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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Strawberry Lemonade

11 Aug

August, by far, has been the hottest month in the Summer.  So to cool off I have developed a nice repertoire of refreshing drinks that will keep me cool.

To give a nice sweet twist to your regular lemonade…  add some fresh strawberries.

 

 

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

The juice of 2 lemons – I prefer criollo lemons
About 1 ½ cups of water – this may vary according to the amount of juice your lemons yield
2 strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tbs agave nectar
3-4 cubes of ice

 

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender. 
  2. Enjoy under a shady palm tree.

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Potato Festival Update

6 Aug

Back in January I mentioned to you that the United Nations had declared 2008 as the Year of the Potato.  And coming from a potato-growing family in Cuba, I needed to make homage to this eventful year by presenting to you as many potato dishes as possible. 

I eat everything I cook to present to you in the blog… so forgive me for needing some variety in my diet.  But I wanted to give you an update of the potato recipes we have available for you at KarmaFree Cooking…

Herb Roasted Potatoes

 

Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Potato and Fried Eggplant Pastelón

 

 

Sweet Potato Pastelón

 

Stewed Potatoes

 

Creamy Potatoes

 

 

Roasted Potato and Pumpkin Salad

Cracked Potatoes

 

Potato Leek Soup

 

Baby Spinach and Potato Pastelón

 

Corn Tostada Stacks

 

Hummus Pastelón

 

Comme Ci Comme Ca Salade Niçoise

 

Potato Boursin Casserole

 

Vegetable Noodle Soup

Potatoes à la Angie

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Mushroom-Stuffed Mushrooms

2 Aug

This is a variation on Stuffed Mushrooms… to me it was a no-brainer that you can use the stems of the mushrooms and used them as your filling.  But people were sooooooo amused by this that it let to the name – mushroom-stuffed mushrooms.  This is basically using up all your produce and minimizing waste.

I made these as hot appetizers for our Francophone get-together, but you can serve them as a side dish too.  My friends teased me on the concept, but they all took home the left-overs.  And still, 5 days later they were still bragging about them.  Not bad, huh?

 

MUSHROOM-STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 packet of button mushrooms
2oz cream cheese
2 handfuls of grated cheese – Italian-blend
1 tbs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
2 tbs of butter
Salt and pepper
Herbamare seasoning
2 tbs of whole-wheat bread crumbs (optional)

 

  1. Clean out all the mushrooms and remove their stems.  Set mushrooms caps aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, place butter and let it brown a bit, about 4-5 minutes.   Meanwhile, chop all the mushrooms stems as finely as possible.  Add the chopped mushrooms to the butter and sauté until the mushroom stems are golden brown.  When they’re almost done… add salt, pepper and Herbamare seasoning.
  3. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
  4. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl and add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, parsley and breadcrumbs, if adding.
  5. Stuff each mushroom cap with the filling, allowing the filling to kind-of-overflow.
  6. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes.
  7. Remove them immediately from the oven so they do not sit on the juice they released.   Transfer them to a platter and serve immediately.

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Citrus Punch

1 Aug

This was a non-alcoholic drink I did for the Les Francophones get-together.  I wanted to have something light and refreshing if someone needed a break from the French wine they brought over…

 

 

CITRUS PUNCH

1 container of frozen passion fruit juice, thawed
2  12oz bottles of pineapple juice
1 cup of orange juice
1 bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider
1 cup of lime-flavored Perrier

 

 

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator until your guests arrive.

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