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Quick Lettuce, Tomato and Corn Salad

I had some leftover Sauteed Corn and Onions but not enough to eat by itself, so I created this quick salad.

I grew up eating canned corn… I will out my mom and confess that when we were growing up, salad was many times opening up a can of corn or a can of string green beans. I loved them, but now I know better. One of my former secret indulgences were white rice with tuna, ketchup and corn. Mmmm!!! My grandpa used to call this – Arroz Pio Pio.

No need to heat up the corn, just take the chill off from the fridge and it’s good to go.

QUICK LETTUCE, TOMATO and CORN SALAD

Romaine Lettuce

Tomato

left over Sauteed Corn and Onions

Extra-virgin olive oil

the juice of 1/2 a lemon

Garlic salt

Place the lettuce, tomatoes and corn in a salad bowl.
Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice and garlic salt.
Toss together and serve.

Tags: corn, onion, romaine lettuce, tomato

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Salad, side dishes

Creamy Potatoes

19 Feb

I’ve spent the last 4 days cleaning one of my rooms trying to make it into an organized and functional home office. The more I threw out, the more things appeared. Amazing.

But more amazing was the bunch of old recipes I had written a few years back for the yoga center that I had completely forgotten about. I found this folder with about 5 potato recipes I had made a looooong time ago, just waiting for me to rediscover them again. Perfect for my Potato Festival theme…

One of these recipes is this Creamy Potatoes dish – it’s basically a potato gratin, but because the name in Spanish is Papas a la Crema, I thought I should stay true to the original name… It turned out to be a very creamy and satisfying little dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

CREAMY POTATOES

2 lbs potatoes – I used russets – sliced as thinly as possible

1 medium onion – sliced as thinly as possible

3 cups of milk

4 tbs cornstarch

1/2 stick of margarine

2 tbs sofrito

1 1/2 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese – optional

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash potatoes well and slice them as thinly as possible. I used a mandolin for the first time and I love the way they come out – Super consistent. Slice onion too.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, pour margarine and sautee sofrito for a few minutes. Pour 2 cups of the milk. In the remaining milk, dilute the cornstarch and pour in. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until the sauce starts to thicken a bit.
Stack the potato and onion slices in a glass casserole dish. Pour the milk mixture over the potatoes.
If using, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the potatoes.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
Turn off oven and let the potatoes in the oven for an extra 10-15 minutes. Let cool a bit before serving so the sauce does not run all over the place.

I served this together with Sauteed Corn.

Tags: gratin, milk, onion, potato

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Categories main courses, Potato Festival, side dishes

Tuno Antipasto

19 Jan

Antipasto… when you hear the word you probably think of a platter of salamis, deli meats, Italian cheeses, olives, roasted peppers, etc. And you would be right…

However, don’t ask me why or how, but in Puerto Rico, a party delicacy served warm made out of tuna or chicken, stewed with lots of onions, peppers and in a rich tomato sauce is also called an antipasto. My version, of course, is made with Tuno – a brand of frozen soy protein flavored with seeweeds to taste like tuna.

You can have this as a warm party “dip” or it goes great on top of rice or even pasta.

TUNO ANTIPASTO

1/3 cup of Tuno, defrosted

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 medium cubanelle pepper, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/2 cup pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 laurel bay leaf

1 roasted red bell pepper

2 tbs capers or sliced green stuffed olives

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, pour olive oil and onions. Sautee for a few minutes, add peppers and garlic. Add some slat and pepper to help the mixture release some moisture. Sautee until softened.
Add frozen Tuno. Cover saucepan, this will help the Tuno defrost completely.

3. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, roasted peppers, bay leaf, capers or olives.

4. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve warm with crackers as a warm dip. Or serve on top of whole grain rice as a main course.

Buon Appetito!!!

Tags: antipasto, onion, peppers, tuno

Comments 5 Comments
Categories appetizers, Puerto Rican delicacies

Veggie Party Dip

19 Jan

If you’re not in the mood for sandwiches, or just don’t have time to wait for the Veggie Party Sandwiches to set to cut the crusts, you can serve the dip by itself with crackers, crostini or even crudites.

VEGGIE PARTY DIP

12oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 large tomato, seeds removed, chopped as finely as possible

1 medium cubanelle pepper or 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped as finely as possible

1/2 medium onion, chopped as finely as possible

Olive oil to taste

Garlic salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the cream cheese, tomato, onion and pepper.
Add olive oil in small increments to soften the mixture until it’s in an easy-to-spread consistency.
Season with garlic salt and pepper.

Tags: cream cheese, green pepper, onion, tomato

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Categories appetizers, snacks

Veggie Party Sandwiches

19 Jan

Here in Puerto Rico we have a custom of serving at most birthday parties what we call “sandwichitos de mezcla”. Roughly translated means “mixture mini sandwiches”. They’re traditionally made with a bunch of things I don’t eat anymore… so a friend taught me to make this alternative version.

I will confess, my friend Ana Yolanda has requested these sandwiches for several of her home parties. And I am not lying when I tell you these sandwiches go faster than the traditional version. I make them on 100% whole wheat bread, so that’s why they are not super symmetrical. Traditionally they’re made with club sandwich bread, but none of the brands available here are 100% whole grain.

They’re super easy and super tasty…

VEGGIE PARTY SANDWICHES

12oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 large tomato, seeds removed, chopped as finely as possible

1 medium cubanelle pepper or 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped as finely as possible

1/2 medium onion, chopped as finely as possible

Olive oil to taste

Garlic salt and pepper to taste

1 packet of 100% whole wheat sliced sandwich bread

Mix together the cream cheese, tomato, onion and pepper.
Add olive oil in small increments to soften the mixture until it’s in an easy-to-spread consistency.
Season with garlic salt and pepper.

If you stop here… you can use this mixture as a veggie party dip. Continue to make the sandwiches…

4. Spread the mixture onto the one side of the sliced bread and assemble sandwiches.

5. Take a clean/new handi-wipe or 2 paper towel and dip it in milk or water. Squeeze the excess milk/water. Place it at the bottom of a tray or Pyrex where you can fit all the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on top of one paper towel or the opened handi wipe. Cover the sandwiches with the remaining damp paper towel. Place the tray in the fridge for a few hours or even over night. The paper towel will keep the sandwiches moist while in the fridge. If not using, the top bread will dry out on you.

6. Remove sandwiches from fridge and cut away the crusts and cut in quarters – either diagonally or vertical/horizontal. It’s up to you.

Serve on a platter and see them fly away…