

Every Wednesday, Serious Eats gives us readers a challenge for the weekend based on articles found in newspapers around the US.  This past weekend’s challenge was to create something delicious with CORN.

I’ve been meaning to learn my friend Rosani’s recipe for Sopa Paraguaya for some time now.  And just like I do every time – I gather the recipe, I gather the ingredients and then… something comes up and the ingredients stay in the cupboard indefinitely.  That’s why I was so glad to hear about this challenge because it would give me the chance to make this Sopa Paraguaya once and for all…

Sopa Paraguaya translates literally to Paraguayan Soup.  It’s not technically a soup – it’s more like a corn bread or a polenta… and about the Paraguayan part… well, it’s from Paraguay but if you’re ever there, don’t ask for a Sopa Paraguaya because these are known there as “chipa guazú”. 

 

PARAGUAYAN SOUP

½ packet (3/4 cup) cornmeal
8 oz (1 cup) frozen corn kernels – defrosted
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs of butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 ½ cups evaporated milk
1 ½ cups regular or soy milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
½ tbs baking powder
2 links of Veggie Hot Dogs, sliced (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Canola oil Spray

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add the oil, butter and onion.  Add a little salt and pepper to help the onions release their juices.  Sautee until onions turn translucent.  Add the veggie dog slices and heat thru.
  3. Add the milks and let them warm through.  Add the cornmeal slowly while whisking to avoid creating lumps.  Keep on whisking once in a while until the mixture thickens.  Add the baking powder.  Add the corn kernels and shredded cheese.  Mix well so the corn kernels are evenly distributed within the mix and the cheese has melted.  Take off the stove.
  4. Transfer to an oven baking dish that has been sprayed with canola oil. 
  5. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.  Let rest for about 15 minutes to allow it to set before cutting into it…

 

I have loved sopa paraguaya ever since I first had it at the Yoga Center… now, thanks to Rosani, I can make it anytime I crave it.   The veggie dogs are not necessary, but I think they add a nice touch to it. 

Montreal Steak Potatoes

13 Aug

I am a potato girl… and making them roasted in the oven allows me for the toaster oven to work on the side dish on its own while I continue making the rest of the meal.

These potatoes are a bit spicy and zippy, which are perfect to go side by side a sandwich, a hot dog or even on their own.

 

MONTREAL STEAK POTATOES

2 medium russet potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces – red skinned potatoes would work well here too
About 1 tsp of spicy mustard
About 1 tbs of olive oil
About 1 tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning – it contains coarse salt, coarse pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic and paprika
Kosher salt

 

  1. Pre-heat toaster oven to 400F.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, combine potatoes with mustard, olive oil, Montréal seasoning and salt.  Toss well so all potato pieces are well coated.
  3. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast in oven for about 30 minutes.  At about the halfway time, move the potatoes around to make sure they cook evenly and turn golden brown on all sides.

  

Serve them alongside your favorite meal – an eggplant sandwich, a hot dog or even…  you fill in the blank here.

Spinach Crepes Revisited

11 Aug

I love spinach crepes… they’re my favorite savory combination of crepes. 

I used to eat a spinach crepe every Saturday as lunch at the Alliance Française…  I had a spinach crepe too for lunch when we visited Versailles last year.   When given the choice, a spinach filling usually wins for me.

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Crepe epinard 1

When I did the Gateau des Crepes for the Fête de la Bastille celebration, the recipe yielded more spinach filling and more crepes than we actually need for the crepe stack.   And if it’s just me eating, the same components can be assembled differently in a more single dish friendly format.

 

SPINACH CREPES REVISITED

2 spelt crepes
About 2 tbs of spinach béchamel filling
2 tbs grated gruyere cheese
1 small handful of toasted walnuts, chopped

 

  1. Pre-heat toaster oven to 350F.
  2. If crepes have been refrigerated, we’ll need to reheat them slightly.  In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, place crepe individually for a few minutes until they’re warm and pliable.
  3. Take each crepe and spread about 1 tbs of filling into each one.  Sprikle with half the walnuts into each crepe.  Roll crepe onto itself and place in a buttered dish.
  4. Spread some extra spinach filling over the crepes and sprinkle with a bit more walnuts.  Add the grated gruyere on top to finish.
  5. Place in oven for about 10-15 minutes until the filling heats up and the cheese on top melts well.

 

Two crepes is, to me, the perfect serving for one person.  You can drizzle a bit of honey or agave nectar on top if you’d like a different sweet touch to the crepe…  I highly recommend it.

Panzanella Salad

9 Aug

This is another recipe that combines this Basic Italian Tomato Salad with several other ingredients so you can enjoy its delicious flavors in another format…

 

PANZANELLA SALAD

1 recipe of Basic Italian Tomato Salad
1 whole-wheat ciabatta roll
2 cups of baby spinach, washed and dried well
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Freshly cracked Black Pepper

 

  1. Make Basic Italian Tomato Salad.  Set aside.
  2. Cut ciabatta roll in half.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toast in oven at 350F for about 5 minutes.  Take the bread pieces out and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside.
  3. In a large salad bowl, add the baby spinach, Tomato/Mozzarella salad and bread pieces.  Toss everything to combine and allow the juices from the Basic Italian Tomato Salad dress the salad.

 

That’s it!!!  Easy, no?

Eggplant Gratin

5 Aug

The other day I did a whole batch of fried eggplants and even though I loooove to have them with just a squirt of lemon on top, sometimes I want to change it up.

It had been a while since I had eggplant parmesan and by having these fried eggplants, making one would be half the time.  This recipe is actually a mixture of two recipes I had seen before – one from Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa and another one from Tyler Florence I had seen years ago.

This is the result of the combination…

 

EGGPLANT GRATIN – serves 2 people

About 6-8 slices of fried eggplant
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup of spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
½ cup of petite diced tomatoes
1tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1tsp Italian Seasonings
Kosher salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Italian shredded cheese blend

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. In a medium sized bowl mix together the ricotta cheese and squeezed-dry spinach.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
  4. In another bowl, mix together the petite tomatoes, vinegar, oil, Italian Seasonings, salt and pepper.  Mix well and set aside.
  6. In a shallow gratin dish, place a little of the tomato juice on the bottom.  Now place a layer of fried eggplant on the bottom.  Place a few tablespoons of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Now place the ricotta/spinach mixture in an even layer.  Place a few more tomatoes.  Cover with another layer of fried eggplants.  Place the rest of the tomatoes you have left.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the Italian shredded cheeses.
  7. Place in oven for about 20-30 minutes for the tomatoes to cook a bit and the eggplant to reheat well.

 

This is a great combination between an eggplant lasagna and eggplant parmesan. .. It tastes great and it’s easy to do once the eggplants are already fried.  You can certainly assemble this any night of the week.  The breading on the eggplant will get soggy due to the tomato sauce… but the taste is so delicious you will not mind at all.

Healthy Lifestyle Change for August – Eat at least 2 fresh fruits a day

2 Aug

For the same reason we should eat more green salads, we should also eat more fresh fruits.  This was one of my new year’s resolutions a few years ago.  Just in case you are living on another planet and still need to be reminded the benefits of eating more fresh food, here are a few cues:

  •  Great source of insoluble fiber
  • Contain essential vitamins and minerals to protect you from chronic diseases
  • Is the way nature intended for us to nourish ourselves

My recommendation is to have fruits preferably in the morning with your breakfast or as a snack in the afternoon.  Another alternative is as a dinner snack if you’re not having a full-blown dinner. 

  •  Fruits are best eaten early in the morning.  They’re the best way to “awaken the stomach” after not having had any food while sleeping. 
  • Snacking on fruits is a delicious way to help keep your metabolism going while consuming natural sugars.
  • Try not to eat fresh fruits as dessert… because fruits are mostly water and they slow down your digestion.

 

If it’s difficult for you to eat fresh fruits, here are a few ideas:

       frutabomba-milkshake.jpg

  • Buy fruits you can eat without having to peel, just as they are, like grapes, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, strawberries.  Just make sure you wash them well to take off any dirt or wax.
  • Add fruits in your breakfasts – like adding bananas to your cereal, blueberries to your pancakes, etc.
  • Make freshly-squeezed juices
    •  A citrus juicer is a great investment to juice oranges or grapefruit

                

  •  
    • The best juices to consume while eating are apple, pineapple or papaya because they contain enzymes that help digestion

 

 When making a fruit salad, it is important to know which fruits go well with other fruits.  When we eat fruits that are incompatible, usually produces uncomfortable gas.  Here are some good comphbinations:

  • Papaya, mango, apple, pears, peaches, bananas, plums, etc.
  • Strawberry, kiwi, grapes, passion fruit, pineapple, starfruits, green apples, orange, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits.
  • All melons should be consumed by themselves – watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, musk, etc.
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