Article in El Nuevo Día newspaper – 14 Feb 2012
If you want to learn more about the benefits of Mantra Yoga Meditation, the Centro Cultural Yoga Devanand will be holding a workshop this coming weekend February 17-19. At this workshop you’ll get a “crash course” on the benefits of meditating, not only in your own life, but also how it will benefit those around you and the world in general.
For more information on this interesting workshop, call Centro Cultural Yoga Devanand at 787-273-0236.
In my experience, Valentine’s Day is the WORST time to make a reservation to go out to eat. Restaurants are full… Service tends to falter… I do not have the best memories of dinners eaten at a restaurant on Valentine’s Day.
However I do believe it’s the perfect opportunity to be romantic with your significant other and to have some private dinner action.
In my opinion… set attainable expectations. Under-promise and over-deliver has always been a personal motto of mine. Do not try to make anything extremely complex or that will take you days and days to make. Instead, go for something simple yet delicious. Something that people might think you slaved over yet it was very easy to put together. This will give you time to focus on what’s important… celebrating the feelings that have brought you together up to this point.
The other day a friend over at FaceBook asked about what would I make if I were making a Valentine’s Day dinner for my significant other. The parameters:
3 courses
No more than 3 things in each course, in other words, SIMPLE
Here was my suggestion to the group, which they all received very, very well:
First Course:
Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms with a micro green garnish dressed lightly with a Meyer lemon dressing. The garnish is to make it fancier, but it’s not strictly necessary at all.
Second Course:
An Asparagus Tart with caramelized onions and goat cheese with a side salad of mesclun greens, grape tomatoes, pickled onions, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette.
Third Course:
A Papaya Strawberry Sorbet… and if you don’t have papayas near you, a Very Berry Sorbet will do in a pinch.
This is simple dinner supper idea that can be done super quick… and it’s mostly assembling. I have personally impressed with each and every recipe in this menu. They’re easy to make and with ingredients that are readily available in your local supermarket. Nothing too fancy, yet when put all together… makes a nice statement.
If you would like other ideas for easy impressing a significant other on Valentine’s check out these other options:
This is my go-to “impress a new boyfriend” recipe…
This is a close second “impress the new boyfriend” recipe… Haven’t tested it yet on a new boyfriend, but many friends have been awed already. So much, they’ve requested it time and time again.
Very similar concept to the Asparagus Tart… but with tomatoes.
This is time-consuming, but not difficult at all. You just need to plan a little more in advance…
A dramatic interpretation of the crepe… you can still just make the filling and fold the crepe up just like the French do. It’ll taste just as delicious. Believe me.
Happy Valentine’s Day…
Why not?? I know Spaniards are really into soccer… American Football is only a US novelty. A big one, I should say.
I am not into American Football at all… but I am into watching all the TV commercials. The only thing I have been a bit into are the players. I am dating myself here but I used to like to watch the Chicago Bears a bit when Jim Harbaugh was quarterback. I even went to a game in Soldier Field – Thanks John and Dave!!!
(Believe it or not, I didn’t know until finding links for this post that Jim Harbaugh is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, who almost went to the SBowl this year!!! I told you I wasn’t into it… but he still looks as cute as ever!!!)
Last year, I hosted my friends Dan and Yvonne (who are really into football, I might add) with a Puerto Rican inspired snacking spread. Well, this year I want to do it with a Spanish/Mediterranean menu. Why?? Because even though I am not into soccer either, I have now a big crush on Real Madrid’s goalie Iker Casillas… and besides, why not???
You’ll see this is a celebration of Tomato, Spinach and Bread… Here are the options:
Sun-dried Tomatoes Stuffed Mushrooms
And 2 Sangrias to wash it down – regular red sangría and a White Sangría
As a follow-up from last week’s post on my friend Kate’s experience on transitioning to a more veggie-full lifestyle, I asked her to please share with us her fave KarmaFree Cooking recipes.
Something I always tell my non-vegetarian friends, whom are many… is that you do not need to be a vegetarian to enjoy the recipes in KarmaFree Cooking. Most of the recipes are made with ingredients easily available in your neighborhood supermarket. Only a few are made with “fake meats” and even those, could works without them either.
Here are 3 of Kate’s, the workweek vegetarian, favorite KarmaFree recipes… maybe it’ll give you a chance to give some of these recipes a second chance too.
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One thing about eating vegetarian that I didn’t realize was a factor is that there is a LOT of fried food recipes. I mean WOW. Really? I went vegetarian during the week to help my high cholesterol! So I suppose that one has to be picky and choosey in any diet scenario. KFC – Kate, remember KarmaFree Cooking is written by a Puerto Rican, and “frituras” are part of our culinary vernacular. Sorry about that…
KarmaFree Cooking really gives me great ideas. I use the recipes posted, but I bookmark many that are easily adaptable. One that I have actually printed out and keep in my cookbook is the Cauliflower Cheese and Mac. When it’s cold outside and we want something a little rib-stickier I can take out the Cauliflower and sub for potatoes and cabbage!
It’s pretty insane that my husband has gotten to the point where he ASKS for certain dishes that are meatless. One that he asks for often are the Yellow-Mustard Fingerling Potatoes. I usually put them alongside a big omelet (1 yolk for every two eggs) filled with sautéed onions and peppers and mushrooms.
Another recipe that I’ve been able to adapt into just about anything is the Leek Rice. OH MAN. I LOOOOVE Leeks. I should get that printed on a trucker hat or some mud flaps for my car because I really do. They’re such a misused ingredient. Italians are so NOT into Leeks that they’re one of the cheapest vegetables at the market. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? Ugh. So I make Leek Rice for just about anyone who comes over for supper. If it’s one of the rare evenings that I eat meat, it’s really perfect to put with anything. I especially like it with poultry, but during the week I pile it high on my plate with some Broccoli Rabe and Walnuts or Cashews.
I am so glad to know some of our recipes have changed someone’s perception of vegetarian food and cooking. That someone who before shied away from something vegetarian, now asks for it. I feel like I am accomplishing my goal with KarmaFree Cooking then. Please share your favorite recipes with your family and friends. We would love to have them around to visit us often.
What are your KarmaFree Cooking favorite recipes??? Please share with us too…
I wasn’t going to blog about this… but my friends over Facebook were so excited about the photo and the recipe, that I said “what the heck…”. If those people who love food loved this recipe, possible you guys will also love it too.
This was something I just put together yesterday for lunch. Nothing planned in advance, unless you count that I started making the rice in my rice cooker since 10:30AM. I always get hungry and never consider making rice because whole grain rice takes about 1 hour to make, and by that time, I would be famished.
I have mentioned to you my love for adding cashews in stir-frys before… and the beauty for making it at home is that you can add as many cashews as you want!!!! Chinese restaurants are always skimping on the cashews even when they charge you extra for them every time.
The secret here… use whatever you have in your fridge… I would have added some bean sprouts, but I didn’t have any. Some spinach would have worked great too instead of the lettuce. I actually used lettuce because I was out of spinach. So work with what you have… the end product will still be delicious!!!
Easy Veggie and Cashew Stir Fry
½ onion – sliced ½ green bell pepper – sliced 6-7 white button mushrooms – quartered 1 small carrot – shredded or peeled into slices with a vegetable peeler 4 romaine lettuce leaves – sliced ½ cup roasted and salted cashews – but this measure is optional. You can add as much cashews as you want… ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup of water 1 tsp cornstarch 2 tbs agave nectar Olive oil Salt to taste
Serve over brown rice.
This is a very satisfying lunch or dinner without feeling heavy at all.
KarmaFree Cooking 