Avocado Tomato Sandwich

14 Sep

Avocados are in season and my Tití Carmín has a bountiful in her finca.  So every time she comes to San Juan, she comes carrying boxes and boxes of avocados.

I love the eat a few slices or wedges of avocado on the side of every meal… but once in a while you need to get creative as to how to enjoy an avocado in a new way.  This is how these sandwiches came about.

 

AVOCADO AND TOMATO SANDWICH

3 slices of ripe avocado
2 slices of tomato
2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
2 leafs of butter lettuce
Vegenaise – eggless mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste
Drizzle of Olive oil
1 whole-grain ciabatta bread

 

  1. Halve the bread and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toast in oven at 350F for about 3-4 minutes.  Spread bottom bread with eggless mayonnaise.
  2. Place the avocado slices on bottom half of bread.  Top with mozzarella and tomato slices.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle a small amount of olive oil.  Finish with lettuce leaves.  Top with bread.

 

This is just so buttery and delicious…  It’s addictive.  I used to have this same sandwich for both lunch and dinner until the entire avocado was GONE!!!

Plum and Blueberry Crisp

10 Sep

I am not the most proficient baker, particularly when having to make something for 20+ people…   so when Angie at the yoga center asked me to help her with a dessert for the yoga center, I usually think of something fruity and simple that will not require lots of kneading or beating.  Because with as many kitchen implements there are at the center, there is not an electric mixer.

I remembered a few episodes of Good Eats and Barefoot Contessa where they made fruit cobblers or crisps.  I always enjoyed the cherry cobblers when I used to eat at Bonanza.  But I guess something fresher than cherry pie filling would be more suitable for the buffet dinner at the Yoga Center.

We used gluten-free flour mix and non-dairy shortening to accommodate for the many allergies and tastes at the center…  although I have seen MANY eat wheat and cheese galore when traveling and they present no “allergies issues”…  go figure, huh?

 

PLUM BLUEBERRY CRISP

4 lbs of fresh plums
12oz of blueberries – I used frozen
2/3 cup of organic granulated sugar
5 tbs of cornstarch
1 tbs of lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
For the Topping
1 1/3 cups of gluten-free flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of organic granulated sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 sticks of non-dairy “butter”, cut into small pieces – I used Earth Balance and I recommend maybe freezing it before using
1 cup of walnuts, toasted
 
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Wash the plums well and cut an X at the bottom of each fruit using a paring knife.  Place the plums in the hot water for about 1 minute until you see the skins start of peel off.  Transfer the plums to a large bowl with ice water using a large colander.  This will stop the cooking immediately…
  2. Peel the plums, which should be easier after they’ve been blanched.  Slice them into ½” slices. 
  3. Place the sliced plums in a large baking dish.  Add the blueberries, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2/3 cup of sugar and cornstarch.  Mix well together. Set aside.
  4. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  5. In a separate bowl we’ll mix the crisp topping – the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and non-dairy butter.  Using your hands (or maybe even better an electric hand mixer) mix well all the ingredients to achieve a cornmeal texture.  If the “butter” is not super well chilled you’ll make a huge mess.  It’s still taste good, but be ready for a messy mess in your hands.
  6. Drop pieces of the crisp topping over the fruits.  The topping does not need to evenly cover the fruits, but try to have globs of topping as evenly spaced as possible over the fruits.
  7. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until the topping gets as golden brown as possible.  I did this in an oven that’s not mine and I had to increase the temp a bit to 385F for about 10 minutes to get a nicer golden color.

 

Allow the crisp to cool down for about 1 hour before you serve it.  It’s delicious warm or even room temperature.  A nice scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t be bad either.

The dessert was a complete hit… that’s why we’re posting here for all to have access to it.  Enjoy!!!

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Membrillo Update

7 Sep

For all of you that wanted to know more where you could find Membrillo Paste, here is an update…

I saw Membrillo Paste at the Cheese Section of Whole Foods.  You could find it near the manchego cheeses.  This picture was taken recently at the Whole Foods in Boca Raton FL.

There were several varieties to choose from.  Enjoy!!

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Broccoli Salad

3 Sep

The other day my friend Angie asked for my help in the Yoga Center kitchen… she was down a cook and needed my help.  I’ve been a little detached from cooking at the Yoga Center lately.  Having no important plans for the afternoon, I immediately said yes.

She told me she had broccoli and did not know what to do with it.  So I went thru my mental rolodex and retrieved an idea I’ve been meaning to share with you.   Blanching was the operative cooking technique of the day…

We made this recipe for 20 people so I will try to replicate for a party of 4.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 head of broccoli florets (save the stems for some other day)
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 head of garlic, roasted
2 tbs horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of that same lemon
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
  1. To roast the garlic head, just cut the top off the garlic bulb and place inside a piece of aluminum foil.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over it and season with salt and pepper.  Add a small piece of ice with the garlic and wrap the aluminum foil so that the steam does not escape.  Bake in oven at 350F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Set aside.
  2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  Salt the water liberally.  Add the broccoli florets to the water and cook for about 1 minute. 
  3. Remove the broccoli florets from the boiling water with a large sieve and transfer to a large bowl with ice water to stop the cooking immediately and seal the beautiful green color.
  4. Place the onion slices inside the large sieve and submerge the onion slices ever so slightly into the same boiling water as you blanched the broccoli florets.  Just submerge them for about 30 seconds.  Pour some filtered tap water over the onion slices to cool them off.  Set aside.
  5. In a measuring cup mix together the lemon juice, lemon zest, horseradish, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
  6. Now, in a large salad bowl mix together the blanched broccoli that you’ve drained of as much water as possible, the blanched onion slices, the roasted garlic cloves that you’ve removed from the bulb skins, and the lemon/horseradish dressing.  Mix all well together to let the broccoli florets absorb as much dressing as possible.

 

Serve as a side dish… but we also incorporated the leftovers in a pasta salad.  Delicious!!!

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Healthy Lifestyle Change for SEPTEMBER – Do not buy products containing preservatives or artificial coloring

1 Sep

With the craziness and fad of counting calories and having everything be “fat-free”, counting carbs, etc.  The food industry has modified foods in such a way to make them comply with the latest fad out there.  To do this they do not mind filling those foods with chemical additives, preservatives, or colorings to make us believe we’re eating the original…  at the end of the day, these modified products are not even a shadow of their original counterparts. 

I have adopted a philosophy, now for over 10 years, that I would like to pass on to you – I read the labels and I try not to buy anything that contains ingredients I can’t understand or even pronounce.  Basically, I only buy products that have the least ingredients possible.

I was even once told – why even buy products that have labels you can read?  For example, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, apples, pears, etc. usually do not have a label we can read to see what they contain, right?  Without going into the details of branding or organic vs. conventional, there’s some food for thought…

By choosing products with the least ingredients, I also avoid:

  • Any chemical ingredient I can’t pronounce
  • All artificial colorants such as FD Red #5, Yellow #10, etc.
  • Any ingredient containing SULFITES or NITRITES –  preservatives added to food to preserve their vibrant color and known carcinogens.

As a general rule:

I do not Buy: I Buy:
Cheeses or anything labeled Fat Free Regular cheeses or those made with 2% milk

  • Light cream cheese – neufchatel
  • Swiss cheese
Nothing that contains Nutrasweet, Splenda or artificial sweeteners – read the labels – my sister, the diabetic in my family, tells me that many regular chocolates/candies have less carbs than chocolates labeled sugar-free. I look for products that do not contain added sugars or that are made with Brown sugar.I sweeten things with honey or agave nectar
Bottled Dressings I make my own…  here are a few ideas.
Bottled Sun-dried tomatoes or dried fruit – like dried pineapple, mangoes or apricots Brands that specifically state they do not contain sulfites.

  

I know it’s a challenge, but you just get used to reading the labels and be more conscious of the ingredients that go into the food you eat.  And even though you might get familiar with the brands you prefer, you need to periodically read the labels because sometime companies change formulas and a product that was perfectly fine, now might have some added something it didn’t have before.

 Now, you’ll be more aware of the brands that have the healthiest options… and little by little you’ll see how your health and palate gravitates to more natural flavors and ingredients.

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