KarmaFree Cooking

Home Remedies – Water for Headaches

It’s been over 14 years since I’ve taken any analgesics to take care of a headache.

When I started to attend our Yoga Center, I learned, or developed an awareness, of how many side effects chemical medicines have. They “cure” one thing, but damage 10 others.

So for many years now I have subscribed to the idea of using natural remedies as much as possible to treat the cause of my illness or discomfort versus just tending to the symptom. Most traditional medicine today is more concerned about treating the symptom that reaching to the root of the problem.

Let’s take headaches for example… I bet many of you pop up a few Tylenols or Advils anytime you feel a headache coming in. I’m not talking about migraines or anything more severe. I am talking about common everyday headache, possibly at 4PM, after a tough meeting or during the traffic jam while you’re trying to reach home.

I have experienced that most of the headaches I experienced where mainly due to DEHYDRATION. The water I was taking with the Tylenol, not the pills themselves, were the solution to what I was having. Just drinking a few glasses of water whenever you might feel you’re coming on with a headache might save you from taking many, many pills over the course of your lifetime.

Try it… and if it works, just try to avoid the headache all together by drinking more water every day.

Tags: food, home remedy, vegetarian, water

Comments 8 Comments
Categories home remedies

Welcome 2012!!!

2 Jan

Hi friends… I hope you had a great Holiday Season. I hope your year was filled with fireworks and great times.

2011 was a year filled with blessings – lots of work, new clients and projects, travels, health… lots of exposure of KarmaFree Cooking in the media – in the US and in Puerto Rico… and more yet to come. I am very thankful and grateful for that.

I always try to make small changes at the beginning of each year… but I have noticed I have not worked enough because this year’s resolutions are almost the same as last year’s!!!!

Exercise more

I was not able to exercise at the beginning of 2011 and that inertia has stayed with me for waaaaaaaaay too long. A combination of power walking, P90X and Hatha Yoga are a MUST this year. I have resoluted to complete the Teodoro Moscoso’s World’s Best 10K in February and the Diva’s 1/2 marathon in november 2012.

Go to bed earlier to I can get up earlier

In order to keep the resolution above, I need to go to bed earlier so I can get up at 5AM. This way I know I can get up, do what I need to do, meditate, exercise and be ready having breakfast by 8AM. I know I can do it, I just need to let tivo do its job and teach myself to be less impatient to watch something the same night it airs.

Eat more fresh salads

I have been lazy and I know I can do more in this area… I am good at always ordering a salad when I eat at a restaurant, But I am not very consistent when I prepare meals at home. I sometimes cut up a tomato and a few “rajas” of avocado and call it a day. I need to be more creative with my salads…

What are your 2012 Resolutions?? Please share…

Comments 2 Comments
Categories MY EDITORIAL

Cocina Abierta… Not Vegetarian, but very delicious options indeed

19 Dec

Cocina Abierta is one of the most popular restaurants in the San Juan/Metro Area… they have a Facebook Page and very loyal following. It’s been open for little over a year now and it was last week the first time I was able to eat there.

Martin Louzao, an Argentinian residing in Puerto Rico for a few years now, is the chef/owner of Cocina Abierta and he happens to be my neighbor too. I remember him arriving in his apartment with huge bags from Marshalls telling me all this new equipment was for the new restaurant he was opening soon, that I should visit him to try his food. If the food he makes tastes as good as the smells that came out of his apartment… this was going to be a delicious experience indeed.

It has taken me over a year to visit him because every time I had tried to eat there, the place was full. The concept… an open kitchen where all the guests can see the cooks at work. The menu, super dynamic… they work off what’s seasonal and fresh. They have a few favorites on the menu, but it changes constantly according to the chef’s whimsy and inspiration.

Last week I needed to have a working lunch meeting and decided I wanted to try if Cocina Abierta was available. They now have a lunch menu and some of the options caught my eye. This is what I had:

Arugula Salad with dates, goat cheese, parmesan flakes, almonds in a balsamic vinaigrette. Proscuitto not needed at all.

Feta and Spinach Ravioli with grated fresh tomato and Genovese pesto

I debated if I should have had the Pumpkin Risotto with parmesan cheese, onion marmalade and petit pois, which can be requested to be made with vegetable stock for vegetarians like me, but decided the ravioli seemed lighter fare for lunch.

The Arugula salad was one of the most delicious salads I’ve had in a long time. It’s extremely memorable and worthy of recommendations. I almost licked the plate clean. I divided one salad with my friend Angie, but the next time, I will order one just for myself. It’s that good… just as good as Bobby Flay’s Gala Apple salad and that’s a lot said right there.

The ravioli were pillowy and light. And the sauce was more like a dressing than a sauce per se. A little fresh tomato, very fruity olive oil and a dab of pesto atop each ravioli. The portion size was healthy, but I could have eaten a few more, certainly. Out of gluttony, of course.

The next time, I will try to order their Eggplant Ravioli with pine nuts. They were not available the day I visited… good, so I have something else to look forward to on my next visit.

Cocina Abierta is certainly not a vegetarian restaurant, but they make vegetarians feel welcome and understood. Thanks Martin for a wonderful lunch and hope to be able to visit sometime soon to taste some of your wonderful and delicious creations.

Tags: Cocina Abierta, food, Puert Rico, restaurant review, vegetarian

Comments 3 Comments
Categories MY EDITORIAL

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.