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Yautía Fritters

I learned to make these fritters from Mili at the Yoga Center. She was always a champion of having something fried in our Saturday menus…

I have always been a great fan of anything fried, but to be honest, never made these yautía fritters myself. So why in the world did I want to include them as part of a Cooking Class menu??? Beats me…

So I had to prepare fast, real fast to make a recipe that I could replicate time and time again, and that it tasted as good as Mili’s always did. Thank goodness yautías and most viandas are on sale during Xmas because they’re used in so many typical recipes.

Here are the results… I hope you enjoy them as much as the cooking class students did.

YAUTÍA FRITTERS

2 medium sized yautías, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 green banana, peeled and cut into small pieces

3 tbs sofrito

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut into smaller pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tbs olive oil

Sprinkling of paprika

Frying oil – Grapeseed oil or Canola Oil

Add all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you create a puree.
With a spatula, scrape off the sides of the bowl of the food processor to make sure all the mix is evenly pureed.
Using a skillet with about ½ inch of oil over medium high heat, fry the fritters creating small mounds with 2 spoons.
When they’re golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a plate with paper towel to soak up any extra oil.

These fritters are easy… and delicious. You can make them in a cinch. Perfect for an impromptu parranda. They taste like an alcapurria without the filling.

When we were making them at the cooking class, Angie told me if we had left a bit of the soy filling from the yuca pastelón, we could’ve demonstrated how this masa works for an alcapurrias too.

Tags: alcapurria, food, fritter, malanga, Puerto Rico, vegetarian, yautia

Comments 5 Comments
Categories appetizers, Puerto Rican delicacies, side dishes, treats, Xmas

Coquito Ice Cream

25 Dec

I have been meaning to make an ice cream using my Coquito recipe for years… but recently I asked my mom for her ice cream maker and I have become a frozen dessert maniac.

I educated myself on making ice creams… proportions, flavors, textures. And the best ice creams always included some sort of egg component. And as you know, eggs are no-no’s in KarmaFree Cooking. I was willing to give this project a few tries, but making Coquito takes a few steps and I didn’t want to be wasteful.

I struck gold when I took my ice cream making inquiries to a Facebook group we have – the Serious Eats Water Cooler. There a few friends introduced me to Max Falkowitz, an ice cream guru who’s also part of the editorial team at Serious Eats. Between his recommendations and my friend Jerzee Tomato’s input, I came up with a brilliant combination of texture and smoothness.

Create a custard… without using eggs and mix in the Coquito. Genius!!! The Coquito has fat from the coconut milk, evaporated and condensed milks so all you need to do is add some more to the custard.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! My mom was in awe when she tried it… as has been each and every person who has tasted it after that. This was a home run!

COQUITO ICE CREAM

2 cups of my Coquito Recipe

1 ¼ cups half and half

2 tsp cornstarch

½ cup brown sugar

First we need to create the components… you can make a batch of Coquito first and then make the cornstarch custard.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup of half and half and sugar. Add the cornstarch to the remaining ¼ cup half and half. Whisk well to create a slurry and while whisking, add to the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients.
Whisk or stir constantly using a wooden spoon to avoid any lumps while the mixture thickens. It’ll take about 5-6 minutes. The custard is done when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and when you run a finger thru it, the sides of custard will not get back together.
It may look a tad loose, but it’ll thicken in the fridge while it cools.
Transfer the custard to a heatproof bowl or even a glass measuring cup and chill in the fridge at least 2-3 hours. I place a plastic film over the custard to avoid it creating a film on top. You can do this even a few days in advance if you want. Just like making the Coquito in advance.
When you’re ready to assemble the ice cream, in a pitcher bring together 2 cups of Coquito and the cornstarch custard, which should measure just a tad more than 1 cup. Mix well to combine and add to your ice cream maker. Churn 25-30 minutes according to your ice cream machine’s instructions.
Transfer to a container to freeze in the freezer for about 2 hours before serving. It’s delicious right off the ice cream maker… but it’s at its best after a few hours in the freezer.
When you’re about to serve it… leave it a few minutes at room temperature before scooping.

The end result is a smooth, spicy and creamy ice cream that feels as rich as any premium ice cream around.

Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays and may 2014 be filled with lots of blessings.

Tags: brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, coconut cream, coconut milk, cornstarch, custard, food, ginger, half and half, holidays, nutmeg, Puerto Rico, sweet, vegetarian

Comments 1 Comment
Categories desserts, treats, Xmas

Tembleque, my version…

23 Dec

I have several recipes for tembleque here in KarmaFree Cooking… All of them I have made, all of them I have enjoyed… but none of them I have developed myself.

My friend Aniette told me she makes a recipe she got from YouTube and that her Houston friends, who have never had tembleque, loved. Aniette has never tasted the actual recipe, because she’s allergic to coconut. And no offense to her Houston friends, but the texture of the recipe is not what tembleque should be like… IMHO. It was more like a coconut mousse, not tembleque.

What I really enjoyed about the youtube recipe was that it only had 4 ingredients. Tembleque is a simple recipe that shouldn’t be complex or difficult to make. To me, tembleque is the perfect recipe to teach at a Xmas-themed cooking class.

So I made about 4-5 batches of tembleque before I felt comfortable to teach who to make it at the most recent KarmaFree Cooking cooking class. The results are tasty, jiggly and smooth like a tembleque should always be.

TEMBLEQUE, My Way

2 cans coconut milk (one large 25oz can)

1 cup water

6tbs cornstarch

2/3 cups brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 or 2 sticks of cinnamon

Ground Cinnamon to taste

In a large saucepan or small pot at medium high heat, add the coconut milk. Feel free to use a larger pot than you think you might need so you’ll have enough space to stir the mix.
Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Add 1 cup of water to the cans to “wash them” from any leftover coconut milk. Add the cornstarch to this water to create a slurry. Mix well with a small whisk and add to the pot on the stove.
Stir the mixture kinda constantly to avoid the cornstarch to fall to the bottom of the pot and create lumps. When the mixture feels it’s starting to thicken, lower the heat so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Continue stirring making a figure 8 until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and when you run your finger thru the coating the side do not come together again.
Transfer to a heat resistant mold or transfer to individual plastic cups for individual servings. I like 3oz cups. They’re a nice little serving and if you want some more, just have 2.
Allow to slightly cool for about 20 minutes on top of the kitchen counter. After that, transfer to the fridge to cool and set for about 2 hours. The final product will set but still be “jiggly” when you shake the mold or cup.K

Tags: brown sugar, cinammon, coconut, coconut milk, cornstarch, food, gluten-free, Vegan, vegetarian

Comments 6 Comments
Categories desserts, Puerto Rican delicacies, Xmas

Pasteles Assembly How-To…

16 Dec

I’ve noticed how your continued interest in how to make vegetarian pastels in banana leaves… one of the ultimate Puerto Rican Xmas delicacies. For some weeks now it’s the most visited recipe here in KarmaFree Cooking.

I have not ventured into making pastels this year… but the other day at the Yoga Center they were making batched of mini-pasteles for one of our recent Anniversary celebrations. So I decided to take some pics and help you a little bit if you want to try to make them yourself.

Make MASA and Filling

You create a filling with your favorite ingredients. The picture here includes textured soy protein, potatoes, mixed vegetables stewed in a tomato based sauce. You can use my recipe here for inspiration.

The Masa is mostly made with yautía, green banana. But you could add pumpkin to it or make them with ground up yuca. I tend to prefer yucca pastels a lot. They end up yellow that’s how you differentiate them.

Now we wrap the pasteles…

STEP ONE

Place a piece of butcher’s paper in frint of you. Place a piece of banana leaf (you could buy these in packages already at the store or a plaza del Mercado (farmer’s market)). you can’t use a banana leaf straight from the garden. They need to be cooked off (amortiguadas) first.

STEP TWO

Spread a bit of canola/annatto oil to the leaf.

STEP THREE

Add a spoonful of the masa onto the banana leaf and spread a bit.

STEP FOUR

Add some of the filling on top of the masa.

STEP FIVE

Fold the butcher’s paper from the end that’s closer to you and bring it over to meet with the other side of the butcher’s paper that’s farthest away from you. This will make the masa fold onto itself and envelop the filling.

STEP SIX

Complete the wrapping of the butcher’s paper like a deli sandwich… unite the ends of the butcher paper and fold in ½” folds towards the pastel until it makes a somewhat tight package. Then, fold the side underneath the pastel and place aside.

STEP SEVEN

Sorry I was not able to take pictures of this step… but you need to tie with a kitchen twine. Use the same method as if you were tying a roast… Here I found a few videos from You Tube to help you learn how to tie your pasteles. You can do them individually or in “yuntas”, in twos. I like them individual because you can cook exactly how many you need, rather than in twos.

I apologize in advance for all the typos in the text in this video… if you know Spanish, you will notice them. It’s shameful… but I like the way they present how to tie the pastel. This one is a single pastel… while the top one is in a “yunta” or duo…

Note to self… make a You Tube video making VEGETARIAN pasteles. Only people making meat-based pasteles have recorded themselves and we need to change that. Pasteles are just as delicious and just as traditional made with a vegetarian filling.

Hope you enjoy a very safe and joyful Xmas season… filled with everything that’s good and healthy to create a plentiful 2012 and beyond.

Tags: food, pasteles, vegetarian

Comments 5 Comments
Categories MY EDITORIAL, Puerto Rican delicacies, Xmas

Vegetarian Edible Xmas Gift Ideas

15 Dec

I love giving edible gifts, not just for Xmas, but year-round. I like the idea of giving something of yourself to someone you appreciate and love. Making something is like giving a little piece of you. You took the time and effort to make something – something that’s unique and it’s worth way more than the sticker value.

I like the idea of giving “consumables” as gifts… things you use and experience, rather than accumulate. Baking cookies, making jam, creating your own soap… concert tickets, dinner at a restaurant, an afternoon of cooking or even a night under the stars. I have made a conscious effort to get creative and give “experiences” as gifts for many years now. And food is certainly something we experience with all our senses.

I have given all these as gifts at one point or another recently. Here are a few of my best ideas…

Coquito – I already made 2 batches of this Puerto Rican version of eggnog this Xmas season and I think I am in to make some more tonight to give as gifts to my yoga friends. The spice in the tea I mix in has all the pep you need to not miss the alcohol at all. It’s the perfect thing to bring to a party and share with friends…

Cranberry Jam – This is so easy to make… and you can store it and give it away in pretty glass mason jars. I also recycle many of the glass bottles where the jams and butters I buy come from and re-purpose them when I make batches and batches of this. My gringo friends love this jam… I hope they post a Comment to confirm this fact.

Rosemary Almonds – These are salty/sweet and oh so delicious!!! Lots of brown sugar and butter goes into making them. They keep for awhile and are super easy to make. They’re inspired by the Union Square Market nuts… you could also use Tarragon if you’re into the licorice flavors.

Carob Granola – using Carob instead of chocolate chips, this makes a great vegetarian snack to nibble on while going on a “parranda”.

Brown Rice Krispies Treats – These are made with brown rice puffed cereal and almond butter to make them vegetarian. Marshmallows are not very veggie-friendly…

Cherry Carob Cookies – I love making these cookies for the holidays… They started as a Martha Stewart recipe I adapted to avoid the egg and the chocolate. With a few substitutions they’re now vegetarian and as delicious as I remembered them originally.

Carrot Cupcakes – these are soooooo easy to make. And to me carrot cake goes well year round. I have made these for sell and they’re always a great hit. A few carrot cupcakes in a glassine bag will always be a welcome gift.

Hazelnut Praline – This is like making your own candy. It’s delicious as a nibble or snack… and provide the best crunch to any poached fruit dessert. You could make this with any nut, I also enjoy almonds a lot in this application.