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Gandules de Lula

Inspired by the Shop Small movement… I want to encourage you to gift things that were made by you or someone you know. I am a small business owner and ever since becoming one I am a firm believer in helping out other small business owners.

Last weekend I took to my sister’s baby shower a batch of Gandul Antipasto, or Pigeon Peas Antipasto, made by Lula. Lula is a girl I know from where we get our mani/pedis done. She also can cook a mean gandul. Lula sells her Antipasto de Gandules from her home. Is a small operation, so if you call her to the number on the flyer, she can certainly hook you up with some.

These gandules were one of the HITS of my sister’s baby shower. Everyone thought I had made them and were asking me for the recipe. But no… I flew them in from Puerto Rico. I do not eat beans that much. You know this already… but these are DELICIOUS!! Tangy and savory with garlic and a touch of cilantro.

So if you’re interested, call LULA at 787-410-0630. Tell her Madelyn from KarmaFree Cooking sent you.

oooooo

I’ll even go one step further and encourage you to give of YOURSELF this holiday season. Give your support, your time, your wisdom, your smile, your hugs, your shoulder… giving of yourself is so much meaningful than any bought gift you can ever give.

Let’s honor this season the way it’s supposed to be celebrated.

Merry Xmas…

Tags: antipasto, food, pigeon peas, Puerto Rico, vegetarian

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Categories appetizers, MY EDITORIAL

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Veggie Bites of Wisdom #23

13 Dec

Tags: Clint Eastwood, diet, food, Vegan, vegetarian

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Categories Veggie Bites of Wisdom

Plantain Little Spiders – Arañitas

10 Dec

This was supposed to be a recipe for Halloween… you know, the play on words – arañitas means “little spiders” in Spanish. Their name is mainly due to their scraggly shape, because they’re fully vegetarian and have nothing to do with the little arachnid creatures. But maybe they’re more appropriately called in English, Plantain Nests, making them a very nice option for Easter too.

This is yet another way Puerto Ricans love to eat green plantain. Variety is the spice of life and there are 1,001 ways we can cook a plantain. Tostones are most popular because they can be prepared in advance. Arañitas is something you need to grate, season and cook immediately. Not for the prep-ahead cook.

You can fry them in oil, just like you do with platanutres or chicharritas de pátano. But I have devised a way to enjoy the goodness of this Puerto Rican favorite without the need to get the deep fryer out. I am Latin, but I do not enjoy having to clean the splatter of a frying pan filled with oil.

Here is how I make arañitas…

PLANTAIN LITTLE SPIDERS – ARAÑITAS

1 green plantain, peeled

1 tbs canola oil

Garlic Salt

After you peel the green plantain, grate it in as long strips as possible. I try to grate it on the long side to get longer strips of plantain.
In a medium bowl, add the grated plantain, season with garlic salt and add the canola oil. Mix it all well to ensure the plantain is oiled and well-seasoned all over.

3. In a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat, place little mounds of plantain. The low heat will allow the plantain mounds to cook on the inside. After a few minutes, you’ll see the outside plantain will start to stiffen and crisp up. Flip when you notice the center of the mound is turning yellow.

see why they could certainly be called nests????

4. Keep the heat at medium-low. The arañitas will eventually crisp up on the outside and start turning golden brown.

5. Take them out of the skillet and allow them to drain a bit on a paper towel. They may not drip any oil, but any excess oil is better left on a paper towel.

Serve alongside your favorite Puerto Rican dish – like macarrones with soy picadillo, arroz con gandules or as croutons for a delicious salad.

Tags: food, green plantain, plantain, Puerto Rico, vegetarian

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Categories appetizers, Puerto Rican delicacies, side dishes

Restaurante Jerusalem – Eating Vegetarian in San Juan

6 Dec

Many of you have asked me where to eat delicious vegetarian food when visiting San Juan… I even once wrote an article in Serious Eats on my favorite restaurants in San Juan and Jerusalem was definitely on that list.

Ever since I returned from a trip to Israel in April 2000, I have been enamored with the flavors of the Middle East. We spent our days eating mostly falafels, hummus, pita bread and salads. That was our menu almost every single day. And when we returned to Puerto Rico, I wanted to remember all the flavors of those travels. It was a magical trip and Jerusalem was the only restaurant that made me go back to the flavors of Israel.

In my opinion, Jerusalem has THE BEST Middle Eastern food in Puerto Rico. There are several Middle Eastern restaurants here, most of them located in Roosevelt Ave. , but none of them stand close to the food at Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has, in my opinion, the best falafels in Puerto Rico. They taste fresh and light. I am not the greatest fan of tahini sauce, but I consider Jerusalem’s tahini sauce the best as well.

I usually order the hummus as an appetizer. The olive oil on top of it tastes so fruity and delicious…

Another reason why I love to eat at Jerusalem is because they serve a vegetarian kabob platter that I just love. It is grilled tomatoes, peppers and onions served with rice and the arab salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cubanelle peppers, parsley dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. I am making myself hungry just writing about this right now…

When people want to invite me to dinner… I usually suggest Jerusalem. It has a little bit of everything and even when you’re ordering vegetarian food it does not feel like you’re missing out on anything of the traditional flavors of the region.

Have you been to Jerusalem, the restaurant in San Juan??? Tell me what’s your opinion… what else should I order besides my usual fare???

Rest. Jerusalem – Ave. Roosevelt 1109, San Juan, Puerto Rico