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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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Mango Lassi

18 Aug

When my mom turned vegetarian, one of the ways she maneuvered into getting me to like vegetarian cooking was to encourage me to take vegetarian cooking classes.   I never disliked cooking, yet it was something done in my house to appease your hunger, not something we had a passion for.

I learned to make whole grain rice, textured soy protein, some sort of potato pastelón, a basic cake recipe without using eggs and as a beverage I remember extra clearly, Mango Lassi.  I remember expressly because I had never mixed mango with yogurt before and it tasted DIVINE!!! 

Maybe the divine part was because Lassi comes from India – the land of deities and divinity.  It’s traditionally made with mangoes, which are plentiful in India, but it can certainly be made with any other fruit.  Lassi is nothing more than a fruit shake made with yogurt and ice.  I read there are versions with rosewater, pistachios, and other spices.  The funny thing is that I went to India 4 years ago;  I never had a lassi – plenty of mango juice, but no lassi.

My version of lassi is simple and very refreshing.  What I like about lassis is they’re great to prepare the digestive system to receive food.  It very well is the active cultures in the yogurt, or that it’s a way to consume fruits BEFORE food instead of as a dessert.  But no matter the reason, they’re just delicious any time of day, particularly in the summer heat.

 

 

 

MANGO LASSI

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 tbs agave nectar
3-4 ice cubes
¼ cup of water, to thin out the mixture if it’s too thick for the blender to process

 

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender.  Blend it at the highest speed for about 1-2 minutes to make sure the mango fibers are broken very well.

 

Enjoy as an appetizer, as a snack or as a great breakfast shake.

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Chicharritas de Plátano

15 Aug

While I was in Miami, I got the opportunity to make a true Latin specialty – Chicharritas de Plátano.  This is the way I call them when I am in Miami, because in Puerto Rico these are called Platanutres.  They’re exactly the same, people just call them differently, the same way some people say elevator and others say lift… you get my drift.

But not only these are called differently by Cubans and Puerto Ricans, they’re eaten somewhat differently too.  Puerto Ricans eat platanutres mainly as a snack or maybe even as a side to sandwiches.  However, Cubans eat these little fried slices of plantain as an appetizer, a snack or sometimes even as a crispy side dish to accompany rice and black beans.  Also, they like to serve these with a drizzle of mojito criollo, just like the one I showed you to eat with your boiled yucca, without the onions – just olive oil, garlic , salt and lemon juice.  This is my favorite appetizer in any Cuban restaurant in Miami… and Cuban restaurants in Puerto Rico do not have them.  It’s a Miami thing and I LOOOOOOOOVE it!!

You can get chicharritas bagged, just like potato chips.  I have even talked to you about them in our posts on Junk Food, but the freshly made ones are special.   My aunt Gladys, being the “alcahueta” she is, made me some chicharritas before us leaving Miami.  I wanted to go to a restaurant, but she insisted and I took pictures. 

 

 

CHICHARRITAS DE PLÁTANO

2 green plantains
Kosher salt
Canola oil to fry them in

 

  1. Start by peeling the plantain.  Remember to peel them carefully using an oiled knife to avoid staining your knife.
  3. Slice the plantain very thinly using a slicer or a mandoline.  My aunt uses this nifty slicer.  You can slice it in small rounds, which is the traditional way and the way we did them this time around.  In restaurants you usually see the chips sliced the long side of the plantain.  The choice is yours.
  5. Separate and salt the plantain slices.  I always thought the salt was added after frying, but in fact, I like the taste when they’re salted beforehand.
  7. Bring about an inch of oil to frying temperature in a medium sized pot – about 350° F.  To tell you the truth, I never take the oil’s temperature.  Use the wooden spoon method if you want to be sure.
  8. Drop the plantain slices in small batches and try to separate them as much as possible.  Slices will want to stick together. So try to keep the separate.  Fry them until they’re golden.  Keep an eye on them because they go from perfect to burn easily.
  10. Take them out with a slotted spoon and drain in a paper towel.

 

Enjoy alone, with mojito criollo or as a side dish – I ate them with black beans and rice and slices of avocado on the side.  I love my aunt’s cooking!!!!!

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Guacamole

13 Aug

I just came back from a few days visiting my family in Miami.  And in Miami, just like in Puerto Rico, people sell produce at the street lights.  A few days back we bought 4 avocados for $5.  Amazing…  because they were all good avocados.  Sometimes when they sell them to you that cheap is because they’re not so good on the inside.  And with avocados, it’s a crap shoot.  Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you need to throw a whole avocado away.

I said they were all good, but some were too ripe and they were smashed underneath the skin next to the ones that were still under-ripe.  And that only left me one alternative to enjoy them – make an awesome Guacamole.

 

 

GUACAMOLE

1 avocado, if the flesh is firm, cut into small pieces
½ large tomato, peeled and finely diced
¼ medium onion, finely diced
The juice of 1 criollo lemon or lime
A drizzle of olive oil – about 1 tbs
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbs of fresh parsley (optional)

 

  1. Mix everything in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Let it stand in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors meld together. 

 

This version ended up being more mashed than what I usually like it.  But remember we started out with mashed avocados.   When I make it again, I post another picture so you can see the difference in texture.  And That’s really the only difference because the taste is equally delicious.

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Sun-dried Tomato Jam

6 Jul

Looking to develop new offerings for my itty-bitty food business, I decided to try a sun-dried tomato something.  In the same week, I ran across 2 tomato jam recipes and I considered it a sign.  The one I followed mostly was Giada’s recipe here…. of course, tweaked to make it vegetarian.

The results… delicious, but too time consuming and expensive to produce for a growing business so I decided then to share with you the fruits of my labor.

This jam tastes awesome spread on top of a crostini, over a goat cheese toast, or as a condiment for a sandwich, like an Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich.  I am sure you and I will be able to come up with many more uses.  Check it out!

 

 

SUN-DRIED TOMATO JAM

4oz sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil and finely chopped
About 1 tbs of the sun-dried tomato oil in the jar
½ tbs olive oil
½ medium sized onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup vegetable stock
Kosher Salt and cracked Black pepper to taste

 

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, onions and garlic.  Stir together and cook until the onions have softened and reached a consistency similar to the tomatoes.  This will take about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the sugar, vinegar, water, vegetable broth, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer covered for about 30 minutes. 
  3. Uncover and cook some more for about 20-30 minutes, allowing for the liquid to evaporate and the mix to attain the consistency of jam.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool off.
  4. Use right away or keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Believe me, it won’t last longer than that…

 

I know the color in the pictures looks not-so-appetizing, but the flavors ROCK!!!!  It’s sweet and savory all at the same time.  This has become one of my go-to condiments…

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