Archive | 2008

Antioxidant Shake

19 Sep

Berries are the fruits with one of the highest contents of antioxidants.  Antioxidants are the substances that  help our body fight the effects of aging.  So, if you want to stay young and pretty, we need to consume foods with a high antioxidant content.

According to various sources, the foods with the most antioxidant content are:

When I looked at the list I was pleased because I eat all of these foods on a pretty constant basis.  So I am well on my way to maintain my youthful appearance – hopefully!!

I want to share with you another one of my fruit smoothies that is chock-full of berries – perfect as a breakfast drink or as a late night treat too.

 

 

ANTIOXIDANT SHAKE

5-6 strawberries
2 handfuls of blueberries
8oz pomegranate juice
¼ cup of yogurt or kefir
2 tbs agave nectar
5-6 ice cubes
  1. Mix everything in a blender and enjoy.

 

I love the berry flavor of this shake.  I also make it sometimes with pineapple juice and the taste is just as good.  I do not strain it, as the seeds tend to go to the bottom of the glass, but I would strain it if you add raspberries – their seeds are just to big and they feel grainy when drinking.

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I want a Whole Foods in Puerto Rico!!!!

18 Sep

I recently came back from visiting my family in South Florida.  Because I go so frequently there, I rarely do sightseeing.  My trips to Miami are full of visits to family, running errands with family and going shopping to all the stores that we do not have available here in Puerto Rico.

Before in my list there was Victoria’s Secret, Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Borders, L’Occitane, Bed Bath and Beyond… but nowadays most those stores are available here.  But there are 2 stores I still have in my TO SHOP list whenever I travel to the US – Target and Whole Foods.  We have health foods here in PR, but the largest health food here, called Freshmart, pales in comparison to the size and variety of goods in a Whole Foods.

 

To all of you, readers that live in the US – you’re SOOOOOOOO lucky.  Hey, there are even other nice supermarket chains that follow the Whole Foods trend.  I visited one in Vermont called City Market, there is also Wild Oats in Miami.  But I particularly like the breadth of products Whole Foods has.  I also make it a point to visit when I am in NYC.

Here are some of my new Whole Foods discoveries…

 

Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda

I bought this on a whim and I drank the whole bottle by myself – Perfect drink to accompany pizzas, veggie burgers or veggie hot dogs. 

Blood Orange Sherbet

Something about the blood orange flavor captured me.  Apparently I was in a very citrusy mood that day.  It’s sweet and tart at the same time… but not too sweet.  Great as a palate cleanser after a meal.

Kate’s Homemade Butter

This butter is sooooo good.  It’s creamy, salty and delicious on a toast in the morning.  It’s perfect to mash some potatoes too.  I had never bought it before my Whole Foods trip, but it is available in my neighborhood Freshmart too.

Olive Bar

Look at this… I wish I had something like this here in PR whenever I am hosting a party.  Where I could buy nice looking olives, the amount that I need and the variety I would like.  Oil cured or brined… the possibilities are endless.  Yumm!!!

 

I am traveling soon to NYC and I am indeed stopping in Whole Foods – what will I discover next????

 

Here, a message to Whole Foods management…

Please, seriously consider opening a store in the Puerto Rico market – the consumerism capital of the Latin World.  I am sure many vegetarian and health-conscious people like me feel the exact same way.  Plus, with the added price to check a luggage, the grocery trip is becoming more expensive each time.  Thanks in advance.

Caramelized Onion Risotto

17 Sep

This is another one of my risotto recipes that starts with Archer Farms 4 cheese Risotto mix.  This is more of a sweet version of risotto, because it has caramelized onions and sweet peas.  It’s a different twist from the salty versions I usually make.

This was an experiment to use up some caramelized onions I had left in the fridge from my French Onion Soup and experiments with a French Onion Dip.

 

CARAMELIZED ONION RISOTTO

1 box of Archer Farms 4 cheese risotto mix
½ cup caramelized onions
2 oz of smoked veggie ham, cut into small pieces
3 roasted garlic cloves
2 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
1 cup of frozen sweet peas
¼ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

 

  1. In a medium saucepan, prepare risotto mixture according to package directions.
  2. While the rice is cooking, in a separate skillet, brown the pieces of smoked veggie ham.  Set aside.
  3. When the risotto is halfway done and the rice is starting to plump we can start adding more stuff to it…  add the onions and the garlic and mix well.   Add the gruyere cheese and mix well to melt thoroughly.
  4. When the rice is about to be done, add the Parmesan cheese and the peas.   Turn the stove off and let the rice and sauce thicken with the remaining heat from the stove.
  5. After leaving the risotto stand for 15 minutes, serve sprinkling the pieces of smoked veggie ham on top. 
  6. Drizzle with a bit of good extra virgin olive oil to garnish too.

NOTE:  I added the veggie ham pieces into my rice and they went limp on me… so do as I say, not as I do and just keep them as a garnish on top.  They’ll stay crispy and you’ll enjoy them better.

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Curried Potatoes

15 Sep

You know I love potatoes…  and my mom bought a HUGE 20lbs bag of potatoes in COSTCO and she didn’t know what to do with so many potatoes.  She bought it to cook at the Yoga Center, but still they were a bit much.  So, I took home 4-5 potatoes even though I had bought red skinned potatoes the day before.  These were russet, so I had to do something with them…

I love curried potatoes, especially when my friend Millie makes them at the Yoga Center.  After a quick crash course on how she makes them, this is my version.  It’s a mild version of curry potatoes – milder than what you would find at any Indian restaurant.  But you get all the goodness from the potatoes, the color from the turmeric and the flavor from the curry.  Again, this is at your discretion, if you can handle a stronger curry taste –  go ahead and add more.  I won’t care, unless you invite me over.

This is simple and quick…

 

CURRIED POTATOES

2 large russet potatoes – peeled and cubed
1 large onion – sliced thin
1 clove of garlic – minced
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup of water – optional
A dash of white wine vinegar with tarragon
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

 

  1. Place the potatoes to boil in well salted water.  I salt the water as if I was making pasta – very generously.  This is the time to get flavor into the potatoes.  I usually do not cover the potatoes with water.  I find they cook faster if the water is ¾ of the way up the potatoes.
  2. Meanwhile in a separate saucepan under medium heat, add the butter, olive oil and onions.  After a few minutes, add the garlic. Sweat the onions and the garlic until they become soft.  Add the curry powder and the turmeric and stir well.  Add the vinegar and scrape off any stuck on bits in the bottom of the pan.  if the mix is too dry, add a bit of water.
  4. When the potatoes are cooked, but still hold their shape, drain them and return to the pot.  Add the curry/onion mixture and stir to combine.  Add a bit more vinegar if you need added moisture.
  5. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes or even 30 minutes to let the potatoes absorb the curry taste.

 

Serve as a side dish or even use them as a filling for tortillas… kind of like an Indian-flavored burrito.

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French Quesadilla

31 Aug

You know me… the Puerto Rican girl with a French fixation. 

After my French get-together, I had a lot of left-overs from the party.. . Gruyere cheese, lots of onions, bread…  I think I thought I was going to cook soup for a French Army or Navy 😉  So, I had to get creative in how I used up all of that without boring myself and that’s how the French Quesadilla came about.

This comes together really fast and has a nice flavor to it.  Perfect for a lunch or simple supper, it can even impress a date.

 

 

FRENCH QUESADILLA

1 whole-wheat flour tortilla
2 tbs caramelized onions – I’ll show you how to caramelize them, but you don’t need the whole batch for this – recipe follows
1 tbs sun-dried tomato jam
3 ounces of gruyere cheese, shredded
Canola oil spray

 

  1. In a large skillet sprayed with canola oil over medium- high heat, place the flour tortilla and heat up a bit, for about a minute.
  2. Place half of the cheese on the tortilla.  Fill half the tortilla with the onions and the other half with the sun-dried tomato jam.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Fold the tortilla, so you know have a ½ moon.
  3. Let the cheese melt on one side for about 2-3 minutes, then flip the quesadilla so the cheese on the over side can melt evenly too.

 

To caramelize onions:

1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 tbs butter
Drizzle olive oil
1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar with tarragon
Salt and Pepper
  1. Follow the same procedure you might have used if you made my French Onion Soup.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter with the drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. 
  3. Place the onions and stir to make sure they’re all covered.  Let the onions get soft for about 6-7 minutes, stirring them occasionally. 
  4. Lower the heat a bit and cover the pot.  Let them cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.  Stir them occasionally. 
  5. Almost at the end of the 30 minutes, add the salt, pepper and vinegar.  The vinegar will help you scrape anything that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

Allow to cool off and use in your favorite recipe…

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