KarmaFree Cooking

Piña Colada – Puerto Rico’s National Drink…

This is a post originally published as a guest post on Flanboyant Eats… Here is the link to the Original. Thanks Bren for the opportunity!!!

I have to thank Bren for always extending me an invitation to get featured in her awesome blog…

She asked us to bring forth something that would represent my Hispanic roots to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. I could not think of a more iconic drink than the Piña Colada. The Piña Colada has become the signature drink of the Caribbean, vacations and the beach.

According to the plaque, it was born on the streets of Old San Juan, on Calle Fortaleza. But there are stories the Piña Colada was invented by a barman in the Caribe Hilton Hotel. What I do like about both these stories – they both agree the Piña Colada is Puerto Rican. No doubts about that… one of our many, many contributions to the world.

I’ve seen many versions of this typical creamy beverage, but an authentic Piña Colada has merely 3 ingredients – Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice and Ice. You could add a little rum if you want, but the alcohol does not make the drink. A virgin, karma-free version is equally as satisfying, if not more, in my humble opinion.

This is a Piña Colada version that adults and kids alike can enjoy and feel as if they’re swept away into a beachy retreat… if at least for a few sips at a time.

VIRGIN PIÑA COLADA

1 cup of cream of coconut – I like Coco López

1 cup of pineapple juice – I like Lotus

6-8 ice cubes

Pineapple chunks and cherries for garnish

Blend all the ingredients well in a blender. The coconut cream will make the mixture frothy and creamy. It will also provide all the sweetness you’ll need.

This recipe makes 4 drinks… or 2 very large ones.

Tags: colada, cream of coconut, drink, food, pina, pineapple, vegetarian

Comments 1 Comment
Categories beverages, Puerto Rican delicacies

Fried Quesadillas

20 Sep

I get these cravings sometimes… it could be anything, but lately it’s been of Mexican food. And not always I can get to Los Pioneros to get a fix of Tacos de Nopales. So I have to make do at home…

The easiest fix is to make quesadillas. A tortilla and cheese glorified into something special… When I visited Guadalajara and when I once traveled to NYC with my friend Guillén, I learned the best quesadillas need to be fried.

But I am trying to watch what I eat, because even when you’re vegetarian, I can add up some unwanted pounds. So I devised a way to get the feel and taste of the fried quesadilla without using lots and lots of oil.

Here’s how I make them…

FRIED QUESADILLAS

4 white corn tortillas, organic preferable

8-12 thin slices of pepper jack cheese

Olive Oil

Brush tortillas with a little olive oil… as little as possible. I stack the tortillas and lightly oil the first one on top on one side, flip it and oil on the other side. This will slightly oil the second tortilla… then flip the second tortilla and so on until all tortillas are slightly oiled on both sides.

2. Warm a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. You can do this with a small skillet, but it’s easier to make these quesadillas 2 at a time if you have the larger skillet. Place 2 tortillas side by side. They will overlap slightly… but don’t worry about that. Warm them on both sides for them to become pliable and somewhat charred on both sides. They will shrink a little…

3. When tortillas have been warmed up on both sides, place 2- 3 cheese slices on one half of tortilla and fold over the side without cheese to create a half circle/half moon. Flatten the top of the tortilla with a spatula a bit to allow the top side of the tortilla to fuse to the cheese inside. Flip once or twice until both sides are toasted/charred a bit and the cheese has melted completely.

4. Set aside on a plate to allow to cool a bit before serving. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese.

These are quesadillas to eat with your hands… not with a fork and knife. The corn tortilla is heartier and it will make it challenging to cut them up. So bite into them and enjoy.

Serve them with a side salad of tomato and avocado, guacamole or a fresh tomato salsa.

Tags: avocado, cheese, food, Mexican food, mexico, pepper jack cheese, tomato, vegetarian

Comments 9 Comments
Categories main courses, snacks

Health… the real Wealth

19 Sep

Tags: food, health, thoughts, vegetarian, wealth, wisdom

Comments 1 Comment
Categories healthy thoughts

Broccoli Mashed Potatoes

17 Sep

Broccoli is not something I grew up with. I learned to eat broccoli in my adulthood, and probably something I started to appreciate more once I decided to try more and more vegetarian recipes. My first memories of broccoli are not fun and were associated with dieting at an early age because I was in Ballet Camp… you know the days when I barely weighed 85lbs, but my ballet teacher told us all we could lose 10 more pounds. Oh, how we long TODAY to be as “fat” as we were then…

The truth is… broccoli is delicious, but it’s even better when you add some cheese to it. This recipe… has two cheeses, but you can indulge and add any or as many cheeses as you want.

This is a great recipe to use broccoli that’s a little past its prime… and to use the whole vegetable, florets and stalk too. It’s also awesome for times when you’re super busy. The potatoes and broccoli boil/steam on their own with little tending to. Check it out…

BROCCOLI MASHED POTATOES

3-4 medium Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes

½ a head of broccoli, florets and stem or you can use just florets if you prefer

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tbs of butter

2 ounces of cream cheese

2 tbs of plain greek yogurt

1 handful of shredded 6-cheese blend

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes by placing them in a medium pot with water almost covering the potatoes. Salt liberally. Place over medium-high heat. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling and steam is starting to escape the lid, turn the heat to medium low and boil/steam until the potatoes are tender for about 10-15 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, prepare the broccoli… By cutting the florets away from the stem. Peel the stem to reveal the tender inside. Cut the stem into small pieces and put them to boil together with the potatoes. Dump in the garlic cloves too. Reserve the florets.
When the potatoes are about to be done, place the florets inside the pot over the potatoes and cover the pot again. Count until 10 and turn the stove off. The broccoli florets will cook with the steam inside the pot already. Wait about 10 minutes until you uncover the pot again.
After the 10 minutes have elapsed, drain most of the water and return the potatoes and broccoli to the same pot you cooked it all in. Add the butter, drizzle of olive oil, cream cheese and yogurt. Mash them well. When all is mashed, add the shredded cheese and season with freshly cracked black pepper. Mix in well.
You can certainly serve at this point… but if you want a crunchy top, transfer to a bake safe dish, add a little more shredded cheese on top and bake in a 400F over until the top turns golden brown. This is also the way I reheat any left-overs of this mash.

This is more a method than a recipe… because you can add any cheese you prefer to this recipe. I sometimes use the little bits and pieces of cheese I have laying around my cheese drawer for this. Any will work and will still taste delicious…