Blue Cheese Dressing

8 May

In the past few years I’ve taken an appreciation for blue cheese.  This has not always been the case, as I always thought blue cheeses were too salty for my taste.  And on top of that, the blue veins did not appeal to me in the least…

But watching Food Network and being more exposed to “haute cuisine”, I have grown to appreciate more and more blue cheeses.  It all started with a visit to the restaurant Mark’s at the Meliá in Ponce.  There I tasted the most wonderful butter lettuce salad with walnuts and crumbled Point Reyes blue cheese.  It was salty but mild at the same time… delicious.

Now, I regularly have a wedge of Danish blue cheese in my fridge.  I use it in desserts, in white sauces for pasta, to flavor polentas… and the newest addition to my repertoire is in a salad dressing.  Check it out…

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

2 ounces of blue cheese – I use Danish or gorgonzola cheese crumbles
2 tbs of plain low-fat yogurt
A squirt of lemon juice
About 1 tbs of olive oil

 

  1. Mix all the ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl. 

 

Drizzle over your favorite salad greens…  it’s creamy and salty delicious.  Don’t be discouraged by the grayish color, it’s just the blue veins dispersed in the dressing.


Blue Cheese Dressing

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Quesadillas Guillén with Fresh Tomato Salsa

5 May

Guillén is my friend from the yoga center… He lives in Mexico City, but tries as much as he can to come to Puerto Rico, Miami or New York to attend our yoga center activities and retreats.  Last time we saw each other was during our Xmas retreat, which took place last in New York.  We always have a great time together, talking about anything, but mostly about food.

Guillén loves to cook and to share his Mexican delicacies with all of us.  And as soon as we were given the “green light” to eat anything and everything after our retreat, he said he would make some quesadillas for breakfast for all of us.  Quesadillas for breakfast?!?!?  Well, that’s how the Mexicans in the DF (capital city) roll, and I am getting on this wagon for sure.

Something Guillén taught me this time around is that what I have showed you so far as quesadillas – Caprese Quesadillas, French Quesadillas, Quesadillas  Cordon Blue, etc. – are not really quesadillas according to true Mexican cuisiniers…  these are really called “sincronizadas”.  Guillén tells me that Quesadillas need to be FRIED, and made mainly with corn tortillas, while Sincronizadas are made with flour tortillas and are just heated on top of a skillet or on the oven to brown and melt the cheese, but are never fried.  To be honest… this was super enlightening for me because I had seen sincronizadas in Mexican menus during my last trip to Guadalajara and when I asked what was the difference from quesadillas, nobody was super clear on what it was… and according to Guillén is the FRYING part.

So… here is Guillén’s recipe for truly awesome quesadillas.  First, we start with organic sprouted corn tortillas.  These are not too easy to find here in Puerto Rico, but I have seen them in most every health food I have gone to in the US.  This is the brand Guillén prefers and they are truly delicious. 

Then the cheese to use…  Guillén prefers to use pepper jack cheese, but if you have a milder palate, try some Monterrey Jack cheese or even those cheddar/jack shredded cheese blends.  However, what’s traditionally Mexican is to slice the cheese from a block, not use the shredded kind.

And what makes these quesadillas really special is the Fresh Tomato Salsa… it’s super easy to make and it tastes soooooo authentic, I felt I was back in Guadalajara.  Guillén was nice enough to allow me to photograph him while making these quesadillas and salsa.  I have since tried it on my own and the results were extremely reliable.  Look for the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find.  It really makes a difference… 

 

QUESADILLAS GUILLEN WITH FRESH TOMATO SALSA

8 organic sprouted corn tortillas
16 slices of pepper jack cheese – we’ll use 2 slices per tortilla
Canola oil for shallow frying
2 medium tomatoes, cored
½ yellow onion, chopped finely
The juice of 1 lime
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbs olive oil

 

We’ll make the Fresh Tomato Salsa first…

  1. In a non-stick skillet, place the tomatoes and roast them on top of the stove at medium-high heat.  Keep moving the tomatoes around to char the skin all over.  This will cook slightly the tomato flesh and impart a great smoky taste to the salsa.
  2.      
  3. After the tomatoes are charred all over, take them off the skillet to cool off a bit.  I peel the tomatoes a bit and take off the very charred skin.  Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them in a food processor or blender. Blend or process well for about 1 minute.
  4. Take the tomato blend out of the processor and into a bowl.  Add the choppped onion, lime juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. 
  5.  Set aside to allow the flavors to blend well together. 

Now we make the quesadillas… which is really no science at all to it.

  1. In a large skillet, add about ¼” of oil at medium-high heat… when the oil is hot enough for frying, add a tortilla and fry slightly on both sides.  Immediately, add two slices of cheese on one half of the tortilla and fold the other half over to create a half moon.  Fry on both sides until the tortilla is slightly golden brown and the cheese has melted.
  2.               
  3. Drain the quesadilla onto a plate covered with paper towel.
  4. When the quesadilla has cooled off slightly enough to handle, open it up a bit and drizzle about a tablespoon of salsa inside the quesadilla.

 

And that’s it… you could serve these with a nice salad on the side and some sour cream on top.  But believe me, these are perfect just like this.

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Lifestyle Change for May – Eat 1 Green Salad a Day

1 May

Food that is ALIVE or RAW– that do not need any cooking for us to enjoy – are the foods with the richest nutrient value.  Fruits, vegetables and nuts are all included in this category.  And the best way for us to make sure we are getting our daily fix of the necessary fruits and vegetables is to accustom ourselves to eat one big green salad a day.

  • Salads contain lots of insoluble fiber that helps with constipation issues – therefore you’ll be able to go to the bathroom more times and more efficiently
  • It’s the easiest way to ensure we eat as freshly as possible

                                                  

You have full control of what will go into your salad.  You can add as many or as few ingredients in each salad as you wish.  I have made salads with lots of ingredients – some raw and some cooked – and salads of just one ingredient.  But take this challenge as an opportunity to venture into trying new salad ingredients, new vegetables you have never tried before… it’s a chance to expand your salad horizons.  Just commit to including into your daily diet the habit of adding a salad to one of your meals.

Here are a few ideas for those of you who are not fully vegetarian yet:

  • Try to make yourself a side salad with every meal you prepare at home.  Here are a few examples of simple salads you can always make at home:
  • If you still eat occasionally at fast food restaurants, ask for a side salad instead of the French fries
  • If you bring your own lunch to work, always have a bowl for your salad – add lettuce, tomatoes, some cucumbers… or even cut corn, whatever, just always include a salad bowl as part of your lunch.
  • Always ask to include salad greens in your sandwiches – lettuce, tomato, onions, sprouts, cucumbers, spinach leaves, shredded carrots, etc.
  • Try to add fresh vegetables to some of your cooked dishes – create a pasta primavera or a pasta salad with fresh peppers, tomato and onions, etc.

 

Sometimes, the key to eating more salads are the DRESSINGS… here are a few dressing ideas that will bring more pizzazz and variety to your salads:

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Adobo Alternatives

12 Apr

I need my food to be seasoned well…  us Puerto Ricans love savory dishes.  Not to be confused with spicy.  We do not typically use chilies or hot spicy peppers in our cooking, but we do season our food well with adobo – a mixture of spices, herbs and salt that give Puerto Rican food is unique flair.

I mentioned you how to make your own adobo mixture here… but if you’re too lazy ( like I have been known to be) or you feel you want to try things before investing in making your own mix, there are a few natural and vegetarian alternatives you  can try from your local health food store.

        

 

Both Spike and Herbamare can be found in your local health food… these are made from natural ingredients, sea salt and without adding any chemical preservatives.  I have been using both for a number of years now.   I use them to season stews, rices, mushrooms, veggie burgers, etc.  Give these seasonings a try… you’ll see how your food will bring you even more enjoyment…  Bon Appétit!!!

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Horseradish Potato Pastelón

6 Apr

I am in love with anything with horseradish in it… cheese, mustards, etc.  And to show my appreciation towards horseradish, I decided to create this pastelón.  It’s really a clean-your-fridge recipe… but delicious in its own right. Confirmed by my friend Jonathan, who was my guinea-pig for the day…

 

HORSERADISH POTATO PASTELÓN

About 2 lbs of potatoes – russet or red-skinned potatoes work well here
4 tbs of butter
¼ cup of milk
1 tbs grain mustard
1 tbs prepared horseradish
½ yellow onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of shredded carrots
½ cup of broccoli, cut into small pieces
¼ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil
Himalayan Pink Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

 

  1. Boil the potatoes in salted water in a medium sized pot.  I tend to just put enough water to only cover half of the potatoes.  That way they boil and part steam and cook faster in my experience than if you submerge them all in water.
  2. While the potatoes cook, we prepare the vegetable filling…  In a medium skillet over medium heat we add a bit of olive oil and sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes.  Add the shredded carrots and mix well with the onions and cook until the carrots and onions soften, about 3-4 minutes. Lastly, add the broccoli florets, mix in with the rest of the ingredients and let cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then turn off the stove and let the broccoli cook with the residual heat from the skillet.
  4.  When the potatoes are cooked and fork tender, drain the water and mash the potatoes in the same pot you cooked them and add the butter, milk and mash them well with a potato masher.  Add the mustard and horseradish.  Season with Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Mix it all in well. 
  5. Spray a glass baking dish with Canola Oil spray and place 1/3 of the potato mixture at the bottom of the dish and spread it all as evenly as possible.  On top, add the vegetable mixture in one even layer.  Lastly, top with the remainder of the potato mixture.  Finish with a layer of sprinkled parmesan cheese on top.
  6. Bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes until the cheesy top has a nice golden brown crust.

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